[Tranquil City - Warehouse District - Late Night]
Six black cars pulled up silently in front of an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the Outer Region, their engines cutting off simultaneously.
Thirty n erged, all wearing perfectly tailored black suits that marked them as Mafia mbers, their movents coordinated and professional.
At the center of the formation walked a figure that drew imdiate attention despite being the smallest person present.
He was... Alessio.
Fourteen years old. Short and thin from years of malnutrition that no amount of recent good food could completely reverse. But carrying himself with confidence that made his physical size irrelevant.
He wore a black suit identical to the others, perfectly fitted to his small fra, with a dark fedora hat tilted slightly on his head.
The hat was too large, making him look almost comical. But nobody dared to smile.
The cold intelligence in his eyes made jokes die unspoken.
One of the senior Mafia mbers, a scarred veteran nad Chen, approached and knelt on one knee.
"Little Boss. Our intelligence confirms twenty-three children being held inside. Ages ranging from six to fifteen. All holess or orphaned. Being prepared for trafficking to Noble families in other cities."
Alessio’s expression didn’t change, but his hands clenched briefly.
"Guards?"
"Twelve confird. Mixed D and C rank awakeners. The operation leader is inside the main office. C rank and forr military."
"Then we proceed as planned. Rescue the children first and then kill everyone involved. There should be no survivors among the traffickers."
His voice was high-pitched, still carrying the tones of youth. But the words were spoken with absolute certainty.
Chen nodded and stood, gesturing to the assembled Mafia mbers.
"You heard the Little Boss! Protect the children! Eliminate all hostiles!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The warehouse doors exploded inward as the Mafia breached simultaneously from three entry points.
"Enemies!"
"We have intruder–"
Bam Bam Bam
Gunfire erupted imdiately, the traffickers responding with desperate violence.
But they were outmatched from the start.
The Mafia mbers moved with practiced coordination, their training under Old Man Mike evident in every movent.
Suppressing fire kept the traffickers pinned while assault teams advanced systematically.
Alessio walked through the chaos with his hands in his pockets, his small form sohow commanding attention despite the violence erupting around him.
Bam Bam
Bullets ca flying his way but a Mafia mber materialized in front of him, taking the shots on reinforced armor, returning fire imdiately.
Slice
An enemy tried to flank from the side. Another Mafia mber intercepted, his blade opening the man’s throat before he could get close to the Little Boss.
Thud Thud
Alessio didn’t even glance at the bodies falling around him.
He just kept walking toward the back of the warehouse where intelligence indicated the children were being held.
’Master saved when I had nothing. Gave a na when I was just a random beggar. Showed that strength and purpose could exist even for soone like .
Now I save others the sa way. Because that’s what the Mafia does. It protects those who can’t protect themselves and delivers justice when the system fails.’
The holding cells ca into view – makeshift cages constructed from chain-link fences and padlocks.
Inside, twenty-three children huddled together, their faces showing terror and hope mixed together.
"Break them open!"
Chen’s command sent Mafia mbers forward with bolt cutters and enhanced strength.
POP POP
The locks shattered as the cage doors were swung open.
"..."
For a mont, the children didn’t move, too afraid to believe rescue was real.
Then one of them, a girl maybe nine years old, saw the crimson "M" emblems on the Mafia mbers’ suits.
"It’s the Mafia! We’re saved! THE MAFIA CA FOR US!"
The dam broke.
Children poured out of the cages, so crying, so laughing hysterically, all of them rushing toward their rescuers like drowning people reaching for life preservers.
"You ca! You actually ca!"
"I knew the Mafia would save us! I knew it!"
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Several children hugged Alessio directly, not caring that he was only slightly older than so of them, just grateful for the salvation he represented.
His expression softened slightly, one hand patting a crying boy’s head with awkward gentleness.
"You’re safe now. Nobody will hurt you again. The Mafia protects its own, and everyone in this city is ours to protect."
Chen approached, his scarred face showing satisfaction.
"Little Boss. The children are secure and the operation leader is in his office. We’ve eliminated his guards and shattered his Aura core as you requested. He’s waiting for you."
Alessio nodded and gently extracted himself from the children’s embraces.
"Get them to the vehicles. Give them dical treatnt first, then assign them to appropriate orphanages. Make sure they’re fed and given clean clothes."
"Understood, Little Boss."
Alessio walked toward the office, his small form casting a long shadow in the warehouse’s harsh lighting.
The Mafia mbers ford a path, their respect evident despite his youth and size.
Bang Bang Bang
Enemies tried to interfere as he walked.
n with weapons and desperate courage, trying to stop the advance or create an opening.
But... they didn’t make it close.
The Mafia mbers flowed around Alessio like water around a stone, intercepting every threat, eliminating every obstacle and ensuring his path remained clear.
Slice
A trafficker lunged with a knife. His head separated from his shoulders before the blade ca within three ters of the Little Boss.
"AHHH–"
BAM
Another tried to activate a technique. A Mafia mber’s bullet punched through his skull mid-casting.
Two more attempted a coordinated attack but they were cut down simultaneously by crossfire.
Alessio never broke his stride. He never even acknowledged the violence happening around him.
Just walked calmly forward with his hands in his pockets and his hat tilted slightly.
The office door stood open.
Inside, a middle-aged man knelt on the floor, his expensive suit torn and bloody, his hands bound behind his back.
This was Serion Trent. Forr military officer turned criminal entrepreneur.
The man who’d built this trafficking operation from nothing and made millions selling children to depraved Noble families.
His Aura core had been shattered – a deliberate crippling that left him helpless, unable to access the power that had made him dangerous.
Thud
Alessio entered and closed the door behind him, the sound echoing with finality.
Trent looked up with eyes showing pain and rage.
"You have no fucking idea what you’ve done, Kid! No idea who you’re going against."
His voice was strained but still carrying arrogance.
"The Noble family backing this operation will destroy your pathetic little Mafia. They will hunt down every mber and make examples of them. Your ’Mysterious Sir’ will die screaming, and everyone who followed him will–"
"Shhhhh..."
Alessio raised one finger to his lips, the gesture sohow more threatening than any weapon.
"It doesn’t matter which Noble family controls this sick business of trafficking children, selling them like property and using wealth and influence to escape consequences."
He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a handgun, the weapon looking oversized in his small hands but held with practiced familiarity.
"None of that matters because this is Mafia territory now. And in Mafia territory, our rules are absolute. Anyone who harms children under our protection dies without any exceptions or any rcy."
Trent’s face went pale as he realized threats and connections wouldn’t save him.
"Wait! I can pay! I have money hidden! Resources! Information about other operations! Just let –"
BANG.
The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed space.
Trent’s head snapped back, a neat hole appearing in his forehead, brain matter splattering against the wall behind him.
His body slumped to the side, eyes still wide with disbelief.
Alessio lowered the gun calmly with no visible emotion on his face or any trembling in his hands despite having just taken a life.
Then, he turned and walked out of the office without looking back at the corpse.
Outside, several Mafia mbers were waiting, their expressions showing mixed admiration and unease.
"Little Boss is so cruel. He didn’t hesitate one bit."
One whispered to his companion.
"Rember when he took his first life? He didn’t even puke. Just stared at the body for a minute, then moved on like nothing happened. Most of us needed so ti after our first kill, but he needed a fucking sandwich."
"Well, you don’t know the full story."
An older mber interjected quietly.
"It’s said he was nad by Sir himself. The Mysterious Sir who built this entire organization. And Alessio calls him ’Master.’ That kind of relationship ans sothing. ans Sir saw potential in him that justified personal attention."
"Plus he has S rank talent. Unlike us, he has a very bright future ahead of him."
Another added.
"Confird by Old Man Mike himself. He’ll be taking the entrance exam soon and probably will enter the Stormhold Academy."
"It’s not just him either."
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