In a covert Japanese government program, orphaned children are groomed from a young age to become elite assassins in Task Force King. These children endure grueling experiments, transforming them into living weapons. Their eyes, subjects of radical experimentation, are now extraordinary—living, evolving organisms granting them unparalleled vision and abilities. Trained to master every form of combat, Task Force King stands as the pinnacle of Japan's internal security. As tensions rise and a wave of nationalism sweeps across Japan, a formidable threat emerges in the form of Kamizaki Fuso. The leader of the notorious Kamizaki clan, a feared criminal organization, harbors ambitions of seizing control as the nation's Prime Minister. With the country's future hanging in the balance, Task Force King faces their most critical mission yet. Can they neutralize Kamizaki Fuso before he plunges Japan into a militarized dictatorship?
As I faced my longtime partner, code-named Rocks, for what could be the last time, it unnerved me that all I could do was stare coldly at him.
We both put our masks on and boarded the helicopter waiting to airdrop us.
"Jacks, you ready to do this one last time?" Rocks yelled over the whirring of the rotors.
I nodded and shouted in response, "Begin Operation Crown!"
I couldn't help but crack a smile as the words left my mouth.
My eyes gradually opened, and I realized it had been a dream. I stretched, yawning as I thought about the end of Task Force King, and quickly dismissed the thought. As I got out of bed, my phone rang. Without checking the number, I quickly picked it up.
A stern voice on the phone said, "Agent Jacks, report to command now. We have an assignment for Task Force King. You will be on point."
I thought of saying, "Go to hell," but before I could respond, the line disconnected. All I could do was get ready to go to the base. I quickly put on my uniform—a solid black suit made of various strong fibers, capable of deflecting small projectiles and most sharp weapons.
If Agent Rocks wasn't just a codename, he would definitely be my best friend.
I got in my car and reported to the command center to learn about the mission. I wished I could have spent more time at home, but now was the time to focus on the assignment, so I pushed the thought aside.
It still amazes me to this day how vast Command Center Fuji is. A large skyscraper with three interconnected towers, each nearly half the size of the Empire State Building.
As I drove past the first checkpoint, an officer stopped me and asked for my clearance. I lowered my shades and stared at him.
"Agent Jacks, I... I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you. Go right ahead!" he stammered, stumbling over his words.
I lifted my shades back up silently and drove to the garage. I parked my car and walked to the entrance.
I pressed my eyes to the ID scanner at the door. The door beeped twice, and the thick metal doors slid open, reflecting my image back at me as they did.
I entered the building's first floor, which only led to an elevator.
Inside the elevator, I sighed, reaching for a cigarette in my pocket. Lighting it, I pressed the button for the 10th floor, where I usually report for mission briefings.
The elevator zoomed up, and I took a deep inhale from my cigarette.
The doors slowly slid open, and I exhaled, letting the smoke out as I stepped into the room.
I immediately surveyed the setting. I saw the backs of four others and the face of the Director of Logistical Operations, Director Tsuyoi.
"Agent Jacks, I hope your new leadership role hasn't gone to your head, and you can still show up on time. This responsibility falls on you due to the incompetence of Agent Rocks. Don't forget that," he said, shooting a nasty look at Rocks.
As soon as he finished speaking, the four others turned around, revealing faces I had known all my life.
Agent Lilac was a beautiful woman with black hair and a figure to match. I had always felt something for her, but being taught that emotions were weaknesses, I never acted on them. Next to her was Agent Fang, half-Japanese, his father from Tanzania. He and I had been like brothers growing up, but his relationship with Agent Lilac had caused tension between us. Next was Agent Hex, with light brown hair; she was like a second mother to us, being the oldest in Task Force King. Lastly, there was Agent Rocks, a black-haired giant, standing around 6'3". He was always the strongest of us, both physically and mentally, and was my closest friend.
I walked up to the other side of Rocks and nodded to him in acknowledgment, which he returned.
"Task Force King, you have been assigned a mission concerning a man named Yama Ojiro," Director Tsuyoi announced. "Mr. Ojiro has been under surveillance by our agents in Tokyo. It seems he has recently taken an interest in dealings with the Yakuza," he paused.
"He has been seen associating with the Kazimaki family, a relatively new organization. Orders from the top are to ensure this family is short-lived," he continued.
The Director handed out our case files, containing the mission details.
A flashback hit me, recalling the last mission we had involving the Kazimaki family. I pictured the lifeless body of our former commander, Yin—Rocks' twin brother—lying in the rain at the Port of Tokyo.
We had been assigned a simple mission: to investigate crates belonging to a Kazimaki family subsidiary. But we didn't realize it was a trap. We split up to check the crates, and the one Yin inspected had a bomb in it.
It felt like I was there again. I remembered the thick smoke choking me, the explosion's impact. Gasping for breath, I cried over Yin's body. I hadn't had many friends or close connections, so losing him felt like losing a part of myself I could never get back. Out of nowhere, I heard my given name, Renku.
I opened my eyes to see Rocks in front of me, looking irritated. I could tell he had been trying to get my attention for a while. Renku—a name that reminded me of the warmth from our time together in the orphanage, before our humanity was taken from us.
As we opened our case files, we all smiled slightly. It was marked as an assassination mission—a chance to settle the score with the Kazimaki family, something we had all been waiting for. I was glad for the opportunity to strike at someone close to the Kazimaki family, though I wished it could have been the clan leader himself, as a gift to Yin.
After we reviewed the case files, we looked back up at Director Tsuyoi and saluted him, signaling him to explain the mission details.
He began, "First, it's important to note that we haven't set a date or time for the operation, due to limited information. Your first task is to find and capture one of Ojiro's associates for interrogation."
As Director Tsuyoi flipped a page in his journal, I started to ask, "So how are we suppo—"
He cut me off, saying, "You may find and apprehend anyone in any way you see fit. Use an informant if you have one." He grinned and continued, "Once you've captured someone, you can handle the interrogation yourselves, though I expect you'll fail. When you do, use this phone to call the contact on it. Agents will take the captive to the command center for further questioning by any means necessary." He finished with a salute, dismissing us with a loud, "You're dismissed!"
We left the room quietly and headed to the elevator for the 37th floor, where the entrance to the right tower was located. Normally, after meetings, we would go to our assigned briefing room in the right tower, on the 10th floor.
The towers had distinct purposes: the left tower was for high command, handling major decisions; the middle tower was the central hub for all agents, and the right tower was designated strictly for agents, though cameras were everywhere, even in the meeting rooms.
As we exited the elevator and walked through the corridor connecting the middle and right towers, I admired the bustling city of Tokyo below. The daytime view was rare for us, usually operating in the shadows.
We entered the elevator to the 10th floor of the right tower, where our briefing room was. As we walked in, we all sighed with relief; strangely, this room had no cameras.
Pointing to the spot where a camera would normally be, I said, "There's something different about this mission. From Director Tsuyoi's behavior to this room, it feels like he's baiting us to say something."
Agent Hex agreed, "Yeah, I felt it too. The Director can be harsh, but today it was like he was trying to provoke us."
Agent Rocks interrupted, "Renku, Miyami, you two are always suspicious. Knock it off."
His expression became more serious. "We have one shot at this. Let's focus on the mission. We all want to avenge Onuma, so let's stop messing around and get it done."
At that moment, we felt Rocks' intense determination. Ever since Yin's death, it was as if Rocks had been consumed by a dark force, but for this mission, a little darkness might be exactly what we needed.