3:00 AM.
The world outside was pitch black.
Hayashi stepped out of his bedroom, his bare feet moving slowly down the silent, dimly lit hallway.
Despite the late hour, sleep eluded him.
His mind kept drifting back to the events at the bar earlier that evening.
The image of Kirishima standing amidst the carnage played on a loop in his head.
A single line echoed in the quiet corridor of his mind:
“Long time no see, my friend.”
Hayashi let out a quiet breath and sat heavily onto the hallway sofa.
He sat in the silence for a long moment before picking up the remote and flicking on the TV.
The sudden, cold glow of the screen illuminated his face.
The late-night news anchor was mid-report.
“…Earlier today in Tokyo, four unidentified individuals were seen engaging in a high-speed battle atop three moving shipping containers. Authorities suspect this incident is tied to a massive illegal smuggling operation…”
Hayashi stared blankly at the screen.
His face betrayed absolutely zero emotion.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated against the glass table.
He glanced at the screen.
An unknown number.
He picked it up, pressing it to his ear.
A smooth, calm voice spoke from the other end.
“Congratulations, Hayashi.”
Hayashi instantly recognized the voice.
“Masaki. I never thought you’d be the one to call.”
Miles away, the perspective shifted.
Masaki was standing inside a massive, heavily guarded government customs warehouse.
To his right stood the Rankers: Kirishima, Souta, Hio, and Raiga.
And standing right beside Masaki was a high-ranking Japanese Customs Officer.
Masaki smiled into his phone.
“What can I say? You played us for absolute fools during that highway mission.”
Through the receiver, Hayashi’s tone remained level.
“If you ask me, that’s nothing to be disappointed about.”
Masaki’s voice dropped into a softer, yet far more dangerous tone.
“Hmm. You’re right. You gave us a little gift… so it’s only our responsibility to give you something in return.”
Hayashi paused.
A faint prickle of unease finally broke his calm.
“What exactly does that mean?”
Masaki casually checked his wristwatch.
“Right now is the perfect time to watch the news, Hayashi.”
Click.
He hung up the phone.
Back in the hallway, Hayashi slowly extended his hand, pointing the remote at the TV to turn up the volume.
He stared at the screen, his calm demeanor suddenly feeling very fragile.
“…In other news, the recent rise of the underground bounty app has led to the brutal murders of 17 businessmen across the city—”
The reporter suddenly stopped, pressing two fingers against her earpiece.
Her eyes widened slightly as she listened to the control room.
“We interrupt this broadcast for breaking news,” she announced, her tone shifting.
“Government Customs officials have just claimed to have seized the largest stockpile of raw drug manufacturing materials in Tokyo’s history tonight…”
Hayashi froze.
The shock anchored him to the sofa.
He didn’t scream.
He just slowly let his head fall back against the leather cushion, staring up at the dark ceiling.
After a long, suffocating silence, a harsh whisper escaped his lips.
“Tch… I’ll have to struggle to bring it all back in again.”
Back at the warehouse, the operation was wrapping up.
Kirishima and the other Rankers had already begun walking out toward the exit, but Masaki remained behind with the Customs Officer.
Masaki turned to the man.
“Ritoshi. Thanks for setting this all up so quickly.”
Ritoshi looked at Masaki, a sly, calculating glint in his eye.
“Don’t thank me. After all, only fifty percent of this material is actually going to be logged into evidence.”
“The other fifty percent… is your payment.”
He adjusted his collar.
“Just consider this our joint operation, Masaki.”
Masaki let out a low smirk.
“No one can beat you in a battle of words, Ritoshi.”
The two men shared a dark, knowing smile.
The line between the law and the underworld had completely blurred.
The Next Morning
The bright morning sun bathed the city streets in a warm, golden glow, casting long, crisp shadows across the pavement.
Ren walked along the footpath, his hands tucked into his pockets, deep in thought.
‘Masaki completely flipped the script on them overnight…’* he mused to himself.
*’And today… he actually sent me an official invite to the bungalow.’
A little while later, Ren stood before the massive, imposing gates of the Rankers’ base.
The security guards, having already been informed of his arrival, respectfully opened the gates to let him inside.
As Ren walked up the main driveway, he couldn’t help but look around in awe.
The estate was massive.
Perfectly manicured gardens, towering ancient trees, and an atmosphere of absolute, pristine tranquility.
It felt like a completely different world compared to the violent underground.
He reached the main house, navigating the quiet halls until he stood before the heavy double doors of the central meeting room.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed them open.
The sight inside made his breath hitch.
Masaki sat at the head of a long, polished table in the center.
To the right sat Souta Minami and Hio Kazanami.
To the left sat Raiga Kanzaki, and the legendary Rank 1st, Kirishima Raizen.
Masaki extended a hand warmly, gesturing to an empty chair.
“Come in, Ren. Take a seat right here.”
Ren nodded nervously, walking over and taking his seat.
He could feel the heavy gazes of Tokyo’s strongest fighters resting on him.
Masaki looked across the table, locking eyes with Kirishima.
“Kirishima. It is my official recommendation that we recruit Ren.”
Kirishima looked at Ren for a long, silent moment, before turning his gaze back to Masaki.
“You have a point. Souta told me how flawlessly he backed you all up during the container incident. But…”
Kirishima paused, his voice dropping slightly.
“…we already have a Rank 6 who is currently out on school duty.”
Ren’s heart sank.
He immediately looked down at his lap.
*’I guess… there really isn’t a place for me here after all.’*
Watching the boy’s reaction, Kirishima’s stern expression suddenly broke into a warm, majestic smile.
“Why the sad face, kid? I never said you couldn’t be a Ranker.”
Ren’s head snapped up.
“Then… why was I called here?”
Masaki, Hio, and Souta all exchanged knowing smiles. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“To welcome you,” Masaki said smoothly.
Kirishima stood up, his towering presence filling the room.
“Usually, Masaki handles all the official recruitments. But today, I asked for the honor.”
He looked down at Ren, his eyes filled with absolute respect.
“Ren Fujimiya. From today onward, will you join our family as a Substitute Ranker? Do you accept this position?”
Ren’s eyes practically sparkled with disbelief and overwhelming joy.
A massive smile broke across his face.
“I accept the invitation!”
A wave of warm smiles and quiet applause filled the meeting room.
Leaning back in his chair, Souta cast a teasing sideways glance at Raiga.
“Must be nice, Ren. I’m glad you got such a warm, friendly welcome. When *I* got invited, a certain someone tried to beat the invitation into me.”
Masaki and Hio chuckled quietly.
Raiga immediately knew who Souta was talking about.
He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re talking about me. Listen, I’m sorry about that, alright? I judged you without actually looking at what you were capable of.”
Souta smiled softly, his usual cool demeanor returning.
“Don’t sweat it. It happens.”
A few moments later, Kirishima pushed his chair back.
“Alright. Masaki, I should get going.”
Hio looked up, surprised.
“You’re leaving already? You just got here.”
Kirishima offered an apologetic nod.
“I have other matters to attend to.”
Masaki stood up.
“I’d love nothing more than for you to stay here with us. But trying to hold you down is like trying to stop flowing water.”
He offered a soft, genuine smile.
“That’s just who you are, Kirishima.”
Kirishima walked over and gave Masaki a firm, brotherly hug.
He waved goodbye to the rest of the table, and they all bid him farewell.
But before walking out the door, Kirishima stopped right next to Ren’s chair.
“Ren Fujimiya,” Kirishima called out.
Ren immediately scrambled to stand up out of respect, but Kirishima gently placed a heavy, reassuring hand on his shoulder, keeping him seated.
“Stay seated,” Kirishima said softly.
“You know… you’re a very lucky kid. Souta Minami has been constantly suggesting you to Masaki and me for a long time now.”
“He’s the one who pushed for you to become a Ranker. You should thank him.”
Ren’s eyes widened.
He slowly turned his head to look at Souta.
His vision blurred slightly with unshed tears.
Souta was just sitting there, leaning his cheek against his hand, staring casually at the polished wood of the table as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Ren stood up and walked over to him.
The rest of the room watched the two of them with gentle smiles.
Ren stood beside Souta’s chair, his voice trembling slightly.
“So… does this mean you won’t call me ‘Egret’ anymore?”
Souta finally looked up.
His signature, easygoing smile spread across his face.
“Oh, I’m definitely still going to call you that.”
Ren didn’t say another word.
He just leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Souta in a tight, emotional hug.
Burying his face in Souta’s shoulder, he whispered,
“Thank you.”
—Chapter 17 End—