Takemura Ayano is a housewife dwelling in a quiet suburban residential space.

She at the moment lives along with her husband and daughter.

What she at the moment wishes is to have a minimum of yet another little one.

This morning, after sending her husband off to work as common, Ayano observed that her daughter was not in the lounge.

[Again? She really never gets bored……]

Her 5-year-old daughter, Rino, has a particular expertise for disappearing earlier than she is aware of it when she takes her eyes off her for even a second.

Even after they don’t have a lot time, she would nonetheless play hide-and-seek.

She appears to take pleasure in it when her mom frantically searches for her.

[Now then, I wonder where did Rino hide?]

The daycare bus might be selecting her up quickly, so the place may she be hiding once more……

Flippantly sighing, Ayano was about to search for at present’s hiding place when her daughter got here trudging down the steps from the second flooring.

[Ara? You’re quite admirable today. Now, now, let’s get you ready for preschool.]

First, she would wash her face, feed her, gown her and examine if she had all her issues in her bag……

[Hey, Mama, did someone move in next door?]

Ayano was busily rearranging her schedule for this morning when her ideas have been interrupted by her daughter’s remark.

[Ara. The house next door should be empty. Did you see a moving truck there?]

The home subsequent to the Takemura household has been vacant for a number of years.

Ayano had at all times felt that it could be good if somebody appropriate would transfer in since issues have been disturbing as of late, so this appeared like excellent news.

[No. Someone went into the second floor of the house next door. I wonder if they live there?]

[Eh?]

[The neighbor went woosh to the window. It’s amazing.]

[No! Rino, stay right here! Lock the windows…… and then…… and then…… Yes, the police……!]

Trying up at her mom, who all of the sudden turned strict and pulled out her cellphone, the younger lady puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

Regardless that she would have appreciated to inform her how simply the neighbor had jumped to the window, how simply the neighbor had opened the locked window together with his lengthy arms, and the way they have been carrying a beanie……

★　★　★　★　★

After they obtained a report that “the suspect within the serial homicide case had been noticed holed up in a residential space within the suburbs”, Detective Manda and Nagai rushed to the scene.

[That b*stard was hiding in a suburban residential area. After all those incidents, he’s got a lot of guts not to run away.]

[However, is the guy here really that culprit? Is there any possibility that it’s just a homeless person? A prowler, perhaps?]

[I wonder about that. If that were the case, he’d have been arrested by now, and they wouldn’t be needing any backup.]

[……Ahh. Manda-san, it seems like there’s nothing to worry about then.]

[That’s a lot of backup. It seems like the Commissioner is quite enthusiastic about this……]

When the 2 detectives lastly arrived on the scene, they discovered it full of cops and autos from the encircling space, which resembled a big exhibition corridor of police uniforms and patrol automobiles.

Strains have been set as much as hold residents and the media away, and the encircling residents have been being requested to depart their homes.

When the dimensions of the crime turns into this massive, there isn’t a lot work that Manda and Nagai, who’re simply detectives, can become involved in.

Discovering a policeman he’s acquainted with, Manda spoke to him to assemble data.

[That’s quite the number you’ve gathered here. Isn’t it possible that this isn’t the right target?]

[A kid in the neighborhood saw the culprit’s appearance and hat. She said the guy had very long arms and was wearing a beanie, so there’s a good chance this guy’s that criminal.]

[What about the house? Is anyone living there?]

[No, it’s uninhabited. It seems that the resident separated from their family some years ago and skipped out by night, and the house has been empty ever since.]

[I see…… Then, just go in and arrest him. Why are you all still surrounding the area?]

Primarily based on the testimony of his physique, he appears to be the serial assassin of the enterprise house owners and their household.

If that’s the case, it could be higher to go in and drag him out.

There needs to be no motive for them to maintain their distance with the place surrounded.

[……Don’t tell me, he had hostages?]

[No…… That’s not it. The Prefectural Police District did send a raid team about an hour ago…… but they failed.]

[What?]

The Prefectural Police District’s raid group is an elite group of cops with superior physique and arresting abilities.

Regardless of how slender the inside of an bizarre home could also be, they’ve skilled to the purpose the place no bizarre criminals can match them.

If even that they had failed, the subsequent step could be to neutralize the felony with small-sized firearms.

[The scene is indoors, dark, and he seems to have a troublesome sharp tool…… Their people are injured. The higher-ups are in a panic right now, scouting and rearranging the plan.]

[Oh my God……]

Trying on the surrounding autos once more, Manda noticed a number of ambulances parked among the many police automobiles.

[So, what are you going to do next? What are you thinking of doing next? Are you going to continue with the siege?]

It turned out that even probably the most well-trained cops wouldn’t have an opportunity towards an inhuman felony with a pointy software in a room.

One choice could be to encompass the suspect, purchase time and watch for when the felony turns into drained.

[Rumor has it that the police are going to call in the SAT from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.]

[SAT huh……]

SAT stands for Particular Assault Staff. They’re a particular unit belonging to the Metropolitan Police Division’s Safety Division.

Manda has solely discovered rumors about them, nevertheless it’s stated that they’re outfitted with particular firearms reminiscent of submachine weapons, particular tools reminiscent of flashbangs, and bulletproof tools, and they’re skilled in german-style raids.

A corporation much like that is the SIT, the Particular Investigation Staff, with particular tools and coaching for the aim of apprehending criminals.

The detectives on the spot weren’t aware of any of these organizations.

[They’re dispatching the SAT means the higher-ups decided that this criminal is to be shoot-to-kill!?]

Manda chided Nagai for his outburst.

[After all those murders, it seems like the criminal still got the murder weapon on his body. It can’t be helped.]

The assassin of the households of enterprise house owners killed a complete of 25 individuals. The assassin had brutally killed a variety of individuals, from the aged as previous as a 78-year-old to a baby as younger as a 4-year-old.

The shock to the general public was so nice that even when this case have been dropped at a trial, he would obtain no different sentence apart from the demise penalty.

Though media management had been imposed in that place, information helicopters have begun to fly within the sky.

[……I hope we can get this over with by nightfall.]

As he regarded up on the sky, which had begun to cloud over, Manda muttered to himself.