What the Hell!
“What the hell is this!”
Yohane, disguised as a guest and hiding in an empty room, was venting his frustration. He had no idea what had neutralized the poison. Not only had Gagamel's specially prepared toxin failed, but even the venom he'd secreted using his transformation ability showed no effect. There was no way to explain it unless some magic or other power was at work on this island.
Yohane began to suspect that this mission exceeded his capabilities. Of course, even if that were true, it changed nothing—he still had to complete it. He had no intention of giving up. It was just that the thought of a blemish on his flawless career, built without a single failure, was making him anxious.
Even though this wasn't a hit job, for an assassin at the pinnacle like Yohane, failing twice in a row was something his pride couldn't tolerate.
He tried summoning Gagamel nearby to take out his anger, but for some reason, there was no response.
“What now...”
Weapons dealers like Gagamel drew grudges even more easily than assassins, so it wasn't uncommon for him to go dark. But the timing couldn't be worse.
All Yohane had on hand were tools designed to kill. Since he needed non-lethal weapons for this job, Gagamel's help was essential. For an assassin like him, who always went for the kill, a mission where he absolutely couldn't was proving tricky.
If he threw caution to the wind and charged in bare-handed, he could probably beat the target and bystanders just enough to terrify them without killing. But that surely wasn't what the client wanted.
No matter his transformation abilities, wading into a group of non-combat bankers shielding the target and pummeling them directly wasn't smart. The assassinations Yohane had learned were far more intellectual, urbane, and refined.
He didn't want to abandon his methods. But giving up the mission was even less appealing.
*Ziiing!*
Ignoring the alternating messages from his two clients, Yohane sank into thought. If he had to abandon one, completing the mission took priority. The choice was clear from the start if setting aside a top assassin's aesthetics would protect his career.
“I didn't want to stoop to this.”
Yohane clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly. It had been ages since he'd struck someone bare-handed, and he worried about misjudging his strength.
“Can't tarnish Master's reputation.”
This job had come directly from “that man.” Backing down wasn't an option.
“So that's how it is. Good luck. We'll talk after you finish.”
Nesmento, the board member, nodded at the report from his old subordinate.
His plan for Bishuti to save Kim Jian from mortal danger and repay the debt to President Okerus Dis Pater wasn't going as smoothly as hoped. According to Bishuti, there had been two assassination attempts today, both thwarted by factors unrelated to his intervention.
“This is getting complicated. Who'd have thought he had his own defenses...”
Nesmento knew full well that Vainaus and Leonibr would stop at nothing, even dangerous tactics, to drive a wedge between their youngest heirs. Knowing that, he'd feigned kindness and nudged Adijen and Minoli toward a loan at the Dimensional Credit Vault's Kikiwai Multidimensional Branch.
But if Kim Jian never faced a real crisis and the loan went through smoothly? The newlyweds would leave Dimension 6-2 unscathed and build a life elsewhere—no issue there. But dodging the president's collection authority would become impossible.
The agenda coming before the board was rehabilitating and rebuilding “that company,” long buried in the dust. If guE was forced to vote yes under the president's authority, their dark past would surface. It was guD's long-cherished goal.
The president would push it through the board at all costs. Letting it succeed would expose the shady deals by former guE executives.
Nesmento himself hadn't been directly involved. He'd been outraged enough to purge the implicated guE bankers. But that didn't erase responsibility.
If the old scandal broke, the president and board might seize the chance to devour guE. No matter the integration policy, she wasn't foolish enough to ignore a rival's weakness.
Whatever she knew about those deals, it could further erode guE's influence. Unless Kim Jian faced an insurmountable crisis on his own, Bishuti couldn't become his lifesaver.
“I hope it doesn't come to me stepping in personally.”
All Nesmento could do was pray his gamble paid off.
After dinner, the bankers returned to their rooms and began guarding Adijen's suite as planned. The security team, who handled facility and VIP protection during vacation season at the resort, had been mobilized on HQ orders and positioned under Bishuti's command.
“Hey, doesn't this spot feel a bit exposed?”
Bishuti wasn't the only one pushing for airtight defenses against potential hits. Kim Jian, using Colossus's analysis, spotted a gap in Bishuti's deployment and pointed it out precisely.
“Every position is calculated. Do you trust some AI more than me, with my war experience?”
“That's not—”
“Enough, Kim Jian. I get the enthusiasm, but remember you have your own job.”
Kim Jian started to argue, but Elama shut it down. To Elama, Bishuti was talent he'd handpicked himself. Beyond banking prowess, he was a veteran in VIP protection, assassinations, and military ops. Security was Bishuti's domain, full stop.
“...Understood.”
Surprisingly, Kim Jian returned to his seat and began processing the couple's loan.
From what Elama gathered, their potential via Kim Jian's Job Authority was exceptionally high. The substantial sum for starting a new life away from their families was no issue—they had the repayment capacity. HQ's goddess division trusted his authority, so approval was certain.
It made sense. As the youngest of Vainaus and Leonibr—prestige confectionery dynasties—they'd learned secret recipes and imperial management from childhood. Launching a new venture wouldn't be hard.
Unlike the known arrogance of their families, these two seemed gentle and humble. If they stayed together as a couple, it could shift the rivalry-driven branding toward win-win. Yet an assassin was trying to kill them to prevent it.
Kim Jian had no desire to meddle in family drama, but with a rocket hitting the bank, the Dimensional Credit Vault had no choice but to confront the unknown enemy.
Now, they had to protect the clients and process the loan with maximum effort. Once approved, evacuate them to a safe dimension, then capture the assassin and make the presumed clients pay.
“What a headache. Is this a bank or a detective agency? Tsk...”
Elama realized that since taking the multidimensional branch, his migraines were nonstop. With nightmare loans HQ had never seen pouring in, this posting felt less like a springboard and more like his grave.
Maybe guC or guE had pushed troublesome clients here on purpose. The thought crossed his mind.
Honestly, with a wife and kid, getting dragged into assassination attempts wasn't fun. Once resolved, he'd shake down the president and board for proper compensation, Elama vowed. No reason to risk this without payoff.
The problem? He had no clue what was coming tonight.
4 a.m. Targeting the dead-of-night hour, Yohane headed for the targets' lodging.
He'd morphed his eyes to scout the guards' patrols from afar. Precisely one gap for infiltration.
“Such a pain. Bare hands feel off.”
Yohane muttered, adjusting his steel-plated leather gloves.
The plan was simple: evade escorts, grab a few bankers, drag them to the targets' room, torture. Threaten to kill them all if they screamed; beat the guards half-dead if they didn't get it.
No matter how lovey-dovey the couple, they couldn't endure watching allies—lifesaving bankers—turned to pulp.
How much they loved each other didn't matter. The goal: split them, send each back to their family. That sealed the job.
“Going in.”
Yohane transformed his legs into werewolf limbs.
*Tatat!*
The assassin raced through the resort's shadows, silent beyond human hearing. No tools needed—his morphed eyes perfectly night-adapted, mapping the path to the targets.
Dodging a right-side guard, he leaped to the roof. Mid-air, he twisted to fool alarms, then morphed limbs to cling to the wall.
Near his nose, he formed snake pit organs. As expected, one banker slept inside. They stood rotating watches, but sleeping soundly against a pro? Laughable.
“Your fault for bringing this on yourselves. I didn't want to get rough.”
Palms shifted to clawed suckers, he carved a circle in the window, unlocked it silently.
The window opened without a sound. The snake-formed assassin slithered in—and the instant he did.
*Kwaduk!*
A dagger plunged into Yohane's body from someone whose body heat even the pit organs missed.
“Got you.”
From the dark emerged a horned white reaper. Bishuti of the Unburning Temple's yellow eyes fixed on the assassin.