Minamoto Chisaki's eyes once again revealed undisguised astonishment. He truly knew nothing about this. Sakura's surveillance had been limited to tracking her target's movements from a distance; to avoid alerting the enemy, she would not rashly approach.
That slightly unhinged high school girl was actually the sister of that Five-Star General who commanded formidable forces?
A sense of absurdity rose within him. Could it be that General Amon had mobilized such a massive operation, even deploying Delta Force, merely to vent his anger over his sister being wanted by the Japanese police?
That was simply... too willful—or rather, too overbearing. Using national-level special operations forces to fulfill a personal whim revealed a chilling contempt for both authority and rules.
Fuma Kotaro's expression had completely darkened, as hard and sharp as carved stone. He said slowly, "I'm afraid this is more than revenge. It is also a warning. He is using the most direct means possible to tell us that he possesses both the ability and determination to use force without restraint on our soil.
"A police chief, merely because he offended his sister, met such an end. All procedures and laws were treated as though they did not exist."
He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like cold lightning. "If it were the Eight Clans of the Serpent—do you gentlemen think he would show any restraint?"
"This is outrageous! Is he not afraid of provoking a serious diplomatic dispute?" someone said indignantly.
The anger was genuine. Although the police chief had caused them trouble before, faced with the Americans' naked brutality, a shared hostility rooted in national sentiment arose naturally among them.
Tachibana Masamune raised a hand at the right moment. His voice was aged, yet carried a force that united hearts, echoing through the Shrine as