Late at night on the highway, a black vintage Porsche was speeding with such ferocity that its age was impossible to guess. It weaved through traffic, tires screeching harshly as they bit into the asphalt.
In its wake, a storm of bullets came screaming through the air, scorching and relentless.
Through the rearview mirror, no fewer than ten vehicles could be seen giving chase, surrounding and attacking Gin's Porsche.
Vodka, gripping the steering wheel tightly, was doing his best to evade the hail of gunfire. Even in this chaos, he hadn't removed his sunglasses."They just keep coming! What should I do, brother?!"
His expression remained icy as he clutched his wounded right shoulder, which had been grazed by a bullet. Bracing himself, he extended his right arm out the window and opened fire with his pistol.
Several bullets struck the tires of a car ahead, causing it to skid violently and crash into the side barrier.Then—BOOM!A powerful explosion rocked the highway.
A truck carrying paint cans had been struck. One of the bullets had ignited the solvents onboard, triggering a fiery blast.
Through the flames, a black SUV sped past, swerving nimbly through panicked cars and catching up to the Porsche in moments. It pulled into a parallel lane, matching its speed.
From its window, a light machine gun emerged. Sensing imminent danger, Vodka slammed on the brakes and ducked his head.
The SUV's gunfire tore into the Porsche's hood, peppering it with bullet holes. But before the gunner could revel in his advantage, a bullet pierced his forehead—his head jerking back as blood sprayed from the exit wound.
Up above, a helicopter descended with a roar, its searchlight sweeping the highway. Perched at the open cockpit was a woman in black tights, crouching and wielding a sniper rifle.
"You two are such a mess."
"Spare me the sarcasm, Chianti."
Gin's voice was razor-sharp.
"Where are the others?"
"Relax—backup's coming!"
As Chianti finished her sentence, another helicopter swept in from the right. A man in the cabin, armed with a sniper rifle, took a clean shot that dropped another enemy driver instantly.
He stomped on the gas, launching the Porsche forward once more. Meanwhile, the killers from the Zoo continued their pursuit, bullets riddling the Porsche 365A's frame until it looked like a ruin. Thankfully, Gin's car had been heavily modified; otherwise, they would have been toast by now.
"Tch, tch... the action looks like a movie. I bet it'd sell out at the box office."
"What are you trying to say, Bourbon?"
Gin kept his calm despite firing at a pursuing vehicle. A small earpiece crackled with Bourbon's voice.
"Things are getting too intense. The police have started moving. You should be careful."
"I don't need you to tell me that."
"Hmm... One more thing. There's a checkpoint about six kilometers ahead. Also, Rum's furious. He says he's ready to crush the Zoo and seize their assets."
At that moment, a Hummer roared from behind, its submachine guns blazing. Relying on its sheer weight, it plowed forward with brute force, blasting a path through the chaos.
"It's Tequila's ride."
Vodka recognized it instantly.
With reinforcements from the Organization, plus sniper cover from above, the Zoo's assassins were soon overrun. But by now, they were barely a kilometer away from the police checkpoint Bourbon had warned them about.
Sirens howled behind them—herding them straight into the trap.
"Hey! What now? The cops even sent helicopters!" Chianti's voice came through the earpiece.
"Want me to take out the pilots?" Calvados asked.
Gin hesitated only a moment before replying:
"Tequila, ditch the car. Take the helicopter."
The situation had escalated too much.
Although Gin, as head of the action team, didn't answer directly to intelligence or cleanup divisions, he still had to tread carefully. He knew all too well: after tonight, both the Japanese police and public security would crank up the pressure on the Organization.
Starting a war with the authorities now would only add fuel to the fire.
Fortunately, the mission had been a success.
Snake, a high-ranking member of the Zoo, was dead—his forehead pierced by a bullet from Gin. Although Gin often said he didn't remember the names or faces of those he killed, Snake had left a mark... after all, he'd wounded him.
The Organization's helicopter landed. Gin and his team abandoned the Porsche and boarded the chopper to escape.
Hayashi Yoshiki noticed something peculiar: the citizens of Mihua City really had nerves of steel.
Despite a massive gunfight and explosion on the highway making headline news, the excitement died down in a few days. Soon, the newspapers were once again filled with Kogoro Mori's crime-solving escapades.
But behind the scenes, the police and public security were extremely active.
Because of that, Gin had kept a low profile and hadn't given Hayashi Yoshiki any bizarre assignments recently.
"Nice to see you again, Dr. Fudo."
"Likewise. Please have a seat, Mr. Hayashi."
At the Mika Pharmacist Hospital, it was time for Hayashi Yoshiki's regular counseling session.
Kyosuke Fudo wore a relaxed smile. After welcoming Hayashi into the cardiology office, he took the initiative:
"Mr. Hayashi, I've decided to change my name—to Kousuke Fudo. From now on, you can call me that."
"Yes. Honestly, I feel this name suits me better than the old one. I probably should've made this decision sooner."
After a series of hypnosis and suggestive therapy, he had finally succeeded in nudging Kyosuke to change his name.
But a simple name change wasn't enough.
He needed Kyosuke Fudo to fully internalize his new identity—and eventually erase all memory of his previous one.
"Alright then, let's begin today's session, Kousuke."
Kousuke Fudo closed his eyes, quickly slipping into the right mental state.