The cold, rainy morning felt heavier than usual.

  Takashi stood by the window, a cup of hot coffee warming his hands as he watched people rushing through the streets below.

  Sota was still asleep in the other room.

  For a brief moment, Takashi wished he could keep him there... away from Shirogawa, away from that world.

  But he knew he couldn’t.

  Sota needed to go back.

  He felt exhausted.

  It seemed as if he hadn’t truly slept since the night they first met.

  So much had happened since then.

  Today, he had to find a way to shut down that warehouse.

  “They’re ruthless,” his father had told the Chief back then.

  Takashi tightened his grip on the cup.

  What would they do to Sota if they found out?

  His eyes drifted toward the bedroom door.

  And it wasn’t just Sota anymore.

  There was Kenta.

  There was Ryo.

  They were standing alone against something far bigger than themselves.

  This wasn’t only about his father anymore.

  It was about every person they had destroyed.

  His father’s colleague.

  Sota’s childhood.

  Those scars carved into his back.

  Sota had never said it out loud

  but Takashi knew.

  They had done something to his parents.

  That evil had existed for years.

  And it had to end.

  He slipped on his jacket and closed the door quietly.

  Whatever waited ahead, he was ready.

  And he would find a way.

  There were already a few people in the office, some working quietly, others arriving one by one.

  Takashi walked straight to Kenta’s desk and pulled out a chair.

  “Good morning, Mr. Ishida. It’s strange to see you working this early,”

  he said with a faint smile.

  “Good morning, Takashi,”

  Kenta replied, studying his face.

  “It seems you didn’t sleep again.”

  “No,” Takashi admitted.

  “Sota visited me last night.”

  He leaned forward slightly.

  “Why are you here so early? What’s going on?”

  Kenta smiled.

  “I’ve been coming early all week. You just noticed now.”

  Takashi blinked.

  “I’ve been looking into the people who worked with your father back then,”

  Kenta continued.

  “But I haven’t found anything suspicious.”

  Takashi exhaled slowly.

  “Nothing at all?”

  Kenta stayed silent for a moment, his expression shifting.

  “There is… something,” he finally said.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Takashi’s eyes sharpened.

  “But I’m not sure what to think about it.”

  He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

  “Kenji Watanabe.”

  Takashi frowned slightly.

  “What about him?”

  Kenta glanced around before continuing.

  “He received some kind of inheritance the same year your father died.”

  He paused.

  “I don’t know what to make of it.”

  “That’s suspicious,”

  Takashi said quietly, leaning closer.

  “I’ll show his photo to Sota. Maybe he’ll recognize him. If he really is the mole, there’s a chance he visited his boss at some point.”

  Kenta nodded slowly.

  “That would be great.”

  His jaw tightened.

  “I’d really like to see that bastard exposed.”

  Takashi didn’t answer right away.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kenta asked.

  Takashi lifted his head.

  “I talked to Sota last night. There’s a warehouse in Shirogawa. Weapons. Drugs.” He paused. “We need to enter it. And I need to talk to the Chief.”

  Kenta blinked in surprise.

  “You’re going to tell the Chief? If there’s a mole in the department, they’ll know we’re coming.”

  Takashi held his gaze.

  “How much do you trust your team?”

  Kenta frowned slightly.

  “For a few of them, I can guarantee discretion. Why?”

  “I can guarantee mine too,”

  Takashi replied calmly.

  “I’ll find a way to shut that warehouse down. And no one will know about it except the people we choose.”

  He leaned closer.

  “Are you with me?”

  Kenta stared at him for a second, then scoffed lightly.

  “You know the answer,” he said. “Why do you even ask?”

  “Then… I’m going to the Chief’s office. I hope he’ll accept my plan.”

  Takashi stood up.

  Kenta straightened in his chair.

  “Don’t talk to anyone before I finish the conversation,” Takashi added quietly.

  “The warehouse isn’t heavily guarded. We won’t need many people.”

  His expression turned serious.

  “Only the ones we can trust.”

  Kenta nodded once.

  “You have them,” he said. “Just make sure the Chief is really on our side.”

  “Let’s hope I can convince him.”

  Takashi placed his hands on his hips and exhaled deeply.

  Then he leaned closer to Kenta, lowering his voice.

  “Kenji was at the last meeting about Red Fury, right?”

  he asked quietly.

  “Yes,” Kenta confirmed without hesitation.

  Takashi’s jaw tightened.

  “We should keep an eye on him for now.”

  “You’re right,”

  Kenta said, leaning back in his chair.

  “If he’s the one, he’ll be cautious. It’s better if we act normal for now.”

  Takashi nodded.

  “I’m going to the Chief’s office.”

  Takashi straightened his posture.

  “Let’s hope he listens.”

  Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.

  Kenta remained leaning back in his chair, watching him go.

  He knocked on the Chief’s office door and waited for him to call him in.

  To his surprise, the Chief opened the door himself, and they found themselves face to face in the doorway.

  “Good morning, Takashi.”

  The Chief smiled warmly.

  “I was just about to grab a coffee. Is everything all right?”

  “I need to talk to you about something,”

  Takashi said, not stepping aside.

  “Do you have a moment?”

  The Chief studied his face for a second.

  Then the smile faded slightly.

  “Of course. Come in.”

  “Please, sit down,” the Chief offered, gesturing toward the chair.

  “I’ll stand,” Takashi replied quietly.

  He didn’t pull the chair out. Instead, he placed both hands on its back and leaned slightly toward the desk.

  “But you should sit,” he added, looking directly at the Chief.

  The color slowly drained from the Chief’s face.

  “Takashi…?” His voice cracked slightly.

  “What’s going on?”

  He lowered himself into the chair, gripping the armrests as if bracing for something.

  “Chief…”

  Takashi lowered his voice.

  “I need your help. And I need you to trust me with what I’m about to say.”

  He looked straight at him.

  The Chief stayed silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

  “I’ve always trusted you, Takashi. Tell me. What is it?”

  Takashi let go of the chair and placed his hands on his hips, under his jacket.

  “Chief, I need a warrant to enter a warehouse in Shirogawa. It’s owned by Keisuke Arata…”

  He paused.

  The Chief’s expression turned serious.

  “I have information that there are drugs and weapons stored inside.”

  The Chief interrupted him.

  “Are you sure about that? Because if you are, I’ll get the warrant and call a meeting immediately.”

  Takashi’s voice dropped even lower.

  “No meeting. No one can know about this.”

  The Chief stood up slowly.

  “Takashi… I can’t just...”

  “Please,” Takashi cut him off, his tone firm but controlled.

  “Just listen until the end. When you hear everything, you can decide whether to approve it or not. But this information cannot leave this office.”

  They stood there, looking at each other.

  “Only me, Kenta, and a few people from our team we trust,”

  Takashi continued.

  “And we need to do it tonight. After everyone leaves.”

  The Chief stared at him, disbelief slowly replacing calm.

  “Do you realize what you’re asking me to do, Takashi?” he said quietly.

  “I can’t hide something like this from my superiors.”

  He shook his head slowly.

  “I need to know the reason,”

  the Chief said, gathering papers from his desk as if that would help him avoid Takashi’s eyes.

  “Who is your source?”

  “I need you to trust me,” Takashi replied firmly.

  “I can’t tell you anything.”

  He paused, then stepped closer.

  “Have you ever wondered why every one of our operations failed?”

  His voice lowered.

  He leaned forward slightly, forcing the Chief to look at him.

  “I’ve suspected it for a long time. And my source confirmed my suspicion.”

  Takashi placed both hands on the desk.

  “Chief… I’m sorry for what I’m about to say.”

  He held his gaze steady.

  “But someone in our department is working for them.”

  The Chief slowly lifted his head.

  “Do you realize what you’re saying?”

  he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

  “Do you really think I didn’t think this through, Chief?”

  Takashi lowered his voice.

  “Think about it… I believe my father was betrayed too.”

  The Chief slowly sank back into his chair.

  “Even if that’s true…” he said quietly, “I can’t go against my superiors, Takashi.”

  “I’m not asking you to,”

  Takashi interrupted.

  His voice was calm now. Controlled.

  “If anything goes wrong tonight, I’ll take the blame. I’ll say I acted alone.”

  He held his gaze steady.

  “You can suspend me. You can say you had no idea.”

  The Chief looked up at him.

  “But if everything goes right,”

  Takashi continued,

  “you can call them afterward and say you had to act quickly. That the information was urgent.”

  He straightened slightly.

  “And I’m sure they’ll be satisfied with the result.”

  Silence filled the office.

  “Do you trust your source?”

  the Chief asked quietly.

  Takashi exhaled deeply.

  “Yes. I trust him.”

  The Chief remained silent for a long moment, studying him.

  Then, finally...

  “Then I’ll trust you.”

  He straightened in his chair.

  “Make sure everything goes well tonight.”

  Relief flashed across Takashi’s face.

  “Thank you, Chief. I won’t disappoint you.”

  He turned toward the door, but the Chief’s voice stopped him.

  “I told you once, Takashi… and I’ll tell you again.”

  Takashi paused and looked back.

  “Don’t make the same mistake your father did.”

  His voice was firm now.

  “We are the law. And we must act according to it.”

  He held Takashi’s gaze.

  “Just remember that.”

  For a moment, neither of them spoke.

  Takashi nodded once.

  “I will.”

  “I’ll send someone to bring you coffee,”

  Takashi added as he walked toward the door.

  The Chief gave a faint smile.

  “I think I’ll need something stronger than coffee,” he said quietly.

  Takashi closed the door behind him, leaving the Chief alone in his office.

  For a moment, the room was silent.

  The Chief stared at the papers spread across his desk.

  Then he slowly lifted his head.

  The softness in his expression disappeared.

  It hardened.

  Anger replaced hesitation.

  Almost in a whisper, he muttered to himself

  “Kenji Watanabe… your time has come.”