“…Don’t let Senator Beriam catch on. If that neat freak’s trying to clean up this town, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
EveningThe Martillos’ underground casino
“Well…I guess I’d better get ready.”
The second night of the Ra’s Lance casino party would begin in a few hours.
Firo was running a gambling den, and he wanted to get there early to set up.
He was really there for the showdown with Melvi the next day, but he didn’t even know exactly what their showdown would consist of. Until then, he’d do his best at the casino party and try not to disgrace the Martillo Family.
His biggest objective was rescuing Ennis. He hadn’t forgotten that for a moment. But he also knew there was nothing he could do right now, though, and that any careless attempts might put her in danger.
“Okay. Let’s see if I’ll get a clearer picture of what he’s up to today…”
Frankly, the thought that Ennis was still locked up nearly drove him out of his mind.
He still had a vivid memory of being abducted and held captive by a pedophile once, when he was a kid.
If Keith and Pa Gandor had been just a little later rescuing me, I woulda been…
The incident had been traumatic. Ordinarily, summoning any more details of the memory would have made him go pale, but now it actually focused his mind.
If you’ve put Ennis through something like that…then I don’t give a damn who you are, Melvi Dormentaire.
With a heart as calm as still water, he mentally sharpened a blade that existed solely to skewer his enemy where it would hurt the most.
Firo gradually honed a fury that was the exact opposite of Ladd’s.
As he worked, an old memory surfaced.
That takes me back. I haven’t felt this raw since the time the Phantom Father kidnapped Keith, way back when.
A murderer who claimed to have “steel stakes for the bad, candy for the good” had appeared in New York and kidnapped Keith for being a mafia boss, the symbol of evil.
We managed to corner the guy, thanks to Claire, but he got away.
Come to think of it…could that priest have been an immortal?
No, hold it.
I’ve got…that guy’s memories? His own memories…?!
The memory had been like a key in a lock, and information about the “Phantom Father” flooded into his mind from a part of him he hadn’t been aware of.
He’s…in Szilard’s memories… Dammit! What the hell?! So that priest really did have ties to Szilard?!
At the same time, the murdering priest’s memories flowed into him as well.
……
When he killed people, he really did believe he was saving the world…
These memories from an enemy whose face he’d half forgotten, and the knowledge of how he’d ended, left Firo feeling very strange.
It made him wonder whether Melvi might actually have a legitimate reason for resenting him.
Even so.
Firo wasn’t self-sacrificing enough for that to make him hesitate.
I don’t care if he kidnapped Ennis for the sake of world peace… That’s its own thing. It’s no reason to forgive him.
Well, I’ll feel better about getting rid of him if he’s an asshole, but that’s just me being selfish.
Smiling wryly, Firo grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, getting the contents of his bag in order.
Just then, he heard the door at the top of the stairs open.
Is that Christopher and Ricardo?
Firo got up, planning to give them instructions for Jacuzzi’s group.
However, the figure who’d appeared at the top of the stairs wasn’t Christopher or Ricardo. It wasn’t even a member of the Martillo Family.
“You’re…”
The newcomer spoke to Firo, and the current of fate shifted again.
The Runorata villaMelvi’s room
“You’ve certainly done it now.” When his guard told him what had happened, Melvi sighed. “Why would you do a thing like that?”
“Had to. I did it to protect you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’ll be better to get the enemy all in one place, or as close as we can manage. There’s only one of me, after all. It’ll be easier to have me take them all on together than dealing with them scattered around, right?”
The man spoke as if this was only natural. How arrogant is this guy? Melvi thought with disgust. However, since he did know what his guard was capable of, he couldn’t completely reject the idea.
“This job isn’t about guarding just one person,” Claire continued. “You seem to think this is a personal fight between you and Firo, but if it was, you shoulda jumped him in an alley on a dark night or something.”
“……”
“You wanted to thrash him in front of an audience, I know. You wanted to show him what you could really do. So here we are. I just streamlined it for you.” With no hesitation, Claire declared that he was the one in the right, and Melvi frowned. “I’m concerned about you, see. I’m not actually sure you’ll survive until the day after tomorrow.”
“…? It’s your job to keep me alive, isn’t it?”
“Not quite. My job is to get rid of anyone who gets in your way so that you can do what you’re here to do. What you’re here for is that match with Firo. If he snuffs you out in the middle of it, that’s not my problem.” The casual note vanished from Claire’s voice, and his expression turned serious. “Don’t think I’m playing favorites because he’s an old pal of mine. If you really wanted me to protect you from him, I wouldn’t take you to wherever this showdown’s supposed to be. I’d go rescue his girl and lock you away somewhere in Alaska until Firo’s cooled down. And yes, I said ‘you.’”
“You may not be playing favorites, but don’t you think you’re overestimating him a bit? Are you saying I’m inferior to Firo?”
“Yeah. Wait, was that not obvious? I just figured you were a go-getter who liked to fight above his weight class.”
Claire had responded without missing a beat, and Melvi’s face went taut. “What makes you think a nobody rotting on the vine in some wretched little syndicate is ‘above my weight class’?”
At that, all emotion vanished from Claire’s expression, and he faced the other man squarely. “Let’s get one thing straight.”
“……”
“The world’s mine, and I don’t think I’ll ever die. I’ve got no plans to lose to anyone, and I don’t back down when I think it’s right.” Melvi was bewildered by his bodyguard’s seemingly random claims about himself, but Claire ignored him, continuing. “That said, if I ever really lost my mind and tried to hurt Chané or the Gandors…I think Firo’s the only one who’d be able to stop me.”
“……”
Melvi hadn’t expected the conversation to go this way, and his confusion deepened.
This man was absolutely convinced he was the strongest one around, yet he’d considered the possibility that he might lose to someone. That was surprising enough, but on top of that, the “someone” in question was the immortal who had nothing but knife skills?
Not only that, but it was pretty likely that Claire didn’t even know Firo was immortal in the first place. That meant he thought an ordinary human might surpass him.
“What gives you such a high opinion of Firo Prochainezo?”
“Well, it’s something even he hasn’t picked up on. And I don’t owe you an explanation,” Claire replied flatly before getting to the bottom line. “But I’m contractually obligated to protect you, so consider yourself warned, all right? I may be perfect, but protecting a guy who chugs poison on purpose isn’t a job for a bodyguard. You should go to a doctor for that stuff.”
“I really don’t understand. You’ve had a high opinion of him and the Gandors this whole time, but if they’re truly that impressive, I can’t see it.”
“Well, call me biased if you want. Don’t forget, though—you’ve been warned.”
Claire said it one last time, just to make sure.
He wasn’t trying to harass Melvi in any way. He seriously considered this part of his job as a guard.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Firo’s someone who might be able to take me down.”