---May 2, 2016
---At Shinagawa Tokyo, Japan
The roar of an engine cut through the relative quiet of the Shinagawa ward as a speeding car entered, filled with billboards lighting up the skyline. Inside the car, Kenji glanced around nervously before his eyes widened in recognition.
"Out of all the places, Ryujin? You bring this right to where you live?" Kenji's voice held a mix of disbelief and accusation as he looked over at Ryujin, who was focused on navigating through the traffic.
Ryujin didn't take his eyes off the road, his jaw clenched. "It's strategic. Better to handle things in a place I know well."
Kenji shook his head slightly, turning his gaze back out the window. "If that's your strategy, it's a stupid one."
The lights of Shinagawa flickered over Ryujin's face as he drove through the streets, his mind clearly elsewhere. He remained silent, a plan formulating behind his stoic expression. The tension in the car was palpable, each man lost in his thoughts about the unfolding events and the roles they played.
As Ryujin drove swiftly through the bustling streets of Shinagawa, he and Kenji were locked in a heated debate.
"Why the hell would you choose to stay in Shinagawa?" Kenji's voice was laced with frustration.
"You know it's crawling with cops looking for guys like us!"
Ryujin shot a glance at Kenji, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "It's my turf, Kenji. I know every alley and exit route here. It's the best place for us to lay low and control the situation."
In the backseat, Sato nervously dialed Yumi's number, each unanswered call adding to his anxiety.
---Until...
As their argument continued, the car suddenly came to a screeching halt. Ryujin peered ahead and cursed under his breath.
"Roadblock..." he muttered.
Kenji leaned forward, trying to peer through the windshield.
"Are they checking all cars? We need a plan, Ryujin-"
"No time for plans," Ryujin snapped, quickly reversing the car.
"We need to get out of here, now. Sato, keep down!"
Sato nodded, his nerves fraying with each unanswered ring. "I-I'm trying, but she's not picking up."
"We can't just turn around; they'll see us!" Kenji protested, his voice rising in panic.
"I'm not planning to let them get a good look," Ryujin retorted, his eyes darting around for an escape route.
"I'm going to take the back alleys."
As Ryujin maneuvered the car sharply into a narrow alley, Kenji gripped the dashboard tightly. "If they catch us-..."
"They won't," Ryujin cut him off, his tone resolute.
"Keep watch for any tails. We need to shake them off before we can even think about next steps."
The tension among the men was palpable as they navigated through the dimly lit streets, each turn and twist heightening the uncertainty of their escape.
As the car careened backwards, Ryujin's knuckles turned white as he struggled to regain control.
"Dammit, Kenji! Hold on!" Ryujin shouted, his voice laced with frustration.
Kenji clutched onto the door handle, his heart pounding in his chest. "I can't believe this is happening!
Sato, his face drained of color, frantically unbuckled his seatbelt. "We need to get out of here!"
With a sickening crunch, the car collided with a nearby pole, sending metal twisting and glass shattering. Ryujin cursed loudly, his voice drowned out by the chaos of the crash.
"Get out, now!" Ryujin ordered, his tone urgent as he shoved open the door.
Kenji and Sato wasted no time, scrambling out of the wrecked vehicle and into the pandemonium of the street. As they sprinted away, the sound of sirens wailed in the distance, drawing closer with each passing second.
Onlookers gathered, their voices rising in alarm as they witnessed the scene unfolding before them.
"What's happening?"
"Is everyone okay?"
"Look, they're running!"
Ryujin gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over.
"Move, you idiots!" he shouted, pushing through the crowd with a determined stride.
As he broke through the crowd, one of the pursuing officers caught sight of him.
"There! That's Ryujin! After him!" the officer yelled, pointing directly at him, energizing the chase with renewed urgency.
Ryujin's heart sank as he heard his name. With Kenji and Sato already disappearing into the maze of alleyways, Ryujin knew he was momentarily on his own. With a final curse under his breath, he darted down a narrow side street, desperately hoping to lose his pursuers in the tangled network of the city.
As Ryujin, Kenji, and Sato emerged from the dark alleyway, they were momentarily shielded by the bustling crowd, a sea of unaware citizens going about their daily routines. The officers trailing them hesitated, losing momentum as they tried to navigate through the throng of people without causing a scene.
---But...
Before Ryujin could seize the moment to urge his companions forward, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Every billboard in the vicinity, once vibrant with colorful advertisements, suddenly went dark. Silence fell over the crowd as each screen flickered to life to reveal a stark, unsettling scene.
Takashi appeared, seated confidently on a foldable chair, the sinister gleam of Sato's revolver in his hand. Beside him, a visibly distraught Yumi sat, her eyes wide with fear. The room was dimly lit, focusing all attention on the grim tableau they presented.
Ryujin's heart sank, and Kenji audibly gasped, but it was Sato who felt the air leave his lungs in a rush, his worst fears materializing before his eyes.
Takashi's voice, filled with scorn, broke the eerie silence, echoing from the speakers all around.
"Here's a little truth for you all," he began, his tone mocking.
"The so-called upstanding officers of our police force are too terrified to touch the case of Ryujin Makibara, the notorious cafe Harmonia killer. Why? Because they fear what he, and his little moron buddy Kenji, might do next."
His laugh was cold, chilling to the bone. "They've even fed you lies that everyone walked away from that massacre. What a joke!"
His expression hardened as he leaned closer to the camera, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper.
"And now, they've lied to you all..." Takashi paused, a smirk playing on his lips before his voice rose in fury.
"They're all damn cowards!"
The crowd around Ryujin, Kenji, and Sato stirred uneasily, whispers growing as the implications of Takashi's words began to sink in. People pulled out their phones, recording the live broadcast, their expressions a mix of horror and disbelief.
Ryujin clenched his fists, feeling the weight of every eye potentially turning against them. He knew they had to move, and fast, before the situation escalated beyond their control. Kenji, still in shock, followed his lead, and Sato, torn between his concern for Yumi and the need to escape, hesitated only a moment before joining them.
They darted through the crowd, now dense with confusion and fear, as Takashi's laughter echoed ominously behind them, a haunting reminder of the chaos he had just unleashed.
---Until....
through the throngs of people, the sudden sound of gunshot echoes from the billboard speakers stopped Sato in his tracks. His mind instantly fixated on one terrifying possibility: Yumi in danger.
"No, no, no!" Sato exclaimed, his panic rising.
"I have to go back! Yumi...she's there...I have to!—"
Ryujin grabbed Sato's arm with a firm grip, pulling him back forcefully.
"You can't go back, Sato! It's a damn recording, not live! We need to get out of here now if you want any chance of helping her later!—"
"Let go of me, damn it!" Sato yelled, his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions, trying to wrench his arm free from Ryujin's grasp. His eyes were wild, darting back towards the direction of the billboards.
Kenji intervened, grabbing Sato's other arm. "Listen to Ryujin! We can't help Yumi if we get caught right here!"
Sato struggled against their hold, his breathing heavy, eyes wet with unshed tears. "She's all alone with that maniac! I can't just leave her!-"
"Calm down, we will figure this out," Ryujin said, his tone more controlled but insistent, trying to drag Sato further away from the scene and deeper into the crowd, hoping to blend in and avoid the gaze of law enforcement closing in around them.
---Meanwhile...
In the calm of a random office, Head Officer Masato Fujikawa was enjoying a rare moment of quiet, sipping his coffee and leafing through the morning newspaper when the door burst open. A younger officer, visibly flustered, rushed in.
"Sir, you need to see this right away!" the young officer, Lieutenant Suzuki, called out, ignoring the breach of protocol in his urgency.
Fujikawa set down his cup with a sharp clink.
"Lieutenant, what's the meaning of this interruption?" His voice was stern, demanding an explanation for the disruption.
Without hesitation, Suzuki approached, holding out his phone.
"It's urgent, sir. This video is going viral as we speak. It's from Shinagawa—shows former gang member Ryujin, Kenji, and detective Sato right in the middle of a major incident. They're all over social media, running from the police through crowded streets."
Fujikawa took the phone, his expression tightening as he watched the unfolding chaos. The footage was grainy, clearly taken by a bystander, but the figures of Ryujin, Kenji, and Sato were unmistakable. The billboards in the background displayed a disturbing message implicating police corruption and a cover-up involving Ryujin.
As he handed the phone back to Suzuki, Fujikawa's mind raced. "This complicates matters. If this gains more traction, it could undermine public confidence in the force. We need to control this narrative immediately."
"Sir, what are your orders?" Suzuki asked, ready to act.
Fujikawa paused, considering his next steps carefully.
"First, get our public relations team on this. We need a statement ready to counter these claims. Second, I want all available units redirected to apprehend Ryujin and his associates. They are not just criminals now; they've become a symbol of alleged police incompetence and corruption."
"Yes, sir," Suzuki responded, snapping to action.
"And Suzuki," Fujikawa added, his tone slightly softer, acknowledging the pressure they were under,
"keep this quiet within the department. We can't afford panic or rumors among the ranks. Handle it discreetly."
"Understood, sir," Suzuki nodded before hurrying out to execute the orders.
But before Suzuki could leave, Fujikawa called out one more instruction.
"Wait, one more thing. We can't overlook the kid in that billboard. murdering a pregnant woman in plain view of thousands is unspeakable. Make sure he's at the top of our priority list. We can't let him slip through the cracks."
Suzuki nodded gravely, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Consider it done, sir," Suzuki affirmed before hurrying out to carry out Fujikawa's commands.
As Lieutenant Suzuki quickly exited the office, Head Officer Fujikawa leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. The current crisis with Sato, the billboards, and the chaos in Shinagawa tugged at his mind, prompting a memory from just seven days prior, when he and Sato had shared a more personal moment in a dimly lit local bar.
---1 week earlier...
---April 25, 2016
---At Shibuya Tokyo, Japan
"How's Yumi and the baby?" Fujikawa had asked casually, taking a sip of his drink.
Sato had sighed, a shadow passing over his features.
"She's doing okay, but..." His voice trailed off, laden with hesitation. After a moment, he continued, his tone more somber.
"It's Ryujin and kenji. they become a serious problem."
Fujikawa's brow furrowed in concern. "Ryujin, Kenji?... Who are they exactly?"
"Ryujin and Kenji are old gang members, part of a group we busted about a year ago," Sato explained, his eyes darting around nervously.
"They were arrested but somehow they're back, and now they're pulling me into their mess."
The revelation made Fujikawa's stomach turn. "What happened when you encountered them?"
Sato's hands clenched around his glass.
"They cornered me a few days back. Ryujin was injured, got shot in the shoulder by one of our guys during a raid. Kenji was helping him walk, but Ryujin... he threatened me right there. Said if I didn't help cover their tracks, things would get worse for me and my family."
Fujikawa absorbed the details, a sense of urgency building within him. The implications of Sato's involvement, whether by coercion or fear, painted a complex picture of corruption and desperation.
"We need to deal with this, Sato. Ryujin and Kenji sounds dangerous, and if he's already threatening officers-..."
Sato nodded grimly. "I know, But my family is on the line...I never wanted any of this."
---Present day...
Snapping back to the present, Fujikawa's mind reeled from the unfolding crisis on the billboards, a stark reminder of how deep the rot had spread. As he pondered the best course of action, he muttered to himself,
"What's happened to you, Sato?..."
It was a mix of concern and disappointment, reflecting the weight of his responsibilities as an officer tasked with untangling this dangerous web. He resolved to delve deeper into Ryujin and kenji's recent activities, determined to protect his officers and restore order. But first, they needed to find Ryujin and put a stop to his reign of terror.