SCIAW: Chapter 513/514

Chapter 513: The Kidnappers Across the Wall

"Goshi Miyahara, he was questioned by Inspector Megure regarding the shooting at Shoenji Temple."

Sato Miwako did not go to the address Ren had given her.

Inspector Megure's side had not yet dispatched officers, so she still had enough time to investigate the kidnappers' information.

And because of the time warning, Miwako easily found the archive of that shooting case, as well as investigative reports on some nearby individuals.

After he shot and killed his companion, he had his accomplice take away his clothes and shoes stained with gunpowder residue. He called the Police to draw them over, and then, due to insufficient evidence, the deceased was defined as having fired accidentally during a gun struggle in a state of mental confusion, while the killer was defined as having acted in legitimate self-defense.

As for the two big stars kidnapped this time, they were truly unlucky.

After understanding the situation to some extent, Miwako realized how unlucky those two were.

It was only because they casually went to Shoenji Temple before the New Year and, by coincidence, got an inspiration and very coincidentally recorded that inspiration along with the two early gunshots from that time.

One shot was for killing, and the second shot was for disguise.

At the time, the handgun at the scene was checked and found to have fired only once, so the other gun and shell casing at the scene should have been taken away by his accomplice.

Indeed, the proactive call to the Police back then was to narrow the scope. If the deceased was deemed mentally deranged and committed the crime with a gun, and the person involved fired accidentally while struggling for the gun in self-defense, then investigating only the scene would be enough to file and close the case.

If it had been labeled as the deceased committing suicide at Shoenji Temple, then many aspects of the deceased's life would have had to be investigated, which would have implicated Goshi Miyahara himself. That is why he used mental derangement and accidental discharge during a struggle as an excuse, and had the prosecutor confirm his self-defense.

Once such a case is closed, no one conducts repetitive investigations.

Cold cases may be reopened after a time, but closed cases do not prompt the Police to do so.

Goshi Miyahara likely took advantage of this.

Miwako admitted the other party was quite smart, but she also had to admit their luck was rather poor.

Those two celebrities were unlucky to have recorded the sounds from that time. Goshi Miyahara was unlucky to have had his voice recorded then.

After a brief moment of reflection, Miwako needed to decide how to act.

If it had been before, encountering such a problem would still have required other team members to act together.

But now, it would be better for her to act alone.

Even though she was only a Sequence 9 Arbiter, with her close-quarters combat skills and her extraordinary ability to make others submit, facing several criminals did not pose much pressure.

There was also the benefit of acting alone without having to consider troublesome teammates.

She was not unaware that there were half-baked detectives in Investigation Division One, and if those half-baked detectives made mistakes during the operation, it would still be her responsibility.

"Chiba, Takagi, we're going out."

Megure Juzo, who had just been in his seat, immediately got up after receiving the alarm, called his two subordinates and some others, and began to move.

Hearing Inspector Megure's voice, Miwako waited for him to leave with his people before quietly getting up and following.

As a newly promoted Police Inspector, she still did not have a fixed team. Of course, Miwako emphasized that she still acted within Inspector Megure's team, but she would also act independently sometimes.

Especially when she had special intelligence.

Arriving at the underground parking lot, Miwako got into her red Mazda and drove directly out of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, heading for the crucial warehouse district.

A 30-minute drive brought her to the vicinity of the specific location.

She did not drive straight in, but found an empty spot on the roadside nearby and parked.

"This area is more sparsely populated than I imagined."

The closer she got to the key address, the fewer people there were. It was not surprising the other side would choose such a place as their base. The farther from crowds, the easier it is to deal with troublesome matters.

Of course, she could continue to get closer, but if she did, whether the kidnappers' car would drive in was another matter.

Miwako waited in her car for a while. After only twenty minutes, a sedan with opaque film on both the front and rear windows drove into the deserted alley.

"They're here."

After more than twenty minutes, only one car had driven into this deserted area, so it was clear this car was the target she had been waiting for.

Miwako quickly got out and walked through the alley like an ordinary pedestrian, glancing inside.

She saw that a black sedan in the depths of the alley had not yet stopped, but was driving farther in.

Without hesitation, she looked at one side of the street, lightly leaped, grabbed the top of the wall, and flipped directly to the inner side.

It was a deserted large warehouse.

Inside, almost no sound could be heard, and not a single light was on.

As expected of a place chosen as a criminal stronghold, this was indeed a deserted area.

Miwako complained inwardly as she walked along the edge of the wall, moving deeper into the alley.

Because this was a zone of continuous warehouses, and abandoned ones at that, she heard almost no other sounds as she walked. Not even homeless people came here often.

"Hey, superstar, hurry up and get down."

Through a wall, Miwako heard this voice.

Then a series of footsteps followed.

"What exactly do you want to do with us?"

It was clearly a female voice, likely the kidnapped Takayama Minami.

"Heh. You're not qualified to know, hurry up."

Another man's voice sounded almost right against the wall, and Miwako was certain he was behind the wall she was facing.

"Minami, stop talking…"

"Ugh…"

They were the fish, and the criminals were the knives. Miwako shook her head slightly. Resisting kidnappers like this was useless and might even get them taught a lesson.

She listened carefully. Three sets of footsteps began to move away, and she even heard the sound of walking up an iron staircase.

When the footsteps gradually quieted down, the man leaning against the wall started to walk back.

Miwako simply listened to the footsteps and quietly followed him.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 514: Prudent and Just Police Action

Goshi Miyahara was feeling exceptionally relaxed at this moment. He was just one step away from obtaining that tape; he only needed to get it from that kid.

Now, he just needed to be careful in case the police were following the kid.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared on the ground.

"?"

Goshi froze for a moment, his face suddenly changing drastically. Just as he was about to pull out his gun, a pair of hands grabbed his neck from above. Almost instantly, he heard a snap, and his vision went black.

Miwako, still mid-air, landed by pressing down on Goshi's shoulders.

She quickly snatched the revolver from his waist, then rapidly turned her head to confirm the location of the warehouse she had just passed.

Dragging the unconscious Goshi into a blind spot, she swiftly dislocated his jaw.

"Crack!"

His body reacted as if stimulated, his eyes opening in a dazed state.

But the next second, Miwako pressed her knee against his neck from behind, grabbed his hands, and twisted them back.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound was accompanied by intense pain. Goshi's dazed eyes filled with agony, blood vessels bursting across them.

However, the very hands he could have used to resist were completely dislocated.

He could only writhe on the ground like a maggot.

Miwako glanced at his flailing feet. She stood up, stepped on one foot, grabbed the other with both hands, and twisted it forcefully.

"Crack!"

That foot went limp in an unnatural direction, like a doll's.

But because his jaw was dislocated, the sounds he could make were faint. At a certain distance, his companions would not hear them.

As for the remaining foot, Miwako showed no mercy.

When dealing with heinous criminals, there was no need to consider their thoughts or feelings. First, deprive them of mobility and resistance. This was the most essential quality of a competent police officer.

With the final snap, all of Goshi's limbs were dislocated, and his jaw, which he could have used to call for help, remained disabled, preventing him from making any sound.

"Ah…"

With his jaw dislocated, the only sound he could make was a faint "ah."

Miwako raised an eyebrow, grabbed his shoulder, half-lifted his body, and with her other hand, made a fist and punched him directly in the throat.

Visibly, his entire face turned red. This time, he could not utter a single syllable, his eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.

Confirming this, Miwako nodded slightly, stood up, and looked toward the warehouse upstairs.

"There's one more."

One kidnapper remained inside, along with two superstars.

Fortunately, with only one, there would be fewer concerns in dealing with him.

Leaving the incapacitated Goshi behind, Miwako headed for the second-floor warehouse.

The stairs were traditional iron ones; if she moved carefully, they made no sound.

Standing at the entrance of the second-floor warehouse, she did not act immediately but listened carefully to the movements inside. There were footsteps near the window to the left of the door.

Noticing this, Miwako spun around, using the centrifugal force of her turn to deliver a side kick that sent the entire door, along with its hinges, flying inward.

"Bang!"

The loud noise startled the kidnapper, who was at the window observing the situation. By the time he reacted, a dark figure was already before him.

"!?"

"Crack!"

A powerful punch struck the kidnapper's throat. The sound of something shattering immediately turned his face purple. The pain of his crushed throat was secondary; at that moment, his respiratory system also suffered a severe blow.

Miwako jumped up, wrapped both hands around his head, and drove her knee directly into his face.

"Bang!"

The six-foot-three strongman had almost no room to resist and immediately fell into a coma.

Miwako immediately confiscated the handgun from his person.

As for this unconscious kidnapper, she did not hesitate, completely incapacitating him by breaking all his limbs just as she had done with Goshi outside.

The two superstars watching the entire process were wide-eyed.

It was their first time seeing someone act so ruthlessly, with both a throat strike and the crisp, decisive breaking of limbs.

Only after finishing this did Miwako turn her attention to the two kidnapped superstars.

"Two kidnappers, right?"

"…Mm, there were two."

Nagano Shiina quickly reacted and nodded.

"Then it's correct."

One was dealt with outside, and the other here.

At this point, both kidnappers had been neutralized.

Miwako did not immediately untie the two superstars. Instead, she pulled out her phone and contacted Inspector Juzo Megure.

"Inspector Megure, the kidnappers of the two celebrities have been found."

She reported the exact location.

"Huh? Officer Sato, you found them so quickly?"

"Yes, someone told me there was a street kidnapping in front of a family restaurant in the shopping district near Tokyo Dome. I followed the lead and found this hideout. I have incapacitated both kidnappers."

"Both of their limbs were broken by me, and their throats were crushed. The one outside also had his jaw dislocated. They may need medical treatment."

Limbs broken, throats crushed…

Listening to Miwako's detailed description, Juzo felt cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Why did it feel like her actions had become even more severe lately?

"Also, Inspector Megure, two fully loaded revolvers were found on them."

"The identity of one, 5.7, has been confirmed as Goshi Miyahara, the man involved in the accidental discharge case at Shōenji Temple a year ago."

"According to my investigation, he was also one of the members of the bank robbery two years ago."

"Last year's accidental discharge case might have been an internal purge."

Hearing that Miwako had already investigated their identities and even found two revolvers, Juzo immediately perked up.

"Well done, Officer Sato."

"We will immediately head to the location."

Facing two armed criminals, her actions were justified.

He just didn't expect the celebrity kidnapping case to also be connected to last year's accidental discharge and the bank robbery two years ago.

Juzo remembered that last year's case was ruled as self-defense. This time, overturning it would be a headache for the prosecutor's office.

(To be continued.)