Underestimation

Black dense fumes started to slowly rise into the blue sky. People in the vicinity noticed these big black clouds that were starting to form. Even people from miles away could see this black smoke that exude an ominous feeling.

The place where the black fumes rose was in a big building. One of the biggest building in that area. It did not have that great of a height but it covered a significant area in this city. One side of the building was completely destroyed. Big debris collapsed, creating a big pile of rubble.

With only one side of the building being ruined greatly, the shopping mall has lost its charm completely. It could not even be called a shopping mall, it was now considered just another demolished site.

A big explosion was the cause of robbing Heisei Shopping Mall's appeal to the citizens. One look at that mall right now would push clients, instead of pulling. Furthermore, the repair would be enormous.

Judging by the huge amount of concrete structures crashing on the ground, and small cement that degrades from the still-standing constructions, the restoration of this big building will take a huge amount of time.

Fire was blazing violently due to items such as clothes which helped them burn. These scattered items aid the fire in spreading from all over the place. Considering that it was a mall that was blown up, these 'fuels' were largely covering the debris.

Civilians who were close to the explosion and lucky enough to survive it, were running away with pale faces. Some injured would get at a safe distance from the dangerous site and tend the minor wounds. The ones with the major injuries, they had to wait for paramedics.

After a few minutes after the big explosion, the ambulances arrived, the firefighters arrived, the police arrived and an audience of onlookers surrounded the scene. The sirens from all the government vehicles enshrouded the place which attracted more onlookers.

"Keep everyone off the perimeter!"

A middle-aged man dressed in police uniforms ordered the young police officers, who immediately obeyed the senior.

The firefighters were preparing as fast as they could to extinguish the flames, which is still wildly spreading. Fire hoses were held by the firefighters, spraying every litre of water into the flaming rubbles. With a fire this magnitude, it was going to take a lot of time to douse it completely. The equipment they needed was scarce and it would need time to get more of them here.

Meanwhile, there were about 30 to 40 firefighters who were rushing through the main entrance of the mall. Only the east side of the mall was affected. The customers who were left behind in the mall started dashing out of the building. Police aided those survivors to be organized and quick to get out. Paramedics were also close by to anyone who was harmed.

The firefighters now were planning to get to the east side of the building after having everyone else evacuated, while the police stayed outside to keep out any civilians.

The middle-aged policeman who gave orders was staring at the debris that was on fire. The firefighters were still struggling to keep the fire from spreading, but they managed to slow down its spreading.

"What are you thinking Shiraishi-san?"

The middle-aged police officer, named Shiraishi, side glanced another police officer, who looked a little younger than him.

"I.....just have a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling? About the explosion?"

"Yes."

He looked back at the rubbles with a serious expression that concerned the other man. The firefighters could be seen working hard to prevent the flames from spreading any further.

Looking at the huge debris, the people pitifully looked at the now partially battered building. They were probably wondering of the cost that would be paid to go back to its previous state.

Interrupting those thoughts, the onlookers and the police included, were observing at an unexpected sight.

A wave of firefighters that entered the mall to rescue any survivors, were desperately exiting through the entrance. There were some that were injured gravely as seen by the pool of blood dripping off from their uniforms.

Grim and frightened faces behind the masks of those running in despair were visible to an extent. Carrying those injured firefighters to the paramedics as quickly as possible was on their firefighter comrade's mind.

Senior Inspector Shiraishi ran to the wounded firefighters. Upon reaching them, his mind was satiated of the bad feelings he had.

'Gunshot wounds...Tsk!'

One of the firefighters that brought the wounded, fearfully told the side of his story.

"There are terrorists inside!! A lot of them!! They got at least 100 hostages held in captive!!!"

The trembling high voice resonated in between those in the surrounding. The Senior Inspector Shiraishi listened to him with a calm expression.

Shiraishi turned around and made way for his police car. The other police officer looked at Shiraishi with curiosity.

"Atsui-Kun. Request for assistance for more policemen. We have got a hostage case. The people in captivity is at least 100 so force a request for maximum help."

"Yes sir!"

The officer named Atsui dashed to a police car as ordered. Shiraishi darted a look at Atsui before rushing to his own police car. Arrived at his car, he opened the door quickly. He picked up the walkie-talkie that was attached next to the radio.

"Operator! This is Senior Inspector Shiraishi! We have a hostage situation over at Heisei Shopping Mall! We request for assistance from the Special Magus Force!"

"...How muc-"

"At least a 100 hostages and terrorists are dangerously armed! I don't have any more details but by the time that help arrives, I will get more information!"

".....Okay. Stand by. Help will come to your destination in around 10 to 12 minutes."

"Okay."

The worried and fast tone of Shiraishi, of which he addressed the Operator, was an act. The act was over by the time he said 'Okay'.

He hung up the walkie-talkie before returning to that same firefighter who gave him this information. That firefighter was helping another one of his comrades to lie down on a stretcher.

Shiraishi put a hand on the busy firefighter to make him stop for a moment.

"Could you tell me where and how many terrorists were in the mall? Tell me the maximum detail you could."

The firefighter looked at his badge on his chest then looked at him with respect. He did not noticed it the first time they met because his head was full of worriness and fear. The badge signified that whoever was wearing it, the position of Senior Inspector is to be brought up.

"Yes sir! They were near a section where diving equipment and other water-related outfits were showcased. I cannot tell you the exact number but I could determine an approximation."

"Anything could help."

"About 20 to 25 of them. They were armed with M-16 rifles, grenades hanging from their vests and a sidearm near their waist. It could have been a Beretta or a Browning. I did not quite see it."

"What about the hostages? What were they doing when you got there?"

"Sir, they were sitting in rows and columns. I could see some of them were injured. Children, women, young boys and elders, we could see all types of them."

The firefighter breathed heavily after having given every possible information to the Inspector. Shiraishi smiled slightly at the young man before gently greeting him off.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You can relax now because this has turned into our job now."

"Yes sir!"

Atsui, the police officer who was in his late 20s, approached Shiraishi with a slightly worried face.

"Officials would be coming around 7 minutes."

"Okay. With the number of police cars we have here, use all of them to surround the mall. Keep the distance of those onlookers further away, the paramedics too should back up. As for the firefighters, let them do their job."

"Yes Sir!"

Running off and passing off the orders to the other police officials, Atsui fulfilled the orders given quickly. The police wasted no time to carry out the actions that they were supposed to do.

Shiraishi grabbed a loudspeaker and stood in front of all the police cars lined up. He faced the ruined mall fearlessly.

"Terrorists! What is it that you want? What is it that you desire, for you to hold innocent people at gunpoint? Money?"

.....

No response.

The sizzling sound of the flames burning clothes, water being sprayed and the murmuring of the onlookers amongst themselves were partially occupying the silent face-off between the mall and the middle-aged man.

"You savages! Release those people at once. The consequences of these barbaric actions that you terrorists are doing are severe."

Still no response.

Shiraishi was still calm in this situation. He was thinking of ways to persuade the terrorists on releasing the hostages. He brought the loudspeaker to his mouth again and aimed it at the two-storey building's entrance.

"Soon the Special Magus Force will be here. All of you will be either in jail or dead."

Shiraishi's tone was slightly inclined into sarcasm as he continued to speak into the loudspeaker.

"So make a decision faster if you want to make it out alive. Release the hostages and turn yourselves in. Your sentences would be greatly reduced if you all step out right now with your hands up and guns down on the ground."

The building replied to Shiraishi with silence yet again. Having no response, he turned his back to the mall. The onlookers were concentrating on this middle-aged officer as he calmly put the loudspeaker on top of one of the police car's bonnet.

He sighed as he was returning to his police car, waiting for the reinforcements to arrive and deal with this. Or he could let the Special Magus Force deal with it alone.

Those guys are really really good at handling these kinds of situations. Equipped with mana infused vests, mana ammunitions, guns which use those types of ammo, these guys are the real deal. They do not have any magic in themselves but their equipment do. And only the best can use them.

The thing that Shiraishi did earlier, the one where he pressed for assistance for the Special Magus Force, was for a reason. For a matter of fact, Shiraishi knows that this Special Magus Force won't come if he did not exaggerate much. Making the situation seems dire was good enough to catch their attention.

Shiraishi sighed as he pulled out an electronic cigarette. At these times now, there no longer exists any traditional cigarette where a roll of paper is lighted. The plants that people get the substance of nicotine, is limited. All of it was destroyed during Eschaton. So they had to use this method which consumes lesser nicotine than the traditional ones.

"Shiraishi-san!"

Atsui interrupted Shiraishi's small break as he came running near him.

"What is i-"

"Look on the roof of the mall!! One of the terrorists have shown up!!"

Shiraishi put back the electronic cigarette in his pocket and abruptly looked at the mentioned place.

A light brown skin guy, a rifle hanging from his shoulder, and on one of his hands was a loudspeaker.

"Hello Officers!! Good work!!"

He saluted the team of policemen who were behind their cars aiming their pistols at the terrorist. Shiraishi's police force were not armed properly right now. Only pistols against terrorists is not good.

There were no snipers that could survey the place for another enemy, so, Shiraishi could not do anything but to pick up the loudspeaker.

"You terrorists! Is the cause for such actions money?"

"Oh? Cutting right to the chase? I very much prefer that, officer. Can I ask your name?"

The terrorist was in a good mood as it seemed like he was joking.

"My name? And why would I let you utter my name from your barbaric mouth?"

"Officer, it would be so much easier to negotiate later on."

Shiraishi paused as he gazed at the terrorist above. He concentrated on his facial feature but could not take out much as he wore a black mask which covered his face entirely except for his eyes.

"Not gonna tell me? Then how about this?"

The terrorist stepped back then came to the edge again but this time with someone. A young male with bright skin colour and a bit slim. The terrorist put the slim man near the edge and pointed a pistol to his head.

The onlookers reacted with shock and bewilderment. The police had stiff faces behind their guns that aimed at the terrorist. The male was crying profusely as he looked down the ground

"Wait! Wait! I'll tell you!!..... My name is Shiraishi. Senior Inspector Shiraishi of the Osaka Police Department."

The terrorist took a few moments before lowering his gun.

"Well, Senior Inspector Shiraishi. See? It was not that hard."

"...I-I'm sorry...I will not do it again."

"I'm sure that you won't Shiraishi. You must not take this matter lightly."

The terrorist approached behind the terrified male on the edge. Raising his gun again and pointing it at the petrified innocent man, the finger moved.

*Bang*

The sound of a gun firing once. And after a few seconds...

*Splat*

A body fell flat head first on the ground. The male captive's splattered head was too much for the onlookers. Screams of terror started to spring in the crowd of spectators.

Shiraishi had his eyes open the whole time, witnessing the murder clearly. He could not take his eyes off of the innocent dead body. The paramedics rushed but, everyone knew he was totally dead.

"Shiraishiiiiii~"

He slowly raised his head up, staring at that dangerous man who was having his own fun.

"Will you take me seriously now?"

The paramedics, the civilians, the policemen including Atsui rigidly looked at the frightening man up top the roof. Without hesitation, he just executed someone innocent.

So easily...

Shiraishi gritted his teeth and clench his one hand. But his eyes with extreme determination stared at the terrorist without budging.

The voice that came out of his mouth were not trembling with fear, but it carried hostility that was coated with a sheet of cooperation.

"Tell me what do you want."