Chapter 109 — Outer Region Bloodbath VI

[Eastern District - Edrin’s Section]

The rain had turned the streets into rivers, but it did nothing to wash away the blood.

Edrin stood in front of what had been Chen Wei’s largest gambling den, his twin short swords dripping crimson, his glasses somehow still clean despite the carnage around him.

His tactical skill had been active for the past two hours, showing him optimal paths through the building, identifying threats before they materialized, predicting enemy movements with uncanny accuracy.

It had made the slaughter almost mechanical.

Twelve enforcers had tried to defend the gambling operation. All twelve were dead now, their bodies scattered across the den’s main floor in various states of dismemberment.

"Section clear, Boss."

Marcus reported, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand, a bottle of beer somehow still in his other hand despite the combat.

"Found their cash reserves in the back. About two hundred thousand in unmarked bills."

"Take it. That’s ours now."

Edrin’s voice was steady and professional, showing none of the hesitation that would have been there two months ago.

He’d thrown up after his first kills during the Serpent Gang operation. Now he could stand surrounded by corpses he’d personally created and discuss logistics without even flinching.

"What about the survivors?"

One of Marco’s men, a scarred veteran named Pavel, gestured toward three gambling den workers cowering in the corner.

They weren’t fighters. Just dealers and servers who’d been unlucky enough to be working tonight.

"Boss gave clear instructions. Anyone who resists dies. Anyone who surrenders and agrees to follow Mafia rules lives."

Edrin walked toward the three survivors, his tactical skill already analyzing their body language, determining threat levels, calculating probabilities.

"You three. The gambling den is now under Mafia control. You can either work for us under new management and new rules, or you can leave the Outer Region entirely and never come back. Choose now."

"We’ll work for you! We’ll do whatever you want!"

The oldest dealer practically screamed the words, terrified and desperate.

"Good. Pavel, get their information and assign them to one of our people for supervision. If they cause problems, kill them."

Edrin turned away, already moving toward the exit.

His watch buzzed with a message from the group coordination channel.

Ronan: Western district clear. Eleven dead, six joined. Moving to next target.

Lysa: Northern warehouses secured. No survivors. They tried to ambush us.

Zavier: S-southern section done. I think I’m getting better at this? Still scary though.

Edrin allowed himself a small smile before typing his own report.

Edrin: Eastern gambling dens cleared. Twelve dead, three recruited. Advancing to weapons cache location.

The Mafia was moving like a well-oiled machine across the entire region, and it showed.

****

[Western District - Ronan’s Section]

Ronan’s massive fist, coated in crimson Aura and enhanced by his Titan’s Fury ability, punched straight through a reinforced door.

The metal bent and tore like paper.

Inside, six of Viktor’s enforcers were waiting with weapons drawn, expecting an attack but not expecting it to come through a wall.

"SURPRISE!"

Ronan’s laugh was genuinely joyful as he charged into the room, his enhanced body taking bullets that barely slowed him down.

His Aura was dense enough now that anything below D rank struggled to penetrate it.

The first enforcer tried to hit him with a metal bat enhanced with Aura.

Ronan caught the bat mid-swing, ripped it from the man’s hands, and drove it through his chest like a spear.

The enforcer’s eyes went wide with shock as he looked down at the bat protruding from his sternum before collapsing.

Two more tried to attack simultaneously from both sides.

Ronan activated Titan’s Fury to its maximum, his already large frame growing even more massive, muscles bulging with supernatural strength.

He grabbed both attackers by their throats, lifted them off the ground like they weighed nothing, and smashed their heads together.

CRACK.

Skulls of both the attackers were fractured and blood sprayed as both bodies went limp.

He dropped them carelessly and turned to face the remaining three.

"Come on! Is this really the best Viktor’s people can do? I expected more of a challenge!"

One of them actually dropped his weapon and raised his hands.

"I surrender! Please, I’ll join the Mafia, I’ll do whatever–"

"Good choice."

Ronan’s expression shifted from battle-crazed to almost friendly.

"Stand over there and don’t move. We’ll process you after we’re done here."

The other two enforcers looked at each other, then at their surrendering companion, then back at Ronan’s blood-soaked, massive form.

They dropped their weapons.

"Smart."

Ronan walked past them toward the back rooms where Viktor kept his protection money.

He’d killed so many people tonight he’d lost count somewhere around thirty. But unlike the first time during the Serpent operation, he didn’t feel sick anymore.

He didn’t feel much of anything except satisfaction at a job well done.

’Boss would be proud. We’re actually pulling this off.’

****

[Northern District - Lysa’s Section]

Lysa’s arrow, made of pure condensed Aura and enhanced with her Piercing Gale weapon art, punched through three men simultaneously.

The projectile entered the first man’s chest, exited through his back, entered the second man’s throat, exited through the top of his skull, and finally embedded itself in the third man’s forehead.

All three dropped in a perfectly straight line.

She’d been practicing that shot for weeks. Finally getting to use it in real combat felt oddly satisfying.

"Target building clear. No survivors as ordered."

One of Marco’s sharpshooters, a woman named Katya, reported from her position covering the entrance.

"They tried to set up an ambush in the warehouse rafters. Didn’t account for us having two archers with sensory abilities."

Lysa’s enhanced senses had detected the ambush before they’d even entered the building. She and Katya had simply shot everyone hiding in the rafters before the main team entered.

It was simple, efficient and brutal.

"How are you holding up?"

Katya asked, noticing Lysa’s hands shaking slightly as she lowered her bow.

"I’m fine. Just adrenaline."

It wasn’t entirely true. Lysa had killed more people tonight than in her entire life combined. The weight of that was starting to press on her.

But she couldn’t afford to break down now. The mission wasn’t finished.

"Boss said anyone who resists dies. They resisted and we followed orders."

She repeated it like a mantra, trying to convince herself as much as Katya.

"The first time is always the hardest. It gets easier with time."

"That’s what I’m afraid of."

Lysa muttered quietly before checking her watch for the next target location.

****

[Southern District - Zavier’s Section]

"STAY BACK! I’M WARNING YOU!"

The enforcer’s voice was shrill with panic as he backed away from Zavier, his weapon shaking in his hands.

Zavier looked nothing like the anxious, nervous student he’d been two months ago.

His spear was covered in blood. His face was spattered with gore. His eyes had a strange, focused intensity that came from hours of continuous combat.

"I don’t want to kill you. But Boss said you either surrender and join us, or you die. Those are the only options."

His voice was surprisingly steady, almost apologetic.

"So which is it going to be?"

The enforcer looked around desperately at his fallen companions. Eight bodies were lying around... All killed by this chubby kid who wasn’t supposed to be capable of this level of violence.

"I... I surrender. I’ll join. Just don’t kill me."

"Good choice."