Monday, April 2nd. 10:48 a.m.
The Heisei Express pulled into the platform just as the station announcement echoed through the terminal.
[The Heisei Express on Platform 2 will soon be departing. Passengers who have not yet boarded, please board immediately. Once again, the Heisei Express on Platform 2—]
Inside the train, a bespectacled man in an orange sweater picked up a brochure introducing the train from the dining car before strolling back toward the front observation seating area of Car No. 1.
Two little boys, who looked only six or seven years old, spoke in childish voices, "Daddy, if you don't sit down soon, the train's gonna leave!"
"Haha, okay, Daddy knows." The short-haired woman in the dark green dress smiled gently as well.
"Shinobu and Shin, you two need to hold onto the handles properly too, okay? And don't talk too loudly, remember your manners."
"Okay!"
Realizing their voices had been too loud, the two boys quickly covered their mouths. After cautiously glancing around, they gave silly grins and whispered softly,
"Okay, Mommy."
"What good boys."
Several seats away from them, a man in black clothing and sunglasses pulled a mobile phone from his jacket pocket and lowered his voice as he reported,
"This is Suzuno. Yes, everything's proceeding smoothly. He's sitting right at the very front of the observation seats in Car No. 1."
On the platform, a railway staff member checked the time on his wristwatch. Confirming it was now 10:50 a.m., he held a whistle in his left hand and a flag in his right. As he blew the whistle, he raised the flag high into the air, signaling the train's departure.
...
Meanwhile, in an open area elsewhere.
Dressed in a black suit, Ritsu climbed into the rear seat of a helicopter with effortless ease. Opening the metal case in his hands, he began assembling the entirely black Remington 700PSS police sniper rifle inside.
"Are you really sure about this?" Hayasaka, seated in the front, still sounded doubtful. "Do we really not need an SAT sniper? I seriously don't think you can pull off a snipe from a helicopter."
"Relax. The SAT snipers might not even be better than me."
After attaching the suppressor, Ritsu examined the rifle, which used a detachable box magazine. It was completely different from the one he normally used.
The pilot flying the police helicopter spoke up, "Inspector Onizawa, the Kan-Etsu Line is up ahead."
Hayasaka swallowed back the complaint she had been about to make. Her pretty face turned serious as she instructed,
"Right. Continue following the railway northbound and maintain altitude."
"Understood!"
The helicopter flew overhead, closely shadowing the Heisei Express below. Turning around, Hayasaka asked, "There are three minutes left until eleven o'clock. Should we lower altitude?"
Ritsu had been continuously observing the surroundings, searching for the best sniping position. Based on the altitude and distance from their previous practice sessions, he should be able to spot it soon.
"No need to descend. And please stay quiet."
He didn't want anyone interrupting his concentration, so his tone sounded somewhat stiff. Hayasaka obediently closed her mouth.
As expected, he only entered this cold, serious state while working a case.
On the rooftop of a certain building, Yamabe, held hostage himself, gripped an identical sniper rifle in his hands. Hesitation filled his face, along with a faint sliver of hope.
If those children managed to crack the code or if they found the calculator and handed it to the police…
Then maybe he wouldn't have to pull the trigger.
Sensing his hesitation, the cone-faced man dressed in black coldly raised the revolver in his hand and threatened,
"You know what'll happen if you try anything funny. Your woman won't survive."
Yamabe turned his head to look at Eri, who was kneeling on the ground. Her hands were tied with rope and tape covered her mouth.
He simply couldn't bear the thought of watching the ruthless criminals execute his girlfriend.
Even under the torment of his conscience, Yamabe could only grit his teeth and raise the sniper rifle into position, aiming toward the predetermined target point.
He could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead.
It wasn't nervousness.
It was fear, the fear of knowing he was about to commit an unforgivable sin.
Closing his left eye, he peered through the scope. The image of a family of four appeared clearly in his sights.
Beside the target, Haruma Shindo, his wife was gently pouring tea for him from a thermos with a warm smile. The two little boys leaning by the window were quietly discussing something, probably excited about the family trip awaiting them after they arrived.
To mercilessly shoot down the pillar of a family right in front of his loved ones.
Yamabe swallowed hard, struggling intensely inside. He was a police officer who genuinely loved and protected the people.
He couldn't bring himself to destroy the happiness he saw through the scope.
A trace of guilt rose from the bottom of his heart. He knew that if he failed to meet the criminals' demands, the result would undoubtedly be death.
And worse, He would drag his beloved girlfriend down with him.
'I'm sorry, Eri. Forgive me…'
'Forgive my selfishness for making you become a hero too. If there's another life after this, I'll cherish and protect you forever.'
As the train entered sniping range, Yamabe pretended to prepare for the shot. However, with the eye that should have been closed, he secretly observed the criminal beside him from the corner of his vision.
Even if he died, he would take at least one of them with him!
But as he prepared to act, a bullet fired downward from the sky tore through the air and struck the cone-faced criminal directly in the wrist.
Warm blood splattered across Yamabe's face, leaving him momentarily stunned.
The other criminals clearly hadn't expected this either. The two armed men simultaneously looked upward toward the sky.
A police helicopter bearing the Metropolitan Police Department emblem hovered above them.
Squinting their eyes, they could barely make out Ritsu seated inside with a sniper rifle in hand. His white hair fluttered messily in the wind, and even without seeing his expression clearly, they somehow felt as though he were mocking them with a provocative smile.
"AAAAAH!" The wounded criminal clutched his wrist in agony and screamed, "What are you idiots standing around for?! Hurry up!!!"
Bang!
Another shot rang out.
This time, the target was the criminal in the gray suit standing farther back. Unfortunately for him, his luck was terrible. The shot had originally aimed for the gun in his hand, but because he moved unexpectedly, the bullet pierced straight through the back of his hand instead.
"Tch."
Seated inside the helicopter, Ritsu clicked his tongue and casually lowered the sniper rifle. "You can lower the altitude now."
"There's still one criminal left. Aren't you going to deal with him?" Hayasaka asked in confusion.
Removing the scope from the rifle, Ritsu answered confidently, "That police officer with perfectly functional arms and legs isn't just for decoration."
Having finally snapped out of his daze, Yamabe immediately raised the sniper rifle high and smashed the butt of the gun straight into the criminal's face.
Caught completely off guard, the unlucky criminal collapsed to the ground. Before losing consciousness, he even spat out two front teeth that had been knocked clean out.
Yamabe tossed aside the sniper rifle and hurried over to untie the ropes and remove the tape from Eri.
Smiling gently, he said, "Eri, it's okay now. The police came to save us."
"Koichi!!"
The feeling of surviving a disaster made Koichi Yamabe's nose sting with emotion. He gently patted Eri's back and comforted her softly:
"It's okay now. Don't be afraid… I'm here."
Walking down from the helicopter, Ritsu spun a pair of handcuffs around his finger. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he looked at the warm scene before him.
Compared to "killing," he definitely preferred saving people.
"Hayasaka."
"Yes!"
"Take all of them into custody. I'll interrogate them personally."
"Understood."
----
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