Second Casino "A Gorgeous Challenge"

Phew! I'm glad we made it back to our hotel safely.

Thank you, Carmilla. I don't know what we would have done without you.

Fou, fou.

？！

Hehe... That's quite all right. Helping you suited my interests.

That said, how come you were there to begin with? And where did you get that outfit? Not to mention the car?

You mean you can't tell? Hmm, I suppose it might be hard to tell with all this on.

I have a swimsuit now!

Hehehe, that's right. The little idol wannabe may not have one yet, but I do!

Hmm, I suppose it is unbecoming to be quite so boastful about it, though...

Let's just say I made a powerful wish that temporarily changed my Spirit Origin.

The car is something of a package deal.

Whoa, I had no idea you were coverin' up such a pretty face all this time.

Is there a reason ya don't always go 'round like that?

It's a policy of mine not to, shall we say, give the goods away for cheap. Sorry, little girl.

At any rate, there's something I wanted to discuss with

Oh good, you guys are back now, huh?

Oh! It's the passing socialite that helped us out!

Actually, I think we can just drop the pretense now, right? Anyway, thank you so much, Ishtar.

Here's your money back! It's a good thing somebody threw the entry fee to us when we were making our escape.

I guess they really are sticklers for the rules...

？！

Oh, that's all right. You don't have to thank me, really.

Just pay me back the interest you owe me and we'll call it even.

Interest? What interest?

Oh come on, I said it loud and clear when I was passing you by, remember?

Well, I guess it miiight have been a little hard for you to make out, since I said it at Divine Rapid Words level speeds...

...but it's not my fault you didn't do your due diligence before forming a contract with me, right?

Anyway, the fact remains that you used my money. Now then, here's my interest rate, and the actual amount owed.

Wh-what are we going to do now, Senpai!? The excessive interest alone is enough to completely bankrupt us!

I don't usually like to curse people out, but in this case, Master, I'll make an exception on your behalf.

You're a demon! A devil in red! A useless goddess that's only good for causing trouble!

Sticks and stones, little ninja. All that matters to me is whether you can pay the interest. Well?

'Cause if not, well, you'll just have to pay me back with something else then, won't you?

？！

Oh come on, you know what I like. Cold, hard...gems.

And as it just so happens, there's a certain gem in particular I'd like you to fetch for me.

I gotta say, that little spiel makes it sound like you were schemin' the whole time.

That's why you lent us your money even though we never asked.

I'm just gonna plead the fifth on that.

Anyway, this gem is being kept in the Pharaoh Casino's highest-security vault. It's

A perfectly smooth leaf made out of a brilliant blue jewel. It's quite large, heavier than it looks, and it shines as bright and pure as an oasis in the desert.

The casino's managers call it... "the Eye of Medjed."

Oh? How did you know that?

Hehe...

？！

I don't usually go around advertising this, but I think that in this case, it is best I come clean.

I fear this swimsuited noblewoman persona is but a façade. When night falls, I take on a new, secret identity.

I am the scarlet phantom that cuts through the dark... I am the shadow of freedom, ever eluding capture...

Yes, I am the mysterious phantom thief who has become the talk of the town...Mistress C!

(What in the world is a "shadow of freedom" and how did she work it into her sentence so smoothly!?)

(Why did she throw her calling card into the wall? Does it double as some kind of shuriken?)

Hehehe... (Radiating smugness)

Fo fo, fooou.

As you might expect from a master phantom thief, I'm interested in acquiring this Eye of Medjed myself.

However, I can't do it alone. That's why I saved you, thus leaving you in my debt and with no choice but to assist.

So we both had the same basic idea, huh... It doesn't compare to my divine inspiration, of course, but I'll admit, that's pretty clever.

？！

Not necessarily. I could take or leave the jewel itself.

All I want is the value associated with it.

As long as you're willing to pay me what it's worth, I'm perfectly willing to let the jewel go.

...Well, all right. I knew I might have to pony up for a few miscellaneous expenses, and this certainly qualifies.

I never thought I'd be the patron of a phantom thief one day. Guess it just goes to show life's full of surprises.

Okay then, you guys are now officially hired to bring me this jewel called the Eye of Medjed.

Whoa, whoa, slow down! We ain't agreed ta do nothin' yet!

A good Edoite always pays her debts, so I don't gotta problem with that, but I got somethin' else I need to take care of first.

For one thing, I still gotta figure out a way ta get my hands on that letter of challenge.

Oh, you mean this?

!?

I traded for it after I won big at the high rollers' table. Let's just say I had my reasons.

Anyway, it isn't going to do me any good, since I decided not to bother with it, so...

Know what? If you manage to get the Eye of Medjed, I'll throw the letter in for free.

So there you go. In exchange for doing this job for me, you'll get this letter of challenge, and I'll consider your interest debt fully repaid.

And I need help to steal this jewel anyway, so this is how you will pay me back for rescuing you when you were in trouble.

It seems to me you don't have any choice but to accept.

Besides, once you do this job, you'll have everything you wanted as well. What is there to think about?

？！

Oh for... I knew you were gonna say something like that.

All right, I didn't want to have to tell you this 'cause it's embarrassing...

...but that jewel originally belonged to me, so you wouldn't be doing anything wrong.

It did? But then...why does the Pharaoh Casino have it now?

Look, I took it out of my collection to admire it for a bit, as you do...

...but then I dropped it Gugalanna-style, and it ended up falling right into that pyramid.

By the time I realized where it was, the pharaoh girl had already started treating it like a family heirloom.

I went to the casino and tried to explain what happened, but suffice it to say, there was no room for negotiation.

You know how her Divinity's kind of bugging out right now, yeah? So she's impossible to reason with at the moment.

I thought about challenging her to a swordmaster duel, and even traded for a letter of challenge...

...but then I realized that even if I won, it still wouldn't give me ownership over the casino.

Sure, I could wreck the whole casino and take it by brute force, but no one wants that, right?

Kyu, fooou. (Approximate Translation: That's for sure.)

So that only leaves having a specialist who's better with these more...delicate operations sneak it out for me.

All right, I'm done. I'll let the phantom thief over there sweat the small stuff.

Besides, I'm sure you've already got a plan in mind if you already had designs on it, right?

Indeed, I do. And a very clever one, if I do say so myself.

In a word, we're going to fight opulence with opulence.

Great! I don't know how that's supposed to work, but that sounds good to

Sorry I'm late. Getting away from there was harder than I expected.

Iori and I got separated on the way back, but I'm sure she's just making a side stop somewhere.

Oh yes, that reminds me. Since we don't have a formal contract in place, I'll just hold on to this Servant of yours as collateral.

I mean, as a goddess, I can't have anyone being more opulent than me, right?

So I was just looking for a nice, strong Servant to help me modify Maanna.

Fou. Fou fou. (Special Translation: So, basically, you're hinting that you want your Noble Phantasm enhanced?)

Why, whatever do you mean?

Oh, just so you know, I'll be having Ninja Boy of the Hidden Eyes there helping me out too☆

Um, I feel like I missed something important...

I can't believe this goddess!

Okay, good luck☆

Gnnn! She didn't listen to a word we said!

Still...I guess it's kinda nice that we know what we gotta do now...

？！

So, if we do this job for Ishtar...

...we'll get the letter of challenge we need, and we can pay both Carmilla and Ishtar back...

As for me, I get to enjoy the pride of pulling off a difficult heist, the thrill of stealing something beautiful, and money when it's all over...

It would seem everybody wins, yes?

Honestly, I'm still very curious to know why you became a phantom thief in the first place...

Oh, that? All in good time. Though really, it's something of a private matter anyway, so you really don't need to worry about it.

Now then...

？！

It says, "It is time to plan our heist."

Um... I feel very bad about pointing this out, but...

...couldn't you have just said that?

The first thing you need to know is that the Pharaoh Casino has a truly unrivalled security system, so breaking in won't be easy by any means.

Are you listening!?

Ah, forget it. She prob'ly just gets off on throwin' things.

Quiet. The adults are talking.

Let's start by going over our biggest obstacles. There's the literal god running the place... The assistant manager is one of the greatest beauties in all the world...

The head of security excels at surviving and adapting... And a multitude of pyramid-style traps are laid all throughout the casino.

But, there's a way to get past all those obstacles and obtain the Eye of Medjed smartly and opulently...

...and I've already figured it out.

？！

I'll tell you while we prepare. We still have several things we need to get ready.

You see, I will need your help for this, but your help alone won't be enough.

We still need three other people to complete the team. Your first job will be helping me to recruit them.

Ooh, sounds like we'll be doin one of those heist movies, recruitin' new people for our band of thieves. All right, who're we invitin' first?

Didn't I already tell you? The only way to fight opulence is with opulence.

Which is why we'll be going after three super socialites I handpicked myself!

Crap.

？！

What do you want? Aren't you done laughing at me yet?

Go on, get out of here. Shoo, shoo!

I was reminiscing about the wonderful memories I've made during my time with Lord Xiang Yu, and I don't want anyone interrupting me.

Oh? Why would you do that when you could be out making new memories with him?

Well, you know... Lord Xiang Yu's resting right now, and I didn't want to bother him...

Is that so? Nice try, but we phantom thieves always make sure to do our homework!

......

...Was the card-throwing necessary?

There you have it! So, what do you say? Will you help me with my plan?

(Sigh) I can't stand the idea of a human thinking she can use me like a pawn.

No, you're worse. You're not even human. You're a pale imitation of a vampire with delusions of grandeur.

Unfortunately, I'm a little bit removed from that right now. Which is why I've become a phantom thief.

...?

Well, whatever. I have to make you pay for disturbing my happy Lord Xiang Yu dreamtime anyway.

Perfect. That fur cape really cements your status as a socialite. I knew you were the right woman for the job.

What are you talking about!?

Hehe, guess it's just like they say: Right gives way to might.

'Sides, this summer, there's no better way ta settle a dispute like this than with our swords!

Come on, Master, let's do this!

Okay, okay, I'll at least hear you out! So? What do you want me to do, anyway!?

No need to be so belligerent about it.

Personally, I want you to be part of our phantom thief heist plan...

...but as I said on my calling card, I'm sure there's something there that will be worth stealing for you, too.

？！

What do you mean by that?

I heard you had a bad losing streak at the casinos lately.

And while your lover may have helped finance some of that, it was essentially a Band-Aid for a bullet wound, yes?

That's why you're still here, isn't it?

You want to get back at casinos in general for humiliating you like that.

!

If our plan succeeds, we'll inflict a major blow to the casinos' pride and reputation.

All of this is to say that our heist will let us destroy the very sense of superiority you so hate about them.

...You know, you're right. I never did like those places.

I can't stand the idea of me getting upset or overjoyed because of some silly human-designed rules and systems.

Stupid casinos. What a joke.

So yeah, if I can get my revenge on casinos for disgracing me in front of Lord Xiang Yu...

...I guess this might not be the worst way to pass some time.

？！

Well whaddaya know? This gal turned out to be way more of a pushover than I thought!

P-please don't say things like that in her earshot, Hokusai!

Er, what she meant to say was, it's great that you're so flexible, Yu Mei-ren!

Fou...

What, you don't even have any tea here? Cheapskates.

Oh, by the way, I won't be lifting a finger until it's showtime, so just keep that in mind. Hey, how about snacks? Do you at least have any good snacks?

...All right, now that we have Yu Mei-ren holding down the fort, we can move on to our next super socialite.

For this occasion, not just any socialite will do. She also needs to be in a swimsuit, and to be a strong fighter.

No, not just strong. Her fighting form must be as elegant as it is formidable.

Which leaves only one option...

Hehe... Go ahead and read it.

That calling card will guide you to what you desire...the dreamy oasis you have been seeking to quench your thirst in this barren desert.

What's this now?

Oho. I don't know what a socialite is, but if it is my skill in combat you seek, then I must commend your taste.

I was told this was a city of decadence and madness.

I thought that people who have lost everything to gambling, and who now dream of winning big and turning their lives around...

...would be lurking around every corner just waiting for an unsuspecting victim to come within ambush range.

So I have been deeply displeased by how boringly peaceful the reality has been.

I was looking forward to experiencing battle with desperate souls who have nothing more left to lose.

？！

Now then, shall we get to it?

Wait. Huh?

...You do realize we aren't even at the casino yet?

This job you propose does sound like fun, but I have a different reward in mind.

And what better manner of advance payment than a duel with an unfamiliar swordfighter?

Hehe, now that's a woman after my own heart.

You better believe that's fine with me. I already made up my mind to become the greatest swordfighter around.

And there ain't no way that's happenin' by passin' up a chance ta face off against a fierce opponent!

Oho. So you are a fairy who has been alive for thousands of years? And an incarnated Elemental? Interesting...

Stop looking at me like that. I have zero interest in testing our skills against one another.

Go ahead and stick me with that spear of yours if you want. I won't even bother dodging.

It's not like you'd be able to kill me anyway.

...

That just leaves our last socialite.

I've been saving her for last, since she seemed like she'd require some extra time.

Fortunately for us, she's staying in this very hotel, so let's go pay her a visit right now.

I don't hear anyone inside. Maybe she's out right now?

I doubt it. She's most likely just fast asleep.

You might say this particular socialite has just come back from another hard fought battle.

Really? That sounds pretty hardcore. I wonder what kinda badass she is?

Ugh, NOW what? Just when I was finally topping off in my nice futon after turning in my draft!

(Yawwwn...) Oh, Ma-chan! What's up?

？！

Of course I did. She can be a nerd, or strange gamer in this case, she is still a princess...of sorts. Besides, her skills are essential to my plan.

Hm? What're you talking about? So you know, I still haven't recovered from my battle against my deadline.

I'm sorry we interrupted your relaxation time. Though, since you were relaxing, does that mean you finished?

Hehe, it sure does. The whole area seems brighter now. I feel like there's nothing I couldn't do...

Then you should have no trouble reading this!

What was that!? Did you just throw that card into the wall!? Poggers! There's not a chunibyou out there who wouldn't love to pull that off!

So you want my help with a heist, huh?

Sure, I can do that. I've got time to spare now that I'm finally free of my draft, and it might give me some ideas for a future book.

Now you're talkin'! It's true, we painters gotta go wherever our curiosity takes us.

Oh, but would you mind helping me out first?

My back's stiff as a board after spending all day in my futon, so I could really use a warm-up round!

Good, that takes care of our team. Now, we need to go over the plan. But first...

...there's a little errand I'd like you to run for me.

I want you to go to the room written on that card, and bring me back some things we'll need for the plan.

You could at least tell us the room number yourself...

I could, but I have my own preparations to attend to. Go on then, little boy.

So we just gotta stop by this room? Okay, no problem. I wonder what this thing we need could be?

Maybe it's...matching leotards?

I-I, um, certainly hope not...

...What do you want?

W-well, um, we were asked to pick something up here, so...

Ah, those. Yes, they are ready. They were easy enough to make, but fulfilling nonetheless.

But in the future, you would do well to think twice before making an order on such short notice. One cannot expect high quality with only a day's turnaround.

Everyone has their own plans. Nobody has a right to a creator's time except the creator.

R-right! I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, but I'm very sorry all the same!

Good. Remember it well. As for the items you seek, you will find them in this cardboard box. Take them.

？！

So, is that it? Don't we still need to pay ya?

Do you not recall? I have already been paid in advance.

...Wait. Are you not the ones who asked me to make these?

Did you not send me an order on a cardlike document with a delivery date that left no room for sleep?

Um, no, that wasn't us. We just came to pick this up for Carmilla...

...I see. So this was that vampire woman's doing.

She must wish to avoid seeing me in person. And yet she still requires items such as these?

What could she be up to...?

You mean you don't know? Well getta load of this! We're puttin' together a band of phantom thieves that'll rival Ishikawa Goemon and Nezumi Kozou Jirokichi themselves!

Ah! Hokusai, I think that's technically supposed to be a secret!

Phantom thieves? Hmm...

Where did she go so wrong? I only hope the path she is on now can still lead back towards righteousness.

Well, no matter. Now that you have the items in question, my work here is done.

Hm? What was that all about?

Vlad is kind of like Carmilla's relative, so he may have some feelings about what she's up to.

Anyway...I think this takes care of everything we need.

Let's head back to our room and go over the plan with Carmilla!