The Agency’s office was no longer a sanctuary. Smoke curled through broken windows, papers scattered like feathers torn from a dying bird. The walls, once lined with case files and books, bore scorch marks and bullet holes. Desks were overturned, phones shattered, the quiet hum of the building replaced by alarms and the erratic crackle of distant fire. The attack had come without warning—strategic, surgical, and ruthless. One by one, the members of the Armed Detective Agency had been scattered, separated in the chaos. Now, in the main atrium, it all came to a devastating halt.

Atsushi stood at the center, his knees on the ground, wrists restrained behind his back with coarse, black restraints that glowed faintly—clearly ability-dampening. His breath was shallow, chest rising and falling in panic. Blood seeped from a split lip, and his shirt was torn, revealing claw marks and bruises already forming. Pressed to the side of his head was the cold barrel of a handgun, held steady by a masked intruder cloaked in tactical gear. The man’s grip was unyielding, and his voice was clear, sharp, and merciless.

Attacker: “Move, and the weretiger’s brains paint the floor. Try me.”

Dazai froze in place, arms raised slowly, his usual smirk replaced by a deadly calm. Kunikida’s jaw was clenched, his notebook crushed in his hand. Yosano had one trembling hand near her scalpel pouch, but the tremor in her fingers gave her away. Tanizaki shielded Naomi behind him, even as his eyes flicked between the hostage and their options.

Atsushi: “Don’t—don’t listen to him. I’ll be fine. Just… just don’t let him win.”

His voice shook. He was trying to be brave, but the fear in his golden eyes betrayed him. The attacker pressed the barrel harder against his temple, causing Atsushi to wince.

Attacker: “Shut up. You’re leverage, not a voice.”

A sudden silence fell over the room. Guns, abilities, lives—all held in balance by a single finger on a trigger. The Agency stood frozen, knowing that one wrong move would cost them far more than just a hostage.