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The script had been arranged this way. The director and screenwriter had envisioned it beautifully, but the actors refused to cooperate.

The wakizashi missed.

The assassin flung the steel cover forward and swiftly retreated.

He truly withdrew unscathed after failing to land a single blow.

There was not the slightest hesitation.

At that moment.

The lights in the room abruptly went out, the timing impeccable.

But they never could have imagined that the man before them possessed not only night vision and x-ray vision, but vision without blind spots.

The next second, the lights suddenly came back on.

A normal person's eyes would need time to adjust to such an abrupt change in lighting. The process might last only 0.1 seconds, but for a professional killer, that was enough.

As for why they did not simply assassinate him in the darkness—trained killers were even more at ease in the dark, so would that not have been better?

The main consideration was the reaction of other forces.

If the power went out only briefly, their first thought might be a circuit malfunction, followed by contacting the hotel to confirm it. If the outage lasted any longer, they might rush over directly.

The waiter who had retreated earlier now appeared on the ceiling behind Hayato, his wakizashi stabbing straight toward Hayato's heart.

And then?

Without even turning his head, Hayato reached out, seized the assassin's knife hand, and slammed it downward.

Smack!

The carpet's cushioning and soundproofing were genuinely excellent. This three-star hotel was worth it!

"Ninja?"

The waiter in the white uniform instantly changed outfits, becoming dressed in black ninja garb, with only two indifferent eyes exposed.

Ninjas made Hayato think of an organization: The Hand.

Unfortunately, Hayato had also come from a ninja background—and he was a fantasy-version ninja. The