Casino Cruise Part 1: Showtime

Madoka gleefully hummed as she changed into her stage attire.

“Oh yeah, this will be the first time you do a show with me,” Madoka smiled as she faced an annoyed Emeri.

“Ugh! Why are we doing this!?” Emeri grumbled.

“You’re the one that said that guys was legit,” Yuni stated as she rolled a suitcase.

“Hey, at least I’ll get to see you perform. Besides, I’ll bash any suspicious bastard that tries to go after you,” Serika declared as she rolled a suitcase.

                                                                            …

The girls made their way to the cruise ship and boarded it.

“Ah welcome Gindini-chan! Oh! You must be Hakkai-chan. Pleased to meet you. I’m Lawrence Kalamari. Your rooms are in the first class,” Lawrence bowed as he greeted the girls.

The girls settled in before checking out the ship.

“Wow! Is that a casino!?” Madoka asked.

“Yes, this is Samba cruise’s world-renowned casino. We have an assortment of card games, slot machines, roulette, bingo, and more,” Lawrence explained.

Emeri went on guard as she noticed some rough looking men in suits pass by.

“Most of the passengers we’ve encountered seem to be on the rough side. I really hope the “can’t judge a book by its cover” principle is in play here, because I’m just feeling more and more paranoid about this whole situation,” Emeri thought.

                                                                               …

Eventually, it was showtime.

Serika and Yuni sat together as they watched.

“Welcome everyone! I’m the great Gindini-chan here with my lovely assistant, Hakkai-chan!” Madoka announced.

“Hi,” Emeri nervously waved.

“For our first act, a classic strait jacket escape! Hakkai-chan!”

“Hai!”

Emeri immediately bound Madoka in a strait jacket.

“Now then, would the lovely host and owner care to check?” Madoka asked.

Lawrence hopped up to the stage and inspected the strait jacket.

“Looks secure to me,” he stated.

“Good,” Madoka smiled as she instantly broke free.

The audience whoaed and clapped as Lawrence stood in shock.

“Hmm!?” Yuni nervously uttered.

“Huh!? What’s with the pale face? You nervous?” Serika growled.

“No, it’s just I thought I felt bloodlust. A very familiar feeling of bloodlust,” Yuni trembled.

“For our next act, duct tape. The beautiful Hakkai chan will mummify me completely below the neck in duct tape,” Madoka declared.

Emeri tightly encased Madoka in duct tape, and finished by placing some tape over Madoka’s mouth.

“Mmph ngh mmph! Mmph, MMPH! Freedom!” Madoka declared as she broke free in seconds.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause.

“Now then for the final act. Courtesy of Samba cruise, I will be escaping from their giant spinning roulette wheel!” Madoka announced as a giant roulette wheel appeared behind her.

Her wrists and ankles were then fastened to the clamps.

“Why not add some duct tape,” Lawrence smiled as he slapped a piece over Madoka’s mouth, much to her shock.

“Again. There it was again. Serika get on guard. Something bad’s coming,” Yuni warned as she stood up and grabbed some silverware from the table.

The roulette wheel was then encased in a glass dome before it began spinning rapidly. A puff of smoke then concealed the wheel’s contents. When the smoke vanished, Madoka was gone.

The audience erupted in applause once more as Lawrence took the mic.

“Thank you to Gindini-chan for a magical evening. Please enjoy your cruise everyone.”

Lawrence then ran off towards the back as Emeri wearily followed. Yuni and Serika attempted to follow, but were stopped by security.

“Where you going with those knives missy?” one guard asked.

“Oh, um I wanted to return them to the kitchen. They looked dirty to me,” Yuni lied.

The guard confiscated the silverware and refused to budge.

“Come on, if you’re gonna be this jittery we’ll head back to the room,” Serika growled as she dragged Yuni off.

                                                                              …

Emeri gaped in shock when she reached the back room.

“Mado-chan!? Why are you still trapped!? Emeri shouted.

Sure enough, Madoka was still restrained to the wheel with her eyes closed as it slowly spun.

“She’s under the effects of sleeping gas,” a woman’s voice rang out.

Emeri went pale as she recognized the voice and the woman it belonged to.

“M.M.” she trembled.

Lawrence smiled as he cozied up to M.M.

“Ah yes, you may drop the act now,” M.M. stated.

Lawrence then sadistically smiled and ripped off his disguise.

“AHAHAHAHAHA! E-me-ri-chan! Long time no see!”

Emeri fell to the floor in shock as she recognized the hairless woman before her.

“Fu- Smoo- Impossible! H- How!?”

“Oh right, only Yu-ni-chan saw me. I’m Nadea. The evolution of Fujiko. I guess I should come clean, and tell you that I faked my death and murdered someone that looked like me while disguised as Madoka,” Nadea sneered.

“Huh!? Wait!? This whole mess is because of you!?”

“Partially yes. Nadea was the one who orchestrated your ousting from Japan. However, Vanessa Bombino is the one who deserves the credit for awakening Nadea’s true potential,” M.M. stated.

“Me-lin-da-chan! Don’t praise my slave. Unless you want me to enslave you. Oh, I would love to watch you break as I shear those luscious blonde locks of yours. Heck, considering I said EXACTLY what you asked me to, don't you think you should do EXACTLY what I ask of you?” Nadea mused.

“DON’T! My intellect is a far more valuable asset to Illumous than your libido. Ah yes, I suppose I should clarify that Melinda is my first name. Now then Emeri Ginkawa, it seems you somehow overcame your depression and escaped to Venice. I know not what caused it, but I am determined to plunge you into more despair. If you wish to save Madoka, you must win the keys necessary to unlock the roulette wheel. In order to do that, you will need to win them via gambling. There are four keys you need. You are free to ask your friends for help to increase your odds of winning, however, you will have a time limit of 3 hours. Once the time is up, Madoka will die. Nadea will also be set loose on you and your friends. Now then I recommend you disperse,” Melinda coldly stated as a security guard came in and escorted the distraught Emeri out.

Emeri nervously trembled before pulling out her phone.

                                                                              …

Yuni and Serika stared as they entered their room.

“Where the hell are the suitcases!? And why’s there a giant hole in the wall!?” Serika roared.

“Our backpacks are still here oddly enough,” Yuni stated.

As Serika’s phone rang two women emerged from the closet of the room.

“Alright you two. If you wanna live, you’re gonna listen to me,” one of them said as she chewed a pocky stick in her mouth.