Chapter 22: The Hired Kure
The mercenaries were all carrying comms, making it easy to coordinate.
And Q-Taro, sitting comfortably in his fifth-floor office, could use the same channel to give remote commands and enjoy a live feed of the hunt.
At this very moment, the second team of two mercenaries had successfully flanked their targets, meeting their comrades on the rooftop and forcing Shiraki Kei and the other three into a desperate situation.
Q-Taro, listening in, couldn't hide his excitement. He cackled, "Alright... Time to show them hell!"
To show off for Yako, Q-Taro even put the comms on speaker, letting the sounds from the rooftop fill the office—including the mercenaries' curses and Shiraki Kei's "pleading."
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the comms.
Q-Taro explained, "They all have suppressors, so the sound isn't as nice, but... the sound of a bullet ripping through human flesh? I never get tired of that!"
"Hahahaha! Yako-san, let's savor this moment together!"
"..."
Watching the gloating Q-Taro, Yako sighed and patiently reminded him, "Master Kokonoe, while I am no firearms expert, I am familiar with them. And I can tell..."
"If you'll recall that 'gunshot'... are you certain it came from one of your weapons?"
"...Ha?" Q-Taro froze.
Now that Yako mentioned it, Q-Taro realized something was wrong. He had only equipped his men with pistols and SMGs. Neither of those matched the "gunshot" they'd just heard.
It was more powerful than a pistol, and its rate of fire was slower than an SMG's.
...Was it a sniper rifle?!
Veins popped on Q-Taro's forehead, his mind racing.
How could there be a sniper rifle?! Did one of the four bring it in? No... a sniper rifle is a huge piece of equipment. He would have noticed...
Suddenly, Q-Taro realized.
He scrambled to the office window, pressing his back to the wall, peeking out with just one eye.
The sniper fire... had almost certainly come from outside.
The Kokonoe Building was surrounded by other abandoned high-rises, all deserted. The "sniper" was hidden in one of them, firing into the building, onto the rooftop!
"Those four came prepared... but they hired a sniper?! And a 'pro' at that... otherwise they wouldn't have dared to take that shot..."
Q-Taro's brow furrowed. He didn't dare stay at the window. He barked into his comms:
"Be careful! We've got an external sniper! Find cover!"
BANG!
A second shot rang out.
This time, however, no screams came from the comms, just the sound of frantic footsteps.
A moment later, one of the mercenaries, gasping for breath, reported in. "We popped smoke. We've pulled back inside to the eighth floor. We've broken line of sight with the sniper for now."
"But, boss... who the hell are these four? They hired a sniper—in this country?! What the hell is going on!"
"..."
Q-Taro's face was terrifyingly dark. "What's the situation?"
The mercenary replied, "Three of us are fine. The guy who got hit is the worst off, but he's patched up. He can still shoot. Says he's gonna kill those guys."
"As for the four prey... they ran downstairs, got ahead of us."
"We checked our gear. We're only missing one M9. All other firearms are accounted for. No problems!"
"..."
Hearing this, Q-Taro's expression relaxed slightly.
He had lost a lot of face, but he still had the home-field advantage. And inside the building, an external sniper was useless.
And most importantly—
Q-Taro looked back into the office, at the masked man who still stood there, and that twisted pleasure surged in his chest again.
As long as this "tool" was still here, the odds of him losing were less than one in a billion. It was impossible!
At that thought, Q-Taro let out a long breath.
But Yako, beside him, spoke up again. "Master Kokonoe, I hope you will reconsider my earlier advice. I believe you should deploy 'him' to the front lines as soon as possible."
"..."
Q-Taro looked at Yako, who was still smiling faintly, and his anger flared.
"Yako-san, your comments seem to be... overstepping your bounds as a referee, don't they? I still have pieces in play. You don't need to interfere!"
"Even if they have a sniper, I still have my 'main course.' It's best served last."
"Haha, but speaking of which..."
Q-Taro glared at Yako. "Shouldn't Kakerou be giving me an explanation? Why is there a sniper interfering in this gamble? Who is it?"
"..."
Yako had expected this question.
Maintaining the integrity of the gamble was part of a referee's job. Even if a yakuza war broke out nearby, Kakerou staff would intervene.
Therefore, the instant the "sniper" appeared, Kakerou personnel in the area had already moved to investigate their identity and had reported the results to Yako via his earpiece.
"It's the 'Kure Clan'."
Yako replied. "Someone involved in this gamble... has hired a master from the 'Kure Clan' to provide sniper cover from a nearby high-rise."
The Kure Clan?!
Q-Taro had been a mercenary. He knew that name.
It was an assassination group that was infamous throughout the underground world, even in foreign countries. It was said they could successfully assassinate targets as high-ranking as warlords, and had never failed a contract.
But to hire the Kure Clan, you needed more than just money; you needed a connection.
A "hobbyist killer" like Q-Taro was of no value to the Kure Clan. No amount of money would buy their services.
One of the four "prey" tonight... had Kure Clan backup?!
"Yako-san..."
Q-Taro raised his cane—which, it turned out, was a sword-cane—and pointed it at Yako. "Stopping 'irrelevant' parties from interfering... that is part of a referee's job, isn't it?"
"That is correct, Master Kokonoe, but..."
Yako calmly used two fingers to push the blade aside, smiling. "As you yourself said, this gamble... has no restrictions on the number of participants."
"You concealed four mercenaries. Your opponent concealed one 'hired assassin.' Strictly speaking, you still have the numerical advantage."
Yako's smile was playful. "Of course, if a true 'outsider'—like the police, drawn by the gunshots—were to show up, Kakerou would handle it. Please, rest assured."
"..."
Q-Taro was speechless.
Seeing Q-Taro get his just deserts, Yako smiled, feeling a bit of satisfaction. Hoisted by his own petard, he thought.
But... that said...
Yako sighed. As the man known as Kakerou's "Perfect Gentleman," he truly did strive to referee every gamble perfectly, but tonight's was just... too messy.
[Usogui], [The Man of the Divine Realm], the Kengan Association... and now the "Kure Clan"?!
"My, my... this is getting a bit troublesome..."
...
...
The seventh floor of the building.
The four, having retreated, were taking a short break.
Kaji Takaomi was gasping for air, his nerves only slightly settled.
Shiraki Kei was still on the phone with Kure Fusu.
There was some noise on her end; Kakerou personnel must have found her. After all, she had been hired for cover, so she'd just set up on a nearby roof, not even bothering to hide.
Akagi Shigeru was as calm as ever, giving off an "I'm still hungry" vibe, as if the main course hadn't even been served.
And Madarame Baku?
His hand was in his pocket, fiddling with his beloved umeboshi (pickled plum). His eyes were flashing, his mind racing through various plans.
Akagi Shigeru, Shiraki Kei, and a "professional sniper"... this gamble was getting more and more complex. Did that mean there were more opportunities?
But no matter what, Madarame Baku licked his lips, an unconscious thought rising:
This is fun.
Haha, tonight is so much fun...