Thick smoke rolled in from all around the square, carrying an acrid smell of sulfur.
Gunfire rang out on every side.
Ririko stood on the red carpet and looked toward the podium, where Galavan was crouching behind it to avoid the bullets.
She did not care whether the shooters belonged to the Clown Army or the opposition. Her gaze searched the fleeing figures for Jerome.
A black whip flashed through the smoke, wrapped precisely around Galavan's waist, and yanked him a step backward-
A bullet grazed his shoulder and struck the backdrop behind him, leaving a smoking hole.
The woman wielding the whip emerged from the smoke. Her long, dark brown hair was braided, and she moved with athletic precision as she stepped in front of Galavan.
Under her cover, Galavan moved toward the flank.
Ririko watched the pair work together. The woman and Galavan moved in perfect coordination-
Could she be Tabitha, the sister Galavan kept mentioning?
A flicker of regret crossed her mind. If only that bullet had better aim and finished Galavan off right here...
Just as she was weighing whether to "cause a little accident in the chaos," a pair of hands wrapped around her waist from behind.
Those hands were strong and warm. They pulled her off the ground as though lifting a kitten.
Her feet kicked at the air as she rose.
[Core target character: Jerome Valeska has entered effective range] [Current infatuation value: 55/100]
She whipped her head around.
Jerome was behind her, one hand holding a rope ladder dangling from an airship, the other wrapped securely around her waist.
The wind cutting through the smoke swept his red hair to one side. His red-painted lips spread into a smile she knew all too well.
They rose beneath the airship on