Chapter 1:
Chapter 1: The new neighbor
Shadows of the False Assassin Vol.1
The night sky was calm.
Far above the clouds, three aircraft crossed the darkness.
At the center flew the presidential aircraft.
Two fighter jets escorted it from both sides.
Everything appeared normal.
Inside the cockpit of the lead fighter, Captain Hayes glanced at the radar.
Nothing unusual.
No unidentified signals.
No threats.
Just another routine escort mission.
Then an alarm suddenly screamed.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"What the—"
A red dot appeared on the radar.
Unknown aircraft.
Distance: rapidly closing.
"Control, this is Ryū-1."
We have an unidentified target approaching from the north!"
Static answered.
Then the radio went dead.
Hayes's eyes widened.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Before he could react, a missile erupted from the darkness.
The explosion lit up the night sky.
The second fighter jet vanished in a ball of fire.
"Ryū-2!"
The pilot pulled hard on the controls.
Another missile streaked through the clouds.
Impact.
The cockpit shook violently.
Warning alarms echoed everywhere.
Hayes barely had time to realize what was happening.
Then the world disappeared in flames.
Several hundred meters away, a large black aircraft emerged from the darkness.
Its exterior carried no markings.
No flag.
No registration number.
Nothing.
Inside, armed figures waited silently.
Every one of them wore black tactical gear.
The symbol of Hell Butchers was painted on their armor.
A skull with crimson wings.
Among them sat a young woman.
Unlike the others, she looked completely relaxed.
Long blonde hair.
Bright blue eyes.
One leg crossed over the other.
She spun a pistol around her finger.
"You're making me nervous,"
one of the gang members complained.
The woman smiled.
"If a spinning pistol makes you nervous, maybe crime isn't for you."
Several members laughed.
The man rolled his eyes.
"Reina, has anyone ever told you you're impossible?"
"Many times."
"And?"
"I ignored them."
More laughter.
The leader of the operation stepped forward.
His expression remained serious.
"Enough."
The room immediately fell silent.
"The target is carrying forty-nine million dollars."
Everyone listened carefully.
"We board the aircraft."
"We take the money."
"We leave."
Simple.
Professional.
Clean.
Exactly how Hell Butchers preferred their operations.
Reina looked toward the small window beside her seat.
Clouds drifted endlessly outside.
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
A feeling she couldn't explain.
The mission sounded too easy.
And easy missions were usually the dangerous ones.
Two years later.
The city lights stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.
Cars moved through crowded streets.
Neon signs illuminated the sidewalks.
People laughed.
People argued.
People lived their lives.
Completely unaware of the secrets hidden around them.
Reina stood in line at a convenience store.
She yawned.
Life had become surprisingly boring.
No gangs.
No heists.
No gunfights.
Just work.
Sleep.
Repeat.
The cashier handed her a bag.
"Have a nice evening."
"You too."
She stepped outside.
The cool air greeted her immediately.
Her apartment building stood only a few minutes away.
A normal building.
A normal neighborhood.
A normal life.
Exactly what she wanted.
At least most of the time.
A black taxi stopped outside the apartment building.
The rear door opened.
A young man stepped out.
Dark hair.
Black jacket.
Blue jeans.
A single suitcase.
He looked around silently.
Apartment 408.
That was his destination.
The building manager handed him a key.
"Welcome."
The man nodded.
"Thank you."
"Moving alone?"
"Yes."
The manager smiled.
"Your neighbor is interesting."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting?"
"You'll understand."
That didn't sound reassuring.
Five minutes later.
The elevator doors opened.
The young man stepped into the hallway.
Apartment 407.
Apartment 408.
Simple enough.
As he approached his door, another door suddenly opened.
A blonde woman emerged carrying several grocery bags.
She nearly bumped into him.
"Oh."
He stepped aside.
"Sorry."
The woman looked at him.
Bright blue eyes.
A confident smile.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she grinned.
"New neighbor?"
"...Yes."
"Apartment 408?"
"...Yes."
She pointed dramatically at herself.
"I am your glorious neighbor."
The man blinked.
"Congratulations."
The woman stared at him.
"...That's it?"
"What?"
"You're supposed to say something."
"I don't know what to say."
The silence that followed felt painful.
Then she burst out laughing.
The young man looked even more confused.
Interesting.
Most people either became nervous around her or tried too hard to impress her.
This one looked like he had never held a normal conversation in his life.
She shifted the grocery bags in her arms.
"Well, mysterious new neighbor, what's your name?"
The young man hesitated.
For a moment, something flashed across his eyes.
A memory.
A classroom.
A family dinner.
A name.
Then it disappeared.
"Shadow."
The woman blinked.
"...Shadow?"
"Yes."
"That's not a real name."
"It works."
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then shrugged.
"Fair enough."
The answer was so ridiculous that she decided not to question it.
Instead, she smiled and introduced herself.
"Reina."
"Nice to meet you."
"You're lying."
The young man tilted his head.
"What?"
"You don't look happy to meet anyone."
The silence that followed lasted three full seconds.
"...Fair point."
Reina laughed so hard she almost dropped her groceries.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
This neighbor might actually be entertaining.
Neither of them noticed the security camera watching from the end of the hallway.
Neither knew that their meeting had already been recorded.
And neither knew that this seemingly ordinary encounter would eventually place both of them at the center of a conspiracy capable of shaking the entire Akatsora Federation.
For now, they were simply neighbors.Nothing more.Nothing less.Or so they thought.
Far above the clouds, three aircraft crossed the darkness.
At the center flew the presidential aircraft.
Two fighter jets escorted it from both sides.
Everything appeared normal.
Inside the cockpit of the lead fighter, Captain Hayes glanced at the radar.
Nothing unusual.
No unidentified signals.
No threats.
Just another routine escort mission.
Then an alarm suddenly screamed.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"What the—"
A red dot appeared on the radar.
Unknown aircraft.
Distance: rapidly closing.
"Control, this is Ryū-1."
We have an unidentified target approaching from the north!"
Static answered.
Then the radio went dead.
Hayes's eyes widened.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Before he could react, a missile erupted from the darkness.
The explosion lit up the night sky.
The second fighter jet vanished in a ball of fire.
"Ryū-2!"
The pilot pulled hard on the controls.
Another missile streaked through the clouds.
Impact.
The cockpit shook violently.
Warning alarms echoed everywhere.
Hayes barely had time to realize what was happening.
Then the world disappeared in flames.
Several hundred meters away, a large black aircraft emerged from the darkness.
Its exterior carried no markings.
No flag.
No registration number.
Nothing.
Inside, armed figures waited silently.
Every one of them wore black tactical gear.
The symbol of Hell Butchers was painted on their armor.
A skull with crimson wings.
Among them sat a young woman.
Unlike the others, she looked completely relaxed.
Long blonde hair.
Bright blue eyes.
One leg crossed over the other.
She spun a pistol around her finger.
"You're making me nervous,"
one of the gang members complained.
The woman smiled.
"If a spinning pistol makes you nervous, maybe crime isn't for you."
Several members laughed.
The man rolled his eyes.
"Reina, has anyone ever told you you're impossible?"
"Many times."
"And?"
"I ignored them."
More laughter.
The leader of the operation stepped forward.
His expression remained serious.
"Enough."
The room immediately fell silent.
"The target is carrying forty-nine million dollars."
Everyone listened carefully.
"We board the aircraft."
"We take the money."
"We leave."
Simple.
Professional.
Clean.
Exactly how Hell Butchers preferred their operations.
Reina looked toward the small window beside her seat.
Clouds drifted endlessly outside.
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
A feeling she couldn't explain.
The mission sounded too easy.
And easy missions were usually the dangerous ones.
Two years later.
The city lights stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.
Cars moved through crowded streets.
Neon signs illuminated the sidewalks.
People laughed.
People argued.
People lived their lives.
Completely unaware of the secrets hidden around them.
Reina stood in line at a convenience store.
She yawned.
Life had become surprisingly boring.
No gangs.
No heists.
No gunfights.
Just work.
Sleep.
Repeat.
The cashier handed her a bag.
"Have a nice evening."
"You too."
She stepped outside.
The cool air greeted her immediately.
Her apartment building stood only a few minutes away.
A normal building.
A normal neighborhood.
A normal life.
Exactly what she wanted.
At least most of the time.
A black taxi stopped outside the apartment building.
The rear door opened.
A young man stepped out.
Dark hair.
Black jacket.
Blue jeans.
A single suitcase.
He looked around silently.
Apartment 408.
That was his destination.
The building manager handed him a key.
"Welcome."
The man nodded.
"Thank you."
"Moving alone?"
"Yes."
The manager smiled.
"Your neighbor is interesting."
The man raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting?"
"You'll understand."
That didn't sound reassuring.
Five minutes later.
The elevator doors opened.
The young man stepped into the hallway.
Apartment 407.
Apartment 408.
Simple enough.
As he approached his door, another door suddenly opened.
A blonde woman emerged carrying several grocery bags.
She nearly bumped into him.
"Oh."
He stepped aside.
"Sorry."
The woman looked at him.
Bright blue eyes.
A confident smile.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then she grinned.
"New neighbor?"
"...Yes."
"Apartment 408?"
"...Yes."
She pointed dramatically at herself.
"I am your glorious neighbor."
The man blinked.
"Congratulations."
The woman stared at him.
"...That's it?"
"What?"
"You're supposed to say something."
"I don't know what to say."
The silence that followed felt painful.
Then she burst out laughing.
The young man looked even more confused.
Interesting.
Most people either became nervous around her or tried too hard to impress her.
This one looked like he had never held a normal conversation in his life.
She shifted the grocery bags in her arms.
"Well, mysterious new neighbor, what's your name?"
The young man hesitated.
For a moment, something flashed across his eyes.
A memory.
A classroom.
A family dinner.
A name.
Then it disappeared.
"Shadow."
The woman blinked.
"...Shadow?"
"Yes."
"That's not a real name."
"It works."
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then shrugged.
"Fair enough."
The answer was so ridiculous that she decided not to question it.
Instead, she smiled and introduced herself.
"Reina."
"Nice to meet you."
"You're lying."
The young man tilted his head.
"What?"
"You don't look happy to meet anyone."
The silence that followed lasted three full seconds.
"...Fair point."
Reina laughed so hard she almost dropped her groceries.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
This neighbor might actually be entertaining.
Neither of them noticed the security camera watching from the end of the hallway.
Neither knew that their meeting had already been recorded.
And neither knew that this seemingly ordinary encounter would eventually place both of them at the center of a conspiracy capable of shaking the entire Akatsora Federation.
For now, they were simply neighbors.Nothing more.Nothing less.Or so they thought.
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