The night was deep.
The dark street was empty save for Ray, fresh off his shift.
Yawning, he trudged down the path toward home, all energy spent.
The company's work was never done. For the Montelli Family, every day brought new opportunities, new challenges.
Ray thought of his supervisor's daily mantra: "For the future of Ragunna, we must all play our part."
He didn't buy it.
After all, he wasn't from Ragunna.
He was just an ordinary guy making a living in this city. The company paid him on time, so he did his job dutifully. That was it.
As for "shared destiny"?
Yeah, no thanks.
"So, what should I have for breakfast tomorrow?"
Pizza?
Nah, too heavy for the morning.
Maybe just grab some bread to fill the stomach?
Guess that's the only option, huh?
Well, he'd ask Zani what flavor she wanted later and bring some for her tomorrow, too.
Just as he was lost in these breakfast plans, two unfamiliar figures suddenly and silently emerged from a dark alleyway ahead, blocking his path like two solid walls.
Ray blinked, his steps faltering instinctively.
Before he could fully process this sudden development, a heavy, urgent set of footsteps began closing in from behind him.
He turned to look. Two more people had appeared, approaching him with clear intent.
"Wow, guys, working this late? Still on the clock?" Ray said, still stifling a bored yawn, treating the four hostile figures with complete indifference.
As part of Averardo Bank, Ray was no stranger to situations like this.
Those who came looking for trouble with him generally fell into three categories.
First, the Sisters and Brothers of the Order.
However, bound by strict precepts, they had to be more careful. They wouldn't come at him so brazenly and openly. They preferred lurking in the shadows, using underhanded, petty tactics to make his life difficult.
Second: people from the Fisalia Family.
The city of Ragunna was controlled by three major powers.
While the Order held the dominant position on the surface, the influence of the Montelli and Fisalia families was steadily growing in the shadows.
Of these, the Fisalia Family had a longer, deeper history.
In their eyes, the Montelli Family were just nouveau-riche upstarts reeking of profit, heretics who didn't belong in Ragunna. In a way, the Fisalia Family shared some common ground with certain factions within the Order.
And because of that, people from the Fisalia Family would occasionally pop up, deliberately causing trouble, trying to put him in his place.
Third: Street thugs.
Nothing surprising there. These good-for-nothings were a dime a dozen everywhere you went.
"You're Ray?" someone suddenly asked.
Hearing his name, Ray paused, then offered a somewhat relaxed smile. "Oh, you do your homework before a mugging? Then you should know I'm just a salaryman. Not much cash on me."
Faced with Ray's subtly provocative stance, the four exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. Then, one of them spat out two cold words.
"Do it."
The moment he spoke, all four swiftly drew collapsible batons from under their clothes in near unison.
Weapons in hand, they advanced on Ray with steady, deliberate steps.
"Sigh, really gotta do this?" Ray asked around another yawn, stretching his arms. "We're all working stiffs. Why make things hard for each other?"
WHOOSH—!
A baton cut through the air, aiming straight for his head.
Seeing this, not a trace of panic showed in Ray's eyes. He simply let out a soft, resigned sigh.
Then, he shifted his body to the side, easily evading the lethal strike.
At the same time, his posture dropped slightly, his left leg bending like a coiled spring.
In the moment he dodged the baton, he unleashed that stored energy. His knee shot forward like a cannonball, driving with immense force squarely into the attacker's chest.
THUD!
A heavy impact echoed. The man felt as if a sledgehammer had hit his chest. A wave of intense pain surged through him, and his entire body was thrown backward, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
He struggled to get up, but the agony in his chest kept him curled on the ground, emitting low groans of pain.
Honestly, ever since crossing over, Ray felt like his physical strength and reaction speed had jumped several levels.
He didn't know why.
Maybe... this was his Resonance ability?
He really didn't know.
The remaining three stared at their fallen comrade, momentarily stunned. Then, a flash of fury and viciousness lit their eyes. After another shared look, they fanned out, surrounding Ray in a triangular formation.
"You know," Ray's voice was faint and weary, as if he was running on empty, "since you looked into me, you must know what my actual position at Averardo Bank is, right?"
The relentless overtime of the past days had drained him completely, leaving him with zero interest in engaging with any external provocation.
"Just a security guard, and you act so cocky?!"
Another one roared, violently swinging his baton as he lunged at Ray from the left like a wild beast.
"Security? Well, I suppose that's not entirely wrong. The Defense Division's job is, after all, to secure the bank and its vaults."
Ray scratched his head, his footwork shifting slightly to avoid the incoming blow.
Before his attacker could recover, Ray closed the distance. His right fist clenched, driving forward with brutal force like a hammer, connecting squarely with the man's face.
A dull thud echoed. The man saw stars, pain exploding across his face as he staggered backward uncontrollably, landing hard on his backside. His baton clattered to the ground.
Ray dusted off his hands, his gaze coolly sweeping over the remaining two.
"So, what about you guys?"
"Street thugs?"
"Or maybe..."
"Fisalia Family?"
...
The night was deep.
A gunshot bloomed in the darkness.
Carlotta slowly pushed open the heavy door, letting the night breeze brush against her face, sweeping away the stale silence within.
"The debt is paid in blood."
She spoke softly, closing the door behind her.
As the sharpest blade of the family, she saw nothing wrong in what she had just done.
The family had given her everything, and she would give everything for the family in return.
Carlotta didn't linger here.
Today's work was done. What remained was personal time.
Although, as the second daughter of the Montelli Family, Carlotta didn't have much in the way of "personal time" to begin with.
But for now...
"Let's get some food first."
She walked straight through a few blocks. Just as she was nearing the pizza shop, the sounds of a struggle and voices reached her from up ahead.
"...Fisalia?"