"By the way, Master, what kind of delinquents are we dealing with?" Kenny asked, casually folding his arms behind his head, completely at ease.


    "I don’t have much information either," he admitted. "But apparently, some strange paranormal activity has been reported during the racketeering incidents. Smells like a Brand to me. When we land, our client, Dadinio, will be there to fill us in on the details."


    "Landing in five minutes."


    "Alright. From this point on, stay alert. The mission starts now."


    "Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.


    "Welcome! I’m Dadinio," he greeted them enthusiastically. "My van is parked right over there. Let’s move to a secure location."


    "Thanks for the welcome. But I understand you own a business as well. I''d rather we head straight there. How often do these thugs show up?"


    "As you wish… They usually come by every week. It’s been a week and three days since their last visit. There’s a high chance they’ll show up today."


    "Good," Zéno muttered, glancing at the darkening sky. "Keep your shop open as usual. We’ll stay hidden in the back and intervene when the time is right."


    "And what’s your plan exactly?"


    "We’ll use one of them to trace the operation back to their boss and eliminate the problem at its source."


    "Alright, I get it. Let’s go."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I’ll hide inside with Carla, Kenny, and Ikku. Yumé, you’ll stay up front with Dadinio. You’re the first line of defense. Take down the thugs without causing too much of a scene. If things escalate, Kenny will step in. If it gets worse, Carla follows, and if it becomes critical, Ikku will handle it."


    "Got it!" they answered in sync.


    "You think they’ll really show up?" Yumé asked, resting his elbows on the counter.


    "Nothing’s certain… but it’s highly likely."


    "That’s them," Dadinio murmured, his voice tense.


    "Dadinio!" the taller man called out in an overly friendly tone. "We’re here to pick up our usual donation."


    "Sorry, guys, but you’re not getting anything today."


    "Who the hell is this brat?" he growled. "Move out of the way before I break your legs."


    "Since when do we give warnings, Teddy?"


    "Yeah, you’re right!" Teddy cracked his knuckles.


    "Seriously? That’s all you’ve got?"


    "Oh, you’re gonna regret that, you little—"


    And shattered into pieces.


    "Go tell your boss," he said coolly. "It’s over. He’s not the one calling the shots anymore."


    "You’re gonna regret this," he hissed before shooting a glare at Dadinio. "And you… you’re dead."


    "Nice work, Yumé," Zéno commented with a nod of approval.


    "Yeah, that was impressive!" Carla added.


    "Eh, it wasn’t much."


    "Kenny, you’ll stay out front. Ikku, you stay hidden in the back alley. After what just happened, retaliation is inevitable. We need to be ready. As for me… I’ll be having a little chat with our unconscious friend here."


    "Understood," they all responded firmly.