Chapter 46: The Prop Game
"If you see a suspicious individual, neutralize them. If control is impossible..." Hikaru Hoshino hesitated for a moment before hardening his resolve. "You may use lethal force. Don't worry about the consequences."
Villains can act without scruples, ignoring consequences, trampling laws, and obliterating morality. Good people, however, are forced to live within boundaries, weighing social impact and clinging to their humanity. In such a setup, how could a good person ever be a match for a villain?
Are the "good" simply destined to have a gun pointed at their heads?
If so, Hikaru Hoshino would rather not be one of the "good." Resolve the incident first; handle the aftermath later. If one is constantly looking over their shoulder, timid and hesitant, problems that should be solved remain unresolved. Better to ignore the fallout from the start and meet the crisis with everything you've got.
As the saying goes: *Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit.* Since they were already enemies, he wouldn't entertain a single shred of wishful thinking.
Had this been in the city, he would have had reservations. But since the enemy chose a battlefield in the desolate mountains, they likely intended to dispose of a body and erase the evidence anyway.
Ryosuke had killed Goro Amamiya and remained at large for four whole years. He hadn't killed some nobody, but a well-respected local doctor. If he could evade justice for that long, it meant the loopholes in the Miyazaki Prefecture Police Department were significant.
Compared to Ryosuke, Hikaru Hoshino had more money and broader connections. He might lack Kamiki's extensive criminal experience, but he was better at utilizing resources. To the current him, a homicide in the deep mountains was something that could be thoroughly covered up.
Not every case is handled by the diligent, responsible detectives of mystery novels. Great detectives appear once in a century, but cold cases are as common as Tokyo earthquakes.
However, Rin Futamichi had a different perspective.
"Sir, I must remind you," the female bodyguard said, looking at her client with a touch of helplessness, "I am a bodyguard, not a mercenary for hire."
"I will not initiate an attack, much less take a life proactively. To me, the employer's safety is the priority above all else."
Hikaru looked skeptical. "Xini Entertainment never sent you to do any 'dirty work'?"
"We live in a society governed by law. Xini is a legitimate entertainment corporation."
"Fair enough," Hikaru replied noncommittally.
It seemed Xini was a purely commercial entity that solved problems through capital rather than "underground" means.
But Japan was a nation where the Mafia once ran rampant; the history of the *Gokudo* was far longer than that of the current government. Even today, shadows of the Yakuza often appeared in anime—it was a cultural label, a legacy of history that couldn't be discarded.
While some mobsters had moved on to selling bubble tea, becoming idols, or opening companies that went bankrupt, those who found the right direction and merged into capitalist society managed to survive in new forms.
"Stay close."
The two continued up the stone steps. Hikaru felt a sense of familiarity, especially seeing the weathered, peeling paint of the torii gate above. Past memories unfolded like a scroll; he realized this was likely the very place where he had first "arrived" in this world.
As he reached the meeting point, Hikaru signaled for Rin Futamichi to hide in the shadows while he proceeded alone.
The stone steps forked—one path leading further up, the other a narrow trail to an unknown area. Hikaru brushed aside some branches and found himself in a clearing with a gazebo. A figure seemed to be sitting inside.
The view here was extremely open. One could see the mountain road winding through the forest below and the faint outline of a deserted parking lot halfway down.
Miyazaki is a famous scenic area, and it was currently peak tourist season, so it shouldn't have been this deserted. But in reality, people preferred the neighboring mountain. This one, despite once being bustling due to a popular shrine at the summit, had seen its crowds vanish as the shrine fell into ruin.
Hikaru made a subtle hand gesture and approached the figure in the gazebo.
Suddenly, his sharp eyes noticed something off about the ground ahead. It wasn't covered in grass, but vines, with clear signs of human tampering. He tossed a stone over. Sure enough, it was a prepared pitfall trap.
*How childish.* Hikaru let out a dry laugh and circled around the trap.
But soon, he found a bear trap hidden just ahead, nearly stepping on it. Before he could celebrate dodging that, a rope snared his foot, and he was jerked into the air.
*What the hell? Where did this 'Trap Master' come from?*
Fortunately, Rin Futamichi acted instantly, rushing out to cut the rope. However, she had exposed herself.
Strangely, the figure in the gazebo didn't react. Hikaru rushed forward only to find it was a silicone mannequin dressed in clothes, wearing a blonde wig.
"We've been played." Hikaru realized this, but he wasn't angry. "Take the mannequin back. Trace the manufacturer and date; see if we can find a purchase record."
"Understood." The bodyguard's face was calm, but her expression changed just three seconds later.
*Tick... tick... tick...*
"A bomb!" Rin Futamichi grabbed Hikaru and retreated rapidly, pulling him away from the gazebo before diving to the ground.
A long silence followed. Nothing happened.
Just as Rin went to stand up, a series of *crackling* sounds erupted from the woods behind them, startling both of them.
She moved to shield Hikaru again, but he waved her off with a sigh.
"Just firecrackers. It seems he has no intention of showing his face. How disappointing. He's just a bug hiding in the dark."
He walked into the gazebo and pulled a phone and a speaker from under the stone bench.
"A recording of a ticking bomb." Hikaru's lip curled. "I should have known. Where would an ordinary citizen get their hands on a real bomb?"
Losing interest, Hikaru planned to head back, but the phone suddenly rang. When he pressed the answer button, a figure appeared on the small screen.
An electronically synthesized voice came from the device.
"Mr. Amagi, how do you like the gifts I prepared?"
"Not much. Just a bunch of cheap tricks."
"Compared to you, Mr. Amagi, they certainly are nothing. After all, I am only your assistant. At most, I can handle the props. The one who actually does the 'work' is always you, Mr. Amagi."
Rin Futamichi's body visibly tensed.
Hikaru stared expressionlessly at the screen until the figure inside slowly turned around, revealing the face beneath the hood.
It was nothing but a cat mask.
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