Beyond the Truth: Mouri's Odyssey

Chapter 0036: The Young Gin

The blond man in black abandoned the Porsche, clutching his gun as he dragged Yukiko deeper into the dockyard. The place was littered with shipping containers, and he quickly found a vantage point, hiding in the shadows of the stacked crates.

Yukiko cried out repeatedly, her voice trembling with fear, but the man shoved his gun against her. "Shut up."

Tears welled in Yukiko's eyes as she fell silent, her terror palpable.

The screech of tires soon echoed through the empty dockyard. Kogoro Mouri had arrived, jumping out of the car and sprinting toward the direction of the containers.

From his elevated position, the man in black threw Yukiko to the ground and focused on his target. His reputation as a marksman was flawless—his bullets never missed their mark. Yet, on the earlier chase, something inexplicably went awry.

A cruel smile curled his lips as he muttered, "Goodbye."

The gunshot roared. Hearing it, Kogoro instantly calculated the source of the sound and pinpointed the shooter's location. He could have dodged the shot entirely if he ran with all his might, but instead, he did something shocking—he charged straight toward the bullet's path.

The impact tore through his body, creating a gaping wound on his back. 'This pain… damn it hurts!' Kogoro thought as he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, using his momentum to disappear from the man's line of sight.

The blond gunman sneered and readied to fire another shot, but Yukiko, watching from the ground, burst into tears and lunged toward him, attempting to fight back. The man silenced her with a brutal slap, leaving her crumpled on the ground.

Meanwhile, Kogoro activated a healing technique. Though the gunshot wound on his lower back was severe, the energy from his cosmic cultivation quickly regenerated the torn tissue, consuming far less energy than before due to his increased mastery.

At that moment, another car skidded into the dockyard—it was Yusaku Kudo. He jumped out, clearly disregarding his own safety for Yukiko's sake.

From below, Kogoro frantically gestured for Yusaku to retreat, pointing toward the gunman's hidden position. However, Yusaku seemed oblivious to the danger, walking straight into the shooter's line of fire.

The man in black smirked. "Another one for the body count."

Despite his mixed feelings toward Yusaku, Kogoro couldn't bear to let him die. Using the commotion as cover, he stealthily maneuvered around the containers to flank the shooter, retrieving a Desert Eagle from his system inventory.

Approaching closer, he heard Yukiko's faint sobs. Then, an idea struck him—he crushed a low-level illusion talisman and directed its power at the man in black.

"Encountered antagonist aura. Special item nullified!"

The talisman dissolved into ash, rendering it useless. 'What the hell?!' Kogoro cursed inwardly. 'Is this guy a main antagonist? Blond hair… impossible! Could this be Gin from the Black Organization when he was younger? No wonder he's so damn hard to deal with!'

Before Kogoro could act, another gunshot rang out. Yusaku clutched his abdomen, collapsing to the ground in pain. Kogoro clenched his jaw but had no time to intervene.

The timing was perfect. Kogoro activated his gun combat technique, his mind flooded with an endless stream of data, calculating the optimal angle and trajectory. He fired.

As the bullet flew, Kogoro felt his energy completely drain. The advanced technique took a toll on his stamina.

Gin, relying on his combat instincts honed from countless life-or-death battles, sensed the incoming threat and executed a tactical roll. The move should have saved him—except the bullet curved mid-flight, striking his left shoulder.

Gin winced, his pupils contracting as he turned to face Kogoro, who stood unscathed. 'How is this possible?!' Gin thought, his face contorted with disbelief. But his sharp mind quickly adjusted. With a swift motion, he grabbed Yukiko and threw her toward a nearby passageway.

Kogoro bolted forward, determined to catch up, but his path was suddenly blocked by a wall of burning oil cascading from above. He cursed under his breath, realizing the opportunity had slipped away.

'This guy is insane!' Kogoro thought bitterly. 'Even injured, he has backup plans for every scenario. Is this what they mean by the "antagonist's halo"?'

Gin's retreat was methodical, each step covered by pre-planned traps that slowed Kogoro's pursuit. Eventually, Kogoro reached the edge of the dockyard, where Gin had boarded a speedboat.

Beside him was another speedboat rigged with explosives. Yukiko was bound to it with heavy iron chains.

Gin's left shoulder was clearly fractured, his arm hanging uselessly. Still, he smirked as the wail of approaching police sirens reached his ears.

"I'll let you live this time," Gin taunted, his voice eerily calm. "But I'll make you watch the woman you love die. That pain… it'll haunt you forever."

His laughter, sharp and chilling, echoed across the water as he revved the boat's engine.