Chapter 30 : ZD Mafia

Kenny and Yumé left the shop, taking their positions outside as per Zéno's orders. Inside, the air grew thick with tension as Zéno approached Teddy, who remained unconscious, securely tied to a chair. Without hesitation, Zéno grabbed a bucket of ice-cold water and dumped it over Teddy's face.

The thug jolted awake, gasping, his eyes darting around in panic."Who the hell are you?!" he stammered.Zéno remained stone-faced."I ask the questions here," he replied in a voice as cold as steel.Raising his hand, he summoned a gleaming sword out of thin air. The razor-sharp blade hovered just millimeters from Teddy's throat.Again with this technique... Carla thought as she observed the scene from a corner of the room.Zéno's gaze darkened further."Let me make this clear," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I'll ask you some questions. If you hesitate, or if I detect even a hint of a lie, I'll make sure you suffer beyond your worst nightmares. And I'll keep you alive… just so you can feel every second of it."A chill ran down Teddy's spine. He could tell, this man wasn't bluffing.He gulped and nodded quickly, his throat dry.Zéno smirked."Good. First question: Who do you work for?""The ZD Mafia," Teddy answered without hesitation, his breath still uneven. "They control the drug and weapons trade. They also handle extortion and protection rackets.""Who's in charge?""Never seen him in person… Just heard his name. They call him Z.Z.""Where can I find him?""No clue… I'm at the bottom of the chain. The mafia is divided into factions. We're part of the 'Spada' faction—we handle the extortion side of things. There's a boss above us, and above him, a manager. The manager probably knows more about Z.Z.""How do you contact this manager?""Only our boss has direct access to him."Zéno was silent for a moment, studying his captive. Finally, with a flick of his wrist, the sword vanished into thin air. He turned to Carla."Keep an eye on him. I don't trust that we've gotten everything out of him yet. His crew will be back soon."Carla raised an eyebrow."How can you be so sure?"At that exact moment, a heavy noise rumbled outside. Through the shop's glass window, they saw a group of ten men approaching. They carried weapons, bats, swords… Two of them held gasoline canisters, while others idly flicked their lighters.Their strides were slow, deliberate. But before they could get any closer, a figure stepped into their path.Kenny.He crossed his arms over his chest, a cocky smirk playing on his lips."Sorry, gentlemen," he said with absolute confidence. "Shop's closed."One of the gang members frowned."This guy's the reason you ran, Sora?" he asked, turning to one of the men.Sora, the thug who had fled earlier, clenched his fists, his face tight with frustration."Don't be fooled by appearances," he warned. "And definitely don't underestimate their age. These guys are dangerous."Kenny burst out laughing."Guess you're not as dumb as you look!" he teased.That was all it took. The gang charged at him in unison, weapons raised.But at the last second, Kenny leaped gracefully into the air, flipping over them and landing smoothly behind their formation."What the hell?!" one of them exclaimed, stunned.They turned and attacked again, swinging wildly. But Kenny weaved through them like smoke, dodging every strike with effortless agility."What's up with this kid?!" another thug gasped, already breathless.Kenny's smirk widened, a dark glint in his eyes."My turn."He lunged forward at lightning speed. His first punch sent the nearest thug crashing to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the pavement. Another swung a sword at him, but Kenny ducked, pivoted, and knocked the attacker out with a clean strike.One by one, they fell.Within seconds, all ten men were lying motionless on the ground, unable to move.Kenny exhaled in disappointment."Too easy… I was hoping for something more challenging."But before he could let his guard down completely, a loud cry erupted from behind him."You're dead, kid!"A thug had somehow avoided the chaos and was now raising his sword, preparing to strike Kenny from behind.Shit… Kenny thought as he turned.He wouldn't be able to dodge in time.A dull thud echoed.The attacker collapsed, face-first onto the pavement.Kenny blinked in surprise.Standing behind the unconscious man was Ikku, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips."Looks like I arrived just in time," he said casually.Kenny let out a laugh."Damn, talk about a hero's entrance. If this is all we have to deal with, this mission is gonna be a breeze."But their moment of levity was short-lived.A deep voice cut through the air."Don't let your guard down."They turned, startled."Master Zéno?! When did you even get here?" Ikku asked, genuinely surprised.Zéno didn't answer. His piercing gaze lingered on the fallen bodies before he turned and walked calmly back toward the shop."The real trouble starts now. I'll leave it to you."Ikku and Kenny exchanged a confused glance."What's he talking about?" Ikku muttered.Kenny shrugged. But then—A low, mechanical growl rumbled through the morning air.They snapped their heads toward the sound.A motorcycle was speeding straight toward them."Well, this guy looks like the real problem," Kenny murmured."Yeah," Ikku agreed, his expression growing serious.The motorcycle screeched to a halt just a few meters away.The rider dismounted slowly, then removed his helmet.He was of average height, his complexion pale, his deep-set eyes shadowed by exhaustion. Heavy bags under his eyes gave him a permanently worn-out look. He wore a green padded jacket, black leather pants, and thick boots. A silver piercing glinted on his left ear.Without a word, he walked past the fallen bodies, running a hand over his face in frustration.With an exasperated sigh, he muttered:"Look at this mess…"Then, he turned his gaze toward Ikku and Kenny, his stare sharp and unsettling."I'm guessing you kids are responsible for all this?""That's right," Kenny answered without hesitation.The man smirked."Well then…"