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Chapter Text

“I come to you today not just as an honorary member of the ADA but also as a client…”

It was an unusually warm summer day at the office of the Armed Detective Agency. It had been several months since the conclusion of the Decay of Angels case and everything had gone back to normal… as normal as Yokohama with ability users can be. 

Though everyone had almost died, the detective agency also gained new part-timers, including Aya and Sigma. The latter decided that he wanted to revive the Sky Casino to save the jobs of his colleagues. 

This particular afternoon, he came to the office of the ADA as a client. And he requested that only the men of the agency join the meeting. 

Sigma sat at the end of the conference room table, just in front of the screen. Though he was used to giving speeches in front of his employees and other large crowds in his casino, Sigma’s heart beat wildly, as if escaping from his chest. He was about to make an unreasonable request, after all. 

The boys of the ADA who were present – President Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kunikida Doppo, Dazai Osamu, Nakajima Atsushi, Tanizaki Junichiro, and Miyazawa Kenji – all smiled warmly at their new part-tier. Atsushi even gave an encouraging thumbs up. 

This was Sigma’s cue to begin his speech… and it started with groveling. Sigma placed his hands on the table and bowed respectfully. 

“Please help me! The Sky Casino is rebuilding its reputation after the Decay of Angels case. I’m aware I’m pardoned only because I was accepted as part of the Armed Detective Agency...” Sigma raised his head and used his most convincing tone. “But we’ve lost customer trust after the incident, so I need to rebrand the Sky Casino.”

Fukuzawa nodded along. “And how can we help, Sigma-kun?” 

Sigma got up from his seat and moved to the side of the screen. He then clicked on the pointer to start a presentation. “My team came up with a concept when we relaunch — an event.” 

The screen showed an event poster with the English title: Lose Yourself. It was designed with masks and costumes and a castle somewhere in the background. 

“The event is called Lose Yourself, a masqued ball – a night where everyone can forget about who they are and be whoever they want to be,” Sigma said with a hint of pride in his voice. 

“And you want the agency to help maintain the peace at the event? Guard the guests?” Fukuzawa asked. 

Sigma smiled. “Not exactly,” he said as he clicked on the pointer again. The screen showed the planned activities for the night: 

• Gambling & Games in the Main Ballroom 
• Host Club Lounge 
• The Immoral Auction 
• Private Dens 
• Dungeon of Desire 

Everyone’s eyes widened and Dazai’s, in particular, were sparkling. Kunikida wanted to cover Kenji’s eyes as soon as he saw the words “immoral”, “host club” and “dungeon.” 

“The main guests for the night are older, high-networth women from all over the world,” Sigma explained. “These women are C-level executives, movie stars, actual royalty. The event is invite-only. The exclusivity of the event will create a buzz and the publicity we need – no phones or recording devices will be allowed.” 

Even Fukuzawa had a hint of redness in his cheeks. “So, uhh, if you don’t want the agency members to be in charge of security for the night, what exactly do you want us to do given uhh, given this type of party?”

“I thought it was obvious. The Sky Casino wants to hire the agency members as hosts for the night!”

“Wait a second, Sigma-san!” Atsushi grew red in the face. “The hosts for the host club?! The type that entertains women?” 

Dazai bounced up and down his seat. “That means we’ll be surrounded by rich ladies all night?”

“This is Dazai’s wet dream come true, isn’t it?” Junichiro faked a laugh. 

“What’s a wet dream?” Kenji asked, turning to Junichiro. “Is it when you dream about playing in the rain?”

Dazai cleared his throat. “Perhaps you’ve already experienced this, Kenji-kun. And it does take some ‘playing’ sometimes but —” 

Kunikida stopped Dazai by hitting him on the back of his head. 

“I just have one question, Sigma-kun.” Kunikida pushed his glasses back. “We’re not exactly… host materials. Aren’t we better suited to just patrol the event?” 

Sigma nodded. “Well, to be honest, the job really is a security job and being hosts is just a cover. Since we’re entertaining high-profile clients, they’re also very sensitive when it comes to security. Our guests don’t want a bunch of guards interfering with their night so being hosts is a perfect cover for the agency members. You can also go around and even mingle with the guests… And…” 

There was a faint blush on Sigma’s cheeks as he looked down. He gripped the pointer harder, unsure whether he would go on. 

“The agency members are also good-looking men,” Sigma finally said. “So our female guests would be delighted to have you entertaining them.”

Atsushi blushed even harder. “I know we’re qualified for the security part. It’s the hosting part I’m worried about…”

Dazai patted his chest in a reassuring gesture. “Don’t you worry, Atsushi-kun! I will train you to be the perfect host in no time!”

Kunikida sighed. “I wish I could say we need a better mentor but Dazai seems perfect for this… I may actually be in need of some pointers…”

Dazai clapped his hands and he looked at Kunikida like a prodigal son receiving a compliment from his father for the very first time. “Do you really mean that, Kunikida-kun?”

Kunikida ignored Dazai’s question but Dazai kept smiling, relishing his victory and Kunikida’s compliment. 

Atsushi raised his hand. “Are we enough to be the security detail? If I remember correctly, that place is pretty big and we’re also one man down since Ranpo hasn’t returned from another case…”

Tanizaki nodded. “Oh yeah, he’s with Yosano-sensei in Fukuoka, right?”

“We’ll have other security forces but they’re not ability users. Just the Armed Detective Agency should be enough,” Sigma reasoned. 

Fukuzawa cleared his throat. “I only have one concern, Sigma-kun.”

“What is it, President?” Sigma asked. 

“I don’t want Kenji-kun participating in this. He is still too young.” 

Kenji looked like he wanted to pout but he nodded in agreement. 

“I get it. This event is for grown-ups,” he said with a rather sad expression. “But I have an idea! What if I ask my friend Tecchou-san to take my place instead?”

“The Hunting Dog?!” Kunikida was mildly surprised. He couldn’t imagine such a serious person taking on a host job, even if it is security-first.

Kenji took his phone out. “Yeah! He owes me a favor so I’m sure he’ll help out! Will that be okay, President?” 

Fukuzawa nodded. “If the Hunting Dog agrees, I see no problem with it.” 

“Yay! I’ll give him a call now!” 

Kenji stepped out of the conference room and the rest of the members could hear the young boy energetically chatting with his friend over the phone. 

“If that’s all, we’ll have our staff draft the contract,” the President said.

They all stood up, the members having mixed expressions on their faces. 

“Thank you, President.” Sigma bowed. “I’ll make sure the agency members are well taken care of… Just one last thing…” 

NEXT CHAPTER: TRAINING TO BE HOSTS

Chapter Text

The agency members arrived two days before the actual event, as requested by Sigma. The two days were dedicated to planning and a photo shoot.

A staff member welcomed the agency members at the renovated Sky Casino. Atsushi thought it looked almost the same, just different colored carpets and curtains. 

As the members were directed to Sigma’s office, they saw the construction crew decorating the main areas to look like parts of a medieval castle. 

Inside Sigma’s office, the Hunting Dog Suehiro Tecchou was already sitting by himself on the chesterfield sofas prepared for the guests. 

The serious-looking man stood up as soon as the other agency members came in. He bowed respectfully to them. 

“Before anything else,” Tecchou started, “I want to formally apologize on behalf of the Hunting Dogs about how we treated the agency during the Decay of Angels case. We will try to make it up to you and this is part of my servitude.” 

The agency members bowed back, with the exception of Dazai, who had to be forced by Kunikida.

“We are all aware of what happened, Suehiro-kun. And we appreciate you helping us out during our time of need,” Kunikida said. “I’m sorry the President isn’t here to give his regards, but as his deputy, I hope my thanks are enough.” 

“I’m sure it’s more than satisfactory, Kunikida-san,” Sigma said as he motioned the rest of the members to take their seats. 

“My colleague Jouno also wanted to be here, but unfortunately, he is on another assignment,” Tecchou explained as he sat back down. 

The rest of the agency members took their seats as well. Each of them brought bags containing clothes and other personal items for the next two days, with the exception of Dazai who mistakenly thought that they were going to be provided clothes. 

They were each given a map and itinerary of the prep days. Aside from this, they were given a more detailed plan of the night itself and where they should be at any given point in time. 

Kunikida’s eyes lit up while going through the documents. “This is impressive, Sigma-kun! Would you also do me the honor of organizing the agency’s next summer outing?” 

Sigma smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. “I would love to, Kunikida-san, but let’s make sure to finish this successfully first.” 

“Of course Kunikida-kun would enjoy a minute-by-minute plan,” Dazai said under his breath.  

Kunikida turned sharply at his partner. “You’re saying something, Dazai?!” 

Dazai hummed. “Nothing, nothing!” 

Tecchou, who was seated beside Tanizaki, asked in a low voice if they were always like that and both Tanizaki and Atsushi both nodded. A dejected look on their faces told Tecchou that he should start getting used to this type of bickering in the next few days. 

Then Atsushi raised his hand and pointed to an item in the itinerary. “Sigma-san it says here we’ll have a photoshoot? And we’ll be assigned characters as hosts? What does it mean?”

“Oh, well, as hosts, you need a unique selling point or a characteristic that women like. Of course, these are based on tropes,” Sigma explained as he turned to the appendix of the documents. “My team and I have watched films and series about host clubs and we have consultants who have worked for them as well. Based on your profiles, we came up with these characters.”

They all turned to the appendix documents that detailed the type of characters they had to play during their time as hosts.

Kunikida almost gasped. “I’m a — what?!”

***

The four detectives and Hunting Dog were ushered into a suite that was converted into a makeshift makeup room and studio. 

“We need to put on makeup?!” Atsushi asked. “Is this really necessary, Sigma-san?” 

Sigma nodded while he walked around and checked the backdrop for the makeshift set. It was a plain green sheet so it would be easy for their artists to edit in different backgrounds.

There was a costume designer who handed each of the men a garment bag and the men were instructed to change into their outfits for their character shoot. It didn’t take long for Atsushi, Junichiro, and Tecchou to change into theirs… 

Atsushi was dressed in a sharp, navy suit with a slim fit, paired with a crisp white dress shirt tucked neatly beneath it. A burgundy silk tie with fine stripes adds a touch of formality, and his polished black leather oxfords complete the look. On his wrist, a simple metal-banded watch gleams, and in his hand, he carries a sleek leather briefcase.

“Do… I look okay? I’m supposed to be an intern or something,” Atsushi said. 

Junichiro nodded. He is rocking a worn black leather jacket, the kind that’s scuffed at the elbows and fits just right. Underneath, a ripped band tee peeks out, paired with faded black jeans clinging to his frame. Heavy, laced-up combat boots stomp with his every step, and his wrists are lined with studded bracelets, a chain hanging loosely from his belt loop.

“Wow, you look like a punk rocker, Tanizaki!” Atsushi commented. 

Junichiro scratched the back of his head. “I think I’m supposed to be a rebellious teen or perhaps a lead singer in a band… I have to review the notes… But can you take a photo of me to send to Naomi?” He handed Atsushi his phone. 

The two took photos of each other as Tecchou watched. 

“Would you like a photo as well? Perhaps you can send it to your team members.” Atsushi approached Tecchou. 

“Hmm.” Tecchou nodded, took out his phone, and handed it to Atsushi. 

The Hunting Dog was decked out in a fitted athletic shirt that clung to his toned frame, the fabric flexing with every movement. Black compression shorts peek out from under loose, lightweight running shorts, while his feet are snug in a pair of sleek, high-performance sneakers. A sweatband wraps around his wrist and it is embellished with the logo of the Sky Casino. 

Atsushi and Junichiro took several photos of Tecchou standing awkwardly in front of the set. They didn’t even notice Sigma approaching them. 

“Oh great! You three are done changing! Tanizaku-kun, Suehiro-kun, perhaps you two can start with the makeup now.” Sigma gestured to two older ladies who beckoned the two to a makeup station, just beside the working station of the director and photographer. 

The makeup station glows under the soft halo of vanity lights, framing a wide mirror that reflects every detail in perfect clarity. On the sleek countertop, an array of brushes, palettes, and shimmering tools lie arranged like an artist’s instruments, ready to bring visions to life. Foundations, powders, and lipsticks of every shade wait patiently, their colors vivid and enticing beneath the lights. Nearby, cotton pads and tissues rest within reach, prepared for the delicate touch-ups that keep perfection in place.

“Do we really need to?” Tanizaki gulped as an old lady sat him in an adjustable chair. 

On the other hand, Tecchou followed the other lady quietly. He stared at the makeup sponges and thought about mean buns… and how they must taste like with various fruit jams. He made a mental note to try it after this assignment was over. 

“Thanks again for doing this,” Sigma told Atsushi as the two watched Junichiro and Tecchou being fussed over by the makeup artists. 

Atsushi shook his head. “It’s not a problem! Being here brings me back to the first time we met!”

Sigma sighed with a smile on his face. “We were enemies then. But you also took mercy of me. I will never forget your kindness, Atsushi-kun.” 

“I’m just happy things are calmer now and we even made new allies,” Atsushi said. “Whoever thought the day would come when an agency member, a Hunting Dog, and a former Decay of Angels member would be working together huh?” 

“You’re right. Things have changed… but for the better, I think.” Sigma then looked away and Atsushi thought that he must have been thinking of something very deep. 

“I hope this plan works out. I want to keep the Sky Casino afloat. I have a lot of employees who have families to support. I’ve gotten to know them personally too during the short time we have all worked together,” Sigma explained. 

Atsushi nodded. “Don’t worry! Things will turn out well! We’ll do our best to protect the guests! It’s just the hosting bit I’m worried about!”

Right on cue, Dazai and Kunikida entered the main area of the suite. Dazai wore a princely white outfit featuring a long, tailored velvet coat adorned with silver studs along the shoulders, cuffs, and front. 

The coat has ornate silver buttons, a studded waist belt, and is worn over a silk shirt. Slim white trousers and knee-high leather boots with silver buckles complete the ensemble. A ceremonial cape drapes over one shoulder, and the look is crowned with a silver, jewel-studded crown, adding a final touch of regal elegance.

On the other hand, Kunikida was shrouded in a deep, inky yukata, its lines stark and severe. The character for "ideals" was subtly woven into the fabric, a testament to his unwavering principles. His feet were clad in simple socks, their muted tones blending seamlessly with the dark garment. His gait was deliberate, each step a measured stride across the plush carpet, a testament to his formal demeanor.

“Am I supposed to be a strict school teacher wearing this?” There was a hint of redness on Kunikida’s cheeks as he entered the room. 

“Dazai-san! Kunikida-san! You both look amazing!!!” Atsushi was teary-eyed seeing his seniors look like royalty. 

Dazai spun around. “Do I? Do I? I look great, right, Atsushi-kun?” He put an arm around Atsushi. “From now on, call me ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Prince Dazai’ okay?” 

“Ehehe…” 

Kunikida was too embarrassed to look up. Sigma approached him. “Don’t worry, Kunikida-san. Your character was based on data analysis. A lot of women are into the strict teacher type and knowing you have been a professor before, we thought you would fit into this character effortlessly! You don’t even have to act! Just be yourself!” 

“Well, I can’t argue with data…” He pushed his glasses back. 

Just then, Tecchou was done with makeup and he was ushered to the area in front of the green screen. Sigma excused himself as he took over the role of the director as well. 

Dazai wolf whistled. “Is there anything that man can’t do?” 

***

After the photo shoot, their portraits were printed out on laminated paper, to mimic polaroids. In accordance with the “Lose Yourself” theme, only their initials were in the inscription, as well as their “character”: 

Dazai is sitting on a chair made to look like a throne. He is wearing a white princely outfit and a crown: Mr. D, The Prince 

Kunikida in a black yukata and holding a traditional fan: Mr. K, The Disciplinarian 

Tecchou in tight gym clothes that showed off his muscles: Mr. S, The Jock

Tanizaki in a gangster outfit: Mr. T, The Rebel 

Atsushi in a salaryman’s uniform: Mr. N, The Innocent 

“We wanted to dress Atsushi in a high school uniform, but some guests may frown upon it,” Sigma said.

Dazai looked at the polaroids. His hands shifted between one and another. “These are great! You look like a manly man!”

Kunikida crossed his arms. “What do you mean by that!”

“It was a compliment! You’re supposed to compliment me back!” 

“Okay…” Kunikida stared at Dazai’s polaroid. For some reason, he felt nostalgic about the first time they met. “You don’t look half bad. There. Like you’re a normal, functioning member of society.” 

Tecchou was taken aback by the interaction. He wasn’t used to Kunikida being this way. The first time they met, Kunikida tried to blow him up. 

“The two of them are like this all the time?” He asked Atsushi and Junichiro

The two younger agency members nodded. Then Dazai jumped in the middle of the huddle. 

“What are you three whispering about huh? It better be how princely looking and handsome I am in those photographs!” 

Junichiro faked a laugh. “That’s exactly it, Dazai-san…” 

“Dazai-san, you said you’ll teach us how to be good hosts.” Atsushi remembered. “Do you mean flirting techniques?” 

In the corner of his eye, Dazai saw Kunikida whipping out his notebook, pen ready. 

“My dear pupils, it would take a lifetime to impart my knowledge to all of you! But I can give you pointers or conversation starters.” He pulled the two makeup chairs to face each other. “We can also practice.” Dazai called Sigma to sit in one of the chairs. The Sky Casino manager obliged. 

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked. 

“You’ll pretend to be the client! The pretty lady!” Dazai exclaimed. 

“What?!” Sigma blushed. 

Dazai turned to the rest of the men. “Just use your imagination okay? Or don’t. Whatever floats your boat! Okay... The first thing is… let’s assess your knowledge first. Any of you have experience with the ladies?” 

Only Junichiro raised his hand. 

“Who are not relatives or someone who pretends to be our relatives,” Dazai clarified. 

Juichiro withdrew his hand. 

Dazai sighed as he massaged his temples. “Okay this is going to take the whole night…” He pointed to Atsushi. “We’ll start with you!” 

Dazai led Atsushi to the chair in front of Sigma. “Okay pretend Sigma-kun here is Kyouka or that Lucy girl from the cafe.”

Atsushi blushed and he covered his cheeks. “Why them?!”

“Can you compliment this very pretty lady here? Just say something nice. And don’t forget that you’re also playing your character which is the innocent one. So nothing too bold! But I doubt you can mess that up… So just be yourself, Atsushi-kun!” 

Atsushi gulped. “You have nice hair… And you’re very uhm pretty in that outfit…” He looked away and blushed even redder. 

“Ohh that’s good! The blushing and the shyness… You should include that!” 

“I really do feel shy, Dazai-san!” Atsushi whined. 

The other men have started to feel nervous and wished they wouldn’t be in the spotlight next. 

“Atsushi-kun, the problem is you’re trying to be me. As I said, be yourself! And how do you usually compliment and motivate Kyouka and the other members of the agency?”

The weretiger shrugged his shoulders. “When I see someone who is down, I just point out their best qualities.” 

“And that’s exactly what you should do.” Dazai released Atsushi’s shoulder from his grasp. “Now do it to Sigma-kun here. And if you don’t know about the person, you can ask questions about them first. For example, ask about their job, their hobbies. Just be interested!” 

Kunikida took notes. These are actually helpful, he thought.

Atsushi took a deep breath and stared into Sigma's eyes. "Sigma-san, from the first time we met, I knew you were not a bad person. You try your hardest to be helpful to everyone and you're a great leader who cares about his employees." 

"Uhh... Thanks, Atsushi-kun." Sigma kept blushing. 

"Not bad for a start!" Dazai pointed to Tecchou next. "You! Hunting Dog! You're not a bad-looking guy. You sure you don't have experience with the ladies?"

Tecchou shook his head. "A lot of them just keep asking me if I can grow my sword to any length I like. I... don't get it..." 

Dazai burst out laughing and Tanizaki had a hard time keeping a straight face. 

"I understand why you and Kenji are friends," Dazai remarked. He asked Tecchou to switch seats with Atsushi. 

"The report said you're a jock. And you have decent muscles. So just keep flexing them and talk about your workout routine, okay? Can you practice that with Sigma-kun here?" 

Tecchou nodded. "I work out twice a day and I get regular operations that keep my body in top shape. It even allows me to survive close-range bomb blasts," he said as he eyed Kunikida who avoided his gaze. "If I skip this operation, I die." 

Dazai shook his head. "Less technical, more showy. Pull up your sleeves and show your biceps. Or your shirt and show your abs." 

Tecchou nodded again and pulled up his sleeves. "I bench press and climb regularly too." 

"You know, talk about that. And about climbing. As a Hunting Dog, you must have travelled a lot! Perhaps talk about that too." 

Tecchou nodded. "I'll remember all of these pointers. Thank you, Dazai-san." 

Then his phone rang. "Oh, it's Jouno. He must be checking up on me. I have to take this." He stood up and exited the room. 

Dazai pointed to Tanizaki. "You don't need pointers. Just imagine the girls are Naomi... Speaking of, does she know what you need to do here? I'm surprised she allowed you to go." 

Kunikida and Atsushi nodded to Dazai's statement. 

Junichiro laughed nervously. "She's our staff member! Of course she knows!" He looked around. "Okay I may have shown her another version of the contract that puts me under security detail and none of the host duties... Please don't tell her!!!" 

"You owe each of us a favor but we'll iron out the details at another time!" Dazai had a hint of mischief in his eyes — the kind you don't want to see, the kind the devil himself has when you're making a deal with him. 

Dazai then pointed to Kunikida. "Mr. Professor, you're up next!" 

Kunikida walked to the adjustable chair and sat in front of Sigma. "I'm ready," Kunikida said as he stared at Sigma with an unbelievable intensity that made Sigma jump a bit.  

“Okay, show me what you got.” Dazai motioned for Kunikida to get started. 

Kunikida reached out and clasped Sigma’s hands in between his. “Young miss, you have passed my test. You have fulfilled 58 out of 58 items in my ideal woman list.” 

“Don’t ever mention that!!!” Everyone else shouted at Kunikida. 

Tecchou walked back into the suite. “Did I miss anything? I just found out my favorite robot show is getting a movie!” 

Dazai dramatically slid down the floor. “This is gonna take the whole night…”

NEXT CHAPTER: VVIPs AND PLUS ONES 

Chapter Text

“Are we ready, boys?”

Sigma stood in front of the agency members and Tecchou for final checks. The men were wearing their costumes, the same ones they wore during the photo shoot. 

The ballroom had been transformed into a vision of opulence, where every inch exuded an air of luxury. The color palette, a lavish blend of deep crimson and shimmering gold, enveloped the room. Velvet drapes in the richest shade of red framed towering windows. Crystal chandeliers hung like glistening stars.

The pieces of furniture, handpicked with a meticulous eye, featured plush sofa sets with ornate, gilded frames that glimmered in the soft light. The cushions, upholstered in a deep burgundy velvet, invited the patrons to sink into them. Low tables of polished mahogany stood between the sofas, their surfaces adorned with delicate gold accents.

Contemporary art punctuated the space and their color schemes seamlessly blended with the ballroom's motif. Every detail, from the handwoven rugs to the gold-tipped glasses on the tables, bespoke an elegance that was timeless, sophisticated, and entirely unattainable to all but the most elite. This was not just an entertainment space — it was an experience of luxury made tangible.

It seemed to go well with the special hosts, which are, of course, the ability users of the Armed Detective Agency, with the special participation of Hunting Dog Suehiro Tecchou. 

“Final checks!” Sigma bellowed as he glanced up and down at the line of handsome men in front of him. 

“Dazai-san, no mention of double suicide, please? Kunikida-san, let loose a little bit. Atsushi-kun, don’t be too shy. Tanizaki-kun, no mention of your sister. Tecchou-kun, please don’t ask the ladies to eat weird stuff with you. Aaaand… that’s about it, I think!” 

Dazai rolled his eyes while the others nodded in agreement. 

Sigma narrowed his eyes at Dazai. Sigma was thankful for Dazai’s help in training the other members the past few days, but he couldn’t help worrying that the bandaged detective could throw a few curveballs to his plan due to his unpredictable nature. 

Kunikida sighed as he felt a deep sense of kinship with Sigma at that moment. 

“I won’t! I won’t!” Dazai held up his hands. “And I’ll encourage the ladies to spend money on drinks and the gambling tables, happy?” 

Sigma nodded, seeming contented. “Let’s do this!” 

***

The ladies started filling in the gambling tables and others had made their way to the ballroom to meet the hosts. The plan was simple – two to three hosts would be working the floor per shift while the others patrol the other areas in the guide of touring the patrons around. 

The first shift was assigned to Tecchou and Dazai. Before leaving the room to start their patrol, Junichiro and Atsushi decided to watch the hosts in action. 

Immediately, both Dazai and Tecchou were swarmed with women of all ages, dressed in different costumes and masks, of all shapes and sizes. 

“Dazai is such a natural fit for this line of work huh?” Junichiro thought aloud. 

Dazai sat on one of the stylish camelback sofas and he was surrounded by at least ten women. He was happily chatting to all of them and demonstrating a card trick.

“Like he was born to do this,” Atsushi added. “I bet he would’ve made so much money if he became a host instead.” 

Junichiro nodded. “As long as he doesn’t bring up his shinjū mania, he’d get so many clients!”

Dazai had finished the trick and the women clapped and swooned. The crowd had doubled. 

Junichiro sighed. “Actually, I feel like even if he brings up his shinjū mania, women would still fall for him. And maybe they’ll even attempt it!”

Atsushi laughed but wrinkles formed on his forehead. He scratched the back of his head in stress. 

“Yeah, let’s hope he stays at the agency…”

On the other side of the room, Tecchou was also being hounded by older, more aggressive-looking ladies. 

“Mr. S, show us your trick again!” 

“All right.” Tecchou stood up and grabbed a butter knife from the table. 

“Ability: Plum Blossoms in Snow!” 

The knife expanded on command and the women around Tecchou erupted with glee, clapping their hands.

A petite lady, dressed in a fairy costume with butterfly wings, blushed. “Mr. S, how big can it get?”

“Well, as big as you want!” Tecchou answered happily. In his head, he was channeling the energy of his dear friend Kenji. It was a piece of advice that Dazai shared with him, which Tecchou found useful. 

The girls squealed again, in varying pitches that Tecchou chose to ignore. 

The woman on Tecchou’s left-hand side was dressed like a ballerina. With a sly smirk on her face, she scooched closer to him. 

“And you say you can do it to your sword too?” The ballerina asked. 

Tecchou nodded with a deadpan look on his face. 

“I want to see it…” The ballerina asked in a very suggestive tone. 

Tecchou gave the ballerina a faint, apologetic smile. “Apologies, madam. My sword is in my room.”

Beneath the mask, it was evident that the woman was blushing even redder. 

“Oh I don’t mind going to your room, Mr. S…”

“To see my sword? There is no need as I have a photo here with me.” Tecchou pulled out several printed photographs from his pocket.  

Jouno was right, he thought. Women would want to see photos of my sword and I should prepare for the event that I’m not going to have my phone. 

Tecchou pointed to his katana. “This is the sword I can control with my ability.”

The women responded with the appropriate oohs and aahs. 

“How about your other sword, Mr. S?” The fairy asked. “Can you make it grow too, as big as you like?”

Tecchou noticed that the woman asked this in a tone that he could recognize as slightly teasing. And truth be told, this wasn’t the first time it happened. 

“Sorry, ma’am, I only have this one sword,” Tecchou replied.  

The woman leaned in, her face so close to Tecchou that he could smell the liquor from her mouth. 

“Silly Mr. S… I meant another type of sword…”

The woman placed a hand on Tecchou’s bare thigh. Tecchou almost jumped out of his seat but he took a deep breath to maintain his composure. 

Sigma walked in on the situation just in time. 

“I’m sorry, madam, but we highly discourage touching our special hosts! There are plenty of other activities in the main game room that would surely keep your heart pumping!”

The woman pouted. “Oh, Sigma-kun! You’re cruel you know that? You parade all these good-looking hosts like forbidden flowers!”

The woman removed her hand on Tecchou’s thigh and stood up. She waved goodbye and announced she was going to the main game room. 

“Thank you,” Tecchou mouthed to Sigma, who nodded in return.

***

The main game room of the casino was nothing short of a decadent playground for the elite. The air was thick with anticipation, punctuated by the soft shuffle of cards and the quiet clink of crystal glasses.

The centerpiece of the room was an enormous, circular roulette table, its gleaming gold trim catching the light as it spun slowly, hypnotically. The rich mahogany tables for poker and blackjack were scattered throughout. 

In one corner of the room, a grand bar spanned nearly the entire length of the wall. Behind the bar, a towering display of rare spirits and vintage champagne bottles was illuminated like a treasure trove, the glasses lined up and ready to be filled. Bartenders, masked and elegant, crafted custom cocktails, catering to the extravagant tastes of the very special guests.

Between the tables, there were statues of mythical creatures such as golden griffins and marble sirens. The entire space seemed to pulse with an intoxicating blend of elegance and danger, where fortunes hung in the balance and identities remained tantalizingly obscured. 

Here, in the opulent heart of the casino, stood a man in a black ink yukata— Kunikida. His eyes scanned the room while maintaining a smile and a friendly facade. 

The man was approached by an older woman with white hair and dressed in a peach-colored irotomesode. 

“Is it true, Mr. K, that the hosts are up for auction?” 

“Yes, there will be a private auction shortly before midnight and you can have the hosts as your companions for the rest of the event,” Kunikida confirmed. “Make sure to visit the ballroom before then so you can get more acquainted with our hosts.” 

The older woman seemed pleased and approached a group of older ladies in the same age cohort. Kunikida was sure that she was telling them about the auction. The truth is, the auction is a ruse to free up the agency members for the rest of the night, so that they could freely roam the Sky Casino. The winners were already pre-selected from a shortlist of Sigma’s closest partners. 

As he roamed around, Kunikida noticed that while majority of their guests were older women, there were also men. And these men looked like they’re ex-military or bodyguards. That’s when Kunikida realized that these VVVIP customers also sneaked in their own personal guards. 

This would make our job easier, Kunikida thought. And he wondered if some of them were also ability users. 

“Everything looks okay here,” Kunikida whispered into the transceiver which was hidden in the folds of his yukata. 

“Thanks, Kunikida-san,” Sigma replied to Kunikida’s earpiece. “Your shift at the ballroom is starting so better head on there…”

“Roger that.” 

As Kunikida walked towards the exit of the main game room, he felt a chill run down his spine… Like someone was watching him with icy, murderous intent. He glanced back and surveyed the room again. 

Nothing. Everything seemed normal. Was he imagining things? 

***

Back at the ballroom, Dazai made his way to the bar located at the end of the room. He asked for some whiskey on the rocks, his first drink of the night. Some of the ladies continued to chat him up, which he didn’t mind. But he knew that he should make his way to the Dungeons to start his patrol… after his drink. 

He calmly and respectfully told the ladies that he needed to take his break so he could return more refreshed and energized for his next shift. The ladies giggled and agreed, finally leaving him alone. 

He sat at the bar and took a swig of his drink. And he drank some more, almost downing the entire glass. As he was about to, he felt a pair of eyes seemingly drilling the back of his neck. 

“I’m sorry, my dear, I’m on my break — ”

Dazai swiveled the bar stool around and upon seeing this guest, he spit out some whiskey. 

“Why are you here?!”

“'Ya wearing makeup???!!” 

Standing before Dazai was not a woman but a man he knew too well — Nakahara Chuuya, an executive of Port Mafia. Instead of his usual black, the mafioso was dressed in a silk maroon suit. 

Chuuya doubled over in laughter as he pointed to Dazai. “You are wearing makeup!!!” 

Dazai scoffed at his former partner. Though he acted like it didn't matter, a faint blush crept over his cheeks. “Why not? Are you jealous you can’t pull this off?” 

Chuuya kept laughing and took out a phone from his coat's breast pocket. “I gotta take a photo to send to the boss!” 

Dazai snatched Chuuya’s phone and broke it in half. 

“Oi!!! I just bought that!!!”

“Didn’t you read the rules of this night? Phones aren’t allowed! Don’t ruin the vibe! Even hosts like us aren’t allowed ours. We just have carefully hidden transceivers to coordinate! How did you even get yours past security anyway?!”

Chuuya shrugged. “Threatened to crush that guy with gravity after he didn’t accept the bribe!”

“Well good to know they’re not accepting bribes, at least.” Dazai sighed. 

“So you’re a host huh? Is this how the detective agency makes an extra buck? Or is this a part-time job? I expected this from you but…” Chuuya pointed to Kunikida. “I doubt glasses over there is in need of ‘sum cash.” 

“Well, if you must know, we’re here for a security job! That’s all!" Dazai explained. "We’re playing hosts so the guests wouldn’t panic.”

Chuuya scoffed and crossed his arms. It was a believable enough excuse, he thought.

Dazai raised an eyebrow. “And what is the mafia doing here?!” 

“I’m an official plus one ‘kay?!”

“Plus one to what? This isn’t a high school prom dance, you know?!”

“Shut your pie hole! It’s a client! I’m also here for a security job! She’s the only daughter of one of our biggest clients. They own amusement parks, casinos an’ stuff.”

Dazai looked around. “And where is this ojou-sama?”

“That’s what I wanna know too! She went to the toilet and she hasn’t come back! And she —“

But Dazai wasn’t paying attention to Chuuya anymore. His sights were set on something — or someone behind Chuuya. 

A young maiden just entered the room. Without her mask and with her youth, she stood out against the much older clientele. Her wavy light brown hair fell to her waist and she was holding a dark Venetian mask that when worn, complemented her almond-shaped hazel eyes. Her features suggested a mixed heritage, with East Asian and European qualities. 

The next thing Dazai noticed was her off-shoulder black ball gown that showed off a prominent cleavage. The only other thing taking one’s eyes off it was an emerald pendant encased in an intricate gold design. 

Chuuya turned around. “Oh... that’s her.” 

The girl approached Chuuya and Dazai. 

“Sorry, Chuuya-san! It’s so hard to pee while wearing this! I’m so glad I was born in this era!” 

“That’s okay, I —“ 

Dazai stepped forward and grabbed the girl’s hand in a loving gesture. “My dear, you are like an oasis in a desert! My heart weeps that you’re having so much trouble with such a beautiful dress! Do you want to enlist my help in taking it off and —“

Chuuya launched a side kick but Dazai hopped off to avoid it. 

Chuuya grabbed the wrist of the girl and started dragging her away. “Whatever you do, avoid that guy! If you wanted to chat with some hosts, let’s go for glasses or the weretiger!”

The girl broke free from Chuuya’s grasp. “But I want the Prince! I want Mr. D! He’s my type! And the only one I want!” 

Chuuya kept dragging the girl. “Oh you're not getting any Ds tonight! You don’t want him! You think you do, and maybe he makes you feel good for a while, but trust me — he leaves all his women crying!”

The girl pouted and stomped her feet. “You’re not my chaperone, Chuuya-san!”

“That’s exactly what I am, young lady!”

“I’m just a few years younger than you!!!”

This was Dazai’s cue to intervene. He karate-chopped Chuuya’s wrist off the girl.

“Chuuya, I think this beauty is old enough to make decisions for herself.”

Dazai turned to the girl. “How old are you anyway?”

“I just turned eighteen!”

“Ah! Barely legal~”

Chuuya stomped on Dazai’s foot. “Don’t say it like that!!!” 

The girl giggled. “The invitation was actually for my mother but she’s away in business back in Monaco. And yes, eighteen is the legal age in Monaco where I’m from…” 

Dazai took the girl’s hand and kissed it. “And you said you only wanted to be with me?”

The girl had the biggest smile on her face and nodded. “When I saw the invitation, I knew I wanted to see the Prince!”

“Well, I can’t disappoint, can I?”

Just then, Sigma approached the group. She looked at the girl, then at Chuuya, then back at the girl. 

“Megu-chan! Chuuya-san? I wasn’t aware you were Megu-chan’s plus one!”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to use names, tonight, Sigma-san?”

“Oh! Right!” 

It was Dazai’s turn to look back and forth between the girl and Sigma. “You two know each other?”

“Megumi’s parents are my business partners,” Sigma explained. “She was the one who also came up with the theme and design of the night.” 

Megumi curtsied like a princess and Dazai returned this gesture with a respectful and princely bow. 

“Are you telling me that you’re also clever, my princess? This whole night was your idea?”

Megumi nodded with a proud look in her eyes. “My family is thinking of investing in the Sky Casino. We run casinos in Monaco and Macau too.” 

“Wait! You’re the heiress of the M Entertainment Group? The one that owns the famous casino in Monaco?” 

The girl merely smirked at Dazai’s realization. 

“So I’m in the presence of an actual princess! It’s only fitting she’s escorted all night by a prince, don’t you think so, Chuuya?” 

“Whatever! I give up! But if you do anything to her, I swear, Dazai, I’ll throw you off this casino and down to your death!”

Dazai clapped his hands in anticipation. “Is that a promise?” 

Chuuya realized his mistake. “On second thought, I’ll ask all the mafia’s contacts for a serum that extends life and inject that into you forcibly. Sounds better?” 

Dazai dramatically pretended to shiver. The girl laughed as she seemed to enjoy the banter between the two former partners. But Chuuya wasn’t enjoying this new development — playing chaperone to a spoiled, rich girl, the only child of their wealthiest client, was already a big headache. But adding Dazai into the mix was a security disaster. 

“Don’t go off alone! You are never to leave my sight, understand?” Chuuya commanded Megumi. 

The girl narrowed her eyes at her chaperone and pouted with all the intensity she could muster. 

Meanwhile, Sigma knew he had to do something. He can’t have Chuuya ruining an otherwise fun night that the daughter of his potential investor could have. 

He put an around Chuuya. “You know, Chuuya-san, for our VVVIP clients like Megumi and yourself, the bars around the casino are open bars. It’s part of your perks.” 

The mafioso looked around. “O-open bar?” 

Sigma pointed to the wristwatch he was given when he entered the venue. “Just show that to the bartender! We have the finest selection of wines from Bordeaux and California and uhm, some other places!” 

“Ahh really?” Chuuya couldn’t help but hide his excitement. 

“C’mon, c’mon! I’m sure Dazai and Megumi here can behave while we’re away for a few minutes.” 

“I suppose so…” 

As Sigma led Chuuya to the open bar, he winked at Dazai who gave Sigma a thumbs up. 

Dazai then turned to Megumi and pulled her closer to him. “So, princess, have you seen the Dungeon of Desire?”

NEXT CHAPTER: DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS AND PRINCESSES 

Chapter Text

It was time for Tecchou to patrol but he had to stop by the central control room for the hourly check-in. Aside from Tecchou, about twenty other casino operatives specializing in tech security monitored the CCTVs.

The Hunting Dog sat in front of one of the computers and connected via video call to the agency’s account. It was his friend Kenji who answered the video call. 

“Hey Kenji-kun!”

Kenji waved back and flashed his usual toothy smile. “Tecchou-san! How is the event going so far? I still don’t understand how a host club works but I hope things are going well!”

Tecchou huffed in frustration as he shared Kenji’s confusion. “I… I honestly don’t understand the concept of it either… Dazai-san made me and Nakajima-kun watch this show about a host club created by high school students. I’m still not sure if that was completely legal…”

Kenji clapped his hands, interested about the educational show. “That sounds fun!” 

“It was okay… One of the main characters sounded like Dazai, actually. The way he flirts with the women is similar too. I can never do it, but I picked up some important pointers.”

Kenji imagined a prince-like character being popular with women. “When I get older, I hope I learn how to flirt too!” 

“Oh... It’s not as fun as what they make it to be.” Tecchou sighed. “But the guests here are very important to society and I have a duty to protect their smiles.” 

Tecchou then noticed Kenji’s background — he was still in the Armed Detective Agency office. 

“Are you still in the office, Kenji-kun? It’s almost 9 p.m. I thought the older members of the agency would —”

Kenji nodded. “Yes! Poe-san, Mushitaro-san, and I just got back from a case!” 

“Edgar Allan Poe from The Guild? And Mushitaro Oguri from The Seventh Agency?” Tecchou sounded impressed. “They’re helping out the agency?”

“They’re friends of Ranpo-san! He called in a favor since we’re short-staffed,” Kenji explained. 

“I see… I never realized the agency had so many allies.” 

“Montgomery-san who works part-time at the cafe is on standby too!” 

Tecchou nodded. Another former member of The Guild, huh? Impressive. But…

“Kenji-kun, despite the agency having allies to help out at this moment, you must remain constantly vigilant. Enemies may still take advantage of this situation.” 

Kenji nodded once again, his face full of determination. “Understood!”

Then, two men came into view of the call — Poe and Mushitaro. Both bowed to Tecchou and Tecchou bowed back. 

“Poe-san, Mushitaro-san, we thank you for your assistance as well,” Tecchou said. 

Mushitaro huffed. “Tch, I really didn’t have a choice…” 

Poe, on the other hand, answered enthusiastically. “When my rival calls, I answer!”

Tecchou furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Ranpo-san is your rival? Why would you help him?” 

“Because that’s the sort of thing you do for your rival, right? You agree, Karl?” 

Then Tecchou noticed a raccoon perched on Poe’s shoulder. It made agreeable, excited noises. 

“Plus, we were faced with an exhilarating mystery of a theater diva being stalked by a mysterious entity!” Poe looked up, as if remembering an exciting scene from a movie. 

“It wasn’t bad, actually… It was a bit fun,” Mushitaro conceded. 

“The way you guys solved it was so cool! The way you found out there was an underground tunnel beneath the theater! City folks are so clever!” Kenji clapped.

As Tecchou excitedly chatted to the three to discuss the details of the case, one of the operatives in the control room hacked into the server and replaced some of the cameras with stock footage. 

***

Junichiro’s light snow was a hit among the ladies. The redhead followed Dazai’s earlier advice to use light snow to retell fake stories of his life in a biker gang. He used it to create a hologram of sorts, to project floating images of his “memories”. 

“And when I was beaten down, bloody, and helpless on the ground… I thought about my poor, little sister Naomi… And how I should make it out of there… For her… And I stood up again…” 

Some of the ladies were crying while listening to the story of how he was cornered by another gang. 

Beside him, on another sofa, sat Kunikida in his yukata. A lot of the much older ladies surrounded him. 

“You look like my third husband,” one of them said. “He died during the war, bless his soul…” 

“I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am,” Kunikida said emphatically. 

“But you exude the confidence of a man who has morals and ideals,” the old lady continued. 

“Oh yes, ma’am! I will live and die for my ideals!” 

“I’m surprised a youngster like you share our view.” And then the old lady shook her head, a look of discontent evident on her face. “Kids nowadays are so frivolous! They think love is free and they f… f… uhm… fraternize with anyone like there’s no tomorrow!” 

Kunikida nodded with much fervor. “I know a bastard who is exactly like that, ma’am. I couldn’t agree with you more!” And in that moment, Kunikida wished he lived in older times, simpler times. 

In front of Kunikida’s station and near the bar was Atsushi, who was seated with a lot of foreign women who found his white hair and multi-colored pupils fascinating. 

“We really don’t see this a lot,” one of them said in another language Atsushi couldn’t understand. A translator, a tall Japanese man in his thirties, conveyed the message. 

“Such a unique hairstyle too!”

“This kind of thing was hot in Paris in the nineties…” 

The other women nodded. In return, Atsushi complimented them back, as instructed by Dazai. Then the women would come back with more compliments, creating an endless loop. 

“Uhhh… Thank you, ladies…” Atsushi said in a coy manner that made the ladies even more flustered than the weretiger. 

Sigma walked around the ballroom, ensuring everything was fine. He could see Chuuya who was still at the bar and sipping another glass of wine. He was approached by some of the ladies, asking when his shift as a host would start soon. It happened more than once. 

“I’m a guest! A guest!” Chuuya pointed to his steel watch which indicated that he was a VVVIP. 

“Oh, he must be here for the boys… Maybe he swings that way…” one of the ladies whispered. 

“Oi I heard that!!!” Chuuya barked, but the girls found it cute.

Sigma chuckled and thought that Chuuya would actually make a good host. There are girls who are into the type of personality Chuuya has — rough around the edges, but has a soft and protective core.

As Sigma looked around, he noticed that Dazai and Megumi had been gone for a while. 

“I wonder what those two are up to…”

***

Somewhere, in three separate locations in the casino, three men conversed in hushed voices, using concealed transceivers.

“The Detective Agency is here, as well as a Hunting Dog,” said the first man.

The second man laughed in a shrill voice. “They’re posing as hosts? Are they doing this for fun or are they genuinely thinking they’re undercover?”

“If they think this is an undercover job, they must be the stupidest detectives. Their faces had been plastered all over the news earlier this year as the terrorists for the Decay of Angels case!” The third man clarified.

“Oh the zombie outbreak!” The second man exclaimed.

“It was vampires! Not zombies!” The third man clarified.

“Weren’t they acquitted? Some Russian guy and the war hero Fukuchi were behind everything apparently!” The second guy shared.

The third guy gave his confirmation. “So their presence here… What’s their angle?”

“As I see it, everyone is just pretending right? All the ladies know they’re the detectives who are here to protect them in case anything happens so they feel safer,” the first man said in an authoritative voice.

“Some of the guests brought their own personal guards too, just in case,” the second man said.

The first man huffed, expressing his annoyance. “I’ve noticed that too. It would be easier to take those guys down first, before the detectives and the dog.”

The two other men, his subordinates, agreed. 

“Well, that’s the next step of the plan, then. Get rid of all the private guards first. Relay the message to your units. Then we move to the next phase.”

***

Dazai and Megumi reached one of the lower floors. The hallway leading to the “Duengeon of Desires” used to be a modern hallway with plush carpeting and vibrant, almost glowing walls. 

However, that night, with the help of ability engineers, it had been transformed into a darkened passage carved from cold, gray stones, its walls slick with damp and veined with creeping moss. Dim torches flickered in iron sconces, casting long, shivering shadows.

There was a line outside the “dungeon” and despite the ominous surroundings, excited chatter filled the corridor leading up to it. 

“It’s my second time to try it! I want to do the cell for Pride this time!”

“Everyone seems to be lining up for Lust… Understandably…” 

“Gluttony for me! You can eat whatever you want without getting fat!”

As Dazai and Megumi walked towards the front of the line, the ladies swooned and called out to Mr. D, the prince. And Dazai smiled and waved to his admirers. 

One of the girls stopped him by tugging on his sleeve. “Will you be part of the auction this midnight, Mr. D?” 

Dazai winked at her. “You can count on it! Unless one of you ladies traps me first…” 

The women blushed and sighed and squealed with glee. And Dazai bowed in a princely manner before bidding them adieu. 

“You’re enjoying this,” Megumi teased as they got nearer to the front of the line. 

Dazai continued waving to the women standing in line. “My other cases involve me getting stabbed or shot or drowned or punched or kicked or thrown down a falling elevator so yeah, I’m enjoying this… a lot!” 

When they reached the barricaded entrance of the dungeon, Megumi showed her VVVIP watch and they were let into a small holding room. 

Before them were seven jail cell doors — they were thick, weathered slabs of wood, reinforced with iron bands and bolted with rusted nails. Small grated windows barely hinted at the darkness beyond. Above each door, a crude sign hung, scratched with the different sins — “Pride”, “Envy”, “Lust”, “Greed”, “Wrath”, “Gluttony”, and “Sloth”. 

One of the medieval guards standing by the door handed Megumi and Dazai a pair of white, plastic glasses, except they don’t have the lenses. 

The tall man in a medieval suit, his face obscured by the metal mask, spoke in a low, gruff tone. “These are special glasses that combines the power of an ability user and artificial intelligence. Its sensors can read your mind and decipher your most intimate desires. Once you step into the gates of your chosen Sin, the glasses activate an immersive game where you can live out your wildest fantasies.” 

“W-wildest fantasies?” Megumi asked, her voice unsure. 

Dazai noticed her hesitation and put a hand over her shoulder. 

“No need to worry too much, princess! No physical harm will be done! It’s like one of those virtual reality games except this one’s more immersive, right, Mr. Guard?” 

The medieval guard affirmed Dazai’s statement. “The game is customized for every player. So of course you decide your limitations. And we have a control room that monitors your vitals through the glasses so if we sense any type of abnormal signs, we can cut off the game right away.” 

Megumi nodded. “That’s reassuring. Thank you. Uhm… Can you give examples of the games in each room?” 

The medieval guard smiled as he indulged her question. “Well, it really depends on what adventure you’d like but we do have different… Shall we say, prompts? In the cell of Greed for example, you can be a conqueror who is out to plunder the riches of undiscovered lands. For Envy, you can live the life of a celebrity who is envied by all. And for Wrath, well some of players have fulfilled their fantasies of bringing upon revenge on their cheating lovers or ex-business partners.” 

“And for Lust?” Megumi asked, but the medieval guard took a while to respond. It was obvious that he didn’t know how to reply without being too explicit. 

“That, you can answer yourself, princess,” Dazai said, saving the guard from further trouble.  

“So what will it be, Megumi-san?” the guard asked. 

The girl smirked and entwined her arm with Dazai’s. “Lust, of course.” 

“All right,” the guard confirmed and he spoke into a mouthpiece in his helmet. “We still have another player in the cell. It’s quite a popular game. Even if the game only lasts for ten minutes, you can live out days and a maximum of a week inside the fantasy world created by the immersive game experience.” 

“And couples or groups of friends can live out the same fantasy together because we can link the glasses. However… Dazai-san – I mean, Mr. D here has the rare nullification ability so the glasses won’t work on him. 

Dazai pouted in a way that didn’t suit his character. “Such a bummer! Can I keep them on, anyway? They look cool on me!” 

Megumi sighed, her face suddenly filled with worry. “Does that mean I can’t be with Dazai-san in my fantasy?” 

“As long as you think of me in your fantasy, I’ll be sure to appear there!” 

But Megumi still looked worried. “But what will you do in the meantime?” 

“Ten minutes, alone in a cell with a beautiful girl…” Dazai looked up, imagining deliciously wicked things. 

“We have security cameras inside the cells,” the guard assured Megumi. 

“Hey! What do you think of me? I’m offended by that!” Dazai crossed his arms. “I’ll make sure your physical body is safe, princess, while your mind explores the depths of your desires.” 

The girl giggled, hiding her mouth in a ladylike manner with a white, lace handkerchief. “Oh! I’m not worried about that!”

Just then, the lights flickered inside the cell of Lust, indicating that the game of the former player had ended. 

“Well, the player has exited the cell and you can now enter,” the guard instructed. 

Dazai handed his glasses back to the guard. “Won’t be needing that!” 

Megumi grabbed Dazai’s hand and practically ran into the cell, pushing the heavy oak doors open. And there was a flash of bright light… 

Suddenly, she found herself chained to the wall of the medieval jail cell… except she was wearing almost nothing — only corset underneath, her panties, and stockings. 

“What the — ”

The heavy oak doors of the cell creaked open. Heavy footsteps echoed closer, louder. The door opened wide. 

It was Dazai, but instead of his white princely garb, he was wearing a dark version of the suit.

“See? I told you that you can still see me in your fantasy if you think hard enough!” 

And Dazai stepped closer, dangerously close. Megumi’s breath hitched, fully aware of her near-nakedness under his stare. She turned her head, cheeks warming with a flush she couldn’t hide.

But Dazai’s hand was already there, his fingers tilting her chin, coaxing her eyes back to his. “Look at me, princess,” he murmured, his voice a low, velvet command. “After all… This is your fantasy.”

Megumi couldn’t resist but follow his command, her eyes staring into his. Seemingly satisfied, Dazai stepped back for a moment to undo his belt. 

Her heart started beating faster. “Aren’t we rushing a bit – ?”

Before Dazai could completely undo his belt, Megumi’s legs started floating. The Dazai before her froze, like scene paused from behind a screen. 

Her legs continued to float up, shifting until she appeared as if she were being cradled in someone’s arms. Then, she began to bounce gently, as though whoever held her was moving swiftly, each stride lifting her with rhythmic, weightless motion.

“Megumi! Can you hear me?” 

It was Dazai’s voice that echoed inside the chamber. 

“What’s happening?!” Megumi asked, panic evident in her voice. 

Dazai’s voice echoed in the chamber again. “Megumi! I’m nullifying the ability but I cannot nullify the AI component of the glasses so you’re still trapped in there. Can you hear me?” 

“Yes, Dazai-san! What’s happening?!”

“Can you take the glasses off?”

Megumi tugged at her shackles, the cold metal clinking sharply against the stone wall, each desperate movement echoing through the cell.

“I can’t! I’m tied to the wall! But why am I floating?! What’s happening to my body out there?”

“I’m carrying you! Someone… attacked the dungeon… We’re trying to escape…” 

“What?!”

“Don’t worry! You’re safe. I’m bringing you the private pods. I know the shortcuts for emergencies. In the meantime, try to take off your glasses…” 

“... I tried! I’m stuck to the wall! Can’t you take it off me from there? From the outside?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t. It’s tied to your fingerprint.” Dazai sounded breathless. “You have to take it out from inside the game…”

“Oh…”  

“Is there anything you can use? Is there anyone else in there?”

Megumi hesitated before answering. “You… You’re sort of in here…” 

“Can you try to ask him to help you out?”

“He’s frozen!”

“Oh that’s because I’m nullifying the ability component of the game. Once I let go, can you try to trick him into freeing you?”

“But it’s you! How can I do that?” 

“Tell him you’ll commit shinjuu with him if he lets you go!”

“WHAT?!” 

“Just try it!!! In the count of three, I’ll let go of the glasses and the game starts again for you. Just try it. Are you ready?” 

“Yeah…” 

“Okay. 3… 2… 1…” 

***

“A five-hour train ride!!! I’m not that young anymore, you know!!! Whose idea was it to take the train and not the airplane?!”

“You hate planes! And we also have to take another train from Tokyo if we took the plane! At least the provincial train stops directly at Yokohama!” 

Edogawa Ranpo and Yosano Akiko got off a cab and the driver was thankful that he didn't have to listen to any more bickering. The detective and the doctor usually got along well, but that night, both had to endure a five-hour train ride from Fukuoka. And as expected, this took a toll on the patience of the two members of the ADA. 

“Stop acting like an old man! You’re still in your twenties!” Yosano scratched the back of her head. “Anyway, it’s 10 p.m. and we’re done for the day! Why are we back here at the office?”

The detective and the doctor were both dropped off in front of the building of the Armed Detective Agency. A luminous full moon hung low in the night sky, its silver glow partially veiled by the silhouette of the red-bricked structure. 

Ranpo sighed as he and Yosano entered their office building. “Poe-kun and Mushitaro-kun are still there… They’re taking the hourly calls until midnight…”

Yosano smiled but she didn’t let Ranpo see it. “Wow! So you’re checking up on them like a responsible senpai? I never thought I’d see that day, Ranpo!” 

“It’s not like that! They’re guarding my snack stash! I need to binge after that train ride!”

“You don’t have a separate snack stash at home?” 

“I ran out!!!”

Yosano smiled. He knew Ranpo well enough when he was just making an excuse. It was obvious that he was worried about his friends. They both got in the elevator, carrying their luggage. 

Yosano decided not to tease Ranpo anymore. The short elevator ride was filled with tired silence. And they headed towards the office, guided by the light from behind the frosted glass door.

Yosano unlocked the door and she did not expect the scene before her — Poe and Kenji hunched over behind clearly distressed Mushitaro, who was seated before a laptop. The former member of the Seventh Agency typed aggressively on the device. On the screen, there was a symbol of a dragon with a knife stuck to its heart. 

“Ranpo-kun… What should we do?” Poe’s voice shook and his face was paler than usual.

Even the usually cheerful Kenji looked worried. “For the past few minutes, Mushitaro-san had been trying to connect to — ”

It didn’t even take Ranpo a full minute to figure out what happened. 

“Let’s go,” the great detective said with a clear resolve in his voice.

“Where?” Yosano asked. 

“To the Sky Casino, of course!”

NEXT CHAPTER: PRIME TARGET, PRIME SUSPECT

Chapter Text

“Where are Dazai and Megu-chan?!”

Sigma ruffled his hair and was very close to pulling them out. It was only a few minutes before the next shift and Dazai had gone missing. 

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked around and it was Atsushi. 

“I wouldn’t stress too much about it, Sigma-san.” The boy smiled at the casino manager and Sigma thought that this smile was backed by an unbreakable sort of confidence. 

“Atsushi-kun…” 

“Dazai may slack off a lot but whenever he goes missing, it’s for a good reason. I’ve learned to trust him over time,” the weretiger explained. 

Kunikida approached them. “It doesn’t explain why Dazai doesn’t reply to our messages on the transceiver…” 

Then Sigma looked around. All the agency members and even Tecchou were in the ballroom for the shift change. Most of them had been trying to contact Dazai the past few minutes. They’ve never actually tried…

“Atsushi-kun! I’ll run out of the room and try to contact me using the transceiver.”

The weretiger stared at Sigma, whose unusual request puzzled him. “What?! Why should we — ”

Kunikida’s eyes widened as he realized what Sigma was trying to do. “Just try it, Atsushi.” 

Atsushi nodded and Sigma ran and left the ballroom. As soon as Sigma was out of sight, Atsushi spoke to his transceiver, asking if Sigma could hear him. There was no response. 

Another minute went by and Sigma was back in the ballroom. There was a panicked look on his face. “There was no signal! I couldn’t hear anything! Something is blocking the transmissions!” 

“We’ve prepared for this. Dazai made a plan for something like this,” Kunikida reminded Atsushi and Sigma. “You know what to do, Atsushi. Go to the main control room and get in touch with the agency to tell them what happened. I’ll discreetly tell the other agency members what’s happening.”

“The next shift is up soon. It’s supposed to be Dazai-san and Suehiro-kun again.” Sigma looked around and saw Tecchou doing push-ups near the table where they sell the merchandise of the hosts. “We need a stand-in for Dazai.” 

“I’ll tell Junichiro to pull another shift,” Kunikida suggested. 

“We still need one more… There are more guests now and it may be good to have more hosts distracting the guests while we figure out what’s happening,” Sigma suggested. 

“But we don’t have anyone else…” The strength in Kunikida’s voice started to falter as well. “Unless we ask the agency to send someone else…”

For some reason, Sigma’s eyes settled on Chuuya, who was still enjoying himself in the bar, and still being approached by ladies.

Sigma smiled as he eyed the gravity manipulator in his suave, crimson suit. “I have an idea…” 

***

As instructed, Atsushi went straight to the main control room. 

Opening the heavy doors, the staff inside were gone and the screens had frozen. Some screens had been trashed. Looking around, it wouldn’t take a detective to figure out that there had been a struggle. 

This was the only place they could connect with the agency. They could always disable the jammers preventing everyone from using their mobile phones, but even that jammer, which was located in the main control room, had gone missing. It’s also possible that whoever is causing this commotion had placed more signal jammers for all types of communications devices, which included their transceivers… But how is this person or group communicating? 

Atsushi searched for clues around the main control room. Where did the staff members disappear? They may be the key to figuring out what happened. 

A few minutes passed and... nothing. He checked his mechanical wristwatch. It’s a good thing that Dazai made them all wear a synced wristwatch. 

If no one communicates with the agency for the next half an hour, it’s a sign for them to send backup to the Sky Casino. Floor layouts were sent to the backup members, as well as different codes and plans in the event they cannot communicate. Dazai had planned this much. 

He transformed one of his arms into a tiger paw and etched a code number on one of the walls — 302. The agency members should know what it means. 

After he used his ability to transform his arm back to a normal human’s, he went straight to the dungeons. 

***

“NO FUCKIN’ WAYYY!!! I’M NOT GETTIN’ PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS!!!” 

Sigma was kneeling in front of the gravity manipulator, begging for him to be one of the hosts for the next shift. They were in a private room where the lights and sounds were controlled, just beside the ballroom. The casino manager explained the situation to Chuuya and why they needed his help. 

“Instead of playin’ pretty boy, I should be lookin’ for Megumi! This ain’t my problem ya know!!!” 

Sigma sighed as he stood up. “Megumi must be in the private dens. They’re designed like pods, immune to any sort of attack. It’s the most secure room in the casino right now. I’m sure she’s there with Dazai-san.” 

“Look, the boss ain’t payin’ me to be part of your little plan!” Chuuya huffed in frustration. “I’m here for the girl and girl alone!” 

“Chuuya-san, Megumi’s parents are your clients, right? They’re planning to invest in the casino. The success of this event is something that would favor them greatly. And making sure all the guests are safe is part of it.” 

Chuuya leaned in and started to listen intently to Sigma’s explanation. 

“And I would feel more at ease if you’re here in the ballroom where most of the guests are, protecting them,” Sigma continued. “I need to leave to hall to investigate what’s happening and I promise you I’ll be searching for Megumi too. She’s a dear friend of mine, after all…” 

Chuuya crossed his arms and after a few moments, he finally nodded. “FINE!!! But only for this shift, okay? And if ya incompetent fools haven’t found Megumi by then, I’ll look for her myself, even if I have to turn everythin’ here upside down, ya hear me???” 

Sigma nodded, pleased that he had convinced Chuuya of their plan. As he led Chuuya back to the ballroom, he gave the mafioso some pointers — a crash course — on how to be a pleasing host. 

“I don’t need all of that!” He brushed off Sigma’s advice. “I’m not makin’ this my career or anythin’!!!” 

Sigma led Chuuya back to the ballroom and by the small stage at the farthest end of the room. “You know what? Just be yourself, Chuuya-san. Hmmm we have to call you Mr. C since Mr. N is Atsushi-kun. I hope that’s okay with you.”

“Tch… You can call me anythin’ I don’t care at this point, but you owe me a favor!” 

Then Sigma gave a thumbs up to guys in the audio room that overlooks the stage. He puffed his chest as he walked up. And he tapped on the microphone to check if it was working.

“How is everyone? Are you enjoying your night?” Sigma asked in his happiest, liveliest tone. And then everyone turned their attention to the stage and all ladies in the ballroom all cheered. 

“I hope everyone is having a lovely time with the hosts! Make sure to visit the merchandise booth to buy acrylic stands or photo cards of our hosts! And don’t forget to visit the gambling rooms too for some exciting games!”

The hall erupted in cheers from the eager guests. And Sigma cleared his throat. 

“Now, there will be a slight change of plans regarding the hosts for the next shift. Instead of the Prince who is occupied at the moment, we’ll have a surprise host joining us…” 

There were murmurs of discontent and disappointment, but everyone was suddenly silent, especially Junichiro and Tecchou, when Chuuya walked up the stage. 

“This is Mr. C. He’s a gravity manipulator,” Sigma gestured to Chuuya who had the most bored expression on his face. 

Then Chuuya glowed red and started floating. And he grabbed the microphone from Sigma. “Look, I can’t be that mackerel face, but y’all can come to me if you wanna try flyin’ or somethin’...” 

Chuuya looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. Upon closer inspection, there was a hint of redness on his cheeks too. The ladies and even the men in the ballroom started cheering and clapping, awestruck at the demonstration of Chuuya’s ability. 

Some of the women also conversed that they knew Chuuya was a host after all and perhaps he was just hiding it earlier so he wouldn’t ruin the surprise. 

“You said distract them, right?” Chuuya assured Sigma as he floated back down. 

Sigma gave him a thumbs up as a line formed in front of the stage, filled with eager ladies who wanted to try flying with Chuuya. 

***

Back in the entrance hall, the security team began to relax. Fewer and fewer guests were coming in. 

Since the event was invite-only, they checked the list and confirmed that most of their VIPs were already inside. 

A tall, blonde security personnel even put his feet up on the table. “Time to relax, I guess! Our job is almost done!” 

Just then, the doors from the hangar opened, revealing an unusual-looking couple. The woman wore a purple kimono and her bob cut was accentuated by a golden butterfly pin. Her partner was an extremely tall and slender foreigner in a crisp, three-piece black suit. He wore dark, rectangular sunglasses. His hair was slicked back neatly with a slight wave at the ends. 

The woman handed the blonde security man her invitation, as well as their passports. The other security guards started inspecting the man and took his mobile phone. Interestingly enough, the man also carried a green, hard-bound book. 

The blonde guy, the leader of the security detail at the entrance, checked the authenticity of the invitation, as well as the passports. “You’re too young to be a VVVIP, miss… Yosano.”

“Doctor Yosano,” the girl corrected him. 

The man smiled as he handed the woman back her passport. “Doctor, huh? Are you a billionaire or something? Own a few hospitals?”

Yosano faked a laugh. “Well, I started working when I was very, very young and I was also involved in the military at some point…” 

The guard did a wolf whistle. “That would make you some money, alright! And your plus one is…?”

Poe pointed to himself and smiled. The man checked his passport. “Mr. Poe.” 

“He’s American,” the doctor mentioned. “My personal security detail. He doesn’t know a lot of Nihongo! But that’s his passport and… Can he bring his book? He might get bored.”

The man snatched the book from Poe, inspected it, opened it, and tried to check if something was concealed. Satisfied, he handed the book and his passport back to Poe. 

“Between me and you, miss, he looks like he’s the one who needs protecting,” the security guy said.  

Yosano faked another laugh. “Oh, he’s very capable, I assure you!” 

Then the man gave them expensive watches branded by the casino — a way for everyone to tell that they are VVVIPs. After Yosano and Poe secured the watches around their wrists, the man ushered them in.

“Well, have fun, you two! I believe the auction of the hosts will start shortly too.” 

Yosano waved goodbye to the men at the entrance. And once they were out of line of sight, she started running. 

“It’s a good thing the entrance and inspection room uses anti-gifted material, huh?” Yosano said to Poe. 

Poe sighed exasperatedly as he kept his pace with Yosano. “I know! I was so nervous!!! I thought my heart was going to burst! Ranpo-kun and the rest would have spilled out of the book when they opened it!” 

“I guess we have to thank Dazai and Sigma for all the planning!” Yosano said. 

Both were heading towards the ballroom where the host club is located, one of the few places where abilities could be used. The rest of the casino were equipped with anti-gifted material to prevent cheating and other attacks. 

“Poe-kun, do you remember the layout of the building?” Yosano asked Poe as they continued running along the halls. “Are we heading the right direction?” 

“Uhhh…” Poe stopped. “I… I thought you knew it!” 

Yosano stopped running as well. “I thought Ranpo sent you the copy of the floor layout!” 

Poe gasped. “Oh… It was on my phone which they confiscated… Wait! The map and itinerary should be on the invitation!” 

Yosano rolled her eyes. “We left it back at the entrance. Too late to go back now…” 

“Oh… Perhaps we should ask some of the staff members we see along the way?” Then Poe saw an old man who was short, stout, and wore a bowler hat. He stood in front one of the guest rooms. The man was looking around, as if searching for something… or someone… 

Poe and Yosano approached the man, taking the necessary distance in case of an attack. 

“Excuse me, sir, can you speak Nihongo?” Yosano smiled at the man. 

“A little,” the man replied. 

“How about English?” Poe excitedly asked. 

The man nodded. “Ah, yes! Of course! It’s my native tongue!” 

“Great!” Poe took his sunglasses off. Normally, Poe hated talking to strangers… To anyone, really. But he had to play his part to help his precious rival Ranpo. Before going to the Sky Casino, the group had decided that Poe should be Yosano’s official plus-one while he brings the rest of them using his book. It goes without saying that Yosano would be the main guest since the event is primarily for females. 

Poe, being a foreigner, would blend in easily in the casino with plenty of international guests. He is the only one who can control the book too. 

Of course, the Armed Detective Agency being the official security partner of the Sky Casino for the event shouldn’t be a problem — they all could have gotten in with ease with all the event invites that Sigma sent the agency beforehand. However, Ranpo deduced that there must be some enemy spies within the other guards so it would be disadvantageous for them to let them know how many agency members are coming in as backup. This is why they needed to conceal the other members in Poe’s book when arriving. 

“Sir? Do you have a question for me?” The short man asked. 

“Oh, sorry! I zoned out there for a moment!” Poe scratched the back of his head. “Are you a staff member here?” 

“Not really. I was a part-timer hired for this specific event,” the man explained as he continued to look around. And Yosano sensed that there was something not right with the expression this man was making — he looked nervous, as if he was hiding something. 

“Oh. Well, that should be fine,” Poe said. “We are looking for the ballroom where the host club event is taking place. Would you know the way?” 

The short man nodded. “It should be on the floor above this. Once you get off, turn right. And there are signs once you get to that floor. You can’t miss it.” 

Poe bowed to the man, a habit he picked up in Japan. “Thank you so much, sir! Well, we better get going and — ”

“Ah, before you go, have you seen this girl?” The man took out a photo from his coat pocket. He showed the portrait to them — a teenage girl with long, wavy brown hair, a doll-like face with piercing hazel eyes. 

“Her name is Megumi. I’m her security detail for the night and she seemed to have disappeared after she entered the dungeons.” 

Poe shrugged. “I’m sorry, sir. We have just arrived. But perhaps you should check the private dens?”

The man sighed. “I am aware of this. However, the location of the private dens and access to them are only available to VVVIPs…” Then his eyes widened at the watches Poe and Yosano are wearing. “Say… You two are VVVIPs… Perhaps you can help me… I told you where the ballroom is located and in return maybe you can lend me one of your watches!” 

Poe was about to remove his watch but Yosano grabbed his wrist. “Sorry, sir! The two of us wanted to make use of those private dens too!” Yosano said in fluent English. “Maybe later, if we see you, we’ll lend you one of our watches! And we’ll keep our eye out for the girl!” 

And Yosano dragged Poe to the elevator before the man could react. Once the doors closed, she sighed in relief. 

“That wasn’t very nice, Yosano-sensei!” Poe remarked, his voice indignant. “That man helped us find the ballroom and he only wanted to find his client!” 

Yosano shook her head and clutched her butterfly pin. “There’s something strange about that man… He just didn’t… feel right… It’s difficult to explain… But once you’ve been around that sort, you acquire a certain sense of it…” 

Poe saw the expression change in Yosano’s face. He decided not to ask any more questions. He remembered Ranpo’s stories about Yosano and her past with the Port Mafia boss. Though Ranpo didn’t elaborate on it, Poe knew that Yosano had a painful past.

“I trust your decision, Yosano-sensei,” Poe answered reassuringly. 

Yosano smiled at him and watched as the elevator doors opened. “Okay let’s go find that ballroom and release the others from that book of yours!” 

***

Kunikida was back in the main game room as he kept trying to reach the others via transceivers. He also searched the room for a hidden message from Dazai, as they had planned in case of emergencies, but his search proved fruitless. 

He glanced around and noticed that there were more ladies than men around this time. The men, the plus ones, were the private security detail of some of the women… Where have they disappeared off to? 

And where the hell is Dazai? Should he try the private dens? Is there really something sinister afoot or is his partner just taking his sweet time, flirting with a beautiful woman? Or maybe even a harem? He certainly wouldn’t put it past his partner, especially in a situation where women left and right were swooning over him. 

He grunted in annoyance, just thinking about this possibility. I don’t get why someone like him is so popular with women!!! 

“Dazai, you better be working…” Kunikida muttered under his breath as he made his way to the private dens. 

***

Megumi blinked. And she opened her eyes slowly as they adjusted to the bright light around her. Before she passed out, she remembered being able to take her glasses off. 

“W-where am I…?”

The girl sat up and looked around. It looked like a hotel room suite in any five-star hotel — a spacious living area adorned with plush seating, a sleek coffee table, and modern artwork adorning the walls, all softly lit by warm, ambient lighting. 

Megumi was on a king-sized bed with an impossibly high thread count. Beside her, a handsome man, looking princely in every way, despite the visible bandages around his wrists and neck. 

“Good morning, princess!” 

The heiress gasped. “Morning?!”

Dazai chuckled and checked his mechanical watch. “It’s actually just a little past midnight but you did take a short beauty nap! Not that you need one, of course!”

The girl rubbed her temples. She remembered being in the dungeon, playing out a fantasy. “What happened?” 

“Do you want the short version or the long version?”

“The version with the truth, without the need to sugarcoat it. Give it to me straight. I can handle it,” the girl commanded him. Her voice was firm, authoritative. 

And Dazai smiled, seeing this girl in a new light. He sat up as well, ready to tell her the cold, hard truth. “A group has infiltrated the casino and they’re here to kidnap you.” 

“Me? Ah… That is expected… With my family’s wealth and ties to the royal family in Monaco, I’m a prime target.” 

Dazai put an arm around Megumi and pulled her in closer to him. “Don’t worry! A prince protects his princess, right?”

The girl realized she was shaking but she stopped once Dazai held her close. “Thanks, Dazai-san. I’m sorry I ruined the night…”

“All in a day’s work, princess! As we speak, I assure you that my colleagues are out there, trying to round up the bad guys! But I have to ask you… Do you know someone who would benefit from kidnapping you?”

“To be honest, I can think of a thousand groups who would want to kidnap me,” she said in frustration. 

“Let’s narrow it down. A group that can benefit you and a very public shaming of the casino. If the kidnapping is successful, it will surely make the media rounds! The fact that the event is filled with VIPs will surely catch the attention of the masses!” 

Megumi’s expression changed. “That’s it! Why is it just me? Are they just after me? There are so many other VIPs here! How are you sure it’s just me they’re after?”

Dazai smirked and he let go of Megumi for a while. “You see, before today, I asked Sigma for a list of all guests. I shared this list with Ranpo — he’s our best detective — who had deduced several scenarios on who are the prime targets among the guests, and the prime suspects in kidnapping them if the case arises. And he did all this in about, oh, ten minutes, in the middle of another case, no less!” 

“Oh wow that’s…”

Dazai continued explaining. “I needed to plan for different scenarios, of course. And from what I observed when we were escaping the dungeon, it seemed they were only interested in you…” 

“So you know who is after me?”

“Ranpo and I have a hunch... And I'm afraid they may be closer to you than you think…”

NEXT CHAPTER: THE STRONGEST THREE

Chapter Text

“Manager!!!” 

The doors to the host club lounge opened. 

“Manager Sigma!!!” 

A crowd came rushing in, all panicked and haggard. And at the tail end of the crowd were Yosano and Poe, who were both gaping out of awe and confusion. They were initially impressed at the luxurious details of the lounge but they also wondered why Port Mafia executive Chuuya was flying guests around the room. 

To add to their bewilderment, Junichiro was using his Light Snow to project different skylines while Chuuya and the guests were flying. And below them, the Hunting Dog Tecchou was doing a demonstration of his sword techniques. 

If Yosano and Poe didn’t know any better, they could have sworn they entered a circus instead of a high-class and exclusive event at the world’s most controversial casino. 

Sigma spotted the agency members right away but gestured for them to give him a few minutes to deal with the guests. 

“Sigma! There were strange men in the dungeon who told us to go away and leave the casino!”

“Some of them looked like staff members! Others look like they’re part of a security team or something!” 

“Is the event over? Why did they tell us to leave?” 

“What are we going to do?” 

Sigma breathed in slowly and prepared to project his voice to a crowd of confused, high-paying millionaires. “My honored guests, I apologize for the confusion. It seems that some of our security details got the wrong information. Do not worry about anything! There isn’t an emergency. However, we may need to — ”

Suddenly, there was a flash of light beside Poe and more agency members appeared — Ranpo, Kenji, and Mushitaro. Sigma understood right away that the three were snuck in using Poe’s book. They were able to escape the novel just now because the host club lounge was one of the few rooms where abilities could activate.

Then Sigma had an idea — a way to get most of the guests to safety without raising suspicion. 

“However, we have prepared another surprise event! We’ll be delaying the auction of the hosts, and in exchange for the dungeon experience, we are offering something else!” Sigma bellowed, his face full of confidence. “A best-selling author from America is here to grace our event! Please welcome, Mr. Edgar Allan Poe, who will show us how his immersive novels work!” 

There were scattered claps from the audience but most of the crowd still looked visibly confused. On the other hand, Poe froze on the spot. His face turned paler than usual, cold sweat dripping down the side of his face. Ranpo, had to push him to the front and Karl, his raccoon, cooed supportively from Ranpo’s shoulder. 

As soon as Poe saw Sigma, he knew exactly what he had to do — he needed to get as many guests into his novel where they could be safe from whatever may happen. 

The casino manager gave Poe an encouraging smile. Then he also saw Ranpo’s face in the crowd, which gave him confidence. Even Mushitaro gave him a reassuring nod. “Well… Uhh… Good evening, everyone. I am Edgar Allan Poe from Boston. And I… Uh… I make mystery novels which are immersive. You can step into my novels and live out as one of the characters where you solve a mystery — ”

“Like a murder mystery party?” One of the guests asked excitedly. 

“Ahhh like an escape room!” Another woman commented. 

Poe nodded. He could see the shift of interest from the crowd. There was now a buzz of excited chatter. “Yes… Sort of like that, except it’s more immersive,” the writer explained. 

“The dungeon was supposed to be like that! And we lined up for a while too!”

Sigma stepped closer to Poe to show some support. “Again, madam, our apologies for that. This is why we’re offering this alternative experience. This is free of charge too! Now, tell us about this mystery, Mr. Poe.” 

“Ah, well…” He showed the book to the crowd. “This book I brought with me is a mystery set in an amusement park. You need to find the bombers before time runs out.” 

“Once I open the book, those who are within a certain distance will be sucked into the novel, to participate in the mystery game,” the author continued explaining. “So if you want to experience this immersive novel firsthand, do line up here. We can accommodate as many people as possible.” 

All of the guests who came from the dungeon immediately lined up to be absorbed into the book. 

“Once I open this book there is no going back…” 

And suddenly, Mushitaro appeared beside Poe. “And I will be your guide while you’re in that world.” 

To Mushitaro’s surprise, the women were pleased with his sudden appearance and some were also complimenting him for his good looks and suave style. 

“My, my! Sigma-san really prepared a lot of surprises and good-looking guests huh?”

“How many handsome hosts do you know, manager-san?” 

Poe and Sigma nodded at Mushitaro, who was fully blushing out of the unexpected praises for his good looks. Indeed, they needed someone to manage the crowd inside. Sigma had received the confirmed guest list earlier that night and they had a little over 200 people. Most of the guests were in the main casino room while the rest were now in the club lounge. If they can get even a third of all guests into Poe’s novel, that would be good. 

The excited chatter of these guests attracted the attention of the others, who were relaxing and socializing on the other side of the host club lounge. Most of them sauntered over to where Poe and Mushitaro were explaining more details about the case. 

Sigma counted the number of people and they have indeed reached a third of all guests. And Sigma gave Poe the signal to open the book and Mushitaro demonstrated how they could enter the novel. After Mushitaro got sucked back in, the guests also started entering the novel space one by one. 

As this process was happening, Poe could see Yosano, Kenji, and Ranpo discussing something at the far end of the room. Sigma, on the other hand, stepped further away and went to the other end of the room to relay the plan to Tecchou, Chuuya, and Junichiro. 

When Poe was able to finish absorbing all the people in the line, those who were left on the other side of the room expressed their interest to go inside the novel as well. 

Only Ranpo noticed that Poe was using up an incredible amount of energy — his shoulders were hunched over more than usual and he was breathing heavily. Having so many people in his ability space must be taking a lot more energy than anticipated, Ranpo thought. 

Ranpo approached Poe and gently placed a hand on the writer’s back. Karl jumped onto Poe’s shoulder too. 

At first, Poe was surprised by this kind gesture from his rival. But he welcomed it all the same. “I’m okay, Ranpo…” 

“Hmph! You can’t fool a master detective like me!” Ranpo pouted as he withdrew his hand from Poe’s back. “You’ve been working since this morning! And you’ve never had this many people inside your ability space before!” 

Poe was about to protest but Ranpo kept rambling. “What will you people do without me? Fine, fine! I’ll help Mushitaro manage the people from inside the book. But before that, would you like to hear how I was able to deduce the mastermind based on what Yosano told me?” 

“You’ve solved it already?!” 

Poe held the book open as more guests entered, but he continued listening to Ranpo. Most of the guests ignored their conversation. They all seemed to speak in different languages so Poe and Ranpo switched to Nihongo to mask their topic and not raise suspicion.

“According to what Yosano told me, the man looking for that Megumi is suspicious. If I remember correctly, Megumi is the sole heiress of the M Group,” Ranpo started. “Dazai sent me a list of guests beforehand. That mystery man couldn’t be her security detail because the M Group has ties to Port Mafia. And since Nakahara Chuuya is here, that means Port Mafia is the one guarding her, and not that man you met. It is possible the M Group sent other bodyguards for her, but Sigma had been strict with invitations. She only had one other guest as a plus one.” 

Poe nodded, feeling validated about his earlier hunch. “I knew there was something odd about that man!”

“This means that the target of the group is Megumi, aside from the obvious commotion or publicity that a chaotic function would produce.” 

“What about the dragon symbol we saw?” Poe asked. 

“I saw them in the news recently. It is the symbol of a group who want to get rid of all gifted individuals.” Ranpo looked upwards, as if remembering the news report he saw. “After the Decay of Angels incident, there are groups who have expressed their hate and panic at the mere existence of gifted people. The Dead Dragon group is one of them and perhaps the most violent one. Some of their members were former followers of the demon Fyodor too. The dragon is the manifestation of the chaotic nature of abilities, as was disclosed by the Dead Apple reports so they’re using that symbolism too…” 

“So why have they decided to kidnap a billionaire’s daughter?” Poe asked. “What does she have to do with it? Is she also gifted?” 

“Our intel tells us she isn’t, but the M Group employs a lot of gifted groups to run their establishments. They even use groups like the Port Mafia for protection,” Ranpo explained. “The Sky Casino has become one of the symbols of hate towards the gifted community. A terrorism plot also began here, with the coin bombs used. With its relaunch, it's become operational again, but governments around the world are observing it closely to see if the gifted can be trusted. Sigma is basically their hostage at this point. They’re testing him to see if a former traitor like him, a gifted, can be trusted to run the Sky Casino smoothly and peacefully. Peace and harmony in this casino equates to trust between the gifted and the non-gifted…”

Poe trembled slightly as he kept the book open for more people to be absorbed. “I never thought of it that way… I never knew how important keeping the peace during the event would be…” 

“And if my initial hunch is correct, there may be two groups at play here,” Ranpo continued. “One is the Dead Dragon and the other is… Well, there is another group that would benefit if Megumi is kidnapped.” 

“Who is that?”

“Her own family’s corporation. They’re trying to buy the Sky Casino. The price would drop so low after the chaos. They must have partnered with the group to get their own daughter kidnapped. Megumi may or may not know she is part of the plan, but that’s for Dazai to figure out!” 

“But would the Dead Dragon, a group who hates the gifted, partner with a corporation that employs a lot of gifted individuals? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical of them?” Poe asked. 

Ranpo shrugged. “Perhaps the current goal of simply creating chaos and bad publicity for the Sky Casino is enough to band these two groups together, even temporarily.” 

Sigma approached the two. He had a look of disbelief on his face. “The M Group… They’re trying to… I can’t believe it… And Megu-chan… Poor Megu-chan…” 

“I’m sorry, Sigma. I knew you trusted the M Group,” Ranpo said. 

Just then, Chuuya, Tecchou, and Junichiro approached Poe and Ranpo as well. The three have finished entertaining their guests, who have now lined up to get into Poe’s novel. 

Chuuya’s eyes widened at the sight of the book. He had to balance himself so that wouldn’t stumble back. 

“AHHHH!!! GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!!!” 

Ranpo then remembered Chuuya’s traumatic experience with the book during the Cannibalism incident and how it took him a few days to get out of it. 

“Relax, Mr. Fancy Hat!” Ranpo stepped in between Poe and Chuuya. “As long as you’re not physically touching the book or very, very close to it, you should be fine. You know better than anyone… right? Just stay there!” 

Yosano and Kenji waved to the group. The two were keeping the line of people in check. Only a few more people to go… 

Once all the guests were in, Poe closed the book. The host club room was now empty except for them and the staff manning the bar and selling the merchandise. 

“I believe there’s almost a hundred people in here,” Poe said as he tapped the cover. Karl made a sound that seemed to indicate that he verified the count. 

“That’s good. That’s almost half the guests,” Sigma said. “I’ll instruct the staff here to retire to their rooms and lock the doors until they are called again.” And he left the group to talk to the remaining staff members. 

“I should go into the book as well,” Ranpo said. “There are too many people and Mushitaro may need backup to manage the people inside and make sure no one solves the mystery too soon. I won’t be of any use here. I’ve already deduced who may be behind it. Dazai and I had also planned ahead, so I’m done with my part here.” 

“Poe can also bring the book to a room where abilities can’t activate so there’s no chance of anyone getting out,” Junichiro suggested. “One of the guest rooms would be okay. We can ask Sigma for a key.” 

They all nodded, agreeing to the suggestion. 

“But the people would panic if they couldn’t get out. I still need to help Mushitaro manage the crowd inside. Almost a hundred people is too much for one person,” Ranpo said. 

“Fine, fine, whatever you say, Ranpo!” Poe finally gave up and opened his book again. 

Ranpo smiled as jumped and dived into the book. “Smell you later, guys! Don’t be too hard on the thugs, okay?” And he specifically eyed Kenji, Tecchou, and Chuuya as he said that last bit of advice. 

With a flash of bright light, Ranpo was gone and the book closed by itself again. 

“Ranpo told me and Kenji the plan in case this happens,” Yosano spoke up. 

“Oi! I’ve a pretty good hearin’ and I could hear what that detective and this emo-lookin’ writer were talking about a while ago! Are the bastards really after Megumi? And her own family tried to kidnap her? And there’s also this anti-gifted dragon group meddlin’ in all this mess and whatnot!” Chuuya pounded his fists together, trying to release some stress. 

“Don’t worry, Chuuya-san, we won’t let anything happen to her!” Kenji smiled at the mafioso. 

Tecchou stepped beside Kenji and placed a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. “My good friend Kenji-kun here is right. It is our sworn duty to protect all the guests here, no matter the cost. The peace inside the Sky Casino means peace between the gifted and the non-gifted.” 

Chuuya huffed. “Are we really trustin’ that detective boy’s deduction? And did he say where Megumi is now?”

“She’s with Dazai in the private pods, according to Ranpo,” Yosano explained. “But it won’t be long until the kidnappers figure out where it is. While it is safe because the location is only available for VVVIPs, it is not completely impenetrable. According to Ranpo, Dazai would be moving every hour or so…” 

“I should be with her!” Chuuya said as he tried his hardest to maintain his composure. “I don’t care about savin’ the rest of these rich folks! I just need to protect one!” 

“We understand that, Chuuya-san. But we also have to think about the rest of the guests who are next door, in the big casino room too,” Junichiro said. 

“Dazai and Ranpo had a plan for that too,” Yosano relayed the information. “Undoubtedly, the kidnappers are probably on their way to look for her in the casino or to scare people away. We need your Light Snow to conceal the actual casino room and create fake doors that would lead to the empty club lounge here.”

“Ohh the old switcheroo! So augment the outside to make it look like they are entering the casino room, meanwhile, they are actually entering this big empty room here,” Junichiro confirmed. 

Sigma rejoined the group as the staff members left the place in a hurry.

“I heard that part,” Sigma said. “Please, Yosano-sensei, continue with the plans. I believe we have discussed something similar during the prep days too.” 

“As for now, we need to get Poe here and his book to a safe space. But not too far away from this space as well.”

“I was suggesting one of the guest rooms. Abilities couldn’t be used there,” Junichiro suggested. 

“I can go with Poe-san to protect him too!” Kenji enthusiastically raised his hand. 

“Hmm you go do that, Kenji, but first, I think you’re needed here,” Yosano said. “I can go with Poe at the moment. Ranpo said a big group may be attacking the host club lounge and casino area since most of the guests are situated here… So we need our best fighters here.” 

“But they didn’t attack the dungeon… They just scared off the guests,” Kenji wondered aloud.

“There weren’t a lot of people in the dungeon and when they confirmed that Megumi wasn’t there, they must be feeling frustrated that they haven’t found her yet,” Sigma said. 

“And if they’re really part of the anti-gifted group, the one Ranpo was talking about a while ago, they probably wouldn’t hurt the non-gifted guests,” Poe suggested. 

Sigma resisted the urge to pull his hair. “Yeah, their plan is to make the gifted look bad. They wouldn’t be revealing themselves… If anything, their plan is probably to make it look like it’s a gifted group who came after Megumi… Or worse…” 

Sigma thought about it. All blame would be laid on him. They could even frame the agency again or more easily, Chuuya and Port Mafia. 

Chuuya punched his fists together once more. “What are we doin’ here yappin’ when we could be movin’ and huntin’ these people down!” 

“Right! Poe and I would move to a guest room now!” Yosano said and Poe followed her to go outside. Sigma threw them a card key to one of the rooms and Yosano caught this. No one, except for the staff members inside the lounge, knew that the writer and the doctor were both working for the agency. The two could still move freely around the casino. 

Meanwhile, Junichiro also activated his Light Snow to conceal the door of the casino and to make it look like the doors of both casino and host club rooms lead to the empty lounge. Junichiro hid himself inside the casino so he could also monitor and protect the people there. 

“By the way, where are the weretiger and that glasses fella?” Chuuya asked Sigma. 

“They must be patrolling around the casino, trying to figure out what happened,” he replied. “They’ll be offering assistance to stragglers and most likely, looking for Dazai too… I need to be inside the game room with Junichiro to make sure everything is okay. Half the guests are there. I’ll be monitoring to make sure there are no spies or any disturbances, and to prevent people from leaving the room.” 

“I can assist you as well, after we have dealt with the terrorists,” Tecchou volunteered. 

“As soon as we’re done with whoever’s gonna come, I’ll be lookin’ for Megumi ‘kay?” Chuuya said. 

“And I’ll be protecting Yosano-sensei and Poe-san!” Kenji said. 

Sigma nodded. Before heading to the main game room, he looked back at the room, which was empty except for Tecchou, Chuuya, and Kenji — the strongest ones in their respective groups. He then felt an undeniable feeling of assurance, which he never felt when he was with the Decay of Angels. 

“We’ll succeed, we have the strongest three,” Sigma reassured himself. 

***

Back in the private den where Dazai and Megumi were staying, the air was thick with an unspoken and growing distrust. 

“Why won’t you tell me who it is! It’s my life at stake here! The least you can do is tell me who is trying to kidnap me!” 

The girl lunged at Dazai from across the bed and the nullifier hopped off. Megumi started chasing Dazai around the room. 

Dazai laughed as he ran around the room, pleased that a beautiful girl was physically chasing him. At one point, he had to remove his princely cape because Megumi almost grabbed its velvety seams. “I’ve changed my mind! And isn’t ignorance bliss?” 

Megumi stopped to catch her breath. And then she had an idea…

“Maybe I can convince you in another way…?” She said with a playful smirk. And without a beat, Megumi reached up to her shoulder and let her fingers trail along the edge of the silky, black gown. The gown shimmered in the soft light, hugging her curves. 

Slowly, the heiress slid the strap from her shoulder, her skin glowing against the deep black. The other strap followed, and the gown began to dip lower, revealing tantalizing glimpses of her creamy skin.

Dazai’s eyes widened and he was unsure how to react. “Hey! What are you — ?”

As the dress loosened, the big emerald pendant resting on her chest caught the light, flashing brilliantly, drawing the eye to the hollow of her throat. She paused, letting the suspense linger, her lips curving into a teasing smile.

The gown slipped further, pooling at her waist, revealing a fitted corset that cinched her figure perfectly.

“I’m probably going to regret this later,” Dazai said with a groan. And he approached the girl and stopped her from removing the gown completely. “No, I’m really gonna regret this…” He helped her pull the gown up. 

Megumi was stunned. Dazai just rejected her advances. This has never happened to her before. “Dazai-san, you don’t want to – ?”

Dazai sat on the bed and patted the space next to him, urging her to sit there. “Fine, I’ll tell you. But first, you must answer a few questions from me… Deal?” 

Megumi, red in the face, pulled up her gown until she was fully covered. She sat beside Dazai. “Okay, deal,” she said in a more compliant tone. 

Dazai quickly glanced at his wristwatch, the one synchronized with everyone on the team. “Well, technically, I’m starting my hosting shift now so I’m on the clock to entertain the guests… Aaaand right now, there’s just you!” 

The girl narrowed her eyes at Dazai, who smirked back. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood!” 

“What are the questions?” The heiress asked. 

“Well, hmm, the thing is, the kidnapper I have in mind is just based on a hunch. But to confirm this, I need to get to know you more!”

Megumi nodded. “That sounds valid. Okay, what do you want to know?”

“For starters, how was your childhood like? What’s your relationship with your parents like?” Dazai leaned in, their faces just inches away from each other. 

“Are you a therapist?!” 

Dazai just kept grinning at her, but Megumi had a feeling that behind that smile was something else. 

“Such a weird question, but okay,” she conceded. “I can see the line of questioning here. You want to know if there are any suspicious figures hovering in my life since I was a kid.”

“Sort of like that…”

“Okay. As a kid, I grew up everywhere. But since my mother is from Japan, we’ve stayed a lot in Japan. Then eight, or perhaps almost nine years ago now, my father was kidnapped together with another friend of his who is also quite wealthy. He survived it, his friend didn’t. That’s when we decided to move.” 

Dazai cupped his chin with his hand and looked up in a contemplative manner. “Your father is Aristov, right? Do you remember how he survived the kidnapping?” 

“I think he used this group that specializes in delivery,” Megumi recalled. “He had this ability user hand deliver a gun to the hideout. This man helped him escape too, of course. His friend was behind the kidnapping so father had to kill him in the end…” 

As she told the story, Dazai remembered something else… His first time in Bar Lupin, one of Oda Sakunosuke’s stories was hand delivering a gun to a kidnapped billionaire. 

“I…” Dazai lowered his head as he tried to recall Odasaku’s story. “I think I’m familiar with the transport group you’re talking about. My friend used to be a postman there. In fact, I have reason to believe that he was the one who helped save your father…” 

“We tried looking everywhere for him!” The girl almost stood up in excitement. It was true that her family tried to look for this man after the incident but he seemed to have disappeared. 

“He joined the mafia after. He – ”

“That’s probably why we couldn’t find him! You said he’s your friend? Is there any way we could — ”

“He’s dead. He’s been dead for four, almost five years now…” 

Megumi’s hype died down instantly. “Oh… I’m sorry…” 

As she whispered the apology, she felt a shift in the atmosphere. She couldn’t explain it, but it was as if the Dazai who was with her just moments ago was suddenly gone. And in his place, someone else. The man beside her stared at the white cape on the floor with a blank expression and empty eyes. 

Where was the prince who flirted with her the whole night?

“Dazai-san…” 

The nullifier did not move nor did he make any sound. 

“Dazai-san, are you okay…?” She reached out to touch him but he caught her hand midway through. 

Then, Dazai let out a long and heavy sigh. He turned to the heiress and smiled once again. “Naughty, naughty, princess! You were going to touch me again! Just makes me wonder what you did to me in the virtual world, in that dungeon… You mentioned there were shackles too!” 

His tone was light and playful again. While Megumi was relieved that the princely version of Dazai was back, she was suddenly wary of him. Did Dazai have a split personality or something? 

“Hey! Don’t change the topic!” Megumi said instead. 

“Well, back to your father…” Dazai let her hand go. “So he escaped and I guess that kidnapping was the reason why you had to move out of Japan, right?” 

Megumi nodded. “I didn’t want to! I wanted to stay and learn the business here. I was happy here. I had friends. And then suddenly, I had to move to Monaco.” 

“I’m assuming you have a strained relationship with your parents, then?”

“We used to be close when I was younger. We own this amusement park just outside Yokohama. We went there a lot!” 

“Do you mean Magical Kingdom?! I remember going there once when I was younger! It’s closed now for repairs, is that right?” 

“My plan is to renovate it and run it by myself. I asked my parents if it could be my 18th birthday present but they declined.” Then the girl looked away with a wistful expression on her face. “I wanted to preserve my memories there. If that magical place can create wonderful memories even for someone like me and my parents, then surely it can do it for other kids too!” 

Dazai reached out to touch her hand. “That’s a very noble cause,” he said. 

Megumi blushed as the older boy held her hand. “Well, I suppose that answers your question. No, I’m not close to my parents now. If I’m kidnapped now, I don’t even know if they’ll pay the ransom. It would probably throw off their profit margins! That’s how much I don’t trust them. The past years they’ve been — Oh! Sorry, never mind that.”

“They’ve been what?”

Megumi sighed. “I’ve heard reports that they’ve been doing some shady deals. And I don’t mean affiliating with the likes of Port Mafia for protection. I mean unjust dealings, corruption, that sort. Ah, who am I fooling? There is no such thing as an ethical billionaire after all…” 

“Princess, we can’t change the circumstances we’ve been born into… But it surprises me that you’re concerned about how your parents conduct business. This completely changes my perception of you.” 

Megumi took her hand away and crossed her arms. “Did you think I was some spoiled little brat?!” 

“I was just curious how you were able to become the person you are now. And yes, I apologize. I did think you were just some spoiled, sheltered princess.” 

“Hmmm well, you already know my parents and I grew apart from each other. And growing up, I’ve gotten close to my tutors and our household help. I was the only kid so I had to talk to someone, you know? And I’ve learned a lot from them and I got to meet different people from other walks of life through them as well.” 

“Your parents are okay with that?”

The girl shrugged and she pulled on the emerald pendant from her neck. “I doubt they know what I do half the time, to be honest. As long as I show up as their well-behaved little princess in all social gatherings, they don’t meddle in my affairs.” 

At this point, Dazai plopped down the bed and extended his arms. “It’s all getting clear now…”

Megumi stared at the boy whose face had indeed relaxed since they arrived at the private den. “Clear now? What is?” 

“You’ve answered all my questions,” Dazai said. “That brought me closer to the truth. I’m convinced about the masterminds now.”

“Really? You’ll tell me now?”

“Yes, but before that, I think you deserve a reward for answering my questions honestly…” 

Megumi cocked her head to one side, her silky hair flowing down her shoulders and waist. “A reward?”

Dazai winked at her as he brought a finger to his lips.  “What do you think?”

And in one swift motion, he pulled her down, close to him. 

***

“WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE PRIVATE DENS??!!”

The leader of the Dead Dragon Gang who goes by the name of Aleksandr, was starting to lose his patience. A burly and scruffy man in his fifties, he spent half his life as a hired bodyguard in Northern and Eastern Europe. The other half he spent in jail. 

The Phase 1 of his plan had worked — taking out and disarming the private security details of some of the guests. 

However, Phase 2, which was taking the heiress of the M Group, had not been successful yet. Of course, this part of the plan was dictated by their financier, the parents of the girl. Why they wanted to kidnap the girl was beyond him. Something about crashing the value. Something about lowering or capping something something. Ultimately, they wanted to take over the casino and use it for their own means. 

The damn billionaires and their games, he thought. But as long as he’s getting paid, he won’t try to meddle with their plan. Their ultimate goal is the same, anyway — cause enough commotion and bad publicity for the relaunching of the Sky Casino. Show the world these damn ability users cannot be trusted. 

He had a bone to pick with the manager too. It was because of him and his damn coin bombs that his sister is dead. 

“Luka! I thought the staff members were told where the private dens were!” 

The younger man, small and frail, smiled sheepishly as he scratched his head. “Apparently, that detective agency gave different locations to different staff members.” 

Aleks through his hand up in frustration. “Well, one of the locations must be correct!” 

The slightly older man with a large build, Gazin, swung his submachine gun to his back and adjusted the strap. He crossed his arms as he looked at Luka, unimpressed with his information-gathering skills. Gazin knew from the beginning that sending Luka to infiltrate the casino earlier was a bad move, but he was the only one without any criminal record among their team. 

“No one was gonna give you the real information, of course,” he gruffed. “Who would trust anyone who doesn’t even know the difference between zombies and vampires?!”

“Hey! I was never a horror movie fan okay???” Luka said. 

The three men and their fifty odd members, all dressed as either staff or security, were all in the dungeon and its surrounds, looking for clues on where the Private Dens were located. They have also disarmed, tied up, and kept the private bodyguards of the VIPs here. 

“I think it’s time we split up,” Aleks commanded. “One unit to look for the girl, another to secure the hangar for our escape, and the last to rough up those pretty boy ability users. We need them unconscious and incapacitated for Phase 3 of the plan.” 

“If they’re not in the host club lounge, they can’t use their abilities and they’re pretty useless right?” Gazin asked. 

“I’m in the mood to beat up those hosts!” Luka said, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve been watching them the past few days. They’re just kids! It’s probably just that Hunting Dog we’re gonna have trouble with!” 

Gazin secured another gun to his holster. “I’ll secure the hangar.” 

“I’ll look for the girl, then,” Aleks said. “I’m the one dealing with her parents, after all.” 

They divided their men among them but before leaving to fulfill their different missions, Aleks reminded them not to harm non-ability users. 

“Rough them up or scare those billionaire shits, but no killing!” 

Some of the men huffed disapprovingly and Aleks noticed this, so he followed it up with a rallying speech. 

“Remember, we have to make it look like the ability users were the ones who caused the problems here! That they’re the ones who got out of control! They are beasts! We must not let the world forget who they are and the chaos they bring to everyone!” 

A roar of applause erupted from the followers, before the group broke out in three, ready to carry out what they believe is proper judgment. 

***

After scanning the game room, Sigma felt somewhat assured that the guests inside were safe… for now. 

He went by the entrance again where Junichiro was guarding the door. 

“No one yet, right?”

The younger boy shook his head. 

“I’ll go to the toilet for a bit, but I’ll be back to make some rounds and talk to a few more guests.”

Junichiro nodded. “Don’t rush. Everything seems to be fine for now.” 

In the toilet, in one of the stalls, he closed the lid and sat down. And he broke down completely. His chest tightened and his vision got blurry… He clutched onto his chest.

This can’t be happening again… It’s just like last time…

Before the coin bombs incident, the Sky Casino used to be an independent state. However, various international groups have decided that it should fall under the jurisdiction of Japan, its nearest port. After Sigma surrendered to the Japanese government after the Decay of Angels incident, he knew of course that it would be a difficult life moving forward. He became a part-timer at the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Abilities Division would call upon him to render his services whenever they needed him. He was a fool to think that this was enough to atone for his sins… But of course, his past would haunt him. 

This Dead Dragon Gang is surely after his head after the destruction caused by the coin bombs around the world. Worse, people like Aristov and the M Group are taking advantage of his vulnerability by tricking him… 

Then his breathing got heavier and more labored. He was having a panic attack. As his vision got blurry, he heard knocks on the door of the bathroom stall. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

It was a familiar and friendly voice…

“Sir? Are you okay? I’m opening the door…”

Then, a loud thud as the stall door was kicked in, revealing Atsushi. “Sigma-san!!!” 

The weretiger helped the casino manager sit up. “Sigma-san! What happened? Are you okay? Ahhh that’s a stupid question! Of course you wouldn’t be okay! You probably already know we’re under attack!” 

Sigma’s chest kept heaving as though an invisible weight pressed down on it, each breath shallow and desperate, like he couldn’t get enough air no matter how hard he tried.

Atsushi panicked and reached out for his pocket and brought out a blue ramune bottle. “Honestly, I had this with me as a habit. I had a gut feeling Ranpo-san would be around tonight so just in case… But you can have this…” 

Atsushi opened the ramune and handed it to Sigma who took a few sips. The carbonated solution may not be the best drink right now but it calmed Sigma somehow. Though he wasn’t sure if it was the ramune or Atsushi’s presence. 

Sigma drank some more and thanked the weretiger. “I think I’m okay now… Can you tell me what happened when you left the room? Do you also know where Kunikida-san is?"

The younger boy smiled at Sigma shifting to business mode again. He nodded and proceeded to tell his story. The control room was attacked and he scribbled a coded message to any of the agency members who would see it that he would go and investigate the dungeon. There, he met up with Kunikida and they hid from view as the kidnappers met up before carrying out the rest of their plan. Kunikida went to the hangar to defend it while Atsushi went to the main game room to defend the people and also tell the rest of the agency members what was happening. 

“I just stopped to go to the toilet on the way back to the host club lounge actually! And I heard you!” Atsushi said. “Kunikida would need backup in the hangar, of course.” 

Then Sigma proceeded to tell Atsushi what the rest of the agency decided to do. “Did you say they were about fifty people? So there may be 15 or so people when they split up into three groups. Atsushi-kun, can you and Kunikida deal with that much? Me, Suehiro-kun, and Junichiro-kun are protecting the guests here. Chuuya-san will go look for Dazai-san and Megu-chan. Kenji-kun will be protecting Poe-san and Yosano-sensei.”

“I think Kunikida-san and I can handle about fifteen people, especially if they’re not ability users,” Atsushi said. “But if this is a terrorist group, we have to let the government know right away. And we need to communicate the developments to President Fukuzawa too. Maybe even the Special Abilities Division.” 

Sigma nodded, agreeing with the course of action. “Once Tecchou is done and he can come here to the main game room, I’ll try to go to the control room and power everything back up. I can send a message to President Fukuzawa and try to get our transceivers working again.” 

“Sounds like a plan!” Atsushi said and he helped Sigma stand up. “Oh, and Sigma-san?”

“Yes?”

“I heard you a while ago. This case isn’t like the last time…” 

“Did I say that out loud? It isn’t?” 

The younger boy smiled at him. “Yeah and don’t worry! Like I said, this time it’s different. It’s because you’re with the good guys now!” 

***

Luka and thirty other men marched with him towards the main game room. If his intel was correct, most of the guests were there. 

“Those idiot rich folks must be blissfully unaware that we’re gonna ruin their night!” Luka cackled and doubled over in laughter. As he got to the main floor, he knew that the doors to the left opened to the host lounge and the ones to the right opened to the casino.

Luka kicked the casino doors open. “You guys know what to do! Cause panic and tell everyone to leave and there are kidnappings! If there are some of the hosts or ability users here, we must capture them! Then we’ll move next door to beat up a bunch of sissy boys…” 

As the group moved around the casino, they started shouting and causing chaos. But it seemed like no one was budging… In fact, no matter how much they shouted, no one moved.

“What the — ?”

Just then, they were surrounded by something that looked like snow. And as if an illusion had lifted, the casino room disappeared and the members of the Dead Dragon were transported to the host club lounge. 

The men looked around, visibly confused. 

“Where are we?!”

“Ah, they’re finally here!” 

Luka looked up ahead and the whole room was empty save for three people — a short man in a fancy suit, a boy in farming clothes, and the infamous Hunting Dog wearing gym clothes. 

Luka almost fell on the floor as he laughed. “What are you three supposed to be?!”

Chuuya spoke up as he floated up in the air. “Don’t you know who we are? We’re just the three strongest members of Port Mafia, the Armed Detective Agency, and the Hunting Dogs.”

And Chuuya kept cursing them and Tecchou had to cover Kenji’s ears at one point. 

Luka just kept laughing. “There’s thirty of us and three of you. Are you sure about that? Even in this ability space, a floating little fairy like you couldn’t handle this many people!” 

“LITTLE FAIRY?!?!?!!” The red glow of Chuuya’s ability emanated even more. His aura itself made some of the gang members step back. 

On the other hand, Tecchou looked worriedly at Kenji. “Kenji-kun, you’ve been working the whole day. Are you sure you’re up for this? Do you want to have a snack or something first? I have some eggs in my pocket and there are macarons on the table over there too.” 

Kenji picked up one of the chaise lounges. “No, thank you! But thanks for worrying about me, Tecchou-san! I work better on an empty stomach!” 

Tecchou grinned as he unsheathed his sword. “How can I forget?”

“Heeeeey you two! Can I beat them up now?” Chuuya was holding back. “It’s gonna take me less than five minutes!” 

Tecchou used his ability to extend his sword. “Two minutes."

“With the three of us, it would take a blink of an eye!” Kenji smiled. “But before we take you down, can you tell us again who you are and why you’re here, mister?” The boy politely addressed the gang members. 

Luka finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes, unaware that the rest of his team was feeling anxious upon seeing Kenji pick up a whole sofa set and Tecchou’s extended sword. 

“We’re the Dead Dragon Gang and we’re here to mess you all up and maybe even get a nice payday! But hey, we won’t hurt you if you tell us where that Princess Megumi is!” 

“HAH!” Chuuya snorted. And he looked beside him at Tecchou and Kenji. “Blink of an eye, right?”

The Hunting Dog and the strongest detective member both nodded confidently. 

“OKAY LET’S GO!!!” 

NEXT CHAPTER: HIDE AND SEEK

Chapter Text

There was a loud bang.

But this would not accurately describe the sound that emanated from the host club lounge. If a nuclear warhead was dropped somewhere, but the sound muffled by a force field, that would have been it.

The guests in the casino room started murmuring. They, too, heard the strange and alarming sound. 

Sigma proceeded to the middle of the game room and took another deep breath before projecting his voice. “Don’t worry, don’t worry! There is an event going on in the host club lounge and we didn’t anticipate the sound to be that loud! They must have overdone it!” 

“It sounds interesting! Can we see it, Sigma-san?”

Sigma bowed apologetically. “Unfortunately, once the door had closed, we couldn't let any more people in and that event started a while ago…” 

“Ah too bad! Perhaps next time!” 

“Yes, next time!” 

Sigma approached a few more players who looked worried and gave them his assurance. Then he walked to Junichiro guarding the main entrance and exit. He was standing there with a few of their loyal guards as well. 

“No one has tried to leave, right?” Sigma whispered to Junichiro. 

“One or two,” replied the boy, still wearing his punk rock ‘fit. “But I told them someone made a mess on the corridor outside and we need at least thirty minutes to have it cleaned. Boy, I’m sure glad you made us read those files!” 

Sigma nodded. This was something the group anticipated beforehand. This excuse was also part of their plan in case they needed to keep guests in the rooms. And both Sigma and Kunikida forced everyone to memorize the files with protocols. 

Just then, they heard a knock from behind the door. 

“It’s me, Suehiro Tecchou of the Hunting Dogs,” said a voice, both purposeful and strong. 

“Jeez! No need for full names!” Junichiro said as he opened the door for the Hunting Dog and let him in the small vestibule before the main entrance to the casino. “We’ve been working together the past few days, Suehiro-san! We know who you are!” 

The Hunting Dog walked in and bowed to Sigma and Junichiro. 

“Kenji-kun, the mafia executive, and I have neutralized thirty-one enemies in the blink of an eye. Kenji-kun and the mafia executive are tying them up in the next room as we speak,” Tecchou reported. “I think they’re running out of ropes and things to tie them with so they’ve started using steel pipes from the toilets… I also used my ability to extend a few cutleries and they’ve used those as well.”

“Ahhhh! Nooooo! Don’t ruin the toilets!” Sigma started pulling on his hair. “The bars have been stocked with electrified restraints – they’re like handcuffs which electrocutes and paralyzes the one bound if they try to get out of it! Those were written in the files you were meant to read!”

Junichiro nodded, remembering that part of the plan. The only thing he wasn’t able to memorize were the code numbers for sending messages in case their comms broke down. 

“Oh…” Tecchou scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “I didn’t have time to read all those… Dazai-san made Nakajima-kun and I watch this romance series about a school-based host club so our past days were occupied with that. The series had 26 episodes…” 

Sigma and Junichiro just stared at Tecchou, a look of disbelief on their faces. They couldn’t imagine the fierce Hunting Dog watching a show targeted towards teen girls.

“I still have a problem with it being set in a high school but other than that, the show was nice. The characters were well-formed,” Tecchou added as he looked up. “I’ll tell Jouno to watch – ”

“Uhhh… Suehiro-kun?”

“Yes, Sigma-san? Oh, right!” He grabbed something out of his pocket. 

He handed Sigma a state-of-the-art weapon which he knew too well – it was a directed resonance gun. It was used against ability users. The sound wave shakes up the brain, leading to a loss of consciousness. Exposure to more than ten seconds can also lead to death.

“Some of the people who attacked us were carrying these,” Tecchou continued to explain. “I recognized them right away from the report another colleague submitted about a previous altercation here. So I told Kenji-kun and the mafia executive that it was important we disarm those carriers first.” 

Sigma nodded and praised Tecchou for his quick thinking. Indeed, Sigma used these guns in a fight with another Hunting Dog, Okura Teruko. 

“Because it was us, the strongest three combined, it was easy for us to disarm the opponents but the outcome would be different if it’s – ”

“One against many,” Sigma interjected. 

Junichiro’s eyes widened. “And Kunikida-san may be all alone now… Dazai-san too! And they may be fighting by themselves against a group armed with these guns!!!”

Sigma breathed in deeply as he tried to calm himself. This wasn’t the time to imagine the worst-case scenario. 

“Let’s hope that Dazai-san is still in hiding… Atsushi-kun is going to Kunikida-san now. But let’s hope he makes it in time.”

***

By the time Kunikida got to the hangar, the security team who had been assigned to guard that area had been knocked out. He hid behind the wall where he could still see more than a dozen men trying to threaten the pilots of some of the private aircraft parked there. 

Then he bent down to adjust his hakama. And for a brief moment, he wondered how samurais could have fought in this type of outfit. And he thought about the President as well, who usually wore traditional clothing. 

“Detective…”

Someone had grabbed onto the hem of his hakama. 

Kunikida bent down and saw a man, who was lying face down, barely conscious. He was one of the guards who had been knocked out by the terrorists. He recognized him from their files, as well as from the other day when Sigma introduced them to the teams who were guarding different areas. 

“Detective sir…” The blonde man grunted as he struggled to speak. “I’m… Head of security… And they…” 

“Save your strength, sir,” he said in a stern but assuring manner. “The Armed Detective Agency will handle the situation.” 

The guard, slowly and with difficulty, reached for something in his left pocket. It was a key card. And he used his remaining strength to offer it to Kunikida. “The master key… Use it for — ” 

Kunikida smiled at the man, who looked old enough to be his father. “Thank you, sir. You have fought bravely. Leave the rest to us now.”

The man nodded with a contented smile before passing out. 

Kunikida pocketed the key card. And he glanced at the hangar again. From several of the aircrafts, the pilots were coming out, their hands raised in surrender. The terrorists have now secured a few vehicles for escape. 

“Tch…” 

If only Junichiro was here, Kunikida thought. And they could have used his Light Snow to sneak in and subdue some of the men. What was the best course of action? Should he disable the facilities of the whole hangar? No… That would send an alert to the police underground and a scandal is one thing they’re avoiding.

Should he use brute strength and try to take on the group? He only had a wire gun with him which he manifested with his ability before the event. If he needed more weapons, he still have his notebook with him, but this area of the Sky Casino was currently disabled for ability use…

Instinctively, Kunikida reached for his notebook. And he felt certain that he could use his ability. For some reason, whatever was stopping them from using the ability was now disabled. 

“ Special Ability: Doppo Poet! Smoke bombs and night vision binoculars!” 

His requests materialized. Since the panel that controls the tech to the hangar itself is near the entrance, he had the advantage with the master key. 

He crept quietly to the control panel and used the master key to access some commands. He looked back and forth between the control panel and the terrorist group, who was now busy tying up the pilots. 

Kunikida pressed on the controls for a total blackout and moved quickly once the command was activated. 

“OI!!!!”

“Who turned off the lights?!”

“Was it you, Gazin?”

“Someone was supposed to stand by the entrance and the control panel!!!”

“Secure the pilots! Make sure they don’t leave!!!” 

“Turn on your night vision!”

“Boss, I can’t find it!!!”

Kunikida moved through the darkness with his night vision binoculars. And he threw the smoke bomb away from him, to distract the enemies. 

“There! Some smoke!” 

“Go there! Check it out!” 

Some of the criminals went to check out where the smoke was coming from. Kunikida moved swiftly to knock out the remaining men who were guarding the pilots who were all hunched together on the floor. He hid among them and waited until a few more criminals approached the hostages again. 

As soon as one or two would come, Kunikida would knock them out.

“Who is there?” One of the pilots asked. 

“I’m from the Armed Detective Agency and please be quiet as I try to control the situation,” Kunikida whispered. 

The pilots grunted in agreement. 

One of the criminals called out. “OI!!! Where are the others?!”

Kunikida must have knocked out five or six criminals already… But that’s not even half of them… 

Using the night vision binoculars, he could see one of the criminals trying to work out the control panel. He’s done for when they figure out how to turn the lights back on. 

“Stay calm. Perhaps this is just a malfunction,” said one of the criminals in a more authoritative voice. 

“Do not panic and remember why you are here,” this voice continued. “Remember who you’re doing it for — your friends, your lovers, your family who were brutally murdered by those coin bombs created by this Sky Casino and the cursed gifted! We fight for justice! We fight for a world where these gifted are held accountable for their selfish actions!” 

“Down with the gifted! Down with the Sky Casino!” Another one shouted. 

And the remaining criminals shouted the same mantra back. 

“Gazin, here’s one of the night vision – ”

“Thank you, Orloff.” 

Kunikida felt a chill on his back… The voice was coming from behind him... 

“There you are, detective! Or should I say, Mr. K?” 

As if on cue, the lights were back on. 

Kunikida turned around and there was a strange-looking gun to his face. A man taller than himself, who had the biggest muscles, was pointing it at him. He had several tattoos across his exposed arms, plenty of which were mythical creatures. 

“My name is Gazin, one of the leaders of the Dead Dragons,” the man introduced himself. 

Kunikida pointed his wire gun at the man. “And it seems like you already know who I am so there’s no point in introducing myself, right?” 

“I’ve read about the Armed Detective Agency, Mr. Kunikida. And I’ve read about you. I admire your ideals,” the man said. “I’ll give you a chance to defend yourself.” 

The man pocketed his gun and adjusted his body in a stance signaling that he was ready to fight. Kunikida did the same. Several men surrounded them too, all ready to attack Kunikida. 

The ability user looked around. He was outnumbered, ten to one. But all of them were also not gifted. Kunikida reasoned that in a way, the fight was still fair. 

Kunikida threw the remaining smoke bombs in two different directions, incapacitating some of the criminals. He walked directly towards the smoke to hide his next movements.

But the enemies closed in again, tailing him like beasts. As he ran away, some of the criminals caught up with him at their own pace — at least this way, he could fight them one by one. 

He was able to knock out some more, but Kunikida also felt himself holding back. Based on their leader’s speech, Kunikida acknowledged their strength and resolve to fight for their ideals. They may be fighting on opposite sides, but they were doing so for their ideals just the same. 

After running into a corner, Gazin caught up with him. 

“Time’s up, detective,” he said as he pointed the gun at him once again. 

***

I have to get to Kunikida-san! And fast! I can’t let him fight alone!

Atsushi was running back to the entrance of the Sky Casino, close to the hangar. He passed by security personnel who were knocked out. He could still hear their heartbeats so he didn’t stop to help them. 

As he ran, he thought about Dazai. Should he search for Dazai instead? Between Kunikida and Dazai, Dazai may need more assistance when it comes to fighting.

He scratched another code on the walls — 104. It means backup is needed at the hangar. All he could hope for was someone from the agency would see it and help. 

No, wait… He already knew Kunikida was in the hangar. It may take a while to search for Dazai. He shouldn’t gamble on searching for Dazai when it was clear he can help Kunikida right away… What should he do? 

“Excuse me? Boy… Hey, boy…” 

He turned around. It was a short, fat, old man dressed in black formal clothes and a bowler hat. He was carrying a photo with him. “Have you seen this girl? I was supposed to be guarding her…”

“Oh! Is she with – ” Then Atsushi inspected the photo closer. He saw this girl in the host club lounge but she was with Dazai and Chuuya. So, who is this man?

“Sorry, sir! I don’t think I’ve seen her!” Atsushi said in his most earnest voice, or so he had hoped. 

The man pulled out something from his back pocket. It was a strange gun that Atsushi remembered seeing in a case file before.

“You know, boy, lying is not a good trait…” The man’s voice changed. It was lower and hinted with malice and death. “Especially for someone so young…” 

The man fired the gun, but instead of bullets, a strange sound came out of it. With his sensitive weretiger ears, it was loud… too loud. Atsushi felt like his skull would implode. He felt himself screaming but it was drowned out by whatever noise the gun was making.

Atsushi almost fainted but the tiger’s resilience was stronger. 

“Hmm…” The man frowned as he aimed the gun again. “Let’s try ten seconds…” 

Atsushi knew what he needed to do. He poked his eardrums, destroying them, before he lunged at the man in an attempt to grab the gun. 

The old man was fast and avoided him. And it was too late for Atsushi as well – his self-healing powers became a liability this time. 

How is my healing ability activating here? The corridors are not an activated space… 

As his ear drums recovered, he could hear the sound again. With his remaining strength, he tried to destroy his ear drums again…

But no… The same thing would happen…

***

A man sat alone in the penthouse of a five-story hotel in Yokohama, the city's lights sprawling beneath him like a sea of stars. In his hand, he cradled a glass of the famous 55-year-old single malt Yamazaki—his favorite and one of the finest scotches money could buy. He took a slow sip, savoring the warmth as it lingered in his mouth. 

“Hmmm, I wonder how my darling little Meg is doing,” he said to no one in particular. 

There was a knock on the door before his assistant walked in. 

“Aristov, sir, here is your tablet. Unfortunately, we haven’t received the video files yet,” his secretary said. 

Aristov placed his glass of scotch on the low table before him and accepted the tablet from his assistant. 

“They’re taking a while,” Aristov said as he browsed through an encrypted platform that could be accessed only through that customized tablet. 

The secretary hesitated, fidgeting on the spot. “What will we do with the press releases? Shall we send them anyway?”

Aristov threw the tablet over his shoulder, which his assistant scrambled to catch.

“Fuck it, yeah send it!” 

Then Aristov, one of the wealthiest men across Europe and Asia, picked up his glass and took another sip.

***

Kunikida was fading... But at least the intolerable sound that was splitting his head open had finally stopped...

I s this how he dies? He had survived so many fights, even an attack by a triple singularity… Is he really going down because of a measly gun?

“Hey, Kunikida! Are you dying on me? You know you can’t do that!”  

This voice… It’s familiar… It’s comforting… 

His body started to feel better. It was like his cells had repaired themselves to the point of perfection. 

“You still owe me a few pints from the last time we went drinking! Or are you gonna pretend that you didn’t remember that night again?”

Was it an angel? No, an angel wouldn’t be wearing dark clothing… right? A purple kimono? A spark of gold… Ah, yes a butterfly…

Kunikida’s vision started to unblur. He picked up his glasses beside him. And slowly yet steadily, he tried to sit up. 

“Yosano-sensei!” 

And his breath hitched upon seeing her — Yosano was dolled up more than usual. She looked regal in her elegant, purple kimono.

Kunikida wasn’t sure if he was just grateful to see Yosano or if he was feeling something else for her. Has her face always been that smooth and so porcelain-like? 

“Your face is kinda red but I should have healed all of you by now…” Yosano crouched down and put a hand on Kunikida’s forehead and compared it to her own. “Are you coming down with a fever?”

Kunikida promptly stood up and faced away, hiding a growing blush. “I’m okay! I’m okay! No need to touch me!!!”

“Okay, Mister Antsy Pants!” Yosano let out a girlish giggle, and somehow, even that made Kunikida’s heart beat faster, sending a warm, tingling sensation down his arms as the hairs stood on end.

Why was he getting so worked up about Yosano?

“Oh yeah… What ha — ” Kunikida looked around. They were surrounded by Sigma’s loyal security forces. The Head of Security approached him too, the man who handed him the key card. 

“Detective, sir, I’m glad we made it in time! The young doctor here healed all of my men and we were able to subdue the forces this time, especially since you already knocked out most of them by the time we got here!” The man offered his hand. 

Kunikida shook the man’s hand. “Your key card had been helpful too, sir — ?”

“Ah, don’t be too formal! You can call me Uncle Kato, okay?” 

“Uncle Kato it is.” Kunikida smiled. And he handed Kato back the main key card. 

“Oh, and that strange, tall American had been helpful too. A pretty decent sniper,” Gen said. 

And as if out of nowhere, Poe appeared behind Yosano. “Nice to see you again, Kunikida-san,” he said. A raccoon perched on his shoulder made excited noises. 

Kunikida felt surprised but relief took over instantly. “You’re all here!” 

And just on cue, someone called Kunikida from the entrance of the hangar. 

“Kunikida-san! There you are!” 

It was Kenji, who was carrying a mountain of unconscious men on his back. Kunikida stopped counting at twenty. 

“We all tied them up so they could be like this ball that won’t detach and I can carry them but they all break out into a single file as well so I could carry them through corridors!”

Both Poe’s and Karl’s eyes widened as they instinctively took a step back. “So you have dragged all those men across two floors and into the hangar… But there must be… thirty of them!” 

Kenji smiled and nodded. “Now where do you want me to put them?” the boy asked, as if he was just asking where he can unload bags of groceries.  

Kato pointed to a huge aircraft at the end of the hangar. It looked like one of those planes used to transport soldiers or large shipments by the military. 

“We’ll use that as a holding cell until we get confirmation from Sigma-san that police and military escorts are waiting for them on the ground,” the old man replied. 

“Aye, aye, sir!” Kenji did a small salute before dragging the unconscious men to the intended aircraft. 

Kunikida looked around. Some of the men he fought were now conscious again, including Gazin. They were all bound – hands and feet and they were all walking slowly in a single file towards the military aircraft too. 

Kunikida excused himself from the group and approached one of the guards. He asked if he could talk to Gazin, even for just a few minutes. The guard said he really couldn’t pull Gazin out of line but Kunikida was more than welcome to talk to the sub-leader while he was walking. 

“Gazin,” Kunikida called out as he caught up with the man. “I do not fault you for what you did.” 

Gazin ignored him as he kept walking towards the aircraft. 

“I did not choose to be born with special abilities, the same way you and your men did not choose to be born without special abilities,” Kunikida reasoned as he continued to walk alongside the man. “I fully understand where you and the Dead Dragon are coming from, especially after the damage inflicted by the Decay of Angels case. But what you are doing is terrorism – ”

“What we are doing is justice,” Gazin said with conviction as he turned to Kunikida. “You call it terrorism because the people in power call it so. There are many gifted in high positions of governments all over the world. And those who are not conduct business with gifted that benefit them. Though you gifted are a small percentage of the population, you control the world – can you not see that? If you are indeed an idealist, you must understand our grievances at the very least.” 

“You say you did it for justice? Let me tell you something about justice — I’ve seen people act in the name of justice. I’ve seen people die in front of me because of this so-called justice.” Kunikida raised his voice as he remembered the faces of countless victims of this thing — Rokuzo and Sasaki among others. “Justice is a double-edged sword, a weapon that can cause harm. But it cannot protect or save others!”

Now where did he hear that before?

Gazin stopped, albeit for a brief moment. “A weapon huh? That is something I can contemplate… Goodbye, Kunikida Doppo.” 

Kunikida watched as Gazin and his men disappeared into the aircraft, all bound and defeated but their heads held high. 

He felt that he needed to see them off somehow. Like a sign of respect or something. Then Kunikida felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Kunikida! Are you suuure you feel okay now? Even in the head?”

He turned around and Yosano was smiling at him. 

“You’re not the type to zone out, so I guess I need to show you these photos I swiped off the merch table in the host club lounge!”

And from her kimono, Yosano took out several polaroids of Kunikida in various poses with the caption: Mr. K, the Disciplinarian.  

In one of the poses, he was carrying a stack of books. In another, he was looking sternly at the camera while pointing something at a blackboard behind him. There is also one where he holding a wagasa and he was looking up. In another one, Kunikida was holding a closed fan against his chin, his other hand supporting his elbow, exuding an air of quiet elegance and thoughtful intensity. In the last one, he was simply pouting as he was seated on a chair, looking directly at the camera. 

Kunikida blushed crimson as he tried to snatch the photos away from Yosano but the doctor was too fast in evading Kunikida’s poor attempts at getting them back. 

“Who knew you would look so good in this type of clothing?” Yosano was staring at the photos with wild fascination. “My, my! You should do this more, Kunikida! And you really do look like a strict disciplinarian! And you know what they say about people who are like that!” 

Kunikida, still red in the face, lowered his voice — “What do they say about people like that?”

Yosano leaned in close, her lips just a breath away from Kunikida’s ear as she whispered softly. “That they actually prefer to be dominated in the bedroom… and they make the most delicious screams!” 

Kunikida almost fainted on the spot. His face felt hot and this heat seemed to spread to the rest of his body. 

“Kunikida-san!”

Kenji crept up from behind them. “I’ve finished loading all the gang members into the airship — Kunikida-san, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever? In my town, we have a natural remedy that makes use of —“ 

Poe and Karl approached them as well. “Can I let Ranpo and the others out now? Should we get back to the host club lounge?” 

“I feel like we’re forgetting something…” Yosano said, her eyes still focused on Kunikida’s photos. 

Kunikida gasped out loud. “Dazai! He’s still missing!”

***

The main control room of the Sky Casino was Sigma’s home and at the same time, his playground. It was where he felt most confident. It was his safe haven. 

That night, however, his happy memories were replaced with panic and chaos. 

All his men were knocked out. He was sure an outside source was tapping into their live security footage too. Their internal communication channels were blocked. And worst of all, their special bespoke software was being hacked — the one used to activate and deactivate the places where abilities could be used.

Originally, they only assigned certain ability spaces – the host club lounge, the dungeon, the dens, and the vestibule of the casino, where Junichiro was currently staying and using his Light Snow to hide the room. 

Currently, the terrorists have deactivated the program everywhere. The gifted can now use their abilities anywhere they liked. 

What is their goal? Why do they want us to use our abilities? Do they plan to provoke us to do something?

He was not the biggest tech wiz but he had prepared for such scenarios. He could do the bare minimum – restore power and comms where it was needed.

“Sigma-san…” 

One of his men, Oshin, stirred. Sigma came to his aid and had him drink the remaining ramune from the bottle Atsushi gave him. 

Then Oshin told him what happened – that one of the new hires, Luka, was a spy who let all his comrades in through some back door. Luka and his group who called themselves the Dead Dragons knocked out the private security forces, the guards in the dungeon, as well as the personnel operating the control rooms. 

After Oshin’s explanation, Sigma assured him that he and the agency have it under control now. Oshin volunteered to recover their software and repel the hacker’s ongoing attacks, as well as access to their systems. 

More of his employees continued to wake up and they also vowed to help Sigma restore order in the casino. The fact that the employees were just knocked out made the casino manager think that whoever this group is, they mustn’t be that bad. It’s either that or they’re awful at planning and martial arts. 

Once the transceivers were working again, Sigma was able to reach all the agency members except Dazai and Atsushi. 

Kunikida volunteered to go look for Dazai. Tecchou said that Chuuya had already gone looking for him but since they didn’t have an extra set of transceivers to give him, they were not aware of his progress. 

Tanizaki and Tecchou were still guarding the guests in the casino room. The guests were still believing the lie that the corridor outside was being cleaned up. But not many were planning to leave the room anyway as they were all happy to be plied with alcohol and continue gambling.

Sigma was also relieved to know that the group trying to control the hangar was subdued by his men whom Yosano healed, as well as Yosano herself and Poe. These men, together with the group that Tecchou, Chuuya, and Kenji defeated, were all contained in the military aircraft. And they were being guarded by his security forces and they are ready to be shipped back down to the ground upon Sigma’s command. This reminded Sigma to contact Fukuzawa and update him about the situation. 

According to Kunikida, Yosano went to the dungeon to heal the staff and private security personnel who had been knocked out. She was with Kenji and Poe, who were also planning to go around and look for other terrorists. 

“That’s really reckless considering Poe has the book and all the other guests are in there!!!” Sigma started to panic again. 

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Sigma-san! I have the book with me!” Junichiro said over the transceiver. “He dropped it here so that Tecchou and I can protect it.” 

Sigma sighed in relief. “Once we know we’ve captured the remaining criminals, perhaps the people inside the book can be let out! Ahhh but... I forgot to mention that the criminals have hacked into the system and all spaces are ability-friendly now. This means Ranpo-san and the others can get out of the book now, right? Just be mindful of that!" 

“Uhhh Sigma-san, it doesn’t really work that way…” Junichiro hesitated. “From what Ranpo-san told me, the participants have to solve the mystery first!”

“But Ranpo-san is there to help them with the mystery, right?” Sigma confirmed. 

Junichiro let out a nervous laugh. “Uuuh we’ll see…”

***

Chuuya had been running around the Sky Casino for what felt like the whole night. He had been to almost all the main event areas. However, the private dens were a bit more complicated. Their locations have been hidden and scattered across the casino — behind paintings or inside storage rooms — and they can be accessed with the watch given to the VVVIPs.

The watches had a mechanism where it could project a map of the available private dens. However, it doesn’t show the ones which are occupied due to privacy reasons. So in the end, it wasn’t helpful locating Dazai and Megumi. If the two were jumping from one den to another, Chuuya had to memorize all the locations of the dens and see if one that was previously available was suddenly taken. 

What Chuuya ended up doing was tapping his watch at every painting and door he saw, trying to go about it at fast as he could. As he went around, he encountered two other terrorists, some low-ranking grunts. And he knocked them both and tied them up with a bedsheet he found in a nearby room. 

Where did that mackerel head bring Megumi?!

He was still tying up the terrorists when he heard someone call out from behind him. 

“Port Mafia!” 

He looked behind and saw Kunikida running up the corridor, approaching him with some cautiousness. 

“Relax, glasses! We’re on the same side tonight!” Chuuya assured him. 

“I… I know…” Kunikida looked aside, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry, force of habit.”

And Kunikida glanced curiously at the two men tied up in bedsheets. He thought they looked like makizushi — a very odd pair of makizushi. 

“The rest of their group who have been captured are in the hangar now,” Kunikida explained. “They are being held in a military aircraft. Forty-six men accounted for. I believe there should be four more.” 

“Are ya sure with that number, glasses?” Chuuya made the two men float. 

“Stop calling me glasses! My name is Kunikida Doppo!” 

“Maybe I should call you Cool Mr. Bomber Man! Last time I saw you, you blew yourself up with that Hunting Dog!” Chuuya recalled the incident when he had to save the detective agency. “Pretty ballsy move.” 

Kunikida blushed, albeit slightly. “That’s not any better!”

“It’s a compliment!” 

“A compliment?” 

Getting complimented by Port Mafia was not on the list of things Kunikida expected to happen that year… but then again, so was being in a host club. 

“Wait a sec — That Hunting Dog is here too right? That must be awkward…”

Kunikida cleared his throat. “W-we’ve talked about it. We’re past it… Anyway, you should bring those men to the hangar as well.”

“No way! I’m lookin’ for that useless colleague of yours! He’s with my client doing…” Chuuya’s cheeks flushed a very light shade of pink. “Well, I hope he ain’t doin’ stuff that are too weird!!!” 

“You’re looking for Dazai too?”

“Well, findin’ him means findin’ my client so yeah!” 

Chuuya pointed to the floating men. “So maybe you can bring these to the hangar while I continue lookin’ for that bird brain!” 

“No, you should take them! It would be easier, given your gravitational ability,” Kunikida reasoned. 

“Look, buddy. I was Dazai’s partner for years. I have some idea how his convoluted mind operates. If there is someone who can find him, it would be me,” Chuuya said with unmistakable confidence. “So just follow what I said and bring these men to the hangar while I continue lookin’ for Dazai.”

Kunikida cleared his throat once again. “ Former partner,” he corrected. “As his current partner, I believe I know him better now .” 

“Why yaaaaa — ” Chuuya floated, almost by instinct. He was getting heated up for some reason. Was it a weird sense of territoriality or just an urge to prove himself right? He was ready to trade blows with Kunikida, when he realized — “Wait! What are we even fightin’ about?! This sounds so wrong!!!” 

Kunikida replayed their last few lines in his head... They sounded like a bunch of wimps fighting over a lover!

“You’re right…” Kunikida straightened his glasses. “That… that was… strange…”

Chuuya sighed as he descended to the floor. “Well, let’s forget ‘bout it, ‘kay? But…” He hesitated. “Bein’ his new partner… How’s that going for you?”

“The President entrusted Dazai to me and for the past two — almost three years, And I… I…” Kunikida lowered his head, remembering all those times he had to endure Dazai and his antics. 

Chuuya froze, utterly taken aback, as Kunikida lifted his head—his expression so pitifully distraught that it looked as if the man might burst into tears at any moment. For a second, Chuuya wasn’t sure whether to comfort him, laugh out loud, or start crying himself out of sympathy. 

“I can’t take it anymore!!!” Kunikida started pulling out his own hair. 

Chuuya grabbed onto Kunikida’s arms to stop the man’s self-destructive habit. “Oi! Oi! You’re gonna get a bald spot there!” 

“How did you do it???!! How did you deal with that waste of bandages, that misfit of society?! I swear his name appears in the dictionary beside the words inefficient and womanizer and inhuman!” 

Chuuya couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of camaraderie for this poor man. Then he remembered a story Dazai told him while rescuing Q during the conflict with The Guild. Dazai told him that he videotaped a member of the agency ranting embarrassing things while under Q’s spell. So this man, his very own partner, must be the man Dazai had been tormenting at the agency… 

If Chuuya could reach Kunikida’s shoulder, he would have already given him a consoling pat. But looking up at the man, it irked him a teeny tiny bit that Kunikida towered above him, even more than Dazai. 

“Listen, glasses, I know more than anyone the torments of Dazai. At least he doesn’t try to kill you every chance he gets!” 

“K-kill me? Not yet, he hasn’t, but I’ve developed sicknesses because of the stress he gives me!!! I’ve had stomach ulcers multiple times!” 

Chuuya tutted. “That sounds bad… He called you names too?” 

Kunikida nodded. “He tries to come up with a new one every day.” 

Dazai’s former and current partners continued to exchange grievances. 

Meanwhile, Kato, who was following behind Kunikida, watched and listened to the two men exchange horrific tales of this strange character.

The truth was, he was standing there for a while but Kunikida and Chuuya were just too preoccupied to notice him. He felt truly sorry for the two men but he also wondered if there was something else going on other than their so-called partnerships. The way they complained about this Dazai was how his colleagues complained about their wives! Can someone be so obnoxious and horrendous that they have this strange effect on people? 

“If this Dazai is as horrible as they say he is, why are they even looking for him?” 

***

Dazai sighed long and loud as he turned off the transceiver. 

“They knew very well that Atsushi and I weren’t answering but they kept blabbing their locations and plans into the transceiver, without thinking if the enemy got hold of one of us and is probably listening in right now… Well, now they know that Yosano-sensei and the others have just left the dungeons! Great idea to broadcast their locations!”

He rose from the bed, smoothing out the wrinkles in his princely attire with quick, practiced movements, his fingers brushing over the embroidered fabric as he adjusted his collar and straightened his royal sash. Pausing, he glanced back at her, his gaze a mix of reluctance and urgency. 

He didn’t want to leave yet, of course – not the comfortable bed and the intimate, private den. 

“Are you okay, princess? Sorry, but we have to rush and move. Those men may be getting closer to us. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out which private den we’re staying in…” 

Megumi sat up and nodded.

“Do you feel okay?” Dazai asked again. 

The girl finally stood up but she staggered for a moment. Her legs gave for a bit but she steadied herself on one of the bed posts. The crimson blush on her cheeks were visible even from Dazai’s end of the room. 

“No need to be embarrassed. We were just caught up in the moment.” Dazai smiled as he offered his arm. The princess needed the prince to escort her out and he was determined to leave in style. 

Megumi approached her and took his arm. “Let’s go. And let’s hope they catch the remaining criminals or terrorists or kidnappers or whoever they are,” she said. 

They exited the room through a revolving part of the wall. And they are back in one of the corridors leading to the dungeon. 

They hadn’t taken more than five steps when they heard a chilling voice…

“Princess Megumi… Come out come out wherever you are…” 

It was the voice of an old man and it was accompanied by a ghastly sound – a monstrous wail or perhaps a screech of agony from a beast. 

“Don’t be afraid, princess… Come out and stop playing this childish game…” 

Dazai swiftly and silently pulled Megumi in a corner, behind one of the decorative boulders that adorned the dungeon corridor. 

Crouched close together, Dazai pressed a hand firmly over Megumi’s mouth to stop her from making any noise. Megumi’s fingers worked quickly, gathering the cascading folds of her ball gown and tucking them close, the delicate fabric pooling silently against her as she hid the skirt from view.

“Oh princess…” The old man kept calling and the beast kept wailing. “Come out, princess… Your father sent me…” 

NEXT CHAPTER: CRISIS MANAGEMENT 

Chapter Text

It was well past midnight and the lobby of one of the exclusive five-star hotels in Yokohama was thrown into chaos. The gleaming marble floors, polished to a mirror finish, reflected the bright flashes of camera lights that pulsed through the air. Journalists, dressed in everything from sleek suits to casual wear, pushed one another to get a clearer view of the patriarch of the Monte Carlo fortune, Aristov. 

He had called for an emergency press conference regarding his daughter Megumi. The hotel accommodated his request — a podium was set up near the grand staircase. Its ornate balustrades served as a backdrop for the event. 

The bellhops and staff, normally poised and composed, hovered nervously at the edges, their faces tight with unease.

Aristov held back tears as he faced the camera that was set up in the lobby of his hotel. 

“I received a ransom note, saying they have captured my only daughter, Meg, the heiress to the Monte Carlo conglomerate…”

The journalists who surrounded him were pushing one another to get closer, but Aristov’s men held them back. 

“Sir! Do you know the name of the group? Is it a terrorist group?”

“Is it connected to the Decay of Angels case?”

“Are they ability users?”

Aristov looked straight into one of the cameras pointed at his face. 

“I just know she’s attending an event organized by ability users and that there may be a dangerous man-eating tiger onboard!” 

He held up a flash drive and assured the news reporters that the file would be sent to their offices soon. 

The whole while, Aristov was holding back his smile, knowing that everything was going according to plan… almost everything, that is. 

***

After several attempts to connect with President Fukuzawa, there was finally an answer at the end of the other line. 

Fukuzawa’s face was onscreen. He was in the office of the detective agency. Behind him were Kyouka Izumi and Lucy Maud Montgomery. The two girls appeared sleep-deprived yet ready for battle. 

The President, usually a model of calm and decorum, had a panicked look on his face. In fact, Fukuzawa had been anxious since after the Decay of Angels case, where most of his detectives and staff almost died. 

“Sigma-kun, is it true? The kidnapping of the Monte Carlo girl?” 

The casino manager was shocked at this news. He thought he was the one who would give a shocking update. 

“Kidnapping?!”

Lucy hurriedly stepped in front of the President and was soon hogging the whole screen. “It’s all over the news!!! And they’re saying the tiger kitty is causing chaos!!! They even have a video of him!” 

Sigma could tell Kyouka wanted to speak as well but held back as she clutched hard onto the hilt of her dagger. 

“Please calm down,” Sigma gestured for Lucy to relax. “I haven’t seen Atsushi-kun yet but Megumi-chan is not kidnapped. She’s with Dazai.” 

Fukuzawa's expression softened ever so slightly. “Can you brief us about what happened and what type of support you need? The Special Division is also on call in case you need them, especially since ability users have been mentioned on the news.” 

Sigma nodded and told them all about their night, which started peacefully. He relayed what the others had reported to him via the transceiver which only started working again. He told them that Poe, Ranpo, Yosano, Kenji, and Mushitaro came to the Sky Casino to lend a hand. The manager also mentioned that Port Mafia executive Chuuya lent them a hand to protect the guests. 

“In a few minutes, they’re sending down the captured terrorists from the Dead Dragon Gang,” Sigma concluded his report. 

“We’ll be waiting for them and escorting them to prison,” Fukuzawa said, before stopping a beat. “So I gather that you have taken control of the situation now? Have you captured all of them?” 

Sigma sighed deeply. “Not yet…” 

***

Chuuya won the rock-paper-scissors game against Kunikida. He hated that he remembered the strategy to winning this game because of Dazai who gloated about his winning technique those times they used to play during stakeouts. 

The tall detective and Kato, head of security, had to escort the two terrorists to the hangar, where the rest of their gang awaited to be flown back to the ground. 

Before resuming his search for Dazai, Chuuya stopped in front of the elevator. 

“Think, think! If I were Dazai, what would I do?” 

The gravity manipulator shivered as he tried to slip into his ex-partner’s headspace. The first thought that surfaced was unsettling: bringing Megumi into an empty room with malicious intent.

The doors to the elevator opened and Chuuya prepared to step in. What stopped him were the two familiar figures who emerged from the emergency stairs — none other than Dazai and Megumi. 

The Monte Carlo heiress looked disheveled and her dress was also torn. She was hobbling and using Dazai’s arm as a crutch.

Chuuya thought of the worst-case scenario. “What have you done to her, you pervert!!!”

Megumi was blushing like a bride on her wedding night. Up close, Chuuya could see her smudged makeup.

“She wanted to see my ability,” Dazai started before leaning in and whispering to Chuuya. “So I nullified her ability… to walk.” 

“Dazai-san!” Megumi said with her last bit of energy before fainting into Dazai’s arms.

“Oops! I must have exhausted her too!” Dazai sniggered. 

Both of Chuuya’s fists formed into a ball, ready to punch Dazai back to the ground.

“YA BASTARD!!! YA IMMORAL USELESS WASTE OF BANDAGES!!!”

Dazai handed Megumi to Chuuya. “Shhh! You’ll wake our sleeping princess!”

Chuuya stared at the face of the sleeping girl. She was so light in his arms. She looked so young, so innocent, so peaceful… And knowing Dazai had corrupted her made his blood boil in anger.

“Ya knew she was in danger the whole time an’ you found the time to… to…”

Chuuya could feel his face getting hot. He couldn’t say the actual word and he doesn’t want to imagine Dazai in that type of situation.

Dazai rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “I was joking, okay! Nothing happened! Do I look like the type of person who would take advantage of a girl whose life is in danger?”

“YEAH!!!”

Dazai looked away, scratching the back of his head. “Well, we almost kissed but we got interrupted by the transceiver when it started working again. We were both in bed at one point but I swear I didn’t touch her! She wanted to rest because she was tired of running around with her... Shoes? Sandals? Those dainty pointy things!”

Chuuya raised an eyebrow. “Stilettos?”

“Yeah! Those!!! And then after we left the private pod, we ran into this psycho grandpa who did something to Atsushi so we’ve been running around to get away from a wild Atsushi too! And then he fired this weird gun at us and somehow Megu-chan was affected by it…”

The former partners started walking back to the host club lounge. They were careful enough to observe their surroundings, in case they were attacked by the remaining terrorists. 

“What happened to the weretiger?” Chuuya asked.

“They’ve strapped something onto his ears and he looks like he’s in pain!” Dazai stopped. “Actually, I should probably go looking for him! I need to nullify him but I couldn’t get too close, not when I was guarding Megu-chan a while ago!” 

Chuuya nodded. “Yeah, yeah! Go save that tiger of yours! I can handle the princess from here.”

Dazai smiled and patted the head of Chuuya, who could do nothing but sneer and growl at this demeaning gesture. The nullifier knew that Chuuya couldn’t stop him since he was carrying Megumi. It was a chance Dazai wouldn’t pass up.

“Thanks, partner! You’re the — ”

Before Dazai could finish his sentence, a bullet whizzed past above his right ear. It came from behind them and Chuuya handed Megumi back to Dazai. 

“Take her away! Now!” The gravity manipulator commanded. 

Light on his feet, Chuuya turned to the direction of the bullet and stopped all the other shots that followed. 

“Bullets don’t work on me, ya idiots!” 

A heavily armed man came from one of the corridors leading to another part of the casino. It was Aleksandr, the leader of the gang. 

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Aleksandr, one of the leaders of the Dead Dragon Gang.”

Dazai, still carrying Megumi, darted towards the opposite direction, his movements swift and deliberate. But before he could get far, another figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into his path with deliberate menace. The gleam of a handgun caught the casino hallway’s dim light, its barrel trained directly on the nullifier. He and Chuuya were now surrounded. 

“And that is my colleague, Petrov,” Aleks continued. “Now, we all finally meet, our gifted hosts.”

Aleks brought out another type of gun from his holster. “I see you’ve brought me a gift as well! I’ve been looking all over the princess! Now, why don’t you two hand her over to me and maybe we’ll let you live!”

Chuuya braced for an attack. “Tch, what kind of request is that? Try any gun on me! You saw what I did with those bullets!” 

Aleks stepped closer to Chuuya, the gun pointed at his face. 

“Chuuya!!! Stay close to me!” The gravity manipulator heard Dazai shout from behind him. 

But before Chuuya could move, Aleks had already pulled the trigger on the strange-looking gun. 

***

Sigma was running again. This reminded him of the night the Hunting Dogs wreaked havoc in the casino. 

“We have sent the first batch of captured terrorists to the ground,” Kunikida said over the transceiver. “Kenji went with them, in case they try anything funny aboard.”

“Thanks for the update, Kunikida-san. I was also able to speak with the President,” Sigma said over the transceiver. “He should be waiting at the port of arrivals with other members of the detective agency, as well as forces from the Special Division.” 

Sigma headed towards the basement. “Has anyone seen Atsushi-kun?”

It was Junichiro who replied first. “Nope, I haven’t seen him since he went looking for Dazai-san…” 

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen him either,” Tecchou replied. 

“He hasn’t made his way to the hanger, nor have I seen him when I was also searching for Dazai,” Kunikida confirmed. 

Sigma continued to walk towards the dungeons when he realized he should have brought security detail with him. “By the way, Kunikida-san, can you tell Kato to send reinforcements to the dungeon now? I’m on my way there and — ”

There was a loud, bone-chilling growl at the end of the darkened hallway. 

Sigma wanted to run away but he knew he had to face the danger that awaited him. He approached the source of the sound. The silhouette became clearer with each step. 

Atsushi was half-transformed into his tiger form and he was destroying everything in his path. He was jumping on the walls, clawing the ceiling. 

Sigma noticed that there was something strapped near his tiger ears — metal cones like earmuffs. They were vibrating, emitting waves. 

He recognized the contraption right away. When Sigma bought the anti-ability guns that he used during the Hunting Dogs attack, the engineers who invented the guns also offered him another weapon. It uses the same dangerous sound waves but this was packaged into a cone that one can toss onto the floor like a bomb. And instead of just emitting the sound directionally, it emitted the waves in a close radius. 

The casino manager understood the implication of the cones being tied to the weretiger’s head. Having those strapped onto him would feel like torture and this is why Atsushi had been acting erratically. Atsushi have been dead if it were not for his self-healing powers. 

“Atsushi-kun!”

Without a thought, Sigma ran to Atsushi, even if moving closer meant being hit with the sound waves or clawed by the man tiger. 

“Atsushi-kun! Try removing those things strapped to your head!” 

Then Sigma noticed metal straps on Atsushi’s wrists and ankles. Was he being controlled by those or was that preventing the weretiger from taking off the contraption?

The casino manager decided he needed to get close to help his friend take the torture devices off. 

As he readied himself to lunge at Atsushi, he heard footsteps echo on the cold slabs of stones from behind him.

“You want to take those off the weretiger at the risk of your own life? How touching…”

From the corner of his eye, he could see a short, old man in a suit, his phone held up high in one hand, the anti-gifted gun in the other.

“I’ve already taken and sent many videos of the weretiger destroying parts of the casino and going wild but mauling the Sky Casino manager would be the cherry on top of the cake! So go ahead!”

“Who are you? And why are you doing this?!”

The old man smiled as he introduced himself. “They just call me ‘The Major' and I work closely with Megumi’s father. And I suppose you can guess why we’re doing this. I’m not part of that gang we also hired, but I’m here to record everything as evidence.” 

Atsushi growled again as he writhed in agony on the floor. The screams were piercing and they reverberated throughout the dark, dungeon hall. 

Sigma thought about coming to Atsushi’s rescue, but he could not allow The Major to record more material of Atsushi acting wild. 

“So it is true? You want to tarnish the name of the casino and bring its value down?” Sigma said in an attempt to distract The Major. “And at the same time let the world know that the gifted are indeed a threat to the rest of humanity?”

“It’s only been a few months since the coin bombs and the vampire outbreak and people are quick to forget,” The Major replied. “We need another big incident to remind them how awful you gifted are! And an exclusive event with the world’s richest will surely make the global news!”

“Sorry, I’m not really interested in hearing this anymore,” Sigma said, acting aloof. “I’ve heard enough righteous assertions from the last group I worked with.”

The Major frowned and his hand tensed, ready to pull the trigger on the specialized gun. However, Sigma was quicker as he pulled out his own gun and shot the anti-ability gun off the Major’s hand.

Without hesitation, Sigma surged forward, his movements quick and precise. His hand cut through the air, striking the Major’s neck with the edge of his palm — just like how Kunikida taught him. He made a mental note to thank his colleague after the event.

The force of the blow hit the perfect spot, sending a jolt through the Major’s body. The old man’s knees buckled and his eyes fluttered shut as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Once the Major was down, Sigma took the phone the man was still clutching in his hand, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. 

Just a few feet away from them, Atsushi was still moaning in pain. 

“Atsushi-kun, I’m coming!” 

And Sigma ran to his friend, he figured out why the weretiger could not raise any of his limbs to remove the contraption strapped to his ears. It seems that he was being electrocuted every time he tried to remove the wave-emitting cone. 

But as he got closer to Atsushi, the weretiger knocked Sigma down. 

“Atsushi-kun! It’s me! Let me help you!!!”

His words wouldn’t get through to the tiger, who was still in attack mode. 

Sigma tried to get up, but Atsushi knocked him down again. This time, the tiger's claws slashed through the sleeve and his arm. The casino manager felt a sting and the warm and sticky trickle of blood down his arm. 

Still, he tried to stand up and continued to approach the weretiger. 

“Atsushi-kun! Hang on! You have to fight it!”

Sigma knew he had to close the gap, no matter the cost. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his bleeding arm forward, offering it as bait. The blood was irresistible to Atsushi’s primal instincts. Without hesitation, the tiger leapt, his jaws clamping down on Sigma’s arm with feral force.

A guttural scream tore from Sigma’s throat, pain shooting through him like fire. But this was the moment he’d been waiting for — it was the perfect distance. Fighting through the agony, he reached out with his uninjured arm and grabbed hold of the contraptions fixed to Atsushi’s ears. With a fierce yank, he tore them free. 

The shattered contraptions hit the ground with a deafening clang. It sparked and whirred as their broken wires fizzled. Atsushi immediately released Sigma, who crumpled to his knees, clutching his bleeding arm.

The tiger’s form began to shift and the feral rage in his eyes dimmed. Slowly, Atsushi returned to his human self, trembling and disoriented. Without wasting a moment, he tore off the remaining metal plates from his wrists and ankles, the sound of snapping restraints echoing in the tense silence and throughout the dim dungeon. 

For a brief moment, the two of them stayed there—Sigma gasping for breath, Atsushi staring at his freed hands.

Sigma felt relieved that his friend was back to his usual form. “I’m glad… welcome back, Atsushi-kun…”

“Sigma-san!!!” 

Atsushi tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around the pressure point on Sigma’s arm to stop it from bleeding. 

“Yosano-sensei is here,” Sigma said reassuringly but his voice betrayed him. The blood loss was making him dizzy and faint. 

Atsushi helped Sigma up. “Let’s go! You need to get to her fast!”

“Atsushi-kun! You’re injured too!”

“I’m healing now… Don’t worry about me!” 

Thinking that his colleague and friend would not give up the idea of who was more injured between them, Sigma sighed.

They started walking cautiously towards the upper floors and back to the host club lounge. 

“Okay, but you need to get checked too!”

NEXT CHAPTER: PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SKY 

Chapter Text

Chuuya was no stranger to pain and torture. 

He writhed on the floor, his body curled in on itself as if trying to escape the agony. His hands clamped over his ears, desperate to block out the piercing sound that felt like hot needles driving into his skull.

Someone make it stop! STOP THAT SOUND! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!!! 

But then, amidst the chaos, a touch — gentle and deliberate — settled on the crown of his head. The hand was steady, grounding, and unmistakably familiar.

Dazai...

The effect was instantaneous. The relentless, stabbing waves of sound dissipated as if someone had flipped a switch. Silence rushed in, cool and soothing. For the first time in what felt like hours, Chuuya could think, hear, breathe.

Dazai’s voice followed, calm and confident. “It seems that gun was created using an ability. My nullification cancels it out.” 

His hand remained firmly on Chuuya’s head, his touch anchoring him even as he shifted Megumi’s weight in his other arm. 

“One of the terrorists tried it on me earlier and it didn’t work,” Dazai continued.

Across the hall, Aleks kept the gun trained on them, his knuckles white around the grip. Each step forward felt deliberate, a predator savoring the final moments before striking. On the other end of the hallway, Petrov began closing the distance as well, his cold gaze fixed on them like a blade.

The threat from both sides was menacing, yet Dazai was unflinching, his hand steady on Chuuya, his balance flawless despite the weight of two lives in his grasp.

“Tch,” Chuuya stood up, clutching onto Dazai’s cape. “This much is enough, right?”

“Nullifier huh?” Aleks taunted as realization set in on why the gun wasn’t having its effect anymore. “But you gravity boy cannot hold onto the nullifier forever… Once you let go, you’ll hear the sound waves again.” 

“It’s a directional wave, Chuuya,” Dazai whispered as she adjusted Megumi to carry her in both his arms again. With her big ball dress, Dazai’s arms were tiring. 

“I got that! Did ya think I’m dull or somethin’?”

Dazai scoffed. “Do you really want me to answer that? Isn’t the question you should be asking be — Dazai, can you tell me the strategy, please? Please?” 

“I won’t ask it like that!” 

“Well, as you can see, I have a real gun pointed at me.”

Then Chuuya understood what they had to do. 

“So… Circus?” Dazai suggested one of their codified battle strategies. 

“Circus with Lanterns at the start,” Chuuya added. 

Dazai smirked. “Ah, good call.”

Chuuya held tighter to the hem of Dazai’s cloak as he prepared for the next move.

“What are you two yappin’ about?” Petrov asked. “Last warning! Hand over the princess now!” 

Dazai started counting down. “3… 2…”

At the count of one, Dazai moved with precision, setting Megumi gently to the side and draping her with his cloak, a protective shroud against the chaos erupting around them.

Then, in perfect synchrony, he and Chuuya spun on their heels, fluid as a choreographed dance, until they were facing the other opponent — Dazai with the anti-ability gun, and Chuuya the cold, unyielding steel of a real firearm loaded with bullets.

The enemies reacted instantly, firing as the two began their offense — but it was already too late. Dazai surged forward, kicking the anti-ability gun from Aleks' grip. It sent the weapon flying with such force that it smashed into the wall, the impact embedding it deep into the plaster like a discarded toy.

Chuuya moved with equal speed, his focus razor-sharp. The bullets aimed at him froze mid-flight, hanging in the air for a breathless moment before reversing their trajectory. Then the gravity manipulator sent them back toward their origin. Petrov cried out as the projectiles found their marks, piercing his arms and legs and dropping him to the ground in a heap, incapacitated but alive.

With his anti-ability gun gone, Aleks didn’t hesitate to reach for his pistols. With both barrels aimed squarely at Dazai, the nullifier weaved through the hail of bullets with uncanny grace, each movement calculated, every dodge executed with a precision that made him seem untouchable. 

With the leader of the Dead Dragons focused solely on Dazai, he didn't notice that Chuuya had closed in too.

In a blur of motion, Chuuya bent gravity to his will as he disarmed Aleks with brutal efficiency. Pistols clattered to the floor. Aleks barely had time to register the loss before Chuuya took control. With a surge of gravitational force, Chuuya crushed the discarded weapons into shards before wielding his clenched fists against Aleks, who slammed to the floor. 

Chuuya and Dazai stood as an unyielding wall, the perfect union of strength and strategy, daring Aleks to make his next move. But the terrorist knew it was over. 

“End this. End me,” the leader dared Yokohama’s most feared duo. 

Chuuya considered it for a while. This was the man who endangered the life of his client and tortured him. Chuuya made the remaining, usable bullets levitate, ready to shoot them at the Aleks.

But before anything, Aleks asked for a few moments to tell his story — how he had served all his life, to finally return home for a peaceful life but it was disrupted by the coin bombs that killed people in his town, including his sister. He told them how he was disillusioned by his idol, Ouchi Fukuchi who was responsible for all the events concerning the Decay of Angels. He told them how he met his men, his fellow Dead Dragon teammates, whose lives were destroyed by the coin bombs or the vampire infestation… And finally, how he was scouted by Aristov of the Monte Carlo fortune and how he planned to expose the rotten gifted… and kill as many as he could. 

“Now, end me. I have no more reason to live…” Aleks coughed. 

Chuuya aimed the bullets at the man’s head. “I gave you the courtesy to blab but I really have no other reason to — ”

“Stop it!!!” 

Chuuya and Dazai turned. Megumi was awake again. She had trouble standing but she propped herself against the wall. 

“Chuuya, lower the bullets! And you! Aleksandr or whatever your name is, no more of this! I don’t care if you work for my father or someone else!” The girl was practically shouting. “This sounds cliche but two wrongs don’t make a right! You’re only disturbing innocent lives by going about your vendetta!” 

And just in time, the emergency door to the stairs opened, revealing Atsushi and Sigma. The rest couldn't tell which one looked worse. 

“We heard your story from Dazai’s transceiver that was broadcasting the conversation,” Atsushi said as he held up his transceiver. 

Atsushi and Sigma approached Aleks as well. 

“I’m sorry about what happened to your sister. I really am…” Sigma started. He bowed his head in shame, remembering his part in the coin bomb plot. “I’m trying to pay for my sins by working at the detective agency and saving people this time.”

Aleks scoffed. “Justice is still skewed for people like you! If it was a non-ability user who was responsible for the coin bombs, they’d get the death penalty!”

“I’m aware of that,” Sigma replied. “But we have a different burden as ability users. For three years, I was trafficked and forced to be a terrorist and do other illegal things.”

Atsushi raised his shirt, revealing burn marks and other scars on his torso. “I was abandoned by my parents at an orphanage where I was abused and also experimented on…” 

Chuuya rolled his eyes and sighed. “I was a child when I was taken away from my family and I was experimented on like a lab rat for years,” he said in a quiet voice, then raising it. “Do you think that’s fun? Do you think I never wished to live a normal life? To be a normal kid?”

Megumi sensed a deep hurt in Chuuya’s voice as if this was a resentment he carried all his life.  

On the other hand, Dazai kept quiet, his lips pursed, but his eyes stared off into the distance. 

“Aleksandr-san, we cannot change the past now but we can do something about today and the future.” Megumi stepped forward and offered her hand. “If you and your group are all victims of the Decay of Angels, we’ll set up a victims fund and support group. I will even use my family’s resources.”

The man refused her hand but stood up. Chuuya kept the bullets pointed at him. 

“The Sky Casino will also contribute to that cause,” Sigma promised. “After the expenses for operations and salary of the workers, we will make sure the victims of the coin bombs are well compensated.” 

Dazai crossed his arms. “The relevant government agencies are still busy dealing with the aftermath of the case, but we do have some contacts. We’ll get in touch with them to remind these officials to make sure they match the efforts of these private groups,” he said. 

“But of course, we need your cooperation to disband your group and testify honestly if there would be a trial,” Megumi said in a stern tone this time. 

Aleks closed his eyes, considering the proposal. Finally, he nodded. 

“I will relay these terms to my men. Bring me to them.” 

Chuuya looked around and grabbed Dazai’s long cape on the floor, to which the nullifier protested for a while before he realized what his former partner intended for its use — tying up Aleks and Petrov. Before he left, he turned to Dazai. 

“You’re going to look after her, right?” He cocked his head towards Megumi. “And no funny business, ya got that?!”

Dazai scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, yeah! I’ll be a gentleman!” 

Megumi was still feeling weak and she didn’t even react to Dazai’s little joke. It was Atsushi who noticed it first. 

Atsushi offered his other arm to the girl. “Here. You can use my arm to support you as you walk.” 

The girl, whose hearing was still not back to normal, merely smiled at the boy. 

Dazai walked closer to them. “Atsushi, aren’t you injured as well?”

The weretiger smiled at his mentor. “The tiger is healing me! These two are in a worse condition!” 

Dazai could tell by now that Atsushi has a habit of covering up the truth if it means not inconveniencing anyone. 

“I can help the princess. You go help Sigma,” Dazai suggested. 

And the four of them made their way back to the host club lounge. 

“Tanizaki-kun, can you hear me?” Dazai asked over the transceiver. 

“Yes, Dazai-san!”

“You can tell Poe to go to the host club room or casino room so that the people who have solved the mystery can be let out. We have injured people here so we may need Yosano-sensei’s help.”

“Roger that!”

Sigma gasped, remembering the man they defeated in the dungeon. “There’s another one knocked out in the dungeon! I asked for reinforcements in the dungeon a while ago but most of the members of our security detail are helping escort the captured men back to the ground. Perhaps one of you can bring that man to the hangar as well. He’s one of the masterminds.” 

“If the rest of you are on your way here, I can do it,” Tecchou volunteered. 

“Thank you, Suehiro-kun,” Dazai said, before relaying the next steps to the plan. 

“I’m confident we’ve captured the rest of the criminals but continue being vigilant, just in case. Ground team will resume their positions and you need to escort the terrorists back to the ground. Sky team, stay behind in the casino and we’ll proceed as planned and wrap up this night!”

“Aye aye!”

“Understood.”

“Loud and clear.”

***

Tecchou had finished delivering a small, old man, who looked badly beaten, to the hangar. He was part of the last batch of terrorists who were going to be escorted back to ground command. 

As he was looking around the hangar, he noticed that his friend Kenji was nowhere to be found. He was then told by one of the guards that he had left with the first batch of terrorists. 

The plane hadn’t departed yet as they were waiting for the rest of the ground team — Ranpo, Poe, Yosano, Mushitaro — to escort the leaders of the Dead Dragon back to the ground. While waiting for them, he decided to call his young friend. 

The boy picked up right away. 

“Are you back on the ground, Kenji-kun?” Tecchou asked.

“Uh-huh! Lots of nice police officers are here! The President too! He told me to go home and rest now and the girls will be taking over escort duty for the guys we caught!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Kenji-kun.”

If it was possible to hear a smile, Tecchou could hear Kenji’s smile over the phone. Then it was the younger boy’s turn to ask. 

“How are things up there?”

“I think they’re letting the people out of Poe’s book now,” the Hunting Dog said. “I hear they’re also preparing a video press release that will be sent to major news networks. And then they want to close the night with the promised auction.”

“Oh! A press release! I think the President mentioned that. Hmmm… What’s that?”

“It’s like a statement about what happened. I think Sigma-san wants to claim some responsibility for what happened.”

“Oohh. Sigma-san seems really responsible! And uhhh can I ask one more question?”

“Sure.”

“What’s an auction?”

“I think they want the ladies to bid on us.”

“Bid? Like at the cattle marketplace?”

“Perhaps…” Tecchou hesitated. “I’m still confused, to be honest.”

“It will be all right for sure! By the way, have they found Atsushi-san and Dazai-san?”

“Yes, they did. Nakajima-kun was injured but I heard that Yosano-sensei healed him in no time. She wanted to take a look at me as well but I only have scratches.”

“That’s good! How about Dazai-san and the others? Were they also injured?”

“I was escorting another criminal to the hangar but I could hear them over the transceiver. The Port Mafia executive’s ears needed healing, which Yosano-sensei was happy enough to do. As for Dazai-san… He was unusually well.”

“Yosano-sensei is super nice! And Dazai-san’s body is super strong! I think it’s because he goes suicide swimming in the river every morning!”

“An interesting morning routine. Perhaps I should try it to strengthen my lungs, but perhaps — ”

Tecchou remembered something. It was a flash of a memory, an inkling from his hazy past before he joined the Hunting Dogs.

“What were you going to say, Tecchou-san?”

“I feel like I remember something about Dazai-san but I’m not sure... As I have mentioned to you, I was involved in an accident when I was younger. I was staying at this…” The Hunting Dog paused, searching for the right word. “I was at this facility for a while. I think I met a boy like him but I’m not too sure.”

Tecchou couldn’t tell Kenji where he really was when the incident happened, which was at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. The palace was attacked by the early members of V and the whole place was almost razed to the ground.

Tecchou couldn’t tell his young friend not because it was top secret or that he signed a non-disclosure agreement. He simply couldn’t remember much about his time there. 

“I’m sorry about the accident, Tecchou-san! I hope you feel better now!”

“A lot better! Don’t worry about it!”

“And Dazai-san sure is mysterious! It was only recently that we found out he was a mafia executive! But we don’t know anything else about him!”

The military dog remembered going through Dazai’s files during the Decay of Angels case. And indeed, the earliest files about him were dated during his time in the mafia. Nothing about his family or the first thirteen years of his life.

“He seems very mysterious indeed, but he had proven himself a very capable colleague during your agency’s cooperation at the end of the Decay of Angels case, as well as this one. And for that, he has my respect.”

“He’s great, isn’t he? City folks are so cool! Oh! I’m almost at our dormitory!” Kenji yawned, which was loud enough for Tecchou to hear him over the phone. “I think I’m ready to sleep now but I may have a little midnight snack too!”

“Do you have enough food?” Tecchou asked. 

“I think I only have eggs and rice left!”

“Egg shells are actually a good source of protein, Kenji-kun.”

“Really? Hmm I’ll try it but I think I like them better without the shells! But thank you for that piece of advice!”

Tecchou heard a door swing open and his young friend yawning once more. 

“I’m finally home, Tecchou-san!”

“That’s good! I’ll hang up now so you can eat and rest.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow! And I can also drop by the military office on Monday to bring some of our fresh eggs and harvest that this really nice obaa-san will be bringing this weekend!”

“Sounds great! Jouno will be there too so it's good timing. I’ll see you then!”

***

The camera was pointed at Sigma, who was seated behind his managerial desk at the Sky Casino. A staff member was using the camera they used for the photo shoot, which had been switched to the video function. 

Dazai, Chuuya, and Megumi were watching from behind the camera. 

Sigma straightened up before he nodded. The staff member pushed the record button. A red light flashed, signaling the manager to start. 

“My name is Sigma and I am the manager of the Sky Casino. I have prepared this video to reply to the statement made by the Monte Carlos,” he started. 

“Yes, there has been an attempted kidnapping of one of our guests but I want to clarify that this is not the work of gifted individuals. The video we have heard that has been circulating of a tiger going berserk is actually a result of the torture a terrorist has done to this gifted individual. No one was harmed while this gifted had been experiencing the aftermath of that torture.” 

He paused and Dazai nodded, encouraging him to go on. Sigma raised a tablet with a photo of the logo of the Dead Dragon gang. 

“This group, the Dead Dragon Gang, has set up the kidnapping to make it look like they are working with the gifted, including the tiger.”

Sigma swiped on the screen and the tablet started playing a video of Luka admitting to being the Dead Dragon and that they wanted to kidnap Megumi. 

After the video had stopped playing, Megumi stepped onscreen and stood beside Sigma. 

“I am Megumi from the Monte Carlo family. I can attest that the gifted involved in this event at the Sky Casino have all taken care of me and all the other guests. No guests were harmed. The Sky Casino security team, as well as the Armed Detective Agency, the heroes of the Decay of Angels incident, made sure to bring everyone to safety when the attacks started,” she said. 

“As we have mentioned, the Dead Dragons are non-gifted individuals who are unsatisfied with how the victims of the coin bombs and the vampire infestation have been treated,” Sigma continued. “I am one of those personally responsible for this so let me offer our solution…” 

Then both Sigma and Megumi offered their word of support and relayed their plan to set up a fund, as well as a call reminding governments all over the world not to neglect the victims and their families. 

When they were done, the video file was sent to news agencies, which played it on air as a response to Aristov’s press conference. 

Once the initial news articles were up, Sigma could breathe a sigh of relief. "Now, back to the lounge for one last event, before we close the night!" 

***

“Atsushi-kun!!!” Yosano and Ranpo greeted the weretiger. 

“I’m back, guys,” he said. “Thanks again for healing me and the others, Yosano-sensei. I left Sigma and the others in his office. I think they’re starting to film the press release.” 

Atsushi was back in the host club lounge, which was filled with guests as if nothing happened. They had been told that the auction would be happening soon and many of them were enjoying the bar as they chatted about Poe’s book and the ingenious mystery involved. 

Others have gathered around Poe, hoping to commission the writer to create a book for them for their own parties. 

Mushitaro was seated in one of the host club stations, talking animatedly to several ladies. Many of them were also thanking him for giving so many clues while they were in Poe’s book, which was the reason why everyone was able to escape.

When Atsushi asked about Junichiro, Yosano told him that the boy was in the main gambling room, standing guard, since other guests had returned to play once more. 

“Do we have an update on what’s happening on the ground?” Atsushi asked.

“Kyouka is with the President and they’re escorting the terrorists to jail,” Kunikida informed Atsushi via the transceiver. “I just came from the control room and I was just on a call with the president.” 

Tecchou spoke over the transceiver. “Because VVVIPs were involved, I believe the military police will be escorting them too so don’t worry. They have enough backup.”

Atsushi thanked them for the updates but the weretiger was still worried.

“This won’t be the end, isn’t it?”

“No,” replied Ranpo with much certainty, his tone uncharacteristically serious. He decided not to elaborate on it but everyone already knew… 

Peace hung in the balance. The Decay of Angels case was the first global incident after the Great War that had shown everyone how terrifying ability users can be. There have been calls to sanction Japan for playing a huge role in this case.

Governments around the world are keeping a closer eye on ability users, which include Atsushi, the “bookmark” to the much-coveted reality-controlling book. 

“On that note, I think we should leave now!” Ranpo started to head for the door. “Poe? Mushitaro?” he shouted really loud for the two others to hear. 

Mushitaro yawned before he excused himself. “We’ve been up early for that other case too…”

Poe was ecstatic that he could finally leave. Back-to-back cases had drained his energy and he was ready to curl up in bed for a week at the very least. Even Karl, his raccoon, was yawning.  

“I think I’ll stay here in the casino, in case anybody else needs healing,” Yosano said. 

“Suit yourself!” Ranpo said as he, Poe, and Mushitaro, bid their goodbyes and left the room. 

Tecchou later confirmed that the three had arrived at the hangar and that the plane had departed. The Hunting Dog made his way back to the host club lounge and Atsushi was thankful because the ladies were starting to swarm him. Naturally, they asked why his clothes were ripped. 

“I… can transform into a tiger…” he said timidly. 

Now the ladies wanted a demonstration, of course. Atsushi was hesitant to oblige, remembering the torturous sound of the gun and how he involuntarily and repeatedly transformed just minutes before. 

Yosano saw his discomfort and stepped in. 

“Ladies, how about I give you a better demonstration?” the doctor said, as she brought out a cleaver knife, which Atsushi wasn't sure where she got it from. “I may not be one of the hosts, but I can bring the almost-dead back to life, and put body parts back together. Does anyone want to volunteer first?”

The women around Atsushi dispersed, some even running off out of fear. 

“That always works!” Yosano winked at Atsushi. 

“Thanks, Yosano-sensei,” Atsushi whispered. 

Just then, Tecchou came in and the women were all around him. The Hunting Dog checked his watch. In the original plan, it was his shift to be a host so he didn’t mind one last round. He sat on his usual couch and welcomed the ladies who were dying to hear of what happened in the Sky Casino while they were in Poe’s book. 

The doors opened once again and Sigma and the rest were back. He was met with excited noises or words of thanks from the guests, who had an excellent time in Poe’s book. 

In return, Sigma also apologized for the disturbance and the attack, but everyone seemed to have swept it under the rug. 

“In a while, we’ll start the auction,” he also announced. 

As Sigma walked to the small stage, Chuuya looked visibly confused. 

“Auction?” he asked Megumi and Dazai. 

Dazai smirked. “Didn’t you know? All hosts would be auctioned off!” 

Unfortunately for Chuuya, Sigma had told Dazai about Chuuya's part in helping protect the guests. In fact, the Sky Casino manager raved about Chuuya's hosting abilities. 

Chuuya instinctively stepped back, feeling as if cold water had been splashed on his head. “That doesn’t include me, right? ‘Cause I ain’t really a part of this thing!” 

Megumi giggled as Dazai put his hands on Chuuya’s shoulder. “Oh you were officially a host for a while so you definitely would be part of the auction!” 

NEXT CHAPTER: THE IMMORAL AUCTION 

Chapter Text

Ranpo, Poe, and Mushitaro landed with the rest of the remaining terrorists. 

They were handed over to the Special Division and military police. Kyouka and Lucy helped escort the men.

Meanwhile, President Fukuzawa greeted Ranpo, Poe, and Mushitaro. 

“Good job, Ranpo.”

The detective smiled widely. He was practically bouncing on his feet. 

“Is that a praise?”

Fukuzawa wanted to sigh but he also did not want to appear sarcastic. “Yes,” he simply replied.

Ranpo jumped and did a high five with both Poe and Mushitaro, the latter being less enthusiastic than the detective’s rival. “Yaaaay!”

“Now go home and get some rest,” Fukuzawa said. “I’ve already spoken with Kunikida as well. Chief Taneda and I can take over from here.”

A car pulled up into the hangar and Special Division’s Chief Taneda Santouka came out. The chief was fond of staying up late so he looked alert despite the ungodly hour. 

“You boys can use the office car to drive you home,” the chief said, tapping the roof of the company car with his fan. 

Mushitaro stood on command. Taneda was his new boss, after all. He had been working in the Special Division since the conclusion of the Decay of Angels case.

“Sir! Thank you, sir!”

Taneda smiled. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow or rather later in the office, Mushitaro-kun.”

Mushitaro bowed before getting into the car. He was followed by Poe and Ranpo.

Before the car drove off, Ranpo rolled down the window and made a request. “I expect a reward next week! Something sweet, of course!”

Fukuzawa crossed his arms. “I’ll think about it,” the president said even if he already knew that he would give in. 

From his point of view, Ranpo got involved because his new friends also got caught up in the plot. Previously, Ranpo had been extremely selective about the cases he worked on. This development in his character — this in itself deserved a reward, the president thought. 

Ranpo raised both hands in celebration. He already knew that the president would give him sweets. “Yaaay! That’s a promise, okay?” 

And with that, the driver sped off, back to the city center. Poe gave directions to his mansion at the edge of the city. 

“Do we need to take the same car?” Mushitaro, who was riding shotgun, asked. He lived farthest from their hangar so understandably, he would be brought to the house last. 

“It’s more fun if we ride together!” Ranpo said.

Karl cooed and then settled on Poe’s lap. The mystery writer gently stroked the head of his pet. The three were silent for a while, watching the cityscape pass by the car windows. 

Mushitaro checked his wristwatch and groaned. “I’ll only get a few hours of sleep… Then the hassle of commuting to the office…”

Ranpo poked his head between the driver and Mushitaro. “Why don’t you take Poe’s car tomorrow? He’s got a chauffeur and everything!”

Poe, who was about to doze off, suddenly woke up upon hearing his name. Even Karl was suddenly on high alert. 

“Ranpo-kun! Don’t go offering my car and chauffeur! But uhm yes, you are free to use it!”

Mushitaro looked behind him. “Are you certain?” 

Ranpo raised a hand. “On one condition!” 

“Ranpo-kun! Don’t go making conditions regarding my — ”

The detective cut off his rival before he could finish his sentence. “The condition is you’ll join us for a sleepover party!” 

“Sleepover party? But we’re too tired!” Mushitaro wondered if Ranpo was serious about the offer. 

“We’ll just have a midnight snack and then I order you to tell me all about the case in the theater you two handled!” 

Poe also wanted to tell Ranpo about how they discovered the culprit and the secret passageways in the theater so he was not opposed to this plan. Karl cooed as he jumped onto Mushitaro’s lap. Then the raccoon's big eyes stared at him as if pleading him to join them.

“Well… If it’s just that…” Mushitaro loosened his bow tie. “And I can use your car to go to work tomorrow?” 

Poe nodded. “Yes, I have no problems there!” 

“Poe’s guest rooms are also stacked with toiletries and extra pajamas and new clothes and stuff!” Ranpo mentioned. 

Poe blushed, flattered that Ranpo remembered details about his house and hospitality. 

“I know! I stayed there for a while!” Mushitaro sighed as he patted Karl’s head. “Well… okay!”

Ranpo clapped his hands. “Yaaay! Sleepover!”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to sleep much!” Poe complained. 

Ranpo leaned in on Poe. “Well, would you rather go back and be auctioned off like the others?”

Poe shook his head, shivering a little as he imagined being up onstage. “No thank you!” 

Mushitaro looked up at the sky, his vision set on the floating casino that was getting smaller and smaller as they drove further. 

“I wonder if the auction has started…” 

***

The Immoral Auction was about to begin, which promised that the winner could do anything behind closed doors with the hosts. 

Of course, the winners had been pre-selected. They were special customers of Sigma who were clued in on the plan. It was an excuse so that the agency members could do their patrol freely for the rest of the night. The terrorist group may be gone but until the break of dawn, the actual end of the event, they still need to be on high alert in case there are other threats. 

Before the auction, the guests were given a final chance to talk to the hosts. Dazai, Tecchou, and Junichiro were in their respective stations, surrounded by women.

Meanwhile, Sigma and Yosano were on the casino floor and guarding the players there. 

Atsushi, who had recovered thanks to Yosano’s ability, was asked to take a nap. He was resting in his room. He had received the most damage, after all. And not all damages were physical. 

Kunikida had just come back from the main control room, where he reported the night's events to the President. 

The idealist approached Chuuya who was by the bar and standing guard near the girl, his client, deep in conversation on her phone with someone. She was speaking in a foreign language that Kunikida assumed was French. 

“It’s all finally over huh?” Kunikida said, his attempt to make small talk. 

Chuuya grunted in response. He was clearly in a bad mood after knowing he had to participate in the auction. Sigma told him that the auction was staged but he wasn’t thrilled that he would be paraded onstage or sold off like some meat in a cattle market.

“Uhm… Listen…” Kunikida started again. “Back there, when we were arguing about Dazai… That was… Uhh I’d appreciate it if you could forget that. All of it.”

Chuuya cringed when he remembered their conversation. “I dunno any argument you’re talkin’ about!” 

“The one about — ” Then Kunikida realized what Chuuya was trying to do. “Oh. Thank you.” 

Chuuya pointed to the bar. “Want a stiff one? My treat.” He showed his VVVIP watch that granted him unlimited drinks in any bar in the casino.

Kunikida pushed his glasses back and nodded. Kunikida ordered a classic gin and tonic while Chuuya had another glass of red wine. 

They both surveyed the room. Somehow, repairs had been made to the damages during the earlier fight. Parts of the room were damaged but the guests had ignored this. Some were even taking selfies with them since their mobile phones were returned so that they could call families and friends on the ground. 

Most likely, these guests were already anticipating telling stories about the night at the Sky Casino, when they were almost kidnapped… These stories would be their way of showing off to friends. They faced danger but in the end, they enjoyed a night of debauchery. 

“They’re like from another planet huh?” Kunikida remarked. He swirled the potent liquid in his glass and the ice cubes clinked against one another.

“I guess they could say the same thing about us,” Chuuya replied before taking another sip of wine — an expensive brand that the mafia executive had been trying to get his hands on for months. 

“Hmmm you’re right,” Kunikida said. In truth, his conversation with Gazin was still in his mind. 

Chuuya, on the other hand, was looking at Dazai and the women around him. Wearing his white, sparkly, princely garb, he looked like he belonged here — that these were his people, his peers. Chuuya sipped on his wine. 

“Well, Dazai looks like he blends in,” Kunikida interrupted Chuuya’s train of thought while echoing his sentiments at the same time. 

The gravity manipulator scoffed at the fact that Dazai’s new partner had thought of the same thing. 

“He’s the most insufferable piece of shit I ever had the misfortune of meeting… And ya never know if you can trust him,” Chuuya started. He downed the rest of his glass like a shot. “But he’s changed. He’s different now. Maybe even for the better...” 

Kunikida was about to take another swig but he stopped midway, astonished that a mafia executive was praising his partner. The idealist knew that if there was someone qualified to make such a judgment about Dazai, it would be Chuuya. He had seen Dazai at his worst, after all. Kunikida’s daily annoyance with Dazai’s lack of motivation to do paperwork might be nothing compared to the horrors of what Chuuya had seen Dazai do during his prime in Port Mafia. 

Kunikida smiled as he kept looking at Dazai, who was animatedly telling the ladies how he fought off the terrorist and saved Princess Megumi. 

“He’s a slacker, but he comes through when we need him the most,” Kunikida said. 

Suddenly feeling that he was being observed, the nullifier looked around the room and saw Kunikida and Chuuya by the bar. The two were clearly talking about him. 

He waved to them and Chuuya flipped him off while Kunikida looked away abruptly as if embarrassed that he was caught looking at his partner. 

Dazai smirked as he put his arms around the two ladies on either side of him, who were gushing about how brave and strong he was. 

“I couldn’t have done it by myself! I happen to have the most capable partners!” 

***

Atsushi was allowed to take a nap before the auction began. He set an alarm on his phone to go off before the start of the auction but the events of the night buzzed in his head and it was difficult for him to rest his mind. 

Still, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his bed and the pitch blackness. He fell asleep at one point, perhaps a few minutes.

He was awoken by an incoming video call — it was Lucy.

The weretiger sat up right away and took the call. 

“Montgomery-chan! What’s up?”

At the other end of the line, Lucy’s whole face occupied the whole screen. 

“Tiger kitty!!! What happened?! Did they really torture you???? Wait… Why is it so dark?! I can’t see you at all!”

“Oh sorry! I was trying to sleep! Uhh… Room, lights on!”

Following his voice command, the room became well-lit. Lucy could now see Atsushi in a queen-sized bed. The former Guild member was able to relax seeing Atsushi healed up. She held her phone farther away, revealing Kyouka seated beside her. They were in the backseat of a car. 

“The shrimp’s also here with me as you can see,” Lucy said. “She’s also concerned but she never wants to say it out loud! Hmph!”

Kyouka glared at Lucy when she called her a shrimp, but she blushed about the part regarding her feelings. 

“I’m glad you two are doing well…” Atsushi gave a reassuring smile. 

“We’ve finished escorting the terrorists to their holding cells and they’ve been turned over to the military police. It’s no big deal, okay? I think they felt insulted that kids were escorting them or knowing we’re ability users, they were scared of us so they didn’t try anything!” Lucy said. “Then the President requested the Special Division to drive us back home. But that strong blonde kid wanted to walk back! He said he needed fresh air!”

Atsushi gave a weak laugh. “That’s Kenji for you!” 

Then the weretiger noticed the two girls, their faces full of worry. The two were used to staying up for days for missions and they had faced dangers worse than this. But when it came to Atsushi, he knew that the two worried easily for him. 

Atsushi scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “I’m sorry you two had to be called after work hours…”

Lucy put the phone closer to her face again. “Stop saying sorry! It’s not your fault!!!”

“Please don’t shout…” Atsushi almost dropped his phone. He was still sensitive to loud sounds. 

“Oh…” Lucy looked away, also blushing. “Well, rest up okay?” She said in a milder tone and manner. 

Atsushi nodded. “Will do!”

“Take care,” Kyouka mumbled. 

“I’ll see you at home! Soon! We just have one final event… Well, sort of…”

***

Megumi hung up on her father. It was pointless to negotiate with him now. 

Chuuya, who was seated a few seats away, approached her. Kunikida excused himself to do last-minute checks onstage for the auction.

“That didn’t sound good,” Chuuya told her. 

“You understand French?” Megumi wasn’t even surprised. 

She thought Chuuya was the type of man who traveled frequently and picked up languages along the way. The mafia executive had a man-about-town vibe and the times Megumi had met him, he was always dressed stylishly. He would even recognize designer brands Megumi would wear. 

Chuuya shrugged. “Enough. My brother speaks French so he kinda taught me some.”

Megumi wondered why Chuuya’s brother speaks French. This was the first time she heard Chuuya speak about anything personal too. 

“Sorry if you heard all that,” Megumi apologized. “That wasn’t a pleasant conversation.”

“I understood the part where ya threatened your father about his involvement in the attempted kidnapping and terrorist plot… And then you were speakin’ real fast and I couldn’t keep up. I think ya mentioned a theme park or somethin’ too?”

Megumi smiled. “Well, you got the gist of it. My father was bargaining with me to avoid trial. He was practically begging me not to be a witness. I said I’ll think about it if he gives me full ownership of the family’s theme park here in Yokohama.” 

Chuuya smiled, impressed with the girl’s cunningness. “Way to hand it to him! But I’m pretty pissed off about him using the mafia as cover so he deserves to go to jail if ya ask me!”

The heiress giggled as she covered her mouth with her gloved hand. “Well, my father’s side of the family won’t be too happy with me so I guess I’ll be staying in Yokohama with the Sagisawas, my mother’s side.”

“And if your dad gives you the theme park, ya need to stay as well to manage it, right?” Chuuya cheered her up.

“That’s right! So I guess it all works out huh?” The girl smiled as she hopped off the bar stool.

“By the way, I wanted to ask ya something…”

Megumi cocked her head to one side. “Is it about me fainting a while ago because of the anti-ability gun? Because that may mean I may have a special ability? I really don’t know but my parents always said I’m super lucky for businesses and I’m good at influencing my peers when it comes to trends and stuff but I would hardly count that as — ”

“Oh. It’s not that…” Chuuya looked down, embarrassed he should be saying this. “It’s about the auction. Is it okay if you uuhh if you… Well, the thing is, I’m not sure if anyone’s gonna bid on me and that’s gonna be embarrassin’ and stuff…”

“So you want me to bid on you?”

“I mean, you probably wanna bid on Dazai but maybe you can bid on us both? You can afford it for sure and — ”

“Chuuya-san! Do you really think no one’s going to bid on you?” Megumi pointed to a group of women standing at the other end of the bar and looking their way. 

When Chuuya glanced at them, they squealed and giggled. One of them also accidentally spilled her drink. 

Then the heiress pointed to another woman by the merch table. She pretended to be surveying the merchandise but she nervously glanced every once in a while at Chuuya. 

“Then there, there, there, and one by the stage,” Megumi pointed out all the women looking doey-eyed at Chuuya but perhaps too intimidated to approach him. 

“You will surely have bidders,” Megumi assured her. “Besides, I think Sigma already assigned a patron for you. The planted one who’s supposed to win you.”

“And it’s not you?”

Megumi shook her head. “I was assigned to the Prince from the very beginning so if I bid on another host, it will be too obvious that we planned the whole thing!”

“Do you know who the patron is?”

Megumi smiled but it was so mischievous and sly kind that Chuuya started to wonder if he should be seriously concerned about it. 

***

Aristov threw his phone across the room. It hit the wall and crashed the screen. It was the newest model but he could buy another one the next day. 

The Monte Carlo figurehead was back in his hotel room, holed up and avoiding the members of the press who never left the lobby. Some were already reporting that he was involved in the attack and that the kidnapping was staged. There were even reports saying the real target had been the hosts and the other VVVIPs.

With two tight fists, he banged his hands on the mahogany table.

“My own daughter! It’s those servants’ fault for putting things in her head…”

But who would have thought that the Dead Dragons were incompetent against a handful of men with special powers? They were all ex-military for chrissakes , he thought.

There was a knock on the door. It was his secretary again, anxious about what they needed to tell the company’s PR team. 

Aristov shouted from behind the door. “Call the crisis team and the legal team! And get me those papers related to the theme park!”

“Which theme park, sir?” The secretary asked from the hall. 

“The one here in Yokohama…. Oh, and call my ex-wife.”

He had lost this battle. He’d let his darling little Meg win… At least for now…

***

The stage had been set for the auction and all the guests were handed bid-paddles. The small stage was able to fit the hosts while Sigma stood in front of the stage while holding the microphone. 

In front of Sigma was a podium with a small gavel he could use to end bids. 

Behind him were the agency members and their reactions were varied. Some looked confused, others, worried, and only one of them looked visibly excited. For a lot of them, it was their first time participating in something like this. 

Dazai was at the farthest end, the very first to be auctioned. Beside him was Kunikida, followed by Atsushi, Junichiro, Tecchou, then Chuuya.

“Good evening — rather, good morning dear patrons! We thank you once again for your understanding about some diversions to the original plan of the night, but now, for the final event — the Immoral Auction!”

The audience cheered and clapped. The room was filling up. Even guests who were not interested in the hosts wanted to see the auction unfold. 

Sigma smiled as he continued hosting. “Whoever bids the highest on our hosts will get to spend the rest of the night with them… no hold barred!”

Megumi looked around and saw the other women fired up and determined to “buy” one of the hosts. She had been to auctions before of course. In several occasions, her family was even invited to inspect the lots before the actual auction. Of course, these were all art pieces and not people. A part of her questioned the morals of her peers, even if she knew everything was done in good fun. 

“We’ll start with the prince!” Sigma said and Dazai stepped forward. He did a regal bow before spinning and striking a pose, offering a single-stemmed rose to the crowd. Then he winked and all the women started screaming. 

Junichiro thought they could have been at a concert. When did they become like rock stars? He also wished no one was taking videos but it was too late. The guests, who were given their phones back, were now taking videos of the event. 

The Light Snow user gulped, afraid that Naomi would see him being auctioned off. He wasn’t truthful about his role in the night’s events as a host. If Naomi saw him being “auctioned off” he would be sleeping in the hallway for at least a month. 

Tecchou, on the other hand, still didn’t understand what was happening. Atsushi was relieved that the night was almost done. 

Chuuya surveyed the crowd, trying to decipher the identity of his buyer. He saw the several women who were looking at him rather suspiciously. He remembered them from his shift as a host. 

The woman in the crowd dressed like a cheerleader waved at him. Was she his patron? He remembered the cheerleader making a dirty joke when he was flying her around. Something like if he ever tried it in zero gravity. Chuuya refused to answer, but she said that she had tried it because of her profession as an astronaut. 

Sigma gestured to the hosts onstage. “Have one last good look at them, my dear clients, before you decide!”

Despite his fatigue, Sigma kept his energy up, driving the excitement of the crowd to even greater heights. 

“Now, for our Prince! We’ll start with 100,000.”

“100,000!” A woman at the back shouted as she raised her paddle.

“Is that in Japanese yen?” The girl beside her asked. 

“Euros, of course!” The woman replied, her paddle still raised.

“200,000!”

Sigma acknowledged the bid. "I hear 200,000. Do I hear 210,000?"

“250,000!” shouted someone in front. 

"We have 250,000. Do we have 260,000?"

“350,000!”

Megumi rolled her eyes. Small fish, she thought. Starting at 100,000 was an insult but Sigma insisted that not bidding seriously was part of the fun. Still, she couldn’t accept such a measly amount for Dazai. She stood up and raised her paddle. 

“A billion!” 

Loud gasps came from the crowd. 

“It’s Princess Meg!” 

“Of course she has that much money!”

Sigma looked around. No one else was betting anymore. “A billion! Going once, going twice, and sold to Megumi of the Monte Carlos!” 

Dazai winked at Megumi and she came up to the stage to claim her prize. They stayed for a while to take official photos before they stepped offstage. 

The two proceeded to the bar at the back of the room. Their role for the night isn’t done yet… 

“That went as planned,” Dazai said after he ordered a glass of whiskey.

“Thanks for saving me, Dazai-san. I realized I never properly thanked you.” Megumi leaned in and kissed his cheek. 

Dazai touched the part of his cheek that the princess kissed. He was caught off guard but who wouldn’t enjoy the warm lips of a beautiful woman? 

“All part of the job, princess.” Dazai winked. 

The girl giggled as she sipped on her cocktail, a sweet, fruity one with slices of strawberries. 

“Now we wait for a while, huh?” She asked as she watched Kunikida step in front. The old ladies already had their paddles raised. 

The nullifier nodded, smiling. Among the hosts, it was obvious that he was the one who was enjoying it the most. 

It was Kunikida’s turn to be auctioned off next. The starting bid was also at 100,000. An old lady raised her paddle. The audience clapped. 

“200,000!”

A familiar voice shouted from the right side of the room. It was Yosano, raising her paddle. She stepped forward like a warrior entering an arena. 

“That’s 200,000 from the doctor!” Sigma announced. “Do I hear 250,000?”

Kunikida stumbled back and glanced at Sigma who just nodded at him. Has the plan changed? He looked around the room for the madam who was supposed to win him. But she was nowhere in sight. 

Did she perhaps leave the Sky Casino already? And they needed a new winner? Yosano would be the best candidate, then.

Once things have calmed down, a third of the guests have left the casino — those whose families back on the ground worried for them after news of the attack. Some of those who were staying in the casino’s hotel have also retreated to their rooms. 

The old lady raised her paddle again. “500,000!” 

“That’s 500,000 from the good — ”

“1,000,000!” Yosano bellowed, raising her paddle even higher. 

What are you doing, Yosano-sensei?! 

Kunikida covered his mouth to cover the reaction he was making. Why were his cheeks feeling hot? He knew this was staged but seeing Yosano fired up made him feel things. He couldn’t accurately describe it but he liked the fact that Yosano was fighting someone else for him. 

The old lady did not back down. “1,550,000!”

The clients clapped. The bidding war reached 5 million, which Yosano won. The doctor shook the hand of the old lady before she went onstage. 

“No hard feelings, ma’am,” the doctor said. 

“You young folks have so much energy! And you looked very determined so I had to give it to you. He just… He just reminded me so much of my deceased husband. I was hoping to have one last meal with him.”

Yosano was moved by the old woman’s words. “I’m sure Kunikida wouldn’t mind another party at our dinner. I’ll make the arrangements.”

The old lady’s face brightened up. “Are you sure, doctor?”

“Of course! You don’t even need to pay or anything! It’s just Kunikida! He’ll do anything I tell him to do! Even if I have to drag him and push him around a bit…”

That moment, Kunikida met Yosano’s eyes and a flicker of excitement, a smile of sadism, let him know that his night was far from over.

***

The rest of the auction went by smoothly. As they had planned, Sigma’s friends who were pre-selected as winners bought the host club members. Junichiro was bought by an international celebrity who also owned production houses. The youngest daughter of a political family won Tecchou. Atsushi went to a European scientist. 

“Now for the last auction of the night — Mr. C, the gravity manipulator!”

There were loud cheers from the audience and both women and men started fighting even before the bidding started. 

“Oi! Oi! Calm down!” Chuuya couldn’t believe what was happening. Did he make such a big impression enough to warrant this reaction? He still didn’t know who his designated patron was. 

“Please, everyone, calm down…” Sigma urged his customers. “We need to proceed in an organized manner…”

“500,000!”

“No! No! 700,000!”

“850,000!”

Sigma tried his best to moderate and instill decorum in the auction that had gone wild. “Wait, ladies and gentlemen. I have to announce the bids formally.”

“1 million!”

Someone shouted from the back of the room, by the bar. 

Chuuya’s face turned white when he realized who it was — Dazai was smiling widely while holding Megumi’s paddle. The girl was giggling beside him. She was beside herself. 

Sigma nodded at Dazai. “We have a bid at one million.”

Wait! Is this part of the plan?! 

Some of the girls noticed Dazai bidding. There were audible whispers among the customers, which were drowned by excited screams.

“The prince is bidding!”

“He must really like Mr. C!”

“Is he buying using his own money? But isn’t he a detective in real life?”

“He must be using the Monte Carlo girl’s money…”

“I heard he’s actually from a very powerful political family with ties to the empress!”

“Yeah, for sure he’s having an affair with the empress too!”

“No, that’s not it! He was the youngest mafia executive in Japan!”

“Mafia? Isn’t he a detective?”

“One of my buddies saw him in an illegal poker match! He’s a high roller!”

“They say his brother is a Diet member…”

“Is he allowed to bid?”

“Who cares?! Maybe the Prince really likes Mr. C!”

“Oh. So he swings both ways huh? Maybe I should have bid on the prince too…”

The ladies continued swooning and imagining all types of illicit scenarios. Yosano tried to pick up the gossip as she discreetly walked around, dragging Kunikida with her. 

Chuuya was getting annoyed with all the comments he could hear. 

“Oi is that allowed?! That mackerel head isn’t allowed to bid right???!!”

Some of the ladies clapped and looked delighted at Chuuya’s reaction. Sigma was also confused but he was not complaining because the event was ending at a high note. 

What is wrong with these people?! And why is Dazai his patron? Couldn’t they get someone else? 

“Let him bid!”

“Oh my gosh look at Mr. C blushing!”

“I heard that!” Chuuya pointed to the woman. “This ain’t me blushin’!!! This is me gettin’ annoyed as hell!!!”

Chuuya’s reaction just fuelled the passion in some of the women and they bid more. But Dazai raised his paddle once again to outbid them. 

“10 million!” Dazai announced.

The crowd clapped and Sigma announced the bid. 

He was outbid by an older gentleman dressed in formal wear. “50 million!”

Dazai raised the paddle again and doubled the price. The women clapped and some of them even asked the gentleman to back down.

“Give him to the Prince!”

This agitated Chuuya more. “I’d rather go to anyone but him!!!” 

Sigma raised his gavel. “100 million… Do I hear 110? No? Going once… Going twice… And sold! Mr. C goes to the Prince!”

Dazai waved to the cheering crowd and smiled as he walked to the stage. His bejeweled cape glistened behind his graceful gait. He winked at some of the girls in the audience who was screaming his name. 

Tecchou approached Junichiro and Atsushi, calmly watching near the merchandise table. 

“Dazai-san looks like a celebrity,” he commented. “Is he like that all the time?”

Junichiro sighed. “Well, he never passes up the chance to flirt with beautiful women during our missions.”

Atsushi nodded. “I’ve seen it once or twice… Thrice… Uhh many times, actually.”

Kunikida, on the other hand, buried his face in his hands, feeling secondhand embarrassment from what was happening. He felt sorry for Chuuya but he was also thankful that it was Yosano who bid on him. 

Yosano elbowed him. “I had to fight Dazai to be your winning bid after your original patron decided to go home early. But in the end, Sigma said it would have been more strange if I bid on the mafia executive since I bought so much of your merch.” 

Then she took out the photo cards from her pocket.

Kunikida almost gasped. Dazai was supposed to bid on him? That would have been a nightmare! He stared at his partner as Dazai climbed up onstage once more and put an arm around Chuuya. 

Kunikida shivered. He made a mental note to buy the mafia executive a drink the next time he saw him. What a truly pitiful creature… To think he is still enduring Dazai’s antics when he has no formal obligation to… 

Up on stage, Chuuya removed Dazai’s arm around him and stepped away. Then the nullifier stepped closer and tried to grab Chuuya. This happened again and again. They ended up chasing each other onstage. 

The audience thought this was a performance and they started laughing and clapping. 

“Well, I officially own you, slug!” Dazai shouted as he chased Chuuya.

The gravity manipulator floated and stuck himself on the ceiling. “Shut up!!! It’s only for show!!! And don’t touch me!!! The event’s over too so ya can stay the fuck away from me and Megumi!”

“Ooohh… It’s really not over yet! The princess and I are really going on a date! Our time in the dungeon was cut short anyway. And if we do the things I know she wanted to do — ”

Chuuya flew down and grabbed Dazai by the collar of his coat. “Don’t ya dare lay a hand on her!”

“What if she falls for me and I become part of the Monte Carlo family? And since they’re a client of Port Mafia, that means I’ll be your boss and I can continue ordering you around!”

“Ya wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t take missions then!”

Sigma had to break up the fight after coming onstage. 

“That concludes the night, ladies and gentlemen! The game room will be open until the break of dawn, of course! And as for the winners and our hosts, we shall convene at the main restaurant for the start of your date. Once again, thank you for attending the Sky Casino’s relaunch party and we hope to see you at the next event!”

Chuuya looked around. “Oi, is there really goin’ to be a date?” He asked Dazai quietly. 

Dazai smirked. “Oh yeah, you didn’t know? We’re supposed to film scenes of a date and testimonials for a promo video.”

“This night isn’t over yet?!!”

NEXT CHAPTER: PROMO VIDEO AND PROMISES 

Chapter Text

The restaurant of the Sky Casino was prepped for romantic dates and photo shoots. 

Crystal chandeliers cast a golden, flattering light over the agency members and their dates. The windows, towering from floor to ceiling, revealed an impressive view of the sky. A million flickering stars decorated the windows like a painting. 

Each table was dressed in crisp white linen, adorned with roses and camellias. Attentive servers moved with grace, never lingering too long, giving couples the illusion of privacy amidst the luxury. Each table had its own private chef which they invited from different parts of the world. 

When each table had placed their order with their respective chefs and the appetizers arrived, Sigma ushered in the video team to start filming the agency members wining and dining the winning patrons of the Sky Casino event.

This was Sigma and Megumi’s idea to promote future events at the casino. A hidden agenda was also to tell the world that ability users are not the threats the Decay of Angels made them out to be. It didn’t hurt that the agency members were good-looking men and that could sway the opinion of the public. 

The air at Dazai and Chuuya’s table was already tense, but when Megumi left the dinner date early to assist Sigma, it left the ex-partners sitting in a silence that felt louder than words.

“Is she leavin’ just the two of us?” Chuuya asked as he finished his steak. 

Dazai shrugged as he chugged down his glass of whiskey. He had some soup and bread but other than that, he was more interested in the drinks. 

The gravity manipulator looked around, wary if people were looking at them funny. Sitting across each other with the flowers and the dinner and the romantic atmosphere was just too weird for him… especially with Dazai across him, his actual date. 

The nullifier set the glass down. “Why are you looking at me like that, slug?” 

“Like what?” 

“Like intensely,” Dazai replied. 

Chuuya pointed the knife at Dazai as if threatening to stab him repeatedly with it. “I’m not lookin’ at ya intensely!!!”

Dazai glanced around the restaurant and he stood up. “Whatever. I’m going to the toilet for a bit.” 

Chuuya relaxed as soon as Dazai left. His eyes settled on Sigma and Megumi coaching Junichiro at the table nearest them. 

Does he have to be in the video too?! 

***

Junichiro could imagine how Naomi would react if she were to learn that he had been a host and that he was going on a date with another woman. It was fake, but the food and the conversation were very real. It was a real date, no doubt. 

He was paired with a German actress who was famous for starring in art films, as well as Hollywood blockbusters. She also owned a film production company, a theater troupe, and an agency for social media influencers. 

She brought an interpreter but she told Junichiro that she was also trying to learn Japanese for an upcoming role in an international film. 

Junichiro was nervous and the older woman sensed this so she made light conversation with him when the cameras rolled. Still, the Light Snow user appeared tense in front of the camera. 

Sigma thought of a plan. He remembered what Dazai said during their training days. 

“Pretend Naomi-chan is in front of you, Tanizaki-kun,” Sigma suggested. 

The actress clapped her hands. “Yes! Like acting! I will help you!” 

“Is that his girlfriend?” Megumi asked and Sigma didn’t know how to answer her. 

Despite the words of encouragement, Junichiro got fixated on something else — “Naomi- chan ? Are you two close now?”

A cold tension crept in from Junichiro’s side, subtle but unmistakable. Sigma glanced over just in time to see the shift — Junichiro’s features had hardened, his eyes no longer warm but distant and stormy. Protective ? No, it was something more than that. It was jealousy.

“That’s what you always call her,” Sigma reasoned. “And I… I still don’t fully understand the intricacies of Japanese honorifics,” the Sky Casino added for good measure. 

Junichiro’s mood changed and he sported a smile once more. “Oh! That makes sense then! So, what did you want me to do?” 

Both Sigma and Megumi sighed in relief. For the next few minutes, they both coached Junichiro and the actress to act out a few scenes and also say a few words to the camera about their experience during the event. 

When they were done, Junichiro asked, “Out of curiosity, who will be seeing this video?” 

Megumi and Sigma exchanged glances and they both instinctively knew that they had to lie at that moment. 

“Oh… You know… People…” Megumi flashed her brightest smile.

“Just a small cohort… Investors and such…” Sigma clarified, trying his hardest to fake a smile. 

Junichiro exhaled sharply, his whole body seeming to deflate as tension melted from his face. “Well, as long as Naomi doesn’t see it…” 

*** 

The nearest toilet in the restaurant was located within the restaurant itself. But there was another one outside the establishment, on the same floor, and away from everyone else. 

There was only one person inside the men’s toilet at that time. He was washing his hands and ready to go back to the restaurant when the door swung open, revealing a woman. She came in and stood against the door to prevent others from entering. 

“Long time no see,” the young woman said. 

“I was trying to avoid you the whole night. I wasn’t expecting you to be one of the winners.”

“Oh relax, Shuu-shuu. I won’t tell anyone we’re related. By the way, Bunji-oniisama sends his regards.” 

“I know… I was in touch with him before I was sent to — ”

“We know.” 

“Well, don’t stay too close to me, okay? And pretend — ”

“I’m here for my job too.”

“The least you could have done was help us when the terrorists attacked.”

“I was tasked to observe the event until the end, nothing else. But I have to say, interesting friends you have.” 

“Don’t you go near them.” 

“Your little agency got involved in an international plot. Of course, the government is going to get involved. The palace is also alarmed.” 

“We fixed it.”

“There are talks of another Great War.”

“... You can’t be serious…” 

“When you’re done playing mafia or detective or prince or whatever else you think of next, you know you can always come home, right, Shuu-shuu?”

***

When Sigma and Megumi moved to Kunikida, Yosano, and the old lady who bid against the doctor, the team did not have a difficult time filming. Yosano and the old lady acted like gracious winners of the auction. Kunikida, though stiff, had given adequate answers during the short interview. 

The trio had their meal — they all ordered Japanese food — and the video team shot the exquisite-looking food as well as the lively conversations that ensued while dining. The old woman told the agency members about her late husband who ran a publishing company. 

Then, when they had finished their three-course meal, the old lady bid her erstwhile companions goodbye. She was ready to rest and she thanked the two of them for inviting her to their date. 

Kunikida couldn’t help blushing at the term, something the old lady took notice of. 

“My, you two are lively young people indeed!” Then she whispered into Kunikida’s ear — “Learn from my mistake, young man. Life is short so stay true to your feelings.” 

After that, she was escorted by her bodyguards back to her suite in the casino, leaving Yosano and Kunikida behind. 

“What did she say?” Yosano asked. 

“Uhh… Just a piece of advice about life,” Kunikida said. Technically, he didn’t lie. 

“How conveniently vague!” The doctor sighed as she sipped on her hot sake. 

Now that the old lady had left and Sigma and his crew were bothering another couple, the table fell silent. The last time Kunikida and Yosano were alone was the previous Christmas. It was something they never dared discuss with each other. 

The idealist glanced around and took note of the romantic setup of the restaurant, as well as the flower decor on each of the tables. 

“It feels like a real date,” he mused. 

“Don’t be weird about this,” Yosano replied before taking another sip of the clear liquid. 

Her gaze fell upon the other couples on their dates and everybody. The only other pair who looked more uncomfortable than them were Dazai and Chuuya. But Dazai had left to go somewhere and Chuuya was finally alone and enjoying himself, his meal, and his drink. 

The doctor let out a slow, strained sigh and glanced away, her jaw tightening as if holding back words she wasn’t sure how to say. 

“You know, what happened last Christmas was — ”

Of course, they were going to talk about it, Kunikida thought. The whole agency got preoccupied with many cases the past few months but they never acknowledged what happened that day… 

“A mistake,” Kunikida finished her sentence. “We were both drunk. And if I remember correctly, you went to my house without any warning.” 

She turned her back with a snap, lines of irritation forming across her forehead like a storm gathering just behind her eyes. Yosano could remember that day well. It was Christmas, she was feeling lonely, so she grabbed several bottles of wine and went to Kunikida’s place. She had no idea why Kunikida was the first person she thought about. 

Despite his initial shock and protest, Kunikida let her in. And they drank, talked, and drank some more until one thing led to another. When they woke up the next day, they were called to a crime scene. And they never talked about it. 

But every time Dazai or someone else teased Kunikida about his private life, the idealist put on the holier-than-thou attitude, which pissed Yosano off. And at that moment, he was doing it again. Kunikida noticed that she was starting to get annoyed. 

Kunikida knew he had to say something… Anything… He had to change the subject. 

The idealist downed a cup of sake before saying, “I never got to thank you for saving me.” 

“Save you?” She finally faced him. “You mean when I heal you? It’s my job.”

“I meant during the Decay of Angels case. You got shot trying to shield me from the bullets when we were trying to save the government officials.”

“Oh. I remember that… Well, you tried to save us all when you jumped out of that helicopter and tried to blow up that Hunting Dog.” She cocked her head towards Techhou’s table. 

Kunikida pushed his glasses back. “I was only doing my job.”

“Not gonna lie but I think about that constantly…” 

“What’s so amusing with my near-death stunt?”

Yosano bit her lower lip instinctively. “The way you jumped out screaming was very manly.” 

Kunikida could feel the heat again concentrated in his cheeks before traveling all around his body. 

Yosano seemed to notice this. “Are you blushing?”

“Why would I be blushing?! It’s this outfit… It’s hot and it’s — ”

Yosano started giggling. Kunikida thought it was adorable. Then the doctor wiped the tears forming at the sides of her eyes. 

“Kunikida, relax! You know, what happened that day is something we cannot undo. And I guess I just wanted you to acknowledge it. You may not be proud of what happened but I have feelings too. And it hurts when you act like nothing happened.”

“So what do we do?” Kunikida couldn’t look her in the eyes again. 

“Don’t ignore me.”

“I don’t.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I…" Kunikida sighed. "Okay…”

“It’s not like we’re going to tell everyone! And it’s not like we’re going to start dating…” Then Yosano gestured around their table. “And this doesn’t count.”

“Of course, it doesn’t,” Kunikida affirmed.  

Silence fell upon them again and some of the other guests started to leave, which they noticed. 

“So are you staying at the hotel tonight?” Kunikida asked.

“Most likely. Sigma could spare a room, for sure,” Yosano responded.

“Would you like to — ”

Kunikida stopped himself. Did he almost invite Yosano to stay over in his room? What’s gotten into him? The sake. That must be it. 

The doctor leaned in slightly, her brows lifting with interest as a playful smile tugged at her lips. 'Would I like to what?'"

“Nothing! Nevermind!” 

Yosano had to stop herself from giggling again. She knew exactly what Kunikida was trying to ask. 

“Who knows, I may stop by your room if I — ”

“Stop by?!”

“Well…”

And the doctor had fun teasing Kunikida for the rest of the night. 

***

Tecchou and his winning partner, the youngest daughter from one of Japan’s most powerful political families, were going to be filmed next. The young woman in her late twenties had dark hair and an even darker set of eyes. The team waited for her as she went to the toilet to fix her dress — a shiny ensemble made out of thousands upon thousands of pieces of mirrors. 

He reminded Tecchou of someone. He just couldn’t figure out who... And he had a gnawing, almost aching feeling that he had met the lady before… 

At first, Sigma and the crew shot scenes of the two having dinner and they were instructed to chat and laugh and look like they were having fun. 

The one holding the camera also took close-up shots of the food, but as soon as he saw what Tecchou was having — pesto pasta with a generous heaping of wasabi — he stopped filming. The poor crew member had to run to the toilet after inhaling the questionable smell coming from the innovative dish. And they had to stop filming while they waited for the cameraperson to recover. 

Despite the judgemental glances from anyone near enough to smell Tecchou’s special meal, his date didn’t seem to mind. In truth, she found the food combination quite interesting. 

“Suehiro-kun, why did you ask for wasabi when you’re eating pesto?” 

“They’re both green,” The Hunting Dog said this as if it was the most natural thing, most logical in the world.

“They also add a kick,” he added.

The girl covered her mouth and giggled. “You sure are an interesting one!” 

When the staff member in charge of the camera was finally back, Sigma and Megumi instructed the two to have an animated discussion about food. After they had filmed more scenes, as well as a short interview with the girl, the two were finally left alone. 

“Okay now that the cameras are gone, we can have a proper conversation.” The lady smiled warmly, genuinely at him this time. Her teeth were the color of pearls and sparkled brightly. 

Tecchou returned her smile. “What would you like to talk about, madame? I assume you’re not so much older than me.” 

She sipped her white wine, delicately lifting the glass from the table. “No, no I’m not, and we have met each other before, but I doubt you remember it…”

The Hunting Dog was expecting it but he was unprepared for the response he was given.

“It was briefly, at the palace,” the girl mentioned.  

The Hunting Dog almost dropped his fork. She knows… 

“W-what do you know about my time there?”

“Oh dear, so you really don’t know?” 

He shook his head. “Were you in the imperial palace for some time too?” 

There was a time, right after the war, when the palace scouted for gifted children and they were tested and trained inside its facilities. 

“I was there briefly to attend a party as a special guest of the empress, Lady Murasaki,” the girl explained. “So you really don’t know huh?” 

“I’m afraid I don’t, madame.” 

“Well, let me ask you this — do you feel like you’ve seen the nullifier Dazai Osamu before?” 

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have an inkling we have encountered each other before. I never brought it up with him because he acts like he doesn’t know me.” 

The girl nodded as if to sympathize with him. “I’m afraid I’m bound not to say anything more. If you want to ask anyone, perhaps you can go ask the nullifier.” 

Tecchou could see the back of Dazai’s head from where he sat. Then he realized what the girl reminded him — it was Dazai. There were features in his face that were similar to the girl’s and they had the same aura about them — seductive, mysterious, with a hint of danger. 

“Do you know Dazai-san?”

The girl merely smiled at him and she changed the subject. She never brought the subject up again, and for some reason, Tecchou forgot about it as well. 

***

Megumi and Sigma also had an easy time filming Atsushi and his date, the scientist. The latter was quite interested of Atsushi’s ability so they spent dinner like an interview. 

After they stopped filming, the woman chatted with Megumi, whose mother knew the prominent and award-winning scientist. 

Sigma took this opportunity to give his crew a short break and the casino manager found himself thanking Atsushi once again. 

“What a wild night huh?” Atsushi sighed, finally feeling his body relax. “And I feel like it’s my fault, really. If only I had gone back to the host club lounge once I saw the people missing from the control room instead of going after the terrorist myself…” 

Sigma’s eyes widened at this new information. “Did you say the staff was missing from the control room when you were there?” 

“Yes, no one was there. That’s why I wrote the coded message on the wall…”

Sigma froze. Something was not making sense… 

“The staff was there when I got there,” Sigma repeated.

“That’s impossible. I checked the room.” Atsushi searched his memory if he left out an important detail. “What if they were hiding somewhere? Is there a trap door inside the control room?”

“None,” Sigma replied. “Besides, they were all passed out when I saw them.”

“Did someone move them?” Atsushi asked. 

As if on cue, the head guard Kato approached Sigma. Kato had the uncanny ability to sense if something was up and he was not wrong this time either. 

Sigma asked Kato to round up the staff assigned to the main control room during the time of the attack and to question them if they remembered what happened. 

The man nodded and proceeded to exit the restaurant. Though tense, Sigma had to finish filming other scenes called outtakes as well as different details inside the restaurant. 

The team was almost done when Kato and two other guards returned. He relayed the information that the staff members don’t remember anything. However, when Kato and his team swept the room for clues, they found an interesting item on the floor of the control room. 

Kato handed Sigma an eye patch styled like a glass mask, decorated with a suit of black diamonds. 

Atsushi froze. “Isn’t that — ?”

Sigma gritted his teeth. “Yes, it’s Nikolai’s.” 

The boy tiger looked around in panic. “Was he here? Is he still here?”

“I’ve already alerted the rest of the security team,” Kato said. 

Sigma nodded, thankful for his head guard’s efficiency. “And I’ll tell the agency members discreetly. But if he wanted to make a move, he should have done so by now…”

“Is he still a threat?” Atsushi asked. 

Nikolai Gogol, a former member of the Decay of Angels, disappeared when the demon Fyodor was killed… or so they thought. Though there have been witnesses to Fyodor’s death, Nikolai fervently believed his friend-nemesis was still alive, somewhere.

The last time Sigma and Nikolai spoke, the jester told him that he would go look for Fyodor. 

But what was Nikolai doing at the Sky Casino that night?

***

As soon as Kyouka and Lucy ended their call with Atsushi, the driver spoke up unexpectedly, catching them both off guard.

“What a good-looking boy! So whose boyfriend is that?”

His tone was upbeat yet calm. The driver appeared to be in his late twenties. He had a short bob and dark eyes. He was one of the drivers of the Special Operations Division and he was tasked to bring the girls home. 

Kyouka didn’t sense any bloodlust in him but there was still something unnerving about the man. And her instincts as a former assassin never failed her. 

Lucy waved her arms around as she blushed at the man’s question. 

“Not a boyfriend! Not at all! More like a colleague… sometimes… Former enemy! It’s complicated! What’s it to you anyway, old man?!” 

“Didn’t I hear that he will go home to one of you?”

“We share a dormitory, that’s all,” Kyouka replied. 

Then Kyouka’s suspicions got the better of her. 

“Actually, can you drop us off at the next corner?” the girl requested. 

“What?!” The driver glanced at them from the rearview mirror. “But I was tasked to bring the two of you directly home!”

Kyouka assessed the view outside. They were in the city’s tourist district but most of the establishments were already closed. 

“I forgot that we had to drop by somewhere else too,” Kyouka lied. 

“At this time at night? Leave you two girls alone?!”

Kyouka readied her daggers in case the driver would make a move. “We’re members of the Armed Detective Agency. We’ll be fine,” she said as polite as she could.

Lucy pulled Kyouka closer to her and whispered, “Hey pipsqueak! What are you doing? I just want to go home!” 

She gave the older girl a knowing look. “Trust me.”

The driver sighed. “Well, if it’s work-related, I cannot argue with that.”

He slowed down and dropped them off the next street, in front of an Irish bar that was about to close. 

The driver rolled his window down to speak to them for one last time. “Well, you girls take care now! You never know what kind of dangers are lurking in the dark…” And he laughed as he sped off. 

At the next stop, the driver took off his mask. In one smooth motion, Nikolai Gogol ripped the latex off his face. 

“Yaaaaayyyyyy free car!!!” 

The fomer Decay of Angels member infiltrated the casino days before the agency members set up their plan. As soon as he heard about the party, Nikolai knew that there were going to be gatecrashers. He hoped Fyodor would be one of them. Or if he didn’t show up, he could always check the information the casino and agency members had on his friend. He disguised himself as a staff member working in the main control room.

Unfortunately, his days of spying proved to be in vain. And what’s worse, the casino was attacked by another group that was not connected to Fyodor. Though they carried the same principles, most of them were mere opportunists. 

Before Nikolai sensed the attack in the main control room, he knocked out his colleagues and brought them all to another room using his space manipulation ability. Once the terrorists were gone, he brought them back. And it was easy acting like he was knocked out along with them. 

Then he volunteered to accompany the terrorists back to the ground and it was simple enough borrowing the identity of a Special Operations Division worker once he was back on the ground. He recognized the detective agency girls and he offered to drive them home. 

He hoped to get more gossip from the girls but they proved to be no help. 

“Oh well! I’ll just have to keep my eye on them some more!”

And he whistled a tune as he drove off into the night.

***

Atsushi’s phone rang just in time. 

“Kyouka-chan!!!”

“Lucy and I got off the Special Operations Division car. Our driver was weird. He — ”

Atsushi could also hear Lucy complaining in the background about being too sleepy and tired to even move. 

“Oh thank goodness!” Atsushi exclaimed. “Listen, Kyouka-chan, the Decay of Angels member Nikolai was also at the event.”

“Fyodor’s lackey?” Kyouka asked. 

They met once — at the start of the Decay of Angels case when Nikolai kidnapped the government officials. 

Could their driver have been him? Did he infiltrate the Special Operations Division too? Kyouka shared her suspicion with Atsushi just in case. The weretiger made a mental note to share this information with the others. Now, he was more concerned about the safety of the girls. 

“Kyouka-chan, how will you and Lucy-chan get home now?” 

“I called Ranpo and Poe’s driver is on his way to pick us up,” the girl informed him. “We’ll spend the night at his place. He said something about a pajama party…” 

“That’s good, that’s good!” Atsushi sighed loudly. “I don’t think I can leave just yet but I’ll see the two of you soon, okay?”

Atsushi clutched his phone to his chest as soon as he ended the call. Everyone is safe for now and that’s all that matters…

***

“That took a while,” Chuuya remarked once Dazai got back from the toilet. 

“I had to vomit after sitting with you for so long!”

“Why d’ya bid on me as a date then??!!!”

Dazai smiled his usual smile that hid a plethora of intentions and secret plots. Chuuya was never able to fathom it and he doubted anyone ever came close. 

“Why do you think?” The nullifier asked. 

“I’m not interested in yer mind games, ya damn mackarel!” 

“Suit yourself!”

The wait staff brought in more side dishes to Dazai and Chuuya’s table. Dazai sent back some of them, remarking if the chef could add more MSG. 

“Without the princess here, it’s fuckin’ weird just the two of us,” the gravity manipulator said under his breath.

Chuuya downed another glass of wine. If he was going to get through this, he needed to be loaded with alcohol. 

Dazai grabbed the bottle of alcohol away from his ex-partner. 

“Hey, slow down, slug!!! Are you expecting the princess to carry you home?” Then Dazai narrowed his eyes at the gravity manipulator. “Or is this an excuse so you can crash at my place instead?”

“Say that again an’ I’m gonna stab ya with this steak knife!” 

Dazai kept the bottle of wine away. “What a violent date!” 

“Stop sayin’ that!!!” 

“Say what?!”

“That term…”

“What term?”

Chuuya lowered his head and his voice. “ Date or somethin’...” 

Dazai grinned and said in a loud voice — “What’s wrong with date ?”

“Because it’s not a real one okay??!” Chuuya growled. “When are we gonna stop this nonsense anyway? After they take a few videos of us? And doncha dare think I’ll let ya film me!!!”

The nullifier rolled his eyes. “Don’t you think I know that? I already told Sigma to cut us out of the promo video…”

Chuuya paused. He didn’t expect this at all… “So they won’t take videos of us?”

“You’re a member of the mafia and I don’t think Mori-san would appreciate one of his executives being a star of a promo video that will be broadcast internationally.” Dazai tapped on his right temple. “I still remember Port Mafia protocol, you know? I wrote a lot of them myself.”

Dazai continued rambling, a part of him pleased that he made Chuuya speechless. 

“It’s the least I can do after you helped us,” the nullifier continued. “So just enjoy the food and the wine.” 

Chuuya was still speechless but he managed a nod to convey his thanks. 

Just then, their plates were taken and they were served dessert — fruit tarts of every kind. 

“We’ve eaten together before,” Dazai reminded his ex-partner. "Don’t be weird about it! Plus the princess is almost done so she’ll be back here! And you’re only here as her bodyguard anyway. You can go once she’s also done with the video.”

Chuuya noticed that ever since Dazai got back to their table, something changed. Though he acted like his usual insufferable self, something was bubbling under the surface — something was troubling him. 

“Oi, mackerel, ya okay?” Chuuya finally asked. 

“What do you mean?”

“Something’s botherin’ ya. Not that I care, of course!” 

“You. Sitting here with you has been bothering me this whole time.”

“Can you cut it? I’m bein’ serious here!” 

Dazai pursed his lips and his grasp on his glass tightened, almost squeezing it. The gravity manipulator was worried his former partner might even break it. 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” 

Chuuya knew Dazai was lying, of course. But before he could ask him again, Megumi found her way back to their table. 

“Sorry that took a while but we’re finally done with all the scenes we needed to film.” She motioned for the nearby wait staff to pour her another glass of rose. “So what did I miss? Enjoying your date, boys? It’s a shame we couldn’t film the two of you!!!” 

“It’s not a date!!!” Chuuya said as he aggressively sliced his strawberry tart. 

Dazai, on the other hand, leaned in closer to Megumi with a mischievous glint in his eye. He carefully sliced through a blueberry tart with his fork. With deliberate gentleness, he lifted a perfect bite — crust, cream, and fruit balanced just right — and held it up to Megumi’s lips.

“You’ve been working the whole night, princess. You deserve a little treat,” he said, voice soft and teasing.

Megumi leaned in, accepting the piece. And she licked her lips suggestively after. 

Chuuya rolled his eyes. “If ya two are gonna flirt, leave me outta it!”

“Jealous, Chuuya?” Dazai picked up another scoop and offered it to his ex-partner. It was an unusually large slice that would undoubtedly choke Chuuya if he took it. “Here you go! Open wide!” 

“What the hell!” Chuuya swatted Dazai’s hand away and the piece of tart fell on the table, soiling the expensive linen. 

Dazai huffed. “Kids! Haven’t you ever been told not to play with food? And we’re in a high-class establishment too!” 

The princess laughed at the two, amused by how comfortable they were with each other. Chuuya had been her bodyguard for a few occasions before but she had never seen him act like this. He was acting unguarded, relaxed even. 

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen Chuuya-san having fun!”

Chuuya looked at her as if she lost her mind. “Ya think this is me havin’ fun?!” 

Megumi thought it was obvious. “Yes, 100%!”

Dazai stretched his legs and he looked around. The camera crew was packing up. The agency members and winners were also finishing dessert. The night was winding down. 

Sigma approached their table. Dazai noticed he had spoken to Kato, the head of security, before that. Despite mastering the art of donning a poker face in tense situations, Dazai knew that their newbie detective had something stressing him out. 

“Dazai-san, Chuuya-san, Megu-chan, thank you again for all your help!”

“It’s not like I had a choice!” Chuuya crossed his arms. “My boss’ orders were to protect the princess and our goals merely aligned.” 

“Still, thank you.” Sigma bowed. “And I hope you enjoyed the meal that our chef from France prepared for you.”

Chuuya looked away to hide a blush. “Uhh yeah… Thanks… It was good…” 

“And Megu-chan, I’ll send you the raw footage tomorrow but you can expect the first edit by next week.” 

“No rush, Sigma-san! I’ll be quite busy dealing with my father the next few days, anyway,” Megumi said.

“You know that you’ll always have an ally with me, right?” Sigma smiled. 

The girl nodded and she took another bite of her tart. 

Then the casino manager turned to his colleague. “Dazai-san, may I have a word? Privately?”

Dazai nodded and followed Sigma to an area of the restaurant that was outside the earshot of the guests who stayed. 

The two were soon joined by Kunikida and Yosano. Sigma were showing something to them but they were too far away and neither Megumi nor Chuuya could see it. 

“I wonder what that is,” Megumi thought aloud. 

Chuuya downed the rest of his wine. “Who cares? It doesn’t concern us.”

Megumi’s phone lit up with a message from her father. He tentatively agreed to her terms but their teams of lawyers would be discussing the agreement and inheritance first thing that morning.

The girl smiled, confident in her victory. 

“Somethin’ good happen?” Chuuya asked, noticing her sunny mood. 

“I think I won myself a theme park!” 

And she stood up and announced to everyone — 

“Who wants VIP passes to my theme park?” 

BONUS CHAPTER: SOCIAL MEDIA STARS

Chapter Text

Naomi gasped as she stood up from her chair and waved to everyone in the room. 

That afternoon, almost everyone in the detective agency was inside the office, with the exception of Ranpo, who had been assigned to a case. 

“What is it, Naomi?” Kunikida asked. 

“Sigma sent the copy of the promo video!” Naomi said, who was met with blank stares from her colleagues. “Do you guys remember the Sky Casino event?” 

“Oh, yeah… That…” Kunikida pushed his glasses back. “It’s been a while.”

“I heard they had to do special effects and film more scenes in the casino and edit it several times too,” Dazai chimed in from his desk. He was staring at the window outside. 

“Weren’t you going out with that heiress?” Kunikida asked his partner, remembering the night’s events and the times Dazai gloated about going on dates the weeks after.

The nullifier shrugged. “It was just a casual thing! I think she’s going out with some director now!”

“Oh…” Kunikida said. “I’m sorry.” 

Dazai waved him off. “It’s okay! It was never serious! I don’t think I can be with someone so high-profile! Plus that slug kept following us around as her chaperone! Such a mood killer!” 

Kunikida felt sympathetic towards Dazai’s former partner. It would be his nightmare if he was asked to chaperone Dazai on any type of date. “It’s for the best, Dazai. Never mix business with pleasure.”

Yosano sighed a very loud, audible sigh that even Atsushi, who was farthest from her, noticed.

Naomi brought her laptop to Kunikida’s desk and the rest of the agency members — Atsushi, Kenji, Kyouka, Junichiro, Yosano — followed her. 

“This ad is supposed to be playing all around the world today as well!” 

Smiling, Naomi pressed play on the video. 

Upbeat music played in the background as a drone video of the Sky Casino comes into view. The establishment looks like a floating castle in the sky with its new design. 

“The Sky Casino welcomes you back…” 

A montage of the interior of the casino starts playing. There were close-ups of the roulette tables, the slot machines, the bar, and of the prestigious guests enjoying the amenities of the hotel.

“Enjoy the thrill of the game…"

Guests and dealers are shown in the game room. Some of the guests are in high spirits after winning a big bet.

“Take part in our special events…”

Scenes from the Lose Yourself event started playing. There was a wide shot of the host club lounge where the agency members are on their respective couches and entertaining the guests — Tanizaki doing his illusions, Kunikida materializing flowers from his notebook, Atsushi showing off his tiger ears, Tecchou growing his sword. 

“With our gracious hosts and special guests…”

Scenes from the date now flashed on the screen. Junichiro, Kunikida, Atsushi, and Tecchou were shown sitting with their dates. With Kunikida are Yosano and the older lady. Junichiro was laughing with his date, another girl.

“Ohh…” Naomi put a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Nii-sama, you didn’t say you were going on a date…”

Junichiro contained his shivers and put on his most deadpan face. “It wasn’t. It was all staged!” 

“So it was acting?” More lines appeared on Naomi's forehead.

Junichiro gulped. “Uhh… Uh-huh…”

Dazai leaned in and whispered. “Buddy, you need to learn how to put on a better poker face,” he told Junichiro. 

Then Atsushi noticed something — none of the scenes contained Dazai. 

“Dazai-san, you’re not in any of the scenes…” 

The nullifier shrugged. “The internet is not ready for my wonderful charming face! Can you imagine all the women who may leave their boyfriends and husbands just trying to get a piece of me? I mean, I’ll have more options for partners for my double suicide but… But I’m afraid of being confused and having too many options!!! Ahhh… It’s too much!!!” 

“But still, you were the prince during the event. It seems like a wasted opportunity,” the weretiger thought aloud.

Dazai hugged his shoulders and swayed. “If I was in the video, I would be such a distraction! Ohh ladies! Just come at me one by one! Don’t! Don’t push one another!” 

Kenji laughed at Dazai’s acting and imaginary scenario. Kunikida wanted to hit Dazai but got distracted by their door suddenly opening. 

“Hey were kitty! Your commercial is all over the internet and people are gushing over your kitty ears!!!”

Lucy barged in, phone in hand. In her hand was her phone, flashing the screen of her social media. It was filled with screenshots of Atsushi and his tiger ears. 

“Oohh…” Kyouka’s face reddened but she didn’t say anything else. 

“P-people are posting that? It’s too embarrassing!” Atsushi covered his face. 

“Ssshh! You kids! Tone it down a bit!” Yosano warned them. “Kunikida’s part is coming up!” 

The commercial was still playing, which was now showing interviews of both hosts and guests. The old woman who was with Kunikida and Yosano was saying how respectful and gracious Kunikida was as a host. 

After her interview, Kunikida was shown sharing his thoughts.

“We are the designated hosts for this event and you may recognize us as members of the Armed Detective Agency. We’re here to show the world that we’re safe and friendly and that our priority is to protect civilians, both ability users and non-ability users,” the idealist said. 

Then Sigma and Megumi were shown on screen. The two were smiling and standing side-by-side in the manager’s office. They were dressed in their outfits during the Lose Yourself event.

“There have been debates as of late about ability users and if they can truly live peacefully with normal human beings,” the girl started. “We want the Sky Casino to be a neutral zone where anyone is welcome and peace and harmony exists between ability users and non-ability users! 

“The Sky Casino’s doors will always be open for people to indulge, enjoy, and forget all the world’s problems,” Sigma followed. “We welcome you back and we hope that you visit us soon!” 

Kenji started clapping as soon as the video faded to black. “I’ll have to tell Tecchou-san how cool he looked in the video too!” 

The agency door opened once more and Ranpo, Poe, and Mushitaro came in. 

“We’re back! And you’ve all just finished watching the video advertisement for the Sky Casino!”

“Welcome back, Ranpo-san and friends!” Dazai called. 

“Don’t lump us in all like that! We’re not like some background dancers!” Mushitaro said.

“Well, watching time is over. Go back to your seats and do your work!” Kunikida barked at everyone. 

Naomi was still shooting daggers at Junichiro. Atsushi and Kyouka were hunched over Lucy’s phone as she scrolled through more photos of Atsushi. 

Kenji was on the phone with Tecchou. Ranpo asked people who wanted to join them for a quick snack in the cafe downstairs.

The phone started ringing. 

“This is the Armed Detective Agency,” Kunikida said upon picking up. “No, ma’am. We’re not really host club hosts… Uhhh yes thank you. Yes, yes. Well, we’re a detective agency. No, we don’t do birthday parties, sorry, unless you want us to be there for protection and you have reason to believe your life is in danger… Oh, we’ll send you our rates then. Uh-huh… Uh-huh…”

“Looks like that ad has also benefited us in a way,” Yosano mused. 

As soon as Kunikida put the phone down, it rang again. 

“This is the Armed Detective Agency,” the idealist said again on cue. “Yes, ma’am. We’re the ones in the video. Uhm excuse me? Oh. Well, yes, I am single. Ma’am, do you want us to investigate a case or — ?”

“Kunikida’s going to be so busy!” Dazai giggled with glee.  

“By extension, us, too,” Junichiro replied, scratching the back of his head. 

“We’re getting plenty of e-mails as well,” Naomi said as she clicked through her laptop. “I need to filter the requests first. Make sure there are no special requests for dates for nii-sama…”

“Oh, c’mon, Naomi, it wasn’t a real date!” 

“Well, we’re headed off to the cafe now!” Ranpo waved to the rest. 

Poe, Mushitaro, Lucy, Kyouka, and Atsushi were right by his tail. 

“Before you all go,” Dazai started as he checked his phone. “You better hear this…”

***

“Boss, one of our clients sent us tickets to the opening of her theme park. It will be in the next few weeks…”

On the topmost floor of the headquarters of the Port Mafia, Mori Ougai and Nakahara Chuuya were admiring the setting sun. They were talking about something else, missions they wanted to give their new executive, but they were interrupted by a message sent by one of their clients. As thanks for saving her during the Sky Casino reopening, Megumi sent an invite to Port Mafia. 

“It’s that Monte Carlo girl, isn’t it?” Mori turned to Elise. “What do you think, Elise dear? Do you want to go to the theme park? We can shop for a new dress!”

The blonde girl rolled her eyes as she continued coloring her new book. “You’ll just spend the whole day taking photos of me! Hmph!”

“Don’t be like that, Elise dear!” Mori stopped, then cleared his throat. “How many tickets were sent?”

Chuuya scrolled through his phone to make sure he was reading the message correctly. “It says here we can request however many VIP tickets we please…”

“That’s wonderful! Perhaps we can extend the invitation to others like Akutagawa, Higuchi, oh and don’t forget to invite the new executive!”

“Ya sure, boss?”

“Positive.”

***

“VIP passes to a theme park! Yaaaayyy!” Kenji bounced up and down like an excited little kid. 

“The opening is weeks from now,” Dazai clarified. “We need to provide her with names and the day we want to go.”

“It would be difficult to give names since we may be busy with cases that could extend weeks,” Yosano said as she glanced at Kunikida and Noami talking to potential customers over the phone and online. 

Junichiro was massaging Naomi’s shoulders as part of his penance for keeping details about the case and host club. 

“I’ll tell the princess we’ll send her names closer to the opening,” Dazai said, nodding. 

“It’s so exciting! I’ve never been to a theme park!” Kenji clapped his hands for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. “There are so many exciting scenes in the city I have yet to see!”

“M-me too,” Atsushi chimed in. 

Kyouka raised her hand to say she hadn’t been to one as well and Lucy was taken aback.

“Never... ever?!” The former Guild member covered her mouth, feeling sorry for her fellow orphans. “At least my orphanage brought me and the other kids to one!”

“Karl and I have never been to one either,” Poe said in almost a whisper. The raccoon perched on his shoulder made sad little noises, confirming this statement. 

“I don’t find that surprising at all,” Mushitaro said under his breath. 

“Well, that’s settled!” Ranpo said. “Everyone is going to this new theme park! But right now, let’s go to the cafe! I’m starving!” 

Before the first batch could leave, Naomi gestured for everyone to stay behind for a while. “All of you have to see this! We’re trending!!!” 

“What?” Yosano asked, running over to her and looking at the younger woman’s screen. 

“What does that mean?” Atsushi asked. 

“The ad became viral,” Naomi explained. “Everyone is talking about the handsome hosts and detectives all over social media!” 

Even Kyouka was interested and read the posts about the agency members:

The one with glasses in formal wear is so hot! #ADAHostClubinSkyCasino

DUDE THATS MY MATHEMATICS TEACHER 

I heard there were other good-looking hosts during the event! One of my friends was able to go and she said she had never seen so many handsome men in her life! #SkyCasino 

Time to commit a crime and let the handsome detectives chase after me! 

Whos this cutie?!?!?! (A photo of Atsushi is attached) 

Is the illusion guy single? 

The one in gym shorts is so freakin’ hot like he can grow his sword anytime #Doggiewithmilitarydog 

So... My cat is missing... Is this a valid excuse to call the detectives?

Why isn’t Dazai in the ad? Does anyone know his new number? Or address? #needhelpfindingdazai 

More screenshots of the promo video circulated on other social media sites all over the world. Naomi switched between tabs and read the funny posts aloud. 

“Well, I guess we better be careful when we go out from now on!” Yosano said. “Especially the boys!”

Atsushi gulped. “W-what?!”

Yosano winked at her younger colleague. “You’re all bonafide social media stars!” 

“We’ll definitely cause a riot when we go to the theme park now,” Ranpo said with certainty. 

“But we still have to go, right?” Kenji asked with a hint of worry in his voice. 

“Of course we’ll go!” Dazai said. “I’m sure we’ll have more fun since everyone’s coming too! Everyone !”