Part 1: The Coin Falls
Sound comes first — ragged, wet breathing. Labored.
A rough hand yanks the cloth from Null's face.
Blinding light. Harsh. White. Burning through the pain. His eyes squint — swollen, blood-crusted. He's hanging upside down, bound by rope at the ankles, the knot digging into raw flesh.
Drip. Drip.
Blood trails from his chin — no, his forehead. Gravity's flipped. A slow, steady rhythm splattering against cold concrete.
Footsteps. Polished leather shoes. Sharp black slacks. Blazers. Shadows circling him — suits and silence — a room full of predators.
But one man stands out.
He doesn't move.
Still. Commanding.
No coat — just draped over his shoulders like a cape. Shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal full-sleeve tattoos: a koi fish, twisting up his right arm in vivid red and green. He lights a cigarette with a flick of his thumb, flame dancing.
Then you see it.
The back of his hand: an Oni face. Crimson ink. Grinning. Twisted. Like it's watching you bleed.
The man crouches down to Null's level. His face still hidden from Null's blurred, upside-down view.
Man (low, cold):
"Well, well, well… look who's still breathing.
Seems the world loves you, huh?
No matter how many times we try — you just won't stay fucking dead."
Null's (inner monologue):
"Ribs... cracked.
Concussion… can't focus.
Blurred vision.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Shit..."
He blinks — slow, heavy. Blood creeps upward across his vision. His heart pounds in his ears. He tries to focus.
But everything fades.
CUT TO BLACK.
---
30 MINUTES EARLIER
The sound of heavy breathing.
Click-clack.
A rifle mag snaps into place.
Null sits inside a dark van. Mask in his lap. City lights flicker through the windshield, slicing across his face. Neon. Red. Blue. His expression unreadable — just tension and silence.
Outside, Tokyo breathes — loud, electric.
The van jerks to a stop.
Null stares ahead. The skyline glows — and at its heart, a towering monolith of glass and steel:
The Tokyo Moon Hotel.
Tonight's hunting ground.
Null lifts the mask, slowly — his fingers tremble just slightly. His breaths calm. Controlled. Mechanical.
He pulls it on.
Skitch... Skatch.
The rifle is chambered.
The van door creaks open — and light floods in.
He steps out, dressed sharp in a tailored suit. From the back, the curve of his mask shows — horned, red, like a demon come to collect.
Static cuts in — radio scratch.
Null (quietly, calm):
"…It's time."
He walks into the alley.
Lifts the manhole cover.
And disappears into the dark beneath the city.
Tip. Top. Tip. Top.
Footsteps echo through a long white corridor. Clean. Cold. Clinical.
A man walks at the center of it all — calm, composed, exhaling smoke from a lit cigarette.
His blazer draped loosely over his shoulders, shirt sleeves rolled up, tattoos peeking underneath. Behind him, dozens of Yakuza in black suits stand in stiff rows, bowing silently as he passes.
He reaches a set of double doors.
Pushes them open.
Inside — chaos.
A round table choked with stacks of cash, half-spilled booze, smoke, and shouting men. Arguments. Slurs. Power plays. Some faces are bruised — reminders of the Oni — recent scars from the demon who hunts them.
But as soon as the doors open, the room stills.
Silence.
They all stand and bow.
Akao Min-Jae enters the room — the dragon at the head of the table.
He sits in the central chair, crossing his legs — eyes sharp, unreadable.
Akao (in Japanese):
"Let's begin our annual meeting."
Instantly, the noise erupts again — louder now, everyone complaining at once.
---
Meanwhile — beneath the hotel.
A narrow gutter tunnel, humid and reeking of oil and sewage.
Null crouches in the dark.
Drenched in sweat. Mask on. Rifle slung.
Null:
"…Is this the place?"
Alex (in earpiece):
"Yeah. You're right beneath them. But... are you sure you want to make that much noise?"
Null (dry):
"Why?"
Alex (half-laughing):
"Just thought assassins did things quiet. Swift. Secret."
Null:
"I'm not just taking him out, Alex.
I'm going to reduce everything he built to ash.
His money. His power. Everything.
And I want him to watch it burn."
Alex: "Shirato says the guards are rotating every 15 minutes. Now's our window."
Null: "Hope he's not playing both sides."
Alex: "You vetted him. You said he's clean."
Null doesn't reply. He just checks the mag, racks the slide.
His silence says everything.
Alex:
"…Got it. Ten minutes tops to reach him after detonation.
Once it starts, I'll seal the emergency exits. No one leaves."
Null:
"Perfect. On your count."
Alex (typing fast, code flying on the screen):
"Just a sec… almost in…"
Null waits. Fingers tighten around his rifle.
Alex:
"Alright. On three.
Three… two—"
BOOM.
Null (smirking):
"You talk too much."
Alex:
"Dammit, let me finish!—"
He slams Enter.
Steel shutters crash down across every exit.
The fire alarms scream.
Red lights flood the corridors like blood pulsing through veins.
In the debris, Null bursts from beneath the floor, smoke curling around him like a demon rising.
He glances at the digital map one last time — memorizes the route.
Tosses it.
Clicks the rifle into position.
Null (to himself):
"Let's end this."
He kicks open the nearest door.
Inside — panic.
Yakuza scrambling. Confused. Shouting into radios. Reaching for weapons.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Null pulls the trigger, clean and brutal.
Bodies drop. Screams follow.
Fire. Smoke. Metal. Chaos.
And at the center of it all — one man with a demon mask and a rifle, erasing an empire.
Ground Floor – Hotel Takamagahara
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Gunfire echoed as Null cut down the last guard on the ground floor. Blood sprayed across the marble tiles. Screams rose from panicked staff and Yakuza scrambling through corridors.
The entire building was in chaos.
---
Conference Room – Top Floor
Men in black suits stood around a long obsidian table. Some gripped their pistols. Others paced in panic.
Yakuza Boss: "What's going on?!"
Another: "My men aren't responding!"
One of them: "What do we do now?!"
At the head of the table, Akao Min-Jae sat still, elbows resting on the desk, eyes locked on the elevator door. A faint smile curled on his lips.
Suddenly, the radio crackled to life — a broken scream laced with static.
Radio:
"H-Help… ssscreeech… Oni… no—!"
Akao leaned back slightly.
Akao (calm): "He's here."
---
Mid Floors – Rampage
Null moved like a shadow, clearing floor after floor with silent brutality. Gunfire, screams, then silence.
---
Alex (in earpiece): "Jammer's up. No communication from outside.
You can rampage all you want."
Null (deadpan): "I'm already on it."
Bang. Bang. Click.
His rifle clicked empty.
He checked the chamber. Empty.
Without hesitation, he dropped the rifle with a metallic clatter and reached behind him — pulling out a thin black bag.
From it, he drew a katana.
He unsheathed it with a whispering shing, slotted the sheath across his waist, and pulled a grenade pin from his pocket.
Clink.
The grenade landed at a hallway corner.
BOOM.
A wave of fire and smoke.
Yakuza guards stumbled out, coughing, half-blind.
They never stood a chance.
Null moved like wind. One head flew. Another scream was silenced with a slash.
Swift. Elegant. Final.
Null sees a few guards get called away by radio.
Alex: "That's Shirato's doing. He sent them on a wild goose chase. You're clear to move."
Null: "Tell him I owe him another drink."
Alex (calmly): "Elevators are back online. You can take it now."
Null: "On it."
He stepped into the elevator, pressed '20', and sheathed his sword. Standing still, hands resting above one another, he waited.
A romantic melody filled the cabin — "Tonight the music seems so loud…"
Null blinked.
His head slowly bobbed to the rhythm… until he realized.
Alex (laughing): "Pffft… didn't know you had that side!"
CLANK!
Null slashed the speaker above, cutting the music. Then shot the corner camera.
Alex (still laughing): "Alright! Alright! Chill— wait, what the hell… Null, it's a trap. I'm getting live feed now—"
"Too many people, too many guns. You need to retreat."
Null (quietly): "Don't worry."
---
Elevator Shaft – Top Floor
Null opened the emergency hatch and climbed up.
The elevator dinged at Floor 20.
A dozen men were waiting, guns aimed.
15… 16… 17… 18… ding.
Bang bang bang bang!
They emptied their magazines into the elevator, shredding the walls into swiss cheese.
Click click click.
Reload. Another volley. More bullets.
When they cautiously stepped forward…
…the elevator was empty.
Confused murmurs rose.
Suddenly — the second elevator opened behind them.
PSSHHHH — smoke grenades filled the hallway.
Null was already against the wall, taking cover. He aimed and shot out the lights.
Darkness.
Panic.
Bang!
"FUCK! You shot me!"
"Baka!"
"Shinde yo!"
Then — a flash of red.
A swoop.
A scream.
The Oni had arrived.
They couldn't see him — just glowing eyes and slashes in the dark. Blood sprayed across walls. Limbs dropped like leaves.
The emergency lights flicked on.
Only one guard remained — flat on his back, too injured to run.
He shakily aimed his handgun at the figure.
Bang. Bang.
Null sidestepped, his katana slicing the bullet midair.
The man gasped.
Man: "That's impossible…"
Before he could scream again, Null's sword pierced his heart.
Man (dying breath): "Oni…"
Null wiped his blade clean on the man's tie. Sheathed it with a metallic sigh.
Then knelt, pulled a silver Oni coin, and placed it on the man's tongue.
---
The Door
He turned toward the golden double doors — leading to the boardroom.
He opened them.
Blinding white light spilled into the hallway.
The place is wrecked. Smoke curling from bullet holes. Blood pooled across marble floors.
Six or seven Yakuza lie motionless — too few. It's too quiet.
On the long mahogany table stands Akao Min-Jae.
Calm. Composed. Almost regal. His pristine suit untouched by the chaos.
Surrounding him — Shirato and five armed men.
Expression unreadable.
Then—
The doors creak open.
Null steps in.
Breathing heavy. His coat torn. Blood trailing from his shoulder.
In one slow motion, he reaches up — and pulls off the Oni mask.
Akao's eyes widen — just a flicker — as recognition dawns.
Then… a smile. Cold. Proud.
Like he'd been waiting for this moment.
Null (tense, wary):
"…Where are the rest?"
He scans the room.
Only 6 or 7 bodies. But there were supposed to be 16 Yakuza bosses here.
This was supposed to be a slaughter.
Suddenly — the air goes still.
Null (realizing):
"You knew?"
Suddenly— BANG!
A searing pain tore through Null's back.
He staggered.
Turned—
Shirato.
Null's eyes widened in betrayal.
Gun still raised. Smoking barrel. No regret in his eyes.
Null's expression shatters — pure betrayal.
Before he can raise a hand—
Four men rush in from the shadows.
He fell.
Fists rained down.
Blood pooled.
Then — blackness.
---
Alex (frantic): "Null?! NULL?! Wake up—
You have to run. You have to—"
Too late.
Silence.