"What's wrong, Captain? This is our only shot. If we miss it, there's no hope of catching the Ghost Fox!"
"Exactly! Since Captain Kusaka wants to compete fairly with us, we can't just back down!"
"Or are you scared, Captain? Worried you'll lose to him?"
Ramil stared at the three teammates pressuring him, biting back curses. He'd always thought he was good at keeping a calm face—but these guys were seriously testing him.
That's right. These three shameless fools had somehow been completely brainwashed by Hideki Kusaka. Now they were pushing Ramil to help them "hunt" the Ghost Fox in Green Town, blindly charging into danger without the slightest idea of the consequences.
Sometimes, Ramil genuinely wondered if they had any brains at all.
Did they not understand what it meant to "startle the snake"? If you try to strike before you're ready, you just provoke a deadly counterattack. The one holding the stick might walk away unharmed, but the stick itself? That gets shattered.
Unfortunately, not everyone's blessed with common sense.
Clearly, these three had been lured by Kusaka's promises—ignoring how risky this operation was. And now they were even starting to threaten him.
They were on the verge of turning on each other.
"Fine," Ramil said through clenched teeth. "Let's go."
"That's the spirit, Captain! Time to begin!"
The three grinned smugly, and Ramil felt his stomach turn. Whatever lingering guilt he had about what was coming vanished on the spot.
Since they were so eager to get themselves killed—he'd grant their wish.
And so, led by Ramil, the four began "searching" Green Town for the Ghost Fox. Their behavior was so overt it was basically performance art—loudly asking civilians if they'd seen anyone named "Ghost Fox," as if they were handing out flyers for their own demise.
Hidden in the shadows, Hideki Kusaka quietly watched the farce unfold. He'd already stationed his people around the city, ready to act the moment anything suspicious happened.
Meanwhile, Jack—the Ghost Fox—was in no rush. If he acted too fast, it'd look fake. He needed to let the setup marinate.
For the next several days, Ramil and his team paraded around Green Town like amateur clowns, drawing attention and wasting time.
Eventually, Hideki Kusaka concluded that if the Ghost Fox was still hiding in town, he had to be getting agitated by now.
"Keep an eye on Ramil and the others," he ordered his squad. "If Ghost Fox strikes, it'll be soon."
"Yes, sir!"
By now, the three underlings had fully bought in—eager, obedient, and eager to prove themselves. Kusaka had successfully absorbed them into his operation.
That night, Ramil opened his eyes in the dark.
He hadn't dared sleep deeply in days.
According to Jack's plan, it was entirely possible that he and his teammates could be blown sky-high at any moment.
The only warning he'd get was a brief ring from his phone—just once.
Ramil had no intention of dying here. He kept himself on edge, knowing that one instant of hesitation could be fatal.
Suddenly, his phone gave a short buzz and went silent.
For a second, Ramil thought he might've imagined it—but his instincts told him otherwise.
He leapt out of bed and sprinted toward the window.
Whether he lived or died now depended on his reaction time—and whether his body could endure the blast.
As for an excuse? He had one ready.
He'd say he got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and heard a noise outside. When he went to check, the Ghost Fox attacked. He survived purely by chance.
Would anyone believe it? That didn't matter.
Anyone who tried accusing a man who'd just lost his entire team—and had been nearly killed himself—of colluding with a terrorist would be asking for a PR disaster.
Besides, Ramil had already arranged a backup plan—a sealed letter that would exonerate him if it came to it.
The moment Ramil reached the window—BOOM!
The room exploded behind him.
Even though he jumped just in time, the shockwave still launched him across the alley.
Damn, that blast was strong...That was Ramil's last thought before he blacked out midair.
His unconscious body crashed to the ground.
In response, Kusaka's forces and the Kusaka family's operatives scattered throughout Green Town immediately moved in. But by then, it was too late.
The Ghost Fox had vanished once again.
Ramil and his teammates? Forgotten.
It wasn't until the police arrived that Ramil—critically injured—was found and rushed to the hospital. His three teammates didn't survive.
The only silver lining was that Jack had focused the explosion on Ramil's group. Other guests in the hotel were injured, but none critically.
Despite the loss, Hideki Kusaka finally got what he wanted: real, tangible traces of the Ghost Fox.
Even if he didn't understand why Jack was still in Green Town, it didn't matter anymore. He had proof now—and that changed everything.
The next day, Kusaka instructed his family's operatives and his squad to continue tracking the Ghost Fox.
He used the opportunity to take a short break—until a letter arrived, addressed to him, signed by Ramil.
Curious, he opened it.
The message was simple. Ramil had written it in secret, explaining that he believed Jack was planning to blow up all of Green Town. The letter was intended to prove that his suspicions were correct—especially if something happened to him.
He hoped Kusaka would take the threat seriously and act accordingly.
After finishing the letter, Kusaka sneered and tossed it aside.
To him, it was just Ramil's pathetic attempt to grab some credit after realizing he'd been played.
He had no interest in listening to a half-dead grunt stuck in the ICU.
What he didn't know was that a second letter—identical in all but one line—had also been delivered.
It had been sent to the Chief of the Green Town Police Department.
That version included an extra sentence:
"In case Captain Kusaka refuses to believe me, I entrust you to take this warning seriously."
That was why Ramil had risked his life—and the wrath of the Alliance—to work with the Ghost Fox.
Because he knew, in the end, someone needed to be smart enough to listen.