The rest of the competition was never in doubt. After Izayoi Sakamaki and Black Rabbit fought to a draw, and Yō Kasukabe and Asuka Kudō won their matches, Izayoi saw through the ringmaster's tricks and Gift ability, then scared off all the spectators. When the ringmaster finally lost his temper and attacked with the others, Izayoi and his companions joined forces and smashed the tent. At last, the incident was drawing to a close.
By then, thanks to Shirayuki-hime and Leticia, who had arrived with Russell, everyone finally understood that everything before them had been nothing more than a disguise created by a clown's Gift ability.
It turned out that this city, like the community known as the "Star of Trickery," had been destroyed countless years ago.
Although the community had perished, the clown with the special ability had continued to wander here like a ghost. Or, perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had been a ghost all along.
In any case, he had cleverly used his ability to disguise the city and controlled countless puppets to create both the city and the circus. He had drawn in tourists and spectators from all over the Little Garden, then picked out those he considered valuable, kidnapped them, and forced them into Gift Games. Finally, he absorbed them into the long-destroyed circus and turned them into puppets, strengthening the community called the "Star of Trickery"—though it was really a "Ghost."
His actions had continued for many years. No one knew how many innocent people he had absorbed. If he hadn't chosen Black Rabbit this time, drawing Annie, Shirayuki-hime, Izayoi, and the others into it, his sinister scheme and the chilling legend surrounding it might have continued, with people going missing in Little Garden one after another.
Unfortunately for him,