When Kid started worrying about his disguise, old man Terai beside him was already sweating bullets.
On one hand, he was thinking the same thing as Kid.
On the other, in his heart, the Tengu was still the terrifying creature from legend who liked to air-dry human flesh for snacks. Even if that cannibalistic hobby had been "retired," a monster was still a monster.
And now, that very same legendary monster was walking straight toward him, no more than five meters away...
Terai shakily raised a hand to his chest pocket, hoping to find his emergency meds.
Empty.
...Damn. He'd always had such a healthy cardiovascular system that he never got in the habit of carrying medicine. No blood pressure pills, no emergency spray, nothing.
Mental note: start stocking up. The young master has clearly caught the eye of this creature. At this rate, it's not if the meds will be needed, but when.
In the shared panic of the old and the young, Jiangxia Tongzhi walked calmly to the bar, passed them both, and sat down on the vacant stool next to Kid.
He didn't even bother to say hello.
Kid slowly turned his head and stared at him. A visible "?" practically floated above his head.
What the hell? The Tengu is pretending not to know me??
But after thinking it over, Kid realized it wasn't that strange.
After all, based on past experience, the Tengu only showed up after he made his move. Usually, once he'd successfully stolen a treasure, this mysterious monster would appear out of nowhere to skillfully pull a black-on-black betrayal.
Maybe this time was the same.
Though compared to the lavish venues of past capers, today's billiards hall was a bit... cramped. Maybe the Tengu just couldn't find a good hiding spot and decided to sit down and wait beside him.
As Kid reassured himself with mental chants of "everything's fine," "this is sustainable," and "I'm very stable,"
The bartender at the counter was sneakily observing Jiangxia, dressed fashinably in his Tengu vest.
It wasn't that unusual to see someone in a kimono around here. What really drew attention was the massive object wrapped in cloth strapped to the man's back.
Curious, but too polite to ask, the bartender decided to make his own guesses.
It didn't look heavy, so probably not a weapon like a machete or axe. Alright then—if it's not something dangerous, it's none of his business.
In this line of work, he met at least a hundred weirdos a week. Calmly, he stood by the bar, waiting for the Tengu to order.
Jiangxia sat quietly, staring at the drink list, perfectly composed.
But Kid and Terai, watching this from the side, were starting to panic again: Please don't ask for something like a "gemstone set meal" or "air-dried meat sticks."
The owner of this place wasn't a saint, and Kid had sent an advance notice that he'd be here tonight. The club was probably fully prepped for trouble.
If the Tengu actually said something that bonkers, the staff might just treat him like a lunatic and toss him out on the spot.
Kid's head started to throb as he imagined that scenario— Tengu wasn't a kind and gentle being. He had tossed a whole mountain of gemstones at it just to stop it from eating people. If security really threw the creature out and it got mad...
Wait a minute—ordering something meant paying. Did the Tengu even have money?
Terai and Kid exchanged glances. Their expressions shifted at the same time.
One second later, Grandpa Terai forced out a smile and said, "I'll treat you! It's rare to see such a... unique person around. Ha ha. Uh..." He glanced nervously at the Tengu and mentally added, Let's just get him a cup of grass juice.
...But he was afraid of getting punched.
So instead, he swallowed that suggestion and changed course: "One Bloody Mary, please."
Jiangxia glanced at him silently. From the name alone, it didn't sound great. A double-scoop chocolate ice cream would've been better... but the shikigami had no taste buds and couldn't taste anything anyway.
So, no complaints.
Kid and Terai both let out a breath of relief.
—
The drink came quickly.
Kid watched closely and saw that the Tengu was just sitting there quietly, staring at the glass.
A few stools away, Nakamori Aoko was already tipsy from a few cocktails.
She squinted at the Tengu, curiosity bubbling up until she couldn't hold it in. "Hey... what's that thing on your back?"
Kid flinched and turned, trying to change the subject.
But before he could, the Tengu glanced at her and answered blandly, "Cello."
Nakamori Aoko hiccupped and frowned at the bulky shape. "It's so big though...?"
Tengu took a sip of his drink. "I like to carry it on my back."
Terai: "…"
Kid: "…"
The Tengu actually knows what a cello is? Hmm... probably. Some commemorative cellos go for millions, maybe it's on the recipe list...
Realizing the Tengu wasn't planning on doing anything (yet), Kid finally relaxed again. For the Nth time.
He didn't bother asking why the Tengu was here—he knew the answer. To rob him, obviously.
What bothered Kid more was this: the owner of the billiards club clearly had something to hide. After getting the notice, they neither called the cops nor did anything else... so how the hell did the Tengu find out he'd be here?
Don't tell him this monster was tailing him 24/7...
That thought made Kid's expression freeze while his body gave an involuntary shiver.
But—if you couldn't resist, might as well enjoy. And to be fair, the Tengu, while overly enthusiastic about robbery, still had a sense of martial arts honor. So maybe he was... the safest monster?
Trying to comfort himself with that thought, Kid scanned the billiards hall with narrowed eyes.
His gaze stopped at the ornate VIP door.
That was where Tsuujirou, the same guy who had once defeated Terai, was currently playing billiards.
Kid took a few licks of his ice cream and wiped his hands. It was almost time—time for the main show.
He snuck into the VIP hall with a string of questionable excuses and confidently challenged Tsuujirou to a match.
The billiards club owner, watching the farce unfold, quickly clocked that Kid was a total billiards noob and casually named a price of 10,000 yen per game.
Kid faked his way through the rounds.
In the end, having lost all his cash, he slammed Terai's entire shop down on the table like a tool person and bet it on one final game—for the jewel-encrusted King's Cue.
—
Meanwhile, Jiangxia remained at the bar.
Then suddenly, a wave of murderous aura seeped from the direction of the VIP room.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 18/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:2/10*