Lost Judgment/Chapter 12

To Nourish a Viper (, Mogura, lit. "The Mole") is the 12th chapter of Lost Judgment.
== Plot ==
Police arrive outside the RK headquarters. Saori explains to Mafuyu of Akutsu's death at the hands of two men in police uniforms, presumably RK members under Soma. Kaito notes that "Mole" is a term for a person going undercover, which amuses Yagami. Higashi suspects Soma does not want his status as a mole be revealed because many former Tojo Clan members would want him dead for being a plant. At Yagami's request, Mafuyu dispatches officers to guard Genda Law Office, and Kaito and Higashi decline the offer of protection.
Yagami and Kaito walk Saori back to the office, where they fill Genda and Hoshino on what happened. Genda also accuses Hoshino of pushing him into being a customer at Queen Rouge, though Hoshino accuses Genda of having his own motives. To Hoshino's sadness, Saori changes back to her work clothes.
Everyone discusses Soma being a member of Public Security and how much power that offers him, especially with his public record being erased, and how Public Security is using RK to monitor crime. Kaito states Soma was affiliated with the Tojo Clan for a minimum of 10 years, and that he and Akutsu were members of the Nikkyo Consortium, but Higashi may have more information.
The next day, Yagami is on his way to Charles to meet Higashi when Tsukumo inform him that the Yokohama Liumang were attacked by RK in the morning, with several wounded according to Tesso. Kaito is playing an arcade game with two children watching him when Yagami arrives, and the detectives meet Higashi in the back room. Higashi states Soma and Akutsu were prominent executive candidates in the Consortium, handling off-the-record dirty work, though their superiors would take their earnings. He adds that anyone who has been involved in shady matters without RK's blessing were intimidating, reinforcing the suspicion that Soma is a Public Security agent aiming to monitor crime with RK. Higashi directs them to former Nikkyo president Irie, who spends most of his time in Earth Angel.
The duo meets Irie, and Kaito introduces himself as a former member of the Matsugane Family, whose patriarch Irie was familiar with. Irie then details Soma's background. He was scouted by a Consortium lieutenant after he made waves swindling women and spending the money at one of their casinos. Soma, who was on good terms with the lieutenant, approached Irie to join. His loyalty, natural authority, and indifference to violence made him a good yakuza in Irie's view, though he cannot confirm if the Consortium checked Soma's background. Irie also never suspected Soma was an undercover agent. Soma even took risky jobs, including at least one assassination, which Soma performed so well his superiors were left shocked. Irie then states that former members went to many different paths, some going to civilian life, some going underground, some joining RK, and others joining the sixth chairman's security firm. Before Yagami leaves, Irie directs Yagami to the Misawa building on Senryo Ave. North, which has a gambling hall that Yagami previously visited. Run by a group from Roppongi, RK extorted them but they refused, meaning RK is likely to raid the area.
Yagami and Kaito arrive at the area just in time for RK's raid, with Higashi also arriving to investigate the commotion. The three fight their way up and reach a passcode-locked door. They get two codes from a downed resident: 0508 (which opens the door) and 8010 (which opens the nearby safe containing a skill book). They reach a room with an open window, through which Yagami exits and scales the side of the building. He reaches the roof and lowers a rope for Higashi and Kaito to climb with, though the climb leaves them winded. While sneaking, Yagami asks Kaito to cause a distraction, and he does so by imitating the sounds of fighting cats. When the three reach the gambling hall, they arrive just in time to save Kosuke and beat up all the intruders.
Meanwhile, Kusumoto calls Bando to her son's room, intending to call Yagami with the phone he gave her to tell him she plans to turn herself in. She admits to the killing of Shinya Kawai and that Yu Kitakata was her accomplice. Bando tries to make her change her mind, but Kusumoto feels too much guilt over causing the death of the only classmate who repeatedly visited her son, as well as the fact she is going to be denied justice due to needing to keep the collusion a secret. Just when Bando gives up trying to convince her, Mitsuru wakes up from his coma.
Back at the gambling hall, Kosuke states the location's guards could not stand up to RK's forces, and that he did not see Soma in the raid, but he did hear some members state he is in Ijincho.
The detective duo arrives at Yokohama 99 the next day, and Tsukumo tells them Sugiura went to find any leads on Kuwana, but has not been successful. When Yagami leaves the building, Kuwana contacts him over the phone and says he will send someone to pick him up at Sawa's apartment. Yagami talks to Tesso at his hideout, who says two Liumang members are in the hospital and they were outnumbered by RK during the assault. Yagami asks him for a secret passage to misdirect anyone following him, and Tesso leads him to a sewer that has an exit at Fukutoku Park which Kuwana likely used to escape. Yagami also puts on a disguise for extra safety, and Tesso asks him to tell Kuwana he does not hold anything against him for RK's assault.
At Sawa's apartment, Akaike picks up Yagami and drives him to Funemuraikan. Kuwana states he chose this location because of the number of escape routes available with no potential for collateral damage. Yagami tells him everything involving Mikoshiba and Sawa's deaths need to be made public to ensure Public Security cannot hide it in order for Kuwana to no longer be hunted, with Ehara's appeal being the perfect setting to expose everything. Kuwana refuses, as it would mean betraying Kusumoto.
Kuwana states he is the only one properly tackling the bullying issue, determined to show the bullies the consequences of their actions. He says he needed to become who he is for the sake of justice, a statement Yagami states resonates with him too well. However, Yagami warns him that eventually Kuwana will use his motive to justify any lives lost as collateral damage. Kuwana makes it clear he is not deterred and will spend the rest of his life atoning for what happened to Mitsuru. He then gives Yagami a pendant to give to Ehara, containing a message that Ehara will need to get his justice alone. Kuwana states he intends to use his underground connections to escape, but Yagami does not want to allow cases like Emi Terasawa to repeat once Kuwana and Kusumoto are comfortable with murder, though due to the lack of evidence, he will be unable to chase Kuwana.
Soma arrives with RK members, killing Akaike from behind. Because both he and Yagami ensured they were not being followed, Kuwana suspects Akaike was followed. He deduces that Kusumoto sold him out, because she is the only one who knows the connection between him and Akaike. The two take down the thugs, as Kuwana's escape routes only accommodate one person. To escape, Kuwana detonates a bomb on the boat, causing Soma to also leave due to anticipated crowing around the area.
==Trivia==
*The English title of the chapter is based on the idiom "nourish a viper in (one's) bosom", which refers to the act of caring for an individual who repays the caregiver with harm or hostility.
==Related trophies/achievements==
Icon	Name 	Description 	Trophy Status (PlayStation)	Gamerscore (Xbox)
 	Scales of Justice	Completed Chapter 12.	Bronze 	15G
Category:Chapter Summaries
Category:Lost Judgment Chapter Summaries