Gin:"The mission objective has been sent to your email."
That afternoon, Hayashi Yoshiki received a message from Gin.
He didn't check it right away.
Instead, he stayed focused on the screen in front of him—the Winery's intranet.
Now that he carried the codename Cointreau, his internal access privileges had been upgraded, granting him entry into more secure corners of the organization's digital world.
There, he found:
Identity files of low-level operatives
Internal bounty lists
Classified briefings and restricted notices
…But even these, he realized, were merely surface-level.
From what Tequila had once told him, the real intelligence network—used by the intel division—was built on an entirely different intranet. One with far deeper access and significantly more potent information.
Yoshiki narrowed his eyes, noting down a few names and faces.
Then, he glanced over and asked:
"Any updates yet?"
"I'm sorry, sir... nothing so far."
The reply came from Seiran Hoshi, kneeling beneath the office desk, her tone calm and composed as she resumed her current "task."
"As assassins, we don't actually communicate directly with the platform," she continued. "We simply browse its task board, select what we want, and the moment it's done, the client confirms and the payment is transferred automatically."
"I see."
Yoshiki leaned back slightly.
"Then tell me this—who's the top-ranked killer on the platform you use?"
"Top killer...?" she echoed. "That would probably be 'Spider.'"
"Anyone else worth mentioning?"
"Spider's sort of a lone wolf—only one with a 100% success rate and ridiculous efficiency. Other than him... maybe a killer known as 'Rose.' She's worked with the Organization a lot over the past couple of years. Supposedly excellent at disguise."
Not all "zoo" operatives went by animal codenames. Some—like Spider and Scorpion—weren't official members, but freelancers granted honorary titles. Whether to use them publicly was up to the killer.
"There were one or two others as skilled as Spider once,"Seiran Hoshi added. "But I heard they struck some deal with the platform. Their identities were erased or hidden completely."
Yoshiki's expression didn't change, but his mind churned.
So... the best of the best had been quietly absorbed by the platform?
That confirmed one of his theories—those killers had been recruited. Folded into the system, hidden from public boards. Probably now agents or handlers.
He opened another site.
"Welcome back, Scorpion."
A black window flashed across his screen before vanishing. Then the homepage loaded—cluttered with arms deals, contract hits, and encrypted forums.
Another darknet marketplace.
Curiously, he found Gin, Vodka, and Tequila listed here—photos, aliases, active regions. Gin alone had a $6 million bounty.
Yoshiki clicked into the forum.
Thread after thread... all about Gin.
"Another failed attempt—every assassin sent in is dead again.""The bounty's now $6 million.""Went from $500k to $6M—all paid in blood.""Would you risk your life for that payday?""Even Scorpion couldn't take him down.""Crocodile might try next..."
He scanned silently.
No usable intel, he thought.
His left hand supported his cheek, the other idly brushing through Seiran Hoshi's hair like a pet.
If only these fools used their real names and profile pics online.
Still, this network—the Zoo—intrigued him.
He knew the leader was obsessed with reclaiming youth, and Hayashi Yoshiki had exactly the bait they wanted: APTX4869.
That opened two doors.
Option One:
Gain access to the Zoo's upper ranks through an influential killer. Let them "discover" the drug's effects through planted evidence or suggestion. In their desperation, they'd move quickly—possibly recklessly. Just like Karasuma Renya did.
Option Two:
Send in an operative disguised as a hitman—someone who could earn enough prestige to be recruited from within.
Not himself, of course. But someone like Shimizu Reiko could play that role well.
Either way, introducing APTX4869 into the Zoo's sphere was bound to stir chaos.
But he'd also need to account for backflow. If the Winery had a spy inside the Zoo and caught wind of the drug's effects... they might deduce that Shiho Miyano escaped the gas chamber not by luck—but by shrinking.
That would be a disaster.
His thoughts spiraled further.
He thought of the AI that would surface in the future—Noah's Ark.
If only I had access to something like that, he mused. I'd unmask all of them with a few keystrokes.
But at present, there is no trace of such a system.
He was pulled from his thoughts by a soft voice:
"Mr. Hayashi...?"
Yoshiki blinked, then laughed.
"Ah, sorry—I just imagined what Miss Seiran would look like if her face was completely covered in blood."
His smile was dazzling. Disarmingly sweet.
"I bet you'd look cute like that."
Seiran Hoshi's cheeks flushed.
"If... if that's what you want..." she whispered dreamily.
Yoshiki reached over and closed the browser.
But Seiran's eyes watched him closely.
"I'm free until eight tonight," he said with a soft smile.
It was only three.
And at that moment, her eyes glistened.
Just then, he paused—
"Oh no—I forgot to check Gin's email."
He turned the computer back on again.