A sharp blast from a car horn cut through the rainy afternoon and nearly made Itsuki jump out of his skin.
He looked up and immediately recognized the car from the phone call. With several people at the bus stop now staring in his direction, lingering outside suddenly seemed far more suspicious than getting into a stranger's vehicle. Itsuki hurried over, opened the rear door, and slipped inside, where he found Shun already waiting.
The first thing he noticed was Shun's clothing.
Black from head to toe, face hidden behind an unfamiliar mask—he looked almost exactly like the images associated with Spider.
Itsuki glanced between him and Naoki. "You guys are Spider?"
"Sort of. It's a little more complicated than that." Naoki pulled away from the curb. "We need to stop by a hotel and pick up dinner first. I'll explain everything on the way. You brought dark clothes, right? Better change before we get there."
Itsuki had expected something like this. He had looked into Spider online before coming and had prepared a full black outfit based on what little information was publicly available. He changed in the back seat, then pulled out a plain white mask.
Naoki glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"We don't use normal masks. Ours are Ditto."
"I have one."
Itsuki had raised a Ditto years ago at his father's insistence, back when he still lived aboard the cruise ship. He released it, let it transform into a thin mask, and settled it over his face.
That earned an approving nod from Naoki.
During the rest of the drive, Naoki filled in everything Itsuki had been missing. He explained Spider's origins, the core members, the real purpose behind the organization, the identity of the supposedly mysterious leader, and the rules everyone was expected to follow.
By the time they finished collecting dinner from the hotel and drove into the villa grounds, Itsuki understood that the Spider described in public rumors had very little to do with the real organization.
Rain streaked across the windows as Naoki stopped near the entrance and lowered his window.
"Daishi! Grab a few people and help with the food!"
He popped the trunk, then looked back at Shun and Itsuki.
"Keep the masks on. You two can go inside and warm up. Stay in one of the rooms until dinner if you want."
The two exchanged a glance and got out. Their stab-resistant clothing kept most of the rain off as they hurried into the villa, both curious about what else Reiji had waiting for them tonight.
Naoki watched them disappear inside before turning toward the wall.
Keith was still there.
Rain had soaked him completely. His hair clung to his face, water streamed down his clothes, and judging by the way he was shivering, the punishment had long since stopped being comfortable.
Naoki retrieved an umbrella from the car and held it out.
"Keith. Go bring her back. Gengar will show you where she is."
Keith turned around so quickly that he almost slipped.
"Rai-nii said that?"
"Boss's orders."
Keith stared at the umbrella, still uncertain whether he had heard correctly.
"So... I can go after her?"
Naoki's expression softened a little. "Boss wasn't angry because you helped someone. He wanted you to remember that there's a difference between taking a risk and charging into something you can't handle. If I hadn't reached you in time, you and Miki would both be dead."
Keith lowered his gaze.
"You can bring her back," Naoki continued. "But you know the rules. If she decides to join us, this isn't something she gets to walk away from whenever she changes her mind."
"I understand."
Keith took the umbrella. His fingers were trembling, partly from the cold and partly from relief, but he wasted no time heading through the gate.
Gengar emerged from his shadow a short distance down the road and took the lead.
It guided Keith beyond the villa district to a quiet bus stop. Most families living nearby owned cars, so hardly anyone used it at this hour, especially in the rain.
Miki was sitting alone on the bench.
Her clothes were soaked through, wet hair plastered across her face, and she had curled herself around her knees to preserve what little warmth she had left. Several people had already stopped to check on her. Even a bus driver had opened the doors and asked whether she wanted to get out of the rain, but she had ignored every offer.
She barely reacted until someone stepped directly in front of her and blocked the light.
Miki slowly raised her head.
Keith stood there panting, one hand gripping the umbrella while rain ran down his face. After standing outside for so long and then running all the way here, his lungs were burning badly enough that he needed several seconds before he could speak.
Under ordinary story logic, this would have been the perfect moment for another disaster. Somebody would arrive to kidnap Miki, another assassin would attack, or some convenient tragedy would separate them again.
Reality was less dramatic.
Three of the Trainers chasing her were already dead.
Anyone else thinking about continuing the hunt now had to consider whether following Miki into Mandarin Island North was worth getting killed by another Elite Four-tier Trainer. Apparently, nobody was quite suicidal enough to volunteer.
Miki stared at Keith until something inside her finally snapped.
"Why?" She surged to her feet and grabbed his collar. "Why did you come after me?"
Keith had no chance to answer before she shoved him backward.
He landed hard in a muddy puddle, filthy water splashing across his clothes. Instead of getting angry, he simply lay there for a moment catching his breath, then extended the umbrella toward her.
"Come back with me."
Miki's grip loosened.
Keith was sprawled in mud, soaked to the bone and visibly exhausted, yet he was still trying to hold the umbrella over her rather than himself.
Whatever anger she had left began to collapse.
Her shoulders shook as the tears returned, though the rain made them impossible to distinguish. After a long moment, she gave the smallest nod and sagged against him as though the strength had gone out of her legs.
Keith pushed himself upright.
"Come on."
He helped her stand, and she caught his hand before he could pull away. The two walked back toward the villa beneath the same umbrella, leaning against each other for warmth as the rain continued falling around them.
...
Back at the villa, Naoki had already turned his attention to the evening gathering.
Daishi and the others carried the hotel food inside and arranged everything across the long table. Each dish was covered to keep it warm, but the smell still escaped into the room and made it increasingly difficult to ignore how close dinner was.
Reiji had slept through most of the preparations upstairs. The clatter of plates and cutlery eventually woke him, and when he came downstairs, the living room had been transformed.
The long table dominated the room, surrounded by black chairs and laid out with enough food for a small banquet. Candles had been placed around the room despite the perfectly functional crystal chandelier overhead.
The chandelier provided better light, obviously, but a room full of masked people dressed in black looked much more impressive by candlelight. Sometimes atmosphere mattered more than practicality.
By the time everyone started gathering, every Spider member present had changed into black clothing and put on a mask.
Reiji took the seat at the head of the table and looked around.
"Everyone here?"
His gaze passed over Naoki, A.J., Sou, Gulzar, and Daishi before reaching Shun and Itsuki as they emerged from one of the rooms. Reiji gave both a small nod and motioned for them to take their places.
A few minutes later, the front door opened again.
Keith and Miki came in looking as though they had fallen into a river.
Reiji took one look at their drenched clothes and pointed upstairs.
"Naoki, take them up. Hot showers, dry clothes, then they can come back down."
The miserable walk through the rain appeared to have done what Reiji wanted. Whatever had happened between Keith and Miki out there, the tension between them was very different now.
Keith stepped forward anxiously.
"Rai-nii, I—"
"Get cleaned up first."
Reiji turned his attention to Miki.
"As for you, think carefully while you're upstairs. Decide whether you actually want to join us."
Miki met his gaze despite her swollen eyes.
"All right."
Keith led her upstairs.
Reiji waited until they disappeared before turning back to the table and inviting everyone else to sit.
His own chair occupied one end, exactly where everyone expected the leader to be. The others filled the seats along either side according to the numbers displayed on their masks, which reflected the internal ranking Spider had used from the beginning.
The table held twelve chairs.
Reiji had planned it that way.
Tonight was supposed to bring Spider's active membership to twelve people, assuming everything went according to plan. One person was still on the way, and Reiji was especially interested in the extra guest Tai had promised to bring with him.
Half an hour passed before Keith and Miki came downstairs again.
Both had changed into black clothes. Their hair was still slightly damp, but the shower had restored some color to their faces, and Miki no longer looked ready to collapse.
She hesitated when she saw everyone seated around the table wearing pale masks marked with numbers.
Keith quietly explained what they meant.
Miki understood quickly. She released Ditto, had it transform into a mask, and put it on before following Keith to the open seats.
Reiji said nothing when she sat down.
That was enough.
The villa door had never been locked. She had been given the opportunity to leave, had chosen to return, and had now taken a seat at Spider's table fully aware that doing so meant accepting the organization.
Conversation gradually picked up as people noticed something unusual about the seating arrangement.
Reiji occupied the head of the table, but the chair directly opposite him at the far end remained empty.
"Who's that seat for?" someone finally asked.
That started several quiet guesses.
Naoki had originally assumed Reiji might reserve it for Shun, considering their relationship, but Shun had already taken another seat. Itsuki was seated elsewhere too, which meant the place opposite Reiji had been intentionally kept open for someone none of them had seen yet.
Even Naoki did not know who.
The numbered arrangement made the rest much easier to understand.
Reiji was Number Zero at the head of the table. Naoki, Number One, sat closest to him, followed by A.J. as Two, Sou as Three, Gulzar as Five, Daishi as Six, Keith as Seven, Shun as Nine, Itsuki as Ten, and Miki as Eleven.
Three people were still unaccounted for in the room.
Number Four belonged to Gai.
Number Eight belonged to Tai.
And the final chair—the one directly opposite Reiji—had been left for someone new.
The newer members could finally see what the numbers on their masks represented. They were not decorative. They reflected position and, to a large extent, strength within Spider.
Outside, thunder rolled across the villa grounds as the rain intensified. Wind drove heavy drops against the windows, and the gathering fell into an expectant lull while everyone waited for the last arrival.
Then the front door swung open.
A gust of rain and cold air swept through the room hard enough to make the candles flicker, extinguishing several of them. Gengar immediately sent out small blue flames and relit the wicks before the darkness could settle.
Three figures stood in the doorway.
Two wore black.
The third had his wrists and ankles bound and was being dragged between them.
Tai stepped inside last and shut the door behind him, his white mask unmistakable beneath the hood. Beside him stood Shingo.
The prisoner was Gai.
Reiji leaned back slightly as he looked over the group Tai had brought with him. He had expected the traitor and had hoped for the other guest, but seeing both arrive together was even better than the message had suggested.
His attention settled on Shingo.
"There you are."
Everyone around the table turned toward him.
Reiji gestured toward the empty chair at the opposite end.
"Shingo, want to join us? I saved that seat specifically for you."
The room immediately went quiet.
Now everyone understood why the far end of the table had remained empty.
Those who recognized Shingo mentally ran through what they knew: inheritor of The Crimson Streak, owner of an Elite Four-tier Scizor, and one of the strongest young Trainers to appear in the Orange League tournament.
More than one Spider member looked from Shingo to the empty chair and quietly began wondering the same thing.
If that seat represented the place directly opposite Reiji, how strong would someone have to become to claim it?
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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