Casino Cruise Part 3: Poker face

Melinda dealt out the cards. This was going to be the final showdown. Emeri looked at her hand, an ace of clubs, two 10s one diamond one spade, a 5 of hearts, and a 7 of spades.

No one decided to raise, so Emeri traded out the 5 and the 7. She received a queen of clubs and a jack of diamonds.

“Raise by 100,000,” one of the men playing stated.

“I second,” said the other.

“One of the women also agreed.

Emeri and the remaining woman folded. One of the men ended up winning with a full house. Melinda reshuffled the cards and took in the bets from everyone. This time, Emeri had been handed a full house of 2 3s and 3 2s. After refusing to trade in any cards, Melinda placed a key on the table.

“You will need 3,000,000 in order to win this,” she stated.

“All in!” Emeri declared.

One of the men snickered and folded.

“You think we’d foolishly waste our money when you- “

“I’ll match!” one of the women smiled.

“*Tch* I’ll match!” the other man grumbled.

“Raise!” the final woman stated.

There was now 3,000,000 chips in the pot.

Emeri turned over her cards. She had beaten the man’s 3 of a kind, and one of the woman’s flush. However, the other woman had a 4 of a kind.

“Looks like I win that nice looking trinket,” the woman snickered as she scooped up the earnings along with the key. She pocketed it as Emeri began to cry.

“Emeri Ginkawa, you were no match for me. My men may not have won, but a lucky gambler did. I doubt she is the type to hand that key over to you. Well, you still have 20 minutes left, so I’ll let you despair,” Melinda thought as Emeri ran away crying.

The woman that lost, got up and walked away.

“Let’s go another round. I still wanna clean you guys out!” the remaining woman grinned as she pulled out a pocky stick.

                                                                                 …

Emeri stared at the four keyholes and shoved all her keys in them. The giant roulette wheel appeared again, and the clear dome opened. Madoka was freed from all her shackles, however, her eyes were still closed and she was breathing heavily.

“The first three keys were for the wheel, meaning the final one must be for the antidote to this poison,” Emeri thought as a mini vault next to the key holes opened up.

The woman who had been at the poker table, examined the vile inside before injecting it into Madoka.

“Izumi thinks it’s safe. Your friends are on the yacht. Izumi will take you there,” the woman stated.

                                                                              …

Serika and Yuni smiled as Emeri climbed down onto the small boat they were on. Izumi then placed Madoka onboard before removing her wig and letting her long blue hair flow freely.

Emeri immediately ran inside the cabin and cried tears of joy upon seeing the girl resting inside.

“Eriza, I’m so glad they found you,” Emeri cried.

                                                                                 …

Back in the casino, the woman with the pocky attempted to cash in her winnings.

“You think we’d let someone rob us like this!?” Nadea sneered.

“How bout I throw in my hair too. Prepare the cash, and I’ll give it to you,” the woman offered.

“No, I think not. I believe you have cheated our establishment,” Melinda glared.

“Yare yare. Well, guess I’ll end it with a blast,” the woman with the pocky snickered as explosions went off.

Melinda and Nadea both stared in shock as the woman charged through a group of armed guards and jumped off the balcony.

“No, don’t tell me she’s Hanabi,” Melinda growled.

“Hanabi!? No. That disgrace to the family!?” Nadea growled while imitating Vanessa.

“Oh good, you’re in your Vanessa persona. Take them down. Izuhana must be eliminated for treason against Illumous,” Melinda glared.

Hanabi threw off her wig, allowing her now soaked long red hair to flow freely. She swam over to the boat and hopped in as Izumi started it up and sped away.  Melinda and Nadea angrily watched from a distance.

“Damn them! They interfered with my game! No wonder Ginkawa breezed through Bingo, one of them must have been firing tranquilizers at those 1 away from Bingo. They also had no qualms about amassing wealth through underhanded means. Damn it!” Melinda cursed.

                                                                               …

Madoka woke up as Emeri called Harumi.

“Oh good Emeri, I assume you’re calling to confirm the bounty hunters helped you escape?” Harumi asked.

“Yes, they even saved Eriza as well, though I guess she still needs some medical attention,” Emeri stated.

“What’s going on?” Madoka asked.

“Oh good you’re awake,” Yuni tearfully smiled as she hugged Madoka.

“These two rescued us. They even moved all our stuff on board and left us our backpacks,” Serika smiled.

“Hopefully we can take you straight to the mansion, but if we need to split up, at least you have your backpacks with you,” Hanabi stated.

Madoka instantly grabbed her backpack that Emeri had brought with her and began changing out of her stage outfit.

“Wow, who knew the boots would fit,” she smiled as she lounged in her default attire.

“So we’re actually going to meet near the UK?” Emeri asked.

“Yes, I’d prefer to at least be in a more open space than the Mediterranean. Plus, I’m already on the move,” Harumi stated.

“How far are you?”

“I’m- “

Suddenly the transmission cut off.

“Ugh, must be bad reception out here,” Emeri grumbled.

Her mood improved as she smiled down at Eriza.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re healed and reach the mansion.”

                                                                                   …

Harumi sighed as she hung up her phone.

“Oh, how’re things goin for Doka, Ka-san?” Tetsuka asked as she snacked on a zinc rich dango.

“They’re safe with Izuhana, and they recovered Eriza,” Harumi stated.

“Hope we can see em again soon.”

“Hopefully we will. I’d have loved to stay put a little longer, but it’s best to get to the Atlantic as fast as we can.”