"No, I think I know where this is, too."

Toshiko quickly informed the family of what they were doing, and hurried out of the mansion. There was no time to lose, the longer they took, the more of a chance there would be that the client who had hired the thieves might show up, and that would mean there would be much less of a chance of recovering the vase.

The trip to the New Development district was... intense. Toshiko's remarkable ability not to get pulled over for dangerous driving was absolutely a factor in their safe arrival, as was the fact that many other drivers were terrified to be near the vehicle that could quite possibly kill someone at any moment. And yet, the made it their casualty-free.

The building was tall and decrepit. An apartment, most likely, that had never had any real inhabitants. Though someone had lived their at some point, if the couch was any indication.

Toshiko swiftly pulled her car up, and moments later got out. From what she could detect, there was nothing out of the ordinary. However, this was a conflict between those people who could use the existence known as magic. Caution could not be forgotten. Toshiko placed one hand in her pocket as she approached the front door. The chains keeping it shut had been broken.

"Ryuuko-san, stay back until I've checked the entrance," Toshiko began, as she approached the doorway, "There's no guarantees that it's not tra-"

Suddenly a series of symbols lit up around the doorway! Toshiko barely had time to tug something from her pocket before there was a high-pitched whine and-

The doorway exploded, and flames immediately engulfed Toshiko. Her form vanished in fire and sound, entirely obscured from view for a few scant moments... even after the fires cleared, smoke and dust rendered what had happened completely invisible for a moment...

Until a reddish glow became visible as the smoke cleared.

Toshiko stood, one arm covering her mouth, the other holding up a burning piece of paper. A rune was scrawled on the charm, and soon enough it burned away. With it, the red-tinted cage of light that had formed around the redheaded mage flickered out of existence.

"Damn it, it was longer range then I thought!" she snapped, craning her neck to look back at her student. "Ryuuko-san, there's no time for us to take it slow any longer, they must know we're here! Follow me!"