22:43 PM Several police cars sped toward Shiba Park, just two traffic lights away from Tokyo Tower. A light drizzle began falling in the sta
Several police cars sped toward Shiba Park, just two traffic lights away from Tokyo Tower.
A light drizzle began falling in the starless night sky.
As the preset time approached, Hayashi Yoshiki could already hear the deafening roar of armed helicopters.
All the lights on Tokyo Tower suddenly went out.
In the darkness, Hayashi calmly lifted his bangs, deleted all his call records, shut off his second phone, then pulled out an anesthetic needle and inserted it into his arm.
Meanwhile, Ireland took the maintenance passage outside the tower. As he climbed the red-painted steel stairs to a higher platform, a black helicopter rapidly approached in the rain.
A blinding searchlight fell upon him.
His phone rang. Ireland answered instantly.
"It's me. How's it going? Did you get the memory card?"
Gin's cold voice reached him, while the spotlight turned Ireland into a glowing target, like a circus stuntman about to be flown into the ring.
Ireland reached into his pocket and pulled out the memory card.
Gin adjusted the zoom on the helicopter camera, narrowing his eyes. "I can't see it clearly... move it a little further forward. Yes. That's it. Just a little more."
Ireland, clearly annoyed but aware of Gin's deep-rooted paranoia, extended his arm.
Inside the armed chopper, Chianti and Korn had already aimed their sniper rifles from the window. With the cover of night and the distraction of the searchlight, Ireland had no idea.
"What a shame... I didn't hate you, Ireland," murmured Korn, unusually chatty as he fixed his scope on Ireland's leg. "But you just had to do something stupid."
"Start," ordered Gin, covering his mic.
In an instant, Chianti pulled the trigger.
The bullet shattered the memory card in Ireland's hand.
Straight through his knee.
Ireland screamed, collapsing, phone clattering to the ground.
Seconds later, two more shots tore through his other leg and one arm.
Gin watched from above, cold satisfaction glinting in his emerald eyes.
Hating Vermouth was one thing, but to threaten Cointreau?
Vodka glanced at the scene. "Aniki, the police are here."
Vodka immediately banked the chopper, veering around the tower and disappearing into the night.
Chianti, visibly hyped, yelled, "See!? I killed him!"
"No, I killed him," Korn countered.
"Pff, don't be ridiculous! You're way too slow, old man," Chianti sneered. "I'm gonna tell Cointreau I took out Ireland."
Korn stayed silent. Fine. I'll tell Cointreau myself later.
Cointreau will know who really did it...
Vodka frowned. "But if Ireland dared threaten Cointreau, doesn't that mean he had a backup plan?"
"Since Cointreau said it's okay... then it's okay."
Before the operation, Gin had received a simple message from Hayashi Yoshiki:
[It's time to take action.]
That was all he needed.
If Cointreau's identity was compromised?
He could just disappear into the shadows...
Might even be more efficient.
As for that detective persona the Organization once valued?
Inspector Megure Juzo and officers from multiple jurisdictions arrived at the observation deck. The first thing they saw was Motogami Kazuki (本上和樹) — shot cleanly in the forehead.
Nearby lay Hayashi Yoshiki, unconscious.
Megure rushed forward, accompanied by Sato Miwako.
A nearby officer checked Yoshiki's vitals and sighed in relief. "He just fainted."
"Inspector Megure," another added, "there are light cuts on Mr. Hayashi's throat... and minor bleeding."
Megure was inspected more closely. He was right.
But the scene grew even stranger.
Unconscious beside them lay Mizutani Kosuke (水谷康介).
A human skin mask—belonging to Matsumoto Kiyonaga—was found nearby.
There were bullet holes scattered around the room.
And the helicopter from earlier...?
"Did we recover surveillance footage from the deck?"
"No, sir. All observatory cameras are non-functional. In fact, surveillance across the whole tower has been manually cut, and all records have been erased."
"Inspector! We found a male body outside. Riddled with bullets!"
One report after another overwhelmed Megure Juzo.
Fortunately, just then—
Hayashi Yoshiki stirred.
He sat up slowly, the anesthetic still heavy in his head.
No wonder Kogoro Mouri sleeps like a rock after these...
"Brother Hayashi! Thank goodness!"
"More importantly," Hayashi said urgently, "Rescue Prosecutor Matsumoto! He's imprisoned in an abandoned hut deep in the Beika Forest! Go, now!"
"Beika Forest!? Understood!"