The Iron Barrel pub was dimly lit, smoke hanging thick in the air from cheap cigars and cheaper cigarettes.
It was a neutral ground in the Outer Region, a place where criminal dealings happened without interference. The owner knew better than to ask questions or pay attention to conversations.
In a private room at the back, five n sat around a heavy wooden table covered in alcohol bottles and ashtrays.
These were the remaining major powers in the Outer Region, each controlling between ten and fifteen percent of the territory.
Viktor Slade sat at the head of the table, a massive man with a shaved head covered in scars.
His organization specialized in protection rackets and had over forty mbers. He had C rank, the strongest person in the room.
To his right was Chen Wei, a thin man with calculating eyes who ran the largest gambling operation in the region. He had C-rank, but was dangerous in ways that didn’t show on status screens.
Opposite Chen sat Maria Cortez, the only woman among the leaders, who controlled most of the prostitution and human trafficking in the area. She had C-rank, with a reputation for cruelty that kept her subordinates terrified.
Next was Dmitri Volkov, a forr military officer turned criminal who ran weapons smuggling. He had C-rank, and was known for being thodical and paranoid.
And finally, David Lorenzo, the youngest of the leaders but vicious, controlling drug distribution. He had C rank like Viktor, but was less experienced.
They’d been sitting here for over an hour, discussing the situation that had developed over the past two months.
"I still don’t understand how Marco suddenly got so confident that he could take all of us down."
Chen Wei’s voice was nasal, irritating.
"Two months ago, the Serpent Gang was barely holding their territory together. They were weak, disorganized, making stupid mistakes. We were planning to carve them up between ourselves."
"And then everything changed overnight."
Maria leaned back in her chair, smoke curling from her cigarette.
"Marco stopped responding to ssages and stopped attending neutral etings. Just disappeared behind closed doors for weeks. When his people finally started moving again, they were different... They were organized, disciplined and actually dangerous."
Viktor grunted in agreent, his massive arms crossed over his chest.
"They hit three of my gambling dens last week as they just walked in, gave everyone thirty seconds to leave, then burned the places to the ground. Didn’t even try to steal anything. Just destruction to make a point."
"Sa with my brothels."
Maria’s eyes were cold with anger.
"They went in, told all the girls they were free to leave or stay but working conditions would change. Half of them actually left. Cost thousands in lost revenue before I could recruit new ones."
Dmitri tapped his fingers on the table nervously, his military discipline showing in the rhythmic pattern.
"My weapons shipnts have been intercepted twice in the past month. Both tis, the shipnts disappeared completely. No ransom demands or attempts to sell the weapons back to . Just gone... Like they vanished into thin air."
David, who’d been silent until now, finally spoke up.
"I heard sothing interesting from one of my contacts who does business near the old Serpent territory. Apparently, Marco and his gang were defeated completely by so organization calling themselves ’The Mafia.’ Not just defeated but absorbed completely. The entire Serpent Gang now works for them."
The other four leaders looked at him with varying expressions of disbelief and concern.
"The Mafia? What kind of stupid na is that?"
Chen Wei scoffed.
"Sounds like sothing teenagers would co up with."
"Maybe it is teenagers."
David’s voice was serious despite the absurd statent.
"My contact said he saw young people, students from the Academy, working alongside Marco’s n. Said they were the ones giving orders, not taking them."
"That’s ridiculous. Academy students playing criminal? They’d get themselves killed within a week."
"Would they?"
David leaned forward.
"Because from what I heard, they’re the ones who killed the other leader of the Serpent Gang who refused to submit. They didn’t just kill him. They made an example of him and left his body where everyone would see it."
Silence fell over the table as the implications sank in.
"Students or not, it doesn’t matter."
Viktor’s voice was firm, decisive.
"We’re five of the strongest operations in the Outer Region. Marco was always the weakest among us, even at his peak. If this Mafia thinks they can take us all down, they’re delusional. We should form an alliance, pool our resources and manpower and hit them hard before they can consolidate their new territory."
"Agreed. We need to move fast."
Maria stubbed out her cigarette.
"Every day we wait, they get stronger and more organized. We strike their base simultaneously with overwhelming force. Even if they have Academy students, raw talent can’t overco experience and numbers."
"I have contacts in the SFD who can look the other way if we need to move heavy weapons."
Dmitri was already planning logistics.
"We make this look like a gang war that got out of hand. By the ti anyone official responds, the Mafia is gone and we’ve divided their territory."
Chen Wei nodded slowly, his calculating mind working through scenarios.
"We’ll need to coordinate carefully. Hit them when they’re gathered together, maybe during one of their supply runs. Catch them in the open where they can’t fortify."
David was about to add his own thoughts when a sound ca from outside the private room.
It wasn’t loud. Just a brief thump, like sothing heavy falling.
Then silence.
Viktor frowned and called out.
"Alexei! Is that you? What was that noise?"
No response.
The five leaders exchanged glances.
"Alexei!"
Viktor’s voice was louder this ti, carrying command.
Still nothing.
"Chen, your n are also posted at the front entrance. Call them."
Chen Wei pulled out his phone and dialed.
The line rang once... Twice... Three tis...
And yet there was no answer.
"What the hell is going on out there?"
Maria’s hand drifted toward the gun holstered at her hip.
The door to their private room opened slowly.
Everyone’s hands went to their weapons imdiately, Auras flaring defensively.
A figure walked in, completely casual, completely unbothered by the five criminal leaders ready to kill him.
Damian Valcor grabbed a chair from against the wall, the legs scraping loudly against the floor as he dragged it over to their table.
He sat down with his back to the wall, propped his feet up on the table directly in front of Viktor, crossed his arms, and looked at them all with those cold crimson eyes.
Blood covered his clothes. It was fresh blood, still wet, dripping slowly onto the floor.
His long hair was loose, so of it matted with gore.
Kuro sat on his shoulder, the raven’s red eyes glowing in the dim light, his body slightly larger than normal, feathers ruffled and stained.
"Please, don’t let interrupt your eting."
Damian’s voice was pleasant, conversational.
"I’m very interested in hearing the rest of your brilliant plan to destroy the Mafia. Continue."
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