บท 40: Chapter 59&60
Chapter 59: Ongoing Infiltration
At the same time, in an alley not far from the library.
After receiving the go-ahead from Koyo Ozaki, Tokisaki Kurumi hung up the phone and threw her mobile phone into the shadows. She looked at the car parked outside the library, and her mood brightened.
Koyo Ozaki hadn't lied. After their conversation, she accelerated the plan to lure Sakaguchi Ango out.
Now, Sakaguchi Ango had indeed appeared in a public place. It was Tokisaki Kurumi's turn to act.
She couldn't afford to miss this opportunity to join the Special Intelligence Division.
"Come out, my clone."
Tokisaki Kurumi stamped her foot, but the shadow behind her lazily wiggled a few times, yet nothing appeared.
"Stop wasting time. If you don't act soon, Sakaguchi Ango will leave," she urged.
Seeing her clone, which was supposed to help with the Special Intelligence Division's infiltration task, not coming out, Tokisaki Kurumi had no choice but to roll up her sleeves and reach into the shadow to pull it out.
Soon, an ordinary clone emerged, standing before her.
"What's going on? Why is that person still not out?" Tokisaki Kurumi asked impatiently. "If Sakaguchi Ango leaves, this opportunity will be wasted."
"She says she's still a little nervous," the clone answered helplessly. "We're comforting her right now, but it'll take a little more time."
"Bandage Three should just get it over with. What's with this nervousness?" Tokisaki Kurumi remarked with a sigh. "Our hearts aren't that fragile. You and the others hurry up and drag her out."
"Yes, yes."
After speaking, the clone retreated back into the shadow.
A moment later, there was another disturbance in the shadow. Several regular clones appeared, carrying a special clone and throwing her at Tokisaki Kurumi's feet.
This clone didn't look like the others—she appeared younger, with a completely different outfit. Unlike Tokisaki Kurumi's usual red and black dress, this clone wore a black-and-white Gothic-style outfit, with a golden clock covering her left eye and a rose-adorned headband. Her black hair cascaded down her back.
The clone before Tokisaki Kurumi was one of the "Four Kings of Clones"—and the one with the most appearances in the original series.
Eye Patch Three.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
Eye Patch Three rubbed her backside as she stood up, muttering, "Was that really necessary? I just needed a few minutes to prepare. After all, joining the Special Intelligence Division is a pretty important task."
"You've been summoned for two whole days and you're still not ready?" Tokisaki Kurumi rolled her eyes. "Embarrassing. Get back in the field right now!"
"Really?"
"Of course not! I've spent half a year of Yokohama's average life expectancy summoning you! If you don't do your job properly, what's all that time for?"
About a week ago, Tokisaki Kurumi had used up all her accumulated time while summoning Bandage Three, leaving her with no time to summon more clones. During this period, while telling Mori Ōgai that she was investigating any possible traitorous clones, she had been going around various residential areas collecting time. Once she had accumulated enough, she summoned Eye Patch Three.
This time, she had spent significantly more time summoning this clone, and as a result, she now had nearly five hundred clones at her disposal.
"Look on the bright side. At least I'm luckier than Bandage Three. I don't have to play the role of someone suffering from extreme middle-school syndrome."
With a sigh, Eye Patch Three closed her eyes, slapped her face, and adjusted her mood. When she opened her eyes again, her entire demeanor had transformed.
She murmured to herself, "Next, it's time for my performance."
---
Sakaguchi Ango stepped out of the library.
After confirming the initial reliability of the intelligence, there was no reason for him to remain in the library. Although he didn't think anyone would peek at his files, he was cautious enough not to continue browsing them in such a public place. He decided to take the information back and conduct a more detailed investigation with others.
With this in mind, he quickly walked towards his car.
He opened the car door and sat down in the driver's seat.
Just as Sakaguchi Ango was about to start the engine, a woman's unfamiliar voice suddenly came from the back seat, which was supposed to be empty.
"Sakaguchi-san, it's not easy to meet you."
His pupils instantly contracted, and he instinctively reached for the handgun hidden beneath his seat, prepared for any emergency.
However, the cold sensation at the back of his head made him stop.
"Please don't make unnecessary resistance. I'd be troubled if I accidentally killed you."
Sakaguchi Ango took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He slowly raised his hands and placed them on the steering wheel to show he wouldn't make any sudden moves.
He had let his guard down.
Because he was eager to take the intelligence and return to his research, he had reduced his vigilance. The car's special tinted windows made it impossible for him to see inside, which meant he didn't notice anyone had already been waiting in the back seat.
However, he couldn't entirely blame himself. After all, who would expect someone to sneak into a locked car without being noticed?
Not to mention, this was a government-modified vehicle, and even a petty thief wouldn't be able to unlock it in one night.
Sakaguchi Ango subtly checked the rearview mirror, but he could only see a pale hand holding a flintlock pistol pointed at the back of his head. The rearview mirror had been intentionally adjusted so that he couldn't see the person's face.
It seemed that the person wasn't an amateur thief but someone who was fully prepared.
"From your attitude and actions, it seems you don't intend to kill me and cause chaos in Yokohama," Sakaguchi Ango analyzed calmly. "This is indeed a trap to lure me out. You must be connected to the Port Mafia, otherwise, they wouldn't have set this up for you."
"Yes, I have some connections to the Port Mafia," the woman replied. "But that's not important. What matters is you."
"Threatening government officials will get you imprisoned, Miss."
"If I ever face trial, it certainly won't be for simply threatening a government official," the woman said casually. "Now, let's get to the point, Sakaguchi-san."
"The point? Whatever it is, I won't agree to any conditions. Give up," Sakaguchi Ango said steadily. "Protecting Yokohama's peace is my duty, and I would gladly give my life for it."
"No need to show such early loyalty. Assuming the other party's stance before they've even stated their intentions is not the thinking of a wise person," she said.
"Why else would you come to find me if you weren't trying to stir up trouble in Yokohama?"
"Because the head of the Special Intelligence Division has something that only you can help me with."
The woman's voice paused for a moment before she said something that left Sakaguchi Ango stunned.
"Let me join the Special Intelligence Division."
Chapter 60: The Deal with the Ability Special Intelligence Division (First Update)
She wants to... join the Ability Special Intelligence Division?
Though it was a simple, straightforward statement, Sakaguchi Ango felt as if he had heard a contradiction, unable to immediately grasp the meaning behind the young woman's words.
He had anticipated many possible demands from her, such as releasing a prisoner from jail, providing a classified government document, or using his position to open certain doors.
As a middle ranking leader in the government's official ability-based organization, Sakaguchi Ango was well aware of how attractive his position could be to some less-than-lawful individuals.
So, he had mentally prepared himself for any kind of threat, intending to refuse firmly if such a situation arose.
But he never would have imagined that the reason he was being threatened was because a criminal wanted to turn their life around...
It took him a few moments to process the girl's request, and the expression on his face, once prepared to face imminent death for the sake of his duty, became slightly more complex.
"You mean... you want to work for the government?"
"To be more precise, the Ability Special Intelligence Division."
"Of course, anyone with the right abilities is welcome to join the Ability Special Intelligence Division," Sakaguchi Ango replied without haste. "All you need to do is submit your application to the government, undergo three months of background checks, a year of probation, and pass a rigorous assessment with excellent results. After that, you'll spend six to seven years building your resume before you can officially become a member."
"Unfortunately, I don't have that much time. That's why I'm here, asking you to open a back door for me."
"I'm sorry, but that is the only way to join the Ability Special Intelligence Division. Even I started from the very bottom. No one is exempt from the process."
"As the head of the Yokohama branch, adding one more person to the list of members should be no trouble for you, right?"
"That may be true. With my authority, adjusting personnel is a simple task," Sakaguchi Ango countered. "But the best way for someone with a clean background to join the Ability Special Intelligence Division is through the proper channels. If you refuse to go through this process, it can only mean one thing: your background is not so clean. If that's the case, why should I risk allowing a potentially dangerous person to infiltrate the organization? Why should I let someone who refuses to be scrutinized by the government join?"
"Because your life is in my hands?"
"If I were afraid of dying, I'd have taken a comfortable office job in another government department instead of cleaning up after abilities in a place like Yokohama," Sakaguchi Ango retorted.
In the back seat of the car, the girl dressed in Gothic attire showed a hint of helplessness.
The girl who had infiltrated Sakaguchi Ango's car and was now threatening him was none other than Eye Patch Three.
Joining the Ability Special Intelligence Division was her mission, and the method of doing so had been discussed with hundreds of Tokisaki Kurumi's clones beforehand.
The plan was simple: use Tokisaki Kurumi's information as bait, set up a trap with the Port Mafia, and draw Sakaguchi Ango out.
Once he appeared, they would threaten him with force to make him accept Eye Patch Three as a member of the Ability Special Intelligence Division.
Of course, this method had its flaws. Even if Sakaguchi Ango agreed to let Eye Patch Three join, once her safety was ensured, he would likely expel her from the organization immediately.
But Eye Patch Three couldn't follow Bandage Three's example, pretending to be hunted by her original body, which would lead the Ability Special Intelligence Division to rescue her.
After all, the Ability Special Intelligence Division didn't have the same sense of justice as the Armed Detective Agency.
Their mission was to maintain the safety of Yokohama as a whole, and for that to succeed, the sacrifice of a few individuals was acceptable.
For the safety and secrecy of the Ability Special Intelligence Division, they wouldn't be like the Armed Detective Agency, coming to the rescue of a clone pursued by its original self.
Eye Patch Three's initial plan was to use her life as leverage to threaten Sakaguchi Ango into agreeing to her request.
Unfortunately, as she had suspected, Sakaguchi Ango was not afraid of death.
If he were, he wouldn't have risked execution years ago by joining the Port Mafia as a government spy.
"Miss, if that's all, could you please get out of my car?" Sakaguchi Ango's fingers lightly tapped the steering wheel as he calmly spoke, unperturbed. "I didn't see your face, so if you leave now, I can pretend none of this ever happened. Even if I wanted to pursue this later, there would be no evidence to follow."
This was a lie.
As the head of the official Ability Special Intelligence Division, Sakaguchi Ango's Yokohama branch may not have the same number of abilities or strength as the Port Mafia or the Armed Detective Agency, but they held one absolute advantage: they had the city's surveillance network under their control.
This allowed them to detect ability users' battles quickly, evacuate affected areas, and deploy armed forces for suppression and cleanup.
Though Sakaguchi Ango didn't see Eye Patch Three's true face, by checking the surveillance footage, he was certain he would be able to trace her movements.
At least, that's what he believed.
Eye Patch Three smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
If she were any other ability user, she might have hesitated, weighing whether to push forward or back off.
But even if she considered backing off, the Ability Special Intelligence Division would find her, and she would be dealt with.
However, the surveillance in this area had already been hacked by the Port Mafia. Even if Sakaguchi Ango wanted to check the footage, it would be useless.
Even if he retrieved footage from other areas to track Eye Patch Three's escape route, he would still come up empty-handed.
Although Eye Patch Three couldn't use Zafkiel, she could manipulate shadows and move freely through them, making it impossible for any surveillance to capture her.
Moreover, Eye Patch Three wasn't planning to back down.
Her sole mission was to join the Ability Special Intelligence Division, and her original body had summoned her for this purpose.
If she let Sakaguchi Ango go this time, it could be a long time before she had another chance to meet him.
Once he realized he had been targeted, he would surely hide even more carefully.
Perhaps, even with the Port Mafia's help, they would never be able to draw him out again.
Today was her only chance to join the Ability Special Intelligence Division.
Therefore, Eye Patch Three could never let this opportunity slip away.
"Sakaguchi-san, I believe you're someone who would sacrifice yourself for the peace and stability of Yokohama, but I don't have any hostile intentions," Eye Patch Three said, her tone unwavering. "In fact, the opposite is true. I'm here to help you."
"I want to believe you, but your words and actions don't seem to match," Sakaguchi Ango said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "If you really wanted to help me, why are you threatening me with a gun?"
"Well, you can't blame me for that, Sakaguchi-san."
Eye Patch Three tossed the unloaded gun onto the passenger seat in front of him. "But if I hadn't pointed a gun at you, I'm sure I'd be the one being threatened right now, wouldn't I?"
"..."
Seeing that his hidden self-defense weapon had already been taken, Sakaguchi Ango extinguished the last spark of hope for a violent escape.
He took a deep breath, his mind racing as he tried to find a way to free himself from this girl's grasp.
"I understand why you might not trust me, Sakaguchi-san. Besides, letting me join the Ability Special Intelligence Division would be of no benefit to you."
After a brief pause, Eye Patch Three spoke again, now proposing an alternative.
"In that case, would you be interested in making a deal?"
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