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The sun was slowly setting.
In a room.
Nanako and Mimiko, sitting on the living room rug, were absorbed in their phones, occasional bursts of laughter escaping their corner. At the other end of the room, Miguel quietly fiddled with a rope, absentmindedly playing with knots. Larue, slumped in an armchair, seemed lost in a light sleep, his head lolling to the side. As for Manami, she was meticulously applying a second coat of black polish to her perfectly trimmed nails.
The muffled silence was broken by Manami, who briefly lifted her eyes from her hands.
"Do you think the boss… is going to be gone much longer?"
Miguel shrugged without looking up from his rope.
"It's already been a few hours," he replied, tightening a knot.
Manami grimaced slightly before blowing on her nails to dry them.
"I wonder what kind of 'interesting curse' he went to meet this time…"
Then Larue, who had seemed completely asleep until then, grumbled in a mocking tone, without even opening his eyes: "Speak of the devil…"
The door creaked slightly, and Geto entered. His wrinkled clothes, a torn right sleeve, and a grave expression instantly silenced the room.
Nanako and Mimiko jumped to their feet, dropping their phones to rush toward him, their faces marked with worry.
"Boss! Are you okay? What happened to you?" they cried almost in unison.
But Geto, as if in another world, royally ignored them and walked to an armchair. With a tired gesture, he let himself sink into it, put a hand on his head, and, against all odds, smiled like a madman.
"So this is the second obstacle you spoke of… Yuki Tsukumo, isn't it?" he murmured in a voice loud enough to hear, but as if talking to himself.
Intrigued, Manami stood and approached.
Geto tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear before lifting his gaze.
"A new variable has appeared in our plans."
Larue, sitting at the back of the room, narrowed his eyes.
"A variable that left you in that state?"
Miguel, still twisting his rope, finally raised his head to back Larue's question.
Geto crossed his legs with a kind of theatrical slowness.
"He wasn't even serious… and still forced me to use part of my curses. Even though I wasn't all that serious either."
"Damn…" Larue muttered through his teeth.
The twins, once again pressed up against Geto's armchair, immediately flared up.
"We'll make him pay for this, Boss! If he dared to hurt you…"
But before their anger could grow, Manami placed a firm hand on Nanako's shoulder.
"Enough. If even the Boss struggled with him, what could the two of you possibly do?"
"But, Manami…"
"No 'buts.' We wait for his orders."
Miguel leaned forward slightly, studying Geto's face.
"So, Boss, what's the name of this so-called variable?"
Geto averted his eyes a little and smiled again.
"That's exactly your next mission. Find out who he is."
---
Night had already wrapped the landscape, a near-crushing darkness reigning over the surroundings. Overlooking a cliff, a rocky edge stood, dotted with shrubs whose shadows danced in the breeze. Two silhouettes moved silently toward the gaping entrance of a cave.
As soon as their feet crossed the threshold, a pale light flared from lamps fixed to the walls. Their flickering glow cast strange halos, painting shifting shadows all around. Ryosuke, slightly behind, let his gaze sweep the place. He narrowed his eyes, probing every corner.
"Honestly," he said, breaking the silence, "this place is gloomy as hell. Completely isolated. Explains a lot… like why you're always so out of sync, Mechamaru."
His remark was meant to be light, but it echoed in the cave. A hoarse voice suddenly rose, laced with irony, reverberating off the walls.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, faintly amused.
Ahead, the narrow passage widened little by little, opening into a vast half-lit chamber.
At the back, shrouded in shadow, a strange structure caught Ryosuke's attention. A large tank, crisscrossed with pipes snaking like steel veins, loomed there. Immersed in the opaque liquid inside, a barely human silhouette was visible. Damp bandages wrapped its body, leaving only a few parts exposed: eyes and a mouth.
Mechamaru stopped short. But Ryosuke kept walking without hesitation, calmly advancing until he was just inches from the tank. He studied the figure for a moment before flashing a warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, Kokichi."
"So you even know my name," the silhouette rasped. "That really makes me wonder about you."
Ryosuke didn't lose his smile. He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly to the side.
"You could, but honestly… knowing the answer wouldn't do you any good right now."
Kokichi stared at him, frowning slightly as if trying to read his intentions.
"So, Ryosuke… you wanted to see me, huh? Well, here I am."
Ryosuke nodded, his smile intact. "Indeed. I've got to say, your innate vow is really restrictive."
Kokichi scowled. "Restrictive? I'd call it nightmarish. Now that you've seen me, tell me… do you really think you can help me?"
Ryosuke burst out in a short laugh, almost mocking. "Of course." Then, in an instant, his mischievous gaze turned more serious. "But… on one condition."
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the occasional drip echoing from the pipes. Kokichi let out an annoyed sigh. "What condition?"
Ryosuke shrugged, his sly smile returning. "That you and I come to an agreement. You handle Kasumi, and I'll take care of Mai. Simple, right?"
Kokichi was left speechless, stunned by his visitor's audacity. He seemed to search for words before letting out a nervous chuckle. "You've got to be joking."
Ryosuke rested his arms on the edge of the tank, leaning forward slightly. "Not at all. It's in everyone's best interest. If we get in each other's way, things are going to get… let's say complicated. Better to clear things up now. So, deal?"
Kokichi tilted his head, looking thoroughly exasperated. After a few seconds of reflection, he finally muttered: "Honestly, you can handle both of them if that amuses you."
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes. "Really?" He leaned back slightly, as if thinking, before saying in a falsely innocent tone: "Then picture me with Kasumi. She and I, hand in hand. Our faces so close… about to—"
"STOP THAT!" Kokichi roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "I don't care, you hear me?! Whatever you do with Kasumi, it's none of my business! Are you going to help me or not?!"