Page 355 of Mercy Written in Blood

The Casino below the public floor had never been beautiful — concrete, exposed pipes, reinforced doors. A building's honestanatomy hidden beneath carpets and gold. Renji moved through it at speed. Haruki's voice directed him.

"Second left."

Renji turned.

"Three ahead."

He felt them.

"Two human. One vampire."

"Armed."

"Yes."

The first man appeared. Renji disabled his legs. The second fired from behind a utility cart. Haruki said, "Pipe above him." Renji ruptured the sprinkler line with a thrown fragment of metal. Water struck the shooter. He flinched. Renji closed the muscles of his hand. The weapon fell.

The vampire came through the wall. Not the door. Concrete broke beneath the impact. She reached Renji with a blade raised. He caught her wrist.

She smiled.

"Takahara."

"Shibata?"

"No."

Her blood carried another line. Old. One of the seven. Not Shibata. A surviving house aligned to the original coalition. The conspiracy was broader than one name.

She twisted free. Fast enough that the blade entered Renji's side. Silver burned. He held her close before she could withdraw it.

"Who commands you?"

She laughed against his shoulder.

"You still think there is one commander."

Renji felt Haruki's breathing through the open radio. Too shallow. Akiko ordering him to return to bed. Haruki ignoring her.

"Renji," he said.

The woman heard. Her smile changed.

"The human."

Renji's calm became absolute. She tried to turn the blade. He stopped her heart. Not violent. Not prolonged. One precise closure. He caught her body before it fell. Lowered it. Removed the knife. Closed his own wound enough to continue.

"Are you injured?" Haruki asked.

"Yes."

"How badly?"

"Later."

Despite everything, Haruki laughed once. Pain ended it. The sound was enough.

Renji continued towards the vault. The lower attackers had reached the final door. Five remained. Two placed charges around the frame. One held a case designed to carry blood tablets. Their leader stood back. Human. Older than Isao. Renji recognised him from the financial records Sota had provided. A director of one of the shell organisations. A man whose name connected the murdered historians, Accord transfers and Shibata money. Toru Hayashi. The immediate face of the conspiracy. Not architect. Administrator. The kind of man who made atrocities durable through paperwork.