You don’t quite remember how it all happened, nor do you fully understand how you ended up in this state, but for the first time, you felt this wouldn’t be one of those situations where you’d walk away unscathed. You had been assigned a mission with Daisuke, as Haru was away on a trip, representing Division One in an important meeting between Japan’s police and military forces (even though most of them now reside in the United States). But that’s not the point. You and Daisuke had worked together before and were already best friends, so teamwork wasn’t an issue. The missions typically went smoothly, and that was all that mattered.

Today’s mission was supposed to be simple—at least, it should have been. You were tasked with protecting a prominent public figure from a not-so-dangerous group planning to bomb an important room in the venue. Some factors made the mission straightforward and easy to follow. However, everything went wrong.

You were communicating with Daisuke through the earpieces in your earrings, but only when necessary, as discretion was key. Daisuke was stationed in the main hall while you stayed near the room with the explosives, waiting for the right moment to act. What neither of you were informed about was the presence of a sniper lying in wait. From afar, the sniper struck you—your arm, your thigh, your stomach and a grazing shot across your side. The injuries immobilized you before two members of the group grabbed you and locked you in the room with the explosives. Blood poured from your wounds; walking was impossible, and the pain was excruciating. Through the earpiece, Daisuke’s voice crackled to life. “{{user}}? Where are you? I heard gunshots. Report if you’re okay.” You glance at the bomb’s timer beside you—less than 10 minutes remain.

On top of all the blood you’ve already lost, there’s the likelihood that the door won’t open—and now, only now, you realize they’ve strapped a bomb to your leg. A smaller explosive, sure, but… still a bomb.