Chapter 73: Binding Agents And Broken Figurines

Kane turned away from Veyr Corp’s imposing facade and wandered down the street until he spotted the familiar glow of a convenience store.

The automatic doors chimed as he entered.

Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting everything in harsh white.

Kane made his way to the refrigerated section and grabbed a chicken teriyaki bento box and a can of cola.

The cashier, a tired-looking college student, barely glanced up as Kane paid.

Kane settled at one of the small plastic tables outside the store, peeling back the film on his bento box. The rice was slightly dry, the chicken lukewarm, but it filled the hollow space in his stomach.

He’d taken maybe three bites when the store’s chimes sounded again.

Kane looked up to see Rina emerge with a bag of her own, sleek black hair catching the neon light from the store’s signs.

"Kane?" Rina’s dark eyes widened slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Kane gestured to the empty chair across from him with his chopsticks.

"Same thing you are, apparently. Want to join me?"

Rina glanced around the nearly empty street, then at Kane’s solitary dinner setup.

"Sure." She slid into the plastic chair and unpacked her meal—a sandwich and a bottle of green tea.

"I didn’t expect to find you eating convenience store food. Thought you’d developed more refined tastes recently."

Kane nearly choked on his rice.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Rina said, but her smile suggested otherwise. "Just making conversation."

"So how are you doing?" Rina asked, unwrapping her sandwich. "Really, I mean. Not the official version."

Kane paused mid-chew, considering her question.

"Honestly? Still processing everything."

Rina nodded, taking a sip of her green tea.

"Speaking of processing—I have an update on your apartment situation. The BSA crew finished cleaning up the place yesterday."

"And?"

"I ran a full forensic analysis on the scene." Rina pulled out her phone, scrolling through notes.

"Your initial assessment was spot-on. Definitely a reptilian spirit working with an air elemental."

"But here’s the interesting part: it was mixed with something else. Something I’ve never seen before." She leaned forward, lowering her voice.

"What kind of something?"

"A synthetic binding agent. Not natural spirit magic, Kane. Someone’s manufacturing this stuff." Rina’s expression grew serious.

Rina finished her bite of sandwich and glanced at Kane. "There’s something else you should know."

"That same synthetic binding agent was found on the rogue rat spirits at Hoshino’s."

Kane’s mind raced, connecting dots in real time.

"This isn’t about trafficking alone. Someone’s experimenting with spirit modification."

"Exactly," Rina said, acknowledging his quick deduction. "But I need to run more tests to confirm the extent."

Kane bit his lip, contemplating the implications.

"It’s starting to feel like this operation goes deeper than we thought. We’re talking about someone altering spirits—changing them, maybe even weaponizing them."

Rina nodded, packing up her things. "I’ll keep you updated once I’ve got more concrete evidence."

Kane stood as Rina gathered her things.

"Want me to walk you home?"

Rina shook her head, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Thanks, but my apartment’s just around the corner."

Kane blinked, suddenly remembering Rina’s family background.

"Right. Forgot you’re practically neighbors with all the corporate bigwigs."

Rina pulled a sleek black helmet from her bag and headed toward a motorcycle parked at the curb—a pristine Kawasaki.

"Actually," Kane called after her, "could I catch a ride somewhere? If you don’t mind."

Rina paused, one leg already swung over the bike.

"Where to?"

"Mochi’s."

She tossed him a spare helmet without hesitation.

"Hop on."

The engine roared to life beneath them.

Kane wrapped his arms around Rina’s waist as she pulled into traffic, weaving through the late-evening congestion with ease.

Within minutes, they slowed to a stop outside Mochi’s Miscellanea. The shop’s windows glowed warm yellow against the darkening street.

"Thanks for the ride, Rina. I owe you one."

Kane handed back the helmet and watched Rina disappear into the night.

The bell above Mochi’s door chimed as Kane stepped inside, breathing in the familiar mix of incense and organized chaos.

"Kane-chan! Where’s your scaly shadow?" Mochi’s eyes darted toward the door expectantly.

"Don’t tell me Daddy Dragon finally got tired of babysitting."

"He’s not—" Kane started, then caught himself. "I’m here alone tonight."

Mochi’s whiskers twitched with curiosity as he hopped down from his perch.

Kane approached the counter, formulating his question about spirit modifications.

"Mochi, I need to ask you about something. Have you heard anything about—"

Suddenly, the shop’s bell chimed again.

This time, two spirits entered—a burly bear spirit with scarred forearms and a wiry crow with oil-black feathers visible at his collar.

"Mochi," the bear spirit’s voice rumbled through the shop. "We need the usual."

Kane’s pulse quickened. These weren’t casual customers browsing for novelties.

The bear spirit was Kodiak, and the crow was Corvus—both members of the Flying Fang gang.

Kane had studied their files after they’d killed three BSA agents last winter and put two more in the hospital.

He kept his head down, praying they wouldn’t recognize him.

The crow spirit’s sharp eyes swept the shop before landing on Kane with uncomfortable intensity.

"Who’s the fox?"

Kane forced his expression into casual boredom, grabbing the nearest items from a display shelf—protection charms, energy bars, and a package of instant coffee.

"Just a customer," Kane said, keeping his voice light. "Was about to head out anyway."

He moved toward the counter, where Mochi watched the exchange with a carefully neutral expression.

"How much for these?"

"Twenty-five," Mochi replied, his usual theatrical flair notably absent.

The bear spirit stepped closer, nostrils flaring slightly.

"You smell like Bureau."

Kane’s hand stilled over his wallet.

"Sorry, what?"

Kane placed the exact change on the counter; his movements were casual despite the tension crackling through the air.

"Thanks, Mochi. See you around."

He turned toward the door, eager to leave before his cover frayed any further.

His shoulder clipped a display shelf near the entrance, sending a ceramic cat figurine tumbling to the floor.

The impact chipped off one pointed ear.

"Sorry about that," Kane called over his shoulder, not stopping to inspect the damage.

Mochi scooped up the broken figurine, examining the chipped ear with theatrical dismay before placing it back on the shelf.

"I’ll pay for it next time," Kane said, hand already on the door handle.