Tachimi Naota

Wanting to keep things fresh, Russell added a new act to his circus, a somewhat narcissistic magician called Max Galactica. This worked fantastically and his circus was given a new lease of life, but Galactica generated some resentment from the other performers due to his egotistical attitude. Galactica also fell in love with Regina, setting off a rivalry with one of the other circus employees, Benjamin Woodman (or, rather, his puppet, "Trilo Quist"). Galactica was able to negotiate a considerable raise with Russell six months after the Léon incident.

A week after the pay raise, an anonymous threatening letter, given to the innocent Regina by Acro in secret, appeared on the bulletin board, calling out the "killer" from six months ago. Fearful, Russell decided to meet the sender in Regina's stead. That night, he talked with Galactica about an incident at breakfast in which the magician had hit Woodman over the head with a bottle. Galactica took this opportunity to discuss with Russell his proposal to marry Regina. Russell then interrupted the meeting to go out and meet the threat to his daughter at a time appointed by the letter.

Russell put on Galactica's costume and stepped out, being witnessed by Woodman and "Trilo" along the way. When he arrived, a wooden box containing only a container of pepper was lying in the snow. He stooped to pick it up, and Acro, not knowing that it was the ringmaster below his window, dropped a bust of Max Galactica out of it, bashing Russell on the head and killing him instantly.