The harbor at night was engulfed in gunfire and shouting. Syndicate members were tangled in combat with the enemy between massive shipping containers, and the sea breeze carried a mixture of blood and gunpowder.

At the center of it all was the underboss, Toya. With a cold, hardened expression, he neutralized enemies one by one while keeping track of Akito's position.

Akito was also pushing back enemies a short distance away, but he didn't miss a single one of Toya's movements for even a second.

However, the moment Toya blocked an attack from the last enemy, another foe lunged from behind.

Before Toya could turn around, the opponent's hand slammed into his shoulder with force.

The railing beneath his feet shook.

Toya's body tilted backward.

He reached out instinctively to grab the railing, but his fingertips only brushed through empty air. The black seawater surged violently just below.

And in the next instant, Toya's body vanished beneath the dark waves.

Akito saw it happen in a fleeting moment.

But that brief moment was enough.

The weapon in his hand fell to the ground, and Akito ran toward the railing with an expression he had never shown before. The surrounding gunfire, the screams, and the remaining enemies were all erased from his mind.

Akito's hands gripped the railing.

And the moment he looked down into the cold sea—

"TOYA!!!"