Knowing the group coming for me, it wasn’t hard to figure out what they wanted. And given how "scared" Mokuro was of me, there’s no way he’d drag himself to my place at this hour—just a few hours before sunrise—just for a "greeting."

"Ares, huh..."

Unless they were backing him, I doubted Mokuro would dare come here at all.

Which meant the unknown man was...

"An Ares representative? A forward captain, perhaps?"

Anyway, I only had a few seconds to prepare before they arrived. I didn’t waste them. I quickly got up, gathered a few tools and hid them under my belt, picked up the Ares badge I had, and walked out of my room—grabbing my coat near the doorway and pulling it on fast.

Staying inside would just expose my devastating living situation, after all.

Not to mention that if it came to a fight, the cramped space would make maneuvering a nightmare. And any damage to the room would be irreversible.

I stepped out, locked the door behind me, and walked a few paces before stopping in the middle of the pathway.

As soon as I came to a stop, the three figures Ram had shown me emerged from the shadows of the staircase ahead, around the junction of the tenement housing. The light there was flickering—old, faulty—making it hard to make out their expressions.

"..."

But despite the darkness, I could still see three pairs of eyes lock onto me.

One burning with hatred. One with fear. And one with curiosity.

[Gwen reports. The individuals surrounding the building have begun to move after receiving a signal from the man in the white polo.]

[Scanning... Scan complete. Apart from the youngest one, the other two men are armed with firearms. Master, please be careful.]

I could already sense it myself, but hearing both Ram and Gwen report in felt reassuring in its own way. So this is what it feels like to have useful companions.

I didn’t falter, of course.

I stayed right under the hallway light, one hand resting at my waist, the other hanging loosely at my side. The three, seeing me hold my ground, picked up their pace.

Only when they reached about three meters away did they stop.

"I-It’s him...!" My bully, Kael, stammered, jabbing a finger at my face. "He’s Kamishiro! N-Now, I’ve done my part, yeah? I can go, y-yeah?"

From the tone of his voice, it was clear he’d just been dragged along as a guide.

But... well...

"Of course, you can go."

The man in white responded with a smile.

BANG!

And with that same smile, he pulled the trigger—pistol aimed right at Kael’s head. Blood and brain matter flew through the air, sparkling under the yellow hallway lights.

The ringing of gunfire and the smell of gunpowder filled the corridor.

Even without confirming it, that guy was dead.

Deep down, I think some part of me had wanted to do it myself. But now that I was looking at Kael, dead as a rock, my heart remained completely still. Not a single ripple. I guess he meant less to me than I imagined.

"So?" I asked, keeping my posture. "You must be the Ares representative, right?"

At my words, Mokuro’s lips twitched—like he was fighting back a grin.

"Representative?"

The man in white resumed his smile, tilting his head toward me as if asking rhetorically. The hand holding the gun hung loosely at his side. I didn’t dare let it out of my sight.

"Well, yes?" I shrugged. "And how’s Yuzuha doing? Running a gang that size must’ve been a hassle. Especially with troublemakers like you around."

BANG!

The gun moved fast, and the trigger was pulled even faster.

"..."

But I’d already tilted my head aside before it even fired.

The bullet drew a red line through the air before punching into the ceiling behind me. Cement cracked, sending fragments skittering across the floor.

"Yuzuha...? I don’t know which bastard you’re referring to, but..." The man spoke, completely unbothered by the fact that I’d just dodged a point-blank shot. "I am Yoru! The current leader of Ares!"

"Yoru...?"

I turned the name over in my head, then shook it.

"Sorry, never heard of it. Are you sure it’s not Yuzuha leading Ares right now?"

BANG BANG BANG!

Three bursts came for me fast—but I was already behind him before they landed. Nothing but a fading mirage and a faint trace of a blue crescent remained where I’d stood.

I adjusted my coat with a light rustle, then turned around casually, watching two pairs of stunned eyes stare back at me.

Well. I supposed dodging that one was hard to process. Three shots aimed at my head, heart, and solar plexus—a tight, well-thought-out spread. Genuinely tricky to slip through.

But I just used Moon Waltz.

As simple as that.

To these two, though, what I’d just done probably looked closer to magic.

"Bastard...!"

Yoru growled, leveling his pistol at my forehead again.

"Nobody’s allowed to look down on me, the leader of Ares!!!"

And at that moment, I felt it in my bones.

Every presence surrounding the apartment released a surge of killing intent all at once. Earlier it had been subdued—now, it was as if they’d stopped caring about hiding entirely.

I didn’t delay.

With a casual step forward, I grabbed Yoru’s extended arm by the wrist.

Then, using my other hand, I pushed against his elbow from the opposite direction—all in a single, clean, and swift motion.

CRACK!

A crisp sound rang out as his arm bent the wrong way.

The pain was delayed. He stared at his own arm, unable to comprehend what had happened. Then, a second later—

"A-AAAAAGH! M-MY AAAARRMM...!!!"

—he crumpled to the ground, screaming like a child.

After that, I didn’t dare stick around.

I stepped over to the balcony wall, crouched on its edge, and looked down with a thin smile. "Well then, shall we change locations? It’s getting a bit crowded here."

I let myself lean backward and dropped.

Third floor—roughly a seven-meter fall. Normal people would walk away with broken bones. I just landed and kept walking.

The killing intent from those still hiding nearby was palpable, but none of them made a move. Almost as if they were afraid of something they couldn’t quite explain.

A wry smile crossed my lips as I walked away from the scene.

"A bunch of pussies..."

I didn’t walk far before we reached an old park. A children’s playground, long abandoned, already slated for demolition to make way for a new residential building.

Though of course, it never got that far. Not before the end.

I stood in the sandpit—covered in rocks and leaves—facing the road, and waited.

For whoever dared to come.

The sky was still dark, the sun nowhere close to rising. Only the faint blue light of a far-off street light was giving clarity to my surroundings.

A cold wind blew through, tugging at the collar of my coat.

Right then, I narrowed my eyes and smiled. "Welcome to this dreary park. Sure you want to come alone? I don’t mind if you bring the six behind you, you know."

My gaze was fixed on the road ahead.

Nothing visible there. Not to the naked eye, at least.

"Hmm? You think I’m bluffing?" I chuckled.

I casually kicked a stone from the sandpit, sending it careening forward like it had been launched from a sling.

CLACK!

It bounced off something invisible about seven meters out.

Moments later, figures began to appear—like mist solidifying into bodies, illusions turning physical. The man at the lead had his left arm raised, a small dent in the gauntlet covering it. The mark of the stone I kicked.

"You’re good." He praised, though his lips stayed pressed firmly together. "Your skill is wasted dying here. What do you say about joining Ares for real?"

His expression was dead serious. He wasn’t joking.

"AHAHAHA!"

I laughed anyway. Mockingly.

"Me? Why would I?" I said, barely hiding the grin behind my hand. "I’m not really cut out for babysitting large babies like that Yoru guy."

"I see... Too bad."

That was all he said before things moved fast.

Killing intent surged from every direction, raising the hair on my nape.

Apart from the seven in front of me, over twenty more were hidden behind nearby trees, walls, and parked vehicles—all armed, fingers already on their triggers.

...Facts that Gwen and Ram had relayed to me long before I got here.

I pulled my weapon from my belt, holding it aloft. My little crowbar. I gripped it on the short end, in a reverse grip, and lowered my stance.

BANG BANG BANG!

TING TING TING! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Muzzle flashes exploded. Loud cracks echoed. The high-pitched ring of metal meeting metal buzzed in our ears. It continued for a few seconds, firing rhythmically, almost without pause.

About twenty bullet heads dropped into the sand around me—short of a full deflection by quite a margin. Mostly shots that missed entirely, or ones I’d sent veering off at odd angles, were missing from the collection of bullets below.

My control still wasn’t perfect. I needed more practice.

More stats, too.

I turned my gaze forward. The six men in front were staring at me like they’d seen a ghost, their earlier composure gone as if it had never existed.

"Tsk tsk tsk." I clicked my tongue, wagging a finger with the crowbar resting on my shoulder. "Big guys playing with little toys... Aren’t you ashamed? Real men use swords, you know?"

Of course, I knew right then.

The fight was only just beginning.