Chapter 327. Transformation
How many people are available right now?」
Kudou-papa asks Neko-san.
「Right…we have two teams taking a break. 『Couples』and『Carnabies』 Also, since the eighth floor control is over, we can move Jim Button, Ema’s Combination, Takeshi Hunter, Takashima Takehide, and the Middle Aged Tantric Detectives. The team『friends』of Michelle and Paul are available too…!」
Neko-san checked the situation of all members and gave a quick answer.
「Remove Takeshi Hunter He’s only good with close quarters. Are there any members of『Cups』that have fallen off?」
「Ko-chan and Dave are alive. Ma-chan and Mamoru seem to have escaped halfway」
「What about Mickey and Kenneth?」
「They’re in the rest room, I think they’d come when called」
「Then call them. Those guys are skilled so I’d be troubled if they lose their motivation immediately. Instead of Mamoeu, throw in Motchin from『Carnabies』」
「Roger」
「Those on the 8th floor go to the 7-14 route. Gather those on the 10th floor at D7」
「Viola’s main troops can’t enter from that route」
「Contact Tanizawa pops and tell him to not open only firewall D7」
「I see…then, it’ll be a shortcut」
The two make such conversation while studying the maze-like interior map.
「If you raise a fire wall badly…the four infiltrators might join Viola, but…」
Seki-san presents her advice.
True, though it’s a harsh situation, it’s highly likely that miss Cordelia would come to rescue Viola and others.
「Hey hey, if we gather ten people together, even if they’re skilled, it won’t be easy for them you know? Besides, it’s enough to open the fire wall D7 only when we’re passing through. Once we get through, just close it again. If Tanizawa pops is in the『headquarters』then he can freely control that…!」
Kudou-papa said.
「Anyway, I’ll head to the scene. I’ll leave talking with Tanizawa pops to you, Neko」
「Yes, I wonder if Tanizawa-san’s back from the restroom」
Right…
When they contacted the『headquarters』 earlier…chief Tanizawa had left his seat.
「…Should we go too?」
Margo-san makes an offer.
「We’ve got a connection with Cesario Viola. If possible, I want to beat him with my own hands…」
「Right, should we come too? Even if it’s a little power, the more the better」
Seki-san also helps Margo-san…
…But
「Hey hey, don’t go joking on me. I’d gladly borrow the foreigner lady, Seki-kun, Fujimiya-kun’s power but…those ladies over there and this boy would be coming along too right?」
Kuou-papa looks at me, Nei-san and Yukino.
「I will protect these people… !」
Michi said, but…
「Don’t underestimate the battlefield…! The other party’s a group of genuine killers. There’s no way you can bring someone with no fighting power!」
「…Father」
Kudou-papa speaks to Seki-san and Margo-san…
「Either way…it’s our work to repel them away. We’re not Kouzuki security service, free guards have their honor too. If we borrow your power then it’ll just hurt my reputation. Sorry, but please back down for now…!」
Margo-san’s not a free guard.
She’s carrying the name of the criminal organization called『Kuromori』
Seki-san and Reika are from Kouzuki security service.
If he borrows guards at the last minute…I can tell that the free guards which Kudou-papa gathered will have their honor dirtied.
It’s possible that their evaluation might be that『the free guys are useless』
「I’m the one who should say sorry. I said something selfish…」
Margo-san apologizes to Kudou-papa
「It’s fine. You’ve got a lot of troubles I don’t know. I understand the feeling that you want to take him down with your own hands. But…as you can see, the situation is in our favour, but it’s the fear of combat that might reverse things on the site. Sorry, but I can’t take outsiders. Please understand」
「…Okay」
「Watch Cesario VIola’s troops get annihilated from this room. That would be the safest」
Yeah…here, we can watch the fight of Kudou-papa and Viola
「However…if the worst happens and we get done…!」
Kudou-papa smiles
「At that time, Tanizawa-pops will officially call out his top elites. When that happens, Seki-kun, Fujimiya-kun…my best regards!」
First, Kudou-papa and the free guards head for the battle.
Since he took the trouble to call the free people, he has to trust them up to the last minute.
At this stage, if Kouzuki security service men comes out…the free people’s reputation would be crushed.
If that happens…the free guards would be refused work requests from Kouzuki security service.
It’s quite hard for a company to hire a skilled contractor.
Then…unfortunately, only in a situation where the free guards can’t control it anymore…
The top elites of Kouzuki security service would head to the rescue…
Us…『Kuromori』can never head to the battlefield…
That’s obvious.
A surface company like Kouzuki security service can’t afford to rely on an underground organization like『Kuromori』
「Well then, let’s go!」
「Father…fortunes of war!」
Michi tells her father.
「You too. Watch your father do cool things from here!」
「…Certainly」
Then…Kudou-papa jumps out of the room.
「Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s goooo!!!! DODONGAGON! My courage is at max!」
He fires out strange voices…
「Really, your father’s an amusing man」
Neko-san tells Michi
「…Father is my pride」
Michi answered.
「…If possible, I want to crush Viola in front of Nei though」
Margo-san tells Nei-san, feeling disappointed…5
「I think that’s the best way to get rid of Nei’s trauma…」
Nei-san’s parents were killed by Cesario Viola…
Her brother, Kei-san, also died before Nei-san’s eyes.
Including her imprisoned life for several years…
Viola’s made a nest in Nei-san’s heart…as a fundamental fear.
「…Maru-chan」
「But, it can’t be helped. Let’s watch from here」
Margo-san presents her hand to Nei-san
「…Yeah」
Nei-san holds that hand.
「That’s right. There’s enough people like us who will be fighting on the field. There’s no need to force you to jump into danger」
Neko-san said
「Now then…I’ve got to contact Tanizawa-san」
Neko-san picks up the phone.
「Hello, Tony-kun? Did Tanizawa-san come back?」
We listen carefully.
Since we left『headquarters』…We haven’t talked to chief Tanizawa.
I would like to hear Neko-san’s conversation to understand chief Tanizawa’s true intentions.
I know that chief Tanizawa is connected to miss Cordelia.
「Eh? He’s not back yet?」
Chief Tanizawa remains away from the headquarters…
「You see, yeah…I think you’ve been watching over the monitor, but I’m organizing the decisive battle. They’re gathering at D7 on the 10th floor, so we want you to open the fire wall for just a moment. Yes, our boss went over there」
While Neko-san is talking…Margo-san looks at the images from the cameras on each floor.
Seki-san looks at the computer monitor.
It seems she’s checking how many troops are deployed and on which floors…
「What, it’s impossible without Tanizawa-san’s permission? Then hurry up and look for Tanizawa-san. We’re in a hurry too. Norma-chan’s there, right?」
Seki-san noticed something.
「…Margo-san」
「Yeah, I noticed it too」
The two look at each other.
…Then
…Pipipipipipi!
An alarm sounds in the room.
No, it’s not just in this room.
The whole hotel makes a warning sound
「W-What…?!」
…Jijijiijji
Looking at it…the fire walls descend from the ceiling of the corridor outside the room!
It’s not just one.
The opposite corner beyond the corridor too…
The firewalls are all coming down together!
《…Sister!》
Michi shouts…and sister Edie comes running like a puppy.
She hides herself behind the door in the entrance of the room in a way Neko-san won’t notice.
She completely erased her presence.
As expected of an assassin
…Jijijijiji, gachin!
The fire walls completely went down…
…We’re trapped in here?
「It’s not only this floor…」
Margo-san checks the surveillance monitors.
The abnormality of each floor is shown on the surveillance monitors.
All floors have fire walls descending one after another.
Up until now, only specific fire walls had closed, making the hotel corridors a labyrinth.
Now…all of them are closed indiscriminately
…Jijijijijijji, gachin!
…Jijijijijijji, gachin!
…Jijijijijijji, gachin!
「Hey! Tony-kun, what are you doing! What?…the headquarters didn’t do anything?」
…Then that means
「Chief Tanizawa is remotely controlling it from somewhere…?」
…Bururururu!
The building telephone rings.
「Yes, what’s it?」
Reika picks up the handset, instead of Neko-san calling Tony-san
『What’s going on with this! We got trapped between the firewalls…!』
Kudou-papa’s shout can even be heard by us.
「…They got us」
Margo-san mutters
「All the people in the halls… the enemy teams and the free guards are all trapped individually. They got trapped completely with this」
Margo-san switches the cameras one after another…
All of the screens are trapped between walls.
Even Viola’s unit…
The free guards who are wearing flashy costumes…
「No…there’s only one unit that’s moving without being trapped」
Seki-san says as she look at the display
「Which team?」
Black?…Or the flashy one?
「It’s Cesario Viola’s main unit…furthermore, the one’s moving upwards…」
Margo-san quickly switches the camera…
…True
There’s a group of men in black combat clothes walking through the corridor.
Only the movement of this unit isn’t interupted by the fire wall…
「Then that means…Kudou-san’s expectation is wrong?」
Margo-san grunts.
「Viola himself and the executives, like Lorenzaccio Bandini, weren’t heading downwards but heading upwards?」
I asked, Margo-san…
「That’s how it is. This is quite bad. Really bad」
…Margo-san
「In this situation, Lorenzaccio Bandini didn’t issue a『withdrawal』but a further『invasion』 They’ve made some kind of deal beforehand…」
The Russian units were annihilated one after another…
There ere only a few fighters brought from from the US.
Kudou-papa thought that the unit heading upstairs was a decoy and that Viola and the others were withdrawing.
「What happened to the troops heading down?」
Margo-san flips and presses the switches.
The camera’s image appears on the monitor.
「Yeah, they’re confined as expected」
This is definite now…
The unit moving upwards is Viola’s main unit.
…Then
Chief Tanizawa’s betrayal is also assured.
「Anyway! Get Tanizawa-san and check the situation! We can’t do anything in this situation!」
Neko-san shouts at Tony-san!
「What, you guys are trapped in the headquarters too? The door’s locked from the outside?」
The『headquarters』name is a lie.
Somewhere in this hotel, there’s a room where you can freely control the house’s system
Chief Tanizawa’s in there
『You look surprised guys』
Chief Tanizawa’s voice comes from the ceiling’s speaker
Yeah, he can see the state of this room from the real control room
「Well of course…What do you intend to do, Tanizawa-san!」
Margo-san said in a loud voice.
『『Kuromori』people…you have to head to the 19th floor』
…19th floor?
『Cesario Viola will be facing you there』
Was that the plan from the start?!
『Seki-kun, Fujimiya-kun…take everyone with you』
The boss orders, Seki-san…
「…I refuse」
『You’re not following the orders of the chief, me?』
「I can’t judge whether the current chief Tanizawa is ordering me to execute a legitimate task for Kouzuki security service」
Seki-san said clearly
「In addition, the content of your orders is to take a civilian, including a minor, to a dangerous place. I don’t think that’s a business order for a legitimate organization」
『You can’t say that the people of Kuromori are civilians, you know? They’re residents of the underground society』
「No, these are normal children. That’s what I know!」
…Seki-san
「In the first place, I’m『Kakka’s』personal guard. I am not chief Tanizawa’s subordinate…!」
『Then, I’ll order my subordinate. …Fujimiya-kun, bring them in』
…Reika
「I-I am chief Tanizawa’s subordinate. However, I’ve received a direct order from『Kakka』to protect them!!」
Reika replied with dignity
『I see…then the Kuromori house has to go by themselves』
…What do you mean?
『Kuromori Minaho is on the 19th floor as well』
…Minaho-neesan?
Minaho-neesan disappeared with Jii-chan, but…why?
「Minaho’s with you? She must be safe…!」
Margo-san’s expression stiffens.
『You can check her safety with your own eyes…!』
Chief Tanizawa seems to be inviting us to the 19th floor by all means…
「We’ve got no choice but to go」
I tell everyone
「Yeah, let’s go…Maru-chan」
Nei-san also readies herself…
「It can’t be helped…」
Seki-san checks her pistol.
Reika also holds her cane of death.
Michi puts her hand on the whip under her skirt.
『You seem prepared. Then, I’ll open a route from there to the 19th floor』
…Wiiiin
Of the firewalls that just closed…one side was opened.
From the floor to a half-meter high…
The height was fixed to where you can get through if you lower your head.
「Dammit! Don’t give me that bullshit! I’m going too. It’s dangerous with only you people!」
Neko-san says so, but…
「Neko-san, please stay in here. You’ve got to contact the free guards who were trapped, right? Besides, if the firewall opens, Neko-san has to make instructions」
I said.
This is the only room where the surveillance cameras and in-line calls can be made.
Neko-san has to stay in this room.
「You’re right. Since we’ve been called…we’ll be doing it from here. Neko-san, please support the free people…okay?」
Margo-san said.
…Also
「…Yukino, stay here」
