November 12th remained overcast with drizzling rain.
After raining all day and night, a shallow layer of accumulated water collected on the ground, while wind-whipped raindrops splattered against the surface, forming concentric ripples. People on the street hurried with their umbrellas, splashing water as they walked.
Morning in Tokyo was congested. Through the misty rain, all one could see were the red tail lights of cars stretching out like a sluggish caravan.
"Ah, idiot!"
Despite having gone through it countless tis, Nakamura Tatsuyuki still cursed on his way to work, frustrated at how much ti he was forced to waste commuting due to the traffic.
As the clock approached nine, the congested traffic began to ease, and Nakamura Tatsuyuki finally arrived at the Supre Prosecutor’s Office just before the start of working hours.
Upon arriving at the gates of the Prosecutor’s Office, he did not notice the several pairs of eyes watching him in secret. In fact, from the mont he left his house, soone had been trailing him.
His well-known status made him a key surveillance target for the Land Guard, who would not give Kudou a chance to get close to him.
Per the orders of the Land Guard Staff Director, Secretary Kudou had stolen important military intelligence. The directive was: If spotted, capture alive if possible; if not, kill on sight.
The operation was completely confidential; without an order from the Land Guard Staff, those involved in the manhunt were strictly forbidden to reveal any details to anyone, else they be charged with treason.
Soldiers serve on the principle of obedience to orders, true in any country, and even more so in Japan, where, within the military, the sa ideology as that of the ’Fungus Country’ was deeply ingrained, aning soldiers would carry out orders unconditionally.
No one doubted the legitimacy of the order.
And the consequences of killing Kudou?
No outco could be worse than watching him get close to Nakamura Tatsuyuki. The forr scenario could be redied by pinning the bla on a couple of individuals, but the latter would require the entire Land Guard to take the fall.
Outside the Supre Prosecutor’s Office, as Nakamura Tatsuyuki’s car was about to enter the gates, a figure strode boldly across the street—it was Kudou.
He had just reached the middle of the street when the Land Guard operatives spotted him. Four figures imdiately converged from different directions, each holding an umbrella in one hand and a gun in the other, shielded by their suit jackets as they pulled the triggers.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
Following the four gunshots, Kudou staggered and fell heavily to the ground, his blood oozing from the bullet holes and slowly tinting the surrounding puddles a pale red.
"Ah! Murder!"
"Murder!"
The passersby were thrown into panic, running for their lives with their heads in their hands.
anwhile, the four soldiers who had executed the orders swiftly approached Kudou’s body against the tide, frantically searching his corpse for the top-secret military intelligence their superiors had ntioned.
But even after a thorough search, they found nothing.
"Nothing, withdraw."
The four exchanged glances, then dropped their umbrellas and disappeared into the panicking crowd, vanishing from the scene.
The mont the shots were fired, Nakamura Tatsuyuki had already braked. When he pulled open the car door and got out, he saw the four n rushing towards Kudou’s body.
But by the ti he reached them, the four had already lted into the crowd, leaving behind only a bloodied corpse.
Nakamura Tatsuyuki’s expression was as dark as today’s weather, grimacing at the brazen murder committed right at the gates of the Supre Prosecutor’s Office.
The killers were audacious and lawless!
"Excuse , are you... Minister Nakamura?"
A female employee from the coffee shop across the street, wearing the chain’s uniform, approached Nakamura Tatsuyuki holding an umbrella, her face pale and voice trembling.
"That’s ." Nakamura Tatsuyuki ca back to his senses.
The employee glanced at the body on the ground and, shaking, handed Nakamura Tatsuyuki a thick, folded docunt case, "This is from the gentleman on the ground. He asked to give this to you if he were captured or killed."
Nakamura Tatsuyuki’s gaze sharpened imdiately.
Clearly, the man on the ground had anticipated an attack and had used his death to distract his pursuers, all to ensure this item made it into Nakamura’s hands. Whatever was inside must be of significant importance.
"Thank you, you’re very brave," Nakamura Tatsuyuki said seriously as he received the docunt case, considering the female employee.
She bit her lip, "He told a very moving story, and besides, keeping it would have surely brought trouble to ."
Most ordinary people are still inherently kind.
And because of that, they can only remain as ordinary people.
"You’re not only brave, but also smart," Nakamura Tatsuyuki complinted her once more. He then stashed the docunt case within his coat and without a further glance at the corpse on the ground, he turned and walked briskly towards the Supre Prosecutor’s Office, his face stern.
Back in his office, he imdiately locked the door from the inside, then proceeded to open the docunt case. Inside there was a letter detailing Kudou’s identity, experiences, and the reasons behind his actions.
After reading the letter, his hands were shaking, and he began to breathe rapidly as he opened the thick notebook to find nas, military ranks and positions, and glaring numbers, struggling to catch his breath.
"idiot!"
Nakamura Tatsuyuki cursed hysterically.
The upper echelons of the Empire’s military were rotten to this extent - if the Land Guard was this bad, how corrupt must the Sea Guard and Air Guard be?
He didn’t want to contemplate it any further.
These bastards, they were no longer like the Empire’s lions that once swept across Asia during World War II!
Indeed, Nakamura Tatsuyuki was still a belligerent supporter of the ’Fungus Country’ ideology, a belief system his grandfather also stubbornly upheld.
No wonder Kudou had risked his life just to deliver the ledger to him. No wonder the Land Guard dared to commit murder right outside the Supre Prosecutor’s Office. The contents of this ledger were terrifying.
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