The "Saionji Rival" wasn't just some businessman; he was a black-market dealer hidden behind the facade of a high-end art gallery. Akira stood across the street, his new suit blending into the evening crowd of wealthy patrons.
[Current Shameless Points: 850] [Target: The 'Azure Tear' Diamond] [Security Level: S-Tier Laser Grid & Pressure Plates]
"No cameras, no guards, no alarms," Akira whispered, repeating Yuki's words. "But she didn't mention the floor is literally a giant sensor."
He walked into the gallery, acting like a bored heir. He spotted the vault door behind a velvet rope. It was a masterpiece of German engineering, requiring three different biometric scans. To a normal thief, it was impossible. To Akira, it was a playground.
CLICK.
The world froze. [14 Seconds Remaining].
Akira leaped over the velvet rope. He didn't step on the floor—instead, he used the 'Object Isolation' trick he'd practiced. He unfroze a heavy marble bust of a Roman senator and tipped it over. As it stayed suspended in mid-air (due to the time-stop physics), he used it as a stepping stone to reach the vault control panel.
[08 Seconds Remaining].
He pulled out the 'Fingerprint Cloner' he'd grabbed from the System Shop earlier. He pressed it against the scanner. Access Denied. "Wait, the system needs a live pulse!" Akira panicked.
[04 Seconds Remaining].
He looked around frantically. A guard was frozen just three feet away. Akira grabbed the guard's hand and dragged it toward the scanner. He had to be precise.
[01 Second Remaining].
BEEP. [ACCESS GRANTED].
The heavy bolts of the vault began to turn just as the world regained its color. Akira slipped inside the closing door a millisecond before the guard could even blink.
He was in. The room was filled with gold, but in the center, on a pedestal, sat the Azure Tear. It glowed with an eerie blue light that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
[WARNING: THE DIAMOND IS PROTECTED BY A 'FORBIDDEN TOOL' BARRIER!] [TYPE: ANTI-TIME FIELD]
"What?!" Akira gasped. As he reached for the diamond, his hand slowed down. It felt like he was pushing through thick molasses. The watch on his wrist began to smoke.
"So... Yuki set me up," Akira growled, his eyes narrowing. "She wanted to see if my tool was stronger than this one."
[SHAMELESS POINTS EARNED: +600] [REASON: Surviving a lethal trap and entering a restricted zone.]
Akira gripped the watch tightly. If the diamond wanted a fight, he'd give it one.