Chapter 12: Into the Den; A Bounty on His Head

Hiro's cover was blown, and his mission was in jeopardy. As he found himself surrounded by the organization's guards, each with a sinister grin on their face, as he remained motionless.

While their leader, a tall, imposing man with slicked-back dark hair and sharp eyes, stood at the center of the group, smirking cruelly.

"Well, since we're all here," the man drawled, "allow me to introduce myself. The name's Kazuo Mori, head of this operation. The pleasure's all mine."

Hiro remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Kazuo chuckled. "There's no need for any introductions. We all know exactly who you are. After all, there's quite the bounty on your head. You must've done something pretty bad to earn a price like that."

Hiro's eyes flickered, quickly analysing his surroundings, taking in every detail. His jaw tightened as he clicked his tongue in irritation. 'Damn it, I knew that damn bounty would come back to bite me in the ass. Just didn't think it'd happen this fast.'

Under his breath, he muttered, "Tch. Talk about a pain in the ass."

His mind raced. 'Let's see what I'm working with here.' He mapped out the guard positions, noting their stances and weaponry.

'The goons I can handle. The real issue is the sniper—if I don't take him out first, this could get ugly, fast.'

Outwardly, Hiro gave Kazuo a slow, wary smile. "You know, I'm actually impressed."

Kazuo raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Hiro smirked, aiming to keep him talking. "All these weapons you've been selling…" he trailed off, feigning admiration. "It's safe to say business is booming."

Kazuo chuckled. "Oh, it is. But I can't take all the credit. I've had some… help from a friend."

'So there's someone else involved huh.' Hiro's suspicions were confirmed. But before he could press for more, Kazuo's expression darkened.

"Alright, enough idle chit-chat. Now hand back what you stole from me."

Raising both his hands in mock surrender, Hiro replied, "False accusations is a serious crime, you know. What makes you think I took anything from you?"

Kazuo gritted his teeth. "Don't play dumb. You stole something very valuable, and I want it back. Now."

Hiro shrugged. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Either way, I'm just passing through." His grin was laced with mischief, but the tension in the air grew thick as silence settled between them. Their eyes locked, the weight of the moment pressing down like a loaded gun.

Kazuo snapped his fingers. "Alright, boys. It's time to take out the trash."

His guards sneered, gripping their weapons tightly. "What about the files boss?" one asked.

Kazuo waved dismissively. "Burn them once you've secure them. We won't be needing them once we're done here." He chuckled, stepping back, leaving Hiro to his fate.

"Looks like tonight just isn't your lucky night, kid," one of the guards sneered.

Hiro lowered his hands, his grin turning razor-sharp. "Actually, it's your unlucky day. Cause now, I get to have some real fun."

The guard scowled. "Cocky little brat. Let's see if you're still be smirking when we're done with you."

Hiro slipped on his mask, flicking a finger tauntingly. "Come and take your best shot, bumass."

"Alright, that does it! KILL HIM!" the guard roared.

The group charged. Hiro then reacted instantly, kicking off the ground and leaping over all their heads, landing lightly behind their formation.

Whipping out his handguns, he fired, precisely disarming several guards before they could react.

"DAMN YOU!" one shouted as more lunged at him, wielding knives and metal pipes. A guard swung a pipe at Hiro's head, but he sidestepped, countering with a sharp kick to the gut before slamming the man to the ground.

Without missing a beat, he grabbed another guard, using his body as a shield while the others hesitated.

The room became a flurry of movement. Hiro thought to himself, 'This won't take long.' He had forgotten about the sniper—until a bullet sliced through the air, grazing his arm.

"Agh! Damn it!" Hiro hissed, realizing his oversight.

But before he could recover, more guards closed in on him, their blades flashing. "Gotcha!" one sneered, thrusting his knife forward. However, the blade never reached him.

Hiro's eyes burned with cold fury as he growled, "Piss off." He elbowed one guard in the ribs, kneed another in the face, all while narrowly dodging another sniper shot. Blood seeped from his wounds, but he ignored the pain, only focusing on survival.

Suddenly, he turned—too late. A brute wearing brass knuckles delivered a crushing punch, sending Hiro flying into the wall. Blood dripped from his forehead as he struggled to his feet.

The brute sneered. "End of the line, kid. So hand over the documents, and I might consider going easy on you."

A bloody smile crept onto Hiro's face. "Is that so heh? Well then, come and get them asshole."

Irritated, the brute raised his fist again. But before he could strike, the entire room shook with a deafening explosion. Smoke filling the entire entrance, cutting through the chaos.

All eyes snapped to the source. Two figures emerged from the haze.

And Hiro instantly recognized them.

"Looks like we made it just in the nick of time," one of them said.

The other glared at Hiro from a distance, scowling. "I told you not to screw this up, dumbass."

It was none other than Takeda and Rei, arriving to back him up.

End of the 12th Chapter.