A crisp crack rang out by Kazawa's ear. He froze, then let go of Amuro Tooru's hand.
"Hm?" Noticing Kazawa suddenly spacing out, Amuro glanced at his face. "What's wrong? Tired?"
Kazawa looked at him with mixed feelings, then cast a glance at the blue tarot card floating nearby.
[Rank Up! Rank 2]
[Skill Acquired: Anti-Tracking Enhancement Lv.1]
Kazawa wasn't sure if Lyon really was watching like it was a live show, but Amuro Tooru's name and the text beneath it had changed with the increase in their Coop rank.
[Cooperation: Rei Furuya / Amuro Tooru]
[After inflicting mutual psychological trauma in a tug-of-war of facades, a glimpse of each other's true selves has begun to emerge. He found a reflection in you—what did you see in him?
The journey of the Fool is ultimately a journey of self-growth. The essence of cooperation is something you must discover for yourself.]
Riddles again. Always with the riddles. Just wait, I'll be at your front door soon.
"Yeah, I'm a little tired. It's late anyway." Kazawa averted his gaze and prepared to head upstairs to dreamland. "It's past midnight. Shouldn't you head home too?"
With all that had happened, sleep was the last thing on his mind. And it was just 1 a.m.—practically nothing.
The undercover agent, already used to staying up late, waved it off casually. Glancing at the freshly sent email Kazawa had just forwarded, he decided to deliver the materials and medicine to the Zero Division first.
"Get some sleep, high schooler. Adults have adult business to take care of."
Trying out his newly acquired ability, Kazawa opened his "Third Eye" vision.
Thanks to Amuro's newly sponsored Anti-Tracking Boost, all kinds of surveillance devices now glowed distinctly in Kazawa's eyes.
He clearly saw that Amuro had over ten non-active listening devices packed in his pockets and sleeves—standard spy tools.
Looking up, Kazawa swept a glance around the shop, using the darkness to hide the glow in his eyes.
…There really weren't any bugs planted in the café. Kazawa had fully expected at least one or two. So this is the moral code of the "Red Side," huh?
Had I known, I would've just called Conan directly. I was overly cautious.
Though, outside the café door, a strip of tape-like material was attached—currently glowing bright red, still active.
That must've been planted by the grunt who came to collect the storage card this afternoon… Way too obvious. Lucky for them it's dark. Amuro, in his emotional state, hadn't noticed it. It definitely won't survive past sunrise.
So Kazawa saw Amuro off to the door. In the light of the streetlamp, he pointed at his ear, then at the listening device on the door.
Swinging open the door, Kazawa gave a cheerful, slow-toned farewell in his Goro Akechi voice:
"Leaving already, senpai? Be careful on the road—driving while tired can be fatal, you know."
"Don't overthink it, kid." Amuro instantly slipped into character, also smiling calmly. "Worry about your own skills first, since you don't even have a license. And if your hands aren't clean… well, I'd be happy to silence you before the cops get the chance."
With that, he found the glittering piece of adhesive on the door, pulled it off, and crushed it.
A sharp beep pierced through the device before it went silent.
"Boss, Bourbon just destroyed the bug." Vodka rubbed his ears, shut off the receiver, and unplugged the no-longer-useful equipment.
Those two onions worked together smoothly—he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Putting down his headset, Gin let out a cold chuckle. "They're getting along. Good."
Truth be told, whether it was sending Bourbon that video or ordering the bug to be planted, logic only accounted for about 10% of his reasoning. The rest? Pure entertainment—he just wanted to see Bourbon squirm.
After all the sass from Bourbon, hearing him get sassed back felt amazing.
That brat Goro Akechi was sharp-tongued too—his snark matched Bourbon's. Sending him as Bourbon's partner was an inspired choice.
Feeling oddly victorious, Gin lit a cigarette and exhaled the annoyance of the past few days—Bourbon, Vermouth, all of it.
"Let them clash. As long as no one dies, I don't care."
Vodka nodded and started the engine, driving to their next destination.
As the editor behind the surveillance video, Vodka mused: Honestly, if someone did die, that'd be fine. These intelligence freaks are all creepy in their own way. Killing any one of them would improve the workplace morale.
——
Kazawa, well-rested, pushed open the bar door without hesitation.
"Lyon, were you just… huh? What's that?" Kazawa, ready to interrogate, paused when he saw Lyon pouring a drink from the shaker.
Lyon, calm and collected, finished pouring and gestured: "Try this. Silver Bullet—made from your recipe."
The milky-white cocktail fizzed softly in the martini glass. Lyon placed a slice of fresh lemon on the rim and slid the drink over.
"Oh, this is Silver Bullet…" Kazawa clicked his tongue in curiosity. "Made with gin?"
"Yeah. Gin, with kummel," Lyon said, nodding toward the back shelf. "Unless you want to try the rye whiskey version."
Thanks to Kazawa's efforts, the Velvet Bar's alcohol selection had grown impressively varied.
Sniffing the fragrant drink, Kazawa took a small sip.
"Pretty sweet," he commented. "All spices and fruit. A bit too refreshing."
"As long as you like it. Now that we have more options, we can start mixing real cocktails." Lyon's mood seemed just as good, setting up bottles to prepare another drink.
"Not bad at all… Wait no, that's not the point." Momentarily distracted by the cocktail, Kazawa downed it, then snapped back to reality. "Forget the drink—what's the deal with that Coop level-up message? Why the cryptic line? Riddles again?"
Lyon smiled and added ice cubes to the shaker. "I only speak truths. If you don't understand this one, even if I spell it out, it won't help."
Kazawa narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like a scam… So how exactly do these Coop levels even go up? Any rules?"
He'd already figured out how to start a Coop: lies, sneak attacks, whatever worked—he'd collected plenty of tarot cards.
But this was the first time a level had increased.
Scratching his face, he muttered, "If I remember right, in P5, Coops level up through mutual help. They teach me skills, I help fulfill their wishes or free them from their troubles… That kind of thing, right?"
Lyon stayed silent, just closing the shaker lid and starting to shake it rhythmically.
Under the sound of clinking ice, Kazawa continued thinking aloud:
"But if that's the case, why did Amuro's Coop only upgrade now? I thought it would've leveled up back when he lied about helping my parents. That felt like a major step in our 'bond,' right?
"Maybe… Amuro's wish is special? Overthrowing the organization? World peace? Or maybe it was that moment when he thought I was dead, then realized I wasn't—that satisfied a hidden wish to protect someone?"
Kazawa frowned in thought, not realizing he'd finished the entire Silver Bullet.
Though it tasted light and sweet, the base was strong liquor. His cheeks were already flushed.
"This one's the rye whiskey version—give it a try," Lyon said, sliding over a fresh cocktail.
The new Silver Bullet was a clear amber color. Kazawa brought the glass closer and, setting aside his confusion about Amuro, remembered something else.
"And… why does Hoshi River Hikaru have a tarot too?" Kazawa murmured.