[The Fall of Leon "Blackfang" Mercer]

He was the Neo-Tokyo's most feared criminal. A man who built an empire with his own two hands. Feared, respected, untouchable—until tonight.

Betrayed. Stabbed. Left to die.

And yet, in his final moments, the dying crime lord made one last choice—a choice that would change everything.

If there is a second life... a second chance... I will forget about my revenge. I just wish to live a normal life.

The Fall of Leon "Blackfang" Mercer

How It Started

Just hours ago, Leon had been sitting in his penthouse, whiskey in hand, looking down at the city he ruled.

It had been a normal night. A meeting with suppliers. A check-in with the dock operations. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then the call came.

Kane's voice. Urgent. Tense.

[Kane] "Boss, we got a situation. The Vultures are making a move on the docks. We need you here."

Leon didn't hesitate.

The docks were a key asset—smuggling routes, weapons shipments, all of it flowed through there. If the Iron Vultures were making a play, he needed to crush them fast.

But as soon as he arrived, he saw chaos unfold before his eyes.

Victor, Kane, Elias, and some of his own men lay beaten and bloodied on the ground, surrounded by Vulture enforcers. Before Leon could act, the Vultures grabbed Victor, shoving him into a van.

Leon's fists clenched. His blood boiled.

[Leon] "Get to a hospital. I'll handle this."

But Kane, Elias, and the others refused. They insisted on going with him, swearing loyalty. Eventually, Leon relented. They rushed to their cars, tires screeching as they gave chase.

The pursuit led them through twisting streets, deeper into the city's underbelly, until finally, the Vultures' van took a sharp turn into an empty, dark alley.

Leon was the first to step out, gun in hand, eyes scanning the shadows.

At the far end of the alley, Vulture enforcers stood waiting.

That was when the first bullet grazed his shoulder.

The Night of Betrayal

Drip. Drip.

The sound of blood hitting the pavement was deafening in the silence. The air in the alley was thick with the scent of iron and treachery. The flickering streetlights cast long, wavering shadows, making the surrounding buildings feel like silent witnesses to his downfall.

Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed.

Too far. Too late.

Leon "Blackfang" Mercer, the infamous leader of the Blackfang Syndicate, stood amidst the carnage—his breath ragged, his body drenched in crimson. The men around him, once loyal, now clutched their weapons with cold resolve. But nothing compared to the pain gnawing at his chest.

Not from the wounds.

From them.

Victor. Kane. Elias.

The three he trusted most. The ones he bled for. The ones he called brothers.

Why?

His mind reeled, struggling to process the scene before him.

We built everything together. We fought wars side by side. I pulled you out of the gutter… gave you power… gave you everything.

His blurred vision locked onto Victor—his right-hand man. His most trusted. The first to betray him.

And Victor had the audacity to smirk.

[Victor ]"You always thought you were untouchable, Leon. But this city belongs to us now."

Leon's fists clenched despite the searing pain. A cold sweat ran down his brow as he forced himself to stay on his feet.

He could feel the warmth of his own blood soaking his clothes, the coppery taste of it in his mouth. His body screamed for him to collapse, but his pride—his rage—wouldn't allow it.

[Leon] (glaring) "You spineless rats… I made you. Without me, you'd still be nothing."

Kane scoffed, twirling a knife between his fingers.

[Kane] "Tch. Don't take it personally, boss. Business is business. You should've seen this coming."

Business?

Leon let out a slow, bitter chuckle, the sound wet with blood.

They were treating him like some disposable pawn. Like the years they spent fighting together meant nothing.

And Elias? The quietest of the three? He wouldn't even meet Leon's eyes. Just stood there. Silent. Ashamed.

Coward.

Then—

Footsteps.

From the alley's entrance. Slow. Unhurried.

A voice, deep and mocking, rang out.

Unknown Voice: "Blackfang."

Leon turned—too late.

A blinding pain tore through his stomach.

Shhk!

His breath hitched. His knees buckled.

A blade. Buried deep.

His trembling fingers touched the handle, his mind still catching up to what had just happened.

Who—?

Darius "The Vulture" Moreau.

The ruthless leader of the Iron Vultures. The second-most powerful gang in the city.

Leon gasped, staring up at his rival's grinning face.

[Darius] (grinning) "You should've stayed on top of your game, Mercer. The king has fallen. And vultures? We always pick apart the dead."

Darius twisted the knife before yanking it free.

Pain exploded in Leon's abdomen. His legs gave out.

Thud.

He hit the pavement hard, blood pooling beneath him.

Around him, the men he once called family did nothing. His own soldiers—his own men—just watched. Frozen with fear. None of them moved to help.

Then came the laughter. The jeering.

They were already discussing how to divide his empire.

This is it?

His vision blurred. His fingers twitched, trying to push himself up, but his body wouldn't listen.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Was this how it ended?

Like a dog in the gutter?

The Last Stand

Something inside him snapped.

His breath was ragged, his vision blurred, but his rage burned hotter than the pain.

Leon spat blood onto the cold pavement and forced himself up, his movements fueled by pure defiance.

[Leon] "F** it all…!"* His voice was a low growl at first, then a roar. "HOW DARE YOU?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

The alley fell into a stunned silence. Even the most hardened thugs hesitated, stepping back as if they had awakened something they couldn't control.

Leon tore off his coat, ripped his blood-soaked shirt, and wrapped it tightly around his gaping wound. His hands shook, not from weakness—but from fury.

A cocky thug lunged at him, wielding an iron pipe.

CRACK!

Leon drove his elbow into the bastard's face, shattering his nose. Before the pipe hit the ground, he snatched it mid-air and swung—full force—into another attacker's ribs.

SPLINTER. A WET, GUTTURAL SCREAM.

The man crumpled instantly, choking on his own breath.

[Darius] "What the hell are you waiting for?!" The crime boss snarled. "Kill him, you idiots!"

More rushed in, emboldened by their leader's rage.

A blade slashed toward his throat. Leon ducked—just barely—feeling the cold steel graze his skin. He twisted, ignoring the searing pain, and drove his knee into the gut of the nearest thug.

A muffled wheeze.

Another came at him from behind—too slow. Leon whirled around, bashing the iron pipe across his skull. The man dropped without a sound, twitching.

His knuckles were bleeding. His breath was a ragged snarl.

And yet, he did not stop.

[Kane] (stumbling back) "H-He's a f**ing demon!"*

Victor, Kane, and Elias—the three who had betrayed him—stood frozen. Their weapons gripped tight, but their eyes? Their eyes held something they never had for him before.

Fear.

Leon bared his teeth.

[Leon] "Come on, then!" he spat. "You wanted me dead, right?! THEN KILL ME!"

Kane flinched.

Victor's smirk had vanished.

Elias refused to meet his gaze.

Click.

A gun.

Leon barely had time to react before—

BANG!

The bullet grazed his shoulder, a searing line of fire ripping through his flesh. He staggered, almost fell—but his grip on the iron pipe only tightened.

His vision blurred. His body begged to collapse.

And yet—

More bodies lay broken around him than standing.

[Victor] (gritting his teeth) "Tch… We got what we wanted. Let's go!"

And just like that—the three traitors disappeared into the shadows.

Darius cursed under his breath, his fury shifting toward the cowards who had left him behind.

[Darius] "Spineless f**ing rats!"*

Leon, panting, barely standing, turned his gaze toward the last enemy left before him.

Darius hesitated.

Leon was bleeding out, on the brink of collapse.

And yet—why did the alley suddenly feel colder?

Why do I feel fear?

Darius's grip on the pistol tightened. He aimed—

Only to stop.

Leon glared at him, unyielding, even now.

[Leon] (voice hoarse, but steady) "Looks like... it's just you and me now, Vulture."

A flicker of doubt crossed Darius's face.

For the first time, he considered something truly unsettling.

Even if I put a bullet in his skull right now... would he still keep coming?

Darius exhaled sharply. Spat on the ground.

[Darius] "Next time, Blackfang."

And then, like a shadow in the night—he was gone.

Silence.

Leon, victorious yet broken, let his body relax for the first time.

His limbs trembled. His chest heaved. The weight of everything—the betrayal, the slaughter, the sheer willpower keeping him upright—was unbearable.

Slowly, painfully, he draped his tattered coat over his shoulders.

He turned.

And staggered out of the alley.

His vision blurred, but his thoughts rang clear.

[Leon] (hoarse whisper) "Why? Why? Why the hell...?"

And the city, once his kingdom, gave no answer.

A Death Without Honor

The streets stretched before him, empty and hollow, swallowed by the stillness of the night. The neon glow of a nearby hospital flickered—erratic, broken, as if mocking his battered body.

Leon staggered forward, every step sending knives of agony through his limbs. His breath was ragged, his vision swam, but still, he moved. He had to.

Blood dripped from his fingers, leaving a crimson trail behind him.

He didn't know where he was going.

He just knew he had to keep walking.

Then—

A blur of motion.

A girl.

A high school girl, her uniform swaying as she dashed across the road, distracted, reckless—completely unaware.

Leon's tired eyes widened in slow horror.

A truck.

Speeding.

The roaring engine cut through the silence, its headlights blazing like twin eyes of a beast.

And the girl—she wasn't looking.

His body screamed in protest, every nerve frayed, but instinct—pure, gut-wrenching instinct—overruled everything else.

MOVE, DAMN IT!

Leon lunged, every muscle tearing against the strain, his world exploding in pain—

But his hand found her shoulder.

With a final push, he shoved her aside.

She fell.

She lived.

And then—

BAM!

The world shattered.

A deafening crash. The sickening crunch of bones. The ground rushing up to meet him.

Then—nothing.

The End of Blackfang—The Beginning of Another

Pain.

A weightless, sinking pain.

Leon lay there, his back against the cold pavement, his breath shallow, each inhale more difficult than the last. His ears rang, his chest felt crushed, his entire body—numb.

Something warm pooled beneath him.

Blood.

His.

His dimming eyes drifted upward. The sky stretched endlessly above him, an ocean of darkness sprinkled with distant stars. He had seen this sky a thousand times, yet never had it felt so… final.

Memories flickered.

The streets he had conquered. The enemies he had crushed. The faces of those he trusted—and those who betrayed him.

The empire he built with blood-stained hands.

And yet—

[Leon] "I die saving a stupid girl who can't even watch the road?"

The thought was bitter. He wanted to laugh.

His body wouldn't let him.

His lips barely moved, a whisper escaping into the night.

[Leon] "What a... shameful death... for a criminal like me..."

Was this it?

Was he always meant to die tonight—no matter what?

The coldness seeped deeper into his bones. The distant sirens blurred into nothing. His fingers twitched—then stopped.

His vision darkened.

His breath slowed.

His final thought, raw and aching, drifted into the void—

[Leon] why is my death so lonely? is it because the betrayal, no its because I was always alone, it's because i never stop for the people who were important to me,

It's because they died because of my wrongdoing.

(just after saying that an old memory appeared like a vision. a girl called my name I turned back to look she jumped at me and hugged me tightly like and said Leon I love you in a very gentle and nice voice)

[Leon] I loved you too if only i had told you that if only I have protected you. i am sorry for every thing [

Leon] If there is a second life... a second chance... His pulse faded.

[Leon] I will forget about my revenge. His eyelids grew too heavy to lift.

[Leon] I just wish to live a normal life to never go on the path of crime.

And then—

Silence.________________________________________________________________________________________________

A New Beginning

Leon Mercer was dead.

But in another place, in another time…

A boy was about to open his eyes.