Wolf leaned lazily against the side of the central fountain, casually flipping through the small pile of confiscated belongings he had personally taken from Yumi, Raika, and Akemi.
The crowd of hostages whispered nervously, their fear thick in the air.
Wolf ignored them. His eyes, sharp and predatory behind a mask of disinterest, moved across the items methodically.
First, he examined Yumi's badge, hidden beneath her jacket lining. It gleamed faintly under the broken skylight.
"Detective, huh?" Wolf mused aloud, tilting his head. He tossed the badge up once, caught it, and slipped it into his pocket like a toy he might or might not return.Yumi stayed silent, expression unreadable.
Then, Wolf shifted his attention to Akemi's things.He pulled out her ID and a pair of glossy pamphlets from her purse that showcased her face on advertisements. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Akemi Inoue," he drawled, voice low."The little starlet trying to act bigger than she is. Cute."
Akemi flinched under his gaze but kept her head down, sunglasses hiding her expression.Beside her, Raika tightened her grip on Emi protectively.
Wolf moved on to Raika's belongings. There wasn't much: a student ID card, some cash, and a barely-used phone. He frowned as he studied the name printed neatly on her ID.
"Raika... Tsubaki," Wolf murmured, rolling the name over his tongue thoughtfully.The name sparked something in his memory—a whisper of a past encounter—but he couldn't immediately place it.Still, it was enough to make him file her away mentally as important.
Meanwhile, Akemi and Raika both couldn't help but feel a growing pit in their stomachs.In their hearts, they silently wished for the same thing.
"If only Raito was here..."
Akemi clenched her fists, feeling helpless.She knew Raito could fight—no, she knew he could protect them.Raika, too, found herself thinking the same. Despite how he acted aloof and detached and that she has never seen him in action, Raito must have proven himself again and again to her father that he was dependable in a crisis.
Even Emi, who clung sleepily to Raika, seemed to sense something was wrong, her wide innocent eyes scanning the tense atmosphere around her.
Yumi, however, had a different reaction.A small, secret breath of relief escaped her.
"It's better that Raito isn't here," she thought firmly."He'd just draw more danger to himself. I don't want that."
Her feelings were complicated—professional concern mixed with something more personal she hadn't fully admitted even to herself.
The fake leader, still posturing in the background, tried to loom over Wolf's shoulder, but Wolf ignored him completely.Instead, Wolf turned toward the group again, lazily pocketing the IDs.
He said nothing more, but the message was clear.They were marked. Watched.
Meanwhile, outside the mall, a black unmarked car rolled up to the cordoned-off perimeter.Police officers and tactical units snapped to attention as the door swung open.
Out stepped Commissioner General Yudaina Watanabe.
She was a woman in her late 40s to early 50s, with sharp eyes that missed nothing. Her hair was swept into a no-nonsense bun, and her dark blue coat billowed slightly in the morning breeze.Lines of experience and burden creased her face, but her posture was proud, every step resonating authority.
Conversations among the officers hushed immediately as she passed by.
Everyone knew her reputation.She was the "Iron Magnolia"—a woman who had personally orchestrated the downfall of many infamous criminal groups.
Most notably, she had played a key role in bringing down Section 9, the elite mercenary unit that once terrorized the underworld.
Or at least, she had thought she had.
Approaching the command post set up across the street from the mall, Yudaina glanced once at the chaotic negotiation attempts.One of her aides rushed up to her, handing her a dossier summarizing the crisis.
Her eyes narrowed as she read it.The name "Wolf" leapt out at her.
She lifted her head slowly, gazing toward the besieged mall, her mouth set in a grim line.
"Wolf... one of the Section 9 huh," she said under her breath."If it's truly him..."
She handed the dossier back and adjusted her coat.Then, she looked at the tense faces of the officers gathered around her.
"I will be handling this personally," she declared."Prepare communications. I want to speak to him directly."
Her voice left no room for argument.
Within minutes, the negotiators set up a special line, and a speakerphone was connected.A tense, crackling call was placed into the mall.
Inside, Wolf didn't even lift his head as one of the mercenaries shoved the phone toward him.He calmly closed his book and finally stood up, stretching as though just waking from a nap.
He picked up the receiver casually, almost lazily.
"Yes?" he said, voice smooth.
Across the line, Yudaina Watanabe answered, her voice equally composed:
"This is Commissioner General Yudaina Watanabe. I request a direct conversation with you, Wolf."
The first real smile of the day crossed Wolf's lips—cold, slow, predatory.
"Well, well," he said, his voice practically purring."It's been a long time since someone interesting came to talk to me."
The pieces on the board were moving.And the real game was about to begin.