Late at night in Shinjuku, Furuya Rei crossed the dance floor awash with the scent of perfume, lowered the brim of his hat, and took a seat at the bar.
"Is the plan going smoothly, Mr. Furuya?" Yuya Kazami, seated beside him in a suit, raised his glass to cover his mouth as he spoke.
"One Scotch Whisky." Furuya Rei raised a hand and spoke to the bartender before glancing at Yuya Kazami. "Everything is going smoothly for now, but Tang Ze Zhao's relocation plan must be accelerated."
Yuya Kazami froze for a moment, then asked nervously, "Did something change?"
"He may really have the key technology in his hands." Remembering Tang Ze Zhao's expression that evening, Furuya Rei tapped his fingertips against the table. "Even though I'm a 'middleman' to him now, he avoided discussing his parents' research. That alone says a great deal."
Yuya Kazami swirled his drink and said dejectedly, "But the investigation is progressing slowly. We've only found a few minor peripheral lackeys, and information about the higher-ups is still unclear. Headquarters is short on manpower in Kyoto. If we begin the relocation now, the risk of exposure will be high."
Furuya Rei accepted the drink he had ordered, his expression far from relaxed. "I found out about Rye's recent plans. In a few days, he'll be going out on a mission with Gin. The surveillance around Tang Ze Zhao will have a gap then. That will be the best time to move him, and the opportunity will be fleeting."
After working overtime all day, Yuya Kazami rubbed his forehead, feeling that he would probably be living at the Metropolitan Police Department for the next few days.
First there were anonymous online exchanges, then endless news of solving cases and rescuing people. That guy was far too restless. Now, whenever Yuya Kazami saw the two characters Tangze, his heart would start racing on reflex, and he had a dreadful premonition that he would work himself to death.
But faced with his devilish superior's scrutinizing gaze, he could only grit his teeth and answer, "Understood. I'll begin carrying it out as soon as possible."
"How is the investigation into the ruins of the Tangze residence going?" Furuya Rei had no intention of letting his subordinate off and immediately moved on to the next task.
"We didn't find anything useful. Before the fire, the house had probably already been emptied out."
"Furniture, personal belongings, books, research materials—those things take up considerable space. Didn't moving them attract the neighbors' attention?"
"During those days, there was a construction accident nearby. Workers following the wrong blueprints dug up and severed the residents' cables. Municipal trucks were constantly coming and going throughout the entire neighborhood, so no one noticed the moving activity."
Impeccable. Furuya Rei's expression darkened as he guessed whose handiwork this might have been.
Mobilizing connections on such a grand scale just to crush a minor went far beyond simply coveting some technology. The organization's needs were probably not the only thing at work here. It was likely also the personal inclination of whoever was in charge. Perhaps the member responsible had a private grudge against Tangze's parents and was using the organization's resources to vent it by tormenting Tang Ze Zhao in every way possible.
The more he thought about it, the more difficult Tang Ze Zhao's situation seemed.
He did not continue talking with Yuya Kazami. They silently finished their drinks.
Furuya Rei rose first, set down the payment and tip, pushed them to the edge of the bar, and turned to leave.
Only after he had completely left did Yuya Kazami reach beneath the tabletop where he had been sitting, pull down a folder containing papers, and tuck it into the briefcase on his lap.
This was a recording of Mr. Furuya's conversation with Tang Ze Zhao after dinner, along with a rough compilation of the case subjects' characteristics based on Tang Ze Zhao's description. The thin folder was not heavy in his hands, yet Yuya Kazami felt his shoulders slump.
Why was there more and more work? What a miserable overtime life...
While two nocturnal overtime workers met up at a bar, Tangze, who had fallen into a deep sleep, was also in his own bar.
He stared directly at Lavenza with an unfriendly look and said through gritted teeth, "I'm Shuichi Akai's cousin and Shiho Miyano's cousin. What a surprise, huh?"
Lavenza braced himself against the bar, laughing so hard his shoulders kept shaking. "Isn't that great? You don't even need to go out of your way to latch onto people. Your Tarot cards are flying toward you one after another."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Tangze slapped the table irritably, steadied his breathing, and grew slightly more serious. "It looks like you know much more than I do. So, as expected, I'm not the one with the ability to wield Personas. The original 'Tang Ze Zhao' had the talent to awaken, and my parents' research really worked, didn't it?"
Lavenza claimed that he only knew what Tangze knew, but it seemed his Velvet Room assistant definitely possessed information Tangze did not yet have.
It could have been memories of Tang Ze Zhao that had not surfaced. Tangze could not remember them, but Lavenza might know everything clearly.
More than that, Lavenza might not have appeared only after Tangze had crossed over. Perhaps he had been watching Tang Ze Zhao ever since Tang Ze Zhao possessed the "wild" trait unique to protagonists.
"Don't always see yourself as a passing intruder who has taken over someone else's nest. Perhaps the overwhelmed 'Tang Ze Zhao' willingly gave himself up and chose you?" Lavenza poured him a drink and said casually, as if making small talk. "Being a guest of the Velvet Room is no easy task either. Like you now, my guest, you are not qualified to dream."
"Trading one's life for a beautiful dream?" Tangze looked at the glass filled with whisky and sighed. "Come to think of it, Velvet Room residents have Tarot cards too, right? What is your Tarot, Lavenza?"
Lavenza, standing behind the bar, turned around and lowered his gaze toward Tangze.
Tangze looked up into those dazzling golden eyes. At that moment, Lavenza resembled Tooru Amuro from the daytime, when he had spoken to him while wearing a mask. He was smiling, but on closer inspection, there was a cold sense of distance to him.
"You are a player familiar with these rules, someone beyond the game itself. What do you think my Tarot would be?"
"If I guess wrong, you won't give me a Tarot card?" Tangze asked with a smile.
Lavenza only said, "Just take a guess."
Resting his cheek on one hand, Tangze pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "'Judgement.' My guess is that you are 'Judgement.'"
This was an extremely important Tarot card, often tied to major turns in the story and significant junctures in life. It was also the final chapter of The Fool's Major Arcana journey.
But now, Tangze could not find anyone among the Conan characters who could have a major impact on the plot or be called a turning point. So who else would be suited to hold this indispensable card?
Lavenza smiled and bowed to Tangze.
The words of the contract, which usually seemed to arise directly beside Tangze's ear like a whisper, were spoken aloud by Lavenza this time.
"I am thou... thou art I..."
"Here, thou hast acquired a new bond."
"The bond is called—"
"The wings of freedom won by breaking shackles."
"I, newly born of the mask of Judgement, am blessed by the wind."
"To soar toward the end, I shall lend thee further strength..."
Cooperation Lavenza Arcana: Judgement rank 1 ... Learned skill: "Third Eye"
Tangze propped up his chin and watched the blue Tarot card leap out from between them, floating in the air as it slowly spun.
"As expected, you wrote all those evaluations for the people providing assistance, didn't you, Lavenza?" Tangze pointed at the description containing only an ellipsis.
"Couldn't be bothered making something up. Figure it out yourself. If you want to write one, write it yourself." Lavenza collected the glass Tangze had emptied, looking perfectly unconcerned.
Tangze tapped the six dots, erased them from the box, then traced something through the air with his fingertip for a while before shrugging. "Considering the skill you gave me is quite useful."
Lavenza glanced at the crooked line of writing and clicked his tongue in distaste, but did not alter it.
Then thank you, Lavenza.
Before you continue