“I wonder what they’re talking about. They said they’re splitting into camps; are they going to hold the Olympics or something?”
“Yes, Los Angeles! Lake Placid!”
“Or maybe this means the circus actually performs tomorrow, Miria.”
“I bet that’s it! Remember? They said that would be the last day of the casino party, too!”
As if in response, the last neutral individual walked over to them. “That’s right! Tomorrow’s going to be a party! They’ll have all sorts of people there: stage magicians and flimflam artists, sorcerers, and clowns! There’s going to be one hell of a romp in New York!”
“Really?! Oh, that’s right—you’re a magician. Will you be doing something there, too?”
“Yaaay! I can’t wait, Isaac!”
The couple’s eyes shone, and the man they’d called a magician grinned, nodding.
“Yeah, I plan to enjoy it to the fullest. I hope you have a blast tomorrow, too.”
Then the man—Christopher Shaldred—and Ricardo slowly headed over to Ladd’s camp.
“Huh?”
The members of Larva looked uneasy. Christopher beamed at them…and let them know that their fears were well-founded.
“I’ll be on this side. Keep it in mind if we run into each other tomorrow, okay?”
“Wha…?”
The others were speechless. Ignoring them, Christopher dropped a fist lightly into his palm, then pointed at the man who was up on the bear’s back. “Oh, that’s right! Members of Larva! About that redhead: We fought once, and he won. He thrashed me pretty good. So good I couldn’t recover. That’s pretty amazing, so you should all compliment him for it.”
Claire’s eyes lit up, and he looked around at the Larva group. “There, see?! I wasn’t lying! Go on! Tell me all you want how great I am!”
The tattooed woman responded sharply, without even glancing at him. “Later.”
“Later, huh? …Well, the situation is what it is, I guess. I’ll wait for a little bit. After all, I’m the type who can read a room.”
While more than half of the people present fought back the urge to scream You liar! confusion spread through the ranks of Larva.
“…Are you turning against us because this fella’s on our side, Chris?” Sickle asked, speaking for the group.
Christopher shook his head slightly. “No. It doesn’t matter whether he’s there or not.”
“Then why?! Are you betraying Master Huey?!”
“No, not at all. It’s just that I’m on vacation right now.” He grinned like a mischievous kid, then shrugged lightly. “It’s sort of like, I can’t turn down a request from a friend? Oh, just so you know, Rail’s probably going to be on this side, too.”
“What’s this about?!”
“Well, personally, I’d rather not think about anything as barbaric as fighting you to the death, either. But see, Sickle and Chi and Adele, and also Leeza, who’s listening in remotely… You all knew what I’m like, didn’t you?” Then, as if he felt he’d just had a genius idea, Christopher’s eyes lit up. “I know! Why don’t all of you come join me over here?! That would fix everything!”
“Don’t screw with us! That would mean opposing Master Huey, and you know it!”
“…I’m not so sure about that.” Christopher’s smile abruptly vanished.
Sickle’s eyebrows drew together. “What?”
“At the moment, my enemy is this guy named Melvi. That’s why I’m going against that redhead over there. He’s Melvi’s guard… Actually, never mind. It looks like I don’t have time to explain.”
A horde of policemen was sprinting toward them.
“…Pull out!” Salomé ordered, and the members of Larva evacuated rapidly, sending forlorn glances at Christopher as they left.
Frank seemed particularly concerned, but Christopher reassured him: “You don’t have to worry. Rail’s fine.” Relieved, Frank disappeared at a speed that didn’t seem possible for his huge frame.
“Tch… What the hell? It’s just the cops. Gutless chumps.”
“What should we do, Ladd?”
“Those cops are the real deal; they’re braced to fight a bear. Going up against them would be a yawn.”
Then Ladd set off, too, running toward the car where Lua waited.
As he went, he shot a glance over his shoulder at the bear’s rider. A vast desire to kill seethed inside him.
“…Perfect. Bring it on. I’ll take you up on that challenge.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Claire, the target of that homicidal intent, held a hand out to Chané. “Let’s go, Chané.”
“……”
Chané gave him a sharp, wordless glare. It wasn’t exactly murderous, but there was clear hostility in it. She apparently had no intention of climbing onto the bear, but when Claire gave a signal, Cookie dexterously tossed her onto his back.
“?!”
Then the grizzly broke into a run.
The twins took off after them on their motorbikes.
“Can we say this ended well, Me?”
“That’s an excellent question. If his taunt has succeeded, it would probably be best not to summon young Master Cazze to the casino tomorrow evening… For goodness’ sake. Intentionally telling our opponents the schedule of the individual he’s protecting. What a terrible guard, I.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The enormous bear was running as fast as a car, but thanks to her experience, Chané managed to stay on its back without losing her balance.
“……”
She was still glaring, and Claire apologized meekly. “Sorry about getting in your way. You were trying to retake your old self, right?”
“……!”
“Listen, I don’t think your dad wants you to be exactly the same as before. He wants the version of you who’s changed here and there. I get the feeling he likes experiments and changes and stuff.”
“……”
Not only had he guessed her exact thoughts, he’d mildly explained why they were wrong. Chané was clearly flustered—but Claire nodded at her, wearing a smile that brimmed over with confidence. “Don’t worry. I like all the versions of you there are, Chané.”
“……” Chané sulked, but her hostility had faded quite a bit.
She’s cute this way, too, Claire thought. Then something occurred to him, and he said it aloud. “You know, you really do look just like your parents.”
“……?”
Chané didn’t know her mother, so the remark struck her as extremely odd. However, since she wasn’t ready to share her thoughts with Claire, she let it slide this time.
✦ ✦ ✦
She had no idea that her mother was currently here in New York City.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Uh… Erm, you okay, Assistant Director?”
Victor Talbot, who was still dressed in tatters, had been arrested by the NYPD as a “suspicious gun-wielding character.”
Shooting a glare at Bill and Donald, who’d only just arrived, Victor tsked in irritation. “What the hell do you think? My body’s just fine, but do you think I’ve got any pride left after that, you idiots?”
“Oh… I know how you feel.”
“Then get moving already. Prepare to coordinate with the police. Make sure they know they owe us for the false arrest, too.”
“Assistant Director, what are you planning?” Donald asked.
Behind Victor’s cracked glasses, there was a sharp light in his eyes. “Tomorrow, all the criminals are gonna gather in one place for us. That’s probably where Huey will make his move, too. No matter what, the police and the DOI are going to settle the score once and for all.”
After issuing that order, Victor added a word of warning.
It was about the man who, in a way, might be the incident’s biggest dark horse.