Renjiro's fingers flew over the device, his mind racing to decipher its workings. Wires of different colors crisscrossed inside, each one a potential trigger for disaster.
"Renjiro, what's happening?" Kaito's voice demanded in his earpiece.
"Katsuro activated the device. I'm trying to disarm it," Renjiro replied, sweat dripping down his face.
Katsuro, now leaning against the wall with a smirk, watched him with amusement. "Go ahead, kid. Cut the wrong wire. Let's see how good you really are."
Renjiro ignored him, focusing on the task at hand. The timer on the device read 00:01:30 and counting.
"Okay, think. Red wire stabilizes power. Blue wire connects to the timer. Yellow... controls the failsafe," Renjiro muttered to himself.
Katsuro chuckled. "Tick-tock, Renjiro."
"Shut up," Renjiro snapped, his hands steady despite the pressure.
The timer hit 00:00:45, and Renjiro made his decision. He grabbed the yellow wire and yanked it free.
The beeping stopped.
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then, Katsuro lunged again, but this time, Renjiro was ready. He sidestepped and delivered a swift punch, sending Katsuro sprawling to the floor.
"Game over," Renjiro said, standing over him.
Katsuro laughed weakly. "You've won this round, but it's far from over."
Before Renjiro could respond, a smoke bomb detonated, filling the room with thick gray fog. When it cleared, Katsuro was gone.
Renjiro sighed, collapsing into a chair. The crisis was over—for now.