It's already eight o'clock in the evening, but this outdoor shopping arcade of [Angel's Bridge] is still crowded with humans. It's true what people say; life here begins with the moon's rising.

I always complain that I have an uncertain income and are poor, but here I am, about to waste money. Looking for flashy clothes in Angel's Bridge was a good and fun idea, but a bad one for a poor yet consumptive person like myself.

Well… Now that my food needs have been met through the Flying Dutchman, I think I can spend more cash… A little… Maybe…

After the three of us split up, the very first thing I did was find the need to cover my face. Well, that was our original purpose for going here. Masks and head gimmicks are scattered throughout the arcade, not healthy for my picky self. I can struggle just to find the one that suits my taste.

I could see all kinds of head gimmicks among the stalls hawked along the street. From masks made of plastic, wood, and iron with their unique designs, to the heads of dolls and animals are sold. Ugh. It reminds me a bit of the puppet robot lineup at Nightmareland. Even so, it's still cool and gives a dreadful impression when worn on the head.

Should I wear a yokai mask? Maybe too basic and general, but cool to wear on my face. Plus, it can enhance the impression of being fierce.

African tribal masks are also interesting! These tribes are known for their magical and sadistic rituals… Surely people will get goosebumps when seeing it! But it doesn't suit my personality… After all, it must feel heavy because it's made of solid wood and not ergonomic because of its super large size.

Or cute animal masks? From a practical, psychological, and tactical point of view, I can show a friendly impression by using this. But they certainly didn't expect there to be a deadly Grey behind the cute mask! Haha! I can definitely surprise the Estres!

Oh! Turns out they also sell one of my favourite superhero masks. Maybe it would be cool if I wandered around the Chronosseum wearing that fictional bat character's costume. But it might be dangerous to deal with copyright issues, huh.

The Venetian masks painted with glitter paint which gives a glamorous effect also totally caught my eye! Absolutely stunning! That design excites me!

Gaaahhh! I want this and that, all of them! Too many choices! Seeing these masks makes me really fired up!

Uh, hold on, hold on. This is only for the purposes of that cruel country… But still…

My heart can't stop burning! This whole 'new identity' thing has really cracked me up, damn it!

Uhm?

The corner of my eye caught a mask vendor different from the others.

What kind of vendor is that? Unlike all the vendors with their own stalls or shops, it only uses wobbly and dirty wooden carts.

The seller is a man who is quite aged. He was accompanied by his wife and a child of elementary school age. The old man sat beside the cart while his wife struggled to play with the child. How could it not be, her porrous bones would not be able to match the movements of the cheerful and energetic child.

The wooden cart had a thin plank standing in the middle inside the cart. It has a few nails still nailed, a place to hang the masks. With the help of ropes, the rim of the cart is also used as a means for displaying. However, the area is still not enough to display a lot of merchandise. Well, there really aren't that many masks on offer. The designs and knick-knacks aren't too fancy either, unlike other masquerade shops.

But somehow this cart seemed to talk to me. This wobbly and dirty cart… Came to me. Especially this black mask which can only cover three-quarters of a face. Of all the 'unique' masks I can count with my fingers here, that makes my gaze freeze somehow.

The design isn't dramatic, just simple sapphire blue decals that form a pattern like roman numerals. Striped designs with the same colour also decorate without making it excessive. There were no tacky decorations like chicken feathers, only small decorations shaped like a gear in one eye and a clock hand stuck to the uncovered side jaw.

Among millions of choices in Angel's Bridge, I fell in love with this mask without needing to ask why and how, for some reason. It's like falling in love at first sight.

I reached into my trouser pocket for my wallet, without thinking. I already took some money at the atm before going around (which again was deducted from my savings for next month, how 'lucky' I am to become the Flying Dutchman VIP Black Premium member!)

But this is very odd. The old man had absolutely no interest in being paid, even insisted on kicking me out along with the mask of my choice.

"Just take it and leave!" He grumbled in a harsh tone. He also didn't hesitate to hit my hand with a small bamboo stick if I dared take a dime out of my pants.

Actually, I don't want to refuse, especially since I'm in a financial crisis. Money is still money, which is always needed wherever and whenever. Even though the daily food consumption issues have been resolved, I still need money to wander in the city, buy War is Hell in-game currency, send things to Nora, also… other secondary and tertiary interests! In other words, I also need money for happiness in the world!

But… I can't bear to see this old family. It must be challenging living in the heart of New Osaka.

That's why I took out 2.000 yen from my wallet. However, that old man's head was still a rock, so I had to do an old man's trick.

“B-By the way, O-Old man! Grandma can do breakdancing, apparently?!”

"That's my wife! H-Huh? I didn't know if she could dance! W-Where is my beloved wife? I want to see it!"

“There, there!”

"Where? Where!" I pointed at one of the food trucks opposite his cart.

"Got you! I've put the money on the cart! See you later, rock-headed old man!!"

“C'MERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD IIIITTT.... "

Well, that's how it is.

I was able to 'escape' from the old geezer without having to feel guilty for not paying, finally.

After that, I wandered back around Angel's Bridge, circling here and there. My blood churned even higher after I managed to find a mask that suited me.

I don't understand why I suddenly get excited like this. Well, maybe it's true… Everything about the 'new identity' in the Chronosseum is driving me nuts.

That feeling plus my consumptive nature equals the addition of these two shopping bags I'm carrying. I felt that the head would not be complete with the body, so… I reached into my pocket again. Well, let's hope this costume set matches the mask and isn't tacky.

I sip a warm green tea latte while waiting for my teammates to finish struggling with their fashion choices in front of Angel's Bridge gates. The rain was still dripping lightly from the starless sky, and the puddles made my casual shoes a little dirty. Windbreaker jackets don't work very well, so I have to burn another bit of my wages today to warm my stomach.

I took the black-and-blue sapphire mask out from one of the shopping bags and fumbled it. For me, the combination of these two colours is very suitable and very elegant. Not fancy, but cool. Maybe the gear in the left eye will interfere with my vision. But it's fine. I'm already smitten with this mask.

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I scanned every millimeters of the surface carefully. Until it came to staring at two holes that did not yet have eyeballs and finding my palm behind them. The longer, the more stunned, gradually hypnotized into those hollow eyes.

What would you do if you could stop time, Grey?

I want to…

Huh?

The voice entered through my right ear, coming from the direction of the black mask I was holding. But there were no women around me, or even as far as my eyes could see. I heard the same woman's voice while contemplating in the pirate rides.

How strange… Did I overdose on something? As far as I can remember, I've never taken drugs. And, who is that woman? It's not about my past, is it?

My daughter?!

No way, stupid me. I'm just a nerd-ass kid who just sat in his second year of college.

Duh… What exactly happened?

Or…

When I say this mask speaks to me, I don't mean it literally. But, is this mask… Really talking to me?

"What's the matter, Grey boy? Are you practicing expressing your feelings or what?! The two of us have called your name many times, but you just stare at that mask affectionately like a fool!” Farkas patted my shoulder which made me filled with shock. I didn't realize that Farkas and Sher had joined me.

These two idiots. Turns out, they were no different from me. Their shopping bags are no less remarkable than mine. Maybe actually guys can be wild when it comes to shopping, haha. Now we're really like a group of women shopping for costumes for a weekend party.

“F-Farkas uncle…”

“I TOLD YOU DON'T CALL ME UNCLE! Grrhh… But surely you won't listen to me, huh.”

“I-I know why Grey was lost in thought… H-He must be questioning his decision to buy the mask...”

"What do you mean, Sher? I found this mask in an old couple's wagon, so it must be impossible-”

A label fell from the inside of the mask. Seems to have been stuck in the gear decoration on the left eye before. My jaw dropped to the ground when I saw what was written.

[the Sapphire Time Bender]'s mask price: 10,000 yen.

(About 90 dollars. For comparison, Grey only 'paying' (or rather, 'give alms'?) around 18 dollars.)

Farkas glared at me in disbelief, “H-Hell will definitely pick you up! You… Y-You didn't steal it, did you?”

My breath seemed to stop for a moment; I swallowed a large amount of my saliva and shook my head when I saw Farkas. Now I understand why the old geezer underestimated my ability to pay for this mask.

***

What has passed, let it pass.

It's 22:00 and we haven't eaten yet. Since the Flying Dutchman's seafood restaurant is only a few blocks from Angel's Bridge, we stopped by one of the mini-markets with available seating. Well, it doesn't connect, huh?

As we discussed earlier this afternoon, it would be disadvantageous for us to be too flashy and carelessly going in and out of the Flying Dutchman, let alone eating on the spot. The restaurant may have been 'controlled' or awaited by the Estres looking for 'prey'. Therefore, one of us wrapped up the free meal from the restaurant while the other waited at the mini-market.

Farkas' daily meal ration had run out, while Sher's eyes sparkled at the restaurant's design in the form of a scary shipwreck. Well, the Flying Dutchman is one of those scary legends. There are things that smell spooky and creepypasta, and there is also Sher. So I gave Sher the chance to check out the restaurant. I've always wondered why Sher likes scary things anyway? Hmm, no, no… I think he's more like 'interested in collecting things' or 'interested in many things'. He's also always caught loading some P*k*m*n booster packs he stole from Oasis's hobby and game aisle.

Now, we sit on the terrace of the mini-market with butter sauce, grilled squid and boiled clams at the table, accompanied by a bottle of sake and two sodas. You must know who drinks sake. You'll also know who has burned five cigarette butts and still has more. As usual, Farkas would replace with a new cigarette after only consuming half of it. It always is like that. Why? Though neither methods are good for the lungs.

"AH! Sake is the best for warming my body, GHAHAHAHA!” Farkas pounded the table using the plastic cup we borrowed. Duh, don't make the tables in other stores wobble too, please!

“Do you want to be a knight in black or a pickpocket at night? How come your whole costume is black like this? GHAHAHAHA!"

“I really like neutral-coloured clothes. Only Nora can give colour to my clothes and my life. (Including Oasis because of my obligation).”

“Wow, woah~ Nora? Grey turns out to be romantic huh~”

“Hee… Grey still has classy tastes, but what is this? You want to be an animal?” Sher took out a head gimmick in the form of a wolf head from Farkas' shopping bag. "Well, it suits him anyway. He's like an animal, isn't he? Try it uncle, wear this!”

"Ha ha ha... Even when not wearing the mask, his face and character already resemble a wolf!"

"GOD DAMN IT! AND STOP CALLING ME UNCLE! GHAHAHAHA!"

I then took out the costume that Sher had chosen, “Oh… It must be easier to move with this kind of material and cut! But… what kind of design is this…”

Sher nodded enthusiastically, “That's Hermes. Don't get me wrong. I don't just like creepypasta!”

“GHAHAHA! Isn't that a fashion brand for females? Are you actually a real woman, Sherwyn~?”

“Ugh, stop poking my cheeks, uncle! It smells of alcohol, you know! By the way, you really are fashion-blind, aren't you…”

After that, we joked, hanging around for a while. This is weird and funny at the same time, even though we just met last week. Apparently, battling death in the middle of nowhere side by side made us 'close' in one way or another. Well, I've read that strong connections and relationships will bind the humans who have more or less the same fate.

“My dear~ Ahem… Let's get serious again. Sherwyn-boy and Grey-boy, isn't it the time to talk about the later game?" Farkas still didn't get a hiccup even though he had almost gulped down the whole sake. In fact, it seemed that he could control himself and was sober in a split second. I don't get this guy.

But, I agree, it's time to get serious again, because the three of us won't be seeing each other in the next two days.

We have pressed our TickBit seven times. We shouted what was on the screen simultaneously, but no exact same words came out of our mouths. This made us gather our three hands in the middle of the glass table and look at the three TickBits with piercing eyes.

Sherwyn's:

'Next Heist'

October 2, 2024, 13.00

Farkas':

'Monster Expedition'

October 2, 2024, 13.00

Grey's:

'X O X O'

October 2, 2024, 13.00

Even though it will happen on the same day, this is the first and probably last game where we are separated.

***

I had to go home by taxi because it was already midnight. I don't usually go home this late.

We didn't talk much after discovering that the game we were going to play was different. We guessed that the screen would show not only the time but also a 'hint' about the next game. That first sentence must have something to do with the game. We've been trying to presume the type of each game, but the results are dead ends, and the hint also seems useless. Seeing what the two games we've been through, although still in the 'scope' of the 'hint' that they had given, the Chronosseum governments could shape the game whatever they wanted in the end.

Especially my game. Among the three games, I'm the one with the peculiar hint.

I pressed my TickBit screen again seven times and looked at the notification but had no idea what this 'X O X O' meant.

What I understand is that it is a kind of expression of affection given to a partner. Nora's sweet voice echoed in my head when she said, "XOXO, Grey, I'm waiting for your call tomorrow!" before hanging up the phone. But the Chronosseum government can't possibly give me hugs and kisses. I'm nauseous.

Sigh… Not talking for only a day is already making me really miss. Luckily I was able to give some words via voice chat that I won't be able to call her tonight.

After the clouds had left, the twinkling stars tonight were too beautiful to behold.

Nora, when will we meet again? I mean, face to face, of course.

The taxi has managed to take me safely to my destination. I reached into my trouser pocket and took out a slightly folded 2.000 yen. Since I had already wasted money, I gave the rest of the change to the driver, even though the tip was bigger than the fare. He was very grateful to me. Maybe that amount was significant enough for him. Hopefully, he can make himself happy with the money, or his family if he has one. Or two. You never know.

…

Wait.

Since when did I have 2.000 yen folded in my pocket?

Gaaahh! That freakin' weird, rock-headed, old geezer!