After disappearing from Ran and Shinichi's view, Ren Kuroda immediately broke into a sprint.
As he ran, he pulled out his phone.
Earlier, his approach to the van and casual chat with Detective Takagi had been a ruse. The real purpose? Sneaking a tracker onto the vehicle.
Ren had immediately recognized these two criminals for what they were: petty, vindictive men who would come after him the moment they got out of jail.
He wasn't afraid for himself—but he wouldn't risk the safety of his friends and loved ones on the hope that these men might show mercy.
Within moments, the tracker pinged successfully. Ren checked the route the van had taken and quickly deduced which path Takagi planned to take back to the precinct.
He darted into a narrow alley, planning to intercept the vehicle using a shortcut.
Running, he peeled off layers of clothing, feeling like a superhero straight out of a DC comic.
"These high school kids these days… unbelievable."
Takagi muttered to Chiba and Shin as he drove back to the precinct. "At their age, they're already catching criminals… armed ones at that!"
"When I was their age, I had no clue what I'd even do with my life."
Chiba nodded, sympathizing. "Exactly. I used to binge anime and think I'd end up working in the industry. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd be a detective."
"Seeing them in action… now I really understand the gap between people."
The two chatted casually—until a loud BANG echoed, and their van suddenly swerved out of control.
"What the—?" Takagi slammed the brakes instinctively, fighting to keep the van from crashing.
Before he could process what had happened, the sharp crack of breaking glass rang out.
"What's going on?" Chiba turned and froze in horror.
The two masked criminals had gaping holes in their chests. Blood gushed out as their bodies twitched violently.
(Both were handcuffed to the front seats, unable to lie down—forced forward by gravity and pain.)
Takagi turned and froze, feeling his scalp tingle. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and on the rooftop of a nearby four-story building, he spotted a masked figure.
"I see him!" Takagi shouted, unbuckling his seatbelt as he jumped out of the van and ran across the street.
"Hey! Takagi! Don't go—it's dangerous!" Chiba called after him, but Takagi was already too far.
He hastily pulled out his phone, hands trembling as he dialed Inspector Megure: "Sir! We've got a situation!"
"Trying to run after offending the Abbot?" Ren murmured with a slight smile as he squeezed the trigger.
A single shot blew out the van's tire, forcing it to stop.
Another shot followed.
The 12.7mm sniper rounds pierced straight through the kidnappers, chilling them to the bone.
Even Jesus himself couldn't have saved them.
"Done and dusted." Ren was about to leave when he noticed Takagi running toward him.
Takagi's brave… even with a sniper on the line, he still comes running? Ren thought, secretly impressed.
Few police officers would risk themselves like that—most would hide. After all, what's the point of risking your life for a month's paycheck?
Still… reckless, but commendable courage.
Ren decided not to leave immediately.
If he walked off now, Takagi would return empty-handed and take the blame for "failing to protect" the criminals.
Somebody had to take responsibility, and if anything happened under his watch, it wouldn't be him taking the fall—it wouldn't be fair to anyone else.
Ren wasn't worried about being recognized. The "Azu Mask" he wore covered the upper half of his face and came with full visual disguise capabilities.
Calmly, he holstered the sniper rifle and descended the stairs, step by step.
Below, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed.
Leather shoes clacked against the stairs, growing louder.
Ren waited at the corner, timing his move perfectly. When Takagi rounded the bend, he deliberately collided with him.
"Ah!!" Takagi went sprawling, shouting in surprise.
The young detective was about to speak when he caught sight of the masked man in front of him. He shouted, "Freeze! Police!"
Takagi hastily drew his pistol.
Ren immediately sized him up—clearly inexperienced in combat—and used the sniper rifle like a baton, knocking the gun aside.
Takagi cried out in pain, gripping the rifle and glaring at the masked figure. "Why did you kill them?!"
"You cops are amusing, always babbling nonsense," Ren replied with a grin. "Do you think I didn't know them? I just didn't like them, so I killed them—believe it or not."
"You were working with them?!" Takagi realized too late.
"What do you think?" Ren replied, delivering a sharp kick to Takagi's abdomen before dropping the rifle and heading down the stairs.
"Ugh…" Takagi wanted to give chase, but the searing pain in his stomach kept him rooted.
Several minutes later, he finally caught his breath.
"Damn it!" Takagi gritted his teeth. He was furious, but seeing the sniper rifle now in his hands offered at least some consolation.
He retrieved his sidearm and returned to Chiba, who was coordinating with the patrol officers to block the road.
Chiba's eyes widened. "Takagi! Did you catch the sniper?"
"No… I got taken down," Takagi admitted. "But at least I managed to grab his rifle."
Chiba let out a sigh of relief. "As long as no one's hurt. Don't be so reckless next time! He clearly didn't want to kill you."
"If he had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead before you even reached him."
Takagi calmed himself, realizing just how impulsive he'd been. He scratched his head with a wry smile. "You're right… I was too reckless. But… what about the criminals? Are they okay?"
"Are you kidding?" Chiba said flatly. "They had massive chest wounds. They were done for long before you got there."
"…Yeah." Takagi sighed. "Great. The criminals are dead on my watch."
"Well… there's nothing we could have done," Chiba said, not overly worried. Whoever had been assigned this task would have faced the same outcome.
Nobody expected a sniper waiting for them.