Chapter - 5979

As the first group to enter without surrendering, the Yakuza members found themselves in a highly uncomfortable situation.

What they most desired at this moment was not an escape, but a way to prove their innocence. The inability to defend themselves was an extremely distressing feeling.

Meanwhile, the Inagawa was also experiencing deep frustration. They thought they had entered the fray to catch their opponents off guard, but instead found themselves trapped as if they were the prey.

Whoever blocked their exit had the upper hand. The opposing side had a barrier of cars and fortifications that seemed nearly impregnable.

In contrast, the only cover the Yakuza had consisted of a dozen corpses left at the entrance.

Using corpses for cover was useless for their escape, as the enemy would surely attack the moment anyone exposed themselves.

Given the large encirclement, there were several cars parked outside the exit. If they could rush out all at once, they might use those vehicles for cover. Yet, the distance of at least 20 to 30 meters from the exit to the cars was riddled with the enemy’s firing lines. It was likely that very few would make it out unscathed; even if they did, they would still be surrounded by the enemy.

With no way out, their only option was to remain hidden for the time being.

In this predicament, cooperation with the Yakuza may have sounded like a reasonable option. However, the Inagawa members feared that the Yakuza had already found a means of escape. Joining forces with them would be akin to helping them flee.

For them, while escaping together was acceptable, the idea of working with the Yakuza and wishing them success was utterly impossible.

At that moment, the eleven assassins from the Bluestone Alliance, who were hiding outside, were equally in a tight spot. The encirclement set by the Sumiyoshi Society was extensive enough that they could currently shield themselves behind and beneath several vehicles. Yet, they remained completely immobilized.

The newly established Sumiyoshi Society had secured a strong perimeter around the entrance and exit, and outnumbered the assassins immensely. If they made any sudden moves, they would surely become prime targets once discovered.

The small leader of the Sumiyoshi Society felt he was in a position of power at the perimeter. To further solidify their advantage, he instructed his subordinates, “Fetch a few high-powered off-road vehicles. We’ll create a gap in the encirclement, and you’ll drive in, pushing the other vehicles aside to clear a path. If they manage to use those cars outside as cover to escape, it will become quite troublesome for us.”

Several of his men promptly selected three high-powered off-road vehicles from their fleet and readied themselves to drive into the encirclement to clear the way.

This development plunged the eleven assassins of the Bluestone Alliance into a desperate predicament. They were currently concealed among scattered vehicles but would inevitably be discovered if the others cleared the area. Yet, retreating or making a break for it felt unrealistic. Though they were seasoned assassins, they stood little chance of success in such a situation.

One assassin quickly whispered to the captain, who had already sneaked in via intercom, “Captain, the gang outside is planning to clear the cars at the entrance. We’re going to get exposed soon. What should we do...”

The captain, hearing the urgent voice through the headset while sensing the anxious members of the Inagawa Society nearby, cursed inwardly: “How foolish! Can I really call you back? If I do, we’ll be exposed!”

Noticing the captain's delayed response and with enemy vehicles drawing closer, one assassin took advantage of the engine noise to raise his voice: “Captain! Please respond!”

The captain heard the distressing sounds from the headset, quickly shutting off the communicator. Nonetheless, the noise reached the ears of the Inagawa Society members. One whispered, “Who’s still calling at a time like this?”

The captain dared not say a word. The darkness around him offered some solace; as long as the sound was muted, they wouldn’t pinpoint his location.

More than one member of the Inagawa Society caught wind of the commotion, but with the surrounding obscurity, nobody could tell where the voice originated.

Then someone said, “Brothers! I have a feeling there’s a spy among us! I just heard someone mention the captain, but I didn’t catch the rest!”

“Spy?!” The captain of the Inagawa Society immediately became alert.

In a situation with threats on both front and back, and visibility of their surroundings reduced, enemy forces may indeed have infiltrated their ranks.

With that thought, he quickly ordered, “Brothers, get down immediately, take out your cell phones, and check for any unfamiliar faces nearby!”

“Dang it!” The Bluestone Alliance captain was infuriated, thinking, “If those guys really come charging in like that, I’m afraid they’ll spot me right away. Even though I’m well-trained, I can’t take on four foes at once. If too many of them rush me, I won’t stand a chance...”

He felt caught in a bind. Staying meant risking discovery from the others, while escaping was fraught with its own dangers. He worried about his ten men being unable to assess the situation. If he were exposed during a retreat, he’d end up vulnerable to an attack from both sides.

Just as he was wavering with uncertainty, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted outside!

One of his men was hiding in front of a Toyota Alphard when a Sumiyoshi off-road vehicle barreled straight toward his position. The vehicle raced forward, showing no sign of stopping, and slammed into the side and rear of the Alphard with a violent crash, pushing it aside.

The assassin, fearing he’d be crushed, rolled away, scrambling to hide under a nearby car, but found himself illuminated by the headlights.

Members of the Sumiyoshi stationed outside the encirclement noticed movement. Without waiting for instructions from their leader, armed guards immediately raised their weapons and fired. As the assassin ducked under the vehicle, he swiftly rolled to the other side, then turned and raised his weapon in retaliation.

Yet, he was outmatched by the sheer number of Sumiyoshi members. Although he managed to take down one of them, a bullet struck his left shoulder as he leaned forward to shoot back.

Upon witnessing the altercation and realizing one of their own had been injured, the other Bluestone Alliance members knew escape was impossible, so they also began shooting back at the Sumiyoshi from their hiding spots.

Outside the door transformed into a battleground, the sounds of continuous gunfire reverberating.

Though many members of the Sumiyoshi fell, they held the advantage in numbers and firepower. Within a few rounds, they had taken down three assassins from the Bluestone Alliance and wounded two more.

The Sumiyoshi leader on site capitalized on their advantageous position. He motioned for his men to start their cars, planning to use them to narrow the encirclement. Simultaneously, he shouted, “Brothers, grab some bottles from the cars, and siphon gasoline from the tanks to make incendiary bombs! We’ll burn those bastards alive in their little trap!”

“Coward!” one of the Bluestone Alliance members yelled from behind cover. “If you’ve got the guts, let’s see who’s faster on the draw and whose aim is better! Relying on incendiary bombs isn’t heroic!”

The Sumiyoshi leader scoffed, “I’m eager to see who meets their end first!”

Then he urgently instructed his men, “Get ready to ignite! Let’s burn them to ashes!”

As the Bluestone Alliance members overheard their opponents’ unethical plans, they silently exchanged signals and rapidly made for the entrance.

Hiding inside offered a glimmer of hope for survival. Remaining exposed outside would mean certain death if incendiary bombs were thrown. Their only chance for survival lay in retreating inside.

When the Inagawa Society’s leader noticed someone fleeing inside, he ignored the prospect of a spy and immediately shouted, “Brothers, whoever it is coming in, take them down!”

Gunfire erupted in the corridor almost instantly.

The remaining Bluestone Alliance members were ambushed by the Inagawa Society the moment they entered, causing their morale to shatter.

As international assassins who had taken down many significant targets, they had successfully completed several seemingly impossible missions, but they had never faced such humiliation. Just a mishap could lead to being trapped and slaughtered by two groups.

The Inagawa members fought fiercely, fueled by past anger from their earlier ambush. A dozen younger members had been killed by the attackers outside, prompting their rage to be unleashed on the assassins.

As soon as the Bluestone Alliance assassins entered, two were gunned down. The survivors fell to the ground, desperately firing back while shouting, “Stop shooting! There are still enemies outside! Your comrades were just killed by them! We were chased in here!”

The Bluestone Alliance returned fire, hitting several Inagawa members. The worst fate befell their captain, who was struck in the thigh by an errant bullet, causing him to bleed profusely.

He realized that the bullet in his leg must have come from his own men.

However, he couldn’t take up arms against them; they had no choice but to shoot under the circumstances.

He also understood that opening fire now would draw unwanted attention. In such dim lighting, the muzzle flash would be starkly visible, while his comrades aimed at their visible opponents outside. Nevertheless, he would be exposed as he pointed at their "allies" near him, especially since there were lingering suspicions of a spy, which could lead to him being shot.

Desperation filled him. At this rate, escape seemed impossible tonight.

Little did he know, this seemingly endless backstage corridor would devolve into a ruthless meat grinder, with him being pushed step by step into the slaughter alongside the elite assassins of the Bluestone Alliance…