He found himself in a dilemma. Staying meant risking discovery. Escaping was equally grim, given the situation outside. His men had no clear way out either. If he was caught while fleeing, it would lead to an assault from both inside and outside.


    Just as he hesitated, unsure of what to do, a sudden gunshot rang out outside!


    One of his men was hiding in front of a Toyota Alphard. A Sumiyoshi-kai off-road vehicle barreled straight toward the Alphard at high speed, showing no signs of stopping. The off-road vehicle crashed into the side and rear of the Alphard with a loud bang, sending the car skidding sideways.


    The assassin hiding in front of the Alphard feared being run over and quickly rolled away, attempting to hide under the adjacent car. Unfortunately, he was caught in the re of the headlights.


    The Sumiyoshi-kai members standing guard outside the encirclement spotted him immediately. Without waiting for orders, those with guns drew their weapons and opened fire. The assassin scrambled under the car, dodging the bullets, and rolled to the other side. He turned sideways and returned fire.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Despite his efforts, he was outnumbered. Although he managed to kill one Sumiyoshi-kai member, he was struck by a bullet in the left shoulder as he leaned forward to shoot.


    Seeing the fight break out and theirrade injured, the other assassins knew escape was impossible. From their hiding spots, they opened fire on the Sumiyoshi-kai members.


    The area outside the door erupted into a chaotic gunfight, with continuous gunfire echoing all around.


    Though some Sumiyoshi-kai members fell, they maintained the advantage in numbers and firepower. After several rounds, they had killed three Bluestone Alliance assassins and injured two more.


    The Sumiyoshi-kai leader at the scene seized the opportunity. Using their encirclement to their advantage, he ordered his men to start the vehicles, preparing to tighten the perimeter. He deliberately shouted, “Brothers, get some bottles and siphon gasoline from the tanks! Let’s make incendiary bombs and burn these bastards alive in the encirclement!”


    “Bastards!” one Bluestone Alliance member yelled from behind a car. “If you have the guts, let’s see whose gun is faster and more urate! Throwing firebombs isn’t heroic!”


    The Sumiyoshi-kai leader sneered. “I only care about who dies first!”


    He thenmanded his men, “Get ready to set the fire! Burn them all!”


    Realizing the Sumiyoshi-kai intended to use incendiary bombs, the Bluestone Alliance members exchanged quick hand signals and sprinted toward the entrance.


    Staying inside offered a faint chance of survival. Outside, if the Sumiyoshi-kai threw firebombs, death was inevitable. Their only hope was to retreat indoors.


    Hearing footsteps rushing inside, the Inagawa-kai leader no longer cared about finding spies. He immediately shouted, “Brothers, whoeveres in—kill them!”


    For a moment, gunshots echoed relentlessly through the corridor.


    The surviving Bluestone Alliance members were immediately attacked by the Inagawa-kai as they entered,pletely shattering their morale.


    They were seasoned international assassins who had taken down high-profile targets. Many missions deemed impossibly difficult had been sessfullypleted by them. Yet, they had never experienced such humiliating helplessness—caught between two groups and brutally assaulted.<fn33f4> Readplete version only at find·novel</fn33f4>


    The Inagawa-kai members fought with fierce determination and rage. They had previously been ambushed, and one of their own, who had been about to drive out, was killed by the enemy outside. Their pent-up anger now exploded on the Bluestone Alliance assassins.


    As soon as the assassins entered, two were gunned down in the chaos. The survivors dropped to the ground, firing back and shouting, “Stop shooting! There are enemies outside! Your people were just killed by them! We were chased in by them!”


    The Bluestone Alliance’s return fire hit several Inagawa-kai members. The worst casualty was the Bluestone Alliance captain, who was struck in the thigh by a stray bullet, causing him to bleed heavily.


    He realized the bullet in his leg likely came from one of his own men.


    But he couldn’t retaliate. In the chaos, firing at his allies was not an option. The muzzle sh in the darkness would be ringly obvious, and others would see his gun aimed at the wrong people. The Inagawa-kai were already suspicious of a spy; one wrong move could get him killed.


    Desperation overtook him. At this rate, escape seemed impossible.


    He never imagined that this backstage passage, just a few hundred meters long, would turn into a brutal meat grinder. And now, he and the elite Bluestone Alliance assassins were being relentlessly driven into it, step by step…