Noir, Gael. A car pulled up at a women’s shoe store in the evening. The one who stepped out was a paled skin, lanky man dressed in a gray suit, carrying two briefcases. He entered the store ignoring the stares he was getting from the women inside. He made his way to the cashier.

“How may I help you, sir?”

“I’m here to make a purchase.”

He placed one of the briefcases on the counter. The cashier looked at him before cautiously opening it. She closed it after a glance and returned it.

“Your order is in the back. Please follow me.”

She and the men walked away from the desk and walked through a door. They found themselves walking down a hallway in silence.

“I believe you’re Igor Rigoni.”

A voice came from behind them. The man turned around. There, was a man dressed in a black and red suit. He wore a mask that was red on one side and black on the other. In the middle was a clown symbol.

(Who is this?)

“I am NoFace. You can think of me as Nebulous’ Assistant or Aide.”

(Right hand of the Crime God…)

Igor handed NoFace a briefcase.

“Payment accepted.”

A door opened in the wall next to them.

“….You’re not gonna check?”

NoFace headed towards the door.

“Nebulous believes relationships are built with trust. As such, we’re always glad to bite the bullet and trust our business partners.”

He stopped and looked back.

“Of course, we know how to punish those who betray our trust. For example, we send them the head of their lovers who are living leisurely in the capital.”

“?!”

NoFace walked through the door without waiting for Igor.

“Tsk.”

Igor followed him. Inside the room was a sole desk with a monitor on top. A click reached Igor’s ears. The monitor lit up but the screen was blank.

“Who the hell are you?”

An electronic voice echoed in the room.

“Lord Nebulous, my name is Igor Rigoni. I’m the leader of the Blood Mace Gang.”

“Never heard of you.”

“…..We’re a gang that operates in Noir. Not to brag, but we’re one of the biggest gangs in the country. We dabble in countless business endeavors like—”

“I know who you are. How could I not know about one of the biggest contenders to take my head in the future? I merely wanted to see how you would react to being looked down on. I heard you’re a prideful person, so much that you’d never forgive any form of disrespect. The fact you swallowed your pride and introduced yourself to me without a change of expression, shows you know how to pick your battles.”

A chuckled reached Igor’s ears.

“What is it that you want from me, Igor Rigoni?”

“I wish to initiate a Faida. My brother and his subordinates were attacked and badly beaten by the leader of another gang. This is unforgivable. So I wish to avenge them.”

“I allow feuds between rival gangs as long as it doesn’t get in way of my business. The fact you came all the way here to ask for my permission means you want to disrupt my business. The Faida System was created so gangs closely tied to me can feud with my permission after all. Which gang do you want to go to war with?”

“The Black Spades.”

“I see. So I take it that you know about my relationship with its leader, Ace?”

“I have an idea.”

“No, I don’t think you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t bring an extra briefcase. You would’ve brought a coffin to lay in.”

“…….”

Igor silently lifted 3 fingers.

“I’ll offer you triple their annual income.”

“That’s not that appealing, considering that the Black Spades—”

“Not the Black Spades. Locally renowned writer and possibly a future global superstar, Hinami Akume. A young legend in the gaming industry, Ace, and a rising star in the music scene, Sora. I’ll give you triple the income of these three siblings combined.”

“That’s quite the amount. Why pay so much for a petty fight?”

“My code doesn’t allow disrespect of any family member.”

“So you’re paying for your life and not for my permission. You’ll fight them anyway but you just don’t want to die afterward.”

A mechanically laughed echoed in the room.

“I like your spirit. Alright, Faida approved! Free of charge!”

“Free?”

“That’s right.”

NoFace handed the briefcase he got from Igor back to him.

“You’re free to do whatever you want, I won’t stop or punish you afterward.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m curious about the outcome. On that note, you’re free to go. I have other things to attend to.”

“…Yes.”

Igor turned around to leave the room. He glanced behind him and saw NoFace waving at him. He turned his head away and left the room.

“Is that alright, sir? We’ll lose a lot of money if either dies.”

“It’s alright. I already know the outcome and am making preparations. Just sit back and watch the show.”

Igor left the store and was now sitting in his car. The meeting Nebulous replayed in his head. After a while, he took out his phone and made a call.

“Do it.”

The next day, Miko arrived in Noir. He wore light clothing but not a disguised. He drew the attention of those around him as he walked through the streets but no one approached him.

(Momo gave me the directions to the Black Spades base, so I don’t need to waste time searching for it.)

He glanced at those around him while being on high alert.

(Since this isn’t an assassination I don’t need to hide, but that doesn’t mean I should stand out too much. However, there’s someone I want to attract with my presence.)

“Speaking of, maybe I should have Nana teach me some assassination techniques in the future. They could come in handy.”

He mumbled under his breath.

 

Author Note: Nana in this sense means Grandma. Unless stated otherwise, when Miko says Nana he’s talking about his grandmother.

 

(So they didn’t take the bait.)

Miko thought after arriving at the location Momo gave him. He arrived in a desolate area of the city. There were old buildings everywhere, all on the verge of collapse.

“Now then…How should I go about this?”

He scanned the area.

(The base of the Black Spades is close by. Should I attack it or should I take time to scope out the area and develop a strategy?...If only I had a sensor-type technique.)

He kicked off the ground and started running.

“There’s no helping it. Let’s do this the old fashion way.”

He headed towards the base. He stopped a few hundred meters away and focused his senses.

(What’s this? I can’t hear any movement coming from the base….There’s lingering scents of people but it’s barely there. It’s as if no one has been here for quite a while.)

“?!”

His ear twitched. He spun around.

“Oh? If I knew you were coming here I wouldn’t have wasted my time searching for you in the game.”

There, Ace was walking toward him.

“Could it be that you’re the one responsible for the disappearance of my crew?”

(Disappearance?)

“You hunted us all down in the game and now you’re doing it in real life. I gotta admit, you’re passionate about this.”

(The Black Spades disappeared? Is this a ploy to make me let my guard down and have them ambush me later? Or is there someone else targeting them?)

Miko smirked.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

He lifted both fists in front of him.

“I came here to fight and it seems you’re more than up for it.”

Ace’s eyes narrowed and a smirk appeared on his face. The two moved in unison and rushed at each other. Miko jumped and threw a kick. Ace threw a punch. Fist clashed with leg.

“?!”

Ace’s arm was blown back. Miko twisted his body midair and threw another kick. Ace ducked under it. He sprung up with an uppercut. Miko was blown back. Ace chased after him. He aimed a flying kick before Miko’s feet touch the ground. Miko thrust a palm in front of him. Palm clashed with foot. Ace was forced back.

(Again.)

He landed softly on the ground. Miko was already in front of him. He crossed his arms in front of him. He blocked Miko’s punch aimed at his chest. His feet were forced off the ground.

(That’s three times.)

He swung his leg while elevated. He kicked Miko on the side of the head.

“?!”

Miko grabs his leg. Ace spun his body. He slammed his other heel into the side of Miko’s head. Miko released his leg. Ace immediately retreated. He looked at Miko.

(He overpowered me three times and barely budged from two consecutive headshots….)

He chuckled.

“Your reputation precedes you, Miko. Guess I’ll need to step it up a notch.”

Orange light gathered around Ace’s arms. Miko charged at him. He flew at him with a punch.

“Arm Boost.”

“?!”

Miko twisted his body. A blur passed his chest. Heat assaulted his skin. He looked down. His shirt was torn and his chest was red. He ducked. A blur passed over his head. He leaped back to create some distance.

“I’m surprised. You could actually dodge that.”

He looked at Ace. His arm muscles were more defined.

“Your reaction speed is impressive as always. I kinda wanna see how fast you really are.”

Orange light engulfed Ace’s legs.

“Leg Boost.”

His body flickered. Miko took a step forward and threw a punch. His fist clashed with Ace’s with a boom. Neither budged as their fists locked together.

“Looks like we’re equal now.”

Ace swung his foot at Miko’s chin. Miko stepped back and evaded it. Ace pounced. He threw a kick. Miko blocked it with his arm. He stepped in with a right hook. Ace stumbled back. Miko chased him with another hook. Ace kicked him in the face before he could swing. He stepped in and hit Miko with an uppercut. Miko stood his ground. Five quick jabs hit Ace’s face. Miko grabbed his collar. He pulled him into a right hook. Ace grabbed his face. He hit Miko with a headbutt.

“?!”

Miko’s vision blurred. He received a blow to the side of his head. Ace’s leg pressed against his temple.

“It’s never good to take too many hits to the head. No matter how soft they may have seemed!”

Ace’s leg forced Miko’s upper body down. His body hit the floor with a boom.

“Now, that was—”

Ace swallowed his words at the sight of Miko springing back up.

“The fuck? Do you have a Defense Boost or something?”

A black light engulfed Miko’s body.

“Vita? So that’s it. He strengthened his body at the last second.”

Ace smirked.

“Let’s see how much stronger—”

Miko’s body flickered. A thunderclap resounded. Ace’s body was blown away. One of the old buildings collapsed. Debris was flung away as Ace crawled out. His arms dangled in front of him, covered with bruises.

“Whew~. My arms have gone numb just from blocking a punch. Vita is really scary. I should learn it in the future.”

Orange light covered his arms. They doubled in size.

“Arm Boost X2.”

(What kind of technique is he using? Is he just Doping?)

Miko started walking towards Ace.

“It feels like there’s more to it than that.”

Ace noticed Miko approaching. He saw a sharp glint in his eyes.

(He seems more serious now.)

The dark light around him grew more sinister and intense by the second.

“I gotta admit…He is pretty intimidating.”

A grin crept on Ace’s face.

“Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll play along with your game.”

Orange light covered Ace’s arms and legs.

“Boost Cancel.”

His limbs returned to normal. The orange light was replaced by a yellow one. A pressure fell on Miko’s body.

“Character Change:…!”

His body started glowing.

“Hm?”

A ring came from the rubble next to him. The light disappeared. He looked at the rubble and turned his back to Miko. All playfulness was gone from his face.

“I think we have to put this fight on hold.”

“What?”

He stooped down ignoring Miko. He picked up a phone.

“You see, this phone is only called when my gang or family are in a serious pinch. When it rings all fun and games stop…Hello.”

He answered the phone. Miko silently watched as he listened to the call.

(Family huh…)

Hinami’s face flashed in his head. He deactivated his Vita before he knew it.

“I see.”

Ace ended the call and looked at Miko.

“Looks like you weren’t the reason why my crew disappeared. My bad.”

He pocketed the phone.

“I have some business to attend to. So if you’d excuse me.”

His figure disappeared in a blink. Miko stood there in silence for a while.

“….So, the Black Spades were attacked by someone else. The question is what do I do next?”