"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this celebration of our cards. "Joseph is approaching seventy years old this year. Born in the hand of shadows, his hair turned white early due to years of continuous excessive mental pressure, and his physical condition was not very good. Today, however, the old thief still seems to be in good spirits, and his voice is very loud: "This celebration is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the peace of our gaming area. During this decade, there has not been a single inter-organizational fight in the gaming area, and the mortality rate in the area has been decreasing year by year. Maybe the method we chose can be applied to other neighborhoods, so I would like to talk to you as well. Not only that......"

"Honey, do you say, will they be able to get back before it's all over?" said Joseph, who was giving an energetic speech on stage, while in the shadows of some corner of the audience, Indulgence was whispering passionately.

"They've entered an area of 10 kilometers in a straight line. The warm and cold expression did not change at all: "In this way, they chose just the right time." ”

"It seems that your dear you have arranged the messenger in advance. Indulgence looked at some kind of gadget in Enthusiast's hand, leaned against the wall with his hands on his chest, and said with a smile, "Any other information?"

"No, the Messenger has changed his mind. Enthusiasm sighed, the expression on his face was not happy or angry: "No message was passed back. Catherine is so good, it's only been a few days, and she's become a disobedient to my orders. Luckily, I had some preparations in advance, so I could tell if they were close to the 10-kilometer range. ”

"Looks like it's time to strengthen their memories. Indulgence put on a sinister and hideous expression, and said viciously: "It's the first time I've personally helped someone strengthen their memory, hehehehe." ”

"Don't make a fuss. Taking advantage of no one's attention, Enthusiasm gave a white and indulgent look: "They must be protecting her, don't you think it's enough to offend them? Forget it, just act as if this didn't happen, and it can be regarded as selling them a favor." ”

"Aren't we ready for that?" Indulgence secretly poked his finger into his passionate chest, "That favor is big enough." ”

"After all, we used to really think of us as friends. One more favor, one more. The warm and indifferent tone suddenly became a little hesitant: "Maybe ......"

Indulgence suddenly put away the smile on his face and put up his enthusiastic arm: "It seems that you are still a little reluctant to this inexplicable friendship." ”

"You dare to say you're not?" Enthusiasm glanced deeply at indulgence, "Don't forget how well the two of us know each other." ”

"Friendship, hahahaha. The two women suddenly chuckled at each other. What should have been a cheerful laugh sounded full of sadness.

――――――――――――――――

"Are they already in?" In a soundproof secret room on the second floor of the casino, the cruelty of a naïve boy was gasping for satisfaction, carefully cleaning the blood stains on his fingers. Wash your hands and press the button to call the attendant outside the door. The door opened quickly, and a man wearing a Cloak of the Hand of Shadows appeared silently inside the door like a wisp of green smoke. The cruel people who didn't look at the people who came in asked in a low voice, "Where did you arrange them?"

"Chamber Seven, Your Excellency. The cloaked man replied in a stereotypical voice: "You can act at any time." ”

"What a masterpiece, a masterpiece of life. Cruelly clasped his hands on his chest, and looked with admiration at the puddle of minced flesh and bones on the bed that could no longer distinguish their shapes and parts. Blood had already soaked the sheets and bedding on the bed, and the thick pile carpet on the floor, giving off a pungent smell, but Cruelty breathed deeply as if intoxicated, and an unnatural flush rose on his cheeks. Breathing is also becoming more and more rapid. The Cloaked Man, as a cruel retinue, had long been accustomed to all this, and stood silently with his hands down and waited, until Cruel let out a satisfied sigh again, and then continued to command him: "Go to the door and carve two concentric circles on the door." Also, is there any news for curiosity and madness?"

"The madman's carriage has arrived downstairs. The cloaked man bowed his head and replied, "Curious, Lord Curiosity has entered this venue, but it is not clear where it is. ”

"Suspicious?" asked Cruel, "Any news?"

"To be sure, Lord Suspicious didn't enter here. The cloaked man replied, "But now it is not clear where it is." ”

"That's good, that's good. "I can't bear the cruelty. He stroked the broken bones on the bed with his freshly washed hands, licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, and said to himself: "Everyone thinks they are smart, and everyone wants to be a hunter." It's a pity. The number of hunters is also limited, and someone has to play the prey, hehehehe. ”

Seeing his boss behave like this, the cloaked man knew that the cruel thing he should have ordered was over, so he bowed down and quietly withdrew from the door.

――――――――――

In front of the Crown Casino. The black carriage of the same model was parked in the drop-off area at the door, but no one got out of the car for a long time. No one dared to urge, neither the casino employees nor the members of the Shadow Hand who were in charge of driving the carriage respectfully stood by the door, patiently waiting for the big man in the car to get out of the car.

"Who's the prey?" In the carriage, he frantically removed his hands from between his legs, his eyes flashed with crazy flames, and he said to himself full of anticipation: "Is it indulgence and passion? Is it cruelty? Is it curiosity? Or am I? No, no, no, the thought that I may also become a prey, I can't control my impulses, haha, haha, it's really exciting." ”

The Crazy Carriage is so well insulated that the sound in the carriage never reaches the outside unless you knock it directly.

"Who will be the hunter in the end?" said Madman, half-lying on the seat of the carriage, "is it cruelty, curiosity, indulgence and passion, it is better to be indulgent and passionate, it is better that they can send me to the execution chamber alive, and I can't wait to try everything in it." If the two of them were to do it, they would know how to get the most out of me, and their skills are the best. ”

Madness is called madness not just because of the killing spree she once had, but because she was simply a madman. Usually she looks calm and wise, but no one can predict whether she will fall into a state of madness in the next moment, and can't guess what she will think and do in the next second. When she is wise and calm, she will calculate and compete with each other for power like her captain, and once she is in madness, these things can no longer affect her thinking, and she will only act according to the most direct impulses in her heart, like a wild beast.

"No, no, no, I can't be executed right now. Crazy tore at his sleeve with his teeth, "How can you only enjoy happiness once? No, absolutely not, I want to live, I have the opportunity to be executed by them every day." Okay, that's it. ”

Crazy smashed his palms and sat up, the frenzy and madness in his eyes instantly faded, and he became calm, gentle and wise again, tidied up his slightly messy clothes a little, and pushed open the door of the carriage casually.

――――――――――――――――

"How can you tolerate the betrayal of the vassal forces?" asked Pannis, curiously, "You don't look like such a benevolent person." ”

"You don't understand, it's the rules of the fight between captains. Suspicious and a little helpless, he said: "There is no reasonable reason, it is not allowed to attack the leader of other people's affiliated forces, and it just so happens that betrayal is not counted among reasonable reasons." However, this rule is also very necessary, otherwise if you can attack other people's subordinate forces at will, it is estimated that soon all the captains' affiliates will almost die. ”

"Well, it does make sense. Pannis touched his chin and nodded, "So, Joseph has secretly betrayed you, so who did he throw himself into?"

"Cruel. Suspicious snorted coldly and said: "At least on the surface, it is aimed at cruelty, as for whether someone is setting a trap for cruelty, then no one can say." ”

"Set a trap?" Catherine asked, a little puzzled, "Will Cruel know that Joseph is the main task of colluding with the cultists, and still step on this trap?"

"Do you think anyone knows that it was Joseph who provided those people?" Suspicious sneered, "I know because he was originally my person, and it is too difficult to hide from me, and as for the others, it is unlikely that they will know." ”

"Will passion and indulgence know?" asked Catherine, "Joseph is a man of all kinds." ”

"Indulge in the intelligence department, maybe you can find out. Suspiciously guessed: "But I'm not sure that there are two possibilities." ”

"In other words, if they were allowed to know, they would regard cruelty as a mole?" Catherine asked, "but if cruelty is not a mole, it will fall into the trap of a real mole, right?"

"You still don't understand the style of the City of Innocence, so I'm worried about our cooperation. Suspicious shook his head and said: "I've said it many times, it doesn't matter who the mole is, no one cares." Oh, and if Pannis's right, maybe one person cares, but no one else cares. So, I'm not surprised whoever joins forces with whom to attack whom, they have taken the initiative, it is possible that other people will join forces against them, it is possible that they will join forces with others to deal with cruelty, and it is even possible that they will join forces with cruelty to eat others. And I'm going to bet on them and make their targets enemies. And you, because of the commission, will be regarded as their people as soon as you appear, and you will end up being hostile to their enemies for the sake of your own safe zone. However, if according to Pannis's guess about someone he cared about, the probability that they were going to target cruelty in the end is slightly higher, but I don't know if there are any other people involved. ”

"Don't think about it so much. Pannis patted Catherine on the shoulder, and by this time everyone had returned to the ground, enjoying the starlight and fresh air above their heads again: "We just need to do the entrusted work, and the rest has nothing to do with us." Well, no, you almost got killed and you haven't settled the account yet, so let's settle it together. (To be continued.) )