"Everyone, stay alert. The crowd is really starting to swell. If Regen and his crew are going to move, this is the window."
A surge of tension rippled through Yugo as the Boss’s voice crackled over the communicator.
Taking those instructions as their cue, the Security Force personnel sharpened their watch. Their mission was simple: intercept the syndicate members before they could make their move.
Inside the high-stakes environment of the headquarters, reports of suspicious individuals began flooding in one after another.
"Group A here. We’ve spotted a suspicious individual carrying a heavy bag. Beginning tail."
"Group B. Tracking target confirmed no threat. Resuming watch."
"We are monitoring the high-traffic areas, but no suspicious individuals have been sighted so far. However, due to the peak in crowd size, we are shifting our formation to better handle any potential incidents."
"It’s finally beginning..." Jinba muttered.
Yugo swallowed hard. If they could intercept the person carrying the Birdcage now, they could thwart a catastrophic crime and liberate the hostages in one fell swoop. The weight of the mission pressed down on him again; success or failure would change everything, and it was clear his comrades felt that same crushing pressure.
"I—I don’t know, everyone’s starting to look suspicious to me now...!"
"I agree. My eyes keep darting toward anyone carrying so much as a slightly oversized bag."
"Merchants and staff are hauling crates and props everywhere for the stalls. It’s a nightmare trying to tell them apart!"
Those were the voices of Melt, Sakura, and Anhel, respectively. Perhaps due to the mounting stress, everyone in the crowd seemed like a suspect to the girls out on patrol.
I know the feeling, Yugo thought. He continued to wait for updates until a transmission from Marcos reached his ears.
"Yugo, it’s Marcos. Do you hear me?"
"Yeah. You got something?"
"...I found him. He’s one of the men on the list Investigator Jinba was checking last night."
The sound of a chair screeching against the floor echoed through the room as Jinba bolted upright. In contrast to the investigator's sudden movement, Yugo remained calm as he questioned Marcos.
"Marcos, what’s your location? Where is he heading?"
"He’s threading through the crowd toward the Central Area. He’s being very protective of the luggage he’s carrying."
"How is he carrying it? Is it in a bag or something?"
"He has a large shoulder bag tucked tight under his arm. His free hand keeps fidgeting with his jacket pocket—in and out, over and over."
"There’s a communicator in that pocket," Jinba groaned, his eyes widening. "He’s staying in touch with Regen and the others inside the Birdcage. If that’s him...!"
Yugo exchanged a sharp glance with Setsuna. They shared a silent nod before Yugo spoke into the device.
"Marcos, Setsuna and I are moving to the sniping position. Keep reporting the target's location."
"Understood. Hurry, Yugo."
Yugo ended the call and hurried toward the sniping point with Setsuna in tow. As Jinba also began coordinating the move toward the Central Area, Setsuna looked at Yugo.
"You have a lot of faith in Marcos. You didn't hesitate for a second to believe he’d found our man."
"He’s dependable when the chips are down. Yesterday, he was studying that suspect list more intensely than even Jinba-san or me."
Marcos could be a flamboyant show-off, and he certainly had his airheaded moments, but his pride as a nobleman was real. To him, that meant protecting the innocent. He had poured everything he had into safeguarding the hostages and the festival-goers, poring over those carrier candidate photos until they were burned into his memory.
If Marcos said he’d spotted someone, Yugo wasn't going to second-guess him. A deep sense of trust colored Yugo’s voice—the kind of faith one holds for a rival who would put his life on the line for the defenseless, regardless of the odds.
"I don't just believe in Marcos, though," Yugo added, his voice warm with the same confidence. "I trust you just as much, Setsuna. I know you won’t miss."
"My, you certainly know how to talk to a girl," Setsuna replied, a slight lilt returning to her voice. "With that kind of pressure, I suppose failure isn't an option."
She drew her magic item, the Dragon String Bow. A moment later, her playful tone vanished, replaced by a focused intensity that left no room for hesitation or error. She channeled her magic power and addressed Marcos through the communicator.
"I’m in position. Marcos, where is the target?"