"Stop or I'll shoot!" 

"Wait, let me talk to him!" sergeant Mitsunobu jumped in to save Arata. "We've contacted headquarters about this incident. The top is pushing for new police powers. It won't be long before we get a special warrant. I guarantee these houses will be searched. Arata, you must be tired. Why don't you let the precinct take care of this?"

There was a kindness in the old man's voice. Arata didn't care what people said to him or called him but the old man's gentleness made him slow down to a halt. Sweat dripped from his face. He didn't care so much about losing the job until he remembered the reason he joined and his mentor's words.

One of the things that were said by his mentor was to take care of his comrade, sergeant Mitsunobu who fought beside his mentor in the special forces group (SFGp).

Chief inspector Katsunori knew about the paradigm shift in legislation regarding police authority would be introducing its effects soon. Japan and the rest of the world were looking for answers and the first to find it would definitely be in the spotlight.

Since the Genji massacre and now this, he couldn't let some wannabe cop who was given a pass because of some pulled strings play hero and ruin his chance.

"Arata, hop in. We'll give you a lift back."

"Humph! Let him get back on his own!"

"Chief..."

"No thanks, sergeant. I'm heading back now."

Arata began walking back on his own. He needed the walk anyways.

Mitsunobu looked at Arata's back for a moment before driving off.

***

The warm orange sunset didn't help to cool Arata's sweat as he walked down a street. He was halfway back. He was thinking about turning on the AC in the car. Unless Hiromichi voices a complaint, he won't turn it off.

*Shatter*

It sounded like a glass window breaking from over the houses in a distance. He couldn't see it from where he was. He ignored it.

...

..

.

He then realised that maybe what seems to be a random occurrence is unusual in a pocket ghost town. He started running along the road and saw a couple of figures emerging from the right of the T intersection ahead of him.

The one running ahead was a girl who looked to be in her teens and she was covered in blood while the two following her were two male adults. They looked like they were chasing her.

"Freeze! MPD!"

They all turned their heads for a second but continued running. Arata pulled out his gun.

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

They completely ignored him. Professional criminals would know that police would never fire a lethal weapon at someone's back unless the perpetrator is a known felon or possesses lethal arms. However, if they were chasing someone else, he would probably have a strong case in protecting a citizen from harm.

*Bang Bang*

Arata shot at the two men with a bullet each. They were shot in one of their legs. They both fell to the floor.

"Hey, you're under arrest too!"

The girl kept running on so he chased her. Even among the special forces, Arata was the fastest runner. Yet, he couldn't keep up with a little girl. She reminded him of the guy he shot in the precinct. Unusual strength and speed...

Arata could almost break the ten-second barrier in a hundred metres and would make a good sprinter in the Olympics but the girl had already broken past that.

'She's as fast as Usain Bolt! No... faster?'

Already over 100 metres, the girl was showing no signs of slowing down. Arata slowed to a stop, panting.

Seeing this, Arata was prepared to even kill a little girl if he was forced to. Whatever kind of drug they were using, even a toddler could be turned into a reaper. However, in this case, he knew full well the consequences of shooting a little girl.

Even if he had the legal power to do so, he was not immune to a court hearing.

*Screech*

He turned to look behind him and started running. A huge white van had braked near the two guys he shot and slid open a door. Two men quickly grabbed the injured and threw them inside. They gave the driver the go signal and the van started driving before they closed the door.

The closest road to turn into was on their left so the driver steered there. Arata stopped running and stood 80 metres from the van. He aimed.

*Bang bang*

Even though he aimed at a far distance with a handgun and shot at a moving target, he shot the driver in the head with pinpoint accuracy and the passenger next to him as well. He did this so that they couldn't take the wheel and drive away. The van smashed into a light pole. Arata ran up to the van.

He had his gun pointed at the van door and slid it open.

A guy lunged at him which Arata reflexively blocked with his left arm as if sacrificing it for a dog bite. The guy didn't bite at him but grabbed him.

*Bang*

Before he did anything, Arata head-shotted him. A second guy grabbed his revolver from inside the van and turned the gun back on Arata.

*Bang Bang Bang*

Arata had shot him in the legs and the hand holding the gun with a hidden semi-automatic pistol in his leg ankle holster. It was the same Heckler & Koch P9 double-action pistol used by special assault teams (SAT-police tactical units equivalent to swat teams). His mentor had granted his request for another sidearm in case of emergencies.

Arata took the revolver from the ground and carefully checked the inside of the van while remaining cautious of him. He had shot him before he turned the pistol on him and fired. Even if Arata was too slow, the enemy didn't seem to know that the New Nambu 60 revolver only had a 5-round capacity. Perhaps he didn't keep track.