Chapter 184: Hidden Card
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Hidden Card
We finally arrived at the Kyoto Continental Hotel.
It was a place we should have reached in ten minutes, but it felt like it took almost an hour.
That was because we drew a ton of attention everywhere we went.
"Let's park here and walk."
The Vice President glided into the public park across from the hotel and turned the handlebars toward the bicycle rack.
Clank!
After securely locking up the bicycle, the Vice President straightened his clothes.
My own attire was disheveled from pedaling, so I did the same, tidying up my appearance.
Once I had even returned my necktie to its proper position, the Vice President spoke with a resolute expression.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes."
We left the park and headed for the crosswalk right in front of us.
"By the way, what's the plan, Vice President? An engagement ceremony for two chaebol families is bound to have a massive security detail."
"I figured as much, so I planned an infiltration route in advance."
"An infiltration route?"
"The young lady's engagement ceremony is being held in the grand ballroom on the 20th floor of the hotel."
As he spoke, the Vice President took out his smartphone and showed me a floor plan of the hotel's interior.
"I have an invitation, so we can get through the entrance, but only relatives of the two families are allowed inside the ceremony hall itself. As an outsider, you can't get in."
"Then what do we do?"
"First, we take the guest elevator to the 21st floor. There's a service elevator there used only by hotel staff. If we take that, we can get into the staff room behind the grand ballroom. You'll wait in the staff room, and when I give the signal, you'll charge into the ballroom and secure the young lady."
I nodded meekly at the plan he laid out, but then something occurred to me.
"But, is it okay to go in looking like this? I feel like my identity will be exposed immediately."
"That's why I've prepared something."
"There's more?"
The Vice President opened the briefcase he had shown me earlier.
It was the case that had originally held the watch, ring, and sunglasses.
Click!
But when he lifted the bottom panel, a black cloth outfit was revealed.
It seemed to have a false bottom.
"A ninja's stealth suit and mask. With this, Kim Yoo-Sung, you can sufficiently hide your identity."
"..."
I really thought he was going to give me something high-tech this time, but to bring up ninjas again, even here...
"Take it."
Since he was offering, I couldn't exactly refuse, so I took the briefcase from him with my right hand.
It was heavier than I expected, and when I asked what it was made of, he said the briefcase itself was also made of bulletproof material.
So, after the stab-proof suit, I'd acquired another piece of useful defensive gear.
"Let's go."
Just then, the crosswalk signal turned green. With all our preparations complete, we headed toward the decisive location.
*
Befitting its five-star name, the Kyoto Continental Hotel looked even larger as we got closer.
"How many floors does this building have in total?"
"Thirty. They originally planned to build it higher, but they were denied a permit because it would ruin the city's skyline. And the construction company for this hotel was none other than Fujiwara Heavy Industries."
The cylindrical building soared high into the air as if it didn't know its limits.
In terms of height, it was almost on par with the Kyoto Tower.
"This way."
The Vice President guided me with practiced ease, as if he had visited many times before.
The hotel parking lot we passed on the way was already full.
All sorts of supercars and luxury vehicles I had only seen in movies were lined up in rows.
'If I accidentally break one of those, I'll be working like a slave for the rest of my life.'
With that commoner-like thought, I headed for the hotel entrance where the first-floor front desk was.
"Who are you with?"
"We are from the Saionji family."
The Vice President replied to the security guard's question and showed him something.
The guard immediately said, "My apologies," and cleared the way.
I had kept my mouth shut and stood quietly behind the Vice President, and now I trailed after him.
After we had walked a little further, the Vice President said:
"You can talk now."
"Phew—"
I let out the breath I had been holding and asked him.
"What did you just show him?"
"Our family's employee ID. You have one too, so take it."
The Vice President took a plastic card from his pocket and handed it to me.
It had a strap attached so it could be worn around the neck like a necklace.
"It looks just like a driver's license."
The card had a photo ID, name, and affiliation printed on it.
"I had it issued temporarily under my authority, so I couldn't make two. Be careful not to lose it."
"Yes."
I hung the employee ID around my neck and looked around.
"But won't the security guards be suspicious of me? To be honest, this is my first time doing something like this, so I'm nervous."
The Vice President looked at me as if he'd heard something absurd.
"Just act like you normally do. As long as you keep that flippant mouth of yours shut, no one will suspect a thing."
Was he saying the suit looked that good on me?
I gave a slight nod at the Vice President's compliment and decided to keep my mouth zipped for the day.
We passed the front desk on the first floor and headed for the elevators, which were crowded with people waiting for their turn.
We naturally got in line behind the long queue.
I figured looking around too much might seem suspicious, so I was staring straight ahead, waiting for our turn.
"Kim-kun!"
"Huh?"
Hearing a completely unexpected voice, I let out a dazed sound without thinking.
When I turned my head, Hattori, a person who shouldn't be here, was standing right in front of me.
"Hattori, what are you doing here?"
Dressed in a black party dress, Hattori put her hands behind her back and said:
"My dad is the head of security for today's event."
"Dad?"
As I unconsciously muttered the question, the Vice President next to me asked with a startled expression.
"Wait, did you say Hattori?"
"What's wrong all of a sudden, Vice President?"
"You idiot! ThatHattori! It's the surname of Hattori Hanzo, one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of ninjas!"
Hearing that, I looked at Hattori in front of me.
She spoke with a faint smile on her lips.
"He's right. My father is the 13th Hattori Hanzo. I was originally on a surveillance mission when I transferred to Ichijo Academy in Tokyo. To monitor Kim Yoo-Sung, the one said to have recently inherited all the secret arts of the Fuma clan, the 18th 'Fuma Kotaro'."
"What?"
I'm the 18th Fuma Kotaro?
It seemed like there was some strange misunderstanding, but I didn't have time to explain.
This wasn't the situation for it, either.
"Honestly, I never thought you'd participate in such a bold plan. If I hadn't secretly overheard your conversation with the Vice President, I wouldn't be here right now."
"...You overheard?"
"Oh my, you still haven't noticed? I planted a listening device on you when we bumped into each other last night."
Only then did I realize that bumping into Hattori in the hallway hadn't been a coincidence.
Everything had been planned.
"It's checkmate, Kim-kun. Please allow yourself to be captured quietly."
As Hattori said that and snapped her fingers, security guards in black suits appeared from all directions.
Every single one of them looked incredibly strong.
I asked the Vice President next to me.
"What do we do now?"
The Vice President let out a deep sigh and said:
"What do you mean, 'what now'? A frontal assault is our only option."
"...I guess that's all we can do, right?"
We untied our neckties at the same time.
"Get them!"
*
Trill-trill-trill-trill-trill!
Click!
"It's me."
[Chief, this is Code Beta. Requesting permission to lower the hotel's internal security partitions to repel the intruders.]
"Code Beta? How many intruders?"
[Just two.]
"Two?"
[They're men in suits. According to Miss Ayame's testimony, one is a high school student said to have recently inherited the Fuma clan's secret arts, and the other is apparently Saionji Kumiko's closest aide.]
"...Understood. However, I cannot authorize lowering the partitions. We cannot show our esteemed guests such an unsightly scene."
[But about 20% of the security team has already been wiped out. We can't stop those two with just a bunch of nobodies!]
"Then I'll go myself—"
"No, I'll go."
Hattori Hanzo looked at Koga Izumo, who had suddenly interjected into the conversation with his subordinate.
"You?"
"One of the two people you just mentioned is my student. As a teacher, I have a duty to guide my student onto the right path."
"...Do as you please."
With permission granted by Hattori Hanzo, the head of security, Koga Izumo said, "Thank you," and rose from the sofa where she was sitting.
"I'll bring back good news."
"As long as the young master's engagement ceremony is not affected, that's all that matters to me."
In the past, the two, who along with Fuma Kotaro were known in the underworld as the Three Uniques, briefly met each other's eyes before parting ways.
Hattori Hanzo spoke to his subordinate over the receiver.
"Koga Izumo is heading down as reinforcements. She'll be there soon, so just hold on for a bit."
[Yes, sir!]
Putting down the phone, Hattori Hanzo looked out the window and muttered.
"It's been ten years since you disappeared. How long do you intend to interfere with me, Fuma Kotaro?"
*
"Over there! They just went that way!"
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Hearing the sound of security guards rushing past the desk we were hiding behind, I asked the Vice President.
"How many more floors do we have to go up?"
The Vice President, who was completely out of breath, caught his breath for a moment, looked at his phone screen, and answered.
"Nine more floors."
"So we're only halfway there."
"We only have halfway left."
"I'm sorry, but no matter how positively you phrase it, I can't really relate in this situation."
Contrary to the Vice President's original plan, our identities were exposed on the first floor, leaving us with no choice but to fight our way through the security guards.
No matter how cheat-level strong I was, there's only so much you can do against overwhelming numbers.
What's more, I couldn't just go on a massacre, so holding back my strength made it even harder.
Worn down little by little, we were now cornered.
'I still have the Ghost Pill that Fuma-senpai gave me, though.'
This was, quite literally, my trump card.
A last resort for the very end.
Since the pill's effect only lasted for five minutes, I had to use it carefully.
Finally, after a moment of silence, the Vice President spoke.
"I'm sorry. It was my miscalculation. I thought you alone would be enough to handle the combat, but I never imagined they would deploy this many personnel for security."
"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I didn't even know I was being bugged."
"No, even if the original plan had succeeded, if this many troops were waiting inside, we would never have been able to escape. We should have recruited at least one more fighter on our level."
"Don't blame yourself too much. There's no way we could have found someone like that on such short notice..."
At that moment, someone flashed into my mind.
"Wait, just a second."
I hurriedly took out my phone and scrolled through my contacts.
And I made the call.
Click!
[Hello?]
"Where are you right now?"
[Me? I'm on a date with Maiya.]
I squeezed my eyes shut and pleaded.
"Ryuji, I'm sorry to ask, but I need your help."