CHAPTER 22: THE KURE FOR HIRE
Every mercenary on the rooftop carried a short-range comms unit.
Down on the fifth floor, Q-Taro sat in his high-backed leather chair, listening to the channel with a sadistic grin. He was playing the role of the grand conductor, orchestrating the hunt and savoring every sound of his "prey" being cornered.
When the second team of mercenaries successfully rappelled onto the roof and joined their comrades, pinning Ren and the others against the railing, Q-Taro's excitement reached a fever pitch.
"Here it is!" he hissed, his eyes wide. "Now, show those four what hell looks like!"
To show off to Yagyo, Q-Taro had put the comms on the speaker. The office was filled with the sounds of the mercenaries' taunts and Ren Shiroki's desperate "pleading."
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the speaker.
Q-Taro chuckled, leaning back. "The silencers make the shot sound like a whisper, but the sound of lead tearing through meat... that's a song I never get tired of."
"Hahahaha! Referee Yagyo, let us savor this moment together!"
"..."
Yagyo Hikoichi looked at the gloating Q-Taro and let out a long, weary sigh. "Master Kujo... I am no ballistics expert, but I have handled a 'piece' once or twice in my life. I can hear the difference."
"I suggest you think back. That 'gunshot' you just heard... are you quite sure it came from one of your weapons?"
"...Huh?" Q-Taro blinked.
Prompted by the Referee, Q-Taro's mind replayed the sound. He had equipped his men with 9mm Berettas and submachine guns. But that sound... it was deeper, more rhythmic, and far more powerful. It had the heavy crack of a high-velocity projectile.
A sniper rifle?!
A vein throbbed in Q-Taro's temple. His mind raced. How is that possible? Did one of those four smuggle a rifle in? No... a long gun is impossible to hide. I would have seen it.
Suddenly, the truth hit him like a physical blow.
Q-Taro lunged toward the office window. He pressed himself against the wall, peeking out just enough to see the neighboring buildings.
The sniper wasn't in the room. They were "Off-Stage"!
The Kujo Building was surrounded by derelict towers. A professional had set up a nest in one of them and was picking off his men from across the street!
"They came prepared... they actually hired a sniper?! A high-level professional, at that. Otherwise, no one would have the guts to fire into a Kakerou-adjudicated gamble from the outside!"
Q-Taro's face twisted. He snatched up the comms radio. "CAREFUL! There's an outside sniper! Take cover!"
BANG!
A second sniper shot rang out.
This time, there was no scream of agony, only the frantic sound of boots hitting concrete.
A few moments later, a mercenary panted into the radio. "We threw smoke! We've retreated back into the eighth floor. We're out of the sniper's line of sight for now."
"But Boss! Who the hell are these people?! Who brings a sniper to a gamble—especially in this country?! What is going on?!"
"..."
Q-Taro's face was a mask of dark fury. "Status report!"
"Three of us are uninjured," the mercenary replied. "The guy whose hand was hit... he's in bad shape, but we've bandaged the stump. He's still got his left hand and a hell of a grudge. He says he's going to gut those brats personally."
"As for the prey, they beat us to the stairs. They've already moved down to the lower floors."
"Our gear is intact. We only lost one M9. We still have the SMGs and the tactical equipment. We're still in this!"
Q-Taro's tension eased slightly.
He had lost face, yes. But the "Home Field Advantage" was still his. As long as the fight stayed inside the building, the outside sniper was useless.
And most importantly...
He looked at the massive, masked figure of Rodem standing in the corner. As long as he had his "Demon," his chance of losing was less than one in a million.
He let out a long breath.
Yagyo, however, wasn't done. "Master Kujo... perhaps you should reconsider my earlier advice. I suggest you deploy 'that one' to the front lines immediately."
Q-Taro glared at the Referee. The old man was still smiling that polite, annoying smile.
"Referee Yagyo, you are overstepping your bounds. I still have pieces on the board. Stay out of it!"
"Even if they have a sniper, I still have the 'Main Course' waiting for them. It's always more delicious when saved for last."
He leaned forward, his voice turning cold. "Besides... Kakerou owes me an explanation. Why is a 'Sniper' allowed to interfere in this gamble? Who the hell is out there?"
Yagyo had expected the question. Maintaining the integrity of the gamble was part of his job. If the outside world interfered, Kakerou's cleanup crews would normally step in to "neutralize" the distraction.
His earpiece crackled. A Kakerou scout outside had already identified the shooter and relayed the info to the 5th floor.
"It is the Kure Clan," Yagyo answered.
"One of the participants in this gamble has contracted an elite from the Kure family to provide long-range cover from a neighboring rooftop."
The Kure Clan?!
Q-Taro had been a mercenary; he knew that name. They were a family of ghosts who dominated the global assassination market. From warlords in the Middle East to corporate titans in Europe, no target was safe once the Kure Clan accepted a contract.
But the Kure Clan didn't work for just anyone. They required two things: an astronomical fee and a "Connection."
A "murder-for-fun" freak like Q-Taro had zero value to them. No amount of money would grant him the right to hire them. Yet, one of these four "prey" had them on speed dial?
"Referee Yagyo..." Q-Taro unsheathed the blade hidden in his cane, pointing it at the Referee's throat. "Isn't it your job to stop outside interference?"
"Ordinarily, yes. But Master Kujo..."
Yagyo used two fingers to gently push the blade aside, his smile never wavering. "As you pointed out earlier, this gamble had no formal limit on the number of participants."
"You hid four mercenaries in your building. Your opponent hid one 'hired assassin' outside. Numerically speaking, you still have the advantage."
Yagyo's eyes twinkled with a hint of mockery. "Of course, if any true outsiders appear—like the police or rival gangs drawn by the noise—Kakerou will handle them properly. You have nothing to worry about."
"..."
Q-Taro was speechless. He had been hoisted by his own petard.
Yagyo gave a small, internal sigh of satisfaction. Seeing Q-Taro's own logic bite him back was a rare treat. But as a "Perfect Gentleman" of Kakerou, he still had to worry about the complexity of the board.
The Lie Eater. The Man of the Divine Realm. The Kengan Association. And now the Kure Clan.
"My, my... tonight is going to be quite troublesome."
7th Floor.
The four "prey" were catching their breath in a dark hallway.
Kaji was leaning against the wall, his heart finally slowing down to a human rhythm.
Ren Shiroki was still on the phone with Fusui Kure. There was some noise in the background—likely Kakerou scouts trying to "interview" her—but Fusui didn't seem bothered. She had been hired for cover, and she was going to provide it, scouts or no scouts.
Akagi, the Man of the Divine Realm, looked as detached as ever. He had the look of a man who was still waiting for the "real" game to start.
And Madarame Baku?
The "Lie Eater" reached into his pocket and pulled out a pickled plum. As he chewed, his eyes darted around the darkness, his brain processing a thousand different strategies.
Akagi, Ren, and a Kure sniper... the variables were multiplying. But for Baku, more variables meant more opportunities for a truly spectacular "meal."
He licked his lips and whispered to himself:
"This is great. Haha... tonight is actually getting fun."