Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
----
The sudden explosion threw the guards in front of the warehouse into chaos. None of them had expected a traitor within their ranks. After all, the only way someone could have quietly planted half a kilogram of C4 in the staff building was if it had been an inside job.
Sakamoto Rinya, the head of security, drew his revolver and barked orders, "All units, hold your positions! Shoot any intruders on sight!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sakamoto pulled out his phone and dialed his superior to report the situation. Since they didn't yet know how many enemies they were dealing with, requesting backup was necessary.
But before he could even speak or before the call could connect, the signal suddenly dropped.
Someone had jammed it.
After confirming his own phone had no signal, Rei said, "Macallan, I've successfully cut off communications. You're clear to move."
"Good work."
"Seven people escaped from the staff building and are heading toward the warehouse. Be careful."
"Understood."
Ritsu fixed his gaze on Sakamoto, who was frantically tapping his phone. Raising his left hand, he fired a shot at Sakamoto's left leg. The bullet, muffled by a suppressor, pierced cleanly through, sending him stumbling to the ground as he clutched the wound.
"There's an ambush! Stay alert!"
"Rye, cover me. I'm going around from the back. No need to kill, just disable them."
"Got it."
A sniper round to the leg was enough to take someone out of action. Akai narrowed his right eye, aiming at the guards running toward the warehouse, and pulled the trigger.
A dull crack echoed from the AWM as the bullet tore through the air, striking its target in the thigh. Blood sprayed as the man collapsed, tripping the others behind him. One after another, they fell like dominoes, almost comically so.
Using the chaos as cover, Ritsu circled to the rear. As expected, security there was lighter, only three guards, and none were armed.
He raised his gun and fired rapidly. Six bullets struck their legs; the remaining three shattered the lock on the back door.
Reloading calmly, he walked forward. The three men, now immobile and unarmed, posed no threat. Their terrified expressions met his.
As usual, he knocked them unconscious with precise strikes before approaching the door.
As he reached for the broken lock, a sound came from the forest behind him. He immediately dodged to the side.
A burst of gunfire slammed into the iron door with sharp metallic clangs. The attacker had clearly been aiming at him.
"Tch, didn't expect you to dodge that."
A purple-haired man with an exaggerated spider tattoo spat to the side, grinning wickedly as he raised a P90 submachine gun.
"Stay right there. Move, and I'll turn you into Swiss cheese."
Ritsu raised an eyebrow. That face didn't look like someone who could infiltrate a security team. So he had backup.
Hearing Rei's voice in his earpiece, Ritsu smiled and raised his hands slightly.
"We're after the same thing, aren't we? No need to get hostile."
"Oh? Who sent you?" The purple-haired "man" smirked. "Pretty boy like you, wanna come work for big sis?"
"…Big sis?"
Wait, this person, about his height, was actually a woman? With that rugged appearance and voice, was she disguising herself?
Not the time to think about that.
Ritsu chuckled lightly. "Not impossible, but haven't you noticed something strange?"
The woman instinctively glanced behind her and in that instant, Ritsu hurled two flashbangs.
Kicking open the heavy iron door, he slipped into the warehouse. Since they shared the same objective, she wouldn't dare fire recklessly inside.
Damaging the artifact would defeat the entire purpose.
"You little brat, how dare you trick me!!"
The purple-haired woman reacted quickly, diving back into the trees to avoid being blinded completely. Ritsu couldn't capitalize on the moment to shoot her.
"That's because you're too gullible."
Mockery level: Max.
Rei's voice came through the earpiece again, and Ritsu sighed. "Bourbon, didn't realize you were such a chatterbox. I'm fine but you and Rye be careful. She's got a partner."
From his elevated position, Akai could normally see everything but now thick smoke was spreading from the warehouse entrance and the staff building, completely blocking his view.
"Macallan, I've lost visual. Can't see behind the warehouse anymore. Be careful, the partner might be heading your way."
"Got it."
Gunfire erupted outside moments later. Clearly, they didn't dare shoot into the warehouse and were venting their frustration at the door instead.
"The P90 has a 50-round magazine. You're probably out of ammo by now, right?" Ritsu called out.
"Why don't you come out and check, handsome?" The woman swapped magazines behind a tree, unconcerned, her partner had already arrived.
"As you wish."
As Ritsu stepped out, he carefully scanned the surroundings. This move was deliberate, he wanted to pinpoint the second person's location.
The only viable sniper position nearby was the abandoned building where Akai was stationed and from there, it was impossible to cover the rear of the warehouse.
So the second person wasn't a sniper. That meant they could be dealt with.
A sudden glint flashed from the southwest, 210 degrees. Likely a scoped weapon.
Ritsu immediately slid back behind the iron door, narrowly avoiding the incoming shots aimed at his previous position.
Now that he knew their position, things became easier. He also noticed both enemies had a habit of aiming for the head, the shots were all slightly above where he had been standing.
"Macallan, I've got news. Not sure if it's good or bad."
"What is it?"
"The smoke at the front entrance… it's toxic. All the guards are dead."
Akai's voice was steady as he watched through his scope, every guard lay foaming at the mouth, eyes bloodshot.
"So they're ruthless, huh?"
"Yeah. Be careful. I'm heading down to support you."
"Understood."
Ritsu hadn't expected them to be this merciless.
In that case, he wouldn't hold back either.
He pulled several smoke grenades from his bag, put on the Organization-issued glasses, and activated thermal vision.
Then he tossed all the grenades outside.
The game had begun.