Chapter 4: The First Strike
The city had grown colder since the night Kuroda faced the assassin. Shadows seemed longer, more menacing. The Syndicate was testing him, sending whispers of their presence through fear and violence. But Kuroda had no intention of hiding. He would meet them head-on.
He entered a nondescript warehouse at the edge of the industrial district. The place smelled of oil and rust, abandoned to most—but to him, it was a perfect vantage point. Inside, crates were stacked like a fortress, and the hum of security systems told him this wasn't just an empty building.
A file had arrived with his last confrontation: a list of Syndicate operatives, locations, and a single high-priority target. Their intelligence chief, known only as Veyron, was rumored to hold the keys to the organization's most dangerous operations. Kuroda's plan was simple: infiltrate, neutralize, and vanish.
Infiltration
Moving like a shadow, Kuroda disabled cameras and motion sensors with practiced precision. Each step was silent, measured. The Syndicate's guards patrolled with confidence, unaware that a ghost had entered their lair.
He reached the first hallway and found two guards chatting lazily, rifles slung over their shoulders. With a swift, silent strike, they were incapacitated. Their weapons clattered to the floor, unnoticed by the others.
Kuroda paused to study the blueprints etched into his mind—paths, escape routes, and choke points. Every mission was chess, every enemy a pawn waiting for the king's move.
Confrontation
At the heart of the warehouse, Veyron waited, flanked by his elite squad. "So, Code 001 finally decides to play again," he sneered. "You shouldn't have come back."
Kuroda didn't respond. In a blur, he moved, taking the first guard with a precise strike, spinning to intercept another. Bullets flew, glass shattered, and the room became chaos incarnate.
But Kuroda was calm, his movements a deadly dance. He used the environment masterfully—pushing a crate to knock down two attackers, swinging from a pipe to avoid gunfire, and striking with surgical precision. Within moments, the elite squad was neutralized.
Finally, he confronted Veyron. The man was fast, skilled, but Kuroda was faster. In a single decisive move, he disarmed Veyron and held him at gunpoint.
"Tell me everything about the Syndicate," Kuroda demanded.
Veyron swallowed hard, the arrogance gone from his face. "You think you can stop them alone? They are everywhere. We are… unstoppable."
Kuroda's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."
Aftermath
Before backup could arrive, Kuroda vanished into the night, leaving the warehouse in flames. His first strike had sent a message: he was back, and the Syndicate was no longer untouchable.
As the city slept unaware, Kuroda prepared for the battles ahead. One man. One army. And an entire organization under his sights.