Chapter 20
The city was alive with sirens and distant gunfire, but here—on this deserted street—time felt frozen.
Kaito's grip tightened on his pistol. Reina's fingers hovered near her last magazine. Toshiro was rigid, eyes darting for an escape route.
The man in the limousine smiled. Unbothered. Unshaken.
"Come now," he said smoothly. "Do you really think you have a choice?"
Silence.
The assassins behind them were still recovering from the flash grenade, but they wouldn't stay disoriented forever. No time.
Kaito glanced at Reina. A silent conversation passed between them.
She gave the smallest nod.
He exhaled, lowered his gun, and stepped forward. "Fine. Let's talk."
The door unlocked with a soft click.
A Devil in the Shadows
Inside, the limousine was pristine. Leather seats, crystal glasses, a faint scent of cologne and gunpowder.
The man studied them like a scientist observing a caged animal. He wasn't Kyosei. But he carried the same aura. Power. Confidence. A man used to control.
Toshiro was the first to break the silence. "Who the hell are you?"
The man chuckled, swirling his whiskey. "A businessman. Like Kyosei."
Kaito's jaw tightened. "That's not an answer."
The man took a sip, savoring it. Then he leaned forward.
"They call me Takahiro Inoue. But you can call me 'your only way out of this mess.'"
The Deal
Reina's eyes were sharp, calculating. "What do you want?"
Takahiro set his glass down. "Simple. I want Kyosei dead."
Toshiro scoffed. "We don't even know if he's alive."
Takahiro smirked. "Oh, he's alive. And very much in control."
He tapped the armrest of his seat. A screen slid out, showing live footage.
Kyosei.
Sitting in a penthouse, sipping tea, watching the city like a king gazing at his kingdom. Alive. Real.
Reina's fingers twitched. Toshiro's face paled.
Kaito stared. So it was true.
Takahiro's voice was smooth. "You want revenge? You want answers? I can give you both. But I need you to do something for me first."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Takahiro smiled.
"Kill his right-hand man."
The Ghost General
The screen shifted.
A new image appeared.
A man standing amidst bodies, holding a katana. Unmoving. Expressionless. A ghost in human skin.
Toshiro cursed under his breath. "No way…"
Reina's face darkened. "That's… that's impossible."
Kaito's fingers curled into fists. He knew that face.
The Ghost General.
Kyosei's most ruthless enforcer. A man who had vanished three years ago, the same night Kyosei was declared dead.
Now he was back.
Takahiro's voice was calm. "Take him out, and you'll get everything you need."
Kaito's pulse was pounding.
This was it.
The next move in a game where every piece was covered in blood.
To Be Continued…