In the late night of Shinjuku, Rei Furuya walked through the perfume-scented dance floor, lowered the brim of his hat, and sat down at the bar.
"How is the plan going, Mr. Furuya?" Sitting next to him, Yuuya Kazami, dressed in a suit, covered his mouth with his glass and asked.
"One glass of Scotch whisky." Furuya raised his hand and ordered from the bartender, then glanced at Kazami. "So far, everything is going smoothly, but the transfer plan for Akira Kazawa must be accelerated."
Kazami was taken aback, nervously asking, "Did something go wrong?"
"He might really be holding key technology." Furuya recalled Akira's expression earlier that night and tapped the table with his fingertips. "Even though I'm currently just a 'middleman' to him, he avoided discussing his parents' research. That alone says a lot."
Kazami swirled his glass and sighed, "But the case investigation is slow. We've only found a few minor henchmen on the edges, and the upper levels' information is unclear. The headquarters are short-handed in Kyoto, so starting the transfer now carries a high risk of exposure."
Furuya took his drink, his expression not relaxed. "From what I heard about Rei's recent plans — in a few days, he's going on a mission with Gin. Surveillance on Akira Kazawa's side will have gaps then. That's the best chance for the transfer, fleeting and rare."
Having worked overtime all day, Kazami pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling like he'd be living at the police station for the next few days.
Between anonymous chats online and nonstop crime-solving news, this guy never stops. Now, whenever Kazami sees the name Kazawa, he reflexively feels his heart race, sensing a bad premonition that he might work himself to death.
But under the devilish gaze of his boss, he gritted his teeth and replied, "Understood. I'll start immediately."
"How is the investigation of the ruins of Kazawa's family home?" Furuya didn't let up, moving on to the next task.
"Found nothing useful. Before the fire, the house was basically emptied."
"Furniture, personal items, books, and files — those aren't small. Didn't the neighbors notice the moving?"
"At that time, there was a construction accident nearby. A worker digging up the wrong spot cut a resident's cable. City trucks came and went throughout the block. No one noticed the moving activity."
Perfect cover. Furuya's face darkened as he guessed who was behind it.
Going through such trouble, mobilizing contacts, just to crush a minor — it's beyond a simple technical conspiracy. Among these operations, it's probably not only the organization's needs but the personal grudges of those responsible. The members in charge might have a private vendetta against Kazawa's parents, using the organization's resources to torment Akira Kazawa and vent their anger.
The more he thought about it, the harder Akira's situation seemed.
He stopped talking with Kazami and silently finished his drink.
Furuya was the first to stand, leaving money and tip on the bar, then pushed away from the bar and left.
Kazami waited until he was completely gone, then reached under the bar table where Furuya sat and pulled out a folder filled with papers, slipping it into his briefcase on his lap.
It was the recording of the conversation between Mr. Furuya and Akira Kazawa after dinner, along with a rough summary of the case personnel characteristics based on Kazawa's descriptions. The thin folder wasn't heavy but made Kazami's back sag.
The more work piles up, the more painful overtime life becomes…
While the two night-owl overtime workers met at the bar, Akira Kazawa was sound asleep in his own bar.
He stared at Leon's face with a harsh gaze and grit his teeth, "I'm Shuichi Akai's cousin, and Shiho Miyano's older cousin. Surprised?"
León leaned on the bar, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Isn't it good? No need to try so hard to latch onto something. Your Tarot cards just keep flying at you one after another."
"Well, thanks a lot then!" Kazawa slapped the table, calming his breath, and got a bit serious. "Looks like you know a lot more than I do. So, indeed, the one with the Persona Mask power isn't me — it's the original 'Akira Kazawa' who awakened the talent. My parents' research really did work, didn't it?"
Leon said Kazawa knew what he knew, but clearly, this velvet assistant definitely held information Kazawa didn't have.
It was possible Kazawa's memories hadn't surfaced, and Leon knew everything.
Even more, Leon might not have appeared only after Kazawa's time crossing. Instead, the original Akira Kazawa, with the "rebellious" trait unique to main characters, might have been watched by Leon all along.
"Don't always treat yourself as an intruding passerby. Maybe the overwhelmed 'Akira Kazawa' gave up on himself and chose you," Leon poured him a drink, casually saying, "Being a guest in the velvet room isn't an easy job. Just like you now, my guest, you don't have the right to dream."
"Trade your life for a beautiful dream?" Kazawa looked at the glass filled with whisky and sighed. "By the way, velvet residents have Tarot too, right? What's your Tarot, Leon?"
León at the bar turned, lowering his gaze toward Kazawa.
Kazawa lifted his head, staring into those dazzling golden eyes. At this moment, Leon looked a bit like Amuro Tooru who wore a mask and talked to him earlier — smiling on the surface but with a cold distance beneath.
"You're a player who understands the rules, detached from the game. What do you think my Tarot would be?"
"If I guess wrong, will you not give me a Tarot?" Kazawa joked back.
Leon just said, "Just guess."
Kazawa thought for a moment, then slowly said, "'Judgement.' I guess you are 'Judgement.'"
It's a very important Tarot card, often related to major plot twists and life turning points, the final chapter of the Fool's Major Arcana journey.
But now, Kazawa couldn't find a Conan character who could bring such a major plot impact or turning point. So who else could hold this indispensable card?
Leon smiled and bowed slightly to Kazawa.
Usually, the contract words whispered directly in Kazawa's ear were now spoken by Leon himself.
"I am you... You are me..."
"You hereby receive a brand new contract."
"A contract that is..."
"To break the shackles and seek wings of freedom."
"I, the first birth of the Judgement Mask, bathed in the blessed wind."
"To soar toward the endgame, lending more aid..."
[Cooperation: Leon]
[Arcana Judgement rank 1]
[…]
[Acquired skill: 'Third Eye']
Kazawa rested his chin on his hand, watching the blue Tarot card leap between them, floating and slowly spinning in the air.
"As expected, those comments for helpers are all written by you, Leon," Kazawa said, pointing at the description full of ellipses.
"Too lazy to write. You can write if you want," Leon said, taking back the empty glass Kazawa had drunk, looking casual.
Kazawa tapped the six dots, erased them from the box, and swiped the air with his fingers for a while, shrugging. "Since the skill you gave me is useful, I'll accept it."
Leon glanced at the messy handwriting, clicked his tongue in dislike but didn't bother fixing it.