Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner-Chapter 842 -

Fushimi Roku didn’t care either; he amused himself, exercising the privilege of judgment through violence, executing all those he deemed guilty by the principle of equal punishment for crime.

Another hour passed, until finally it was Kujo Yua’s turn.

Fushimi Roku sat at the other end of the conference table, facing her. The others were either dead or maimed, the room filled with the stench of blood. The highest-ranking officer of the Police Department stared silently at the figure destined to become one of the most evil criminals in Japan’s history.

"I’ll give you five minutes to defend yourself."

Fushimi Roku repeated his usual introduction, as if Kujo Yua was no different from the others in his eyes.

Kujo Yua remained silent.

She was no longer panicked; there was no sweat on her body, only the soot left by the explosion. She had tidied herself earlier; her attire remained neat, back straight against the chair, hands calmly placed on the table, fingers interlocked.

As the seconds ticked away, just before the last moment, she spoke:

"I refuse to accept judgment."

"If you want to kill me, just do it; there’s no need to dress it up as justice."

The sand in the hourglass ran out, but Fushimi Roku didn’t act. He knew Kujo Yua was right; once he punished sinners in this manner, he became the greatest sinner himself.

Nothing could cover that up.

Fushimi Roku stared at Kujo Yua, trying to detect any flaw in her expression. But all he saw was exhaustion, a lingering sense of world-weariness after the intense lust had faded.

"Who do you think is qualified to judge you?" Fushimi Roku asked.

"I accept any fair punishment, but it shouldn’t be from you," Kujo Yua replied.

"Alright." Fushimi Roku nodded, retrieved the hourglass, "You’ve convinced me."

"Is that all?" Kujo Yua asked, spreading her hands.

"Of course not. I will find an appropriate judge for you."

Fushimi Roku stood up, placing his hands on the conference table, leaning forward, staring into Kujo Yua’s eyes: "I don’t know why you’re fixated on the position of Director of Police, nor do I know if you still remember your original intention — don’t mind those people begging, shouting innocence, or cursing loudly; deep down, they know they are guilty."

"But you’re different, you don’t think I’m worthy to judge you. Even if I kill you, it would only be an ugly murder, a senseless atrocity — I want you to realize your sins from the bottom of your heart, whether you admit it or not."

"What are you going to do?" Kujo Yua asked.

The hostages were almost all dead; the Special Assault Team had long surrounded every exit, waiting for the order to break in and kill the hostage-taker on the spot.

They were Japan’s top anti-terror force, organized into three companies; members must undergo at least six months of hellish training, including high-altitude rappelling, hostage rescue, and more.

In addition, there were the Police Protection Units; snipers had already set up at all positions, specifically tasked with safeguarding dignitaries. They were divided into four teams, with the fourth team handling urgent threats.

The Technical Vehicle Squad was on standby downstairs, equipped with armored vehicles, bomb disposal robots, and other special gear to counter bomb threats. No matter how many grenades Fushimi Roku strapped to himself, they had strategies to deal with it.

Kujo Yua knew why they hadn’t stormed in.

It boiled down to the loss of credibility of the Police Department.

Certain actions by the decision-makers had caused a rift between the executives and the operational levels. Subordinates always want to move up, while those at the top never want to let go of their power.

Japan’s class system had become increasingly rigid, workplace hierarchies especially strict, yet traditionally, it had always been possible for those below to surpass those above.

Since the attack on the Police Department fell outside their jurisdiction, since rescuing the hostages wouldn’t grant enough merit for a promotion, it was better to let the hostage-taker kill everyone, clear the field, and then issue a sorrowful obituary.

"Don’t worry, if I dare to come, I’ll naturally be able to leave."

Fushimi Roku removed his coat and draped it over Kujo Yua’s head, tying it tightly to ensure she couldn’t see outside.

Then, he repeated the procedure for the other remaining hostages, covering each one’s face with a coat and tying their hands with hemp ropes, linking them into a line.

Fushimi Roku dialed the negotiator’s phone: "I want a fully-fueled bus and demand all police to retreat to a safe distance."

Negotiator Sato completely didn’t expect the hostage-taker to attempt negotiation; observing the previous actions, he thought this was a suicide attack, aiming to kill and then commit suicide.

He didn’t expect the guy to not follow through; at the last moment, he wanted to escape.

Can he get away?

Negotiator Sato chuckled coldly inside, but outwardly maintained a gentle tone, agreeing to all the hostage-taker’s demands. As soon as Fushimi Roku hung up, he immediately notified the team leader.

The command leader ordered the withdrawal of the assault team from the hallways, instructing all snipers to take their positions, ready to kill the moment the hostage-taker appeared.

A few minutes later, thermal imaging revealed human figures.

The first person stepped out of the conference room, followed by the second, third... A total of nine people walked out, lined up and entered the elevator, heading down.

When they reached the first-floor lobby, the command leader could see through the binoculars a line of people with coats over their heads, hands bound.

No sight of the hostage-taker.

The Police Protection Unit’s fourth team was supposed to prioritize rescue; with the hostage-taker absent, they had no reason not to act, immediately advancing with guns to respond.

The team leader in front commanded, "Keep moving forward! Don’t stop!"

Suddenly, the last person in the line shouted, "The hostage-taker is hiding among the hostages! He has grenades!!"

The Police Protection Unit scattered, while the Technical Vehicle Squad, bearing riot shields, moved up but dared not approach within twenty meters.

The sniper, on the radio, asked upper command, "Should we open fire? Which one do we kill?"

The command leader couldn’t issue orders; if the police mistakenly killed a hostage, it would be his responsibility.

If they angered the hostage-taker, the remaining eight hostages could end up dead.

After weighing the situation, the command leader abandoned the strategy for direct elimination: "Disperse! Let them board the bus! Sniper One, reposition to point two, and once the bus starts, shoot the driver!"

"Understood!" responded the team members.

The sniper relocated, and the Technical Vehicle Squad cleared the path, heavily securing the surroundings. Only a public bus remained in the parking lot at the main entrance of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Building.

The hostages groped their way forward, filing into the bus.

They sat down, bewildered, unmoving; no one voluntarily approached the driver’s seat.

"Number One is in position! Awaiting orders!" the radio transmitted the sniper’s report.

The command leader hesitated; it was clear the hostage-taker was cunning, knowing that sitting in the driver’s seat would get him sniped.

Now what?

Through binoculars, the command leader observed without rushing to a decision.

After a while, one hostage removed the coat from his head, and through the binoculars, the command leader recognized Takeuchi Bon, head of the Traffic Division.

Takeuchi Bon’s left sleeve was empty, likely severed by the hostage-taker. He nervously walked down the bus aisle, rope in hand, until he reached the driver’s seat, where he sat and started the engine. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

What’s happening?

Was the hostage coerced?

The command leader immediately ordered, "Cancel the sniping plan and set up road spikes in the town district!"

"Yes!"

The bus engine rumbled, slowly driving out from the Police Department gate. The Technical Vehicle Squad followed by car, and the Assault Team was dispatched to seal off various intersections, leaving only the Protection Team to clean up the scene.

To prevent the hostage-taker from having accomplices or leaving behind explosives, the Protection Team and bomb disposal experts stormed into the conference room.

The stench of blood hit them; bodies were everywhere, with the word ’Heavenly Punishment’ in blood standing out on the walls.

They donned thermal imaging gear, scanning around, spotting a figure on the rooftop of the building.

Before the team members could evaluate, they saw the figure leap down. The Protection Team captain quickly removed the imaging device, realizing the person wasn’t jumping but rappelling with a loose knot around their waist, sliding diagonally down the building onto an advertisement sign on the back street of the Police Department.

"The hostage-taker is still on site!" the Protection Team swiftly reacted, shouting into the radio, "Only hostages are on the bus!"

He recognized that man as Fushimi Roku, the one on the wanted list.

The squad immediately opened fire, but the distance was too far, and with the target swiftly weaving left and right, precision was lost.

Missing the shot didn’t matter; the goal was to delay the target’s escape, while others quickly descended from the fire escape, closing in from three sides.

They closely tracked the hostage-taker, using thermal imaging even if he disappeared from view.

Unexpectedly, Fushimi Roku reached the street corner, lifted a manhole cover, and jumped into the sewer with a splash.