Tokyo has been a bit uneasy in recent days.
Especially for the residents of Beika Town and Ekoda Town, various unexplained shooting incidents have been frequently reported in the news over the past two days. Some citizens even discovered gunshot victims while walking in parks early in the morning or in remote areas.
This phenomenon caused widespread panic, prompting the Metropolitan Police Department to take more drastic measures.
[According to the police investigation, the recent frequent shootings are likely the result of conflicts between two criminal factions.][The Metropolitan Police Department claims to have obtained relevant intelligence and evidence and will soon bring an end to this turmoil. In the meantime, they urge the general public to avoid going out late at night and to stay away from secluded areas unless absolutely necessary.][The leader of the Italian mafia group, Dino Cabana, has been arrested!]
"The police successfully solved a kidnapping case!?"
That scene occurred on the evening of May 2nd.
The red sunset had dyed the entire sky with a sorrowful beauty. In an open area in the suburbs, Yoko Okino stood trembling, holding a blood-stained knife.
Staring at the corpse lying in a pool of blood before her, heart pierced and lifeless, Yoko Okino's face was filled with horror.
Her once-charming face, now speckled with blood, had turned pale.
Moments later, the knife slipped from her hand with a metallic clang. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the ground as if all strength had left her.
"I didn't mean to kill him... No... please, no..."
Tears welled up and blurred her vision.
A powerful male voice echoed from the side. Yoko Okino immediately stopped crying and looked over. A group of lights and cameras came into focus. The director, holding a megaphone, shouted joyfully, "Very good! No issues with this scene. Yoko, your acting was excellent!"
Yoko Okino let out a sigh of relief, and the "corpse" in front of her also stood up.
At that moment, the smiling director declared the day's shoot complete and turned to Hayashi Yoshiki, who was standing nearby:
"What do you think, Mr. Hayashi?"
"Well, that was intense. I didn't expect filming a TV drama to be ," Hayashi Yoshiki replied with a smile.
"Haha! It's thanks to you, our consultant, that things are going so smoothly."
The director was all smiles and generous with praise. "Do you know? Ever since we announced to the media that you'd joined the team as a consultant, anticipation for the show has skyrocketed. It's a hit even before its release!"
"I think it's mainly thanks to Yoko's popularity," Hayashi replied modestly.
"You're too kind, Yoshiki-kun."
At this point, Yoko Okino, now cleaned of the prop blood, walked over with a smile.
As there were others present, she and Hayashi Yoshiki maintained a respectful distance. No one suspected anything unusual.
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled softly.
He was currently serving as a case consultant for this mystery drama. Originally, the director had planned to hire Kogoro Mori, but upon Yoko Okino's suggestion, the role went to Hayashi Yoshiki instead.
The crew began clearing the set.
Yoko's agent hurried to her side to check on her well-being.
After confirming everything was in order, the director turned to Hayashi Yoshiki:
"Let the staff handle the clean-up. Mr. Hayashi, let's head back to the hotel."
"Sounds good. By the time we get down the mountain, it'll be nearly dinnertime."
"Haha! The food at that hotel is something to look forward to. A nice meal, a hot bath, a drink... Coming here to film was the right choice!"
"Now I'm looking forward to it."
The filming location was a shrine on the outskirts of town.
It was a popular tourist spot, and the crew had booked out a renowned hot spring hotel at the base of the mountain.
On the way to the hotel, Yoko Okino smiled at Hayashi Yoshiki.
She seemed quietly excited.
A vintage Porsche came to a stop on a street in Beika Town.
In a gray car beside it, the driver looked curiously at the lowered window across from him—and saw a man in black in the passenger seat pointing a light machine gun his way—
Da-da-da-da-da-da-da—!!!
Before anyone could react, Gin opened fire. A torrent of bullets roared from the fast-spinning barrel, ripping through the gray car.
Pedestrians were momentarily stunned by the sudden, terrifying scene—then chaos erupted as everyone screamed and fled.
Gin remained cold and detached.
With a cruel smile, he riddled everyone in the car with bullets, then turned the gun on a nearby vehicle. The ongoing hail of bullets shredded the car until it resembled a torn paper model.
Inside the second vehicle, several enemy agents were slaughtered before they could act. Moments later, bullets punctured the fuel tank. Sparks caught the leaking gasoline, igniting the vehicle in a fiery explosion.
Vodka grinned and slammed on the gas. The black Porsche 356A roared away from the burning wreckage.
"Their vigilance is pathetic. They don't compare to even our organization's lowest grunts."
"An organization that clings to the fantasy of a legend," Gin sneered. "Even the boss is deluded. What do you expect from his underlings?"
"Heh." Vodka chuckled.
The overall strength of the zoo (a code name for another organization) was incomparable to that of the Black Organization (also referred to as "the winery").
Despite years of underground activity, the zoo still hadn't touched the legendary gemstone Pandora. Even Kuroba Toichi, whom they thought they had assassinated, was still alive and active. Their efforts had amounted to nothing.
By contrast, the Black Organization had not only survived clashes with the FBI, CIA, and other law enforcement agencies but had also developed black technologies and possessed heavy weaponry like armed helicopters and submarines.
Suddenly, Vodka's phone lit up.
"Boss, it's about Bourbon."
"He's located that guy—Snake. He's in Ekoda City."
"Ekoda, huh? Let's move."
Gin gave the order immediately.
He was more than eager to greet the fool who dared to challenge the organization—with bullets.