July 19th, the day before the underground auction officially opened for admission.
On this day, all three of Ji Minghuan's bodies had nothing to do. His True Self tossed and turned in the darkness, picking at the food on the plate on the table whenever he felt hungry. The confinent room remained completely silent, and the Tutor showed no signs of visiting.
Gu Wenyu stayed inside his room at the Roppongi hotel, using his restraining bands to play rhythm gas from morning until night. Xia Pingzhou sat quietly in the cafe, drinking milk coffee and silently keeping Ayase Origami company as she read, while Oda Takikage prepared food for them.
When night fell, he sequentially controlled his two ga characters to get into bed. Not long after closing their eyes, they fell asleep.
Surprisingly, he was not awakened by the Tutor that night.
This ant that the mission the Salvation Society wanted them to execute had nothing to do with this Tokyo auction.
As for what the Salvation Society actually intended for them to do, Ji Minghuan had no way of knowing.
He only knew that this was a good thing; at the very least, he could temporarily focus all his attention on this auction.
The ti was 8:00 PM on July 20th. Only four hours remained until the Tokyo underground auction began.
The weather in Tokyo that day was far from clear, with gloomy cumulonimbus clouds sweeping across the sky in an overwhelming blanket. A torrential downpour cascaded from the heavens, as if trying to turn the tropolis into a water city like Venice. The accumulated water on the streets was deep enough to subrge the calves of passersby.
At this very mont, on the top floor of an abandoned building.
Host Body Two, Xia Pingzhou, walked slowly down a dilapidated and dim corridor. Reaching the end of the hallway, he turned his head to look past the doorway. A field of ruins greeted his eyes. This was supposed to be a two-story structure, but because much of the upper floor was missing, it looked like a single massive space ford by the two levels.
Ten figures were scattered across the ruins. So stood in remote corners, so sat on top of scrapped machinery, and others perched on mountains of piled junk. These figures gradually entered his line of sight.
mber No. 2, Jack the Ripper, wore her usual black-and-white Japanese school uniform today. She sat in a corner of the ruins, her eyes cast downward as she silently played with the dark red short blade in her hand.
mber No. 3, Ayase Origami, wore an ochre-red kimono. She sat at the highest point of the ruins, an expanded sheet of paper spread beneath her, quietly reading a collection of haiku.
mber No. 4, Oda Takikage, had changed into a pitch-black ninja outfit, leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed to rest.
mber No. 5, Lan Duo Duo, wore a highly punk-inspired T-shirt and jeans. She sat on top of a broken vending machine, playing on a handheld console.
mber No. 6, Andrew, maintained his Western cowboy attire. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and a faint smile graced the corners of his mouth as he looked down, wiping the pitch-black sniper rifle in his arms with a towel.
mber No. 7, Robert, wore a white shirt and still had a square chanical box over his head, the only difference being that the top of the box lacked its usual two antennas. He sat motionless in his spot, his head drooping as he napped.
mber No. 8, Hacker, was dressed in a jumpsuit. The black-haired boy sat in a corner, silently playing on his mobile phone.
mber No. 9, Blood Progenitor, still wore a bright red dress. Cupping her cheeks with both hands, Xia Pingzhou's figure reflected in her crimson eyes.
mber No. 10, White Wolf, covered his entire body with a cloak, revealing what seed to be a leather jacket and pants underneath. He raised his scarred, clouded left eye and quietly glanced at Xia Pingzhou.
mber No. 11, An Lunsi, remained in his familiar British-style suit, currently playing with a coin.
Above the silent ruins, the crisp ring of the silver coin flipping in midair was distinctly audible.
An Lunsi slapped the flipping coin onto the back of his right hand, curled the corners of his lips, and looked up at Xia Pingzhou.
"Newcor," he remarked, "you are the slowest one."
"Where is the Captain?" Xia Pingzhou scanned the area but still did not see the Captain's figure.
"Not here yet," An Lunsi replied, lifting the back of his hand and asking on his own accord, "Take a guess, heads or tails?"
"Tails," Xia Pingzhou answered imdiately.
"What a pity."
An Lunsi smiled faintly and lifted his left hand, revealing that the coin on the back of his right hand was showing heads.
Xia Pingzhou could not be bothered to entertain him further. His gaze swept the room and landed on mber No. 7, Robert, the man wearing the chanical box on his head. Since Robert was still here, it ant he had not infiltrated the auction.
This was good news for the defenders.
As long as Robert could not open a portal from inside the auction venue, the White Raven Brigade's only option to breach the auction would be a frontal assault.
If the Brigade attacked head-on, the defenders had plenty of counterasures. What they feared most was a sudden strike from within, which would divide the battlefield and their personnel, allowing them to be picked off one by one.
Blood Progenitor rested her hands on the ruined floor, tilting her swan-like neck to gaze at the torrential rain outside the window. The curtain of rain reflected in her crimson eyes. "The weather today is truly wonderful..."
Lan Duo Duo muttered as she kept her head down, absorbed in her ga. "Dreadful weather."
"Why should weather matter when killing people?" White Wolf stated.
With a cigarette in his mouth, the older cowboy, Andrew, could not help but tug down the brim of his cowboy hat. He chuckled and teased Xia Pingzhou, "Newcor, what are you doing just standing there like a fool? Your young miss is waiting for you."
Xia Pingzhou glanced at him expressionlessly, then climbed the mountain of scrap, jumped onto a section of broken wall, and sat down silently beside Ayase Origami.
"Let us play this."
Ayase Origami set down her haiku collection, and a sheet of paper flew out from her sleeve. On it was a pre-drawn Gomoku grid. A pencil was also tucked inside the paper.
Xia Pingzhou looked at the Gomoku grid on the page, unable to stop himself from sighing internally. 'There are only four hours left before the operation begins, yet these people are more relaxed than the last. You would think we were planning to find a hot spring to soak and chat in later, rather than preparing for a massacre at the auction house.'
He took Ayase Origami's pencil and drew an X in the very center square of the Gomoku grid.
anwhile, in another corner of Tokyo, not far from the Amamiya Building.
The heavy rain poured down endlessly. A Maybach drove along a heavily flooded avenue, its headlights slicing through the misty curtain of rain to illuminate the road ahead.
And just ahead, hanging upside down beneath a traffic light, was a massive, pitch-black cocoon.
The driver of the Maybach was a young man with a buzz cut, wearing sunglasses and a suit. The old man sitting in the back sat tall and straight, wearing a bright yellow kimono adorned with cornflowers, his hair slicked back.
The Maybach ca to a halt at the red light intersection.
The driver eased his foot off the brake pedal. He looked up, frowning at the sight ahead.
Staring at the bizarre object hanging beneath the traffic light, he spoke to the old man in the back seat.
"What is..."
The old man also narrowed his eyes, slightly rolling down his window to peer out at an angle.
Waterfall-like rain washed over the giant cocoon, streaming down its surface. The traffic light cast a hazy crimson glow through the rain, and the intersection was completely deserted, without a single other car in sight.
The old man was suddenly startled and imdiately ordered, "Drive!"
At that instant, the pitch-black cocoon abruptly split open. A figure entirely wrapped in restraining bands slipped out. One band snapped onto the Maybach's headlight, pulling Black Cocoon's body straight onto the roof of the car.
He slipped a restraining band through the gap in the window and pressed the window control button.
The window slowly rolled down, and the roaring wind and rain from outside battered their way in. The old man recoiled in shock, only to see a pitch-black head wearing sunglasses lean in slightly. Using a restraining band to wave at the two of them, the figure spoke in a haunting tone.
"Good evening, gentlen."
The driver whipped his head around, snatching a Nambu pocket pistol from the passenger seat, and fired several shots point-blank at Black Cocoon's head.
Bang! Bang! Bang! By the ti the muzzle flashes faded, Black Cocoon was no longer inside the window. Instead, a restraining band snaked into the car and forcefully yanked the door open. Black Cocoon slid into the seat, lazily shutting the door behind him. He even extended a finger to gently press the window switch, letting it hum as it rolled back up.
The wind and rain no longer blasted their faces, and the whole world seed to go quiet, though the backseat was already thoroughly soaked.
Black Cocoon looked at the old man, then turned to look at the driver, murmuring, "Well... this rain is really heavy, don't you think? It isn't asking too much to let
take shelter, is it?" Saying this, Black Cocoon wiped the rainwater from his face.
The driver and the old man froze simultaneously, both screaming internally, 'Why the hell did you get into the car so naturally, and why are you talking to us in such a casual tone?!'
The driver's finger tightened on the trigger, but in that very second, two restraining bands shot out from Black Cocoon's body. One bound the driver's left hand, while the other wrapped around the old man's neck.
Black Cocoon applied pressure to choke the old man, while simultaneously using the other restraining band to pry the gun from the driver's grip, letting it clatter onto the seat.
"Mr. Fujimoto, reach out your hand quickly!" the driver shouted at the old man.
The driver's supernatural ability allowed him to transport himself and any human he touched to a location fifty ters away. As long as he grabbed Mr. Fujimoto's hand, he could teleport them both out of the Maybach!
The old man shakily reached out his right hand, but just before their palms could touch, Black Cocoon suddenly wrapped a restraining band around the driver's waist, binding him tightly.
At the sa ti, he activated Ability Theft.
[Passive Skill "Restraining Band Suppression" activated: While bound by your restraining bands, the target cannot use any supernatural abilities.]
[Active Skill "Ability Theft" activated: Your restraining bands have stolen the supernatural ability of the Superhuman, "Ryukawa Yamato". It can be released within 24 hours (The stored ability will automatically disappear after "releasing the skill" or "exceeding the ti limit").]
"Go to sleep for a bit. I will attend this auction in your stead."
Black Cocoon slightly increased the force of the two restraining bands while covering the old man and the driver's noses and mouths. It was not long before the two passed out from lack of oxygen.
He used the restraining bands to dump the two onto the floorboards of the backseat, then settled into the driver's seat. Shedding his restraining bands, he put on the sunglasses the driver had dropped and steered the Maybach toward the Amamiya Building.
Simultaneously, strips of restraining bands peeled away from his cuffs.
The restraining bands slowly assembled into a humanoid figure. The pitch-black avatar ford inside the car, gradually shifting to mimic the appearance of the old man in the kimono, and then sat upright.
Humming a tune, Black Cocoon tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and pressed the gas pedal to drive the Maybach forward. anwhile, the Restraining Band Avatar took its place in the backseat and changed into the unconscious old man's kimono.
A short while later, the Maybach pulled up in front of the Amamiya Building. Black Cocoon grabbed an umbrella from the car, stepped out, and opened it to block the rain. He then opened the rear door, allowing his Restraining Band Avatar to step out, and the two walked toward the Amamiya Building together.
Black Cocoon stopped in his tracks while the Restraining Band Avatar, disguised as the old man, walked inside. The avatar submitted to an inspection by a mber of the Core Bodyguard Team stationed at the entrance, "Fuyuyama Nobunaga," who verified that no facial mask was being worn and that all physical conditions appeared completely normal.
Then, a bodyguard claiming to be a Superhuman with lie-detection abilities demanded that he explicitly state whether or not he was a mber of the White Raven Brigade.
Fortunately, since Black Cocoon was using his Restraining Band Avatar, no anomalies were detected in his response.
Consequently, the Restraining Band Avatar was swiftly allowed passage.
anwhile, Black Cocoon returned to the Maybach, stepped on the pedal, and sped away amid the roar of the engine.
After entering the Amamiya Building, the Restraining Band Avatar took the elevator to the fifth floor.
At that very mont, the Dragon-tier Esper, Sakura Bud, stood guard directly in front of the elevator. Behind her lay a set of wide-open double doors, revealing a magnificently decorated hall. The venue was lined with plush red carpets and had seating for over two hundred people. Because the auction was still a few hours away, the auction stage was concealed behind a large red curtain.
Sakura Bud glanced at the Restraining Band Avatar's face, cross-referenced it with the guest list in her hands, and said respectfully,
"Please enter, Mr. Fujimoto."
Sakura Bud did not have anyone escort him directly into the main hall; instead, she personally led him straight down the right side of the corridor.
After a brief walk, the Restraining Band Avatar saw a large door. Behind it was a rather simple lounge. Hung upon the wall of the lounge was an enormous mirror, its surface shimring with bizarre, kaleidoscopic imagery.
A sunglasses-wearing bodyguard stood with crossed arms and spoke in an even tone, "Mr. Fujimoto, the true auction house is right inside here. Good luck."
The Restraining Band Avatar hesitated for a mont before stepping forward and walking straight into the surface of the mirror.
The mont his body passed through the glass, he found himself staring at an incredibly lively auction house. The clamor and din imdiately washed over him. Guests dressed in their finest attire sat in their seats, conversing loudly, with the occasional boisterous laugh echoing through the hall.
Turning his head toward a secluded corner of the venue, he spotted the Transgressor, Blue Arc, dressed in a full combat suit. He stood with his arms crossed, silently surveying his surroundings. Kyomori, dressed in traditional Onmyoji attire, stood beside him, whispering sothing to him in a low voice.
One of the Core Bodyguard Team mbers, Haihara Ritsu, was currently stationed right at the entrance of the Mirror World auction house.
Seeing the Restraining Band Avatar enter, Haihara Ritsu brought over a group of ard bodyguards to perform a final inspection. Confirming that everything was in order, Haihara Ritsu smiled and nodded at him, then waved over a woman in a cheongsam standing nearby.
Very soon, the tall woman with her hair tied in twin buns approached. She gave a slight nod and spoke to the Restraining Band Avatar in a sweet, respectful voice.
"Mr. Fujimoto, this way please."
The Restraining Band Avatar followed her and eventually took a seat in the third row, seat number five. He pulled up the sleeves of his kimono, crossed his arms, and slowly closed his eyes, pretending to rest in the hopes that no one would try to strike up a conversation.
At the sa ti, on a street in Tokyo.
Black Cocoon hit the brakes, bringing the Maybach to a halt amidst the heavy rain. Pulling off his sunglasses, he glanced down at his mobile phone.
[Blue Arc: Where are you?]
[Black Cocoon: My avatar is already inside the auction venue.]
[Blue Arc: In the Mirror World, only Kyomori, Haihara Ritsu, and I are standing guard. Because of my speed, I can be the first to rush over as reinforcent if sothing goes wrong in the Real World. What are you doing in the Mirror World? Didn't I tell you to watch over my sister?]
[Black Cocoon: Stay calm, Mr. Blue Arc. The people from the White Raven Brigade won't make their move until the auction officially begins. Before I go keep an eye on your sister, I plan to figure out exactly who the "mysterious guest" in the auction house is.]
[Blue Arc: Forget it, just make it fast. Get it done before the auction starts.]
Black Cocoon leaned back against the car seat and closed his eyes, propping his legs up on the dashboard right below the windshield. He then controlled his Restraining Band Avatar, opening his eyes once more inside the Mirror World auction house.
The Restraining Band Avatar raised his head and scanned the surroundings. Not long after, he spotted two figures stepping out of the giant mirror on the wall at the entrance to the Mirror World, submitting to Haihara Ritsu's inspection.
These two were old acquaintances of Black Cocoon.
One of them was Li Qingping. Today, he wore a black suit and had let down the small, perked ponytail he usually wore, letting his dium-length hair drape behind his head. His handso face bore a cold expression, and he stood perfectly straight. Every word and action made him seem like a completely different person from the normally laid-back and laughing Li Qingping.
The other person was the Second Prince of the Whalegarden, the sa man he had seen at the cafe the other day. The Second Prince dressed rather low-key today, wearing a plaid shirt and a bowler hat.
However, his gold-like radiant hair and ocean-blue eyes still made him quite striking.
The Second Prince leaned close to Li Qingping's ear and whispered sothing to him. Then, the cheongsam-wearing woman greeted them and led the two to their designated seats.
Controlling the Restraining Band Avatar to turn its head, his gaze swept over the various infamous Yakuza Family figures sitting in the audience as Black Cocoon pondered inwardly.
'So... Li Qingping has already arrived. Where is the second "mysterious guest" at the auction hiding, then?'
Thus, he switched back to his True Self, sitting inside the Maybach, and sent a text ssage to Ke Qirui.
[Black Cocoon: Oh, Miss Ke, could you give
a hint about what that mysterious guest you ntioned before—the one who "could slaughter half the Brigade alone"—looks like exactly?]
[Ke Qirui: Speaking from the perspective of a collaborator, I advise you not to investigate him. It's too easy to bring disaster upon yourself.]
[Black Cocoon: The more you say that, the more my interest grows. I hope he can give
a pleasant surprise.]
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