By Zephyria 
Laughter erupted from the hushed spectator stands. The broadcasting team, who had been expecting a refreshing one-shot victory, was no exception.
<Is that the Bubble Gun that’s been popular lately?>
<Hahaha, I really can’t help but love him! He shows us something amusing every single time!>
With an expression that said, ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen,’ Ero hurriedly reloaded another cartridge. In the meantime, the opposing team closed in tight on the rear of the mine cart he was riding. The noise of the wheels grinding against the rails grew increasingly intense. Just then, as Ero was looking around like a meerkat, a fork in the road appeared before his eyes.
“Brother, that one! That one!”
As he pointed and shouted into the air, a giant sphere of water instantaneously formed over the target spot. A transparent whale, rounded from head to tail, revealed itself. From within that gap, Orca, his robes fluttering, leaped boldly onto the cliff.
The entire connected rail shook unstabley with a clatter. Orca waited until the mine cart Ero was riding reached the brink of the fork. Then, just as the first cart passed right in front of him, he pulled the lever that changed the direction of the rails with all his might.
Screeeech—!
<Ah, it’s Orca! He’s manipulating the tracks!>
<A sudden switch can lead to derailment due to inertia. I wonder what will happen?>
Along with an ear-splitting noise, savage sparks flew upward. Two of the three mine carts that had been huddled together tilted, splitting into the left and right paths in the blink of an eye, while the one coming from the very back, unable to withstand the speed, derailed completely.
“Aaaagh—!”
<Team Joker, wonderful teamwork! They’ve succeeded in shaking off Vertex’s pursuit!>
Ero, who had barely managed to keep his balance by firing a Vine Cartridge, peeked his head out upon hearing the scream.
He let out a smirk as he watched the opposing team’s minerals scatter down the boiling precipice.
“Uhahaha! How’s that for my masterful command!”
“Joker, don’t get distracted!”
Just then, Gillian’s heavy voice echoed from above the gorge. Snapping back to his senses, Ero whipped his head around to look ahead.
Oh boy, he was in trouble. The rails leading the wheels were heading straight into a narrow tunnel. The problem was that the tunnel was so incredibly narrow that barely one mine cart could pass through.
“Hieeeek—!”
If he kept going like this, he was either going to slam his head into the tunnel entrance or get dragged inside and have the back of his skull ground down. Just as a pale-faced Ero was frantically searching for another cartridge…
“You idiot!”
Along with that affectionate nickname, a black shadow suddenly cast over his vision. In an instant, his breath was cut off, and he was yanked upward by the scruff of his neck.
“Where is your head even at?”
“Kugh, Be—Bell Noona!”
As he pushed aside the voluminous skirt blocking his view, the first thing he saw was the lady reaching out. Morbang, who was supporting her by hooking the umbrella handle over his arm, was bracing himself with both feet planted on the cliff while holding the lady’s waist. Ero looked at the two of them, who seemed like a single entity, and grinned widely, showing his gums while dangling in the air.
“I knew you’d come for me!”
“The minerals?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking if that thing is going the right way!”
Along with Beatrice’s shrill shout, the mine cart that had passed through the tunnel alone raced along the rails, fully loaded with minerals. Perhaps there had been quite a collision inside, as the Tonic Water glass bottles that provided propulsion had all fallen off. The rails led through the winding crevices of the gorge before sliding down another slope of nearly 90 degrees.
This was the location of the Brass Smelter, the final destination of this match and the deep heart of Trigon Gorge.
Despite having been dead for a long time, the overwhelming scale of the smelter raised the surrounding temperature to 150 degrees. The mine cart, which had entered this decisive region without any passengers—a place where one’s breath catches just by approaching—encountered the opposing team’s mine cart, which it had parted ways with at the fork.
<Team Joker has executed a brilliant joint operation! But unfortunately, the pilotless cart has entered Team Vertex’s range!>
<At this rate, the minerals won’t reach the smelter; they might have to start all over again from the mining site—.>
The distance between the two teams’ carts narrowed further, and after passing through one more tunnel, they began running side-by-side on parallel rails.
The two members of the opposing team, who had narrowly missed their target, flashed predatory smiles upon seeing the yellow minerals on the other side. One of them aimed the muzzle of the bazooka resting on his shoulder to crash Team Joker’s cart. Several towering rock pillars flashed past between the two carts moving at equal speeds.
The target appeared and disappeared like a flickering light, but it wasn’t a problem. Three, two, one. Just as he counted down in his head to blow away both the obstacle and the target at once…
“Hm?”
With a puzzled voice, the sight lowered. It was because a faint haze had risen around the mine cart that had been empty.
In that brief moment when his vision was blocked by the rock wall, a person he hadn’t seen before was sitting leisurely in the middle of the pile of yellow minerals.
—Leo, did we…
Whether it was stalking, surveillance, or protection. It would have been shortly after he returned to Libertas, having shaken off any pursuers who might have followed.
While debating whether or not to personally deliver a greeting saying he had returned safely, Leonardo took out the Communication Magic Tool he had kept in his safe.
Unable to settle his heart, he went out to a secluded terrace and plopped down on the floor under the moonlight.
Leaning his back against the railing and pulling up one knee, he relaxed into the most comfortable position. He had just lit a cigarette, shielding it with his palm.
A faint signal tone echoed in his ear.
‘…….’
He knew it was a communication device paired with only one other device.
The moment of hesitation didn’t last long. For the sake of the person on the other end, he rubbed out the flame of the long cigarette he hadn’t even tasted yet. Even though there was no way the smell could be transmitted.
A slight hesitation brushed past as he pressed the connect button.
He smoothed his hair, though it couldn’t be seen, and needlessly cleared his throat. He felt the faint tooth marks remaining on the nape of his neck, but he didn’t mind.
It was because the man’s question, which came immediately after the friendly greeting, was quite serious.
It was an ambiguous question, not specifying exactly when, but in that instant, Leonardo’s pupils dilated significantly.
—Leo, have we met before?
A myriad of thoughts rushed in, and his eyelashes, once parted, could not easily close. Among them was a flicker of anxiety that had been tangled throughout the threads of his mind.
So suddenly? …Why?
He and the man were in a relationship where they had to be extremely cautious with every single word. The bridge they stood upon was a relationship like glass, where a single trivial clue could lead to catastrophe.
Did he remember something?
His complicated mind quickly assessed the situation, but his unorganized tongue hesitated to answer.
Similarly, he wanted to ask back ambiguously, pretending not to know. A little while ago? A few days ago? Or, that day?
But the one that answered was neither his mind, which usually functioned so well, nor his lips, which were adept at lying.
Perhaps it was because they were under the moonlight, which washes everything clean.
In that moment, his uselessly honest and foolish heart confessed on its own.
‘Yes.’
The cloak fluttering behind the figure billowed along the trajectory of the rail, leaving a trail of white steam.
The participant, who had intended to handle this swiftly, suddenly lowered his voice and muttered.
“It’s Ryan.”
“What?”
The teammate controlling the direction of the cart from the back flinched and urged him in a hushed tone.
“Just blow him away, quickly.”
“Wait, if we do that, we might also…”
“That’s their last one; if we dawdle, we lose anyway! Just hit the cart!”
The two, now desperate, bickered atop the speeding cart before finally aiming the cannon. Unlike before, when there had been no tremor, the muzzle was now full of hesitation.
However, the shell soon fired with a burst of flame and lightning, flying in a straight line with a thunderous roar.
Boom—!
They expected it to pierce through the rising smoke and shoot down the cart, but for some reason, no further explosion was heard.
This was because Ryan, extending his arm, had caught and stopped the steaming shell with one hand.
“…Dammit.”
Sssss—
The glowing red iron ball spun violently in his palm before coming to a sudden halt. Soon, crushed by his jaw strength, the surface began to ripple and then crumpled with brutal devastation. Consequently, the cheers of the crowd intensified.
Waaaaah—!
The two participants on the cart swallowed hard. Beyond the mass of metal crumpled like a piece of paper, Gold Eyes, like a flash of light, shone brilliantly against the passing background.
<The messenger from hell protects the team’s final cart!>
Leaving the announcer’s voice full of admiration behind, Leonardo lifted his lowered gaze and stared fiercely at his opponents.