https://youtu.be/FWxT2NKw9go

The hours of the day went by, with no major progress being made on Inigo's front. After taking Jude and Iago's contact information, he left the cathedral and searched for the whole day. Eventually, he took note of the time and had to clock in for the day, making sure to take Iago with him as he made the long walk back to Furvus.

Naturally, he had to meet Azurine and Silas at Blackstar again, and he was taking Iago with him today. Loose cannon that he was, he needed a pair of eyes on him at all times. If they had to be Inigo's dead blue eyes, then they would be.

As they entered the black-paved town, heading towards the diner in question, Inigo looked at Iago with a question in mind - but knowing him, he wasn't sure he would get a straight answer. Still, it was better than nothing, so he simply had to ask;

"Hey, Iago. How do you know Jude?"

"Why, by talking to him, of course!"

Naturally, Inigo hadn't been so delusional as to think he'd get a better response than that right out the gate, so the best thing to do was simply press him on the issue. "Alright, smartass, could you please describe to me the circumstances under which you met him?"

"Ah, a good question, and one that is quite simple!" Iago exclaimed, clearly feeling a lot more cooperative. It probably wouldn't ever stop being annoying how he constantly oscillated between using more words than necessary and needlessly caging up information. But at least he was getting answers now.

"Riddle me this!"

...never mind. Inigo stared at Iago disapprovingly, but while the latter seemingly remained ignorant to his annoyance, he began. "As darkness hides from those who pursue it, it requires aid - aid that can be found in two places. Where would those be?"

"...I dunno. Where can this darkness find aid?"

"Elementary, my dear Joker!" Iago exclaimed, causing Inigo to roll his eyes. "If a shadow seeks assistance, it may find help by either turning to more shadows...or seeking the light."

"Wouldn't light kill a shadow?"

"The shadow that I have found comes in the form of my informant. She goes by Lilith, you see." Iago smiled, tapping the side of his pocket, where his phone presumably was. "I have yet to see her face, but she has been of the utmost assistance to me - why, she knew Galileo would be active today!"

"Sounds to me like you should treat her with caution." Inigo mused, crossing his arms. "You wouldn't put all your trust into someone you know nothing about just because they happen to be useful, would you?"

"Ha! Of course not! But I do not know where to begin looking. With only a name - that may not even be a real name - and a phone number with a virtual private network attached - I have no footprints to look for." Iago sighed. "But I did not seek help from shadows alone, for the light - in the form of Jude - has shown itself to me!"

"Jude helps you fight Libera?"

"In a manner of speaking." Iago said calmly. "The church at Ruben provides a sanctuary for me to plot my battles against that church of hypocrites. And Jude's role is that of a confidant - one I can trust to share my ideas with."

"A sanctuary?" Inigo raised an eyebrow. "Nothing I've seen today tells me Galileo wouldn't blow up a church."

"Perhaps you ought to see what I've seen, then!" Iago grinned. "The Mikado has a special mercy for religious practices, after all. I doubt Galileo wishes to incur her wrath!"

"Is that a fact?"

"Of course! I remember one time when the Mikado herself stormed Aurum to search for her target!" Iago recounted cheerfully. "She turned the place on its head so thoroughly that they're still overcompensating with their Freesian peace and tidiness even today - but the cemetery remained utterly unturned. I followed her into the churches, and not once did she threaten violence! Her only weapon was the fear the people held for her!"

"...interesting."

"But don't let this fool you into thinking she is anything but pure evil, my friend." Iago shook his head, wagging his finger.

"Wasn't planning on it." Inigo shrugged, seeing the diner in the distance. He pulled out his own phone to check the time - 20:00. Good. He figured he could escape the inevitable earful right up until he saw the time change right before his eyes. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, stashing the phone away and rushing ahead, Iago in tow.

.........

https://youtu.be/woz5qvDdMRM

Not too long later, Inigo and Iago walked inside, greeted by the familiar waft of grease that caused Iago's nose to curl up in disgust. As usual, there were a few people around, eating and chatting among themselves. But as they approached Inigo's usual booth, they saw Silas and Azurine sitting there, looking up at him as their eyes shone with an awkward unease. Now, that was weird, given how shameless the pair usually was. He approached, studying their faces curiously, and sat down, his pet murderer seating himself next to him.

"Is there something on my face?" he questioned, unsure what to think of this atmosphere. "Seriously, Iago stares at me enough. I don't need this from you, too."

Silas was the first to speak up, clearing his throat before looking at Inigo with an uncharacteristic seriousness. "We need to talk."

Inigo tilted his head, wondering if there was anything he'd done wrong lately. Hopefully, this wasn't about the latenesses, he thought. "Uh...huh?"

"Now, just so we're clear, I'm not here to judge or interrogate you, or anything like that." Silas said, clearly intending to put him at ease but only having the opposite effect. "I just need you to tell me - do you know a guy named Makoto? Maybe you've seen him at the Hole?"

Inigo raised an eyebrow at the mention of Makoto's name, but before he could decide whether or not to confirm or deny it, Azurine narrowed her eyes at him, speaking up. "You do, don't you?" she said. "I can see it written all over your face!"

"Not even gonna let me deny it?" Inigo sighed, not particularly wanting to have this conversation. "Yeah, I know him. Why, did you talk to him?"

"He approached us when we were patrolling Aurum today." Azurine explained, frowning slightly. "He wanted to know if Silas had seen Inigo."

"I thought he was a friend, so I was about to tell him you were in Ruben." Silas added. "But I brought that up in passing, and...let's just say we learned he wasn't exactly a friend."

Inigo grunted quietly, looking to his right to find a completely neutral-looking Iago listening to the conversation while clearly having no intention of chiming in. He then looked back at the other two, opting to allow Silas to finish. Azurine wasn't so patient, though, grabbing the edge of the table with an anxious grip and facing him. "He told us...that you killed his father." she murmured, lowering her voice so that nobody else could hear. Worry in her eyes, she gazed into his and said, "B-But that's not true, right? It can't be!"

Inigo closed his eyes, seeing the scene of the murder flashing in his mind. He shuddered at the thought, remembering the absolute nothingness he felt at the time, and the guilt when Makoto made him recall the memory for the first time. He clutched his head, feeling a strange sensation running through it. It was slightly painful, but more noticeably, it was demoralising, like he was gazing into an abyss of pure depression. Opening his eyes again, he looked down at the hopeful - no, desperate Azurine, and shook his head. "...yeah, it can."

At once, there was silence as Silas and Azurine exchanged shocked looks, before the two of them gave Inigo that same disbelieving stare. Azurine, expressive as she was, was the first to speak up; "You're...kidding, right? You mean this whole time, we've had a criminal in the Spectrums?"

"Azurine's skewed priorities aside, this is pretty concerning..." Silas murmured, leaning further into the table. "Iago, were you aware?"

"A joker speaks only within its suit - it cannot be straight in the presence of a king."

"...okay." Silas shook his head, deciding Iago's input wasn't important here. "Look, Inigo, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt here. There has to be a reason for this, right?"

"Yeah, you didn't just wake up one day and decide to murder someone, did you?" Azurine asked. Inigo noted the looks on their faces, and once again he felt the subtle sting of guilt. These two, right now, needed to believe he was a good person. But he wasn't - he was a murderer. He took a deep breath and continued to look at them, unable to meet their eyes. Now was as good a time as any to open up.

"I'm sure there's a reason, too," he murmured, voice muffled by melancholy. "But I don't know it. Not really."

https://youtu.be/GVhObexGTMs

Evidently, Silas and Azurine weren't quite sure what to make of that. They looked at one another, faces riddled with confusion - regular, mundane confusion, different from what Inigo was used to. "He...doesn't know?" Azurine mumbled, her voice barely higher than a whisper. "What could he mean by that?"

"Maybe he forgot?" Silas shrugged. "But do you really think he would?"

The pair looked at Iago, who seemed to be staring off into space, again not intruding on anyone's words or thoughts - not especially surprised, either. So they looked at Inigo instead, and the white-haired man allowed them to collect their thoughts on the matter. Eventually, Azurine faced him, a demanding look on her face. "Do you mean you forgot, then?"

"Something like that." Inigo said flatly, his eyes seeming even more lifeless than usual. "It happened before I lost my memories, after all."

"Wait, wait, hold on." Silas stared at him, trying to see if this was some kind of cipher or if he was speaking literally - but alas, Inigo seemed more serious than Silas had ever seen him. "You can't just casually drop that you 'lost your memories' and not elaborate."

"Yeah, like, do you have amnesia or what?" Azurine asked.

"That's the gist of it." Inigo intoned, nodding slowly. "It happened some months ago. I just woke up in a hospital, and I had no idea who the hell I was. Or how I got there, or...much of anything, really."

"But then...how do you know that Makoto was telling the truth?" Azurine raised an eyebrow, a little confused and mildly sceptical.

"I didn't initially, but he found me in the forest near Viren earlier in the week. He confronted me with that knowledge, and..." Inigo sighed, recalling how he felt back then. "What he said felt...correct. And that felt wrong. It was only after them that I received my first proper memory. You can probably guess what it was."

"Huh...I never would've guessed." Silas mused.

"I wasn't planning on telling until it became necessary." Inigo frowned. "I am aware of how suspicious this sounds, after all. Makoto definitely wasn't having any of it."

"I, for one, believe you." Silas smiled reassuringly at him. "I mean, that'd be a pretty weird lie to make up for something like that."

"It'd definitely be easier for you to just deny everything..." Azurine murmured, looking up at Inigo with uneasy eyes. "But Inigo, are you sure we can trust you?"

Inigo stared lifelessly at her as she continued to speak. "You haven't exactly been a beacon of dedication to the cause." she said, somewhat sadly. "That was tolerable, but now that this has come out...I need to be sure that you won't suddenly turn on us."

"...I don't plan to commit any murders, if that's what you're asking." Inigo said. "And I've seen enough that I can say for sure that joining Libera is off the table, too. So, no. I won't be turning on you."

"Well...I guess I'll trust you." Azurine sighed. "Are there any other things you need to own up to?"

"Probably." Inigo took a deep breath. "But if so, I'm not aware."

"...Good enough, then." Azurine looked off to the side, visibly uncertain. "So...tomorrow's order of business?"

"Uh, right." Silas cleared his throat. "I'm pretty sure Makoto's looking for you, in case that influences your decision..."

"I believe I have something that may override your decision entirely." Iago smiled, feeling all three of their eyes on him. "I was planning to take a little hike to Aurum tomorrow. Should you wish to join, then you are free to do so. But in the end, the choice is yours."

"...so he claims." Inigo sighed, shaking his head. "Guess I'm going to Aurum."

"Iago, why Aurum of all places?" Azurine questioned. "Did you learn any information about Libera there?"

"You could say my business there...is related to death." Iago said, looking at Inigo with what could have been a wink, but may have simply been a blink. With his peekaboo bangs, it was hard to tell. Silas shrugged at that.

"Eh, sounds like the usual." he muttered. "Inigo, make sure you're not late, okay?"

"I'll try." Inigo murmured, beginning to wonder if Iago could have meant something else. It was definitely worth tagging along to find out.

"As for me, I'll be in Arc!" Azurine exclaimed, suddenly back to normal somehow. "Though, I might check out Furvus later..."

Inigo watched her closely, listening to the discussion of their plans, and didn't really give much input himself. One thing he noticed, however, was that despite being openly chipper, her eyes and movements were steeped with doubt. As if she still wasn't sure she could trust him. Which was completely fair - even he couldn't trust him at this rate.

.........

https://youtu.be/w9BTsWnF02Q

"Hey, I'm home."

Slipping her keys back into her shorts' pockets, Scarlett let herself into her house, stepping into the empty hall of many doors. And at once, she sighed, seeing the lack of people out and about. This wasn't a new sight to her in the least, but as someone who fed off the attention of others, this never got any less demoralising.

Well, so be it. If nobody could be there to greet her, she'd simply have to greet them all instead. And hey, maybe her father would be in one of them. If not, then perhaps she'd have to go upstairs. So she opened every door and peeked into each room, observing many of her father's underlings performing their tasks.

Some men were packing pills into small red boxes, others were cleaning and preserving the fresh hearts, livers, kidneys, and the like from human bodies that were presumably recently dead. Scarlett pushed any disgust she may have felt to the back of her head and greeted each room of workers with a jubilant "Hey!". She'd linger for a few seconds to see how they'd respond - some of them ignored her to continue their work, and others laid eyes on her and gave their own murmured greetings. When she received an adequate number of the latter response, she'd close the door with a charming wink.

Once that was done, she sighed, making her way back to the staircase near the entrance and going up the stairs. She hadn't spotted her father in any of the rooms - and a few other guys were missing, too. Today's machinations had a death toll, and that naturally wore down on morale. That much was clear.

She made her way up the velvet-carpeted stairs and looked around, seeing many more doors. Lots of work to be done, naturally, but she wasn't in charge of any of that. She saw one door at the end and recognised it as her father's office. So she walked up to it and, taking a deep breath, knocked on it quickly, waiting to be allowed in. "Hey, uh...Galileo? It's me." she said. "Can I come in?"

"Enter, Mata Hari." Grant's voice from the other end of the room spoke, and at once, Scarlett opened the door and walked in.

Contrary to Kotoba's office, Grant's was a rather small and cosy place. The floor was draped with a soft red carpet, with a warm light shining from the light bulb on the ceiling. His desk faced the wall, and next to it was a few stacks of neatly-arranged boxes and papers, while on top of said desk was a potted cactus. The gentle, minty fragrance of catnip wafted through the air, and as she stepped inside, Galileo himself, seated by the desk with papers in front of him, briefly glanced up at her before looking back down at his work. "May I help you, Mata Hari?"

"Just dropping by." Scarlett shrugged. "How's work?"

"On the business end, things are fine." Galileo responded curtly, before shaking his head. "Outside of that, however...I'm afraid we've got a pesky new rat to deal with."

Scarlett nodded blankly at that, listening to his words and feeling she knew who he was talking about. "...I see you've finally met that Joker guy in person." she said. "Did he get away?"

"He's in league with the Devil's Spawn, from what I can gather...and there was a civilian witness, too." Galileo murmured, a subtle growl to his voice. "Sadly, he managed to escape this time. But there will be a next time, mark my words!"

Scarlett chuckled nervously, relieved that Inigo survived the encounter, but played it off as simple playfulness. "Haha, he's an annoying one, right?" she grinned. "As long as you don't forget that the Mikado wanted him alive."

"I recognise that foolish woman has given an order, but I simply don't understand it." Galileo sighed, putting his pen down. "If he's an enemy of Libera, the right thing to do is obviously to put him down, no?"

"I guess that makes sense...but I'm sure she's got her reasons." Scarlett suggested, her smile becoming a little more uneasy. "Maybe she wants to...recruit him?"

"Hogwash." Galileo narrowed his eyes. "I'll never understand that woman and her ridiculous orders. When I was gathering soldiers the other day, I had to swear on my left pinky that I would leave the church unharmed! Who cares about a measly little church, anyway?"

"Well, people pray at that church..."

"You should know that was a rhetorical question." Galileo shook his head slowly, while Scarlett rubbed the back of hers awkwardly.

"Ah...sorry..."

"Now, then..." Galileo murmured, ignoring her. "I'm thinking of arranging an 'accident' for our little rat."

Scarlett froze. "Uh, say what?"

"You heard me. An 'accident'." he repeated, raising one finger. "Now, let this be our little secret; when I use the air quotes, it means that in truth, it'll be no accident at all."

"I know that!" Scarlett exclaimed. "You're really disobeying the Mikado just like that? Won't that be dangerous?"

"Yes, hence the secrecy." Galileo rolled his eyes. "I simply can't allow him to escape my grasp forever, you know. He needs to know just who he's dealing with!"

"Can't you put this much effort into catching Iago? I'm sure the Mikado won't mind if you kill him..."

"Ugh, no, Mata Hari, I cannot." Galileo scoffed. "The simple fact of the matter is, that Joker gets on my nerves, and something about him tells me he'll put our hold over Ruben at risk unless dealt with in as swift a manner as possible."

"Wow, how clever." Scarlett said, almost half-heartedly. "I hope whatever methods you employ end up going well..."

"I'm sure they will." Galileo smirked to himself, much to Scarlett's hidden consternation. "Methods like these...have a perfect success rate. We'll pick off that rat once and for all."