Chapter 405

"Inspector! Inspector! Pull yourself together!" Igarashi Hayato looked at Okada Masayoshi's back, which was covered in blood, and he was so anxious he was about to cry: "Don't rush, I'll bandage you right away! You can't die!"

"Wow!" The children in the room suddenly all burst into tears, each one transforming into noisy warriors like sons of the emperor, their cries piercing the membranes of the brain. The female kindergarten teachers fumbled frantically to open the medical kit, but in their nervous panic, they not only broke into a sweat but also accidentally dropped the medical kit on the floor.

"Fnndp!" Okada Masayoshi, already exhausted, couldn't help but snap angrily upon hearing that: "I'm just wounded, not dead!"

He had indeed been stabbed in the back, but he himself was very clear about the injury: although his back felt like it was burning with piercing pain, he knew clearly that neither his spine nor his organs were injured—this was merely a hard injury, not fatal.

"Inspector!" Igarashi Hayato hurriedly bandaged him; the young officer was also sweating profusely, but this young man was naturally simple-minded, only applying too much force with his hands: "Don't speak!"

"........." Okada Masayoshi finally fell silent. He glanced at the rapidly approaching helicopter and thought, Fortunately, support arrived quickly; otherwise, who could this ordinary kindergarten door stop?

Within minutes, the helicopter had arrived overhead the kindergarten, and several SAT members rappelled down from it,

the leader being none other than SAT Captain Godai Yusuke!

Support has arrived!

"Inspector, hold on!" Captain Godai immediately signaled other members to come treat him. After confirming Okada Masayoshi was seriously injured but not in mortal danger, he quickly sprayed a hemostatic agent, then signaled the remaining members to follow him and immediately reported to the command center: "Target has fled into the ruins. Repeat: target has already fled into the ruins! All units! Surround and annihilate!"

"Inspector Okada Masayoshi, seriously wounded! But no mortal danger! Repeat: Inspector Okada Masayoshi, seriously wounded! But no mortal danger! He protected the children in the target's hands; the target failed to seize the children. Repeat: the target failed to seize the children!"

After saying that, a large group of SAT armored vehicles arrived one after another. SAT personnel in black protective suits began to surround the large building behind the kindergarten—one by one, the Odaiba Toyofu Automobile Exhibition Center ruins.

The armored vehicles directly smashed through the temporary barriers outside the ruins. The helicopter hovered above the ruins, and sniper red dots began to dart among the broken walls and remnants.

The remaining police urgently evacuated the kindergarten children, teachers, and staff. Several SAT members stood silently around the fallen patrol officer, saying nothing.

Another officer had died in the line of duty.

And at this very moment, all of Tokyo Metropolis endured a horrifying rollercoaster!

When the news that "Toshima Ward familicide suspect (Ikebukuro Phantom Guest) armed with heavy weapons stormed Odaiba Seaside Nursery School" spread like a nuclear blast through emergency alerts, media bulletins, and frantic dissemination of on-site video fragments (mostly shot from afar on mobile phones), Japanese society felt as if an invisible giant hand had seized its throat, instantly plunging into extreme shock, horror, and breathlessness!

NHK's announcer had completely lost composure: "Breaking news! A major suspect in the Toshima Ward murder case, armed with a gun, has stormed Odaiba Nursery School! Children's safety inside is causing extreme concern! The scene is now under emergency lockdown!"

On NHK's screen, rolling footage showed the nursery school's exterior and distant flashing police lights, with background music of an anxiety-inducing alarm sound effect.

On Fuji News Network's helicopter, female anchor Tei Reiji also had tears in her eyes, the live helicopter camera locked tightly onto the nursery school playground! Although the image was blurred due to distance and shaking, one could clearly see the gray motorcycle that had smashed through the fence, and the moment a gray figure shoved aside a teacher and lunged toward a child!

Tei's anchor voice trembled with tears: "The Phantom Guest, his target is the children, his target is the children!!"

At this very moment, even TV Tokyo urgently halted its infant and pregnant women's health exercise program, inserting an emergency bulletin about the situation at Odaiba Seaside Nursery School!

In the social media live stream, the barrage of comments instantly flooded with "Protect the children!" and "Unforgivable!"

At the same time, the internet had completely exploded, plunging into a frenzy of information bombardment and spreading panic!

"The culprit took hostages!"

"Children have been seized!"

"Why haven't the police stormed in yet?!"

"What the hell are these tax-thieving bastards doing?!!!!!!!"

All sorts of unverified horror rumors ran rampant, with "#Odaiba Nursery School Hostage Incident" and "#Save the Children" instantly topping all trending searches, followed by countless candle symbols for prayer. Many parents, upon seeing the news, went berserk, rushing toward the schools or kindergartens where their children were.

And precisely at the same time, when the Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters command center saw the Phantom Guest enter the nursery school, all senior police officials truly felt as if standing at the edge of an abyss, treading on thin ice. Onoda Kimiaki's face was covered in frost, Watanabe Eiji's face was ashen like death.

On the large screen, the nursery school's infrared thermal imaging was magnified to the extreme. Several tiny heat sources representing the children and a clear heat source representing the Phantom Guest moved and approached each other in the playground area! Each approach made everyone's heart leap to their throats!

Watanabe Eiji's face was as pale as paper, his lips pressed into a straight line, his fingers gripping the edge of the command table so tightly his knuckles whitened from strain. The Metropolitan Police Department had just lost a young officer (Kikuchi Fūma, Patrol Officer Section Chief), and now faced the most terrifying nightmare—children becoming hostages! If another child were harmed or killed, the Metropolitan Police Department would never recover! His voice into the microphone was hoarse and strained, each word weighing a thousand jin: "SAT, sniper team! Absolutely must not harm the children! If hostages appear, shooting is forbidden! Seek negotiation! If truly impossible, must deliver a single killing blow!"

As Superintendent General, the pressure Watanabe Eiji bore could crush steel.

All command personnel held their breath, foreheads covered in cold sweat, the air thick with desperate solemnity, like the stillness before a storm. Each passing second felt like being fried in an oil pan.

At this moment, panic throughout Tokyo Metropolis reached its peak!

The Metropolitan Police Department was urgently mobilizing all Tokyo police to rush to Odaiba! Police sirens, helicopter roar, and the broadcast voice of "Evacuate! Lock doors and windows!" intertwined into an apocalyptic symphony. Parents clutched their children tightly, trembling all over, streets completely emptied, like a ghost town.

Nearly every screened location in offices, malls, trains, and homes across Japan was locked onto NHK's news livestream. Office workers stopped their work, housewives forgot to cook, students held their breath and stared. Countless people clasped their hands in silent prayer.

A collective shock and heart, transcending region and class, tightly gripped the nation's heart. The shadow of the Toshima Ward tragedy fifteen years ago, at this moment, reappeared in the most horrifying way on the Emperor's birthday, and the target was the symbol of the future—the most innocent children!

At this moment, the Metropolitan Police Department command center, Special Mission System Management Officer Superintendent Watanabe Minami suddenly pointed at a rapidly approaching heat source silhouette on an infrared screen.

"What is that?!" That presence immediately drew everyone's attention, while Fuji TV and NHK's helicopter aerial shots also vaguely captured the approaching police!

"Okada!" Minami recognized him at first glance: "Father, it's Okada!"

It was Special Mission Unit Chief Okada Masayoshi! Only seen, at the critical moment, he snatched the little girl from the kindergarten from the Phantom Guest's hands! Like a divine soldier descending from heaven, he burst out from the side door, shielded the child with his body, and hurled her forcefully toward the safe zone!

"Rescued! Rescued! hum~hum~hum~ah ah ah!!!" The NHK host became so excited his voice cracked, nearly jumping up from his chair!

Fuji TV didn't even care about the Metropolitan Police Department anymore, the camera wildly zoomed in, and anchor Tei Reiji screamed and shouted, her voice choking: "Brave officer. At the critical moment, rescued two children!"

After a brief silence, came a tsunami-like cheer and tears!

The entire social network erupted.

"Hero!"

"Long live police officers!" "I want to cry!" The barrage of comments instantly exploded! The footage of the little girl being rescued was wildly shared, hope flower? connecting bonds? This strength will fully blossom tomorrow!

Upon seeing police arrive and rescue the children, the Metropolitan Police Department command center burst into a repressed, relief-filled low growl! Watanabe Eiji's clenched fist finally loosened a bit, excitedly embracing Onoda Kimiaki, but when he saw on the infrared screen the Phantom Guest draw a knife and stab toward Okada Inspector's back, his heart clenched again!

"Okada!!!" He shouted hoarsely.

"Masayoshi!!!" At the same time, in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, the Financial Services Agency Commissioner's office, the commissioner with a large pompadour also saw this on TV, he couldn't help but exclaim, tears already welling in his eyes, and the commissioner's office staff nearby couldn't help but feel their hearts jump.

This is the commissioner's son, his only son!

Countless families burst into grateful tears and applause! But this joy lasted only seconds, before being dragged back into the heart-wrenching abyss by the bloody image of Inspector Okada stabbed and collapsing! People's hearts sank with the fall of that brave inspector, praying he could survive.

At this moment, Uesugi Muneyuki and others finally arrived!

"Okada! Are you alright?" Uesugi Muneyuki hurried to Okada Masayoshi's side, immediately having the smoke ghost exhale healing smoke.

"I'm fine, I won't die." Okada Masayoshi squeezed out a smile, lying on the stretcher, the ambulance had already arrived.

"Don't speak, get treated quickly, we'll handle what comes next." Eirina looked at Okada Inspector's back wound over fifteen centimeters long, knew it was a hard injury, and hurriedly said.

"What about Date?" Uesugi Muneyuki immediately realized someone was missing: "Where is he?"

"Date San went to get the gun." Igarashi Hayato also said through gritted teeth: "It was Inspector's arrangement, things happened suddenly, we didn't bring any guns."

"The gun has come! The gun has come!" Just then, Date Nagamune finally arrived in another Metropolitan Police Department patrol car, handing out the revolvers in his hands to everyone.

"You came late." Uesugi Muneyuki had no firearms qualification; he merely stared at the direction where the Ghost Guest had vanished into the distance.

He now urgently wanted an answer.

What exactly happened on that night fifteen years ago? Who was the killer? Why did he do it?

And where did his skills come from?

All the answers lie within the Toyota Exhibition Center ruins before us.

The pitch-black ruins entrance is now surrounded by armored vehicles like steel beasts, and armed helicopters hover in the air like the eyes of death.

The atmosphere shifted from extreme panic to a heavy, solemn, breath-held final anticipation.

A temporary command center has already been established on the perimeter of the ruins.

Superintendent Ichijo of the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau has arrived; three Type 96 Armored Vehicles, like moving fortresses, form a triangle sealing off all major exits of the ruins, with high-pressure water cannons and tear gas launchers on their turrets primed and ready, dozens of black-clad, black-armored SAT members, like elite paratroopers, have established a tight firepower line using the armored vehicles and debris, the muzzles of their MP5s pointed toward the depths of the ruins.

The Armored Engineering Vehicle violently rammed through the last barrier, clearing a path for the strong assault.

At this moment, Uesugi Muneyuki called out to him.

"Wait! Ikki San!"

"I have something to say!"