Ballad of the Sinful Wizard

Ballad of the Sinful Wizard
Author	Gen Urobuchi
Illustrator	Rei Hiroe
Release date	January 18, 2011
ISBN	978-4-09-451249-6

Black Lagoon 2: Ballad of the Sinful Wizard (ブラック・ラグーン2　罪深き魔術師（ウィザード）の哀歌（バラード） Burakku Ragūn 2 Tsumibukaki Wizādo no Barādo) is the second Black Lagoon light novel. It was released on January 18, 2011 with writing by Gen Urobuchi and illustrations by Rei Hiroe. The novel was published three years after the first light novel, Shaitane Badi.

Novel synopsis

An out-of-place U.S. millionaire's daughter, Tricia, suddenly appeared in Roanapur... As if she was led by fate, she stepped into the Yellow Flag, so now it's a disaster! The U.S. CIA and the Fujianese Mafia have started to move around Tricia, and the Lagoon Company also becomes involved in the situation. Furthermore, the mysterious behavior of Lotton, a mysterious man from Roanapur, makes the case even more complicated.

The speculations of each camp are intertwined, and the city of Roanapur is covered in bloody smoke! As expected, Shenhua's kukri roared, Sawyer's chainsaw was brandished, and Revy's sword cutlass also roared! And then, Rock is... surprisingly, in a situation where he has no choice but to exchange his life with Eda, a CIA operative of the Hooligan Church!?

Who will be able to break through the chaotic situation?

Notes

This novel takes place after the events of the Black Lagoon manga arc "El Baile de la muerte" but before "The Wired Red Wild Card." Additionally, each chapter in the novel is narrated from a first-person point-of-view by the respective character named in the particular chapter title. Similar to the first light novel Shaitane Badi, the canonicity of Ballad of the Sinful Wizard may be in dispute. Like some information from the first novel, some content in this novel (such as Sawyer the Cleaner's nationality and first name) has been included in other Black Lagoon media after the novel's release.

Plot

Prologue — A Certain Wizard

In the beginning, Lotton narrates about the moon and its brightness in a poetic but grandiose manner. He then speaks about a flower and its qualities as well as his own sinfulness and his Wizard title, solemnly remarking that he has his eyes on a girl.

Edith Blackwater

Eda in her business suit

At the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, Eda has arrived in the United States after she tricked the NSA (and Grey Fox) into not fulfilling their mission in Southeast Asia. Looking at the building's surroundings, Eda has prepared to attend a meeting with her superior Richard Ravencroft and the CIA Deputy Director Darryl Lansing, who will soon be the U.S. Secretary of State. On the way inside the building, Eda thinks to herself about the CIA's history of helping criminal groups like the Hong Kong Triad and people like Manuel Noriega and how the CIA's budget has been gradually decreased by Congress and the President due to their view that foreign intelligence is less of a priority after the Cold War's end, focusing on economic and domestic affairs foremost.

Commencing the meeting, Darryl recaps to Eda about the NSA's failure while Ravencroft remains silent, and he asks her how Grey Fox fell for the trap in Roanapur. Knowing that she had backstabbed members of a government agency, Eda makes sure to think before she speaks. When Darryl asks her if her relations with Sister Yolanda for CIA commissions were still good, Eda answers that there was mutual agreement but there was no optimism. In order to convince the President that the CIA needs more funding, Darryl wants to find an excuse for the former that there are great foreign threats to the United States of America, even telling Eda that she can use Roanapur as the place that the CIA can build its power without interference. Looking at her boss Ravencroft, Eda realizes that she will not get help from him and will have to do things on her own ability to fulfill Darryl's plan.

Some time after the meeting in the U.S., Eda has returned to Roanapur. Visiting Sister Yolanda at the Vatican-registered Rip-Off Church, Eda reminds herself of the delicate relations between the CIA and Yolanda. Thinking to herself, she recalls how Yolanda was a Nazi spy during World War II, comparing her to an old yōkai and professing that her boss Ravencroft is a child compared to Yolanda's great respectability in intelligence circles. After the young nun briefs the elderly nun on her mission, Yolanda sighs and wonders why the CIA has to get rid of their messes all the way in Thailand, but Eda reminds her that the United States is the same country that kidnapped Native Americans and forcibly displaced them off their lands. Hearing Yolanda confidently confirming that she is familiar with all the names and companies involved, Eda reminds herself that Yolanda's knowledge of the economic and political worlds knows no bounds. Elaborating on her mission, she relays to the head nun that Philip O'Sullivan, the president of the O'Sullivan Corporation (a U.S. shipping company), is friends with Zeng Shuntian, a high-ranking Chinese government official allegedly connected with Budaibang, a Fujianese crime syndicate. Additionally, Zeng's son is the Secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Secretariat, and Philip wants his daughter Tricia O'Sullivan to marry Zeng's grandson, who will assume the Secretary post.

She then gets to her point that if the marriage were to occur, then the CPC would have a great entryway into the U.S. business world, so the CIA's goal is to show that Zeng is connected to Budaibang so that Philip will sever his friendship with Zeng due to the threat to U.S. interests. Skeptical of the CIA's plan Operation Persephone, Yolanda asks Eda what she thinks the success of the mission will be. Nonchalantly, Eda replies that they can get good enough results, stating that Tricia will be invited to Roanapur only to get abducted, and the CIA will convince Philip that Tricia's safety will be secured by severing his friendship since Zeng will want to save his future granddaughter-in-law by utilizing Budaibang. Yolanda thinks that the plan is low-quality, and Eda agrees with her sentiment but tells the nun that she will only engage in liaison and not be directly involved in the abduction, which will be carried out by the agent Cardinas Sheringham per the CIA's request. Hearing from Eda that Sheringham's nickname is "Wizard" due to his supposed hypnosis abilities, Yolanda remarks that there is someone else in Roanapur with that nickname, but that same "Wizard" is more of a clown than a wizard. Thinking about how Sheringham's absence coincides with Lotton's arrival to Roanapur, the two women laugh off the coincidence.

Tricia O'Sullivan

Arriving in Thailand after leaving a ship as a stowaway, Tricia O'Sullivan tells herself that the city of Roanapur does not remind her of Thailand at all due to the city's smell, wondering how the residents deal with the stench. Wanting to look for a hotel so that she could take a shower, Tricia tries her best to look for a tourist information center but after thirty minutes goes to the Yellow Flag and orders a glass of ginger ale from Bao. In the bar, Tricia comments to herself that she had been successful as a stowaway and has come to Roanapur due to advice from a fortune-telling love website. As she tries to figure out if the glass of ginger ale is actually drinkable, Rock goes up to her and asks her if she is all right. Confused by his out-of-place business shirt and necktie, Tricia does not answer him at first, telling herself that she does not like Asian people.

Assuring her that he means no harm, Rock tells the young woman that he used to work for a Japanese trading company that had business with the O'Sullivan Corporation, clarifying that he thought he recognized her from there. Tricia continues to ignore him and thinks that he is trying to pick up women, and she is surprised to see the tattooed and angered Revy staring at her. When Rock calmly states that he does not care about her situation but nonetheless is willing to offer help to Tricia, she gives him a glare, so Rock takes her signal and awkwardly leaves her alone. As soon as Rock left, two Chinese men approach her and one man puts his hand on Tricia's shoulder, and she tries to push his hand away to no avail. Uneased by their presence, Tricia realizes that Rock actually left because he saw the two men nearby. The men then tell Tricia that they are with Zeng Shuntian and are only there to bring her safely to him, but Tricia yells at them to let her go. One man says they could just knock her out to silence her, but the other reminds him that Zeng told them to bring her in good health.

Lotton comes to Tricia O'Sullivan's aid

As Tricia continues to struggle, the men decide that they will use physical force, but to Tricia's fortune the silver haired Lotton shows up and tells the men to let her go. The men do not hear him at first, so Lotton yells louder and threatens them to leave or else he will fight them. The two criminals laugh, but Lotton throws his luggage and feathers suddenly flew everywhere. As he pulls out his two pistols, Tricia is awed and is in a daze until she is back in reality upon seeing the two men fall down. Putting his pistol away, Lotton walks to the bar's exit until Tricia tells him to wait. Lotton walks up to her and sees his reflection in her eyes, flustering her. To her confusion, Lotton makes a comment about how he, like the moon, cannot atone for sin, and he asks her if she is okay to come with him. Although hesitant, Tricia agrees to accompany Lotton, telling herself that she thinks she has found that fateful encounter that she was looking for on the fortune-telling website.

Frederica Sawyer

Talking to herself, Sawyer the Cleaner mentions how people will pay money not only to clean coffee stains out of carpets but also clean blood as well as disposing of corpses, in addition to having a secondary income from harvesting organs from corpses. Speaking about Roanapur, Sawyer discusses how corpse disposal is much easier in the city (despite business rivals) compared to the U.K., where one can get charged with damaging a corpse for digging in a cemetery. Leaving her place, Sawyer heads to the Yellow Flag to speak to her client Bao, who wants her to clean up two male bodies whom were killed cleanly by one 9mm bullet each. Although reflecting on how she liked to sing but lost her voice as a result of a "mistake in love," Sawyer still enjoys humming to "Slash Dementia" by Carcass for late-night work. Carrying a body bag and a set of cleaning tools, Sawyer heads to the bar happily but her good mood immediately comes to a halt once stepping inside.

To her dismay, Revy is there and grumpily greeting her, but Sawyer feels fortunate that Rock greets her since he can calm down Revy. Revy states that Shenhua's "pretty boy" friend Lotton was at the scene of the two killings, piquing Sawyer's curiosity. Sawyer then notices feathers throughout the pool of blood, and Revy asks some questions about the situation. After brief inquiry, they determine that the criminal duo shot recklessly without aiming, and Lotton himself did not try to shoot until he purposefully got into a strange pose. As Sawyer wondered why Lotton has always survived various events of carnage, Revy confesses that she shot the two men since they would not stop shooting everywhere, asking Bao if he will give her free drinks for stopping the mess. Angered, Bao rejects her offer and tells her that he will not ban her from his bar, adding that removing the corpses is not free.

When Rock asks Sawyer if she knows where Lotton went, she shakes her head and pretends to be occupied in filling up her body bag. Worried, Rock tells Revy about seeing Tricia, and Sawyer overhears and questions to herself why Rock cares about newcomers in the city as well as wondering about Tricia's relationship to Lotton since Lotton does not have any special inclination toward any particular woman, including Sawyer herself. Deciding that she does not want to ponder on it too much, Sawyer tells herself that she needs to clean up and get to her workshop before rigor mortis sets in.

Edith Blackwater: 2

In the Rip-Off Church's confession booth, Eda waits to speak with her "Wizard" contact at 4 p.m. Previously, Eda has heard that the first step of the plan, which was to hypnotize Tricia into running away from home in San Francisco and being smuggled onto an ocean freighter, was successful and should not be known to anyone. In addition, a threatening letter claiming to be behind Tricia's abduction has been sent to the O'Sullivan family, and the second step for Sheringham to secure Tricia's custody and contact Eda is under way. Seeing a man and woman entering the chapel and deducing that the woman is Tricia, Eda comments to herself that the third step of Operation Persephone can commence. Getting a closer look, Eda becomes bewildered upon seeing that the "agent" accompanying Tricia is not Sheringham but instead Lotton, also noting that Tricia's behavior and clinging to Lotton is abnormal.

Although Lotton moves his eyes around the chapel, he does not sense Eda's presence in the confession booth. Keeping herself hidden, Eda changed her plan and put her cellphone on the altar, and Lotton soon spotted the phone and picked it up. Using a voice changer, Eda calls the cellphone and addresses Lotton as "Wizard," and he mutters a line about how prophets are useless if God can use a telephone. Changing his tone, Lotton asks "God" why he has "overlooked a good girl's crisis," but Eda brushes off his unusual question and asks him for a report. When Lotton tells her that the men claim to be working for Zeng Shuntian, she swallowed her words in pain as that means that Budaibang will become involved and the operation will have to change to the second best outcome. Albeit annoyed by Lotton's berating of her, Eda wonders how an aloof man like him could take on two Budaibang thugs with ease, thinking that he is smart but feigns being an idiot. Lotton confidently tells the disguised Eda that he can protect the girl, and Eda in turn assesses the situation to figure out why Budaibang interfered instead of Philip O'Sullivan.

Knowing that Darryl's subordinates will prevent Philip from finding out about the CIA's involvement in Tricia's disappearance, Eda has time to think of a story to concoct regarding how Budaibang's intervention made the situation worse for Philip's daughter, so she tells Lotton to take Tricia to room 207 at the Ramsap Inn as a safehouse. Speaking in his usual grandiose matter, Lotton replies that God's guidance will take them to safety, which annoys Eda, but she begrudgingly agrees by saying that he can choose a place but to be discreet. After Lotton ends the call, the ignorant Tricia is wowed and thinks that Lotton actually spoke to God, and the two leave the chapel. Adapting to the change in plans, Eda now mistakes Lotton and Sheringham as the same person, but she entrusts that he will fulfill his end of the operation and she herself will try to distract the police and Watsap so that they are baited away from discovering her involvement in the recent mess in Roanapur.

Lagoon Company: Dutch

Quoting Nietzsche's saying about the stillest words bringing the storm and doves' feet's guidance leading the world, Dutch waits at the Lagoon Company office and states that Mister Chang, who has arrived at the office, is the only person in Roanapur who has a quiet voice that creates storms and decides the fate of all whom he encounters. Sitting on the sofa, Chang asks Rock to confirm if he was the first person to talk to Tricia when two Chinese men tried to abduct her at the Yellow Flag. When Rock nodded in confusion and tried to remember her name, Chang put the words in his mouth by clarifying that Tricia was the daughter of San Francisco shipping tycoon Philip O'Sullivan. Chang then confirmed that the two dead men were affiliated with the Fujian crime syndicate Budaibang, surprising Dutch since Roanapur is the Hong Kong Triad's territory. He elaborated that the circumstances made him come to Roanapur, gaining Rock's attention for concern regarding the young O'Sullivan. Dutch and Rock listen to Chang, who tells them about Budaibang's leader Zeng Shuntian, who was born into poverty and fought for the Communists in China in the anti-Japanese front during WWII, eventually losing power during the Cultural Revolution but then regaining a powerful position in the CPC under Deng Xiaoping's leadership and reforms.

Continuing, Chang states that Zeng has retired but his son Shunjing holds the position of Secretary of the CPC's Central Secretariat, and Tricia is supposed to marry Shunjing's son. As Dutch assesses the beginning of the tremendous situation's fraction that Rock and Revy had witnessed at the Yellow Flag, Chang got to his point that the Budaibang men somehow pinpointed Tricia's location by receiving information from a U.S. government agency. Dutch then asks about the particular connection, with Chang saying a spy of his inside Budaibang informed him that the leak was likely the work of the NSA. Seeing Revy cleaning her Cutlass pistol and Benny using his computer, Dutch notices Rock listening intently to Chang unlike the others, commenting to himself that Revy and Benny are the embodiment of "keep away from danger" as written in Gongyang Zhuan.

Recapping Tricia's journey to Roanapur and the threatening letter sent to the O'Sullivan family, Chang also reminds everyone of the NSA's recent clash in Roanapur with Roberta of the Lovelace family, adding that he talked to a CIA agent who used the Rip-Off Church as a mediator and told him to aid the NSA. When Rock tries to clarify that the Rip-Off Church only acted as mediator between Lagoon Company and the NSA to help Grey Fox, Chang interrupts him by telling him not to underestimate Sister Yolanda. Deducing that the NSA would not simply let go of their grudge against the CIA with the assumption that they led them into Roberta killing several Grey Fox soldiers, Chang surmises that the U.S. would not want two agencies under the same bald eagle fighting with each other. Not wanting Rock to become more curious, Dutch interrupted him and Chang, with the latter asking them what they think of the CIA using Roanapur for their plans. Discussing Lotton's involvement in taking Tricia, Chang states that Lotton has an alibi for not being his CIA contact since Shenhua backed him up.

In response, Rock ponders about the summary, with Dutch feeling uneasy since he has seen Rock's expression countless times whenever he thinks of wild ideas. Apologizing for the length of their conversation, Chang tells them that he will be happy to pay them if they can figure out who the abductors are. As soon as Chang left, Revy stops Rock from saying another word, grumpily commenting that they should not stick their heads where they do not belong. Pointing his finger at Dutch, Rock tells Dutch that the predicament should concern him too since the CIA could eventually gain control over Roanapur, but Dutch replies that Rock's job is not worrying about Roanapur's future, which he claims is the concern of the Liaison Council. Still adamant, Rock responds that Chang told them all the info in the first place because he knows that the Lagoon Company can act as a neutral party like they were during the Lovelace affair.

Despite knowing about Rock's sadness after that arc, Dutch agrees to go with whatever plan that Rock concocts not only due to Rock knowing Tricia's face but since Dutch knows that his own true past beyond his supposed Vietnam War service could be revealed. After his own thoughts, Revy angrily calls for Dutch, who relays to Revy that their clue is Lotton and that they need to get to work on finding him. Rock and Revy left together while Benny types on his computer and asks Dutch if he is offed by the CIA's presence, setting him aback. When Benny jokingly asked Dutch if he had something to hide during his Vietnam service, Dutch asked why he wants to peer into the latter's life given that Benny also likely has something to hide concerning his past trouble with the FBI. Agreeing with Dutch, Benny apologizes for his inquiry and returns to typing. Thinking to himself, Dutch comments that nothing can be connected to his own past if he does not throw himself in the fire, saying that he hopes that the relative peace in Roanapur will last a little longer.

Budaibang: Lu Tao

Having been in the crime ridden city of Roanapur for a little bit, the reputable Budaibang henchman Lu Tao has stepped foot into the earthly hell with 14 persons to capture Tricia O'Sullivan as requested by Zeng Shuntian. However, his henchmen Feng and Dun did not return from the Yellow Flag in their search. Lu Tao even goes to the bar to ask Bao, but the latter does not bother to tell him anything. Examining the bar, Lu Tao figures that there was a fight, but it somehow got cleaned up given the polished floors and the dents in the wall that resemble bullet hole patterns. Going back to his cheap inn as a temporary base, Lu Tao heads into his room to deal with an American informant, Dick Krugland, who leaked info about Budaibang's mission into the city and foolishly traveled around Roanapur to frivolously spend money on prostitutes. Krugland pleads for his life, but Lu Tao cuts him off and tells him to shut up.

Krugland had become a lackey of Budaibang due to being behind in payments in Xiamen. Thanks to Krugland's familiarity with Roanapur (before coming to Xiamen) and his moderate knowledge of Thai and Hokkien, Budaibang has used the information to learn about Roanapur's layout, safehouses, and crime syndicates' territories. In tears, Krugland repeats several excuses for his different account of the Yellow Flag, but Lu Tao still contemplates killing him for his uselessness as a tour guide despite his previous residence in the city. Loosening his grip on Krugland's neck, Lu Tao threatens the white guy by telling him that he still has usefulness in finding Tricia. Getting the message, Krugland asks if the NSA intel was genuine, and Lu Tao knows that Zeng Shuntian's connections are well enough that the relations with the NSA ensure the accurate information.

Although not wanting to believe Krugland's hypothesis that Tricia has likely been taken by some other criminal, Lu Tao decides that he will talk to a different local informant instead. Getting a phone call from fellow "elder brother" Xu, Lu Tao learns that his comrade spotted Tricia at the Sankan Palace Hotel with a silver haired protector. Taking caution considering their previous failure at the Yellow Flag, Lu Tao orders Xu to find out their room number and wait in the lobby. Preparing to leave, Lu Tao demands Krugland to tell him where the luxurious hotel is, and the American gives him the best shortcut possible.

Tricia O'Sullivan: 2

Although the front desk clerk tells Tricia that Sankan Palace is the most luxurious hotel in town, she thinks that it is just a cheap hotel compared to truly luxurious hotels in the United States. Lotton calmly asks the clerk for one single-bed room and then turned to face Tricia, who was confused, but Lotton assures her that he does not need a bed for himself. On the sixth floor after the clerk had laughed at the request, Lotton checks the first room's bed, but tells the employee that it is not satisfactory and desires another room. While Lotton checks the next room, Tricia herself feels the bed but cannot see the problem with it. She appreciates his gentlemanly attitude, but she remarks that she wants to take a shower soon, and she continues to the next rooms. Despite numerous choices, Lotton rejects all beds on the sixth floor, so the attendant guides him and Tricia to the seventh floor. Hearing gunshots nearby, Tricia thinks that it is just the normal noises throughout Roanapur, but she also hears some commotion downstairs.

Shenhua

Recalling her first-time meeting Lotton, Shenhua remembers that she gave Lotton a key to her place as temporary accommodation for him, but he still lives at her place. Similarly, she has also allowed Sawyer the Cleaner to live at her place, referring to her as a shy veteran of Roanapur whom she felt uneasy kicking out of her place since she thought Sawyer would just crouch onto the road and die due to her depression. Walking through Roanapur, Shenhua remarks that she is looking for Lotton since he took her high-quality head pillow made by the Bauer Company in Germany. Wondering why he took it with him, she professes that the pillow is absolutely important for helping her sleep at night because without her particular pillow, she cannot have restful sleep that refreshes both her body and mind, affirming that she will not compromise on the quality of her bedding. To help her, Shenhua has Sawyer accompanying her since she was present when Lotton had left and may know of his intentions. Seeing that Sawyer has brought her cleaning kit, she thinks that Sawyer is anticipating cleaning up some corpses or worse. Going to several businesses and an antiques shop with a yanagiba sword, Shenhua follows Sawyer and finds out that the businesses have not received any pillows from a man.

At a market, Shenhua comes across Revy, whom she despises but is also looking for Lotton by chance, so they begrudgingly agree to search for him together. Curious as to why Lagoon Company also looks for Lotton, Shenhua asks her to provide any details, but Revy only states that Mister Chang requested her help, which grabs Shenhua's attention since Chang is her boss and she cannot disobey him. Breaking her silence, Sawyer suggests that they take a car since their next location, Sankan Palace, is far away for walking. The women ask Sawyer why there specifically, and with her voice box she mutters that he wanted to find a fancy bedding shop but could not find a feather pillow. Upon hearing that, Revy laughs and jokingly questions if Lotton has a vicious desire to tear up feather pillows like the feathers at the Yellow Flag, surprising Shenhua. Clarifying, Revy states that Lotton spread feathers all over the bar during her shooting of the Budaibang thugs, pointing to Sawyer since she cleaned up the mess.

Realizing that Sawyer has been reluctant due to knowing about Lotton taking the pillow, Shenhua tells her that she forgives Lotton and Sawyer should make money from selling organs to help pay for a new pillow if necessary. Rock calmly mutters about how the organ market is collapsing, and Shenhua rolls her eyes due to Rock's supposed cowardice. At the front desk inside Sankan Palace, the clerk argues that he cannot disclose any information due to guest privacy, but he becomes cooperative once Rock mentions Mister Chang's name. Going up the elevator, Revy continued cussing to Shenhua's great annoyance. Outside room 605, Shenhua knocks on the door and calls for Lotton, saying that she knows he is in there. In contrast, the impatient Revy knocked her foot against the door, soon kicking it down and asking Shenhua why she only knocked. Glaring at Revy, Shenhua thinks to herself that she cannot act so uncouth since she is representing Mister Chang in public.

As Sawyer checks the room, Shenhua hears someone speak in Hokkien, and Revy even prepares her Cutlasses upon hearing the unfamiliar language in the hallway. Knowing that it is useless to ask questions in Roanapur, Shenhua prepared her sword as well. Soon, the Chinese men attempt to enter the same room, and Revy responds accordingly by shooting at them while Shenhua assesses that there are nine enemies in total. Although Shenhua and Revy kill three men, the other six shoot back into the room, causing Shenhua to retreat behind the sofa. While Shenhua assesses the situation, Revy flees to the balcony and tells Shenhua that she can use the emergency stairs to escape, angering the latter for leaving her there. Thinking that they have killed everyone in the room, the two Chinese men stop shooting and enter the room, and the two cover each other to Shenhua's disadvantage. One man walks to the closet, and immediately a motor noise is heard as a result of Sawyer's chainsaw bursting through the closet door, ripping the man apart vertically in half.

With the other henchman surprised by the horrid sight of his comrade's blood everywhere, Shenhua uses the opportunity to cut off his head with her corded sword. The shocked men in the hallway run away in refusal to attack further, and Shenhua happens to hear a man (Lu Tao) give orders to the other men to go upstairs for finding Tricia and Lotton. Entering the room, Lu Tao sees Shenhua and compliments her two-sworded weapon in Hokkien, making her deviously smile since she has been tired of hearing English. Lu Tao then pulls out a three-section staff, and the Taiwanese assassin notices his smooth serpent-like movements. Commenting that Lu Tao is her prey, Shenhua advises Sawyer to not interfere, so Sawyer turns off her chainsaw as the two Chinese people begin to fight.

A Certain Wizard: 2

On the 7th floor of Sankan Palace Hotel, Lotton finally finds a suitable room, but he notices that the hotelier is preoccupied with the gunshots downstairs instead of his hotel duties. Although Lotton wants to call the person in charge for the hesitant hotelier, the latter instead suggests that he evacuate the building. Just then, two armed men burst into the room, causing Tricia to scream. One assailant shoots at Lotton, but the bullet hits his feather pillow, resulting in feathers flying everywhere. Using the visual distraction, he pulls out his dual Mauser pistols and dives behind the bed to avoid the barrage of bullets. Poetically thinking, Lotton calls his right gun "Elegy" but has trouble sticking with a name for his left gun, thinking "Fantasy" sounds cool. When the gunfire stops, Lotton jumps out, but he cannot fire a single shot.

He hears two gunshots not from the two men in front of him, but instead from Revy, who shot the two men and berates the surprised Lotton. As Rock enters the room, Lotton notices his carefulness not to step in the pools of blood, unlike Revy. Recognizing Rock from the bar, Tricia calls for him, making the relieved Lotton comment that he does not need to introduce them to each other. As Lotton narrates poetically once more, Rock tells him that Shenhua is on the sixth floor and is not far behind them, asking him what he will do next while the former makes an escape plan. Thinking, Lotton has no thoughts and merely agrees with Rock that his escape plan is good advice, preparing to continue onward.

Lu Tao: 2

Assessing Shenhua's fighting style, Lu Tao knows that he has to stay at a distance from Shenhua's double yanagiba, which prevents his close-ranged three-section staff from being used. Thankfully, Lu Tao takes advantage of the gaps between Shenhua's attacks to avoid them and make her attacks more sloppy, also using his Wing Chun to keep her away and avoiding her due to her high heels slowing her down. As he keeps her back, Sawyer joins the fight with her chainsaw, pitting two against one. To annoy Lu Tao, Sawyer begins cutting up Song's corpse, but Lu Tao has more fear than anger from her action. Additionally, Lu Tao is also confused as to why Sawyer is enjoying her work and why she is carrying a scalpel and surgical scissors, making him ask Shenhua those same questions. Casually, Shenhua replies that Sawyer is troubled and it is just her normal behavior, and she continues throwing her swords at the distraught Lu Tao. As he refers to Roanapur as a demonic town from hell, Shenhua throws her sword in her right hand, giving him the chance to roll forward and dodge the blade instead of deflecting it.

Unfortunately, he immediately realizes that he was not paying attention to her left hand. Subsequently, Shenhua pulls back her other sword as he charged at her, returning her sword to Lu Tao's back. As the sword begins to enter his back, Dick Krugland is near and tackles him away, decreasing the brunt of the damage and crashing through the balcony door glass. As Krugland tries to shield Lu Tao again, Shenhua and Sawyer take the opportunity to flee the room to the upper floor. Feeling insulted that the women did not want to finish their fight, Lu Tao has his disappointment interrupted by Krugland pointing to four silhouettes (Rock, Revy, Lotton and Tricia) rushing down the hotel's emergency stairs. Not being able to make a clear shot from his distance and in the dark to avoid hitting Tricia, Lu Tao orders Krugland to follow him to the first floor as the four enemies get in their car.

Edith Blackwater: 3

Late at night, Eda still has not received any call from Agent "Wizard" regarding recent events, so she has no choice but to call the local informant Richie Leroy. Answering the phone quickly, Leroy asks Eda why she is calling so late, also asking why she did not sound the trumpets of the Apocalypse. Beginning her inquiry after brief banter, Eda asks him if he knows of any recent news about Shenhua's friend Lotton. Although hoping that he knows nothing, Leroy states that he has heard about Lotton's "orgy," making Eda panic briefly. Trying to calm herself down, Eda explains that she heard about a commotion at the Yellow Flag, but Leroy says that the "orgy" in question is a more recent incident of seven dead people at Sankan Palace, making Eda's heart sink. Specifying that she needs accurate info, Eda answers that she will pay him for the story's details at his usual price, so Leroy tells her about how the attackers at the Sankan Palace were Hokkien-speaking people allegedly from the Fujian mafia, as well as them looking for the same "white girl" that Lotton had picked up at the Yellow Flag.

To Eda's relief, she realizes that no one has noticed Tricia's importance. In addition, Leroy says that Revy, Sawyer and Shenhua were helping Lotton escape the hotel, but it does not seem that Lotton had gone near Rowan's place as people have claimed about Revy's group. Being curious, Leroy asks Eda why she has her focus on Lotton of all people, and she simply answers that she beat him at poker before and he still owes her a bill. Finishing their phone call, Leroy remarks that the number of people earlier versus the number of corpses did not match up, so Eda tells him that she will pay him a lot if he even captures Lotton and hangs up. Letting out a deep sigh, Eda tries to piece together the puzzle and thinks that Lotton used Shenhua and the others to do the dirty work and serve as his bodyguards so that he can get by. Regardless of the circumstances, she also concludes that Lotton can no longer be hired an agent since he let smarter people like Dutch and Rock get involved in the operation, as they can trace the events back to the CIA by questioning Lotton's behavior.

To protect the operation's confidentiality, Eda decides that she will have to make the final decision and look for Lotton herself in her nun outfit. Before leaving, Eda calls Lotton's phone once more, and he picks up to her surprise, but he speaks another nonsensical sentence about midnight and the devil. Telling Lotton that he has made a mistake, Lotton carefreely asks if "God saw everything from his throne," angering Eda enough to tell him that he has messed up since many people got word of his actions. Taking a breather, Eda orders Lotton to kill Tricia, adding that she will take care of corpse disposal. Silent, Lotton says another line about God's far-reaching plans being beyond human understanding, which annoys Eda once more to tell him to leave quickly, hanging up. She finally decides that she will treat Lotton as a traitor if he does not clearly follow her instructions. Cursing the CIA and their Directorate of Operations for choosing a bad agent, Eda states that Roanapur is not a city suitable for putting something clean in and getting it out in the same condition.

A Certain Wizard: 3

Looking up at the sky occupying himself with his own thoughts, Lotton lies on the roof of the Lagoon Company dock house. Thinking about his "battle" that he had with Revy at the same location, he remarks how the dock house is the same place where he met Shenhua and Sawyer, adding that Tricia is sleeping on the sofa in the dock house's upper floor. Coming out onto the roof, Rock greets Lotton in a friendly manner, and the latter in turn gives his usual poetic reply. Continuing, the former asks Lotton if they can leave Tricia alone, but Lotton answers that he will only look at a woman's face with her prior consent, making Rock ask what kind of relationship he has. When Lotton remains silent, Rock tells him that Tricia has fallen in love with him, with Lotton remarking that he cannot blame Tricia for liking him. Moreover, Lotton philosophically questions the phrase "falling," associating it with gravity and speaking of love as a pitfall.

Breaking Lotton's continued silence, Rock asks if he plans on killing Tricia, making Lotton sarcastically ask if the Japanese man thinks he is a cruel man. Confused, Rock asks why Lotton has gone through all the trouble to help Tricia. Thinking hard, Lotton responds that his past life was full of sin and he thought that he could have a clean slate in Roanapur, adding that fate still chased him and now he wants to seek atonement and thinks Tricia is the key. With Rock asking him again if he still wants to protect the woman, Lotton asks how he should answer, but Rock responds that he does not make the final decision, but the Lagoon Company can help him if he still intends on protecting Tricia. Pondering, Lotton asks Rock if he does not mind hearing a long story, which Rock has no problem with. Accordingly, Lotton confides all that he has gone through to the ex-salaryman.

Dutch: 2

Seeing Tricia sleep, Dutch remarks that it is surprising since the couch in the dock house is old and uncomfortable unlike the good couches meant for the Lagoon Company office. After discussing the new plan with Revy, she grumpily asks how much longer Rock will talk with Lotton. As Revy smokes her cigarette impatiently, Dutch comments how Rock these days has a monopoly on the ability to keep Revy calm. Before Revy could explode in anger, Rock comes down from the ladder and informs Revy and Dutch that Lotton has agreed to cooperate if they follow his conditions. Although speaking sarcastically, Revy is genuinely impressed with Rock's negotiation skills. Dutch asks Rock if Lotton is working with the CIA, but Rock answers that Lotton has no idea who was the person on the other end, holding up the mobile phone.

Smiling with an idea, Rock tells Dutch that they can begin the hunting by luring out the enemy using the prepaid phone. Recognizing Rock's look of contemplation, Dutch asks him what Lotton's conditions are, with Rock elaborating that they need to send someone to Pangkalpinang for a small purchase as well as requesting Dutch to contact Balalaika for Hotel Moscow's help. Although Dutch says a few words in hesitation, he stops mid-sentence upon seeing Rock's face, telling Rock that he will do his best to talk to Balalaika soldier-to-soldier.

Edith Blackwater: 4

Talking to her superior Richard Ravencroft, Eda learns that the CIA's attempt to persuade Philip O'Sullivan that the Zeng family is involved in Tricia's disappearance has failed. Regarding the matter, Ravencroft orders Eda to use her own judgment to move forward, tacitly giving approval of Eda's new plan for Tricia to be murdered. Eda then says that she wishes she had heard the order from Deputy Director Lansing, making Ravencroft comment that Lansing is too thick-headed to do it himself. Having one last small favor, Eda tells Ravencroft to insult Lansing on her behalf, and Ravencroft jokingly says that he will add his own insult to him as well. Hanging up the phone, Eda rubs her temples and sees the morning sun outside her window.

At 7 a.m., Eda finally gets a phone call back from the "Wizard," and she answers the call with her usual voice changer, but she does not recognize the voice as Lotton's. Hearing the speaker's accent and pronunciation, Eda quickly recognizes the person calling as Rock of the Lagoon Company. Suppressing her surprise, Eda asks what happened to the cell phone's previous owner, and Rock only tells her that he was overwhelmed and will resell the phone and a "package" for $50,000. Finding Rock's offer foolish since the CIA will chase anyone down who wrongs them, Eda asks why the caller has the phone, and Rock replies that he thought he can resell the "package" (Tricia) and the phone to the person who will eventually re-use it. Thinking to herself, Eda figures that Rock would not use the phone had he known that it is property of the CIA, thinking that Lotton hid the details of CIA property from Rock. Knowing that $50,000 is not the ideal price for human trafficking and particularly the "package," Eda tries to be more specific and offers Rock double the price, making him snort.

Rock responds that such a price for the daughter of the O'Sullivan Corporation's leader is not enough, offering Eda $300,000 for Tricia and adding that Eda herself can still demand a ransom from the O'Sullivan family for Tricia shall she meet his price. Thinking of her next step, Eda tells herself that she can bring Rock to the nearest tavern, and she will teach him a lesson for his arrogance. Agreeing to Rock's terms, Eda utters to herself that Rock's life is over and that she is going all-in. Hearing her compliant answer, Rock finishes the call by telling the mysterious voice to prepare the money by 2 p.m., and he will give her the delivery location later. Before ending the call, Eda asks if Tricia will be okay, which Rock confirms so long as she does not try anything suspicious. Unknown to Rock, Tricia's death is exactly what Eda desires. Putting on her sunglasses, Eda remarks that Revy should take the advice that she gave her regarding Rock in the chapel.

Balalaika

In the morning, Rock visits Balalaika's office to her surprise. Greeting Rock, Balalaika tells the ex-salaryman that she has heard Dutch's plan, commenting that Rock never seems to get rid of his habit of sticking his nose into trouble. Before beginning their talk, Balalaika remarks that Rock hides unexpected motives in his heart despite his silly demeanor, but she nonetheless finds him interesting. Saying that CIA infiltration in Roanapur is a threat to Hotel Moscow, Rock tells Balalaika that their roots can be cut with her help. Agreeing, Balalaika states that there is no reason for her to spare time in exterminating the "American imperial cockroaches." Wondering about Rock's motives, Balalaika asks him what his reasons are for a simple assistant like him to oppose the presence of U.S. spies in Roanapur. With Rock's tone nervously changed to a questioning tone, Balalaika glares her burning eyes at Rock to see any deception, the same glare that she successfully used on prisoners of war.

Answering her question, Rock says the residents of town should decide their own fate without foreign interference. Not seeing a lie at face value, Balalaika asks him if it is just part of his "hobby." As Rock nods, Balalaika tells him that seeing him play around like he did with the NSA and the Lovelace family makes her happy sometimes. While Rock squirmed uncomfortably, the Russian woman intimidates Rock by asking him if he enjoys making people dance to his own script like a ringmaster. She then recalls a short story about how she has tolerated the past 5 years of her life as a buffoon who once danced to the comedy of the Cold War and clapped for the directors at Red Square, sternly asking Rock if he wants her to dance to his script like a puppet for his own enjoyment. Despite Rock's tension, he maintains his gaze at her despite his fear. Feigning a smile, Balalaika agrees to accompany Rock whenever he plays but will not immediately cooperate, i.e., she may participate in the CIA hunt or she may wait and see.

As Rock's expression hardens, she states that her ambiguity is merely punishment for trying to make her dance for him, telling him that she can turn a gambler like him into a pair of dice. As soon as Rock leaves the room, Balalaika dials a private number on her phone to call Mister Chang and asks him if he is all right. Responding sarcastically, he jokes if she is still thinking about "their debauchery last night." Being blunt, Balalaika forwardly asks Chang if he is the one responsible for putting Rock in his current situation, making Chang confirm with a fearless laugh. Viewing Chang as a fellow manipulator, Balalaika retorts that he is not the only one who favors Rock, commenting to herself that Chang is only encouraging Rock's bad habit of gambling on other people's lives. Nonetheless, she remarks that she wants Rock to be a better villain. Asking Chang why he does not get rid of the CIA himself, Chang answers that if the CIA is to take over Roanapur, then they might as well befriend them.

Albeit Balalaika's hesitancy regarding his reasoning, Chang reminds her that Roanapur is a town that accepts the hated and rejected, just as the city accepted her and her fellow ex-Soviet rejects. When Chang states that he trusts the judgment of right versus wrong to Roanapur's denizens, Balalaika questions him as to why he trusts the "yaponski." In response, Chang tells her that his name is "Rock," not his former Japanese self "Rokurō Okajima," and likewise Balalaika is now her current self and Chang is no longer Chang Wai-San. He finishes by saying that he has no interest in Rock, adding that he has a guest to greet. After bidding her goodbye, Balalaika leans back into her chair and remarks that it feels both short and long ago since she blackmailed Asahi Heavy Industrial Co., thinking that Rock has likely forgotten his Far East homeland by now. Contemplating, Balalaika admits that she is a little jealous that Rock truly has a future, whereas she still has the shadow of a ghost nation clinging to her.

Chang Wai-San

After finishing his call with Balalaika, Chang, in his office at the Hot River Film Company, faces his guest across the sofa and apologizes for attending the unexpected call. The tailored-suit guest has no problem and apologizes in turn for his impolite visit. Once confirming that the bargain for Tricia was in progress, the man compliments Chang, remarking that he is right to rely on the Triad leader. Telling himself that the well-dressed man is Zeng Kemin, the fiancé of Tricia O'Sullivan and Zeng Shuntian's grandson, Chang sarcastically asks the grandson if he really came to him on his own accord given the Zeng family's differing policy regarding the matter. Saying that he heard that Chang runs Roanapur as if it is his own garden, the grandson rhetorically elaborates that it is natural to ask the garden's caretaker for help.

Comparing the younger and elder Zeng, Chang thinks to himself that Shuntian grew up in hard times whereas Kemin has grown up in peaceful times, noting Kemin's preference for negotiation over bloodshed. Wondering about Kemin's next move, Chang asks him if Budaibang will lose face for asking his help, and Kemin replies that they cannot lose face to others considering the trouble that Budaibang's presence has already caused for Roanapur. Respecting Kemin's strong sense of duty, Chang welcomes Kemin to Roanapur and orders him to leave Tricia's safety in the Triad's hands.

Lu Tao: 3

Receiving a call from Zeng Kemin, Lu Tao does not expect the call, and Kemin tells Lu Tao that he will not allow any more violence in Roanapur, adding that they must settle their affair in a more polite manner. Kemin then clarifies that it is his own decision and will accept the reprimanding from his grandfather, but Lu Tao yells at him, stating that Tricia must be delivered in his manner and that Kemin must be patient with his work. Yelling back, Kemin asks Lu Tao why he still says that despite sacrificing 9 men. Calming down, Kemin tells Lu Tao that he will intercede with boss Zeng and will return to Fujian obediently. Trying to speak again, Kemin elaborates that the Hong Kong Triad will take care of the matter, saying that he bowed his head to get their cooperation. In addition, Kemin tells Lu Tao that the latter will lose face if Budaibang interferes with the Triad's actions.

Gasping in disbelief and being briefly silent, Lu Tao hears Kemin tell him not to be silly as the latter hangs up. Talking to himself in his motel room, Lu Tao remarks that a boy like Kemin does not understand his loyalty to his brothers and the willingness to shed blood for it. Sighing, he tells himself that Kemin is acting like a disgrace to the Zeng family since by allying with the Triad, Budaibang is abandoning their fellow countrymen in Xiamen and instead allying with Hong Kong people. As he grumbles about how he has made up his mind and will teach Kemin a lesson, Lu Tao turns around and is surprised to see Dick Krugland, who asks Lu Tao if their work is complete now. When Krugland tries to question Lu Tao after the latter answers that it is not over, Lu Tao punches Krugland's cheek, knocking the big man onto the floor. Truly even more furious, Lu Tao threatens to cut out Krugland's tongue and finally kill him if he tells anyone about the phone call that he just had with Kemin. Getting up and staring at Lu Tao with cold eyes, Krugland speaks in English instead of his broken Hokkien and tells him to not "lose sight on the greater righteousness at stake" by fixating on his own pride.

Continuing, Krugland also tells Lu Tao to be mindful of the fortune of having deeply loyal followers. Thinking that Krugland is telling him to shut up, Lu Tao punches Krugland in the stomach, but hitting his stomach feels like hitting a hard log. As he is bewildered, Krugland suddenly jabs Lu Tao's left shoulder, making his body's left side go numb. Looking down at Lu Tao on the floor, Krugland tells him in English that a sword's edge without the faithfulness of the heart is an unworthy weapon, confusing Lu Tao. Wondering how a white person could do kung fu, Lu Tao realizes that Krugland's footsteps make no sound as he leaves the motel room.

Edith Blackwater: 5

Getting a call from Rock at four o'clock, the disguised Eda confirms to him that she has the money ready. Not actually having the amount of money on purpose, Eda hears Rock order her to bring the money to the Marnie Juni Motel on Rachada Street two hours later, but she purposefully wants to enrage Rock. Smirking, Rock tells Eda, who is pretending to be Tricia's father, that he will disclose the girl's location once he confirms the money's existence. Two hours after the phone call, Eda brings her suitcase with her but has a gun inside instead of money, deciding that she will possibly blow Rock's brain out for knowing too much. Before such a situation, Eda wants to see if it is Rock's sole plan or if the entire Lagoon Company is involved, also being careful since Dutch is smart and troublesome (even if he is "on his back like a turtle") and Revy will kill Tricia in a fit of rage if Rock gets killed.

Although Tricia being killed is Eda's end goal, she thinks of numerous ways to quell the situation due to the Lagoon Company's involvement, such as tipping off the Triad to avoid international attention on Roanapur if Dutch tries to ransom directly with the O'Sullivan family. Going into the "town of hyenas," Eda visits a motel without a signboard, calling it a den of prostitutes and gamblers. Not visiting to give alms, Eda steps inside to see Gibert, a regular guest at the motel whom she despises for his pathetic downfall and scavenging life, nonetheless requiring his help since he hates the Lagoon Company and Revy in particular. Kicking in his door, Eda sees Gibert shivering under a blanket as a result of cocaine withdrawal. Bringing him cocaine as a payment, Gibert giddily gets up and rants about NASA and Martians, with Eda commenting that wiping out the evil spirits inside Gibert requires the same man who said that faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain.

Yelling at Gibert to be focused, Eda asks him if he remembers Revy, and in his dull gaze he remembers that she was his big brother's enemy. Clarifying, Eda tells him that he can kill Revy's "lover" just as she killed Gibert's brother. Smiling at seeing Rock's picture, Gibert sees his necktie, with Eda agreeing about Rock's demeanor. Informing him about Rock's rich ransom demand while Gibert has no money, Eda apologizes for her delay. As the cocaine user mumbled to himself, Eda pressed a worn-out .38 snub nose revolver into his hand. Telling him to go to the Marnie Juni Motel on Rachada Street, Eda specifies that he needs to hide in the stall and then kill Rock. Once Rock successfully gets killed, Eda tells him to grab the suitcase of money and buy himself a better gun so that he can kill Revy. Leaving Gibert to laugh alone to himself in his delusions, Eda remarks that she will not be surprised if Gibert accidentally shoots himself in the leg since he is not a real hitman.

Unknown to Gibert, after leaving the motel, Eda plans on dealing with Rock herself, with Gibert's corpse meant to be next to Rock's corpse to make the circumstances less suspicious despite Rock's death as an absolute attention-grabber in Roanapur. Having one hour until the ransom exchange, Eda decides to visit the Yellow Flag to check on Bao and prevent information leaks. To her luck, Rock is drinking alone at the counter, but Eda is astonished that he has exposed himself so easily since he can be abducted and be tortured to confess Tricia's whereabouts. Nonetheless, there are still customers and Bao in the bar, so Eda decides that she should still assess the situation before making a move. Sitting next to Rock, Eda greets him, and he asks why she is at the bar, with Eda responding that she has finished an errand for old man Praiyachat, joking that she needs a break from God's work. Rock only returns a vague, wry smile, and Bao interrupts by asking Eda what she wants to drink.

Pointing to Rock's drink, Eda thinks that Bao will serve average-proof Bacardi to her, but instead she receives a 151-proof bottle, surprising her since she does not expect Rock to drink so much with that much. When she inquires about his heavy drinking, Rock simply replies that buying alcohol is for boosting the economy. Wondering if Rock is an idiot for drinking heavily before his big $300,000 job, Eda disguises her probing as teasing and asks if he has a hard job. Shrugging his shoulders, Rock comments that the stakes are too much and got into his mess due to his own stubbornness. In gloom, Rock apologizes and says he has to leave, checking his watch and reading 5:45 p.m. Once Rock leaves, Eda finishes her glass and asks Bao for another, but he refuses, advising her that Sister Yolanda will find out if she drinks too much.

Meanwhile, Rock uses his 15 minutes to walk through the Chalquam Market to reach Rachada Street. Stepping into a nearby alleyway, Eda takes off her nun clothes and sunglasses but keeps her tank top and hot pants to move around easier. Despite her drinking, Eda is able to run fast, remarking that the 75% alcohol she consumed is just God's test. Remembering Rock's comment about how his "bet" relied too much on luck, she comments to herself that kidnapping is the type of crime where you must make sure that all uncertainties are eliminated. As she hurries, she wonders if Rock is playing a different game than she is. With Rock anticipating an assault, Eda also wonders why Revy is not at his side, thinking that the only other explanation can be that Rock wants to be attacked. Reaching Rachada Street at 5:53, Eda does not see Rock there yet and only sees Gibert at his stall in front of the Marnie Juni motel.

Feeling nauseous, Eda additionally worries if she can perform her usual tricks with ease. As no one noticed her behavior, Eda steps into another alley nearby to take a breather, leaning against the wall. Switching the original plan due to her suspicion of Rock, Eda is going to see the 50/50 chance play out of Gibert killing Rock, and she will move after the gunshots. If Rock survives the first hit, Eda will shoot Gibert after he immediately kills Rock, but she knows that she may accidentally shoot Rock, which will be a hard excuse to tell him. Still wondering what protective measures Rock took, at 6 o'clock Rock still has not shown up. Her heart beating rapidly, Eda wonders if the "Wizard" taught Rock about someone wanting to kill Tricia despite his deal, thinking that she may have underestimated the "Wizard." Thinking of an absurd possibility, Eda surmises that Lotton may have fallen in love with Tricia and has hired the Lagoon Company. Wondering about the CIA connection, Eda concludes that the CIA connection has not been found and that the Lagoon Company will only smuggle Tricia out of Roanapur on the Black Lagoon.

Arriving outside the motel, Rock is not in a panic that he is late, and Eda subsequently lays her hand on her Glock pistol. Regaining joy in his face, Gibert spots Rock and runs toward him. A gunshot is heard, and only some nearby residents flee since gunshots are commonplace in Roanapur. Immediately, Eda sees that a faraway sniper shot Gibert in the back of the head, and Rock immediately rummages through Gibert's belongings, throwing away his various junk until checking Gibert's back pocket. Finding the voice-changing cellphone that Eda intentionally slipped into Gibert's pocket, Rock checks the call history and compares it with his own phone. Although wanting to kill Rock, Eda remains frozen as Rock walks away like nothing happened, now having a CIA phone that the Lagoon Company can bid off to Hotel Moscow or to the Triad. Seeing that she has been hunted despite her own intention of hunting, Eda laments that everyone does the "dance of death" in the nightmare city of Roanapur. With Operation Persephone ending in failure, Eda comments that she will have to answer for her blunder, and she decides to go to Bao's bar despite her hangover.

Balalaika: 2

Commending Rock from far away in the Bougainvillea Trade Company office, Balalaika sees him in a nearby alley with her binoculars, and she orders her four sniper teams of Vysotniki to withdraw after having served as Rock's cover for the mission from the Yellow Flag to Rachada Street. Now agreeing with Rock's reasoning that not nipping the CIA's presence in the bud will cause problems, Balalaika insults Gibert as being a waste if he was truly a CIA agent, adding that she was at first hesitant to order the sniper to fire at him but more so waiting out of sadism. Appreciating Rock for entering the "kill zone" in spite of his trembling movements, the Russian leader remarks that she made Rock dance like a clown for her, not the other way around. Smiling, she then states that she wants Rock to survive for a while to please her and Chang, concluding that she will dance with Rock if he manages to stand tall in the valley of death.

A Certain Wizard: 4

Besides Lotton and Tricia, Revy is the only person at the dry dock with them, as Rock left early in the morning while Dutch and Benny sailed on the Black Lagoon. Angrily finishing a phone call, Revy tells Lotton and Tricia that Mister Chang will pick them up in person after he settled things with Budaibang. When Tricia asks what that means, Revy gives her a mean smile and clarifies that Tricia will be deported back to her house and asks Tricia if she agrees to that "happy ending." Tricia in turn stubbornly asks who will make her do what she says, causing Revy to quietly lean forward and grab Tricia's neck. Giving the young woman a Noh mask-like stare, Revy tells Tricia that her life is the property of someone else, and only those who have unlocked their "self" can decide to live as they please. As Tricia took in her words, the young O'Sullivan shed tears, and Lotton thinks that Revy is right but also thinks her analysis of Roanapur being truthful is indeed sad.

Pulling out his pistol "Elegy," Lotton says that he may have to take Tricia's life due to Revy's preaching, but Tricia immediately became horrified and clings to Lotton, urging him to understand that Revy genuinely wants to kill him. To his detriment, Lotton acknowledged that his skills were inferior compared to Revy's. In response, Revy rhetorically asks Lotton if he really thinks that she will playfully go out in a gun frenzy with him, sitting down on the sofa. Saying her cold voice reminds him of the god of death's breath, Lotton remarks that he never pulls out his gun playfully but cannot overlook situations of tears and sorrow like Tricia's tears. Even though Revy tells him that picking a fight with her is essentially fighting the Triad since their job is to ship Tricia, Lotton replies that he pulled his gun out of conviction, making Revy snort. She asks if he can leave with the ghost, and Tricia suddenly speaks, confidently saying that she and Lotton can leave undisturbed.

Grabbing the barrel of Lotton's pistol, Tricia puts it to her head and tells Lotton that he can shoot if Revy is in his way. With both Lotton and Revy gasping in surprise, Tricia earnestly says that she would rather die than leave him, welcoming him to take her life with his own hands. Seeing Tricia tremble, Lotton gives her a gentle hug and asks Revy if she can open the way for them. In response, Revy asks him if he can keep up with her, but Lotton misinterprets her tone as a defense against sympathizing with the bond between him and Tricia. Revy reminds him that the Triad is already on their way, but Lotton declares that he will pave the way, and Tricia clings to him. Exiting the second floor, Lotton bids goodbye to Revy as if it is the last time they see each other, with Revy snidely remarking that she hopes so.

Moaning after being hit by the rain, Tricia points to outside the harbor, where several vehicles are heading their way. Realizing that Revy was not bluffing, Lotton talks to himself poetically about the escapades of men and women. Turning to Tricia, he tells her that they can escape to the sky, looking toward the moon. Tricia agrees to follow him wherever he goes, and the two run toward the derrick crane on the quay. They climb up the ramp despite the wetness, and Tricia happily cries about enjoying the climb. Seventy feet below, the Triad men see them, but Lotton comments how they will not dare climb the slippery ramp with no footing. As Tricia states that she hopes the rain never stops, Lotton wraps his arms around her. Speaking poetically, Lotton states that there is no eternal night and no endless rain, adding that he and Tricia could grow wings from their embrace but saying that they only know the beauty of the sky precisely because they cannot fly.

Waiting for their supposed destiny, Lotton and Tricia wait for the clouds to disperse until Tricia stiffens, and Lotton looks down in response. In amazement, he sees a fast shadow racing up the crane, with the Triad members below also seeing the black-clad man in awe. Although Lotton tells Tricia to stay put, she begs him not to leave, but he assures her that he will not let anyone take her away. Tricia remains on the crane arm's tip while Lotton gets to the middle of the arm and the shadowy man gets to the arm's base. Looking into the blue eyes of the shadow's gaze, Lotton sees that his opponent has great strength, glad that he has a worthy opponent. Consequently, the shadowy man bows and then draws his samurai sword, and Lotton in turn draws his dual pistols.

Chang Wai-San: 2

As Shadow Falcon and Lotton fight with each other in the heavy rain, Chang remarks that even Revy soon saw the fight between the two in bewilderment. Harking back to a previous time, Chang discusses how he originally sent Shadow Falcon to Hong Kong, but his leader there sent him back to Roanapur with a note saying that the ninja was useful but difficult to deal with. The duel between the two continues quietly with Lotton continuously dodging Falcon's duralumin club, and Chang admits he is impressed about the fight taking place 70 meters above ground on a steel frame. Lotton has not fired a single shot, and Chang himself chooses not to look up. A Triad man asks the boss if he should start shooting, but Chang advises against that since a sudden gunshot could scare Tricia enough to lose balance and fall off the crane. Revy herself lets out an annoyed sigh due to the fight's lack of progress, and Chang remarks that Falcon is not making any big moves since he cannot focus on both his beam balance and looking through Lotton's line of fire.

Moreover, Lotton has no hesitation in his movements, creating an even foil between the two. Accompanying Chang and the Triad, Zeng Kemin is displeased with the fight's static state as well, impatiently urging Chang to rescue Tricia while the two fighters are distracted. Chang replies that they need to wait for the weather to clear before interfering, but Kemin does not want his fiancée soaking in the rain in a dangerous place. Since Chang remains silent, Kemin takes off his jacket and hands it to Chang, running towards the Derrick Crane without giving Chang the opportunity to stop him. Slightly worried that Kemin's possible death could lead to war between the Triad and Budaibang, Chang nevertheless lets him go, arguing that recklessness is a privilege of the youth. When Chang asks Revy if Tricia and Lotton are truly attached to each other, Revy shakes her head.

Tricia O'Sullivan: 3

Lotton fights Shadow Falcon

Admiring Lotton's lack of fear as he fights Shadow Falcon, Tricia laments how she wants to scream but will feel more painful than her own death if the man she loves, Lotton, gets killed. Clinging to the steel frame as Lotton fights to the death, Tricia soon sees Lotton slipping slightly. Although Lotton regains his posture, Falcon uses the opportunity to swing his katana forward. Not being able to fire a bullet, Lotton at least uses his dual pistols as a shield against the flying sword, crossing the pistols above his head. Although blocking the sword, Lotton falls onto his back, although thankfully the pistols catch the blade and prevent its movement. Lotton smiles immediately after disappearing from sight at the end, as if to apologize to and encourage Tricia. Tangling with each other, the two men fall off the crane, making Tricia cry out to Lotton in tears.

Wondering what she will do in life without Lotton, a man at the base of the crane arm called for Tricia, telling her not to move a muscle. The tailored Zeng Kemin is wet from the rain, and Tricia suddenly begins to imagine his powerful gaze and his feelings for her. Extending his hand and telling her to grab it, Kemin pulls Tricia toward him and assures her that she will be all right. Viewing his voice as elegant, she tells herself that she is suddenly attracted to his slight Chinese accent in English, making her heart flutter. As she gets closer, she realizes that the man is her fiancé whom she is originally intended to marry by her family, she cannot believe the sight. As the rain suddenly stops, Tricia appreciates the beautiful nature and shining sea around her, bidding goodbye to Roanapur and looking forward to her wedding with her "darling."

Edith Blackwater: 6

Using a phone line via satellite, Eda calls her superior Richard Ravencroft to report on the third phase of Operation Persephone, beginning by saying that further details will be submitted in writing on a later date. In ice cold silence, Ravencroft waits until Eda speaks again, and she admits that the situation is her fault for not stopping the Wizard's breach of trust. Responding, Ravencroft tells her that she will not be reprimanded and there will be no report necessary, shocking Eda. Clarifying, Ravencroft tells her that the official record on Operation Persephone states that the operation failed and was subsequently abandoned in the first phase, adding that including failures on the next phases is unnecessary. As Eda hesitates, Ravencroft declares that Deputy Director Darryl Lansing was demoted for the blunder, saying that the operation officially ended before Eda's involvement.

Thanking Eda, he adds that her report was somewhat meaningful since it confirms that Roanapur is such a hellish city that the CIA should not engage in active interference in the town. Still curious, Eda politely asks Ravencroft to give her more details. Speaking with the tone of a psychotherapist, Ravencroft answers that one night ago the CIA intercepted a report delivered to the Dutch Embassy in Thailand about how Cardinas Sheringham, codename "Wizard," died in a car crash three days ago, and he was the DO operative. Asking Eda if the Wizard is okay, he states that Sheringham died the day before Tricia arrived in Roanapur. As Eda became dizzy from hearing the news that the "Wizard" with whom she communicated throughout the operation was in fact Lotton, Ravencroft asks Eda where and with whom exactly did she collaborate for the initial operation if Sheringham had already died.

Rebecca Lee

At the Yellow Flag to drink Bacardi, Revy sees that Rock has survived a bullet grazing the side of his head, remarking that the Bacardi should get rid of the chill throughout his body. Having already drank 5 glasses of alcohol, his chill has not faded, and Rock comments that everything should be settled. Revy gives him water, and Bao responds with a stern grumble. Rock questions if the person that he got killed was really CIA, confusing Revy. Rock elaborates that Chang identified to him the man's corpse as Gibert. Laughing, Revy hypothesizes that the man maybe made himself look like a local bedbug scumbag to dissuade people from thinking he is CIA. Rock rejects her theory, saying that an agent should have a more plausible cover lest they get outed by Leroy or Isaac. As Revy sees that Rock is not caring about venting his sorrows and is only lost in thought, he only declares that Gibert was a low-errand boy who maybe left some connection behind somehow, adding that Chang will clean up the mess in three days.

Additionally, he states that Gibert did a really amateur job since he did not even hurt him at all. As Rock continues talking, Revy realizes that Rock's chill was actually his guts freezing instead. Curious, Revy asks Rock if he is still dissatisfied with his gamble with Balalaika and asks when he will let go despite what he has been through. When Rock stares blankly, Revy asks him what good it does to spread such rumors around, telling him that Balalaika will have a field day with him. Reminding him of what he said in the past, Revy recalls that Rock said she was a gun whereas he was her bullet, and Revy states that she was just a tool forced into a kid's situation where the bullets were useless. Asking Rock what he thinks, Rock said it is a decoy plan, but Revy interrupts to say that Rock was a hook instead of a bullet. Comparing him to a hook without a line and pole, Revy states that he was just scrap iron who fell into the pond and that is just a gamble with great risks. Wondering what Dutch meant by letting Rock play with fire, she asks Rock what chance he thought he had of surviving and how he expected to live.

Eda greets Revy and Rock

As Revy clenches her glass, Rock clarifies that he is not suicidal, surprising Revy. She tells him that although she has known Balalaika for a while, she does not know what is in Balalaika's stomach. In response, Rock reasons that Balalaika always pays attention to stories leading to destruction, saying that Balalaika will agree to a plan if the consequences of no involvement are catastrophic, thus he made a bet based on the alleged truth. Revy tells herself that bullets will become scrap iron if not properly fired into the sky, commenting that Rock's sights are silly and fires like a blindfolded person. After a brief pause, Revy tells Rock not to underestimate Balalaika, reminding Rock that he got lucky. Saying "maybe," Rock licks the sake in his glass again. Entering the bar, the tank top clad Eda greets the two Lagoon sailors with a loud voice. Thinking to herself, Revy insults Eda's outfit and compares her to a "Babylonian whore" rather than a chastise nun.

The nun then asks Rock how he has fared throughout the day, and he mutters that he missed it. Joking around, Eda responds that she wanted to see Rock with his hard-earned money. Annoyed by Eda's flirting, Revy tells her to go to Rowan's shop if she wants to be an exhibitionist. Poking fun at Revy's bad mood, Eda asks Revy if she still has irregular periods. Not wanting to fight Revy, Eda advises her to calm down and orders a bottle of Trois Riviere from Bao. Clarifying that she wants to clear her sorrows, she offers some of the bottle to Revy but especially to the necktie-wearing Rock, wanting a toast. As Revy tells her to quit flirting with Rock, Eda pours a glass for them both, and Rock does not hesitate to grab his glass. While Revy questions Eda, the nun tells her not to worry about it, saying that God's plan is beyond their comprehension, adding that the more one thinks about life, the more they lose, so they should just drink. Revy decides that she will shelf her complaints for now and agrees to drink.

Epilogue — Frederica Sawyer: 2

Standing in a rain-filled ruin, Lotton and Shadow Falcon face each other. They quietly look at one another while changing their positions in an attempt to attack the other. Attacking first, Falcon uses a series of fists and sword movements, which Lotton dodges while focusing on defense without panicking. Making an unexpected counter fist, Lotton manages to make a shallow upper cut through Falcon's consecutive attacks. Subsequently, Falcon retreats to regain his balance, giving Lotton the chance to perform a counterattack, delivering a roundhouse kick to Falcon's chest and knocking him back. At that moment, Falcon makes himself disappear using his oboro bunshin no jutsu, reappearing behind Lotton and aiming his kick toward Lotton's head. Acting as if to expect the move, Lotton turns around and grabs Falcon's foot, throwing him to the ground. Countering once again, Falcon lands on his feet like a cat instead of receiving the slam. By using Lotton's energy from his throw, Falcon suddenly performs "Burning Oedo Daisharin Kotobuki," wrapping himself in crimson flames and charging at Lotton like a drill.

Sawyer watches Shadow Falcon and Lotton play a video game

Revealing the second fight between the men to be a video game, Sawyer narates how Lotton's character throw is cheating, but she is amazed that he timed the Ultimate Shuriken command just right, adding that Lotton is improvising too much in vain. Seeing him masterfully, Sawyer comments that Shadow Falcon is a committed man if he wears a ninja costume while using a ninja character to the video game to which he is addicted to playing with Lotton. Still wondering who Shadow Falcon is, Sawyer recalls that the previous night, Lotton and Falcon came to her place soaked from rain, and the two men began playing video games with each other until dawn. Remembering that Shenhua happens to be away on business, Sawyer hopes that the two will finally settle their tied game victory before Shenhua returns home, although she doubts the two will be done anytime soon.

Wanting to avoid joint responsibility for allowing Falcon as an unexpected guest, Sawyer tries to think of an excuse. Admitting that she is partially responsible for Lotton's disappearance, Sawyer hopes Lotton will settle somewhere permanently. Recalling the beginning of the whole story, Lotton accidentally spilled coffee on Shenhua's high-quality German feather pillow, staining it. Seeing Lotton's panic, Sawyer told him that Shenhua would greatly scold him if she saw it. Scared of the possibility, Lotton left with the pillow to the Yellow Flag, where the two Budaibang men blew it apart with their guns. After confirming that the pillow got blown apart at the bar from seeing the feathers during her corpse disposal, Sawyer took the situation seriously. Thinking Lotton would not come back until finding a replacement pillow, Sawyer decided that she would inform Shenhua that Lotton ran away from home because the former threatened him.

Back in the present, Sawyer remarks how Rock brought them a replacement pillow from the same exact company as Shenhua's previous pillow. Furthermore, Rock getting the pillow for them was part of Lotton's condition for helping the Lagoon Company, which Rock fulfilled by having the Lagoon Company receive the pillow in Pangkalpinang. Staring at Lotton and Shadow Falcon, Rock left without saying a word after giving the pillow to the former. When Sawyer asked Lotton about the circumstances concerning the retrieval of the pillow, Lotton recounted how God spoke to him from a mobile phone at a church, a story which Sawyer believes is a joke. As soon as he gets defeated in the match, Falcon chooses to continue his video game matches with Lotton, still at a tie. Tired of their eternal gaming, Sawyer decides that she should occupy herself and clean her chainsaw, remarking that her tools of the trade for corpse disposal are always sought out in the unlimited body count town of Roanapur.

Trivia

• Revy, Eda, Sawyer and Ravencroft's respective full names originate from this novel (Rebecca Lee, Edith Blackwater, Frederica Sawyer, and Richard Ravencroft).