Code Red

Chapter 17

Toshiro's hideout wasn't what Kaito expected.

Tucked away in an abandoned office building on the outskirts of Shinjuku, the place looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Dust-covered monitors, old computer towers stacked like bricks, and empty ramen cups littered the desks.

But the moment Toshiro powered up the main system, the room came to life.

Monitors flickered on, revealing multiple security feeds, encrypted data streams, and flashing red warnings. He hadn't just been hiding—he'd been watching.

Reina scanned the screens. "You've been keeping tabs on Kyosei."

Toshiro smirked. "Of course. Hard to stay alive in this city if you don't know who's hunting you."

Kaito pulled out the hard drive. "Then let's get to work."

A Lock with No Key

Toshiro plugged in the drive. Lines of code flooded the screens.

"This thing's insane," he muttered. "Whoever made it wasn't just trying to hide information. They were trying to erase it."

Reina frowned. "Meaning?"

Toshiro's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Meaning the second we break in, it's going to self-destruct."

Kaito felt his stomach tighten. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

"Can you stop it?"

Toshiro didn't look up. "I can slow it down. But we'll only have one shot."

Kaito exhaled. "Then do it."

Toshiro cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let's crack this bastard open."

A War of Code and Blood

The moment he launched the decryption process, the screens glitched. The room's lights flickered.

Then, the security feeds cut out.

Kaito tensed. "That's not normal, is it?"

Toshiro cursed. "No. That's someone hacking back."

Reina turned to the door, gun drawn. "How long do we have?"

Toshiro's hands flew over the keyboard. "Not long."

Then—

The power cut out.

Darkness swallowed the room.

And in that silence, Kaito heard it.

Footsteps.

A Storm Breaks

The first shot shattered the window.

Reina dove, pulling Toshiro down as another bullet ripped through the monitors. Sparks flew. They were inside.

Kaito rolled behind a desk as a shadowy figure moved through the darkness. No sound. No hesitation.

"Stay down!" he shouted.

The assassin moved fast, a blade flashing in the dim glow of the broken screens.

Kaito met him head-on.

Steel met flesh.

Pain flared across Kaito's arm, but he didn't stop. He drove his fist forward, catching the assassin's jaw.

The man barely reacted. Kyosei's elite.

Reina fired, but the assassin twisted, the bullet grazing his shoulder. He kicked the gun from her hands, pivoting with deadly precision.

Toshiro scrambled for the laptop. "I just need one more minute!"

They didn't have a minute.

The assassin lunged—

Kaito moved—

A gunshot rang out.

The assassin jerked back.

A second shot. Then a third.

The figure collapsed.

Kaito turned—Reina had a backup pistol.

She exhaled. "Took you long enough to move."

Toshiro slammed the keyboard. "We're in!"

The hard drive's defenses collapsed.

Files flooded the screen. Names. Dates. Bank accounts. And one final document—

PROJECT SATORI: FINAL PHASE.

Kaito's blood ran cold.

They had the truth. But Kyosei knew they had it.

And now, they wouldn't just be hunted.

They would be erased.

To Be Continued…