"Everyone, get down!"

  Faced with the sudden and, even the protesters who had been holding signs just moments ago dropped to the ground without resistance.

  The tactical assault team immediately charged into the unity ter, while the officers in the rear secured the perimeter.

  They couldn't rule out the possibility that some drug dealers might be mixed in with the civilians. Based on past experience, everyone had to be treated as a potential suspect. There was no room for carelessness.

  Although Kogoro didn't fully uand the situation, he remained silent and obediently y ft on the ground. He khat special forces units wouldn't appear on Tsukikage Isnd without a good reason.

  The only question in his mind was:

  What exactly had happened on Tsukikage Isnd to warrant deploying a special forces team?

  Suddenly—

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Gunsh out from ihe unity ter, startling the civilians lying outside.

  Moments ter, people were led out of the building. Among them, several individuals were dragged out with visible gunshot wounds to their arms and legs. Their hands were cuffed behind their backs, rendering them pletely subdued.

  There was no doubt—these were the targets of the operation.

  "The masterminds ihe unity ter have been apprehended," reported the a team leader.

  "firmed. All hostiles ralized and situation under trol."

  "Uood. If anyos further, shoot on sight."

  The suspects, having witheir rades get shot without hesitation, abandoned any thoughts of resistance.

  These weren't ordinary police officers. The submae guns these operatives carried could shred a person to pieces in seds.

  "All suspects, hand over your unication devices immediately."

  "Don't try to hide anything. If you do, you'll regret it."

  Several team members aimed their ons directly at the detained individuals. The message was clear: any suspiovement would earn them a bullet to the head.

  The ordinary vilgers plied without hesitation.

  Those with guilty sces trembled as they handed over their devices. The cold steel of the guns and the dead eyes of the operatives left no room for defiance.

  The operation here went surprisingly smoothly. The unity ter had beeively unguarded due to the drug traffickers' preoccupation with maniputing the local eles.

  The real challenge, however, y ahead.

  The back mountain.

  That location was almost certainly the heart of the operation, the drug produ base.

  Its defenses would be signifitly stronger, making the uping assault far more dangerous.

  ---

  Metropolitan Police HQ – aer

  "Mission update: the suspects in the unity ter have been successfully apprehended."

  Upon receiving the report, Sato Miwako, statio the hot spring hotel, finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

  "Phew…"

  The successful capture of the ringleaders meant the drug traffickers wouldn't dare target i vilgers in desperation.

  "Now it's the back mountain's turn," she muttered.

  That was where the assault team was headed .

  Uhe unity ter operation, this mission required heavier equipment, high-grade bulletproof vests, submae guns, and even sniper rifles.

  It would be a tough fight, but success was only a matter of time.

  The stant pressure of this mission made Sato Miwako feel like she was on the verge of a heart attack.

  Now that the initial phase had succeeded, she allowed herself a brief moment of rexation.

  Her gaze shifted toward Ren, the man who had provided the critical intelligence.

  "It's holy impressive how you pieced it all together," she said, her tone sincere. "Without your insight, the traffickers in the back mountain might've gotten away."

  Ren shook his head. "It was just a lucky guess."

  Truthfully, he was simply waiting for the police's move.

  Now that the mastermind had been captured, the phase was entirely predictable.

  "But to notice the suspicious signs just from a few checkpoints and protest banners, that's more than luck," Sato tered.

  Ren smiled faintly. "I was just curious about Tsukikage Isnd si's my first time here. So, I paid closer attention."

  "That's a good habit," Sato said approvingly. "New enviros always require a bit of extra caution."

  Her expression softened. "Still, it's pretty unlucky to stumble into a case like this on your weekend."

  Ren chuckled. "You're in the same boat, Officer Sato."

  "...Yeah, you're right." She sighed deeply.

  This i exposed a major ht in the police department's iigations.

  The isnds okyo should've been monitored more closely. Instead, drug traffickers had exploited the police's blind spot to set up operatiht uheir noses.

  What was worse?

  They did it boldly, practically funting their activities.

  Sato shook her head. "The traffickers really pushed their luck this time. Operating so close to Tokyo? That's insane."

  "But," she added with a smirk, "I have to admit, it was clever."

  No prior iigation had pinpoisukikage Isnd as the drug work's base. Every lead only suggested an isokyo, but nothing crete.

  The traffickers had pyed their hand brilliantly.

  "But they still lost," Ren said softly.

  "Yeah. And we'll make sure they regret ever trying."

  ---

  Sato leaned against the wall, letting out a weary sigh.

  "At least this operation exposed their ework," she said. "Even if we got chewed out by our superiors, catg these guys makes it worth it."

  Ren observed her quietly.

  Sato Miwako wasn't pretending; her words were genuine.

  "You have a great attitude, Officer Sato."

  "It's not about attitude," she corrected. "We got scolded because we deserved it. We didn't do our job properly. That's on us."

  Her hoy was refreshing.

  Ren found himself genuinely impressed.

  "In this try, officers like you are rare," he said.

  "Ugh… stop talking like you're from my mom's geion," she groaned.

  "You're making me feel old."

  Ren chuckled at her exasperated expression.