Chapter 19: 罠の裏側 (The Trap Within)
The tense silence in the narrow hallway was deafening as Riku stood face-to-face with the armed men blocking his path. Their smug expressions told him everything—M's associate had baited him into a trap, and they were confident Riku had no way out.
But Riku's mind worked differently. To him, traps weren't obstacles; they were opportunities. His every move had been calculated from the moment he received that message. The real trick was making his enemies believe they had the upper hand.
Yusei glanced at Riku, his hand slowly moving toward his concealed weapon. He was ready to fight, but Riku subtly shook his head. Not yet. This wasn't the moment to act recklessly.
"I have to admit," the associate smirked, stepping forward, "I'm impressed you made it this far. But this is where it ends for you, Riku. M doesn't leave loose ends, and you've become a problem."
Riku's calm gaze never wavered, even as the tension grew thicker. "You talk too much. That's going to be your downfall."
The associate's smirk faltered just slightly, but he quickly covered it up with a chuckle. "Bold words from a man with nowhere to run."
One of the armed men stepped forward, pointing his gun directly at Riku's chest. "Hands up."
Yusei's muscles tensed, but Riku remained completely still, his face an unreadable mask. "You've gone through a lot of trouble to set this up," Riku said, his voice cold. "But you should know something."
The associate raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
Riku's eyes flickered with amusement. "I've already won."
In that moment, chaos erupted.
The lights in the hallway suddenly flickered and went out, plunging the space into complete darkness. The men with guns shouted in confusion, their vision lost. But Riku didn't need his eyes to act—he had already memorized the layout, every sound, every movement.
In the darkness, he heard Yusei move swiftly, the faint sound of a scuffle as one of the guards hit the floor. Riku took a single step to his right, avoiding the gunfire that erupted in panic from the remaining man. The bullet grazed the wall, missing him by inches.
The hallway was narrow, and in the chaos, the armed men were more of a danger to themselves than to Riku and Yusei. The associate screamed for control, but his voice was lost in the confusion.
Riku wasted no time. He lunged forward, grabbing the gunman's wrist and twisting it with precision. The weapon clattered to the ground, and before the man could react, Riku delivered a swift blow to his jaw, knocking him unconscious.
By the time the emergency lights flickered back on, the scene had reversed.
The two armed men were sprawled on the ground, unconscious, and the associate stood alone, his face pale with disbelief.
"How… how did you…?" the associate stammered, backing away.
Riku dusted off his coat, his expression calm but deadly. "You assumed I didn't plan for this. That was your mistake."
Yusei stood beside him, glancing down at the fallen men. "You're good at this," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Riku didn't respond. He took a step toward the associate, his eyes narrowing. "You're going to give me exactly what I want."
The associate stumbled back, panic clear in his eyes. "You don't understand… M is everywhere. If I talk, I'm dead!"
Riku leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. "If you don't talk, I'll make sure you regret it."
The associate's resolve crumbled, the fear in his eyes overtaking his loyalty to M. "Alright! Alright, I'll tell you! Just… don't hurt me."
Riku's lips curled into a cold smile. "Good choice."
Later, in a secluded part of the city, Riku and Yusei sat in the dim light of a small underground bar. The place was empty, a perfect spot for them to regroup after the night's events. Riku's expression was unreadable as he processed the information they had extracted from the associate.
"M's network is bigger than we thought," Yusei said, leaning forward, his voice low. "It's not just organized crime. He's got people in politics, law enforcement… even corporations. No wonder we've had a hard time tracking him."
Riku remained silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of his glass. This information was valuable, but it also meant M's reach was vast—dangerously so. Taking him down wouldn't be a simple matter of dismantling a few key players. It would require a complete strategy shift.
"We'll need to be smarter," Riku finally said, his voice calm. "More careful. M knows we're coming, but we can still use that to our advantage."
Yusei raised an eyebrow. "You've got something in mind?"
Riku's eyes darkened as he looked ahead. "M thinks he's in control. He thinks he can predict our moves."
Yusei nodded slowly. "And?"
Riku's smirk was subtle but dangerous. "We'll make him believe he's winning… right up until we take everything from him."
End of Chapter 19