Case Files of Secret Society holoX (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 22: Unravelling the mystery to prevent a tragedy

 Sakamata was doing some stretches while I stood near a door. Our plan was simple. Using holoX's connections, we made a specialized building to protect our client. It only had two entrances with one being guarded by Iroha and Koyori while the other was being guarded by Sakamata and me.

The reason for having two entrances was that if the assassin would use one, we could have our client escape in the other as a last resort. There was a chance that the assassin wasn't alone so our best bet was protecting them and dealing with whoever would come after our client.

While Koyori and I weren't fighters, we were sent to the front lines in order to figure out the assassin's trick on how he got over the anti-magic barrier. We have to know because if another opponent like that appears again, we could be prepared.

"This building... It's sturdy", Sakamata said.

"Yeah. It's amazing how Lui managed to set this up in just a few days", I replied.

"We're the only guards here. I can go all out."

"That's not the only reason. There's a chance that the assassin would slip in if we have guards we aren't familiar with. With just six of us, we can monitor each other properly."

I clenched my fist in order to stop it from shaking. Although this was the first time I had to fight seriously, I wasn't shaking from that. In my career as a detective so far, I've been solving mysteries after the crime has been done. This was the first time I had to use my skills to prevent something from happening.

"Nervous?" Sakamata asked.

"Yeah. I'm not someone who fits in the battlefield because of my curse. That's why I thought the only way I could fight was to be a detective", I said.

"I see. I'm lucky because I have my mask to make me calm and collected. But whatever happens, happens. As long as I did everything that I could do, I will not regret it. This is my payment to Big Sis Lui who gave someone as useless as me a purpose to live for."

Looks like even with her mask, Sakamata was still nervous. I didn't expect her to be a chatterbox when she's like that. Then again, no one could be perfectly calm when a life was at stake.

"Don't worry. The assassin can't afford to kill us. We have a failsafe. Besides, we are being monitored by that security came...ra."

My voice trailed off when I saw the security camera that was supposed to be filming us. I made sure to check everything before we went to our positions and I was confident that it was working properly.

And yet it was broken as if it got shot by a gun.

"Sakamata!!!!" I shouted.

But when I looked at her, she was already lying on the ground.

I heard a gun cocking and when I turned my head, I saw a masked man.

"Are you sure you should've killed her?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" his voice asked back.

From the weird mechanical noise echoing within his voice, I could tell that he used a voice changer. However, his body type and posture matched with that of a man's.

And the way he held his gun, he was a member of the Yamato Gun Corps or at least somehow related to them. He was also left handed and from the way his body was somehow slightly shaking, he seemed to be trying to catch his breath.

But why?

If he was a competent assassin, he would've come here in his full strength. Was it part of his trick on how he could get over anti-magic barriers? But even bodily functions such as the dragon's organs for breathing fire needed mana.