Captain Aiku's car slowly approached the location Rin had sent. The area was filled with old, abandoned warehouses and empty cargo containers stacked nearby. Some containers were rusting, while others remained locked.
Aiku brought his car to a halt, killing the engine and scanning the area for any sign of Rin.
Flickering streetlights cast an eerie glow on the cracked asphalt. The dim light allowed Aiku to spot a figure in a hoodie facing his car.
As the person approached, Aiku's suspicions grew, but he waited to see what they would do next. The figure drew closer, its movements unhurried, and then opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
Aiku swiftly drew his gun, training it on the mysterious figure now seated in his car. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The individual raised their hands in surrender, but Aiku's gaze remained unwavering. "I won't ask again. Who are you?"
The figure hesitated before responding, "It's me." Aiku's eyes narrowed. "You who?" The person slowly pulled back its hood, revealing himself to be Vice-Captain Rin Hatake.
Captain Aiku's tension eased when he recognized Rin's face. "What are you doing here alone?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Rin pointed toward a figure walking in the distance. "I'm here for him." Aiku's eyes narrowed. "Why? What's his connection to you?"
Rin turned to his captain, his expression serious. "He's our key to solving this case."
Aiku's interest piqued, he asked, "What do you mean?"
Rin explained, "My research points to him, but his records suggest he's not the mastermind. That's why I'm following him – I believe he's the master's trusted pawn." Aiku's eyes locked onto the mysterious figure. "What do you mean by 'trusted pawn'?"
"Whenever these shockwaves occur, he's always nearby," Rin said, his eyes fixed on the mysterious figure. Aiku raised an eyebrow. "For real?" Rin nodded. "That's why I've been keeping an eye on him. He always heads to that abandoned warehouse."
As if on cue, the man approached the warehouse, scanning his surroundings cautiously before entering. Rin turned to Aiku. "That's why I called you here. Let's investigate that warehouse together."
Aiku nodded; his eyes locked on Rin's. "Okay, let's go." But before they could move, Rin held up a hand, saying "Wait." Rin drew a second pistol from his waistband and handed it to Aiku, the cold metal gleaming in the dim light.
Aiku's brow furrowed in question. "Why?" he asked. Rin's expression was serious. "We can't use our registered guns – they can be traced." Aiku's gaze dropped to the pistol, and he nodded in understanding. "You have a point," he said.
The two men quietly exited the car, moving stealthily towards the warehouse their suspect had entered.
They crept closer, their footsteps silent on the dusty ground. Aiku and Rin flattened themselves against the warehouse walls, one on either side of the door. The air was thick with tension while they reloaded their pistols, the metallic clicks echoing softly. Aiku nodded to Rin; his eyes locked on the door. "Let's go in on three," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Aiku counted down with his fingers: 3, 2, 1. "Go!" The two men burst through the creaky door, their pistols at the ready, and stepped into the warehouse.
Once the door creaked open, darkness swallowed them whole, and a menacing laughter echoed through the warehouse. "Ha ha ha!"
The voice, low and gravelly, seemed to come from all directions at once. "Did you really think I hadn't noticed you?" The laughter paused, and the voice grew colder. "How dare you enter my territory without permission?"
Aiku and Rin stood frozen, their eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of the speaker. The voice continued, its tone dripping with amusement. "You think you can leave here alive? Such a joke." The laughter resumed, sending shivers down their spines.
The snap of fingers was like a spark to gasoline. The warehouse lights blazed to life, revealing an army of gangsters.
Aiku's eyes widened in alarm upon realizing that they were grossly outnumbered. The mysterious figure emerged from the shadows on the top floor, with each step into the light, his features slowly took shape.
Rin's suspicions were confirmed the moment the low tier criminal Tanaka Kenji, emerged from the shadows on the top floor. "Kill them!" Kenji bellowed, his voice echoing through the warehouse. Rin gripped his gun tightly and turned to Aiku. "You ready?" he asked. Aiku's response was immediate: "Yeah, let's kick some ass."
With fast reflexes, Rin raised his pistol and unleashed a burst of gunfire, his aim precise and deadly. Several gangsters crumpled to the ground, giving them a narrow opening to dash behind a nearby pillar. The remaining gangsters quickly returned fire, their bullets whizzing past the pillar Rin and Aiku sought for cover.