THE 7TH

In the mid years of the 21st century, Japan remained one of the most powerful states around the world — from the robust economy to the esteemed military capabilities — their development continued without bounds. However, as the Japanese society proliferated in years, a dark shadow accompanied with it, and that came the development of the underground society.

As the policies enacted by the government became more stringent and tighter over time, some sectors of the free-market capitalist economy became heavily frustrated. As a natural response to the overwhelming economic control, the underworld became stronger day by day. Consequently, a "demimonde" Japan came into existence. It was the shadow of the healthy and lively Japan. And it was the home for the society's bottlenecks, bohemians, and deadbeats. Many people coined the term "cockroaches" for them who stayed in the underbelly of society, while the term "lambs" for those who remained law-abiding citizens.

The demimonde Japan had been ruled by five extensive organizations in deadlock with one another. For almost a quarter of century, wars had repeatedly broken out whenever heated disagreements occurred in the name of contradicting principles and for competition. And due to the intensity of these criminal organizations, the government was left out of choice but to protect the civilian "lambs" for a possibility of being dragged into the showers of violence.

In the underworld's political landscape, an armed group became famous through the years — "The Punishers". This was believed to be a group responsible for the countless assassinations of top executives whenever an armed conflict between them claimed so many civilian lives. Due to this powerful presence in the interplay of power, the desired balance and apparent peace were somehow achieved. However, this did not change the fact that both worlds had always been in standoff with each other. A slight change in the scales may engulf the whole Japan in unprecedented chaos.

For seven years, all the five organizations had individually sent intelligence units to investigate the identity of the so-called "The Punishers" in order exact revenge and punish them back. Unfortunately, the infamous group was so cunning and skilled that all efforts had never borne any fruit. Little did they know that the fearsome group only consisted of two members. Furthermore, one the two, Shiba Mitsuya, 34 years old, was actually one of the executives of Karyuuen Group, one of the five organizations and probably the strongest among them. He was a tall and handsome man with a carefree look. His raven black hair was well-combed, plus with the formal black suit he wore all the time, he looked like a top-class businessman. In totality, he was likened to a bright star whose glow never faded no matter how dark the skies were and how dire the circumstances unfolded. He had thus used his ties in the underbelly to collect valuable information to help their operations. The other one, Shinzo Mitsuya, 35 years old, was a top intelligence official of the government. Like an antithesis to Shiba, he was likened to a silent lion whose gaze was like a sharp knife. Because of their shrewdness, their connection as siblings never came into public. The only person who knew their true identities was the current Prime Minister who was also their big boss and the one who tasked them on the job.

Today, the two decided to meet in Shibuya at the appointed place in stealth. Briefing each other in every the next missions of "The Punishers" had always been done like this. It was in an old and abandoned underground facility that only the two of them had knowledge of. In the outside were three black cars temporarily parking with ten of Shiba's most trustworthy guards — all holding their rifles in alert. They were on the lookout while Shiba continued to go further inside. Many wanted to accompany him to ensure his safety, but he dismissed them all with the reason that the talk was top-secret.