“Get ready in three, two, one… Go!”
Click.
In an instant, all the lights in the control room went off, and everything went completely dark. At the same time, I busted through the vent and landed on the floor below.
“What the—?! What’s goin’ on?!” the man cried out in confusion. His suited underlings were also so caught off guard that they couldn’t respond yet.
Now’s my chance!
I zeroed in on the gun that belonged to the man holding Misaki hostage.
“Hiyah!”
With a high kick, I knocked the gun right out of the man’s clutches. I brought my other leg up and jumped off him like a springboard.
“Gragh!”
This sent the man stumbling back and away from Misaki.
This time, I locked onto the second man. He was holding his gun out, pointing it toward Yuzuki and Kotone.
Not gonna happen!
I flicked a finger bomb filled with sleeping gas.
Tap!
Though it just barely hit its mark, the pellet bounced off the man’s forehead, causing him to fall back limp.
Perfect! Now I can save…
“Enough!”
Huh?!
I turned to see the boss carrying a weapon, and it was pointed at me.
“Asuka!”
Oops. I didn’t think the boss would be armed, too!
“I don’t know who yous are, but you’re gonna pay for your meddlin’!”
The boss was shaking with fury. He could pull the trigger at any moment. And if I dodged out of the way, it could hit Misaki or Kotone.
What should I do? Go all in and try to hit the gun out of his hand? There are at least five steps between me and the boss. That’s more than enough time to pull a trigger, but…it’s all I got!
It was a split-second decision, and just as I was about to make it…
✦ ✦ ✦
Thud!
✦ ✦ ✦
…something moved so quickly, I couldn’t quite catch it.
In the next instant, though, the gun the boss had been holding was flying through the air.
“—I think that’s enough roughhousing for one day. ☆”
That charismatic voice was totally out of place in this standoff, and the lights in the control room turned back on.
The boss was on the floor, knocked out cold.
And…
…there was a man in the middle of the room who was also totally out of place.
“That was quite the pickle you were in, little Phantom Thief Red.”
“You… You…”
“Asuka.”
Thanks to Kei’s warning, I managed to change my voice in time before speaking up.
“What do you think you’re doing here?! This is all your fault in the first place! And didn’t you run away earlier?!”
“I wanted to give you a proper good-bye. But it seemed like you needed some help when I got here, so I thought I’d lend a hand. Was I a bother?”
Fantasista looked around playfully. I could see Misaki, Yuzuki, and Kotone were all fine behind him, and the two underlings were already taken care of, too.
Everything’s okay now.
After giving a sigh of relief, I turned to face Fantasista once more.
“Um, uuuugh…”
The last thing I want to say to him is “thank you,” but he did kinda sorta just save us.
Before I could say anything, though, Fantasista picked up a duffle bag off the boss.
“H-hey. What is that, exactly?”
“This? The jewels these criminals brought along for their client. Seeing as they won’t be needing them anymore, I thought I would take the opportunity to repurpose it.”
“What? No! Give that back!” the boss wailed from the floor.
Fantasista looked down at him. Fantasista was normally pretty playful, but this time, his eyes were as cold as ice.
“I didn’t say you could talk. You went and stole these jewels behind our backs. I’ll have you know, our boss is livid with you.”
“‘Our boss’?”
Were Dad and Uncle K right about Fantasista working for a crime ring?
The man let out a whimper and a gulp.
“Your boss, huh… Are you workin’ for—? Gragh, oof!”
“Non, non, non. I think that’s enough out of you. There are people here who can’t hear that.” Fantasista stepped off the now-unconscious man and faced me. “Well, my business here is finished.”
“H-hold on! I’m not letting you get away this time, Fantasista!” I said.
“Fantasista?!” Kotone cried. “So you’re the thief who stole the Golden Mechanical Clock?!”
Offering no time to stop her, she walked straight up to Fantasista. He didn’t move.
“I am…and I’ll also be taking this.” He took out the Black Tear as he said this.
“Hey! Why do you have that?! We sealed it away in a special safe!”
Kotone couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“A safe like that is child’s play for me. I suggest finding a better model next time. I don’t give advice to everyone, but you’re an exception.”
“‘Exception’? Come to think of it, I feel like I recognize you from somewhere…,” Kotone said with an inquisitive look on her face as she peered at the parts of Fantasista’s face that weren’t hidden by his mask.
For a brief second, Fantasista’s eyes twinkled, but he quickly turned away.
“It seems I’ve overstayed my welcome. With that, I must bid my lovely audience adieu.”
“Nope, you’re not getting out of here. The room’s too small. There’s also security waiting outside!”
“Yes, if I were an ordinary criminal. But it’s simple for an artist of my caliber to change the impossible into the possible.”
“The impossible into the possible?”
Kotone stared at Fantasista with confusion.
“Are you a fan of vanishing acts?” Fantasista took one step back as he said this. “For my next trick, I shall disappear into thin air. Behold, as I open a gateway that transcends time and space! Bye now!”
He held out his right hand.
Snap.
The moment he snapped his fingers—
FWOM!
—a pillar of flames rose up from the floor to the ceiling.
I reflexively put myself between Misaki, Yuzuki, Kotone, and the flames, but it disappeared only a second later.
“Aaaaaah!”
I don’t see Fantasista! This is same thing he did back at the puppet museum! He got away again!
Meanwhile, Kotone’s nerves had been through enough, and she slumped onto the ground. I wanted to do the same, but in the next instant, a swarm of bodyguards stormed the control room.
“Ms. Kotone! Are you all right?!”
“Yes, I’m fine. Please apprehend these men. They are criminals who tried to take over the ship. How are the passengers? Is everyone safe?”
One of the bodyguards came forward.
“As you guessed, panic is beginning to spread through the ship, which may cause a commotion.”
“I understand…” All of a sudden, Kotone pulled herself together. She was a leader—the person responsible for the Hanasato family. “I’ll go.”
I heard Kei’s voice. “Now’s your chance to escape, Asuka.”
Got it! Phantom Thief Red being here would definitely make things more complicated.
While everyone was distracted, I swiftly climbed back to the vent I came through. I knew Misaki and Yuzuki would be safe with Kotone.
Below, I could hear the security outfit explaining the situation to passengers who asked.
It would help me escape without anyone noticing.
—But.
I bit my lip.
I let Fantasista get away with the Black Tear. I knew he would be tough, but…I also knew that when I took the challenge. And I lost! To a guy like that! We lost!
I had to leave the scene as quickly as possible, but I couldn’t get myself to budge.
I was chewing my lip and thinking about how badly we’d messed up when I heard a buzz in my ear.
“Let’s do this, Asuka.”
Huh?
“Do what?”
Kei’s voice was full of strength. “It’s not over, yet.”