Tokyo Trickster

Kitagawa Vsuke was stunned, and subconsciously touched between his legs. After a few seconds of hesitation, he suddenly realized, "I am still a man."

The thief silently took a step back and poured the full bucket of water on his face, "Are you awake?"

"I'm sober," Kitagawa wiped his face with his wet sleeves, "Where is this?"

Amamiya Ren pointed to the corner without a toilet bowl, "Women's restroom."

"what?"

"The reasons are complicated, so let's talk about it here."

With the previous experience of Ryuji Sakamoto, Amamiya Ren was afraid that Kitagawa Vsuke would accidentally touch some mechanism outside and trigger a series of dangerous incidents.

Clarifying the matters of "Impression Space" and "Palace of the Soul" is to be responsible for your own safety as well as Kitagawa's.

About ten minutes.

In the girls’ restroom, two boys of the same age completed their conversation.

Kitagawa v Jie's three views were shattered.

Amamiya Ren's mentality collapsed.

World-weary penguin, dove

"I see you don't understand at all." He shook his head.

"Understand...understand what?"

"You know, there are some good things in the gallery outside."

"What's good? It's a new painting."

"What new painting? It's more exciting than painting. I can also teach you... Get out of the way!" Amamiya Ren kicked Kitagawa Vsuke hard, allowing him to narrowly avoid a spear that pierced the bathroom partition door.

"Orion!" Amamiya Ren drew out the hunting knife from his waist and swung it. The burly hunter's fist arrived in an instant, smashing the entire bathroom. The ceramic floor tiles and water valves shattered, and in the strong wind, the newly born shadow exploded into smoke and merged into the Fool card.

Kitagawa Vsuke got up from the ground and looked at the messy bathroom with lingering fear.

He now believes what Amamiya Ren said even more. It turns out that there really are people with super powers in the world.

"Hurry up, we've exposed our position," Amamiya Ren retracted [Orion]. Shadow Madarame Ichiryusai was already highly alert to his presence. The maze was now full of infrared laser electronic fences, and the number of patrolling guards was two or three times the number seen last time he entered the hall.

Since the entrance to the palace is through Madarame's studio, the place where he appears is also the parking garage inside the art museum.

Fortunately, the special exhibition hall was still under "construction and maintenance", and they only needed to get there to leave the palace safely.

It took Amamiya Ren a lot of effort to bring the unconscious Kitagawa Vsuke to the second floor. Carefully avoiding the rooms that were patrolled by the guards. After a lot of twists and turns, he finally found a bathroom to repair. There was someone in the men's bathroom, so he had to go to the women's bathroom next door.

"This is Madarame-sensei's...spiritual palace."

"That's right." Amamiya Ren stroked the smooth golden brick wall, then guided Kitagawa Vsuke to follow her through the blind spot of the surveillance camera, and solemnly instructed, "Don't take the wrong path, we may be surrounded by shadows at any time."

......

Beyond the impression space.

Madarame Ikryusai's studio.

Morgana turned off the power of the camera and climbed onto the roof with the bag full of notices on its back.

"It's too bad that Joker and Mr. Kitagawa have been forced into the Palace of Mind."

"It seems that the notice letter cannot be released today."

The big cat hid his bag in an abandoned bird's nest on top of the thatched roof, thinking that he must help them as soon as possible.

It observed the words and actions of the police and Madarame Ikryusai below, and finally determined the final location of the two. It ran back to the secret base in the heavy rain and removed the mounted camera on its chest.

Then they turned back to Madarame's hut.

The security company's specialist led the police to search the entire neighborhood and confirmed the suspect's disappearance. Madarame Ikryusai showed generosity and tolerance in response to their apology. He was worthy of the title of "Chief Japanese Painting Master".

The rain flowed along the square eaves, like flowing batter cut neatly by a knife. Lavenda sat on the balcony of the apartment, looking at the leaden sky filled with fog, feeling a little sad.

"Is that fox guy going to join the Phantom Thieves..."

"Oh, so annoying," the tenant of the Velvet Room muttered in annoyance while holding Amamiya Ren's pajamas, "When you get to the secret base, just sleep with Morgana honestly, and don't think about coming home to disturb Amamiya Ren again."

"This room is a space for me and the Trickster..."

"I'll chop you into pieces if you dare to come in," the cute girl talked to herself on the empty balcony. If Kitagawa Vsuke could have listened to all the content, he would surely have been scared to death.

The weather is dry: 086. "Only a Fox" (4.2K)

Two uniformed guards stood in front of an electronic fence with infrared lasers and whispered.

"Have you heard? The assassin who came some time ago injured His Majesty Madarame."

"It is said that they attempted to steal the paintings that His Excellency treasured."

"It is shameless for a man to covet wealth that does not belong to him."

"Yes, if we meet them, we must teach them a lesson."

"..."

The guard, who was enjoying his rare leisure time, had no idea that the "assassin" he was talking about was slowly approaching.

When the distance was close enough, Amamiya Ren took a sudden step forward, jumped up, grabbed the guard's mask and peeled it off.

Along with the sound of smoke spraying, Orion appeared behind him and smashed the face with blurred features with his lightning-fast fist.

Puff...the entire upper body was shattered by this punch.

As soon as the guard on the other side made a move, Orion's fist arrived in an instant.

"Oh!" A loud battle cry.

Two guards died on the spot.

Amamiya Ren swung her hunting knife to break the electronic fence, looked at the camera above her head that was turning towards them, and called out to Kitagawa Vsuke to follow.

The two ran wildly in the narrow fire escape.

The artist usually neglected exercise, so it was difficult for him to keep up with Amamiya Ren's speed, and he was out of breath after a while.

The Phantom Thief had no choice but to stop and rest for a while.

In the dim fire escape, there were no other electrical facilities except for the LED sign with "Safe Entry and Exit" written on it. The sign emitted a faint green fluorescence, reflecting a pale face.

"Amemiya," his voice was shaking.

"Why, are you tired?"

"No..." The emotions revealed in Kitagawa Vsuke's eyes were undoubtedly panic and confusion.

Amamiya Ren followed his gaze and saw a billboard hanging on the wall: [Welcome to the art gallery of the great painter Madarame. This leads to the first exhibition hall.]

The image on the billboard is a combination of dozens of scaled portraits.

Kitagawa Vsuke recognized the content of each painting. The paintings were of his closest senior brothers and sisters. And...he saw himself at the end.

Immediately below the ad slogan is a note: [Inspiration and hard work are mixed into the most vivid colors, dedicated to the genius of Madarame Ikryusai. They are masterpieces carefully drawn by Madarame Ikryusai.]

The years of kindness in raising him were revealed to be pure exploitation. This sudden change turned into a strong feeling of nausea, making Kitagawa Vsuke so sick that he could hardly suppress the urge to vomit.

Amamiya Lian couldn't bear to watch it anymore. He pointed to the waste paper collection bin beside him and said, "Go here and vomit. It's in the Mind Palace anyway. As long as the shadows don't see it with their own eyes, it will immediately return to its original state after we leave the palace."

Oh my, it's really distressing. Amamiya Ren stood in front of the billboards and looked at the copywriting that did not conceal the dirty thoughts of the palace owner.

As if he had already accepted the shock of reality, Kitagawa Vsuke quickly calmed down. He also had to force himself to calm down.

"Do you think it's funny?" Amamiya Ren asked him.

"Yeah, I never thought that such a person would raise me, and I had always been ridiculously obedient to him and believed that he was a kind teacher..." Kitagawa Vsuke was sad, "I really can't face those classmates who were victimized."

Amamiya Ren felt a kind of sadness and pain from Kitagawa Vsuke, but not the anger or even hatred that he had expected. Obviously, Kitagawa Vsuke still regarded that scum as his teacher.

But what does this have to do with him? All Amamiya Ren can do is to get this guy out of the Soul Palace safely.

Whether Kitagawa Vsuke continues to avoid the truth or acts rashly after returning to reality, it has nothing to do with him... Amamiya Ren, who has a criminal record, needs to deal with Madarame Ikryusai's legal pursuit. This is a very troublesome situation and he has no time to care too much about others.

Amemiya Ren was not clear about the architectural structure of the second floor of the art museum, so he could only explore it slowly relying on the guidance of various billboards.

The fire door was pushed open from the inside, and what caught the eye was a circular building structure. Golden wallpaper was printed on the wall like Ukiyo-e, and on it were pine and cypress trees with black air currents constantly flowing.

In the center of the circular staircase stands a golden sculpture of flowing water, with struggling boys and girls standing in the water. A dozen advertising banners for the "Madamame Art Exhibition" hang from the ceiling.

There is no surveillance here, so Amamiya Ren and Kitagawa Vsuke walked down the stairs with confidence.

"This is..." Kitagawa Vsuke approached the sculpture. There was a sign in front of the safety fence, which read: [Infinite Fountain. They are a group of works produced by Director Madarame himself. They must dedicate all their creativity and imagination in their lives to the Director forever. If they cannot do this, there is no value in their existence! ]

"The special exhibition hall is just ahead," Amamiya Ren led him to avoid surveillance cameras and guards, assassinated many shadows, and finally approached the exit. His expression became relaxed, "When you return to reality, remember to be careful of Madarame."

"Thank you very much." Kitagawa Vsuke wanted to say this.

Suddenly, applause broke out in the corridor.

With the sound of wooden clogs hitting the ground, an old man in a golden kimono approached surrounded by a large group of guards. His hair was tied into a strange ponytail, like a large daisy, his eyebrows were painted into a wide and short black rectangle, and his lips were painted vermilion. He raised his head, arrogantly, and looked down at the two with his narrow eyes that looked like snakes.

"A thief is wandering around in my art gallery. Did he see some painting he liked?" He laughed mockingly.

Kitagawa Vsuke took a few steps back, "You look like this, as expected..."

"Oh, it's V-suke. From your expression, do you feel like you've been cheated?" Shadow Madarame Ichiryusai sneered. In this world, shadows are the projection of the truest cognition of their masters and will not lie. He said with complete contempt, "The shabby dress outside is just a 'performance'. How can I live in a hut after becoming famous?"

"So your usual business trips were all lies?!"

"I have a villa registered in the name of my mistress. When I go on business trips, I basically go back to enjoy life." The old man showed an obscene smile, "Vjie, you really don't know anything."

Amamiya Ren thought that this guy was still so energetic at his old age, which really made people admit defeat.

Kitagawa Vsuke didn't care about his own safety. He just wanted an answer at this moment, "Why is the stolen "Sayuri" hidden in the studio? Why do you have to copy so many "Sayuri" when you have the real one? "

He seemed not to notice the weapons in the hands of the shadow guards, and approached Madarame Ikryusai, "Please tell me the truth... Since you call yourself a teacher..."

He seemed to be hoping for a lie, or a reason that could fool himself.

But the shadowy Madarame would not lie, and arrogantly broke all of Kitagawa Vsuke's hesitation and fantasy, "Haven't you figured it out yet, you young brat?"

The old man's smile became more and more obscene. "The so-called 'stolen' is a rumor I spread! Everything is a carefully planned 'performance'!"

"Why?" Kitagawa Vsuke almost collapsed. In his heart, Sayuri is as important as Jehovah to Christians. He has been pursuing the hazy and real beauty expressed in Sayuri for more than ten years. "Aren't you already famous? Why do you still want to ruin your own... your own paintings like this?"

Madarame Ichiryusai sneered. He waved his hand to stop the guards who were ready to move. He looked down upon the two young men who were surrounded, thinking of reading them before they died to satisfy his own pleasure. "Have you ever thought about this situation? 'Because the authentic item was found, but it cannot be made public for various reasons, so I want to sell it at a special price'... Hehe, for this so-called 'special feeling', those vulgar people easily waved their money and took the bait!"

Kitagawa Vsuke widened his eyes, finally realizing what happened to his work after he handed it over to Madarame.

Madarame Ikryusai, dressed as a daimyo, laughed wildly, "The value of a painting comes from 'wishful thinking'. I am just satisfying the wishes of ordinary people while satisfying myself with normal 'economic behavior'. You little devils would never think of this."

"So that's how it is. In your eyes, art is just a consumable to earn fame and money." Amamiya Ren thought thoughtfully, feeling as if he had been enlightened. He really didn't expect that he could play art in this way. This old guy has figured out how to make money. Rather than being a painter, he might be more suitable as a businessman.

Madarame Ichiryusai laughed, "You are very understanding, boy, but don't think that I will forgive your rude offense last time."

"Then what about those people who believe in your talent, believe that you are a genius painter, and the hope of the Japanese painting world?!" Kitagawa Vsuke was so angry that he was shaking all over.

"I don't want to waste my breath any more, V-jie," Daimyo restrained his smile, "If you want to continue in the world of painters, you can't go against me, do you understand? Anyone who dares to go against me will never be able to succeed. Genius painter? The hope of the art world? Don't be ridiculous! These are just personalities that I paid the media to run for profit!"

Madarame Ichiryusai had completely lost his patience. "Do you think I took you in out of kindness? Gathering talented disciples, plundering their creativity, and by the way, killing those who have the opportunity to shake my position in the future... If you want to get creativity, you powerless children are much easier to deal with than adults--"

"Livestock are meant to be slaughtered and then skinned and meat cut! You idiot! Go back and continue to provide me with creative ideas!"

He tore apart all the hypocrisy, and the hideous evil of human nature almost suffocated Kitagawa Vsuke.

The guards began to move.

Amamiya Ren drew out his hunting knife, and it seemed that he was in a desperate situation. He thought, a person's power always has its limits, not to mention that I have just started to develop my own power... If the "fool" who has completed the Fool's Path is the "world", Amamiya Ren may have taken the most important step at the starting line, but there is still a long way to go to the finish line.

"So... those seniors who were victimized, committed suicide, wandered the streets, lost their jobs, had their families divorced..." Kitagawa Vsuke's voice suddenly became extremely calm and peaceful, without a trace of emotion, "It's all because of you."

Immersed in his own world, the boy lowered his head so that people could not see his eyes clearly. He said, "This crime is unforgivable."

"Unforgivable sin..."

Kitagawa Vsuke raised his head suddenly, and growled with a distorted face that neither Amamiya Ren nor Madarame Ikryusai had ever seen, "You bastard... your crime is truly unforgivable!"

The old man's eyes twitched. "I've raised you for so many years, and now you're repaying me with hatred? You little brat!"

Without any mercy, at a very short distance, Madarame Ikryusai pulled out an electric baton from the side of the guard next to him and hit him on the shoulder.

The world-weary smile is like a big skirt, just like an umbrella and ride on it.

The seemingly skinny arm swung the electric baton, making a sharp sound of breaking through the air.

"Orion!" Amamiya Ren summoned his personality mask and rushed forward to pull Kitagawa Vsuke back.

"?!!" The thief suddenly stopped.