"Damn, he’s really going at it, huh?"
Several screens were projected on the ceiling of a fancy hotel room, each showing a different angle of the battle taking place on the thirty-eighth floor.
Dante could barely keep his eyes open as he stared at them. Technically speaking, since the projections came from his OAM, he could still watch them even with his eyes closed. He actively chose not to do that, however, since keeping his eyes closed for more than three seconds would undoubtedly knock him unconscious.
[It seems this transformation grants a much greater boost to all physical attributes than I previously deduced.] Volcan said. [It makes sense.]
[Yes. I couldn’t tell before, but now I’m more than 70% sure he’s a Lunthari.]
"Only 70%?" Dante asked while yawning. "Why not a 100?"
[Because his original form is that of a human, not a therian.]
Yawning, Dante stretched his limbs, desperately trying to regain some vitality. Unfortunately, his aching body got in the way.
Taking a nap in such conditions wasn’t a very good idea. It was well known that getting a few minutes of sleep while exhausted only made things worse. Dante had planned to rest for at least an hour, but when Volcan came to him with a warning about the elevators being active again, it became clear that going back to sleep was not an option.
The Romanos seemed to have found a way to cut the elevator’s connection to the hotel’s network, allowing them to remove the alloy gates and insert a manual control of some kind. It was a possibility Dante had considered, but what he didn’t expect was for the wealthy cast attending the wedding to be the ones who would do it.
From the looks of it, the infamous crime family had people skilled in various aspects at every level of their organization. The Stahlwölfes themselves didn’t do much, but their bodyguards proved to be a great help.
Strangely enough, the NVPD and BEO coalition failed to come up with the same solution. After some thinking, Dante concluded that being on the thirty-eighth floor was the only way to pull it off. Not that it mattered anymore.
The Romanos must have underestimated the invading force, which is why they only sent a few individuals to deal with them. Dante had underestimated the heroes as well. To his surprise, they were successful in defeating several of the Romano executioners.
With the obstacle removed and a path forward created, it wouldn’t take long for the heroes to reach the white mansion.
"I guess it’s time to move..."
Getting up, he opened a messenger app. Not the one installed on his NIM, but a clone app he got from a certain brat to make his job easier.
Finn: The heroes have reached the thirty-eighth floor.
Though she was expecting a message, Rose was still a little surprised when it appeared on her OAM. She forced her expression to remain unchanging, and instead of glancing at her crewmates, she began composing a message of her own.
[Rose: Tell me again, how are we supposed to do this?
Victor: Wait for the signal.
Mr. Pike: It seems things have accelerated quite a bit.
Kirk: We still don’t have a way to deal with the invisible guards.
Victor: Their priority will be dealing with the heroes and protecting their employer, so we shouldn’t worry too much about them. Still, you have to exercise caution.
Rose: No need to remind us.
Currently, they were in the banquet hall of the white mansion. Though she accompanied Mr. Pike in his attempts to socialize, they had long since retreated to the periphery of the gathering, making sure one of the exits was nearby. Kirk was nearby as well, and the three of them had been trying to erase their presence, waiting for the right moment to make their move. There was one problem, however.
Soon after the NVPD raid was announced, things changed in the white mansion, the first among them being an impromptu lockdown on the banquet hall, trapping all the guests in one place. Guests from the Romano side were the first to enforce it, and since the host of the reception decided to play along, it became clear that the infamous crime family wasn’t just pushing their weight around.
There were those who confronted the host, complaining about his decisions, but then word spread about a certain man who tried to leave and was shot in the sky. Ever since, the guests seemed to swallow the host’s excuse that it’s all for their safety, and no one had tried to leave since.
The heist crew had accounted for such development and planned accordingly. The only problem was the timing. They had to choose the right moment to make their move, otherwise they risked being noticed.
As she studied the hall for the umpteenth time, Rose noticed the subtle change spreading among the Romanos scattered around it. There was an unmistakable tension in their eyes, which signaled the fast-approaching defeat those who had previously left were facing at the moment.
Leaving the youngest among them to decide the timing didn’t feel right, but it was a little too late to worry about it. Getting up from her chair, Rose put down her cup and pretended to discuss the matter with her supposed fiancé. She then made her way toward the nearest exit, carrying a small bag in her hands.
The guards noticed her approaching and pulled their brows together in an instant, their expressions hardening.
"Stop." One of them said. "You have heard the instructions. No one is allowed to leave."
"I’m afraid I had a little too much to drink." Said Rose, her purple lips arching into a troubled smile. "Do I have to spell it out to you?"
"I’m afraid we can’t let you, ma’am." The same guard replied, shaking his head. "Please do not cause a-"
The words got caught in his throat and he remained frozen for a couple of seconds. Reaching up, he tapped his earpiece and stammered a few words before freezing again.
"Yes, understood." Pressing his lips into a thin line, the guard gave Rose a complicated look. "I did not know you were a special guest invited by Mr. Stahlwölfe himself. Please accept my apology."
"You were only doing your job," Rose said, smiling wryly.
The door was opened for her, and she walked out with unhurried steps. Her mind was occupied with the question of who had helped her. Just before the door closed, she glanced behind her and caught sight of Shirogane Ushida, leader of the Stahlkorps and the head of security in the white mansion.
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