The night sky covered Daimon Island in a thick shroud of despair. In the medical sector, chaos erupted. Screams pierced the air, and sirens blared from every direction echoing through the swirling storm of desperation. The senior detectives scrambled to maintain order while overseeing the evacuation. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks flooded the streets.
At the DIPD, a fleet of police cars fought through a mob of protesters and media. The angry crowd pressed forward, their voices roaring as the vehicles came to a stop in front of the station entrance. Rookie detectives Kai, Ava, and Hibiki stepped out alongside Mayor Haru Hoshiga. Accompanying them is a team of officers.
The protesters’ shouts erupted, their fury like wildfire. Signs bearing slogans such as “Two Lives or Hundreds?” waved violently above their heads. Over the noise, a chant echoed, growing louder with every passing second.
“TELL THE TRUTH! TELL THE TRUTH!”
Wasting no time, the rookies rushed the mayor inside and sealed the doors behind them.
“DAMN! IT’S A MESS OUT THERE!” Kai exclaimed, his voice still raised over the chants and chaos outside.
“Don’t let your guard down,” Ava said calmly, her sniper rifle firm in hand. “We don’t know what these people, or Nishima, might try next.”
Hibiki nodded, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. “Agreed. It’s bad now, but I have the feeling it’ll only get worse. The seniors are focused on escorting civilians and tracking Nishima’s bombs. That leaves the three of us to secure the mayor. Yamato, Kenta, and Kiara are probably hunting Nishima as we speak. We just have to protect the mayor until this is over.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“OH, COME ON!” Mayor Hoshiga burst out in frustration. “You expect me to feel safe with a bunch of rookies protecting me? This has to be a joke!”
The rookies turned to him, leveling him with sharp, unimpressed glares.
“NO IT’S NOT,” Captain James Sanders barked as he descended the staircase, his commanding presence cutting through the tension. “Our rookies are more than capable of handling the tasks we give them. If you’ve got a problem with it, feel free to take a stroll outside and let the crowd protect you.”
“WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE TALKING TO?” Mayor Hoshiga snapped, his voice rising.
“I was under the impression I was talking to Mayor Haru Hoshiga. Unless I’m mistaken, that would be you right?”
Grinding his teeth, the mayo said nothing further.
***
Atop a nearby rooftop overlooking the city, Yuto crouched in his vigilante suit. His sharp gaze locked onto a worn down, abandoned building in the distance.The windows were dusty and dark, some cracked and others shattered. Chunks of brick had fallen away, leaving jagged holes in the walls. An ominous aura surrounds it, as if it were haunted by spirits of the dead.
What stood out most was the group of armed guards stationed around the building.
“Shunji, I’m at the building,” Yuto muttered into his earpiece. “How the hell does Nishima have armed men? He doesn’t work for or with the underworld. How can he have this kind of manpower?”
“I don’t know,” Shunji admitted, his tone tense. “I wasn’t aware Nishima had any armed men at his disposal. Though we don’t really know much about him. Be careful, he's already more dangerous than we anticipated.”
“Yeah,” Yuto murmured softly, pulling back from the rooftop’s edge to assess the situation further. “I’ll have to approach this more carefully than planned.”
Yuto took a breath, his thoughts steady as he got ready to move.
“Hold on, Riku. I’m coming for you!” He muttered in his head, determined to rescue Riku.