Chapter 23
The gunman's finger tightened on the trigger.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Kaito dove for cover. Bullets shredded the air where he had stood a second ago. Toshiro groaned, clutching his injured side, while Reina had already taken cover behind a stack of crates.
The Ghost General didn't move.
He simply watched.
As if he had expected this.
An Unwelcome Guest
The gunman stepped forward, rifle still smoking. His voice was distorted through a voice modulator.
"Kaito Tanaka. You just don't know when to stop."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. The stance, the way they moved—this was no amateur.
"Who the hell are you?"
The gunman tilted his head.
"The one cleaning up your mess."
Then he turned his rifle—and fired at the Ghost General.
A Foe Turned Ally?
The Ghost General's blade flashed.
Bullets split in midair. Sparks rained down as he closed the distance between himself and the attacker.
The gunman was fast.
But the General was faster.
A single slash—
The gunman dodged, barely. A deep cut tore through his tactical vest, but he rolled backward and threw a smoke grenade.
HISSSSS—
The room filled with thick, choking smoke.
Kaito coughed, blinking against the haze.
"Reina! Toshiro!"
"I'm here!" Reina's voice came from somewhere in the fog.
Toshiro groaned. "Still alive. Barely."
A voice cut through the smoke.
"You're lucky, Kaito. This was just a warning."
The gunman's silhouette moved.
The sound of a motorcycle engine roared to life.
Then—silence.
He was gone.
A Temporary Truce
As the smoke cleared, Kaito found himself face-to-face with the Ghost General.
No weapons drawn.
Just watching.
Reina raised her knife. "You gonna keep fighting?"
The General exhaled. "No."
Kaito frowned. "Just like that?"
The Ghost General nodded. "You're not my enemy."
Toshiro scoffed. "Could've fooled us."
The General sheathed his sword. "That gunman… He's not with Kyosei. And he's not with you."
Kaito's jaw clenched. "Then who the hell is he working for?"
The General's expression darkened.
"There's a third player in this game."
And for the first time since Kyosei's return—
Kaito felt real fear.
To Be Continued…