August 7th, 2026
At Shigeyoshi's residence - 7:23 AM
A thunderous knock at the door tore Ray from a restless sleep. His instincts flared, and he sat up in bed, his heart thudding heavily.
The knock came again - deep, booming, persistent.
Ray rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood, stretching his tall frame. Muscles sore from last night's events at the reunion, especially the brutal altercation with Ryuji, tensed with the memory.
He approached the front door cautiously, his bare feet silent on the wooden floor. He reached for the doorknob.
The door swung open to reveal two uniformed Tokyo police officers. One was tall, older, with a trimmed beard and stern face.
The other was younger, visibly uneasy, eyes flicking nervously from Ray's face to his towering frame.
"Are you Ray Shigeyoshi?" the older officer asked.
Ray stood tall, shirtless, his silver eyes locking onto the officer. "Yes. What's the matter?"
"You need to come with us," the younger one said, trying to sound assertive. "Someone has filed a charge against you."
Ray raised an eyebrow, his mind shifting into his Delta Force mode - sharp, focused, cold.
The older officer cleared his throat. "Sir, please...we don't want to force you."
Ray sighed, rubbing his neck. "Five minutes. That's all I ask."
He dressed quickly, changed into a plain black shirt and jeans, and walked outside, sliding into the backseat of the police vehicle.
The car ride was quiet. As the city moved past the windows, Ray stared blankly, piecing things together. Last night. Ryuji. The brutal arm snap. The smug bastard probably filed charges.
"Stupid," Ray whispered to himself.
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department - 7:56 AM
At the police station, the atmosphere shifted. People turned to look as he entered - some with curiosity, others with blatant admiration. His presence was impossible to ignore.
Tall, foreign-looking yet undeniably Japanese in poise. Female officers glanced, receptionists paused mid-sentence. Even a woman filing for divorce stared.
Ray ignored them.
He was led to an interrogation room. Inside, tension instantly filled the air.
Ryuji sat at one side, his arm wrapped tightly in a sling, his posture relaxed, a smug grin plastered on his face. Beside him, Angela, the cheating girlfriend of Keito, and Ryuji's wealthy parents - his mother sharply dressed, his father burning with quiet fury. Their high-profile lawyer adjusted his glasses, already preparing to speak.
Ray stepped into the room calmly.
Ryuji's father stood abruptly, yelling, "You foreign bastard!"
He lunged forward, fist raised. But Ray was already moving. With deadly precision, he ducked and countered - a single, calculated headbutt. The man collapsed with a grunt to the floor.
Gasps echoed. Ryuji leapt from his seat. Angela clutched her necklace, and Ryuji's mother covered her mouth.
The two police officers at the door didn't move. Their eyes betrayed fear and awe.
Ray pulled out a chair and sat calmly.
The lawyer cleared his throat, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to regain control.
"Mr. Shigeyoshi... charges have been filed against you by Mr. Ryuji Takahashi for excessive assault. Breaking and dislocating his arm in an unprovoked act of violence. Is this true?"
Ray's silver eyes narrowed, voice low and calm. "Yes."
The lawyer leaned forward. "You admit it without hesitation?"
"Yes," Ray repeated, tone even colder.
Then his eyes shifted to Angela. Something about her necklace tugged at his memory. It glimmered in the fluorescent light - a golden symbol, unfamiliar yet eerily familiar.
He'd seen that symbol before.
South Africa, Mozambique. Days ago.
Their recon unit had been sent into a deep jungle mission to locate a possible camp of the Matriarch's Promise. The ambush came swift and brutal. Cultists in ceremonial garb. Chanting in Latin. Screaming. Blood.
One of the corpses, a zealot lying in the dirt, had a necklace just like this one. A reimagined cult sigil - based on the Egyptian goddess Isis, but altered. Twisted. Marked with an inverted crescent and three blood drops.
The mark of the Matriarch's Promise.
Ray's gaze locked onto the necklace. Angela met his eyes. Something flickered in her expression. Smugness. Recognition. Pride.
It clicked. She was one of them. Not a victim. A member.
Ray leaned back in his chair. All eyes were on him, but he was no longer listening. His mind raced.
If the cult had someone like Angela here, blending in, then their spread had already reached Japan's heart. This wasn't some back-alley coven. This was deep.
Dangerously deep.
"Mr. Shigeyoshi?" the lawyer asked again.
"Yes, I broke his arm," Ray said, eyes still fixed on Angela. "And I'd do it again."
Angela flinched slightly. Ryuji turned to her.
Ray continued, "It was self-defense. He provoked and tried to hit me first."
The lawyer sighed. "That may be arguable in court, but Mr. Takahashi has family influence. This can escalate."
Ray leaned forward now. "Let it."