“Keep going! Don’t stop! At this rate, we won’t finish it before dawn breaks!”

“Yes sir!”

“If I still see even a single damn crate here, I’ll make sure you won’t get your payment!”

“Got it!”

Amidst the tranquility of the West District, a group of people seems to be active in the middle of the night, emitting bright rays of light from the building to the total darkness that surrounds them.

Unloading the lined-up trucks inside a huge hangar-like garage and moving the goods around the vicinity. Going back and forth to the boats parked near there since the building.

It’s a warehouse with a dock by the lake.

“Boss, how about that one? Should we load it onto the boat too?” One of the crooks came and asked the stocky-figured man.

“No need to. It’s my personal collection anyway.”

“So, it will be fine… if we leave it as it is?”

“Just don’t let your guard down, even though no one will come this late.”

His subordinate nodded firmly before leaving. Telling what the boss said to his comrade around the vicinity. It’s been a routine from one night to another, transporting the goods under the cloak of the dark sky above.

However, even though this has been kept on going for quite a while, today’s cargo is somewhat putting the stocky-figured boss on the edge. It should be fine with tens of subordinates under his command.

Especially, with that guy around.

“Ayo? What’s with the long face lil’ boss…?”

A man standing next to him is reigning high above average people’s height. Looking down on the boss, both from his tall stature and disdainful attitude. Yet, the boss couldn’t lift a finger at him. Everyone knows, that this is one of the most notorious outlaws in the colony.

One foul word could lead to one fatal hit to end one’s life.

“Are you sulking? What’s on your head?” Since the boss didn’t reply, he kept on pressuring him.

“None of your business, Volk! Get back to your job or I’ll call our deal off!” Hissed the boss.

“Tch, even though you were the one begging…” Said Volk with a pissed tone.

Apparently, being snappy is what it takes to drive him away. Talk about luck instead of taking the boss’ life instead. Somewhat of a relief for the poor boss. At least, he can rest assured since everything seems like under cont-

“Hey! What the hell are you doing here?”

Not even a second passed, and the yelling from one of his subordinates startled him. From the source of where it came, something is happening on the other side of the building.

“Hey, old fart. C’mere.”

The boss hasn’t even said a thing, Volk calls him out. Beckoning everyone to get inside. Everyone including the boss himself resignedly follows his order in a short period of time. They know exactly what's happening on the other side.

On the other hand, for the thugs confronting outside, the bickering has started. As the intruder comes closer, so does the commotion gets louder.

“This is no place for people like you!”

“Wait, are you f*cking kidding me!?”

“It can’t be…?”

“It’s him!”

“S-Skullface!”

“Bingo…”

The person in question snapped his finger. Cheerfully pointing at them as if a pop quiz answered correctly. Yet, judging from how the thugs reacted, it goes without saying, the way they see him is like Death himself has come to them.

Knowing the fact well, he nonchalantly waves his hand as if a celebrity. Keep moving toward them. His laid-back attitude is enough to make the emotion boil up to the top of their head.

“Are you looking down on us, huh!?”

Skullface shrugs, wandering his eyes around, “This is the warehouse, right?”

“What business do you have here?!”

“Don’t worry. Just need some talk with your boss. Y’all should be fine with it.”

“Fine, my ass!”

In an instant, one of them rushes in. Skullface quickly lands a kick and knocks the first mob out of business. Like a domino, the initial attempt sparks the anger of others. They hastily approach without forethought.

Without a doubt, a fatal decision for all who come approaching Skullface.

“And here I thought I could talk my way in for this…” He exhaled tiredly.

As the opponent comes rushing, he skillfully dodges every single attack while keeping his eyes peeled, paying attention to their fighting style in the group. After learning the pattern and how they handle this situation, he comes to a conclusion.

How barbaric…

Skullface stopped. Turned his body completely at them. Takes a deep breath and immediately gets to his fighting stance. The body facing sideways. Both hands clenched as high as his face before engaging with them.

Dozens of them take him head on, the same amount of time to put them down out cold. Skillfully alternating between kick techniques with his mixed martial art style they have never seen before. Straight to their front door, a nightmare has come earlier tonight.

The remaining crooks shut themself inside the building. It’s a room with lots of junk scattered around. Somewhat resembles an abandoned repository room connected to the main garage next to it, filled with a few people crowdedly gathering in it.

They remain silent inside while looking through the gap in the window, observing the fight happening outside. As the Skullface takes them down one by one, a feeling of terror seeps through every crack in the wall, sending shivers down whoever is present inside the warehouse.

“That bastard, he takes all of them head-on!”

“At this rate, we will end up just like them.”

“Nah... we’ll just gang him up here with nowhere to escape!”

“Don’t you see what happened to the guys outside? They’re beaten to a pulp by himself!”

“Tsk… I’m outta here. I ain’t gonna get beaten just for staying in here!”

“Yeah, me too!”

“Oi! Did you forget what the boss told us?”

“Ah, screw that! Imma run for my life!”

“Yeah, after we take care of Skullface here, shithead!”

“Hey, you guys!” A man raised his voice, attracting their attention, “Isn’t it… too quiet outside?”

Curiosity wraps up the entire room as they set their ears wide open, looking for any sign of life from the outside. Maintaining their trembling foot in their place out of fear. As the daunting silence worsens, they hold their breath while putting their gaze on the door.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Three slow knocking sounds are coming from the outside, but no one is coming. The slow knocking comes back, eeriely greeting them. The door slowly opened, letting the breeze of night wind get inside and freeze everyone without being reckoned. Soon after, a familiar person appears from behind it, checking the inside. With a sign of hesitation in his eyes, he walks in while taking a glance at everyone in the vicinity.

“Mind if y’all just lemme pass through?”

“Not a chance!”

“Like hell, we would do that!” A mob quickly replied and followed by others.

“Y’all are stubborn, eh?”

A faint sigh slipped from his mouth. At the same time, Skullface throws something from his right hand. Peeling their eyes wide open.

A body lying in front of them, unconscious.

“It’s a pain in the ass, kicking y’all left and right. So just lemme talk to yer-“

A thug charges in with his knife straight to the chest without letting Skullface finish his word. Out of reflex, he grabs the wrist and bends it hard to disarm the knife. Can be heard a faint cracking noise coming out from it.

In a blink of an eye, the image of two mobs coming from both sides catches his sight, swinging their bat and block of wood straight for his head. Quickly he pulls the one on his clutch closer while taking a step back. Their strikes homed at their comrade and left him knocked out on the ground.

“Wh-what!?”

“How!?”

Amidst their confusion, Skullface grabbed both their heads firmly and bumped them into each other with force. Instantly knocking them down without even knowing what’s happened to them.

Three of them were out cold on the ground helplessly, the others could feel a tangible terror that makes them hard to even make a single move.

“Violence ain’t my thing… But y’all being so persistent on doing it…” He put both his hand in the air out of guilt after saying it.

“Hey! Don’t get so full of yourself just because you take down most of us!”

“The more you keep that attitude, the more we wanna kick your sorry ass!”

Upon hearing it, Skullface stopped his movements. Glaring at them with those viridian eyes, etching the dread deep inside their hearts.

A chuckle slipped out of his mouth seeing them so.

“Then… try me, mother*cker.”