They docked at the very end of a surprisingly long jetty. Coming down the gangplank, James was struck by how very out of place the dilapidated cargo ship was on this dock. A wide range of leisure craft were docked here, of varying degrees of luxury. There were sailing yachts and motor cruisers and even a few low-slung motorboats that rode close to the waterline.

  Some of the bigger ones still had crew, or maybe they were guards. They looked suspiciously at the group as they passed. Shion gave them an American-style finger.

  As soon as they got to the end of the dock, Mitsue clapped James on the back and wished him luck. James barely had a chance to respond before Mitsue had slipped away into the shadows. James hadn’t thought they were dark enough for the ninja to do that. It was still daylight, if only barely.

  The jetty led to a winding stone pathway flanked by strategically placed lanterns, their warm light flickering against the encroaching night. Ahead, the facility loomed—a stark, modernist structure. The facade was a mix of steel and tinted glass. It caught the dying light of the sunset in hues of molten gold that turned the otherwise modest structure into a fleeting vision of opulence.

  Palm trees lined the perimeter in an effort to lend the place a touch of tropical luxury. A faint hum of machinery and neon buzz filtered through the night air, and from within, the muffled roar of an enthusiastic crowd hinted at the chaos and high stakes inside.

  “This is a terrible idea,” James muttered, just before they came in earshot of the bouncers. “Are they going to let us in? We’re not dressed up enough.”

  James had dressed for a day spent in a forest. He’d dressed nicely—he wanted to impress Suki—but it wasn’t remotely the same as what the people ahead of him were wearing.

  Suki folded her arm around James’.

  “We’ll be fine,” she said. “You’re with me.”

  “Also,” Harue said with a wink, “Speak for yourself.”

  James blinked. Harue was wearing a Chinese-style gown of heavily embroidered silk that she definitely hadn’t been wearing on the boat. Her hair was done up nicely, held in place with silver jewellery. More gems glittered on her ears and around her neck.

  “If she doesn’t have to, I don’t see why I had to bother,” Kana sniffed. James looked over at her and nearly stumbled. Kana was wearing a backless midnight-blue gown, made from a shimmering fabric edged with lace on the neckline and sleeves.

  “How?” he managed to get out.

  Kana looked at him condescendingly. “It’s just a minor modification of my human form,” she said. “I’m not sure why it matters.”

  “Now, now,” Harue said. “We talked about this. This is how the hunter moves about, without alerting her prey.”

  They were having this conversation right under the noses of the bouncers. James had forgotten about them for a second, but his anxiety returned in full force as they stood right in front of him. They weren’t looking at James, or the other girls, though. They were stopping Shion.

  “Round the back, girl,” one of them said. “You know you ain't allowed in the nice areas any more.”

  “Not since the last time.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Shion said. “You okama still got your panties in a bunch over that?”

  James didn’t know the word, but he knew it must have been insulting from the way the man’s face turned red. Shion didn’t wait for him to respond. She just turned and walked around the side of the building.

  “You little gutter urchin!’ the man yelled at her back.

  “We’re okay to go inside, right?” Suki asked. The bouncer turned back to her and stared blankly for a moment. James got the feeling that he’d just seen a person reboot.

  “Uh… yeah, I mean, yes. You ladies are fine to enter,” he stammered.

  “Thanks!” Suki said with a bright smile. She pulled James forward, past the guards.

  “Lucky bastard,” James heard one of them mutter.

  They rode a lift to the main observation lounge. It was a study in gaudy excess, designed to dazzle and distract. Plush, deep-red carpets lined the floor and oversized armchairs were scattered everywhere. Most of them were placed with a view of the main ring, but some were arranged in quiet nooks for conversations that had little to do with the fights. The walls were adorned with polished mirrors and holographic projections of past Frame battles, each flickering like ghostly memories in the dim ambient light. A massive crystal chandelier hung precariously overhead, its shimmering light refracted into a spectrum of colours that painted the room with a surreal vibrancy.

  The main attraction was a wide, reinforced window that stretched across the front of the lounge, offering an unobstructed view of the arena below. The arena was simple and unadorned. The ground was closely packed sand, and there were no decorations or set pieces to be used for cover. The fights here were hard and brutal, fought at close range with melee weapons.

  Back in the lounge, discreet servers in tightly fitted uniforms glided between the chairs, delivering overpriced drinks and hors d’oeuvres, while the hum of hushed bets and tense anticipation filled the air like static before a storm.

  A notification of the first bout was displayed on the main window.

  Starting at 7:00 PM: First Round

  First Bout: Grand Melee

  Lovely Princess Flower Heart Collidescope — Sakura Amamiya

  Bikini Death Toll — Kira Mizuno

  Inferno Reaver — Ryuu Takahashi

  The match was scheduled to start in an hour.

  “That’s Junko’s Frame!” Suki said. There were pictures next to the names. Not of the pilots, just the Frames.

  “Anamiya must be Matsuri’s stage name,” Harue said. “I’m going to check backstage. That’s probably where Matsuri is, but check out here just in case.”

  She started to move off, then stopped. “Oh, just one more thing. The Raimēkai group aren’t much to worry about, but they’ve been hosting some Triads. Those guys are a bit more dangerous, so keep an eye out.”

  “Wait, what? How dangerous? And why didn’t you mention this before?”

  “Eh, you know, more dangerous than your average yakuza. And I left it until now to mention it because I didn’t want to worry you!” Harue winked and sauntered nonchalantly towards the bar as if she had been doing this all her life.

  “How bad is this?” James asked Suki.

  “I’m not sure,” she said thoughtfully. “It depends on which Triad she was talking about. However, criminal gangs are local in nature. For a gang to reach out from Hong Kong, it must be bigger or better than average.”

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  “Do not concern yourself,” Kana declared. “I am more than a match for any human gang that dares to stand in our way.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that, sis,” said an unfamiliar male voice. “Some of these folks might surprise you.”

  James whirled around to see a Japanese man in an elegant formal kimono. He was tall. Not just tall for Japanese, he was slightly taller than James. He looked to be in his late twenties and smiled sardonically at the group, pleased by the effect of his sudden appearance. He offered them all a small bow.

  Suki returned it politely. James followed suit a moment later.

  “Sis?” Suki said sharply as soon as the bows had been completed.

  “Indeed,” the man said. James noticed his hair, then—a mix of dark blue and black, just like Kana’s.

  “Elidorious,” Kana said slowly. “Mother left… memories of you.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it,” Elidorious said. “We may have had our differences, but I’m pleased to know she still feels that we’re family. Call me Elidor, dearest Sister.”

  He looked at the two humans. “You may call me Elidor-san,” he said.

  Suki bowed again. “How magnanimous of you, Elidor-san.”

  He waved dismissively. “It’s nothing, I have no intention of lording it over my sister’s friends.”

  Suki and James gave their names, and Elidor nodded politely in response.

  “Why are you here… Elidor?” Kana asked. “Were you looking for me?”

  “Oh, not at all,” Elidor said. “I had no idea that you’d be here! I have kept myself in the area, though, after I heard that you were captured and sent to the Academy.”

  “You were captured?” James asked Kana.

  She pouted. “I do not wish to talk about it,” she said haughtily.

  “How does one find out about something like that?” Suki asked. “I was under the impression that the Academy kept its business quiet.”

  “It does.” Elidor looked at Suki consideringly. “You see, the tradition among… our people is to place the newborn in a secluded valley or island and ward it in. The child can’t leave until it is strong enough to break the magic keeping it sealed away.”

  “That explains so much,” James said.

  “Barbaric, isn’t it?” Elidor said. “While I disagree with the practice, I can hardly go against Mother. But I did make a point of checking on my dear sister as often as I could.”

  “I never sensed you,” Kana said sulkily.

  “Oh, I could never enter the ward,” Elidor said. “Mother would be sure to detect that, and then I’d never hear the end of it. No, I just got close enough to make sure that you were all right. Until one day, you weren’t there. So I investigated, found the human’s trail which led me…”

  “To the Academy,” Suki finished for him.

  “Exactly. I was able to determine that you were safe, but I couldn’t set foot on the island. So I resolved to stick around in case you should step off it, and here we are! Quite foresighted of me, really.”

  “So what does bring you here, then?” Suki asked.

  “Oh, this is the sort of thing I do, you know? One finds amusement where one can. This place is slumming it a bit, but the Raimēkai do put on a good show.”

  He made a show of checking his watch. It was a heavy, gold piece. James didn’t know watches to recognise it, but he was sure it was a Rolex, unless there was some other, more exclusive, Japanese brand.

  “Actually, I’m also meeting some people here,” Elidor said. “In just a few more minutes.”

  “We’ll get out of your hair, then,” Suki said. “Perhaps we can meet up later.”

  “Nonsense! There’s no way that I could bear to be separated from my sister after so long apart. You’ll come with me, won’t you, Sis?”

  Kana looked at him blankly. “Harue said I had to stick close to these two, to protect them.”

  “Then, by all means, let’s have them come along too!” Elidor looked at the two of them. “You’ll join us, won’t you? You wouldn’t drag my sister away so soon after we met?”

  “Uh, no, that’s fine,” James said. “I should ask, though, who you’re meeting? Or maybe… what?” He muttered the last part, but Elidor had good hearing.

  He chuckled. “Oh, no, nothing like that. This is just a pair of normal humans. They want me to invest in their project, so I agreed to give them time to make a pitch. Now, Kana-chan, you must tell me. How’s the hunting on the island? Are you eating all right?”

  He put an arm around the bemused dragon-maiden and led her off to a more secluded part of the lounge. James and Suki followed.

  “What do we think about this?” James whispered to Suki.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered back. “He seems nice? I don’t think Kana’s made up her mind yet.”

  James’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Harue.

  Found Matsuri

  “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about,” Suki said when he showed it to her. “I guess she’ll text us when she has more updates.”

  The nook that Elidor led them to had two people waiting there for them. They were both wearing tuxedos. It wasn’t an uncommon sartorial choice in this room, but they both looked uncomfortable in them. One of them was an older gentleman, about fifty years old. His dark brown hair showed a distinct widow’s peak. The other was much younger, about James’s age. He scowled at James as they approached.

  “Hey,” he said to the older man. He spoke quietly, but not quietly enough that James couldn’t hear him, and he spoke in English. “How come I have to wear the monkey suit when he doesn’t?”

  “He’s not trying to impress you,” The older man growled back, speaking English in an English accent. Then he switched to Japanese.

  “Good evening to you, honoured Elidorious-sama,” he said, bowing deeply. He pulled the kid down with him. “We’re delighted that you agreed to meet with us on such short notice.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” Elidor said, returning the bow perfunctorily. “We still have a little time before the fights start.”

  He took one of the seats and gestured for Kana to sit next to him. That left just two seats remaining. The kid went to sit on one of them, but the British guy held him back.

  “Please, be seated,” he said to James and Suki, bowing. It felt a bit awkward, but they took the offer.

  “Elidorious-sama,” the British guy continued. “You are not known for having an entourage.”

  “Quite true,” Elidor said with a chuckle. “This is my sister, Kana-chan, and her entourage.”

  “I see,” the man said. He didn’t seem happy. “Are you looking to invest as well, Kana-sama?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” Kana said loftily. “You haven’t made your pitch yet.”

  “Of course,” the British man said, bowing. “Allow me to introduce myself, then. I am Anthony Galloway, and this is Kuronaga Takeshi. We’re here today representing Scarlet Moon.”

  Suki had kept a hold of James’s hand when they sat down, which was the only reason he felt her stiffen at the mention of Scarlet Moon. When he looked over to her, he didn’t see any sign on her face that she knew the name.

  “We reached out to you, sir, because we had heard that you were interested in funding operations against the interests of Kotodama Heavy Industries. Since you agreed to meet with us, I assume that you’re familiar with our history in combating that organisation.”

  “Kana-chan is unfamiliar,” Elidor said, “So why don’t you give a summary of the most recent actions?”

  “Of course, Elidorious-sama,” Galloway said. He pulled a folder out of his jacket and passed it to Kana. “Malaysia, last year. Asahi Systems, a Kotodama subsidiary, manufacturing Frame components. We set fire to the main production line, rendering the factory inoperable for eight months. Because of this, Kotodama was unable to release its new Frame models, losing market share to German and Italian companies.”

  Kana glanced at the contents of the folder and then passed it to James. James knew her well enough to recognise that she had no understanding of what was being discussed and was just waiting for the conversation to end.

  “Pacific Chemical Solutions, in Thailand,” Galloway continued. “Another key subsidiary and supplier. We managed to sabotage one of the reactor vessels, causing a pressure spike, which resulted in an explosion.”

  James looked in the folder. The first page was headed “Asahi Systems” and gave a more detailed breakdown of the operation Galloway had just described. James started to skim it, but his eye latched on to one line.

  Twenty-three dead.

  The next page was a printout of a web article on the fire. The first paragraph mentioned that the cause of the blaze was thought to be “The terrorist organisation, Scarlet Moon.”

  There were a dozen more reports in the folder. James passed it to Suki, feeling sick to his stomach.

  “This is all excellent work,” Elidor praised. “My interest is in the bigger picture, however.”

  “You mean the Kokuryūkai, of course,” Galloway said. “We’ve had our run-ins with them. They’re often found working closely with Kotodama. But Kotodama remains the sole focus of our leader.”

  Wait a minute, James thought. Did he just say… Black Dragons?

  James’s mind was spinning. Professor Toei had always used the English name, so… were these the same organisation? Should he ask for clarification? Did he want clarification? Did he want to know anything more about what these terrorists were doing?

  Kana’s brother is funding terrorists.

  The thought wouldn’t go away. Before he could come to terms with it, his phone rang. It was Harue.

  “Um, excuse me,” he said, jumping out of his chair and backing away to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Matsuri won’t believe me about the competition being rigged,” Harue said. “She wants to win the tournament. She’s looking for sabotage now, but even if she finds it, she wants to fix it and still compete.”

  “If she fixes it, she could win?” James suggested.

  “Yeah, because they’re going to let us walk out of here after we cost them their betting money. I’ve got a plan, though, I just wanted to run it past you for an ethical take.”

  “Go on,” James said cautiously.

  “They’ve posted a guard just outside her pay. If I kill him—messily—Matsuri will have every reason to think that they’ll blame her, and won’t want to stick around.”

  “No!” James shouted. He remembered where he was a second later. People were looking at him, but no one was in earshot if he talked normally. “No killing!” he whispered urgently. “No framing Matsuri for murder!”

  “But what if I—”

  “No! Just no. Just let her try and win the competition. You can get her out if things go wrong, can’t you?”

  “I suppose,” Harue said doubtfully. “I can’t schlep Junko’s Frame on my back, though.”

  “Just—” James was interrupted by three beeps. “Hang on, I’ve got another call. From an unknown number. Hello?”

  “Hey, jerkface,” Shion said. “Listen, they’re probably going to cancel the tournament. I just took out two of the contestants.”

  Kokuryūkai = Black Dragons. The GM preferred to use Kokuryūkai, while the players used Black Dragons, so there are some weird context issues affecting which one I prefer to use.