Outbound

Enshrouded Tabulation, Part 4

The moment the countdown ends, Naoya's voice echoes in the room like a final verdict. The men flinch visibly, their fear reaching its peak. They seem frozen in place, terror making them incapable of motion. "I already have the answer to what I am asking thanks to the documents you were holding." He points at the man, still keeping his anger. "Just wanted to see how lowly you two actually are." The men's faces pale further as they realize the true extent of Naoya's knowledge. The documents have already revealed everything. Their attempts to conceal the truth have been in vain. The weight of their guilt and shame is evident in their faces. Naoya stands there, his expression hard and unforgiving. Naoya speaks out loud to the radio. "I already know the answer. However, could you remind me what is the most painful way a human being can die, Kyoko?" Kyoko's reply crackles through the radio, her voice tinged with a subtle sense of anticipation. "Well, the human body can endure immense pain, and pain tolerance can vary from person to person. However, if you're looking for an answer, most medical professionals agree that the most painful way a human being can die is by burning." "I guess you can tell how fortunate I am to carry a lighter with me." 

Naoya pulls out a small pocket lighter from his jacket, holding it up for the men to see. The sight of the small flame flickering at the tip of the lighter sends a shiver down the men's spines. Naoya's tone is cold and without mercy. Naoya sees more papers on the wooden shelves inside the small room and decides to put them on fire. Without hesitation, Naoya walks over to the wooden shelves in the room. His gaze scans over them quickly, then he begins rummaging through the papers. With a ruthless efficiency, he selects a few pages and lights a flame with the pocket lighter. The papers catch fire almost instantly, orange and yellow tendrils dancing around them as they burn. The heat from the flames increases rapidly, and the acrid scent of singeing paper fills the air. The men watch in horror as the flames grow and consume the papers. The heat and smoke begin to fill the room, making it hard to breathe. Naoya stands there, his expression cold and unmoving. He remains rooted in the midst of the inferno, watching without mercy as the flames lick closer and closer to the men. Their faces distort in terror and anger, but they're too paralyzed by fear to move. Naoya watches the flames devour the papers alongside wooden shelves, his face expressionless. "It's like they say, the truth always comes to light, one way or another. And sometimes, that light comes with a little fire." With a swift and determined stride, Naoya moves to one of the chairs situated within the room. He grabs it firmly, the wood creaking slightly under his grip. Then, he turns towards the door and wedges the chair against it, ensuring that the handle is securely blocked. The door is now firmly shut, sealed from the outside with the chair as an additional barrier. 

Naoya speaks to the men one last time. "Pay respects to the devil in the name of Naoya Koji." The men, trapped inside the burning room, their screams rising above the sound of the voracious flames, don't waste their breath replying. But Naoya's message clearly reaches them, their faces twisting in fear and despair as they're engulfed in the inferno. He turns away from the door, leaving them to face their fate alone. As Naoya walks through the dimly lit corridors, he brings the radio close to his lips, keeping his voice low. "Kyoko, I've taken care of the situation. The men won't be a problem anymore." "The situation is worse than we thought, human trafficking doesn't only stop with women. They were selling children too just like you heard." The news sinks in, and Kyoko's voice crackles through the radio with a mixture of surprise and disgust. "Children? That's... that's horrible. Did you find any information about their whereabouts?" "It's in the documents in my hand. The others escaped to another hideout in Harajuku. And there are two more hideouts in Akihabara." Kyoko's response is quick and urgent. "Then we need to act fast. Can you send me pictures of those documents? The sooner we have the details, the faster we can rescue those children." "I will give the documents to you if I don't die to the very same flames I created." There's a brief pause on the other end of the radio before Kyoko's voice echoes, filled with a mixture of concern and determination. "Naoya, what do you mean by that?" "Becoming harder to breathe every passing second. I'll try to crawl my way back through the same way i entered this secret passage." Naoya states. Kyoko's concern is tangible in her response as Naoya's words reach her. "Naoya, get out of there immediately. Forget about the documents, your life is far more important." "I refuse to leave the documents." he says and changes the radio frequency to alert Ryu and Daisuke." As Naoya changes the frequency, Kyoko's voice cuts off to be replaced by Ryu's sharp and alert tone. "Naoya, report. What's your status?" 

"Killed two men, got some crucial documents and started a fire I need to escape from. Is the secret passage I entered from safe to exit?" Ryu's voice comes through the radio, his tone crisp and focused. "Affirmative, the secret passage should be clear and direct. It will bring you out to the back alley behind the building. Once you're clear there, we'll secure the main street. "Did you guys find any women or...children in the apartment?" Ryu responds to Naoya's question, his voice carrying a grim undertone. "We did discover several women trapped in the building. We rescued them. However, no sign of children." "Good work, I'm on my way." Naoya puts the radio away. With a determined expression, Naoya adjusts the documents in his hand and begins moving towards the secret passage he came through, battling the growing smoke and heat all the while. The exit is near, and he presses onward, pushing through the increasingly difficult conditions. As Naoya stumbles out of the secret passage, the fresh air hits him like a breath of life. The alley's cool breeze feels like a stark contrast to the inferno he just escaped from. In the dim light of the night, he spots Akira waiting nearby. "I'm assuming emergency calls has been made?" Naoya asks. Akira nods, a serious expression on his face. "The police, fire department and paramedics have been alerted. They're on their way." He glances towards the exit Naoya just came out of, the sound of fire and smoke audible from the building. "Looks like you've left quite a mark there." "Just out of my breath." Naoya states and begins to walk. "Let's get outta here. We got shit to discuss." Akira falls into step beside Naoya, the two of them making their way away from the burning building. The faint sound of sirens can be heard in the distance, growing steadily louder as the fire trucks and police cars approach. 

As they walked, Akira takes the documents Naoya managed to carry out. He quickly skims through them, a mix of anger and determination in his expression. "These bastards had women and children. Sold to the highest bidder like commodities." His voice is filled with a deep disgust. Naoya scoffs in agreement, his anger mirroring Akira's. "And judging by these documents, there are still more places they operate from. We can't leave any stone unturned until we put a stop to these monsters." They continue on their path, the shadows of the night casting a grim backdrop to their conversation.

 Naoya's voice carries a steely resolve. "The information from those papers will lead us straight to the next hideouts."