In an unassuming neighborhood, Yamato and Kenta approached an ordinary house.
“You think Kiara will help them find a cure?” Kenta asked.
“Maybe. The doctor said the medical sector’s already working on one. With the ‘Black Knight’s’ blood sample, it might speed things up.”
“Yeah? Well, good luck to her.”
When they reached the door, Yamato knocked three times. They waited in silence until the door opened, revealing an adult woman.
“Ms. Sawa?” Yamato asked.
“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?”
“We need to talk to your daughter, Rei.”
“No,” she said firmly. Her tone was sharp and unwavering. “Anything involving Rei has to do with that serial killer, doesn’t it? I won’t let her near that man again.”
“Ma’am, please,” Kenta stepped forward, his voice calm but urgent. “She’s our only hope to save the island.”
“No!” she snapped, her frustration clear.
“Mom?” A voice called out from further inside the house. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, sweetie, just go back to—”
“Ma’am,” Yamato interrupted, his sharp eyes focused past her. “Are you Rei Sawa?”
Footsteps echoed as the girl emerged into view, her curiosity piqued. “Yes, that’s me,” she said, stepping forward. She took a quick look at Kenta and immediately recognized him. “Oh, Detective Mayeda?”
“Yo, what’s up?” Kenta greeted casually.
“What do you need me for?” Rei asked, folding her arms.
Yamato didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be straight with you. We need you as bait to lure out Ryota Shima. He’s our only lead on Nishima. Once we have him, we might be able to take Nishima down.”
“Absolutely not!” her mother protested, her voice rising with indignation.
“Mom,” Rei cut in, her voice steady and resolute. “I have to do this. Not just for the island, but so I can finally stop looking over my shoulder because of Ryota.”
Her mother froze, locking eyes with her daughter. Rei’s determination was clear, and for a moment, the tension thickened in the air. Finally, the woman sighed, defeated.
“Fine,” she said coldly. “But you’d better not let her get hurt. Not a single scratch, you hear?”
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“Yes, ma’am,” Kenta said, nodding sincerely.
With that, Rei grabbed her things and followed Yamato and Kenta out to the waiting police car. As the car rumbled down the street, Rei broke the silence.
“So, what exactly do you need me to do?”
“It’s simple,” Kenta explained. “You call him. Tell him you’re scared and need to meet up. Hopefully, he’ll come running.”
Rei raised an eyebrow. “That’s a horrible plan.”
“Yeah,” Yamato admitted, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. “But it’s the only plan we’ve got.”
***
At the DIPD, protests raged on. Signs waved high, and angry shouts filled the air. Amidst the chaos, a jittery man approached the building’s entrance.
“More... more,” he muttered under his breath. His hands shook violently, and his eyes were wild, like a rabid animal. “I NEED MORE!”
Suddenly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a grenade. With a deranged grin, he yanked the pin and hurled it over the crowd. The grenade flew through the air, crashing through a window before detonating. The deafening explosion rattled the building, silencing the crowd for a split second.
Then, chaos erupted.
The protesters roared louder, their anger boiling over as they surged toward the police barricades.
Inside, rookies Kai, Ava, and Hibiki stood guard, monitoring Mayor Hoshiga and Captain Sanders from a safe distance.
“WHAT THE HELL?” Mayor Hoshiga yelled, his face pale with fear. “A grenade? A damn grenade? And you expect me to feel safe here?!”
“Right now, this is probably the safest place for you,” Captain Sanders replied, his tone even despite the tension. “Still, we’d better prepare for the worst.”
“Oh, fantastic,” Kai muttered sarcastically.
“Relax, Kai,” Hibiki said with a smirk. “We’ve got this.”
“That’s right,” Ava added, her expression calm but confident. “We can handle this.”
***
Meanwhile, at a warehouse in the Commons Sector, Rei sat alone in the hollow, empty space. She wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to stay calm. Somewhere behind a stack of equipment, Yamato and Kenta waited in the shadows, staying alert.
“Is this actually going to work?” Kenta asked in a whisper.
“Shh,” Yamato hissed. “Someone’s coming.”
A hooded figure stepped into the warehouse and hurried toward Rei.
“Rei!” the man called out, his voice filled with relief. Reaching her, he crouched down to help her to her feet. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Ryota,” Rei whimpered, tears welling up as she played the part of a scared girl. “I-I didn’t know what to do. With everything happening in the city, I was so scared!”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her, pulling her close. “You’re safe with me now.”
“ISN’T THAT IRONIC!” Yamato’s voice boomed across the warehouse. He and Kenta stepped out from their hiding spots, weapons drawn. Ryota’s eyes widened in fury as realization dawned on him.
“She’s supposed to feel safe with a serial killer protecting her?” Yamato jeered.
“Detectives,” Ryota growled, his voice dripping with malice. Shoving Rei aside, he spun to face them. “YOU SET ME UP!”
“You’ve got bigger problems, Ryota,” Kenta said coldly, raising his water blade. “We know you’ve been working with Nishima. What’s his plan? Where is he?”
For a moment, Ryota stood still. Then, his lips curled into a twisted grin, and a deranged laugh bubbled up from his throat. “Ahaha! You’ll have to beat the answer out of me!”
“Well,” Yamato said, smirking as he gripped his stormcallers. “That was sort of the plan.”
As the tension escalated, Rei scrambled to safety while Yamato and Kenta readied themselves for the fight.