The heavy mahogany doors shut with a dull thud, sealing the mayor and his closest advisers inside the council chamber. The long oval table, usually reserved for city budgets and infrastructure debates, was littered with hastily printed reports and glowing tablets. The air smelled of stale coffee and panic.
Mayor Kurogane sat at the head of the table, his silver hair uncharacteristically disheveled, his tie loose around his neck. He looked less like the immovable statesman that dominated the evening news and more like a man cornered.
One of the advisers, a frail man from finance, spoke first, his voice trembling.
"Sir… the kidnappers have raised the ransom to three billion yen."
Three billion.
The number weighed on the room like a stone.
Another adviser, the security chief, pushed up his glasses.
"We can't afford to pay. Even if we could move the funds discreetly, it sets a precedent. Every criminal in the country would see you as vulnerable."
The PR adviser leaned forward, his tone sharp with frustration.
"But if you don't pay, the public will crucify you. Headlines are already circulating: 'World's Richest Man and the Abducted Mayor's Daughter? ' Your approval ratings won't survive the week."
Kurogane slammed his palm against the table.
"Damn the ratings! This isn't politics— it's my daughter's life!"
The chamber fell silent. The advisers exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, the finance adviser spoke again, carefully, as if tiptoeing over a minefield.
"With respect, Mayor… this is politics, whether we want it to be or not. If you pay, you'll be seen as weak. If you don't, you'll be seen as heartless. Either way, the public will decide what kind of man you are."
Kurogane clenched his fists.
It was then that the security chief cleared his throat.
"There… may be another option. That boy, the one the media keeps calling 'the world's richest man.' From the reports, he… seems capable of producing money—literally."
A murmur ran through the room. One adviser, pale and twitchy, spoke up.
"Sir… the police suspect that he might be involved in orchestrating the kidnapping himself. That he somehow engineered this… to extort billions."
Another adviser's voice cut in sharply.
"We can't risk it! If he's involved, giving him access could make this worse than the kidnapping itself!"
"But if we don't use him," countered the PR adviser, "the public will crucify us. Kae's life is at stake! We either gamble—or we lose before we even try."
The finance adviser shook his head.
"This is madness. A fifteen-year-old… possibly complicit, possibly not… holding our only chance in his hands? We're supposed to trust him?"
Kurogane's jaw tightened. The room erupted into tense, overlapping arguments, each voice more panicked than the last. He pressed his fingers into his temple, trying to silence the chaos in his own head.
Finally, he raised a hand. The room fell silent, all eyes on him.
"So the fate of this city… no, of my daughter's life, might rest on a human piggy bank who's not even 15 yet—and possibly being manipulated… or manipulating us."
The thought made his stomach twist. And yet, in this room of grim-faced men, no one could deny it— the boy might be the only card they had left to play.
Eight long, dragging hours had passed. My friends had vanished after leaving me a small fortune of crisp bills, disappearing into the night to avoid capture. Now I was alone, the weight of every second pressing down.
The city stretched before me like a labyrinth of shadowed alleys and glowing streetlights. Every turn carried the same ominous certainty: sooner or later, the law would catch up. And they did.
The first red-and-blue flashes cut through the darkness, sharp and merciless. A patrol car blocked the alley's exit, officers flanking it with tense, precise movements. Their expressions left no doubt—they were professionals, trained to end chases like mine.
I came to a stop, hands slightly raised—not in surrender, but in acknowledgment. My cuffs clinked as the officers moved in silently, the tension heavy in the night air.
"Souta Renjiro", the lead officer said, voice tight and controlled. "You're surrounded."
I stayed calm. My pulse raced inside, but my outward demeanor didn't falter. "I suppose… I don't really have a choice, do I?"
A second officer stepped forward, hand gripping my arm. The weight of authority, the inevitability of capture—it all pressed against me, and yet I held my ground, letting the silence stretch.
"You've been resisting for hours," the lead officer continued, eyes fixed on me. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? How reckless?"
I didn't answer immediately, I didn't need to. My mind was already calculating, assessing the narrow possibilities ahead.
*Three billion yen ransom, Kae's life. My resources frozen…*
Finally, I spoke, quietly. "I understand the consequences. But this isn't the end… it's because the clock is ticking."
They nodded, cautious but unyielding, and guided me toward the armored van waiting at the alley's mouth. My friends were gone, the chaos of the night left behind. Now it was just me, the ransom, and the impossible choices that came with it.
The van's engine hummed as it pulled away. Outside, the city was a blur of lights and shadows. Inside, the silence was absolute. I leaned back, observing the officers' precise movements, noting every detail.
The van's interior was cold, sterile. Monitors flickered with maps, live feeds, and a rolling countdown of the ransom deadline. The officers didn't speak unless necessary, their focus absolute. I let my eyes roam over the screens, each detail layering into a mental blueprint of the city and the kidnappers' possible locations.
After what felt like hours, the van slowed, pulling into a discreet underground parking facility beneath a high-rise. The lead officer turned toward me, expression unreadable. "You'll meet him now."
A side door opened, and a figure stepped out. The man's suit was impeccable, his posture rigid, his silver hair catching the harsh fluorescent lights. Mayor Kurogane. The city's face of composure, now stripped down to raw calculation and desperation.
"Souta...," he said, voice calm but strained, as if holding back the storm inside. "I apologize for the circumstances. This is… unusual, even by my standards."
I stepped forward, hands unclenched but ready. "Not unusual for me," I replied evenly. "I imagine you have a proposal?"
He nodded, motioning to a small table set up between us. On it were documents, digital pads, and a discreet briefcase—the tools of negotiation. "I can provide temporary access to funds, logistical support, and intelligence you won't find anywhere else. In exchange… you save my daughter."
I studied him. The tension around his eyes betrayed the calm veneer. He wasn't just worried—he was calculating. Judging me. Testing whether I was capable or… dangerous.
"And if I fail?" I asked quietly.
His inhale was sharp, deliberate. "Failure is… not an option or you will rot in prison for the rest of your life. My daughter's life doesn't leave room for mistakes. You will give me an absolute guarantee that she comes back safely."
The words hung like a blade in the room. Three billion yen, frozen assets, officers watching my every move. My friends gone, leaving only my wits and the money I could physically carry. Enough—but barely.
I met his gaze steadily. "Alright. You give me what I need—access, intel, clearance—and I'll handle this. I move my way, no interference. And understand… if I fail, it's on both of us."
Kurogane's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of suspicion flashing through them. "Agreed, everything within my power is yours. But Souta… do not forget. Everyone's watching. One misstep, one hint that you're not who you claim… and there will be consequences."
I picked up a digital pad, scanning schematics of the city, likely routes, safe zones, surveillance patterns. The clock ticked mercilessly. Every second was Kae, trapped, alive but counting on me.
The Mayor stepped back, hands clasped rigidly behind him. "Then… go. I will ensure the officers follow only your instructions. But remember—every eye in this city is on you."
I pocketed the pad, flexing my fingers. "Time's ticking."
As I strode toward the van's exit, my pulse steady but rapid beneath the surface, one thought crystallized:
*This is it. The quest to save Kae.*
The armored doors slid open, revealing the night air. Somewhere, in the labyrinthine streets of the city, Kae waited. And I intended to reach her before the countdown ran out.
Less than an hour had passed since the meeting with the Mayor. I had spent the time scanning every corner of the city, tracing any digital footprint, analyzing traffic cameras, and cross-referencing known criminal cells. Every lead twisted into a dead end. My frozen assets gnawed at me, but the stack of cash my friends had left was enough to maneuver—barely.
Then, exactly one hour after I had begun, my phone vibrated. A single, encrypted message illuminated the screen:
"Transfer location for Miss Kae Asamiya: abandoned textile factory, South District. Three billion yen, three hours. Fail, and she dies. Instructions attached."
I read it twice, letting the words settle. The kidnappers were organized, ruthless, and precise. They had likely been monitoring me since the moment my "richest man" status hit the news. They knew the stakes.
I let out a low breath.
*Three billion yen in three hours.*
The clock was merciless, but at least now there was a target. A fixed point.
The armored van five blocks away hummed softly, officers waiting for instructions. I turned to them, calm and focused. "We move immediately, South District. Secure perimeter, but do not engage unless I give the order. Understood?"
The lead officer nodded, voice tight but obedient. "Yes, sir… though, uh, with all due respect, what if this goes sideways? We're talking professional kidnappers here. One wrong move—"
I cut him off with a sharp glance. "Then we adapt. That's why I'm leading this, not you."
Even as I spoke, a flicker of doubt lingered at the edge of my mind. Could I really pull this off? Could anyone?
I slipped my remaining bills into a briefcase, counting every yen I could afford to spend. "This is for starters," I muttered. The rest… would come later, once Kae was safe.
As we navigated through the city's backstreets, the factory loomed ahead—vast, derelict, windows darkened with grime. A perfect staging ground for professional kidnappers.
I glanced at the countdown on my phone. It was forty minutes left. Every second drilled into my mind.
We approached cautiously, vehicles and officers forming a silent, controlled formation around the factory. Inside, somewhere, Kae waited. The next hour would decide everything.
I gripped the briefcase tighter.
*Time to act like the world's richest man.*
The factory loomed like a monolith, silent and oppressive. Its shadows swallowed the weak sunlight filtering through the grime-streaked windows. Officers fanned out, moving like shadows themselves, weapons ready but restrained with every step and every breath counted. I, meanwhile, clutched the briefcase and silently cursed my decision to "improvise" on the way here.
"Remember," I said before leaving for the door, voice low, "do not enter unless I give the signal. We aren't here to start a firefight—we're here to bring her back safely."
I approached the main entrance, hands still firmly on the briefcase. A bead of sweat traced the side of my temple, though my expression betrayed nothing. Thirty-five minutes, time was running out fast. Inside, I could hear the faint shuffle of movement—footsteps cautious and measured. The kidnappers were professionals. They had to be. Every instinct screamed that a single misstep could end everything.
I stopped just short of the doorway and tapped the briefcase.
"Damn… bloody again," I muttered, dabbing at my running nose as I whipped up nosepuds. Not long after, a voice crackled through a small, cheap speaker dangling near the main door.
"World's richest man," the kidnappers' monotone drawl said.
"Your time is ticking, thirty-five minutes remaining. Deliver the full ransom, the sum of three billion yen—or you will never see her again."
"I have your ransom here already," I said out loud while tapping the briefcase once more. "What about Kae Asamiya?"
"She's inside…"
"How do I know you're not lying? Could be someone doing a really bad cosplay of her. Either way, I'm not impressed."
"Just deliver the ransom and we will bring her out… unless…"
I swallowed hard, then replied with a grin.
"Hold up—three billion yen, and you're all saying no? Are you rich already, or is poverty just your thing?"
"Watch your mouth!" one of them barked. "You just became rich overnight!"
True. This was their livelihood, probably done this way for years, while I'd only just stumbled into it.
"Give us the ransom…"
"Dang, my nose..!" I said holding my nose.
"Stop stalling… The girl is inside. Give us the ransom or we blow her up." One of them replied.
"Fine, here it is." I handed over the briefcase as they scanned it carefully. I smiled wide as they inspected it, oblivious to my tiny, crucial gestures.
One of the kidnappers' eyes flicked to my subtle movements, a flash of recognition in his gaze. "Wait—don't—" he barked, lunging toward the briefcase.
"Too little, too late," I said with a grin.
The second he tried to stop them, the briefcase popped open, releasing a thick, colorless gas that rolled out like a sneaky, invisible wave. Their limbs stiffened, movements sloppy, eyes blinking in confusion..
"Now!" I yelled, seizing the opportunity.
Officers with gas masks surged forward with precision. One kidnapper tried to shout, but it came out as a strangled, slurred "Wh… wh—" before he collapsed, gagged and confused.
Chaos erupted. One fired a rifle, but the gas had ruined his aim. Another hurled a grenade that blew up a police car. A third shot shattered a nearby window. Sparks flew, shouting rang out, masked faces spun in confusion.
I ducked behind a support beam.
"This… is working… probably," I muttered.
I barely had time to think. On the way here, I grabbed whatever chemicals I had lying around—something from the old chemistry set I'd borrowed, a few powders from the art room, and that bottle labeled 'Do Not Mix'. I dumped them into the briefcase, shook it like I was mixing a smoothie, and hoped that whatever I'd read in chemistry about gases would actually work.
A whiff of something sharp and acrid hit my nose. I coughed, waved a hand in front of my face, and muttered, "Yep… that's probably it."
It was rough, it was chaotic. And it was probably illegal in, like, every country on Earth. But desperate times… and I had three billion reasons to hope it would work. Though, I was still wondering why all these risks for someone I met yesterday.
Yesterday… Last week… What's the difference?
Though the kidnappers weren't done yet. One held a detonation device, poised to blow up the warehouse. I lunged, striking the briefcase into his arm and sending the device flying. Bills erupted from the briefcase like confetti—millions of yen fluttering across the warehouse. Heaven, if heaven smelled faintly of money.
I strode toward the center, where Kae sat tied to a chair, amber eyes wide but steady. Relief, suspicion, and mild disbelief flickered across her face.
"Yo… Kae," I murmured, walking slowly toward her as the chaos outside began to settle.
I loosened the ropes around her wrists and mouth, careful not to disturb the scattering bills or the lingering madness of the moment.
She rubbed her wrists and shot me a sharp glare. "Do you have any idea what you just did?!"
I smirked, brushing a stray bill from my sleeve. "Yeah… got a little carried away. But hey—you're alive, aren't you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Barely. And I swear, if my dad finds out you turned his city into a… a… money blizzard…"
"Relax," I said, hands raised innocently. "Consider it… a donation."
She groaned, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," I quipped, helping her to her feet.
Just as we started moving toward the exit, a shadow detached itself from the chaos—a kidnapper, eyes gleaming behind a gas mask, charging straight at us.
"Move!" I barked, shoving Kae behind me as I twisted my body, narrowly dodging a swinging baton that could have split my head open.
The smell of the gas mask hit the air, sharp and chemical, and I cursed under my breath. "Of course, one of you had to get creative."
Kae stumbled but caught herself, glaring at me. "Why do I even let you drag me into this?!"
The kidnapper in the gas mask moved with terrifying precision. I barely had time to react—dodging, twisting, pushing Kae behind me—and yet, each movement felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of knives. One misstep, one twitch, and it was over.
A sudden swipe nearly tore my side open, the force knocking the wind out of me. I stumbled, heart hammering, and realized just how outclassed I was.
*This is what happens when you try to improvise against professionals...* I thought grimly.
Above, the roar of helicopter blades cut through the night. Floodlights scanned the factory, catching glimpses of the chaos below. The kidnappers' reinforcements were already moving in, coordinating with terrifying efficiency. There was no room for heroics—not for me alone.
Then, in the blur of headlights and engine noise, I heard the unmistakable roar of motorcycles. My friends had returned. Tires screeched across the concrete as they slid to a stop at the perimeter, engines thundering, and without hesitation, they charged straight into the fray.
The distraction was perfect. The kidnapper's focus split, his swings frantic as the sudden chaos erupted around him. I grabbed Kae, nearly collapsing under the adrenaline and exhaustion, and we bolted toward the incoming motorcycles.
"Get on!" Kenta shouted. I shoved Kae onto the back of a bike, barely steadying myself before leaping onto the next. The engine roared beneath me, the wind whipping against our faces as we tore out of the factory grounds.
Behind us, shouts, gunfire, and the faint hiss of gas echoed in the night, but for a moment, we were moving. For now, at least, the nightmare had a fragile edge of escape.
The wind whipped around us as the motorcycles roared through the shadows, engines screaming like wild beasts. I held Kae close, trying to keep her steady, heart still hammering from the near-death encounter.
Her amber eyes widened, glancing back at the chaos we left behind, then at my friends riding like forces of nature beside us.
"They… they saved us?" she gasped, voice trembling with disbelief and awe.
I gave her a tight nod, trying to sound calm though my own pulse refused to slow. "Yeah… and trust me, you don't want to know how close I came to being just another headline tonight."
She let out a shaky laugh, half-relief, half-adrenaline. "I don't even know them… but wow. You really do pick the craziest friends."
I smirked through the tension, letting her see a sliver of humor in the madness. "Yeah… lucky for us, the craziest are also the fastest. Unfortunately, money won't cut it for them this time—each one's insisting on a date with you."
Kae blinked, astonished. "A… date? Seriously?"
I shrugged, one corner of my mouth twitching. "Yeah… apparently being rich is only part of the package. A charming mayor's daughter seems to be non-negotiable."
She laughed, a pure, unguarded sound that made the helicopters above seem almost like background noise. "Hmph… They'll need more than your money to keep up with me, Souta."
By the time the night bled into morning, Kae was safe. The mayor greeted her at the gates like a man clutching the sun after endless darkness, his voice thick with gratitude as he clasped my shoulder.
"You've done more than anyone could ask," he said, eyes glistening. "My family is deeply indebted you and your friends. I'm sorry for every doubting you, Souta."
I nodded, forcing a smile. The chaos, the smoke, the rain of counterfeit yen—it was already starting to blur in my head, like a half-remembered dream.
But then it hit me. Twenty-four hours has passed, I could undo everything, reset the whole board, erase the carnage and the madness as if it never happened.
My hand trembled at the thought. The Unknown was still there, whispering in the corners of my mind. I didn't trust it, not yet.
But in the corner of my mind, the Unknown stirred.
"You realize," its voice coiled through my head, smooth and taunting, "you could have simply wished she was never kidnapped in the first place."
I froze. The weight of the chaos—the blown-up cars, the raining cash, the near-death brawl, my friends demanding dates from Kae crashed down on me all at once.
I sighed, rubbed my temples, and muttered, "Shut up."
Because honestly? He was right.