Shirai Takeru stood frozen, his face locked in an expression of pure shock. His mouth hung slightly open but no words came. His eyes remained fixed on Hiro's body with the dark pool of blood spreading slowly across the concrete. Around him, the gang members stood paralyzed. Some had their hands over their mouths. Others stared with wide, horrified eyes. Tears streamed down several faces but they made no sound.
The two heroes flanking him remained equally impassive.
Toji made a casual gesture toward the entrance of the room where the rest of his entourage was standing. "Come"
A man in a dark brown robe stepped inside the room. His attire resembled that of a wizard. He had a small black cloth in his hand. He waved the cloth once and it turned into a body bag. He slid Hiro's body into the body bag by slowly pulling his leg and placing it inside the bag.
The sound of the zipper was obscenely loud in the silence.
Toji turned to face the gang members with his hands clasped behind his back. His voice when he spoke was gentle. "Come on, you guys. You're allowed to grieve." He tilted his head slightly, as if considering something. "He got punished for his crimes, yes, but that shouldn't stop you from feeling bad. I'm not that heartless. Come on." He gestured. "You can cry freely."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then suddenly Buzzcut and Hiro's short heighted partner fell to their knees.
"Hiro-san!" The cry ripped from Buzzcut's throat, raw and agonized.
"Hiro-san, we're so sorry!" Hiro's short partner shouted, his voice cracking.
"We failed you, Hiro-san!" another wailed, doubling over as sobs wracked his body.
"Hiro-san!" they cried in unison with some kneeling while others stood with their faces in their hands.
Toji watched them cry for exactly thirty seconds. Then his expression hardened.
"Okay. That's enough."
"You'll all be paid two months' salary in advance," Toji continued, his tone now businesslike. "You'll be inactive for a few months. We'll have proper trackers on you this time with no exceptions." He paused, letting that sink in. "You will not talk to anyone about our operations. Not your friends. Not your family. No one. And if you do, you will suffer the same fate as Hiro here."
The crying stopped entirely. Silence descended, thick and suffocating.
The two heroes moved forward without being told, gesturing for the gang members to follow. One by one, the men filed out of the bunker. When the last one had left, the door closed with a heavy metallic clang and Toji turned his attention to Takeru.
"You're awfully quiet, Takeru." Toji's voice was almost conversational now, but there was an edge beneath it. "This doesn't suit you."
Takeru's jaw worked, his throat tight. "Unc... Uncle." His voice came out strangled, hoarse. "Uncle."
Toji raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"Don't you have more words to say?" Toji asked while raising an eyebrow.
Takeru's hands clenched into fists at his sides, trembling. "Uncle, you killed him. You killed that poor guy. Just... just like that."
"Poor guy?" Toji's expression shifted to disappointment. "Him? This Hiro? Don't be ridiculous, Takeru. I didn't raise you to be this soft." He stepped closer, his voice sharpening. "And I especially didn't raise you to feel bad for scum like this."
"But….." Takeru started.
"No buts." Toji's voice rose. "I had that place investigated thoroughly. Every detail. Every angle. Hiro burned the whole place down to the ground. Trucks? Gone. Guns? Gone. The shipment?" He paused, his voice louder than ever. "The shipment. Gone."
Takeru swallowed hard but forced himself to speak. "The shipment was only worth a million yen." His voice was quiet but steady. "Hiro was worth more."
Toji's eyes narrowed. "Didn't you just listen to what I said? The trucks. The guns. Do you think they came for free? Do you know who ultimately has to bear that cost?" He stepped even closer, looming. "You think this is just about a million yen? You could pay that with a week's salary. But what Hiro did was not acceptable. The failure. The incompetence."
He turned away, walking toward a metal table in the corner of the bunker, gesturing for Takeru to follow. "Now. Let's sit down and discuss the future."
Takeru hesitated for only a moment, then followed. He picked up his shield from where it leaned against the wall. He took his seat first and placed his shield to the side.
Toji sat across from him and placed his interlocked fingers on the table.
"It seems like you still don't accept my decision," Toji said with a lower tone. His tone had sadness and it felt like he was also regretting the decision.
Takeru's jaw tightened. He met his uncle's gaze, forcing himself not to look away. "I've always looked up to you. I've accepted everything you've ever said. But this... there was no second chance. You could have fired him. Or sent him to some other division, I don't know. But you didn't even…."
"Send him to another division?" Toji interrupted. "Make our problem somebody else's? Firing him wasn't an option either. When you join the mafia, Takeru, you know what you're signing up for. This is how the Kurotsuki Mafia works." He paused, letting each word land with weight. "There is only one way out. And Hiro found that way today."
Takeru looked down at his hands, clenched on the table.
"Now," Toji continued, his voice returning to that businesslike tone, "we move on. Understand?"
Takeru nodded slowly, the fight draining out of him. "What do you want to know?"
"This vigilante problem." Toji pulled out a small notebook, flipping it open. "Last time I talked to you, your main suspect was a student. You said the vigilante had some electricity-based powers, which is why you suspected this particular student." He looked up. "And now you're telling me he has telekinetic powers?"
Takeru exhaled, organizing his thoughts. "Yes. That's what my men told me. They said this encounter was completely different from the person they had faced earlier."
Toji's eyes sharpened. "So you're telling me there are two vigilantes? Or are they the same person with different powers?"
"I'm not sure." Takeru ran a hand through his hair, frustration creeping into his voice. "Hiro and the others told me the vigilante had the same proportions. Same build, same height, same general figure. Just... different powers."
"Interesting." Toji made a note. Then he looked up again. "Also, we didn't find the phone that Hiro lost. It's either burnt in all that fire or worse, the vigilante has it."
"It was a flip phone. No GPS. Its entire purpose is to be disposable. But yes, the vigilante possessing it would be the worst outcome.", Takeru said with a calmer tone than before. The trembling feeling had disappeared.
"What about the SIM card?" Toji asked.
"It was designed in a way that it can't be traced back to us. Otherwise, it could lead directly here. To the organization." Takeru gestured vaguely. "So it's not a single point of failure. Even if someone tries to trace it, they'll hit dead ends."
Toji nodded slowly. "Okay then. I'll talk to someone on the tech team. We'll disable the SIM entirely just to be safe."
"Thank you, Uncle," Takeru said quietly.
Toji closed the notebook, setting it aside. He exhaled deeply, his expression shifting to something more... calculating.
"Do you think you can take him?" he asked. "This vigilante."
Takeru straightened slightly. "I've decided to increase the workforce in my division. I have a clear plan." His voice gained confidence as he spoke. "I'll have fifteen men on lookout instead of just five. Out of those fifteen, four will have powers instead of just one. We'll set up better coordination, better communication. We will catch this vigilante."
"That's not what I asked." Toji's voice cut through the explanation. "I mean, can you, personally, go after this guy and solve this vigilante problem once and for all? Can you do that?"
Takeru hesitated, his confidence faltering. "Well, I'm a... a hero. I don't think I should…."
"You are our hero," Toji interrupted, his voice hard. "Not the 'Shield of the Locals' crap people talk about on the news. You are the Shield of the Kurotsuki Mafia." He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "I would trust you to take this vigilante out more than whatever fifteen-man firing squad you have in mind."
Takeru opened his mouth but stopped immediately so that he could frame his question properly first.
"But what if he's... what if he's saving people when I encounter him?" The question came out quieter than he had intended.
Toji's expression didn't change. "This was a yes or no question, Takeru." He paused, then added, almost casually, "You can always turn the narrative."
"What do you mean?" Takeru asked with a frown, confusion crossing his face.
Toji smiled. "Who would be the more popular hero in that situation? A random vigilante who thinks he can take on the Kurotsuki Mafia?" He let the question hang. "Or you? An established hero, ranked twentieth in all of Japan?" He leaned back, his smile widening. "The media loves a story. Give them the right one."
Takeru stared at him, the implications sinking in.
"Now tell me," Toji said, his voice dropping to something quieter, more dangerous. "Will you bring me the head of this vigilante, Shirai Takeru?"
Takeru's hand clenched into a fist on the table. He held his uncle's gaze, something hardening in his expression.
"Yes," he said finally. "I will, Uncle."
******************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, across the city, Kazama sat at his desk, surrounded by textbooks and notes.
His concentration was absolute. His hand moved steadily across the page, solving practice problems with methodical precision.
Hana had come by twice already. Once with tea, once with a small plate of rice crackers. Each time she paused in the doorway, watching him study with a mixture of pride and concern before quietly leaving him to his work.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound broke the silence.
Kazama's hand stopped mid-equation. His eyes flicked to the side of his desk where Hiro's flip phone sat partially hidden under a stack of papers.
It buzzed again. The vibration made it shift slightly against the wood.
What! Kazama's jaw tightened. The timing couldn't be worse. The exam is the day after tomorrow, and this phone is buzzing now?
He stared at it for a moment, torn.
Shit. I guess I have no choice. I should check it.
He set down his pen and picked up the phone, flipping it open. The screen glowed with a new message notification.
From: Kizuki
"Hey where are you bro? Haven't heard back from you for a while. Hope everything is alright."
Kazama frowned, his mind immediately analyzing.
Who is this Kizuki? Is he from the mafia? Or just a friend or family member?
He scrolled through the contact list briefly. Most names were obviously fake with codenames like "Hawk," "Viper," "Lotus." But this one just said "Kizuki." A real name.
This is most likely a disposable mafia phone. If they could track it, they would have already. It's good I tested this by burying it under soil for a day in the park.
The phone buzzed again.
From: Kizuki
"Hey broooooooooo"
Kazama's eye twitched slightly. He took a breath, thinking carefully.
I need to make sure this guy doesn't suspect anything. I'll send something generic.
He typed carefully:
"Hey!"
The response came almost immediately.
From: Kizuki
"Wtf. You never type 'Hey.'"
Kazama stopped, staring at the screen.
What? What is this?
He thought quickly, improvising.
"I'm just a little drunk. Idk lol."
From: Kizuki
"Hahahahaahaha! This is so you xD. You suck."
Kazama allowed himself a small grimace, then typed:
"No you suck."
From: Kizuki
"For you anything my pookie hahahahahaha."
Kazama closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
I will for sure have an aneurysm after this conversation. I just need to get more information, and then I'm burning this phone.
He opened his eyes and typed:
"So what's up?"
From: Kizuki
"How did your shipment go???"
Kazama's expression sharpened. He sat up straighter.
Confirmed. He's from the mafia. I didn't even have to dig for it.
"It was smooth! I kicked ass."
From: Kizuki
"Shipment's ass? You are sooo funny! Hahahahaha"
Kazama exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay in character.
"How did yours go?"
From: Kizuki
"Smooothhh! Like that woman we were eyeing the other day!"
Kazama's expression twisted slightly with disgust, but he forced himself to type:
"Yeah man she was so fine"
From: Kizuki
"Totally my type hahahahaha"
"Yeah"
From: Kizuki
"Wait that day you said she was your type"
Kazama paused, cursing internally.
"Oh did I? I'm drunk. I forgot lol."
From: Kizuki
"Hahahaha. Yeah yeah."
Can't drag this conversation any further. I need to be more direct but subtle.
"When does your shift end? We can hang out"
From: Kizuki
"You don't know when my shift ends? What is up with you?!!?"
Kazama's fingers tightened on the phone.
"I'm still drunk. Remember?"
From: Kizuki
"Ah right."
Phew. A small smile crossed Kazama's face. This guy is really dumb.
From: Kizuki
"There is a new shipment next week around 11pm. I guess someone from another division couldn't do their job. Lolololol."
Kazama's smile widened slightly not with humor, but with grim satisfaction. He knew exactly who that "someone" was.
"Yeah right. I wonder who that would be."
From: Kizuki
"Yeah. So meet you there?"
"Where? I think I drank like 5 bottles."
From: Kizuki
"Loooool. We are going to be near the Yokohama port. It's a bit far but super cool."
Kazama's eyes narrowed. He typed his final message carefully:
"I'll be there. Definitely."
He set the phone down, staring at it for a long moment.
Yokohama port. Next week. 11 PM.
He committed the details to memory then closed the phone and pushed it aside.
His eyes drifted back to his textbooks but his mind was elsewhere as well now. Already planning. Already preparing.
The exam was in two days.
But next week... next week he had work to do.