"Right now." I reply.

The night slowly appears as we get into our positions.

Sora, Texas, and I are on the side of the building, two large windows are present, just asking to be broken.

Exusiai is climbing to the roof. She'll be getting a look at the mafioso's positions, and once confirmed, she'll give out a single and we will bust through the window as she rains down bullets.

...

While I don't remember the exact story of Code of Brawl I get the bullet points of its story, some of them at least.

If my memory serves me right, the gang and I will be in a stalemate with the mafiosos until Mostima comes through and clears them out. From there something with the rat king happens, though I don't know exactly, so caution is needed.

...

I pull out my revolver and make sure everything is loaded, no use in firing an empty gun.

"Is that your infamous gun?!" Exusiai says from the middle of the ladder, mid-climb.

"Yes it is, now get to your position, time isn't infinite."

"Alright, but your letting me get a look at it after we're done."

"I'll let you look if you get to your position."

"Alright! Fine." She pouts before finally finishing up the ladder.

...

"I know that her reaction is a bit... extravagant, but when was the last time you've ever used that thing? There's a reason we're so surprised whenever getting a look at it." Sora asks walking over, taking a look of her own, "And the just the sight of a gun owned by someone who isn't a Sankta is super surprising."

"It is super surprising, which is why I don't really like to show it a lot. I just like to carry it because it's helpful in combat." I reply.

"And yet you never use it?" Sora asks before noticing Exusiai's combat face on top of the building.

She sees what's about to happen and gets behind me as we finalize our positions.

We all take a look towards Exusiai, waiting for the signal to be given.

She puts up her hand.

3...

2...

1...

*BOOM*

The window is blown up by Texas, taking the lead with a break-neck pace.

The mobsters look towards the shattered glass, shock painting their faces more vivid than Picassico could even imagine.

They reach for their guns... It doesn't matter.

Exusiai's bullets reach them before their barrels lift an inch.

One to the ground. Two to the ground. Three to the ground. Four, however, reach safety behind a crate and turn to give out suppressing fire.

Bullets curve around Texas as I place up ice walls around them, blocking any escape opportunity.

Exusiai shoots one of them dead and stops firing, saving her ammo.

Texas continues to close in, barely making it over the bodies sprawled around. Two mobsters continue to fire their guns while one desperately tries to break through the wall.

...I'm close to pitying them, but If they didn't want to die, they wouldn't have touched us.

...

Texas reaches the mobsters, somehow free of any bullet wounds.

With a simple slash, one is down.

The second mobster reaches for his pocket and begins to pull a knife out, his gun out of bullets.

His arm is gone before the knife gets to the open air.

Not hesitating, the third mobster finally sees that he isn't going to get through the ice, so he takes the next best option.

With a flash of something in his eyes, he runs through the red mist coming from the second mobster's body and begins rushing toward me and Sora, reaching for something in his jacket.

Exusiai and Texas both get their weapons up. Texas runs to him but is slowed by the bodies in her way. Exusiai manages to get a couple bullets down, but nothing connects due to a bad angle.

...

I pull out my revolver, curious to how Originium arts power a gun.

Might as well learn to do it now rather than when facing an actually powerful enemy.

The mobster slightly hesitates seeing a gun pointed at his head, but he continues to-

*BOOM*

He falls to the ground, coming out of his jacket is a grenade. His hands still on it.

...

Texas sighs seeing the carnage and takes a seat on a barrel that was sparred from the fight.

Sora walks up to me, taking it easy, "Is that all of them? I wouldn't think that their leader would be so weak to kill like that."

"That wasn't their leader." I respond calling back my memory. Going by the story, we're supposed to be in a stalemate with mafiosos, so it wouldn't end here.

I'm pretty sure Gambino was supposed to show up here as well, and I doubt the event's story changed just due to my presence.

Exusiai jumps down while I try to figure out where to go from here.

I allow my walls to melt while Sora slightly leans on me.

A moment of peace ensues.

...

Gunshots are thrown out across the warehouse.

Texas ducks behind the barrel. I make an ice wall in front of me and Sora while pulling Exusiai behind it, hiding us from the swarm of bullets.

The shots come from where the ice walls were before, and through a reflection from the window, the target is clear.

Its Gambino.

He empties a full clip before heading to reload.

15, maybe 20 men stand behind him all holding their guns as well, about half of them reloading while the other continue shooting.

...

I look to Texas. She's safe, but can't find a good time to jump out and attack. When the other half of the mobsters run out of bullets, the first half is done reloading and already back to shooting.

I see Croissant from the corner of my eye burst through a wall, Bison behind her. No one else seems to notice, the sound of the wall crumbling being reduced to nothing through the hail of gunshots.

They stand back and try to devise a plan. Exusiai and Texas also seem to be trying to figure something out given the look on their faces.

Sora is barely maintaining a straight face, one of her hands is covering her chest while the other one is on the ground, shaking heavily.

I grab her shaking hand, giving her the calmest smile I could muster.

'Everything will be fine' I tell her without words.

Sora stops shaking her hand and nods, mustering a small smile on her face.

I lean back on the ice, calmly keeping track of Gambino, making sure no advances are made.

I get a surprisingly calm feeling across my body.

I don't have many worries partly due to the fact that the mobsters will run out of bullets eventually, to which we can just clear them out.

And partly becaus-

*BOOM*

Mostima will clear them out before we even have to lift a finger.

"Hoo yeah this is a mess." Mostima says walking in from the wall Croissant broke earlier.

About half of the mobsters were taken out from her first attack. Gambino was injured, forcing the rest of the mobsters to focus on helping him rather than blocking us.

Texas sees this and immediately rushes in, killing one before the rest are even able to react.

Exusiai follows suit, shooting the legs of the mobsters, allowing Texas to clear through them easily.

I let go of Sora's hand and motion that I need to pitch in somewhat, she smiles even more and seems to start singing.

...

I feel suspended for a split second as if I was flying, but it subsides quickly.

I get the feeling as if I was stronger, like the revolver in my hand was just a little bit lighter.

I smile at her and mouth a thank you. Knowing that I have the power of support arts on my side, I rush in without a care.

Only about 9 mobsters are left at this point. Gambio is firing his gun from the ground, his leg bleeding heavily.

I put away my gun and make a sword, in less than a second I cover about 10 meters and swish through a mobster like butter.

I plant my foot to stop myself and pivot my sword hard into the next mobster's body, killing him instantly.

I reach out my blade for another mobster, but my attack is deflected.

Texas immediately comes up from behind me and attacks him as well, he parries her too.

I hold off for a second, allowing Texas to get her feet right before the man reaches for me.

I deflect and immediately counterattack, Texas hitting him right alongside me.

We trade blows across him, making him step back farther and farther each time we swing our blades.

I put a sheet of ice on the ground behind him.

Within a second of placing the ice, he slips across it and drops his sword while tumbling to the ground.

Without hesitation we both slam our swords into him, he gives out a quiet scream before falling limp.

...

We both remove our swords and gauge the battle.

Mostima has cleared out almost all of the mobsters, leaving only Gambino left.

"I ain't never seen a Sankta like you before. Or wait? Are you a Sarkaz? What the hell are you?" Gambio spits at Mostima.

"I'm just an ordinary messenger."

"Cazzata!" He yells before lifting up his gun.

Mostima hits it out of his hand before his trigger finger gets a chance to move, "Hey Az, been a while hasn't it?" She says looking around.

"It has."

She looks towards Exusiai next, a short conversation ensuing over how long she's been gone.

"Hey! Are you fuckers just going to have a light conversation while I bleed out! Kill me right now or let me go bastards!" Gambio shouts from the ground.

"You keep losing your temper. That's a really bad look for the head of a family. How are you supposed to keep control of a situation." Mostima lectures him.

"Keep control? You want me to keep control of the situation while my entire crew is dead?! Do you have an illness?!" He shouts in rage before being held down by Texas's blade.

"You're too loud." She says pointing her blade to his neck, "Shut up."

Gambino looks up to her with a face of pure rage and opens his mouth.

"You fuc-

*WHOOSH*

A sandstorm covers the alley outside the warehouse. The sound gaining everyone's attention.

Suddenly, the sand moves into the warehouse. Hitting everyone in the building.

A scramble of footsteps is heard. Grunts accompany them as who I can only assume to be Gambino begins running away from us.

We let him go, not being able to open our eyes enough to see his location.

"Ah, crap." Mostima barely mutters for us to hear, "Let's go east until we're out of the sand."

Everyone silently agrees and begins moving, no one wanting to chase after Gambino through the sand.

A bit of walking later and I feel the sand let up, I'm finally able to open up my eyes fully and see myself outside the warehouse.

The Lungmen skyline is shining bright in the distance. People are already lining the streets getting ready for the festival.

I take a seat, calm myself, light a cigarette, and watch the pre-festival activities while waiting for the others to come into view.

(Originally) Uploaded on June 19, 2022.