Chapter 1

The Headquarters of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department.

A place where dozens, even hundreds of police officers work hard every day to make sure Tokyo is a safe place.

Robberies, kidnappings, fights, vandalism, all kinds of crimes are dealt with here, so the officers work around the clock, moving around and talking constantly.

Despite all the commotion, a few footsteps were clearly heard, standing out among all the noise. Upon noticing this, all the policemen who were working stopped and kept silent, frightened.

Anyone would think it was a high-ranking officer, the commissioner, or perhaps even the governor, but it was none of them.

The one who had caused silence among their companions was a young woman, not very tall, and with a firm gait that made anyone who passed by flinch.

「Hey, isn't that the prodigious Honoka Yoshida?」

Asked a veteran policeman to his partner.

「Yes. She's scarier in person than I thought she would be.」

Replied the partner, trying not to raise his voice too loudly so he wouldn't be overheard.

Certainly, Yoshida had earned a reputation as a "prodigious cop", some even said that she was probably the best cop in all of Tokyo.

At only 20 years old, Yoshida had managed to graduate from high school and college prematurely and in just a few months on the job had already become the police officer with the most successful arrests in the entire force.

There were rumors that she had a sixth sense for evil, or that criminals were so afraid of her that they would turn themselves in directly when she appeared.

One thing was clear, however. When Honoka Yoshida saw a criminal, she would exterminate them.

「There’s no time to slack off. If you don't work, you'll be fired.」

Yoshida had appeared in front of the policemen who were talking about her and was now looking over her shoulder at them with an icy stare.

Both policemen froze in shock, clearly neither of them expecting that the girl had heard the conversation.

「Of course.」

「I'm sorry, senpai!」

Apologized the two men immediately. They quickly set to work, barely thinking what they were doing, as long as they didn't anger the girl any more.

Not only they, but the rest of the policemen who had stopped working continued with their tasks so that Yoshida would not scold them.

Despite the reaction of her colleagues, the girl was not aware of making such a negative impression. Her intuition for crime may have been very good, but it was not so good when she had to communicate with people.

Thus, Yoshida used to think that her co-workers were somewhat strange.

Pleased, she continued walking toward her destination.

Commissioner Takeda was sitting at his desk with his hands folded. He had an affable but somewhat menacing expression at the same time.

「Yoshida, as you well know, you're one of our best agents...」

Yoshida looked at the commissioner straight in the eyes, barely blinking. The latter began to secrete cold sweats as he stood under the girl's watchful gaze.

He faked a cough to have an excuse to break eye contact.

「As I was saying, you are one of our best agents. That's exactly why I wanted to discuss a very important issue with you. It's a matter about citizen security.」

Yoshida opened her eyes like saucers and watched Commissioner Takeda like a cat watches its prey.

One of the things Yoshida liked most was enforcing the law. It was the one thing she was good at, after all. That’s why she was so dedicated.

Commissioner Takeda tried to drink from the cup of tea he had on the table to ignore his threatening employee, but he was so scared that he splashed tea everywhere, even on papers that looked important or his computer.

「Wow, excuse me. It seems that I'm getting old already...」

Yoshida was so impatient to know the matter that she interrupted her superior.

「Tell me, Commissioner Takeda, what’s the matter?」

「Yes, of course, excuse me. I suppose you've heard of the Red Warriors.」

The young policewoman kept thinking about that name.

「I have heard that name, but please inform me.」

「The Red Warriors are the most popular criminal gang in the whole district. Their activity started a few years ago when they were a small group, but now they are estimated to have over a hundred members. We don't have much insight into their crimes because they are believed to operate in the shadows.」

「But Commissioner Takeda, there's something I don't understand. If they are such a big gang, how is it possible that we haven't encountered any of them in all this time?」

Commissioner Takeda adjusted his glasses and placed his hands in front of his mouth. His tone suddenly became more serious.

「Excellent question. If they were just any gang of course we would have captured some of their members by now. But the Red Warriors are not just a criminal gang. We believe that all their members are high level delinquents, with a great knowledge about crime. They are so good at what they do that they don't even leave traces of the crimes they commit. That's probably why we haven't been able to find anything incriminating about them.」

Yoshida frowned, worried.

「They must be very dangerous.」

「They are. In fact, it is believed that they could be the biggest threat to this country today. If they were to decide to carry out an organized attack, it would be utterly devastating.」

The girl stood up from her chair and exclaimed:

「They could destroy all of Japan!」

Commissioner Takeda was startled by Yoshida's quick movement. He involuntarily covered his face to protect himself, though he quickly tried to regain his composure so as not to show weakness. He faked a cough again to divert attention.

「Well, I don't think they would go that far anyway...」

But Yoshida didn't seem to be so convinced.

「It's horrible! There must be something we can do about it!」

「There's no need to get upset. That's exactly why I've called you.」

Commissioner Takeda tried to remain composed as he said that, but he felt as if he was being threatened at gunpoint. That woman was the only person who made him question whether he really deserved his position as commissioner.

「Our field agents have managed to uncover the Red Warriors' base of operations. However, we cannot arrest them because we have no proof of their crimes. That's exactly why we need someone who can infiltrate the gang and can send us information from the inside. I know it's a complicated decision, and of course I will understand if you don't...」

Yoshida leaned forward and slammed her hands on the table.

「I will do it! 」

Commissioner Takeda didn't move an inch at the girl's direct reaction.

「Are you sure? I can give you a few days to think about it in case you need it...」

「There's no need. I'll do it. If I can put an end to crime with that, I'll do it without questioning.」

Commissioner Takeda sighed and pretended to tidy up some papers on his desk, which were also soaked with the tea that had spilled on them earlier.

「Impressive, Yoshida. As expected for a worker of your caliber. Since it’s decided, I'll have the details mailed to you. You're dismissed.」

Yoshida, eyes beaming with motivation, performed a police salute.

「Thank you, commissioner. I promise I won't let you down.」

Yoshida bowed and headed for the door.

「Close the door on your way out.」

When the girl had finally left, the commissar remained silent for a few seconds.

He took a sip of his tea and proceeded to feel a shiver run through his entire body.

His face was now pale as if he had seen a ghost.

God, that was so scary. I thought I was going to die at any moment. Is that girl even human?

Even if she didn't look like it to Commissioner Takeda, Yoshida did have a human side.

Ichigaya’s community center.

When Yoshida wasn't working, she used to visit that place often.

Being a cop and arresting criminals was all well and good, but it was at the community center where she could really observe life in the district.

In addition to being a public place where everyone could go to study, read or hang out with friends, the community center was home to many activities that helped local residents.

Organizing events, taking care of children whose parents worked in the afternoons, offering food and education to people with few resources...

Despite being a government-sponsored center, the funding they had was quite scarce, so they were constantly looking for volunteers to help with the activities.

Yoshida was one of those volunteers, offering to lend a hand with whatever they needed.

She felt a strange warmth whenever he could help someone, whoever they were.

However, that wasn't the only reason she went to the community center. Maybe it was in the beginning, but if she went there so often, it was because....

「Yoshida! Good to see you around here」.

A tall boy with his hair pulled back in a bun and an affable look approached her.

Yoshida, who was carrying a few boxes of food, was startled and almost dropped them.

「Fu...Fukui! How strange to see you around here.」

Yoshida let out a nervous laugh, though Fukui seemed to genuinely laugh.

「But we see each other every day. Hey, do you need help with that?」

The girl, who was clearly having a hard time with the boxes, tried to appear confident.

「I'm fine. The cafeteria is right next turn.」

「As you say. If you need anything at all, you can...」

Fukui didn't finish the sentence, as a group of about twenty children rushed at him in unison, burying him under a mountain of small humans.

The young man began to pound the ground in surrender. There were so many children laughs that his voice was barely audible.

「Okay, okay, you got me. I surrender」

Yoshida watched in admiration as the children played with Fukui as if he were just another child.

She had never been good with children, not that she hadn't tried. Whenever she tried to play with one, they always ended up crying for some unknown reason.

Fukui, on the other hand, was adored by every single child who set foot in the community center. He had a special talent for dealing with them.

In fact, everything about Fukui was perfect in Yoshida's eyes.

In addition to being good with the children, he was extremely kind and considerate. He always helped those in need and prioritized the welfare of others before his own.

Perhaps it was because of that deep admiration, but Fukui was the only person in front of whom Yoshida got so nervous that she struggled to find the words.

I definitely have to marry him.

Fukui finally managed to free himself from the children prison and ordered:

「Come on, kids, go back to the playroom. I'll be there in a little while.」

Not a single one of the children refused, and they all left amid laughter and games.

「Sorry, we were playing tag before you arrived.」

「That's fine. I can tell they're having a good time with you.」

Yoshida blushed and averted his gaze for a few moments.

「By the way, I don't think I'll be able to come here as often from now on. It's because of work... But I'll come here from time to time!」

「Oh, I get it. I can only come for a couple of hours a day, so maybe we don't see each other much. It will be sad not to have you around.」

Yoshida felt her heart break. One of the highlights of h day was being able to see Fukui, and now she would almost not be able to do that because of the new assignment Commissioner Takeda had offered her.

Besides, Fukui had admitted that he would be sad without her. That was practically a confession of love. Or maybe he meant something along the lines of 「Sorry you won't be here much. I'll have to forget about you altogether and fall in love with the first girl I see.」.

She shuddered at the thought.

「By the way, Yoshida. You've never told me what you do for a living.」

「I’m a po...」

Yamaguchi, the middle-aged woman in charge of the community center, interrupted them from a distance:

「Fukui! Could you come to the playroom? The kids won’t listen to me...」

The boy turned to her and with a smile replied:

「Sure! I'll be right there.」

He looked at Yoshida as he walked to the game room.

「I guess I'll see you around.」

He disappeared into the room, leaving Yoshida somewhat depressed.

She had barely had a chance to talk to Fukui and hadn't been able to tell him what she worked as.

How can I marry him if he doesn't even know me?

The next day, in the suburbs of Ichigaya, Shinjuku.

Yoshida was walking down an alley. She had dressed like a delinquent: sideways cap, chains around her neck, and pants and sweatshirt three sizes too big.

She wasn't happy that she couldn't wear her badge or carry her gun, but that way she could completely camouflage herself among the Red Warriors without being spotted.

It had been quite fortunate and surprising when she was told that the base was in Ichigaya, the district where Yoshida lived and where the community center was located.

She wouldn't have to travel far to carry out the mission, but that meant she could be caught if any member of the Red Warriors spotted her dressed as a cop.

Or even worse, if Fukui saw her dressed as a criminal.

No, no, no... that's not going to happen. Remember what you decided, Yoshida. You'll put the Red Warriors in jail, finish the mission, and talk to Fukui to con... confe....

Yoshida blushed and started making strange movements with her hands, causing some passersby to worry about her mental state.

Well, whatever. I'll think about it when the time comes. Now the important thing is...

Her expression changed from an embarrassed schoolgirl to that of a woman with murderous eyes.

...to put an end to crime.

The passersby who was watching her decided to walk away quickly.

It didn't take her long to reach the place her colleagues at the headquarters indicated.

The Red Warriors' base of operations was located in an old abandoned school that was difficult to access through the alleys of the city.

It was undoubtedly the perfect base for criminal masterminds like that group.

When she reached the entrance she was stunned.

Just above the doors to enter the building, written on a giant cloth was 「Red Warriors」 next to a strange symbol.

They have the name on the door? They want to be stopped or what? No, wait, Yoshida. These are Japan's most dangerous criminals. They're probably so confident in their abilities that they put their name on it to scare off anyone who approaches. Much more cunning than I thought.

By the door, chatting quietly sitting on a bench, were two girls, both young looking. They wore normal school uniforms, but with black and red jackets emblazoned with the gang's logo.

They use minors to do crime? They are much more evil than I expected. Don't worry, little ones, I'll save you.

Yoshida approached them with an exaggeratedly unbalanced gait. As she had learned from the criminals she had arrested, the more she moved her arms, the better.

The two girls interrupted their chatter to watch uncomfortably as Yoshida approached.

The young policewoman began waving her hands and making strange signs as she spoke.

「Yo, yo. What's up, bro? I'm looking for the one who runs the joint. You know what I mean, fellow gang members?」

One of the girls, clearly uncomfortable with Yoshida's performance, asked the other in a low voice:

「Do you understand what she's saying?」

The other shook her head, but looked at Yoshida and trying to be polite said:

「Huh...are you lost?」

Yoshida, seeing that the apparent "criminals" spoke normally, doubted her ability to camouflage herself among criminals.

「No, pal. I want to understand who the ringleader of this mob is, nothing else, buddy.」

The girls looked at each other, even more quizzical, and perhaps even worried.

Yoshida sighed as she saw that her plan wasn't working.

Maybe they're too professional to understand criminal jargon. That makes them even more dangerous.

She faked a cough and tried again.

「I'm sorry... What I wanted to say is that I'm looking for the gang leader. I'd like to join.」

Both girls made a face of comprehension.

「Oh, that’s what you meant. I think he's inside.」

The girls stood up and signaled Yoshida to follow them. They entered the building.

Here I go. There's no turning back now.

As they entered, one of the girls explained the situation to another member of the gang, who nodded and ran off towards some stairs.

The entrance to the place was quite tidy. There was a group of young members, looking like they were in high school or college at most, playing cards while laughing.

Seeing Yoshida enter, they looked at her curiously.

「Look, a new girl.」

Said one of the members.

「What’s with her clothes?」

Asked another.

The friendly girls at the entrance guided her to the schoolyard, where a crowd of members who wanted to observe the situation was beginning to form.

They told Yoshida to wait there quietly, in the midst of all those criminals.

This is bad. What if I've been found out and they're going to finish me off?

After a few seconds of hard waiting, four people came out from inside the school.

Three of them had purple jackets instead of red, so Yoshida assumed they were important people.

However, the fourth one had a torso full of exposed tattoos and a golden jacket, so that one was most certainly the leader of the gang.

「Well, well, so you want to… join?」

The boss began to speak, though he stopped when he exchanged glances with Yoshida.

Both remained silent for a few seconds, processing what was happening.

They both yelped in surprise as they recognized each other.

The one who was supposed to be the leader of the most dangerous gang in Tokyo, the one that was going to destroy Japan or even the whole world, was the nice guy from the community center, Fukui.