Dr.Tomomasa then began to explain his theories to Mr.Nakayama and Miyuki.
"The human mind can't do anything without a goal. To be goaless and have no desires or wants wouldn't make what you're looking for human.
It'd make them an alien, some otherworldly lifeform. Not human." Dr.Tomomasa said
"How would you catch something like that?" Mr.Miyuki asked
"Well in theory, you could predict it's movements. Attempt to understand it. Perhaps even become like it in a way." Dr.Tomomasa said. Mr.Nakayama leaned back in his chair. His mind once again returning to the same problem. That because of his humanity, he couldn't understand or anticipate Kibe's movements. The colder Kibe got the more harder to read he became. Mr.Nakayama could only think of a few things he could do now. Mr.Miyuki was drinking his drink as he listened to the doctor.
"I mean afterall, a man like that, couldn't be a man. Only a machine." Dr.Tomomasa said. Mr.Nakayama looked at him as he did to Mr.Nakayama. Thats when suddenly Dr.Tomomasa's pager would begin to beep. He'd get up and fix his coat. "Sorry gentlemen, but thats me. It was great to speak with you today. If you need anymore help then please don't be afraid to call." Dr.Tomomasa said as he shook both of the men's hands and then proceeded to leave the room.
"Leaving us alone in here? He's either stupid or doesn't have anything to hide." Mr.Miyuki said as he got up and set his glass down. Mr.Nakayama remained seated as he faced the window behind Dr.Tomomasa's desk. His eyes looking out to the night lights of the city.
"Nakayama? Nothing at all?" Mr.Miyuki asked, but Mr.Nakayama was just staring out his mind completely enveloped by his thoughts and schemes he was thinking of. The only way to beat the machine, was to think like it. The only way to best Kibe, was to delve deep into his own depravity. Mr.Nakayama then looked back to the large portrait of the twins he then saw some words on the frame on a plaque.
"Nous faisons confiance à l'intellectualisme. Nous nous consacrons à l'avenir de la connaissance et c'est à eux que nous devons tout." Read the plaque. Mr.Nakayama took a quick picture of it with his phone before putting it in his pocket. He took a sigh as he looked to Mr.Miyuki.
"This is getting way too deep, more than I thought. Theres only one way I can-" however in that moment Mr.Nakayama would get a phone call. Mr.Miyuki looked over as he got it.
"Hello, Nakayama here." Mr.Nakayama said as he put it on speaker seeing it was coming from the police department.
"NAKAYAMA! EMERGENCY!" shouted the woman at the front desk of the police station.
"Woah woah Chee. Calm down whats going on?" He asked
"Its Mr.Otsuka! He's recovered!" Shouted Chee, Mr.Nakayama and Miyuki's hearts immediately stopped. Both of them in total shock and disbelief of the news. Mr.Nakayama slowly brought the phone to his mouth.
"What?" Mr.Nakayama asked
"YEA! He got a phone call today in the psych ward and suddenly a half hour later. Hes completely sane again! He's ready to talk about what happened that night.
And who it was who broke his mind." Chee said, Mr.Miyuki and Mr.Nakayama looked to one another.
"A phone call?" Mr.Miyuki said
"CHEE! I NEED YOU TO GET TO THE PSYCH WARD AND GET THAT PHONE CALL TRACED IMMEDIATELY!" Mr.Nakayama shouted
"A- Y-Yes sir!" Chee said, Mr.Nakayama then immediately burst out of the door rushing out while Mr.Miyuki followed but not before closing Dr.Tomomasa's office door before he followed.
"This could be it! He finally slipped up! Kibe! This will be the last time you slip away from me!" Mr.Nakayama thought.
However back at the mall, Kibe was on the balcony of the party floor. He removed the phone from his ear and looked at it. He then smashed it aginst the railing and watched the pieces fall down from the top floor and towards the street below.
"I never thought that Himmy's criminal background would be of any use, but the idea of using burners for communication is truly ingenious, and saves me time." Kibe said as he grabbed his actual phone and sent a text to Himmy.
"It should be around that time by now." Kibe said, thats when he saw Kat send him an emoji of a hot dog. Kibe just stared at it before he then began to text to Himmy. Inside the party Kenji was winning aginst full grown men and whales at every Poker, Slot machine, black jack and even Spanish 21. Everyone there was shocked at his streaks of wins. Kenji was on a roll of 35 wins in a roll. Kazutaka and Yūri watched him from afar. Yūri was looking at Kenji with hungry eyes, ones that saw a easy money grab.
However, Kazutaka nearly crushed his cup as he looked over to Kenji.
"Wow, hes doing really good. He may just end up breaking your streak brother." Yūri chuckled while when she looked at her brother, all he saw was anguish and annoyance.
"Yea...he really is, but thats going to change now!" Kazutaka said as he got up and walked over towards him. Kenji set down his cards again. "Three of a kind fellas. Sorry to say, but I win this one. Again." Kenji snickered as one of the female waitresses handed him a drink. Kenji winked at her and grabbed his drink.
People were swarming Kenji, at the same time Kenji looked over to the entrance to the place and saw all the people he had talked to previously arrive. "Right on schedule." Kenji smirked.
"Hey pal." Said a voice behind him, Kenji turned to him and saw it was Kazutaka. The guys hands were in his pockets. He was smiling at him with his sister behind him.
"Hey." Kenji said.
"Looks like you're quite the whale. I got to get your name. Its Kazutaka by the way, I own this party. Its for my-"
"You're uncle, yea I know him. Just not you." Kenji said, Kazutaka gave a wry laugh as he folded his arms.
"Heh, so you like to play huh?" Kazutaka asked
"No, I like to win. My father's philosophy is either your a winner or your nobody." Kenji said with a shrug. "Well then, good thing I never lose." Kazutaka said. Kenji chuckled a bit, Kazutaka looked at him with a side eye.
"Whats so funny?" Kazutaka asked with a annoyed tone.
"Its just that, you're saying that, but you can't say that now that you know I exist." Kenji said. "You must really think your hot shit huh?" Kazutaka asked.
"Its ok bro, because if he wants to face the champion of our family then he needs to earn a title first." Yūri said.
"Oh?" Kenji said
"Thats right. The Mammoth, the Treasure hunter and the Heart Keeper. All of these names are some of the best gamblers in the world. You may be good here, but compared to everyone else out there. You're just a nobody. Just like your father said." Yūri said with Kenji's face getting a bit more serious.
"Yea, so come back when you have a title. Maybe then I'll give you the time of day." Kazutaka said with a smirk as he began to walk away. "You know. Its funny you mentioned those guys. Cause those titles you just said...they're mine." Kenji said. Everyone looked shocked at what he said, but Kazutaka gave put a laugh as he turned around. He put his hands on his hips as he looked to Kenji.
"Is that a joke? Those men were in their prime when I was in elementary school! You'd have to be-"
"Eight years old. Yea, I'm ashamed too, i should have taken their names when I was six." Kenji said. The problem that Kazutaka felt wasn't that Kenji could be lying, but the fact that Kenji's tone and appearance showed confidence. It could be a bluff. He could be telling the truth too.
However, Kenji had just trapped Yūri and Kazutaka in something devastating. If they indeed did call the names the dropped, then everyone would sense from them fear and a nervousness that even a dog could feel. If they didn't call, then Kazutaka would have to play against Kenji. Because of the dishonor that Kenji just said aginst close family. He would have to play to fight for them but Kenji knew this. So he only made it that much worse.
"Men like them, didn't deserve to gamble or even play the same games as me. Not if they were going to lose like they did." Kenji said. "I-"
However one of the audience members would speak up.
"Hey, I actually follow the Mammoth on social media! There's no way he could be you. That man is a full grown adult. You're just a kid!
Besides, why would they throw away they're titles to some brat?" Said the woman. Kenji closed his eyes as he smirked. He grabbed his drink and then gave the empty glass to Kazutaka. Kazutaka looked at the glass before pushing into someone else's hands in frustration.
"The Mammoth, Hirotoshi Shiratori, his hair is a dark brown, his eyes a aquatic blue. He had a bushy beard back in the day.
His best pot winnings were 300, 500 and 850K. He made large rounds around-the-clock in Germany. Prime gambler and a veteran at the art. He won the name after beating the previously known legend the Ghost." Kenji said. Kazutaka smirked, however a small drop of sweat was coming down his face.
"Pfft, so you used the internet so-"
"I also know, he stopped gambling 11 years ago. He was 30 at the time." Kenji said as he looked up at Kazutaka, the same smirk on Kenji's face still while Kazutaka's began to dissappear. "..."
"Come on Kazu, do the math, but just in case you still don't believe me." Kenji said as he got his phone which was decorated with a spades sort of design and a small decoration attached to a chain, it was a joker card. Kenji then got to his contacts and showed it to Kenji. Everyone tried to look at it, but Kazutaka was the only one who needed to see it. His eyes were in shock. His face frozen and in disbelief. It was him, Hirotoshi's number was on Kenji's phone.
"I can call him right now, see just how true it really is." Kenji said
"..." Kazutaka didn't know what to say.
"WELL! WHAT ARE YOU WATING FOR! CHALLENGE HIM!" Yūri shouted "DAMNIT SHUT UP!" Kazutaka shouted, everyone including Yūri all looked at him in shock at his outburst. Kenji then out his phone away. Thats when Kazutaka began to hear cards begin shuffled. He slowly turned to Kenji and saw him holding a deck of cards.
"Well Kazutaka? How about a game?" Kenji said. Kazutaka swallowed his fear and cowardice, and put on his poker face. His confidence partially returning to him.
"Alright then. Let's see how good this fake really is." Kazutaka said. Far in the back Kibe was watching from the far back at a table. Thats when Kiko would come over and sit next to him.
"Is this going as you planned?" Kiko asked. Kibe just looked at her and then back to Kenji. "Hes quite the gambler isn't he? I never knew he had such titles." Kibe said
"So you believe him?" Kiko asked
"Kenji isn't the type to lie about something like this. Its like he said. He's a winner." Kibe said.
"Yes he always has been, or at least thats what they wanted him to be." Kiko said, Kibe looked to Kiko as she drank a glass of water. "You mean them?" Kibe asked.
"Yes, back in the pale palace. Unlike you and me, Kenji wasn't part of any rich family or had a wealthy friend to get him into the program. He was part of they're orphan picks. The ones who got picked up from orphanages or were dropped off and never picked up again.
Kenji had no family out in the world, he was alone. The only thing in the pale palace that gave him some sort of comfort were the games he played and test he took for them. He always had a natural gift for them. He understood everything about game theory and just games themselves when he was young. Nothing really gave him the same amount of joy as playing and gambling.
He got the nickname the Trickster once he beat and claimed Dante's Chess Game as his own. No one could best him at. Well not no one. A few people bested him from time to time.
Bato, The Twins and of course myself." Kiko said, Kibe looked at Kiko and then to Kenji again.
"I never went against him?" Kibe asked
"No, you said that games are for children." Kiko said. Kibe nodded to that, seeing that maybe much hasn't changed since he was a kid. Kibe looked at the time on his phone. He knew that it was time to begin the next part of his plan.
Elsewhere in Ushin, Himmy was wandering the streets, looking back to her phone and infront of her.
"Ok Kibe, you said to meet you here. Now where are you?" Himmy said as she put her hands in her pockets. Her eyes were looking around for him, she figured he would be here at least a hour earlier than her, but in the moments she was looking around she saw something shocking across the street. It was Juo leaving a ice cream store. Himmy's face was pale, her mind going blank as she looked at her lover. He was right there. Alive. She didn't know what to think yet her instincts told her to go to him, to kiss him, hug him and tell him she was ok.
"J-Juo..." Himmy muttered her eyes filling with tears, her lips quivering and her hands shaking as she reached out to him. She felt free, Kibe was no where around. She remembered the words that Juo once told her. That he would always be there for her, to protect her. She then got ready to run to him when she then saw Kat leave the store too. Kat was smiling and laughing with Juo doing the same. Himmy's face froze as she saw Kat snickered as she wiped some ice cream off of Juo's face and ate it.
The two of them laughing and smiling at each other. Himmy just stood there across the busy street. Cars flying by and people walking past and pushing past Himmy. Thats when rain began to pour down.
"Heheh, you know...for a long time now...I've thought that I couldn't get rid of the guilt I felt for letting Himmy down the way I did.
I made a promise to her that I would do everything I could to keep her safe.
...I told her she had to live. I said that when I thought I was going to die that day." Juo said, rain landing on him and his ice cream. Kat, looked at him and wiped some of the rain off of his face. Kat using her other hand to slightly expose her chest. Rain drops falling down on her breast.
"Hey, maybe you should take your own advice. Live." Kat said, Juo looked at her, his eyes momentarily going to her chest before landing on her eyes. Kat's dark eyes looked like pure darkness, yet that darkness was fsr warmer than what he had been living alone for the past weeks.
Juo faced her completely putting his hand on her cheek. Kat then closed her eyes and grabbed his waist. Himmy's eyes grew with shock and heartbreak as she watched Juo and Kat kiss each other. They then began to walk away down the street. As they did Kat would look back and see Himmy across the street looking down at the ground, drenched in rain. Her face was completely painted in pain and heartbreak. She was broken.
Kat then gave a wicked and devilish smile as she stared at her.
Back at the mall, Kibe watched the time tick down on the clock. "Himmy. Now you know. Theres nothing left for you. Your own mother was a monster. The one man who said he'd do anything for you, that he'd protect you. Has moved on to a new piece of meat.
Do you still feel you have some sort of choice? Do you still believe you're free in a world of my design." Kibe thought as he drank from his glass. Across the room Kenji and Kazutaka were getting ready to play poker. Kazutaka looking a bit more confident than before while Kenji just stared down at the cards smiling.
"Alright then, how about we start with a small bid then? Let's go with 10-"
"10,000,000." Kenji said. Everyone looked at him in shock. Kazutaka's shades nearly fell off his face. He fixed it and looked at Kenji who was smiling at him. "Oh I'm sorry, is that too little?" Kenji smirked.
"...Just...Just what kind of fucking guy is this?!" Kazutaka thought as Kenji then got his cards from the dealer and then so did Kazutaka. Yūri watched, her eyes looking a bit nervous at the two. More than money was on the line here and both parties knew that.
"Alright Kenji, time to prove your dad's philosophy true. Are you a winner or a nobody?" Kibe thought as him and Kiko got ready to watch Kenji vs Kazutaka in a game of poker.