The night was deep, like a massive piece of black silk tightly wrapping the mountain forest. Led by Yamatou Gono, the other detachment of Uesugi Kazuya’s special operations team moved like a group of phantoms toward the area in the west where fires and signal flares were flashing. They searched anxiously through the dim night for any possible signs of danger, gripping their guns tightly. The cold metallic texture seemed to offer a sliver of reassurance as their hurried footsteps were kept as light as possible, each step falling as though afraid to disturb the sleeping "beasts" of the forest.
Yamatou Gono, a nimble and fierce-looking fellow, walked at the very front of the formation. His hawk-like gaze swept continuously between the winding path ahead and the shadowy bushes on both sides, occasionally whispering low commands to urge the team members behind him: "Pick up the pace, keep your eyes sharp!" Yet, they remained utterly unaware that they were stepping closer and closer to a meticulously crafted death trap.
As they filed into a narrow, cramped mountain trail, the leading operative suddenly felt something tighten sharply around his foot. In an instant, a slipknot hidden beneath layers of fallen leaves, almost blending seamlessly with the ground, tightened like a nimble viper around his ankle. Immediately afterward, a powerful force jerked him violently into midair, and his body was left hanging from a tree branch like a rabbit caught by a hunter, completely helpless. …
Chapter 207