Chapter 43: That Sniper Was Too "Gentle"

Morning, in a hospital ward in Beika Town.

Rei Furuya had been treated for a gunshot wound sustained in the field, and following the doctor's orders, he remained hospitalized for observation overnight. He had just regained consciousness in his hospital bed.

He lifted his head, gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling, his mind drifting back to the battle the previous night. Back then, while engaging the organization's low-level members in the living room, he shouldn't have made a mistake. However, a primal sense of extreme danger had surged through him, causing him to instinctively evade, which ultimately led to a stray bullet striking his arm.

Furuya speculated that this overwhelming sense of danger likely stemmed from Gin, who had been positioned at a sniper vantage point. Gin had clearly locked onto him, aiming to deliver a lethal shot—yet, for reasons unknown, Gin had held his fire and chosen to lead his team in a retreat instead. He suspected this had everything to do with the sound of a new sniper rifle heard that same night.

"Amuro-san, it seems Yan Shuangying must have arrived at the final moment to intervene," Yuya Kazami remarked from the adjacent bed.

His hearing was not as sharp as Furuya’s, nor was he as well-versed in ballistics; consequently, he hadn't identified the distinct report of a second sniper rifle. He simply assumed that if anyone could force Gin to retreat when reinforcements hadn't yet arrived, it had to be the urban legend known as "Half-Man, Half-Ghost, The Peerless Marksman," Yan Shuangying.

"...I wouldn't be so sure."

Furuya rested his chin on his uninjured hand, rubbing it thoughtfully. Something felt off; the sniper who had appeared this time seemed far too "gentle." While it was true that recent reports confirmed Yan Shuangying had acquired two sniper rifles, it was too extreme to conclude that every sniper encounter was his doing—especially considering that Yan had also walked away from Pisco’s company with a fully loaded submachine gun.

Based on his one brief, personal encounter with Yan Shuangying, he reasoned: If it had truly been Yan, after using a sniper rifle to force Gin back, he would have likely followed up with a handgun or submachine gun to pursue them, rather than simply vanishing into thin air after driving the organization members away.

"I believe a new sniper has emerged."

Hearing Furuya’s words, Kazami remained skeptical. Although Furuya held a higher rank, he had been promoted rapidly through field duty; in terms of pure experience, Kazami felt his own judgment shouldn't be discounted. He still clung to the belief that the person behind the intervention was Yan Shuangying.

*Creak.*

The door to the hospital room swung open. An investigator from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau entered. The middle-aged man’s expression was as stern as ever. He swept his gaze over Furuya and Kazami, instantly silencing the two officers before speaking.

"According to reports from the authorities in Shinjuku Ward," the investigator began, "last night—at roughly the same time you were engaging the Black Organization—Yan Shuangying appeared at the stronghold of the Wakaguchi-gumi, a yakuza group in Kabukicho, and slaughtered everyone inside."

"At the scene, the Public Security officers I dispatched discovered shell casings from a sniper rifle. After an investigation, we determined that Yan Shuangying had fired from a hotel room approximately 2,300 meters away from the Wakaguchi-gumi stronghold."

"The guest in that hotel room checked out and left immediately after the shooting ended. They did not inform the hotel manager, and it wasn't until around 6:00 AM, when the staff went to clean the room, that they discovered the bullet hole left by the sniper fire."

The investigator didn't finish his sentence, but both Furuya and Kazami already understood the implication. There was no doubt: if the person who wiped out the Wakaguchi-gumi in Shinjuku was indeed Yan Shuangying, then the sniper who helped the Japanese Public Security forces against Gin in Beika Town could not possibly have been him. Unless Yan Shuangying possessed the ability to be in two places at once, it was an impossibility.

A new, unidentified sniper had arrived in Beika Town, one who was also targeting the Black Organization.

Furthermore, the identity of the hotel guest who had been targeted by Yan Shuangying was clearly suspicious; they were likely a member of the Black Organization or some other high-profile criminal. To conceal their identity and unique standing, they had fled the moment they were targeted.

A name surfaced in Furuya’s mind: Vermouth. That female operative who held such a close relationship with the organization's boss. Calvados, the organization member killed at the hotel, had been close to Vermouth. As an operative himself, Furuya had received no word of Calvados being in Tokyo.

That sycophant of hers must have only come to Tokyo because he was tailing Vermouth.

"...It seems the situation in Beika Town is becoming increasingly complex," remarked Kazami, who was far less informed than Furuya. The crime rate in Beika Town had skyrocketed over the last three months, and it had now become a chaotic playground for monsters. He desperately hoped the situation would be resolved soon. As a member of Public Security, he certainly didn't want to be pulling overtime in Beika on New Year's Day.

"Investigator, I will take charge of identifying this mysterious sniper," Furuya promised solemnly. "I already have a lead. If all goes well... I should have results within a week."

The investigator nodded, satisfied. After exchanging a few platitudes about not rushing and focusing on recovery, he departed. However, judging by the fact that the investigator had personally come to the ward to check on him—the lead agent on the Black Organization case—Furuya was certain that the higher-ups were under immense pressure again. Their impatience was palpable.

Furuya relaxed his body, leaning back against the stark white wall. He suddenly recalled details he had previously overlooked.

"Why was Calvados sniping near Teitan Elementary School?"

"How did Yan Shuangying know Calvados would be near Teitan Elementary?"

"If Calvados really was in Tokyo following Vermouth, was she also near Teitan Elementary at the time? What was her objective? What target at Teitan Elementary would be worth her personal intervention?"

He whispered to himself, "It seems, it is necessary to investigate the situation at Teitan Elementary."