The Villain's Sister - Chapter 6

Liam reported to Raphael, who was sitting in the back seat while Liam drove.

“About the illegal gambling case Black Pistols busted. It’s looking serious.”

While the villain hunter—Red Shadow—was blowing up a building, Black Pistols hit the O’Connell Hotel.

Black Pistols secured evidence of crimes committed by George O’Connell, the hotel’s owner.

“The media reported that O’Connell was running illegal gambling with political and business elites, but that’s not really the case, is it?”

What really happened at the hotel was entertainment and sexual exploitation.

All made possible because they partnered with Big Bear, who deals in human trafficking.

“Black Pistols is gradually leaking the evidence to the press.”

“Yes. That’s why people are going wild trying to catch him. It’s likely to blow up into a major case under central government scrutiny.”

“Yeah, seems that way. Reporters are swarming the story like wild dogs. Thanks to that, Big Bear’s been lying low.”

Even among villains, there’s a difference between the horrifically vile and those who deserve to rot in hell.

Big Bear, the boss of the massive organization Two Star, was the vilest of the vile who trafficked in people.

He exploited people in every possible way for profit.

The sexual exploitation at O’Connell’s hotel was all orchestrated by Big Bear.

“Given Big Bear’s personality, he won’t take this lying down. Wasn’t your recent injury also from clashing with him over drug territory expansion?”

“Liam. I didn’t know you were still that naïve.”

“Sir?”

Raphael pulled a cigar from his coat.

When the high-end lighter clicked, the cigar lit up.

He gazed out at the darkened road.

He couldn’t tell whether the faint mist at the top of a distant skyscraper had drifted in from the harbor or was left behind by Red Shadow.

“This city is wild. If I don’t kill, I’ll be killed. If I don’t devour, I’ll be devoured. Between Big Bear and me, one of us has to die.”

“That’s a frightening thought.”

“After I kill Big Bear, I’ll have to crush whoever tries to rise next. Only by seizing control of the city can I survive until the day I die.”

“You’re healthy and highly capable, Raphael, but Deva is fragile. Isn’t this situation too much for her?”

Fwooo.

The smoke Raphael exhaled was swallowed by the darkness of the city.

“That’s something I can solve once I reach the top of the food chain. In that sense, I’m really looking forward to seeing Big Bear’s face today.”

Snickering, Raphael spotted a faint silhouette of a warehouse by the docks in the distance.

***

When they arrived, Big Bear, who had arrived earlier and was waiting, parked his car next to Raphael’s.

Through a window rolled down just enough to poke a gun barrel through, the fingers of Big Bear—wearing an oversized ring like brass knuckles—were visible.

“Hey, Big Bear. How did Black Pistols’ bullets taste? Pretty spicy for tranquilizer darts, huh?”

“Starting a fight as soon as you show up, huh.”

“I heard Red Shadow stole your organ trafficking client list. And you even got a veteran in the field roasted on a skewer. You’re in quite the mess.”

Big Bear clenched his teeth and ran a hand through his hair, while Raphael watched him like it was the most amusing thing in the world.

Death Adder’s main industries were illegal arms trafficking and liquor sales.

The prohibition law may have been repealed now, but when Raphael first stepped into the underworld, it was still in full force.

Death Adder started by selling booze illegally, then used the funds to get into weapons trafficking.

Meanwhile, Two Star, which drained people to their very souls, expanded from human trafficking to casino gambling.

O’Connell Hotel was bait to snag politicians and businessmen, then use that leverage to get a casino license and go legit.

So when Black Pistols and Red Shadow hit the hotel and the organ traffickers, Big Bear’s situation became seriously strained.

“Let’s team up and take down Red Shadow.”

“What’s the price?”

“The drug trade. I’ll split the territory in half.”

“Lame.”

“Fine. You get six, I get four.”

“No. That’s not what I want.”

“Damn it. You want it all to yourself?”

Raphael flicked the cigar, now worn down to a stub, onto the ground.

“Why don’t you get on your knees? After all, the weapons used to catch Red Shadow are mine, aren’t they?”

“You’re not unaware that my organization has way more people than yours.”

“Still not getting what I’m saying, huh. I came here today just to see your twisted face. And while I’m at it, to turn down your offer.”

“What?”

Big Bear rolled the window all the way down.

Backlit, only the sharp silhouette of Big Bear’s face was visible.

Grinning, Raphael bared his teeth. “I hate gambling scum. My damn father was a gambler. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t just ignore the kids you sold to gamblers—they felt like siblings to me.”

“Don’t tell me you’re the one who leaked info to Black Pistols!”

“And that’s not all. I also threw your men in Red Shadow’s path to mess with your organ trafficking. You stabbed me in the gut—so it’s only fair your gut gets stabbed too, right?”

With that, Raphael pulled out his gun and fired.

The bullet aimed squarely at Big Bear’s forehead dropped weakly to the ground, disrupted by the magic-interference field surrounding the car.

If it had been a regular bullet, it might’ve killed Big Bear, but bringing a magic-powered gun just in case had turned out to be a bad move.

Calmly, Raphael drew a regular firearm and opened fire.

But Big Bear had already sped off.

As Big Bear’s hidden subordinates appeared, Liam, who was at the wheel, took them out one by one.

“Liam! After him!”

Liam accelerated, giving chase.

Raphael leaned halfway out the window, taking aim at Big Bear.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets shattered the rear windshield and pierced the license plate, but failed to hit the back of Big Bear’s head.

“Running like a damn rat, huh! Big Bear!”

Bwahahaha!

Raphael laughed at the fleeing Big Bear before pulling back inside the car.

“Too bad.”

“You’re not going to keep chasing him?”

“I’m not the only one targeting Big Bear in this city. Red Shadow, the cops, the central government… the bigger this case gets, the more danger he’s in.”

When a case grows too large and the one meant to be punished ends up dead, attention turns to the one who killed them.

He’d come to mock Big Bear and rattle him a bit, so this much was enough.

Stuffing his gun back into his coat, Raphael gave orders, “This is the perfect time to move while Big Bear’s hiding out. Prohibition’s over, and weapon sales are peaking—we’ve got to expand quickly. Keep your head straight, Liam.”

“Yes, sir. Don’t worry.”

From the edge of the sea, a faint dawn began to creep in.

As darkness faded, it was time for fog to seize the city.

A moment when justice, darkness, and villains all blur within the gray mist. The only thing that can clear that confusion is one thing—the light that shines upon the world.

It’s only natural that the sun which evaporates the mist will eventually set, letting the darkness return.

And Raphael Moltke was the sin of the city, saved from the dark.

***

“Shit! Damn that Raphael!”

Big Bear slammed the door of his parked car and stormed out, fuming.

The car’s frame had been riddled with bullets, and his men were carrying their bloodied comrades.

Bang!

Unable to contain his rage, Big Bear kicked the bumper—only for it to fall off with a clunk.

He’d been completely played by Raphael.

More than Red Shadow who burned his operations to the ground or Black Pistols who wrecked his business, he wanted to kill Raphael the most.

“If that blade had gone just one more inch, I’d have crushed his damn windpipe!”

His teeth ground together furiously.

Big Bear fetched a golf club from a corner of the parking lot and began smashing the car body.

With his immense strength, each swing left deep dents and broke through the metal.

His long hair flew wildly with each strike.

“Hoo. Huuu.”

Only when the 300-million raphens car was damaged beyond repair did Big Bear finally set the golf club down.

Calming his volcano-like fury, Big Bear wore a face colder and crueler than ice.

“Julio. I need you to find out about Raphael’s younger sister.”

No underground figure would willingly reveal their private life, but Raphael had a peculiar weakness.

That trait had caught Big Bear’s attention.

Two Star trafficked in humans. So they knew well how much of a weakness ‘love’ could be.

In most cases, the strongest form of love was for family.

“If you lay a hand on his sister, it’ll mean an all-out war with Death Adder.”

“There’s always the option of using her as leverage in negotiations.”

“But… you know, right? His sister is Anti-Venom’s woman.”

Anti-Venom.

He was the number one figure in Death Adder and infamous for his ruthlessness.

He had even killed fellow gangsters who co-founded Death Adder, dumping them into the sea to feed the fish for his own gain.

The only founding member he hadn’t killed was Raphael.

That was because Raphael’s sister was Anti-Venom’s woman.

Raphael served as the second-in-command under Anti-Venom and managed the members who were hesitant to follow the boss.

“We’ve come across Black Pistols and Red Shadow, but never Anti-Venom. Who even knows if he really exists or if he’s just some made-up specter?”

“…During the police commissioner’s gambling incident, I heard something while covering for him. The commissioner was investigating Raphael Kapuzen’s real identity.”

No one believed that Raphael Kapuzen was the true identity of Death Adder’s key figure.

After all, in this underworld, who didn’t have at least one fake identity?

Julio Guerra continued his explanation, “They failed to uncover his real identity, but they did manage to find out one of the properties he owns. He uses so many fake houses that he rarely visits any of them, but thanks to a planted listening device, we got one clue.”

“What is it?”

“‘Buy various kinds of weapons from O.H. and have them shipped to the house.’ It seems O.H. is an arms dealer from another country, but no one can find any trace of such a person.”

“Weapons? He said weapons? Puhahahaha!”

Suddenly bursting into laughter, the boss left Julio bewildered.

Big Bear shook his head like it was utterly ridiculous.

“Raphael was feeding the bugs false info because he was wary of surveillance. There’s no way the cops would know what O.H. is!”

“Then what is O.H.?”

“Ophelia House. That dessert shop we use as a front for drug distribution! He even buys desserts for his sister! Ahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!”

The eyes of the laughing Big Bear gleamed with malice.

He owed Death Adder many debts. And those debts were ones Raphael would have to repay.