Carrying his sniper rifle, Ritsu moved quickly toward breach point B. When he arrived, he saw Chianti crouched behind a tree stump, waiting obediently for him.
A faint smile appeared in his eyes. As expected, dealing with a difficult "hunting dog" like her required patience and time. It wasn't just about softening force with gentleness. More importantly, while meeting those conditions, one had to demonstrate overwhelming strength to inspire admiration. Only then could he achieve his goal of "taming" her.
"What's the situation on your side?"
"There were hurried footsteps upstairs recently, sounded like about ten people. But it's quiet now. They're probably lying in ambush somewhere, waiting for us to take the bait," Rena replied.
Recalling the structure of the castle, Ritsu calmly issued orders, "Since they don't know how many snipers we have or their positions, they'll likely hide and set up an ambush. They probably won't expect us to attack through the front entrance in this situation. Wait until Chianti and I enter the castle before you move."
"Understood."
In close combat, a sniper rifle was obviously not the right choice. This wasn't an FPS game, quick-scoping or blind firing at close range wasn't an option. Ritsu concealed his sniper rifle and wiped off any traces of himself before handing the G36 he had been carrying to Chianti.
"You use this."
"I'll stick with my pistol. Your aim is better, you're more suited for the rifle."
"A handgun can still kill at close range. Don't argue, take it."
Unable to refuse, Chianti accepted the G36. Silently, she resolved to protect Ritsu at all costs. After putting on her night-vision goggles, she said, "Ready. Shall we move?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
The two stepped out from behind the tree stump and ran straight toward the front entrance. The mercenaries hiding behind the door saw the frontal assault and didn't even have time to report, they immediately opened fire with their submachine guns.
"Spread out!"
Ritsu dove forward to evade the bullets while firing back. Even under those conditions, he accurately placed his shots into the enemies' necks. His marksmanship was undeniably exceptional.
Before Chianti could even fire, both mercenaries had already collapsed, clutching their throats. She quickly stepped forward, drew her knife, and delivered finishing blows to their chests.
"Targets confirmed dead. What's next?"
"Head to point C from here. Follow me."
Ritsu removed the bulletproof helmets from the bodies, tossing one to Chianti.
"Irish, you two can move now. Once you reach the second floor, be careful, head toward breach point C."
"No problem."
...
Unbeknownst to the team, inside a hidden room in the castle, a brown-haired man sat leisurely in front of a bank of monitors, pouring himself a glass of vodka.
Crossing his legs, he watched Ritsu and Chianti moving toward the right-side entrance.
A strange glint flickered in his deep reddish-brown eyes. He was the master of this castle, the Organization's head in Finland, Finlandia.
Even as his men suffered heavy casualties, he remained calm. After all, everything was happening right under his watch. As long as he held control, there was no need to rush.
"Thank you for the information, sir. Finlandia will serve you well."
"Shouldn't you be thanking me? After all, I'm the one who brought you the news~"
Finlandia smiled, raising his glass toward the screen displaying a beautiful woman. He gave a slight toast.
"My thanks to you as well. Though I must admit… I didn't expect you to be one of the boss's people."
"Hehe, the boss's influence is far greater than you imagine~ Finlandia, don't disappoint him. You know what he's like when he's angry."
"Of course."
"Then let me wish you success in defending your stronghold in advance."
"Thank you."
The voice abruptly cut off, and the woman on the screen disappeared.
Looking at the four "little mice" on the surveillance feed, Finlandia smiled. "Welcome to my castle. Let's make your little infiltration game more interesting."
'Let me see what you're capable of, young and promising Mr. Macallan.'
'I'm even more eager than you are to see how this game ends.'
...
After successfully reaching the second floor at breach point C and entering a space resembling a gym, Ritsu decided to pause briefly and regroup. Maintaining such intense concentration for so long had taken a toll on their stamina.
Completely unaware that their actions had been leaked and that their every move was being monitored by hidden cameras, Ritsu glanced at Chianti, who was breathing slightly heavily beside him. As expected, a sniper like her had weaker physical endurance. It seemed he'd need to have her train more in that area after they returned.
"Where are you two now?"
"We just reached point B. There aren't many mercenaries along the way, looks like Finlandia didn't recruit that many people," Irish reported.
Ritsu frowned slightly at that. Logically, things shouldn't be going this smoothly. What about the elite six-man team sent earlier to investigate sniper point C? Had they not returned yet?
Anyone capable of becoming the Organization's head in Finland couldn't be simple. Sensing something off, Ritsu said cautiously, "Don't lower your guard. This might be a trap."
"Got it. We'll reach point C in about five minutes. Then—"
Clang.
A sudden noise echoed nearby.
Ritsu, who had been focused on the earpiece, instantly realized what had been thrown near them. His expression changed drastically—
A fragmentation grenade.
Chianti, who had been on high alert, reacted even faster. She immediately pulled off her bulletproof helmet and threw it over the grenade. The sharp sound was the helmet covering it.
Then she lunged toward Ritsu, using her body to shield him from the blast.
BOOM—
"Ugh!"
A searing pain spread across her back, forcing a muffled groan from her lips. Thankfully, her quick action had mitigated most of the damage. Looking at Ritsu beneath her, she gave a simple smile.
"Macallan, I guess I've repaid that favor now, right?"
"…"
Ritsu had clearly not expected her to do something like this. Irish and Rena's anxious voices echoed through his earpiece. Gritting his teeth, he held the severely injured Chianti and stood up, grabbing the G36 rifle with one hand.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—
Relying on sheer arm strength, he fired one-handed, emptying the entire magazine. The mercenaries rushing in from the doorway to capture them dropped one after another, blood spraying everywhere.
"Macallan? Macallan!! What happened?!"
"Answer us!"
Ritsu threw the empty rifle aside, grabbed a smoke grenade from his bag, and carried Chianti as he ran out. He knew the mission was no longer possible.
All they could do now was retreat.
Reluctant as he was, survival came first. Only by escaping alive could they come back and try again.
"Fall back. Regroup at the car!"
"Understood!"