For a long moment, no one moved.
Raito casually stepped away from Yumi's side, hands tucked into his coat pockets like he was out for a stroll, not in the middle of a standoff. He wandered over to the mercenaries' car. Behind him, the air felt thick enough to choke on.
He crouched by the bumper, inspecting it like a mechanic on break.
"Hmm… cracked frame, dented grille… paint's scuffed too," he murmured, brushing dust off his hands as he stood. He turned back toward the group. "You guys really should drive more carefully. Your car's in rough shape."
Yumi stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Raito—what are you doing?"
He ignored her, pulling a business card from his coat and holding it up between two fingers.
"Do you have insurance?" he asked the mercs. "This kind of damage racks up quick. I know a guy who does great rates—real flexible plans. Even for the… occupationally adventurous."
The leader scowled. "What?"
"Auto insurance," Raito said, deadpan. "It's important. Especially if you're out there hitting pedestrians and picking fights with cops."
One of the mercs muttered, "Is this guy for real?"
"He's stalling," the leader snapped, stepping forward. "He's buying time for backup."
"What? No," Raito said, blinking innocently. "I just care about your financial future."
The mercs stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"You're clearly reckless drivers," Raito added with a shrug. "Property damage. Assault. Illegal weapons. Bad day for your deductible."
"Enough!" one of them barked, brushing past him and heading toward Yumi. The others followed, weapons ready now, their patience officially gone.
Yumi tensed and reached for her gun. "Raito, get out of here. Now."
He didn't move. Just watched them close in with a faint, tired expression.
"…And here I thought I could sell some insurance this morning," he muttered.
As the circle tightened, he exhaled, rolling his neck with a soft crack.
"This is exactly why I don't get bonuses anymore," he sighed.
Kurai's voice echoed in his mind, rich with laughter.
Insurance, huh? she cackled. You tried to sell car insurance to hired killers. You've hit a new low.
Raito didn't answer. Not to her. Not to anyone. His eyes were on the mercs.
Come on, she purred. Just whoop them already. You know you want to.
"I'm not doing that in front of her," he muttered under his breath, glancing at Yumi.
Detective Yumi Aikawa stood firm, her stance professional and precise. No fear in her eyes. Raito had to give her credit—she was no rookie. But four armed men against one lady? That wasn't odds—it was a funeral waiting to happen.
The first merc lunged with a steel baton. Raito sidestepped just late enough to make it look clumsy.
"Whoa—easy there," he said, flailing slightly.
Pathetic, Kurai hissed, giggling. You look like someone's accountant. Gross.
Another came at him. Raito let the man crash into the car, avoiding him by inches.
He could've ended it with a flick of the wrist. Instead, he sighed like he'd spilled coffee on a report.
Yumi, meanwhile, wasn't hesitating. A merc came at her with a switchblade—she dropped low, rolled under the strike, and jammed her stun baton into his back. The jolt dropped him like a sack of bricks.
"Don't underestimate me," she snapped.
But her moment of victory didn't last. One of the others slashed across her chest—her jacket caught the blade, the fabric tearing but no blood drawn.
She hissed, stumbling. "Tch… lucky."
"Detective, are you okay?" Raito called out—more for formality than concern.
Two mercs turned on her. The one Raito dodged earlier was recovering fast. She was holding her ground, but Raito could tell—it was only a matter of time.
Kurai's voice slithered through his thoughts.
Still gonna play dumb? Or are we done pretending?
Raito's expression flattened. He rolled his shoulders once.
"Alright," he murmured, just loud enough to hear himself. "Maybe just a little warm-up."
He threw a lazy punch. Missed by a mile.
"Seriously?" a merc scoffed. "This guy's a joke."
Another lunged. Raito stumbled back, flailing, then barely tapped the man's shoulder with a weak jab.
"You even trying?"
Raito grinned sheepishly. "Not really my kind of fight."
Deadliest man in the room, and you're throwing punches like it's recess, Kurai laughed.
He didn't respond.
He was waiting.
Watching.
Timing.
A quick glance—Yumi was holding her own, but wearing down. She hadn't noticed him yet.
Perfect.
Raito dodged another wild swing, then—
Crack.
A clean, brutal uppercut to the jaw. The merc crumpled instantly, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Raito stepped back, waving his hand as if in surprise.
"Whoa. That… actually worked?"
The others didn't notice. Yumi had just dropped another merc, electricity dancing from her baton. The last one was circling her warily.
She glanced toward Raito—saw the body at his feet.
"…Did you hit him?"
Raito scratched his head. "Lucky punch."
She squinted at him, clearly skeptical, but turned back to finish the fight.
"Lucky punch," Kurai mocked. You shattered his jaw. Adorable.
Raito sighed internally.
This was getting harder to hide.
The last merc backed away, panic setting in.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered.
Yumi stepped toward him, breath steady. "You had your chance."
He bolted.
Yumi sprinted after him—then, with flawless precision, she drew her stun baton and hurled it like a spear.
Click. Zap. Direct hit.
The merc went down hard, twitching once before falling still.
Raito raised an eyebrow. "that was kinda cool Detective Yumi."
Yumi jogged past, retrieved the baton, gave it a casual spin and smirked. "I have good aim."
The distant wail of sirens cut through the morning air.
Red and blue lights flooded the street as cruisers screeched to a halt. Officers spilled out, weapons drawn, confusion flickering before they saw the scene: four men down, one detective standing tall.
"Detective!" one shouted. "You alright?"
Yumi gave a brisk nod. "Fine. Cuff them. Get them processed—fast. They're not random thugs. Check for contract connections."
The officers swarmed the fallen mercs.
Yumi turned to Raito, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.
"Thanks for sticking around. Even if you clearly don't know how to fight."
Raito shrugged. "Hey, I landed one punch."
She tried not to smile. "Sure you did."
He watched her walk off to coordinate with the others, his easy expression slipping just slightly.
Amateurs or not, he thought, someone sent them. This wasn't a coincidence.
In the back of his mind, Kurai hummed.
You're in it now, Raito. Cops. Mercs. Babysitting duty. And your day job.
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
Yeah.
This morning was already a mess.