Chapter 122: Preventing the Assassination
After shaking off White, Sato made his way alone to the dance area.
Many guests had already taken their seats. On stage, five elegant young dancers moved gracefully, their performance mesmerizing to watch.
However, Sato's attention was locked onto two individuals seated in the front row, far right of the audience.
They were Fuyuko, the head of the Kabuki family, and her husband, Mr. Ikeda.
That afternoon, all the guests would gather here to watch the final event of the Garden Tea Party, a dance performance by Fuyuko and her sisters.
And that was when the assassination would take place!
Sato remembered it clearly, the employer had specifically ordered the assassination to be carried out in front of everyone.
The assassination itself wasn't difficult, but escaping from such a crowded setting was nearly impossible for a lone assassin.
In his past life, Sato had been assigned to help the assassin escape. Now, all he had to do was wait.
Wait for the assassin to take position, wait for Fuyuko to step onto the stage, wait for the assassination attempt.
Then... stop it at all costs!
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Time passed slowly.
Since dancing was the most popular event of the tea party, many guests, just like Sato, remained seated, watching each performance without moving.
People came and went, meeting acquaintances and gathering in small groups for quiet conversations.
The entire morning passed without Sato spotting anyone suspicious.
That was, until White came to find him, and they had lunch together with the tea party's catered food.
"Are you seriously staying here?" White asked, growing a little concerned as he watched Sato return to the dance stage.
"You better think this through, if you marry into the Kabuki family, you'll have to be the one moving in!" White whispered mysteriously into Sato's ear.
"..."
A clear anger mark appeared on Sato's forehead as he clenched his fists, his eyes filled with a intense murderous intent toward White!
"I was just joking! Just joking! Don't take it seriously!" White laughed awkwardly before immediately running away!
Watching White disappear into the distance, Sato refocused his attention on the audience area, trying to spot the assassin.
Hmm? Why was there suddenly one more person?
In the front row of the audience, a man in a tailored suit had appeared at some point, sitting upright and watching the performance attentively.
Sato's body tensed immediately. With just a glance at the man's back, he could already tell, this was the assassin!
As if sensing something, the man slightly turned his head, casually glancing behind him.
Sato quickly shifted his gaze to the stage, his mouth subtly curving into an exaggerated grin, his eyes widening, putting on the perfect act of a love-struck fool enchanted by the performance.
Only after the suited man turned back around did Sato maintain the expression a little longer before slowly relaxing his face and getting up to leave.
His instincts had reacted automatically, making him disguise himself in the most effective way possible.
If he had simply lowered his head to avoid eye contact, that would have immediately exposed his odd behavior, since everyone else was focused on the performance.
It had been a long time since he used the skills from his past life. Sato had to admit, he had been getting a little careless.
Regaining his composure, Sato casually brushed his foot against the ground, shaking off imaginary dust from his shoes before smoothly making his way back to the audience area.
He deliberately sat one row behind the suited man, positioned slightly to his right.
Only a single backrest panel separated them, with just one seat of distance between them horizontally.
The moment Sato sat down, he could feel the man in the suit tense up slightly, before quickly relaxing again.
Applauding, grinning, eyes sparkling, Sato completely transformed himself into an innocent young boy captivated by the performance.
The suited man noticed Sato's behavior and a faint expression of disgust and disdain flashed through his eyes. However, the tension in his body disappeared entirely.
Time ticked forward, and more and more guests arrived at the dance stage, while Fuyuko's sisters led the remaining attendees from other event areas to join them.
A short while later, Fuyuko gracefully rose from her seat, bowed lightly to the audience, and headed backstage to prepare.
Sato's body instinctively tensed, but on the surface, he maintained an expression of eager anticipation.
"Hey, hey! So this is where you've been sitting? I couldn't find you earlier," White plopped down beside Sato, grinning mischievously.
"Go away, go away. If you're so capable, then don't come over," Sato said, pretending to be annoyed, which made White pause in surprise.
"Heh heh heh…"
There was no point in explaining. Sato sighed inwardly, simply hoping that everything would go smoothly this time.
Seven or eight minutes later, the stage lights suddenly dimmed. The once noisy audience fell silent, and all eyes turned toward the stage.
Except for Sato!
At that moment, he was staring intently at the suited man, even discreetly releasing some of his Dark Energy to enhance his perception.
The dance was breathtaking, but Sato had no time to appreciate it. He could even see the faint smile forming on the suited man's face.
A smile of admiration, but also regret, as if mourning the imminent disappearance of the stunning woman before him.
Finally, the performance ended. The audience rose in applause, and Fuyuko stood at the very center of the stage, less than three meters away from the suited man.
The suited man moved.
His right foot shifted slightly forward, and both hands lifted as if to clap, but in his right hand, a Poké Ball had already expanded and was thrown onto the stage in one fluid motion!
"Beedrill, Poison Jab!"
The thunderous applause completely drowned out the assassin's command. A flash of red light revealed a powerful Beedrill, which immediately charged toward Fuyuko!
As if the scene had been scripted, the moment Beedrill appeared, it exploded forward, crossing the distance in a blink!
The audience's applause abruptly halted. Gasps, exclamations, and screams filled the air, but nothing could stop Beedrill's attack.
Its sharp twin needles glowed with a deadly purple sheen!
"Gengar, Protect!"
At the critical moment, a Gengar suddenly leaped onto the stage, forcing itself between Beedrill and Fuyuko!
A green glow, a thin protective barrier formed just in time, completely blocking Beedrill's Poison Jab!
The suited man's eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, he chose to retreat immediately, even ignoring Beedrill entirely.
However, just as he turned to escape, a small hand suddenly grabbed onto his shoulder.
"You're not going anywhere."
"Ahhh!"
A scream of pure agony tore through the air.
Beedrill, originally poised for a second strike, suddenly turned around, staring at its trainer in alarm.
"It's over…"
The suited man didn't even have time to process how Sato's small hand could cause such excruciating pain, rendering his entire right side numb.
The instant Beedrill hesitated, Gengar seized the opportunity, using Psychic to restrain it!
The crowd finally reacted, and one after another, trainers released their Pokémon. Five Eeveelutions suddenly appeared on stage.
Mr. Ikeda had already rushed to Fuyuko's side, standing in front of her protectively.
From this point on, there was nothing more for Sato to do.