Minutes before Surata's encounter…
Near the gambling tables, Koroki manages to get Yorui from her table. He drags Yorui by her arm to the table in the distance. Yorui can't wipe the smug face off her face.
"Ugh, why did you stop me, Koroki?!"
"We aren't here to have fun. Did you forget we are on a mission?"
"Oh, come on! Maybe I can play whatever that game is called with Tiger."
"Poker?" Koroki replies, disinterested.
"Yeah, that. I mean, look…" Yorui reaches into her pocket. "See how many chips I have."
Her hand is filled with black coins as more coins slip out of her filled pocket. Talk about beginner's luck.
Koroki smacks his teeth eternally, aggravated, "I didn't come here to act as a babysitter!"
The table the patron earlier pointed to is towards the corner of the building. Yorui continues to rant about her gambling session to the annoyed Koroki. The pair stroll past more rowdy tables full of greedy patrons.
While approaching the table in the corner, the pair stop their movements and ranting. They suddenly feel a heavy shift in the atmosphere. The pressure grows heavier on their bodies, tensing their skin. The table feels like it has an invisible barrier around it that conceals the immense aura. But ordinary people can't feel it… only Noye users.
"He's definitely here."
___
The children carefully walk closer to the table. That table has a red booth that curves around the table along with its standard stools for guests. Sitting on the stools, they are patrons gambling away their money and enjoying themselves. Beyond them, sitting by the booth, an exotically dressed man cockily sits with one knee up, watching the gambling unfold.
The man's hands, covered in large rings and a dazzling diamond watch, complement the scar across the bridge of his nose. Despite his slouched, delinquent pose, his handsome features and confident demeanor give the impression of an upper-class mafia leader.
Koroki gazes at the slouched man laughing at the table.
"Hahaha. Another win. C'mon, at least this a little entertaining." The man suggests to the other patrons at the table with a deep voice.
"You're just too good, Tiger." A patron concedes, defeated.
"Ha, seems like Lady's Luck's on my side today." The women around Tiger cheer seductively.
"I think we should call this a day, right?" Tiger asks.
Before the other patrons around the table answer the question, Yorui barges into the conversation, digging her hand into her pocket. "Hey, Tiger. I heard you're pretty good." The table turns to Yorui. Their eyes widen as she shows the table, her hand overflowing with coins. "Want to play some rounds with me?"
The men look at Yorui, shocked by how much money she has.
"That's some confidence you got, girl," Tiger smirks. "Join us."
Tiger loves it when he gets challenged. That's because beating someone confident makes the whole more entertaining.
"To get Tiger to talk to me, I need you Mr.Luck to be by my side again." Yorui takes a seat across from Tiger and immediately feels out of her depth. This table is different from the one she played at earlier. The dealer stands ready, but there are no cards- only a massive wheel on the table.
A shiny gold pillar rests at its center. The wheel is marked with random numbers and alternating red and black patterns, with a single green space.
Noticing Yorui's confusion, Tiger asks, "Ever played roulette before?"
Yorui tries to mask her inexperience. "Not really. I've only played poker."
"I see. Roulette's simple. Just bet where you think the ball will land."
Yorui reassures herself that this game is easier to understand than poker, so she can learn it quickly. While observing how the other patrons played poker, she realizes she is a quick learner.
She regains some of her confidence, hoping her luck continues. She puts down five black coins on black. Tiger casually places down twenty black coins on red.
The other competitors, with what little money they have left, join in.
"All bets are closed," the dealer exclaims. The dealer presses down a button on the table, beginning the round. The wheel spins a blur of red and black.
Shortly after, the golden pillar in the center coughs out a small white ball. The white ball clatters with a rhythmic sound.
Tension rises between the gamblers. Slowly, the wheel loses its speed.
Yorui slightly leans into the table, firmly gripping its edge.
Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. The white ball stops moving and lands on… a black space.
Yorui can't suppress her grin as the ball lands on black. Her heart races with the joy of winning. The sheer thrill of gambling is addicting for her.
"That's some beginner's luck you have." Tiger declares. "Let's go again."
___
They continue their game for several more rounds. Yorui's luck manages to shine again, winning every round. Showing off her luck, the other patrons leave the table. They can't bear the thought of losing more money to someone who is extremely lucky.
Despite losing every round, Tiger refuses to leave the table, remaining cool and calm. Someone who loves money is somehow not annoyed by losing money. Tiger's luck seems to be gone, almost like Yorui stole it from him.
However, they decide to play another round.
"Let's make this round our last round," Tiger gathers all his coins and pushes the pile toward betting on the green space. The green space has not yet landed on the table today.
Yorui contemplates her bet as if almost being challenged by Tiger's confidence.
Tiger would probably not be interested enough to stay if she decides to play it safe. That's because he isn't winning anything. To be on Tiger's good side, playing along with his huge bet makes things interesting for him.
Yorui plays along with Tiger, going all in on red. This round becomes an all-or-nothing stake for both gamblers.
The dealer begins preparing for the round.
Waiting for the round to start, Tiger decides to rant a little while gazing at the roulette wheel. "By the way, I haven't seen you or your friend around here before."
Koroki and Yorui faintly gaze at each other.
Tiger adds on. "So, who are you?"
Yorui continues to disguise herself. "This is our first time here, ha. We're just tourists from a different country."
"That's not what I meant," Tiger explains without changing his casual tone. "I can tell by your presence that you guys aren't ordinary people. Plus, you don't look like Shikaris." Tiger shifts his gaze to Yorui. "So… who are you guys?"
The children cannot find the proper response to Tiger. Their identity is almost blown, and their silence only adds suspicion.
The women surrounding Tiger seem unbothered by Tiger's comment. His looks distracted them from listening in to his conversation.
The table gradually feels awkward, and the atmosphere gets tenser. The noise of the ball bouncing around shines through the rowdy casino.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you guys didn't get stopped by anyone. Maybe these people are just too drunk to see. You kids did a good job entering without getting caught."
Koroki sneakily smacks his lips, realizing Tiger busted them. The kids managed to make it this far without getting caught. They blended in well, so they did a great job.
But they didn't have a plan for when they got caught. Their plan was an all-or-nothing plan. In their eyes, they failed the mission.
Despite this, the idea of splitting up saved the mission. Tiger notices Yorui and Koroki. However, he hasn't seen Surata yet.
The three freeze at a standstill. With the tension growing, the bouncing white ball slows down.
Ignoring the tension, Tiger continues ranting. "Personally, I don't have a problem with the policy. This policy was here before I owned this place."
The wheel almost stops spinning. Just before the round ends, Tiger leans forward, deepening his voice- almost threatening them. "Would you like me to enforce it?"
The round ends with the white ball stationed on- green.
___
Around the same time, on Surata's side…
The atmosphere grows heavier, and the patrons stand there in awe, watching the conflict that starts to brew.
The man tightens his grip on the young boy. "Who are you?"
Surata raises his chin, rubbing off his disguise, "Surata Aoi, a shikari." He reaches into his pocket and shows the man his Noye Permit.
"Surata Aoi?" the crows murmur towards one another. They stand still, not making any faces. The tone seriously shifts.
Shikaris are often seen in the Toihe Casino, including Ishio, so it isn't surprising for patrons to see them. They are more confused that Surata is here; despite being Ishio's son, he violated the child policy.
"What is Ishio's son doing here?" the man asks. "Did Ishio find out?"
Surata ignores the man's question and demands, "Let the kid go!"
"This casino has a no-child policy. So, this boy here is not allowed in here. That also includes you, too."
Anyone who attends the casino knows about the no-child policy, but no one knows what would happen if someone violated it.
The young boy's desperation stops as he stares at Surata, perplexed. "He's a kid… and a shikari? Sigh. This is pointless." The boy stops resisting and allows the man to take him back.
"Huh? Where are you going!? Hold on!" Surata eagerly shouts, reaching his hand out.
"Go away, shikari! Leave me alone!" The young boy says, filled with sadness and defeat.
"Huh? Hey, wait!" Surata's resolve wavers as he meets the boy's defeated eyes. For a moment, doubt crept in. Is the boy not in danger? Is he making things worse?
However, Surata can't erase the boy's soulless eyes he saw earlier. Surata's resolve strengthens while believing the boy still needs help.
Surata reassures the boy, "Don't worry, I'm here to help you."
"No, you're not!"
The man holding onto the boy stands there worried. The longer he stays with Surata, the bigger the mess is. To avoid further problems, the man quickly races to the backdoor.
___
The loud ruckus catches the attention of nearby tables. Tiger's table starts to get distracted.
"Hey, what's going on over there!?" Tiger asks, asserting his authority and keeping his cool.
Tiger's voice sends chills down the man's spine. "Nothing, sir. Everything's fine."
The longer he stays out here, the harder it will be to leave. He needs to resolve the current situation without making it worse.
"I can't hurt the kid. He already isn't in the best condition, but I can't let his price go down further." The man's nerves kick in. His only thought is not to linger here any longer.
Tiger doesn't pay much attention to the commotion. So, he quickly believes the man's response and returns to the table.
Yorui and Koroki oversee the man's suspicious activity. They lock eyes on the boy. They also spot Surata standing across from the man and boy, with a determined face.
Surata tries to converse with the defeated boy again.
To prevent the boy from speaking more, the man swiftly chops the boy's neck, making him unconscious. The boy quickly faints, falling on the man's arm.
With no hesitation, the man scoops the kid up and makes his escape to the back.
"Hey, wait!" Surata shouts.
The man sprints away, leaving the scene.
Surata chases after the man, hoping to get some answers.
The man and the boy are very suspicious. So, Surata can't afford to lose this one and only lead he has.
The chase is on. Without saying a word, Surata feels some familiar people staring at him. He turns his head to the weird sensation and locks eyes with Yorui and Koroki.
It didn't take any words to understand what each person was thinking. Surata solely lifts his thumb up, as a sign to show them that everything is fine.
Confirming that Surata can handle what's to come, Yorui and Koroki secretly nod back at Surata, giving him the okay and acknowledgment to continue the mission.
Feeling more determined and motivated, Surata sprints forward to rescue the boy.
___
Back with Koroki's group, the children recompose themselves, noticing that Tiger didn't notice Surata or Mr. Seto.
Tiger cockily collects all the money from the table, becoming the victor. The sound of the coins clicking with each other as he slides them towards him echoes around the table.
"Playtime's over." Tiger asserts. "I think it's time for you kids to head back home. Don't you think?"
"Yeah. Thanks for the game. It was really fun." Yorui cheerfully says as she packs up her belongings.
Koroki remains quiet behind Yorui, staring at Tiger with his dead fish eyes. Yorui stands up from the table and heads towards the exit. Koroki turns around and follows her, reverting to his slouched walk. The children stroll out before security kicks them out, putting their trust in their other team members to finish the mission.
Tiger stalks the children as they walk away from the table, specifically at one of them.
"That look in his eyes. I feel like I've seen that look before." Tiger states in deep thought. "I have a feeling this won't be the last time I see them."
___
Following the chase, Surata manages to stay on the man's trail. The man charges through every door in his way. Surata shortly follows behind, with his eyes fixated on the man.
They charge into the casino's kitchen, where they store their beverages and appetizers. The man shoves his way past the chefs. Surata tries to follow the man but attempts to avoid disturbing the workers.
Surata dashes through the narrow corridors, weaving past startled chefs and dodging stacks of crates. Before entering the next door, an employee accidentally blocks the entrance, knocking each other down.
"Sorry!" Surata hastily apologizes to the employee. However, the knocked employee has a familiar feeling to them. "It's alright." The man replies. He quickly lowers his voice, telling Surata, "Keep going."
Without saying a word, Surata notices the man he knocked down is Seto, disguised as a chef.
Surata quickly recovers and hurries to the boy. His remarkable stamina allows him to catch up quickly.
"This kid is fast!"
Busting through more doors, the man discovers a huge metal door at the end of the room. The man unlocks the door and struggles to open it. Using his one arm to push the heavy door open, he starts to descend from Surata's vision.
Surata runs through the metal door and notices a long, dark staircase. With the poor lighting, the room almost looks infinite.
"Where am I?" Surata begins to question his whereabouts. "Get back here!"
The man hurries down a long staircase and arrives at the bottom. His steps echo throughout the vast staircase. Noises of other people can be heard downstairs.
Shortly behind, Surata arrives at the bottom step and stops in place; surprised by the humongous room he walks into. Before he can get a good look around…
Ouch.
His back gets a piercing sensation. "What just hit me?"
The pain feels like he got shot by a bullet. He slowly pulls his arm behind his back, yanking something out. "A tranquilizing dart?"
Surata tries to find the shooter but is unable to see around the poorly lit area.
Realizing what impaled him, Surata starts to lose himself. His breathing feels heavier, and his body feels weaker. His mind slowly feels at ease, as if he's relaxing at a beach with a clear mind. His eyes start to droop and become hard to open. He's about to lose consciousness.
With all the willpower he has left, he drags his body forward before the darkness takes over. "Crap! I have to... save... the boy!"
___
After a minute, Surata collapses on the floor. He is left stranded on enemy grounds, alone.