Chapter 90: The Bank Heist

That was close. I almost let Gray took my sister away. I know I'm the one who wanted someone corrupt like him to delay her but I never thought he had the audacity to make such a decision. It's a good thing I'm paranoid enough to disguise myself as one of his knights in order to keep watch over her. My interference resulted in him no longer able to delay her despite his best efforts though. How useless.

I suppose I need to send one of the Seven Wraiths to delay her. She and Shadow Garden already knows that the MCA is affiliated with the Cult so I guess it wouldn't be a problem to send a direct subordinate of the Necromancer. And only one person could be trusted with such a task.

"Sherry!" I called upon my most trusted companion who would obey me without question and would understand what I wanted.

"What is it, Claude?"

"I have a task for you. I need you to delay my sister's investigation of the MCA factories as much as you can to ensure that their counterfeit bills enter the market."

"It shall be done. But if I have to ask… why should we aid Gettan's plans to destabilize the kingdom you're meant to rule?"

"The collapse of the economy isn't what I'm aiming for. It's Mitsugoshi."

"Ah. So you want their female employees all to yourself. Tee hee. I kid. I kid. I know you wanted economic dominance too. I shall aid you."

"Thank you, Sherry. You're the only person I can trust with this job."

"I know." She said before pulling me into a kiss. She has become much more assertive ever since we had sex. She teleports away to accomplish her task afterwards.

Still… I know that as a villain I shouldn't have cared about someone like this. But I can't help but grow fond of her after spending so much time with her. This can't go on. My love for her will drag me down, weaken me and taint my villainy. I need to think of how I'm going to deal with her in the future.

I'm sorry Charl… But your brother is such a monster who intends to betray you at one point.

I returned to my dorm room in order to prepare for my bank heist but before I could put on my John Smith outfit, I sensed a familiar presence and thus I had to hide my John Smith outfit under the bed before she came.

I was sitting on my bed Alpha entered my room through the window. She's wearing that school uniform again. The visit was so sudden that I didn't even have the chance to set up the room Eminence in Shadow style so when she came, my room is the same as usual, just an ordinary student's room.

"Good afternoon, Cid. Are you doing well?" She greeted. For some reason said greetings felt distant.

"I'm good. Just got back from school." I answered casually. My relaxed demeanour seemed to have put her at ease.

"I'm glad. I always worry for your health after your last battle with Necromancer." She remarked with worry in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Alpha. I've long since recovered. Have faith in my strength." I replied, putting some of Shadow's confidence in my words and voice.

"I suppose I shouldn't have underestimated you. I'm sorry. It's just that… We are so desperate to be of use to you." Alpha said as she approached me and sat on the other side of the bed.

"You've done plenty enough. Don't worry." I replied. My words didn't seem to reassure her though.

"No. We haven't done nearly enough. That's why… please… we need your guidance once more." She said with a hint of desperation. Does she miss the good old days when it was just me and 7 of them together in that small house we built together? Those were indeed fun days and I'm happy that Alpha hasn't let those childish memories go when she and the others left me to pursue their own interests.

That's why it's a little hard for me to betray them like what I'm going to do tonight. But I'll leave them some money as compensation so we'll be even. I'm sure Mitsugoshi won't collapse just from a few bank heists.

I pulled her closer and for some reason she blushed. I whispered to her ears. "Please wait for me. I'm currently putting the pieces in place. Soon you'll understand."

"Cid…" Her voice sounded like she was so moved by my act… more than I anticipated. I thought it'll take more than that to convince her to let me do my stuff.

"Very well…" She hugged me close and whispered back. "I shall wait for you."

She stayed in that position for at least a minute before finally letting go.

"Now, I must get back to work. I hope your endeavours are fruitful, Cid." She said before jumping off the window.

Great. Now I can finally prepare myself for the heist. My first target is the Everick branch. It's located in that ikemen's hometown. My men (cannon fodders) are already there and waiting so I should hurry up and meet them.

After this heist, I hope I'll be one step closer to Don Jon's money vault so I can rob him and destroy his entire crime empire stylishly. I'll leave the miniboss fox lady around so she can keep the Lawless City full of wallets for me to steal.

It's dusk now but the Mitsugoshi Bank hasn't really closed yet. Usually banks close at 5 but Mitsugoshi opens until 7 these days. Is Gamma overworking her employees or something? Or maybe this is done in response to Don Jon's Ponzer Plan and MCA's counterfeit bills schemes?

I just hope Mitsugoshi won't become a black company or I'll be forced to destroy it and start from scratch. Rename it to Yotsugoshi or something.

Anyway, I should make my entrance now.

"Gentlemen. I have arrived." I greeted the bunch of cannon fodders in a dark alley near the Everick branch of Mitsugoshi Bank. It feels strange to be on the side of bandits instead of slaughtering them but my current Shadowbroker play demands that I temporarily play the villainous role.

"So you're the boss today? You don't look so tough!" One of the bandits with a pink Mohawk and lots of piercings on his face sneered and his companions laughed along with him. I merely smiled in response. "I should be the bo-" He continued before I cut him off by tying one of my steel wires on the piercing on his lips.

"U-Ughhh… shince when…!?" He muttered as I pulled his piercing along with his lower lip with my wire. His companions went quiet after seeing how I can end their pathetic lives merely by lifting some fingers. I then pulled my wire back, pulling off his piercing in the process. "Ughh…" He can only grunt in response.

"Now that you're listening, here's what we're gonna do. You guys separate into three teams. First team will have the largest amount of members and would storm the entrance demanding money from the tellers and the customers."

"Easy enough. Heh heh heh." Said one of the bandits whilst grinning with bad intentions, probably involving the girls. He won't be missed.

"Second team will infiltrate from the back to scout and eliminate any guards."

"What? But that's boring! I wanna have some fun with the girls too!" Said another bandit who's assigned to the second team. He also won't be missed.

"Third team will follow me to the vault. Your job will be to carry the hard cash for me."

"O-Okay." Said the bandit whose piercing I removed. He's more obedient now that he's intimidated. He still won't be missed though. The same goes for the rest of them.

"Good. Second team and third team will wait for the first team to make noises before infiltrating. Is that clear?"

"""Yes sir!"""

"Good. Now get into positions!" I ordered and the teams rushed to get into their assigned tasks while the third team follows me to the left side of the building, which apparently has no entrance. Curses.

"B-Boss… how do you plan on getting inside?" The piercing guy asked with a more subdued attitude. Gotta improvise then.

"Watch and learn." I said as I create a perfectly circular hole in the wall with my wires without making any noise. They looked at me with awe after witnessing my prowess. The piercing guy in particular is grateful that what I did to the wall wasn't what I did to him.

"Now. Follow me. We'll enter deeper when the first team managed to make some noise."

BANG!

The sound of a gunfire echoes in the bank's main hall as one of the bank robbers shoots at the ceiling to make their presence known. Screams followed.

"Everybody hands up! This is a robbery!" Shouted one of the bandits as the first team entered the bank through the front door and started pointing their guns and swords at the tellers and the bank customers. The tellers and scared customers raised their hands.

Some of the bandits tossed a duffel bag towards the tellers and told them to fill the bags with money. The female tellers pretended to be afraid and complied with the bank robbers seeing as they have the customers taken as hostages and filled the bags with Mitsugoshi paper money, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Now that's a good girl! While you're at it, why don't we have some fu-?" Said a bandit who tried to sexually harass a teller before his words… and his arms holding his gun are cut.

"UAAARGHHH! MY HANDS! WHAT THE HELL!?" He screamed in pain as he saw both his arms are cut off cleanly before he could notice. He then saw the culprit, a short blonde haired elf wearing blue military-like uniform, which is a uniform of Mitsugoshi's security force. The uniform hid her feminine features well, making her able to pass off as a man, which many people thought she is. One of her eyes is covered by an eyepatch and she wields an ordinary steel sword.

"Who the fuck are you!?" Shouted one of the bandits whilst pointing his gun at her. The elf girl is unfazed and simply moved too quickly for their eyes to catch up and managed to cut the hands of the bandit who pointed his gun towards her. As she stepped forward, other individuals wearing the same uniform as her appeared behind her.

"We are the Mitsugoshi security force. We won't allow you to harm innocents… and disrupt our business." The chivalrous blonde elf said as she and her comrades starts to move quickly to free the hostages from the bandits, focusing their efforts on neutralizing gun wielders first in order to prevent casualties among the innocent bystanders.

The bank robbery turned into bloodbath as the bank robbers were cut one by one.

"Hear that noise? The first team has started! Now we move in as the boss instructed!" Said the leader of team two as his group entered the building through the back entrance, which was suspiciously unlocked.

"Man, I'm jealous of those guys! They get to see some real action and get to have some fun with the Mitsugoshi employees!"

"Hope we can catch some of them girls on the way-" One of the bandit's words are cut as he disappeared.

"Huh? Where the fuck did he go?" Exclaimed one of the bandits as he started to get scared.

"I heard that Mitsugoshi's mercenaries are tough! So tough that the MCA's thugs can't do anything to them! We shouldn't be here!"

"Shut up! What are you, a coward!? We're gonna be fi-" His words are cut as he disappeared.

"Hiiyyy! This place is haunted! Ghosts are coming for our li-" Another man's word's are cut as he disappeared into the dark without his companions knowing what's going on.

"W-Who are you!? Show yourself!" Shouted the leader of the second team with shaking voice.

"Very well." Said a calm, feminine voice as she revealed herself.

"A woman?" Exclaimed one of the bandits as they beheld the form of a dark skinned black haired half elf wearing black bodysuit and wielding a black sword.

"W-Wait a minute… That black uniform… Could it be… Shado-" The leader's words are cut as the half elf moved faster than the eye can see and knocked him unconscious with a hit on his forehead from the pommel of her sword.

"Hee hee hee. Since you seem to be the leader, I'll let you live so you can sing for us." The half elf remarked while grinning playfully.

"K-Kill her!" Shouted one of the bandits, which prompts the rest of them to charge towards the elf.

"My, look at them go!" Shouted the dark skinned half elf excitedly.

The second team had their own bloodbath afterwards.

Hearing a lot of noises and screams of men made the third team nervous as they followed John Smith. In contrast to them, John Smith merely walked leisurely and calmly through the hallways.

"B-Boss…! The other teams…!"

"They were merely sacrificial pawns for a greater purpose." John Smith merely said whilst smiling as he continued walking. The men accompanying him didn't say anything in response and continued following him nervously, afraid to ask if they are sacrificial pawns too.

Suddenly John Smith stopped, prompting the rest of his men to stop as well. He then began waving his hands around as if conducting an orchestra. The bandits are unable to see the wires he weaved in the dark and thus unable to comprehend his move but at this point they are too afraid to ask.

After a few seconds he finished weaving his wires he called out to the presences he sensed. "You can come out now."

In response, a group of three women wearing black cloaks revealed themselves. John Smith recognized the three because he met them in Lawless City when he acted as Van Helsing. The blonde haired one in particular is quite familiar to him but he ignored her as he focused his attention on someone else.

"He matched the description Lady Nu gave us. That's John Smith." Whispered the dark blue haired elf.

"Hmm… Gotta be careful. Got it!" The white haired elf said, for once not munching on food while on a mission.

"We won't let you pass, John Smith." Rose Oriana… or to be more precise 666, exclaimed as she brandished her rapier. Her teammates followed suit.

"Hmph. I was not talking to you." John Smith said confidently, surprising the three of them.

"Hoo… So you noticed me. Not bad, John Smith." Said a familiar voice who is one the Seven Shades. The leopard beastkin Zeta revealed herself to them. Her presence is a surprise even to the three Shadow Garden members.

"L-Lady Zeta!? Why are you here?" Exclaimed the blue haired elf.

"I was in the area when I noticed a bunch of bandits skulking around, no doubt up to no good. It's still surprising that you're the one who leads them though, John Smith." Zeta answered, her eyes never leaving John Smith and his wires that she noticed is already surrounding them like a spider web without the three girls noticing.

"You girls! Retreat immediately!" She ordered once she saw John Smith's fingers twitch.

"Huh!?" 665 exclaimed as she was pulled back by 666 before she was caught by John Smith's wires. 664 on the other hand was able to jump back in time.

"Hoo… So you noticed. As expected of one of the Seven." John Smith complimented.

"You guys should handle the cannon fodders. I'll deal with this man myself." Zeta ordered.

"But Lady Zeta! I can-!" 666 was about to interject but was instantly rejected by Zeta. "My decision is final!"

I will not let another Shadow Garden member die on my watch! Thought Zeta with determined eyes.

"Very well! 665! 666! Let's go!" Ordered 664 as the three of them ran past John Smith to engage the bandits behind him. John Smith ignored them all, focusing his attention solely on the most talented member of the Seven Shades.

"Before we begin, I want to ask you. Why are you doing this? Why are you joining a bunch of bandits to rob a bank? You obviously don't fit with those lot." Zeta asked in order to obtain some information, hoping his arrogance would let him spit out some useful information.

"I was ordered by Don Jon to rob Mitsugoshi Bank. That is all." Surprisingly the man answered easily.

"By Don Jon, eh? I should've known." Zeta said while frowning. The name Don Jon irritates her as she has heard a lot of it recently.

"No matter. You shall not enter the vault. I'll make sure of it!" Exclaimed Zeta as she prepared for combat.

"Come then, one of the Seven!" John Smith exclaimed in return with a grin as he weaved his wires.

The two formidable forces clashed in the dark hallways leading up to the bank's vault.

Author's Note:

Probably the longest chapter I've written so far. Cid just rizzed Alpha effortlessly. With this she will be calmer than she was in canon during the John Smith arc. Also, the bank heist begins. John Smith obviously only agreed to bring the bandits because they are cannon fodders and he trust Shadow Garden will be able to handle them very easily. He even planned on killing all of them himself once the job is done if there are any survivors. And instead of Delta, John Smith faced Zeta this time! Also, instead if protecc, he attacc! We shall see how this goes.

DerTrap: Maybe?

Everything is going according to plan. (Aizen style)

Answer: All according to keikaku! (Translator's note: Keikaku means plan.)

HundredMasks: And thus the legend of John Smith, the Casino Royal is Born, he who is loved by lady luck, now I just want him to replace Juggernaut's position as one of the pillars or something, should be cool af, but that won't really fit his image of Secret Agent I suppose, as for the mind transfer thing, I'm basically Replaying Elden ring and since I basically Associate Necromancer with Lord of Frenzied Flames,Lich from adventure time, and Orochimaru from Naruot, the idea of stealing bodies was already in my mind, then Charlotte's Distant nature is a perfect opening for that, since she's the one who'd notice the strangeness of it, and so wouldn't be able to be there to see him deteriorate, and so everyone will just have to believe that Necromancer actually took over and it's not just Claude Being Necromancer, because the one who knows him best(aside from Sherrry, manipulated as she is) isn't there to actually 'See' the process

Answer: Don Jon is still a bit wary of him right now. But John Smith will find another way to get into Don Jon's money.

And stealing body thing is something I've planned and yes it'll involve Charlotte. Let's just say there's a reason why a certain nickname exists. You guys are psychic, aren't you?

TheVirtualPug: Based on your comment, I imagine a scenario where SG believes that "Necromancer" (the slumbering legend) was reborn into Claude but without his memories and would eventually become a split personality but "Claude" managed to survive within which is why the Necromancer cares so much for his sister etc because of "Claude"

Answer: Something like that, yeah. But that will come for future arcs.