Ikazuchi Rika turned around and saw that the middle-aged man suddenly threatening her with a gun was none other than her "neighbor," the surveillance target she had been monitoring, Oda Kotaro.
'So my investigation has been exposed?', Ikazuchi Rika's thoughts raced as she realized her identity was probably compromised, 'In that case...'
Even with a gun pressed against her, as an experienced detective, Ikazuchi Rika had no intention of surrendering.
She spun around, locked the attacker's gun hand with a counter-grappling move, then smoothly threw him over her shoulder, slamming him onto the ground.
Ikazuchi Rika's movements were incredibly fast.
Oda Kotaro hadn't expected a woman to be so skilled.
Before he could even resist, he was thrown to the ground, and the pistol flew out of his hand.
"You!", Oda Kotaro snarled, trying to grab the gun.
But Ikazuchi Rika got there first.
At that moment, Oda Kotaro was half-lying on the ground while Ikazuchi Rika was still standing. Under normal circumstances, she would definitely reach the gun first.
But just as she was one step away from picking it up and arresting Oda Kotaro, another cold voice suddenly shouted from behind her.
"Don't move! Hands up! Or I'll shoot you dead!"
Along with the click of a safety being released, Ikazuchi Rika turned around and saw a bald man aiming a pistol at her.
'Damn it! The other one is here too?'
Ikazuchi Rika raised both hands, her expression grim.
What made her feel even more hopeless was that another man dressed in black walked out from the front of the alley. From his expression alone, it was obvious he was with Oda Kotaro and the bald man.
Even without counting Oda Kotaro, who was still on the ground, Ikazuchi Rika was completely trapped between enemies in front and behind.
"Raise your hands higher. Don't try any tricks!"
Having learned from Oda Kotaro's shoulder throw, the bald man kept his distance and aimed his gun at Ikazuchi Rika as he threatened her.
Seeing that she had no chance to fight back, Ikazuchi Rika fell into despair.
She could only raise her hands helplessly.
"Haha! Kotaro, you're pathetic. You actually got taken down by her," Seeing that Ikazuchi Rika could no longer resist, the bald man, Kyuseishi, relaxed and started making fun of the still-lying Oda Kotaro.
Oda Kotaro climbed to his feet awkwardly and said unhappily, "Damn it! I was just careless! Normally I'd deal with her like this without any trouble!"
The bald man chuckled, "And by 'deal with,' you mean in bed, right? But you've got a point. This detective really does have an incredible figure. Her boobs are huge."
Hearing his bald accomplice, Oda Kotaro grew anxious.
"I told you she had a great body, didn't I? But I get to go first! I was the first to notice something was wrong with them, and I got hurt too. I get first dibs!"
The bald man shook his head helplessly, "You never stop thinking about that kind of thing. No wonder you got taken down by her."
Oda Kotaro grinned lewdly, "Quit pretending. If you guys don't want her, I'll keep her all to myself."
The bald man immediately grinned as well.
"Hahaha! As if I'd pass. I've never had a detective before either."
The man in black licked his lips.
"I'll go last. I like taking the road other people have already opened up."
"You're seriously sick," the bald man laughed.
By now, Oda Kotaro had gotten back up. Rubbing his still-sore backside, he walked over to Ikazuchi Rika with a smug, sinister grin.
"Miss Rika... no, I should say Detective Rika. Long time no see."
"How did you find out?", Ikazuchi Rika's face went dark as she looked at Oda Kotaro's smug expression.
"Heh! I guessed from the way you carried yourself. I didn't spend all these years in this business for nothing," Oda Kotaro grinned proudly.
Then he became even more pleased with himself.
"And I didn't just see through your identity. Today I even got you and that pretty-boy coworker of yours to get real close."
"So? It felt good, didn't it? Those sounds you were making... Tsk! Tsk! I'm really jealous of your colleague. The two of you should be thanking me."
Looking at the hickeys covering Ikazuchi Rika's graceful neck and collarbone, Oda Kotaro looked both smug and envious.
Hearing his words, Ikazuchi Rika's face flushed red with humiliation and anger.
She had never imagined that Oda Kotaro and the others had figured out her identity long ago.
When they had spoken next door earlier, they had deliberately pretended to suspect her and Hikari's identities.
Yet she hadn't realized it at all.
Instead, she'd hurriedly dragged Hikari into an intimate performance.
To make it look convincing and avoid exposing themselves, aside from actually going all the way, they had done practically everything else.
Thinking about the tatami she'd had to wipe several times before it was finally dry and feeling that her uniform skirt was still slightly damp... Ikazuchi Rika felt both ashamed and furious.
Although she hadn't really minded being intimate with Hikari, it had been necessary for the mission, and she had been the one to take the initiative.
The experience, unlike anything she'd ever felt before, even left her with something to remember.
But being toyed with and deceived by criminals like this filled Ikazuchi Rika with humiliation.
Seeing her ashamed and humiliated expression only made Oda Kotaro and the others laugh even harder.
"Hahaha! Some detective you are. You're stupid as hell!", Oda Kotaro said smugly.
The bald man, Kyuseishi, laughed too, "Big boobs, no brains. Just look at this detective's chest and you can tell how dumb she is."
"Maybe she's a little dumb, but that body is incredible. I'm so jealous of her colleague. Just looking at her is making me drool," the man in black said with a wicked grin.
"It's fine. We'll get to enjoy her soon too. Let's take her back to the factory. The three of us can have her together," Oda Kotaro said with a lewd smile.
"Sounds good. We'll take turns and make sure to treat Detective Miss right," the bald man said with a lewd grin as he pulled out a length of rope.
Watching the three criminals approach her with ropes in their hands, Ikazuchi Rika's body trembled as she completely panicked.
As a detective, she knew very well that these criminals had no humanity.
And they had already made it perfectly clear.
Once they tied her up and took her back to the factory, her fate would be unimaginably miserable.
Just imagining herself being violated and abused by these ugly criminals made Ikazuchi Rika feel dizzy. Her hands and feet turned cold as despair filled her heart.
She wanted to fight them to the end.
But she didn't know what she could do.
They had guns.
And there were three of them.
Unarmed, she had no chance against them.
Based on her experience, she should play along for the moment.
But if she fell into their hands, there would be no good outcome.
Ikazuchi Rika began to regret it.
She regretted being so careless.
She hadn't even realized her identity had been exposed.
She also regretted bringing Hikari on such a dangerous mission.
Not only had she put both of them in danger, she was now about to suffer humiliation and torture.
If she had brought a professional partner instead, someone like Noma Keiji, perhaps they would have grown suspicious after losing contact with her.
And discovered that she'd been captured, but Hikari was only a high school student.
By now, he had probably already gone home.
Tomorrow he would probably still have school.
He might not even realize she'd been captured until this time tomorrow.
By then, she might already be dead.
Or even worse, broken by what they had done to her.
Just as the three criminals closed in with ropes in hand, grinning maliciously, and Ikazuchi Rika, overwhelmed with despair, was even considering taking her own life, a figure suddenly jumped over the wall and dropped from above.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the bald man and Oda Kotaro, who had been holding the ropes and preparing to tie up Ikazuchi Rika, were knocked straight to the ground.
Looking at the young man who had suddenly appeared among them and taken down two people in an instant, both Ikazuchi Rika, who was still standing, and the man in black holding the gun froze for a moment.
When she came to her senses and recognized him, Ikazuchi Rika's face immediately lit up with joy.
"Hikari-kun?"
"Rika-nee, are you okay?", Hikari asked as he looked at the emotional Ikazuchi Rika.
"I'm fine!"
Seeing the shoe prints on the faces of the two criminals and remembering Hikari's extraordinary fighting skills, Ikazuchi Rika immediately understood what had happened.
Although she had countless things she wanted to say, seeing the man in black behind Hikari recover from his shock, she quickly warned him,
"Hikari-kun, be careful! There's still one more, and he has a gun!"
Hearing her warning, Hikari turned to look at the only criminal still standing.
The man in black had recovered as well. Although both of his friends had been taken down instantly and he hadn't even seen how Hikari had done it, looking at Hikari's young, slightly immature face, and at the gun in his own hand, he still threatened coldly, "Both of you, hands up! Don't move!"
Seeing the gun pointed at them, Ikazuchi Rika, who had only just relaxed, immediately broke into another cold sweat. She obediently raised her hands while looking worriedly toward Hikari.
But Hikari showed no reaction at all.
He had no intention of raising his hands in surrender.
Ikazuchi Rika's heart tightened.
The man in black also became irritated.
"Damn you! I don't want to kill anyone, so don't force me! Surrender and I'll spare your lives!"
Yet even after he spoke, Hikari still showed no intention of surrendering.
Instead, he started walking toward him.
Remembering how Hikari had instantly taken down his two friends, the man in black felt immense pressure. As Hikari approached, sweat poured down his face, and he unconsciously began backing away.
"Damn it! Don't come any closer! One more step and I'll shoot!", He pressed his finger against the trigger, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Hikari.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster'?", Faced with the obvious threat, Hikari showed no fear at all. Instead, he casually brought up something unrelated.
The man in black sneered, "Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster. Within seven steps, it's both fast and accurate!"
"Not necessarily," As soon as Hikari finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated.
The man in black panicked, "You asked for this!"
Gritting his teeth, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A sharp gunshot exploded through the quiet night.
Even though he wouldn't have feared being hit by the bullet directly, Hikari still sidestepped the flash, then rushed forward and knocked the man in black to the ground with a punch.
The instant she heard the gunshot, Ikazuchi Rika instinctively wanted to close her eyes.
Because she didn't want to see the tragic sight of the young man being shot in the head and collapsing into a pool of blood.
But in the corner of her eye, before she shut them, she saw something that stunned her.
Because after the gunshot rang out...
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