Yorknew City was unnaturally quiet that night.
From the rooftop of the Fells Family headquarters, Oboro surveyed the darkened streets below, the wind cutting cold against his skin. His En spread outward like an invisible sphere, sensing the growing presences surrounding the building. The Kenny family was mobilizing, which explained the unnatural emptiness. They'd sealed off the area with military precision.
The Mafia's social influence proved staggering. One word could make even city officials look the other way, not unlike the power the Hunters wielded in their own jurisdictions.
Oboro's eyes snapped open as distant headlights pierced the darkness, rapidly multiplying and densifying. Bodies poured in from every street and alley, encircling the Fells Building.
The Mafia was disembarking, easily over a thousand strong. A veritable army advancing through the night. Oboro's En detected several Nen users among the Kenny forces, their auras ranging from mediocre to considerable. Though the Kenny family's smuggling operations couldn't match the Fells' financial might, their soldiers were hardened. A respected mid-level family, their ruthlessness deterred even their peers.
Without warning or ultimatum, the mob opened fire on the building. Armed Fell defenders emerged from the ground floor, and the forces clashed violently. Artillery fire roared as smoke choked the air. Both sides exchanged devastating fire, vehicles shredded in moments. The scene surpassed any cinematic violence from Oboro's previous life in raw, visceral impact.
From machine gun battles to sword fights, such chaos bred opportunity for ambitious soldiers. Blood was the currency of the underworld. Luck and strength determined survival. Some rose through cunning, but they remained the minority.
Oboro stepped to the edge of the roof and looked down the hundred meter drop. His Ren flickered subtly, preparing for battle.
"This is the true face of this world," he observed the black figures below, clashing like warring ants.
Death and desperation intertwined with gunpowder, composing an asura's hell song in Yorknew's darkness.
"Hahahahaha, Found you!"
"So here hides the Fells' puppet, their newly crowned boss."
An eerie laugh cut through the night. Moonlight cast long shadows as a figure emerged from the darkness. When he saw Oboro, he stuck out a saliva-coated tongue and spoke proudly. The man appeared filthy, obviously unwashed for months. His stench carried even meters away.
Oboro stayed still, turned away, studied the full moon above him, "Beautiful moonlight tonight, isn't it?"
The Nen user froze, his aura flickering with uncertainty. He looked up. What beauty? Just another night.
Oboro methodically unbuttoned his suit, letting the fierce wind whip the fabric. His Ten shifted seamlessly to Zetsu, hiding his presence completely.
"Accept death, prepare to jump?" The Nen user watched Oboro, hands in his pockets, seemingly unconcerned by the intruder.
Eyes closed, seemingly enjoying the breeze and chaos below, Oboro spoke coldly, "Boss wants you alive. Death will not come so easily!"
Suddenly, Oboro turned to face him. Smiling, he stepped back, one foot hovering over the empty air. "Try to stop me."
His body tilted backwards.
"Damn!"
The Nen user's expression changed as he lunged forward, arm outstretched as Oboro disappeared from view. Just as his fingers almost grabbed the cloth, his perception shifted, registering a whispering sound. He crossed paths with Oboro in mid-air, his body remaining at the edge of the roof, still reaching.
He watched as his body, pulled skyward by his opponent, fell. In one of Oboro's hands, a blade shone, fortified with Ko, concentrated Nen, making it sharper than any normal weapon.
"I'm just a head," the user of Nen realized. "He cut off my head at that moment with perfect Ko control."
The darkness claimed him with that last thought.
The Kenny family's superior numbers and firepower overwhelmed the Fells' defenses. Even the building's fortifications couldn't withstand their onslaught. Within minutes, the Kenny forces had breached the building as the Fells' defenders fell or retreated, their numbers dwindling.
Behind the Kenny lines, Goler sat unmoved in his armored vehicle, petting his cat, the chaos outside seemingly irrelevant. He even found time to play with cat toys. The window lowered automatically when a subordinate reported: "Boss, they're breaking in. Our people have entered."
"The figurehead?"
Goler asked casually.
"Fuji's chasing him."
Goler stepped out of the car, the surrounding guards bowing with shouts of "Boss."
Studying the dark building, Goler smiled, "Do you know how much Fells Maibo spent to build this? His crowning achievement in underground prestige. Now mine!"
"Congratulations, Boss!"
Even among the allies, only three figures approached Goler's vehicle, the others keeping a respectful distance. These three wore civilian clothes, not typical Mafia attire. Their controlled auras marked them as experienced Nen users.
"Boss, you were right, the girl fled," said a leather-clad youth with a rocker's aesthetic.
"Flight proves some wisdom."
Goler sneered and advanced with his three Nen guards close behind. They stepped over blood and severed limbs.
A thunderous explosion high above them made them all tense. Looking up, they saw a shattered window wall raining shards of glass. A human figure fell among the shards. The three Nen users immediately moved to shield Goler, their ken activated.
The tremors of the impact faded. The figure who'd fallen dozens of feet rose smoothly, brushing debris from his clothes. A corpse lay at his feet, clearly used to break his fall. The torn uniform identified him as Fuji.
Their comrade! Oboro's appearance stunned the assembled mobsters.
His gaze found Kenny Goler and his three guards through the crowd. His aura, no longer hidden by Zetsu, radiated killing intent.
"That guy," the rocker swallowed.
Normal people couldn't sense it, but they clearly felt his aura, as if they were standing in front of a blazing furnace. His Nen presence was terrifying, reminiscent of the overwhelming pressure of the Phantom Troupe.
"Careful!"
A few feet away, the man's lips moved in silent words.
Though inaudible, the three guards read his meaning!
"Make way for the boss!"
Another guard shouted.
"Open fire! Fire!"
"Kill him!"
Voices rose in panic. But Oboro had already become a blur of movement, his Ko-enhanced blows tearing through Kenny's forces despite the gunfire. Bodies fell before him like scythed wheat. Entrails flew as corpses shot skyward. Weapons twisted into useless metal or shattered. The casualties piled up too fast to track.
The rocker dragged his stunned boss to the car, intent on extraction. No time to explain. Goler, being non-Nen, could not comprehend their situation.
Before they reached the door, the roof exploded inward. Looking up, they saw a bloodied figure, arms crimson to the shoulders, crouching over them. "Leaving so soon? Without a farewell."
Ice filled the rocker's veins. His companions should have blocked this approach. Impossible to break through so quickly.
He turned stiffly to the side. The sight made his head spin. His comrades lay dismembered in pools of blood, their defensive Ken shattered by overwhelming force.
"It's over."
An hour later, after receiving the news, butler David escorted Miss Lily back from her safe house. It had ended too quickly. They'd expected an all-night siege.
Stepping out of the car, David saw Oboro standing amid a sea of corpses. Strangely, the surviving witnesses of the Fells kept their distance, regarding the new head of their family as something inhuman. Moonlight silvered his form, his relaxed expression contrasting with his blood-soaked body, creating an image both harmonious and grotesque.
The scene was seared into David's memory.
"David."
Lily, sensing the butler's distraction, called softly.
"Ah."
David collected himself and studied Oboro once more before turning to Lily: "Mistress, all is well now. Our master is unharmed."