07:00 PM
Main Intersection, Chinatown – Sector 4
Red lanterns sway in the cold night wind. The aroma of spices and street-side stall smoke fills the air. Amidst the crowd, Echi walks carrying several bags of medical supplies ordered by Dr. Suizen. She looks cheerful, humming slightly, unaware of a black sedan speeding around the corner.
CRASH!
Echi's small body is thrown several meters. The medicine bags burst, scattering and mixing with the blood beginning to pool on the cold asphalt.
The Pillar's Flight
The car door opens slightly. Seifong—a middle-aged man in expensive silk clothing, owner of the Phoenix Restaurant and the largest ammunition supplier in Ironport—peers out from behind the wheel. He panics. As one of the "Pillars of the City" who supplies ammunition to both the police and major gangs, his reputation cannot be tarnished by a street accident.
"Dammit! Where did this street brat come from?" Seifong hisses. He looks around. No police, only terrified civilians. Without getting out of the car to check on Echi, Seifong slams the gas pedal, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and a helpless body. He has no idea that the child he just hit is the "gem" recently pulled from the mud by Nero Familia.
Eyes in Every Corner
Within seconds, Mako, who was monitoring the area's CCTV through her earpiece, screams into the central communication channel.
"RION! REN! Echi... Someone just hit Echi in Chinatown! The perpetrator is fleeing toward the center of Sector 4!"
At headquarters, the calm atmosphere turns into a storm. Rion says nothing, but the aura around him becomes so lethal that Shanon, standing nearby, trembles with fear. Ren immediately grabs her car keys and her pistol.
A Cry That Shakes the Heart
They arrive at the scene in less than five minutes. Rion leaps out even before the car comes to a full stop. He kneels beside a semi-conscious Echi.
"Echi... keep your eyes open," Rion's voice trembles, an emotion he rarely shows.
Echi slowly opens her weary eyes, seeing Rion and Ren looking down at her in total panic. In her dazed and painful state, she reaches for the edge of Rion's jacket and Ren's fingers.
"Pa... pi... Ma... mi..." she whispers faintly before losing consciousness.
Those words hit Rion and Ren harder than any bullet ever could. They aren't just protectors anymore; in this child's eyes, they are parents. Ren feels tears of rage streaming down her cheeks, while Rion stands up with a hollow gaze that promises total destruction for whoever did this.
The Hunt Begins
Ricky and Selina arrive to secure the area. Selina examines the tire tracks and the shattered headlight glass.
"This is Seifong's car," Selina says coldly. "The owner of the restaurant at the end of the block. He is the city's ammunition logistics pillar. He thinks he can run because he feels untouchable."
Rion turns toward the luxury restaurant glowing in the distance. "He isn't running. He's just waiting for his turn to die."
Rion carries Echi and hands her over to Dr. Suizen, who has just arrived with a private ambulance. "Save her, Doc. If anything happens to her, I will level Chinatown tonight."