Having successfully reached the 21st floor, Ritsu figured that going down one more level would put him beyond the range of stationed security. From there, he could find a way to speed his descent and take an elevator from a lower floor.
Sometimes, the most dangerous option could also be the safest.
But what he didn't expect was the sudden wail of familiar police sirens nearby. The police had arrived far faster than anticipated. This was trouble.
He quickened his pace down the stairs. The elevator was no longer an option, he would have to find a suitable spot to break a window and escape.
"Hey, Macallan, the police are here. You good?" Chianti asked.
"Shut up, Chianti."
Ritsu was in a foul mood. If not for her reckless shooting, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. She had practically dragged him into disaster.
Chianti knew her impulsive actions had caused a major flaw in the mission. This would likely reach Gin's ears. Now, all she could do was hope Macallan was skilled enough to shake off the pursuing police.
12th floor… 11th floor…
Breathing heavily, Ritsu reached the 10th floor. He could already hear footsteps coming from below. It seemed he had no choice but to take a risk and jump from here.
Recalling the surrounding layout, he gritted his teeth and shoved open the 10th-floor door. Under the stunned gazes of office workers on overtime duty, he drew his gun and fired at the glass curtain wall.
"Ahhhhhh—!"
"Oh my god, what's happening?! Don't kill me!"
No one working late could have imagined encountering something like this. One by one, they ducked under desks, trembling in fear.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After four consecutive shots, cracks finally spread across the glass wall. Ritsu raised his right arm to shield his head and charged forward at full speed, smashing through the glass as his body plunged downward.
Police officers who had rushed to the scene raised their guns, but by the time they reached the window, all they saw was a large hole in the glass and a black figure clutching his right shoulder, sprinting into a nearby alley.
"After him! The suspect's right shoulder is injured!"
"Yes, sir!"
Jumping from the 10th floor, if not for using his dagger to create friction against the wall to slow his descent, and finding footholds around the 4th floor, he would have broken several bones on impact.
Clutching his shoulder, now cut by shards of glass, Ritsu dashed into the alley. He wasn't worried about the police using the blood on the glass for DNA analysis, his records had long since been completely erased.
Chianti's voice came through the earpiece, sounding slightly anxious. "Macallan, the police might lock down the area for investigation. What should I do?"
"Leave. Don't let them find the rifle in your car."
"But you—"
"Go."
Ritsu tore off the earpiece, shut it down, and stuffed it into his pocket. At least this crazy woman now understood the consequences of her reckless behavior. If he hadn't been capable enough, he would've already been caught.
Though, in some ways, getting caught might have been better, it would mean no longer needing to continue undercover.
But having come this far, how could he just stop?
Relying on his familiarity with the area, Ritsu weaved through the alleyways. He removed the cloth covering his face and, while running, used it to bind the wound on his shoulder.
The most suitable place for him to hide right now… was there.
He hurried to 1-21 Beika-cho, the apartment he used to live in. After about fifteen minutes, he arrived downstairs and casually walked inside as if nothing had happened.
Taking the elevator up with practiced ease, he kept his cap low to obscure his face. Entering the passcode, he pushed open the security door and found nothing had changed inside.
There was even water still in the vase on the shoe cabinet by the entrance. He clearly remembered it being nearly empty before he left. Someone must have been here.
There was no dust on the floor either, it was obvious the place was regularly cleaned.
Ritsu had no intention of staying. Instead, he reactivated his earpiece and said, "Chianti, come pick me up at the convenience store on 1-chome, No. 21."
"I thought you were dead, Macallan."
"Heh. Sorry to disappoint."
"I'll be there in ten minutes."
Ritsu felt it was risky to stay any longer. Holding his shoulder with one hand, he wiped away his footprints with a handkerchief and stepped out, pressing the elevator button.
He noticed the elevator was currently on the first floor, someone was using it.
At first, he didn't think much of it. But when he realized it wasn't stopping on any intermediate floors and was heading straight up to the 29th floor, his floor, he understood.
The person inside was most likely Hiro… or Rei.
Without hesitation, Ritsu turned and pushed open the emergency stairwell door but he was a step too late.
As the elevator doors opened, he failed to fully close the stairwell door he always kept shut.
Fresh off overtime, Hiromitsu Morofushi stepped out carrying a plastic bag. Inside was Ritsu's favorite drink, Calpis. Every time he came, he brought one. Thinking about how the fridge was nearly full, yet its owner hadn't returned home, his mood darkened.
But the moment he stepped out of the elevator, he heard a faint creak from the stairwell.
The door… had just been closed.
Hiro immediately dropped the plastic bag and rushed over. Throwing the door open, he heard hurried footsteps descending the stairs. Knowing he couldn't catch up, he called out.
"Ritsu, is that you?!"
The sound of footsteps stopped abruptly.
Ritsu clenched his fists, unsure whether to respond. After a brief hesitation… he continued running down the stairs. Fortunately, he had already turned off his earpiece the moment he entered the stairwell.
Even without a reply, Hiro understood.
The person unwilling to face him… was Ritsu, who had been missing for nearly three months.
No matter how much he tried to gather information, he couldn't find anything about him. Even worse, traces of Ritsu's existence online were gradually disappearing. When he asked Instructor Onizuka, he was told he didn't know what was going on.
He had his suspicions but with no confirmation, his thoughts often drifted to darker possibilities.
Now, knowing that Ritsu was alive… Hiro finally felt a sense of relief.
At least he was alive. That was enough.
As he pushed the stairwell door open, he felt something wet on his hand. Looking down, he saw warm, red liquid.
Blood.
Ritsu was injured.
Recalling the police sirens he had heard earlier… could it be that the person the police were chasing was—
Hiro frowned.
He felt he couldn't remain in the Metropolitan Police Department any longer. Perhaps… if he found a way into the National Police Agency, he could learn what Ritsu was truly involved in. As long as Ritsu was still a police officer, the NPA would have more information than the MPD.
A few minutes later, Ritsu exited the apartment through the stairwell and made his way to the nearby convenience store. Chianti was already waiting there, it seemed she hadn't run into any police on the way.
"Macallan, you're injured?"
Noticing him clutching his shoulder, Chianti asked.
"Yeah. Take me back to the lab."
"…Sorry. This time, it was my reckless decision that—"
"It's fine."
"I'll report myself to Gin."
Ritsu shot her a glance in surprise. Had this crazy woman suddenly come to her senses?
No, unlikely. She probably figured he would report it anyway. Better to confess first than have someone else distort the story.
'Tch. So she does have a brain after all.'
"I'm tired. Wake me when we get to the lab."
"OK."
----
[Congratulations to Hiromitsu Morofushi for finally making a long-awaited reappearance!]