"Hurry the fuck up Renato!" A voice snapped from the radio. "I don't pay you fuckers to fuck around all day! I pay you to get shit done."

"Yeah. Yeah. We'll have the snot-nosed bitch soon. Just need to get a bead on her first."

There were a series of grunts and affirmative noises coming through the radio.

It was supposed to be a simple operation. The target was a spoiled little brat that was worth more than most of them combined, with a handful of martial arts accolades to her name, and a reputation as a prodigy. However, she had no known World Skill unlike her mother, and even if she could put up a fight, she was no threat.

The girl's kidnapping was meant to be a smash and grab operation, quick and dirty, with the promise of a huge payout for everyone involved.

At least it was, before some asshole punk in a hoodie ruined their plans and sent the entire squad of henchmen scrambling. A fucking pickpocket had just cost his squad hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in lost profits, assuming the boss had been willing to negotiate with them.

And if there was anything El Mago hated, it was people fucking with his bottom line.

The boss had told them that Matsudaira's heiress had been sighted shopping at the complex. But the bastard kid in a hoodie had thrown a wrench into the plan by stealing her purse, forcing her to give chase, and they had been unable to find her again. Still, it was a matter of time.

The radio crackled again. "What about that weird kid? Do you have eyes on him yet?" The voice on the radio spoke.

Renato gritted his teeth, and he felt a headache coming on.

His partner's World Skill allowed him to Scry the world around him, and Renato was more of a backup plan. A man with enhanced senses and reflexes honed from a lifetime of living as a hunter and park ranger.

But he had been out of the game too long, and the kid was fast, even faster than the girl. His instincts told him the kid had a few of his own that allowed him to sneak up and snatch her wallet, but it was a hunch.

"Yo, Henauldo, do you not think is a little fishy kid showed up right then?" a man with a heavy Mexican accent said from the back.

The kid had shown up right as the boss had confirmed the target was at the mall. It was a coincidence he didn't like either.

"It's Renato. Hen-a-too. Not Henall-do," another man in the back said. "And I'm telling you, it's just some dumb kid. I bet the kid just happened to be at the right place, at the right time."

Renato's partner coughed from the passenger seat. "Cool it. I am trying to focus." The man said.

Renato sighed, running his hand through his long dark hair. He had been on stakeout for almost two hours while the kids did their shopping. The air in the car was stuffy and thick with the stench of cigarettes.

His partner was a naturalized 30-something European immigrant from some small, eastern country he had never heard of. He was in his late thirties with dark brown hair, blue eyes, a mustache, and a widow's peak. His World Skill, Scry, let him see through the eyes of his men who are willing and communicate with them telepathically. It also enhanced his vision, allowing him to zoom in on his target like a sniper rifle. He had a few other uses of his skill, like detecting heat signatures and sensing auras.

He'd been a private investigator, back before the old boss had recruited him. The old boss was a cold, terrifying man, but his hand was always firm and fair. El Mago had been a rising star, and when the old boss went missing a month ago and Arsenal took over as the leader of their division, things changed for the worst.

Arsenal wasn't a bad boss, per se, but she wasn't the old man. She had an obsession with efficiency, results, and her projects. Arsenal was a genius, sure, and she was good at her job. But her obsession was also what had driven away most of their best people.

"Any bites, Zoran? The kid had to go somewhere. There's only so far he could go." Renato said.

His partner grunted. "I think so. The kid slipped through a few blindspots, but I think I got 'im."

The radio in Renato's hand buzzed, and Renato put it to his ear.

"Yo, it's me." A woman's voice said from the other end.

Renato's brow furrowed. It was the boss, Arsenal. "Go ahead," he answered.

"We have a lead." The woman said curtly.

"We do?"

"We're tracking a disturbance in the area where you saw the kid disappear. Get ready to move," Arsenal replied.

"What do you mean by a 'disturbance'?"

There was a momentary pause on the other line. Then, the woman spoke up again, her voice low and cold. "It looks like the kid's a Pioneer. A strong one, too, for his age. We had a brief surge of mana around the midway point between squads Delta and Foxtrot reflective of repeat World Skill use. It should be enough for you to pen them in."

Renato frowned, exchanging looks with Zoran.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Exactly what I said, dumbass." Arsenal snapped. "Last thing we want is for our meal ticket to end up stabbed and left to rot in a ditch by some street rat that got a little too brave for his own good. We need that ransom, so make sure he doesn't do anything stupid before we catch him and the gang of snot-nosed brats that's with our target."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Just keep your men on their toes and get a move on," she snapped. "I'm going to be busy trying to get a read on the area, so I'll have El Mago relay orders."

The radio clicked off and the woman hung up on the other end. Renato put the radio back on his belt, looking over at his partner.

"You heard her. You ready?"

The man nodded, his eyes closed as he focused. Renato stepped outside of his car and looked around, his eyes scanning the streets. He quietly adjusted his pistol, moving it from his hip holster to the front of his belt.

Renato looked down the road, spotting the other members of Delta squad waiting by their cars, all looking at him with nervous expressions on their faces.

He sighed, walking up to them.

"Alright, guys. You heard the boss. Kid's a Pioneer so be careful, but he's just one punk kid. I'm sure he'll turn into a scared kitten once he realizes the situation."

The others grumbled amongst each other, but nodded in assent.

Renato's eyes scanned the surroundings. The kid had disappeared down this street, and Arsenal's vague explanation didn't help narrow it down at all.

But, he had a few guesses.

He was an experienced hunter, and his hunches were rarely wrong. The alleyway just a block or so away had the perfect vantage point for a scrawny, sneaky teenager to slip away unseen. It'd also make for a decent hideout or ambush spot if the kid wanted to go loud. Not that Renato was going to be surprised if the brat decided to pull something stupid.

Renato sighed, turning to the rest of his crew.

"Alright. Let's do move in, men. Vinh? You're with us. The five of us will take the alley. Carlos? Go around the block and check the next two streets. Juan, you're on point duty. The rest of you split up, and see what you can find. Stay on radio, and report in every 5 minutes."

"Yo, why are we splitting up?" one of the men, a burly Mexican man whose name escaped Renato, said. "That sounds dumb."

"Because if this punk's hiding somewhere, we need to corner him and box him in. We'll get better results if we fan out and cover more ground and let Zoran work his magic. If the punk's got some talent and it isn't a fluke, I'm sure Arsenal and Mago can sniff him out."

The other men grunted their agreement and scattered, each taking a direction of their own.

Renato sighed, rubbing his face. The headache he'd felt was growing stronger by the minute, but he couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness in front of his crew. These men would follow orders if he showed that he was in charge, but only to a point. He was the one that kept the rabble in check, but he wasn't a heavy hitter like El Mago and the other people who'd developed direct combat Skills.

"Yo, Renato. You good, bro?"

He looked up to see one of his crew, a tall, muscular Mexican named Juan standing by his car, looking concerned. He was one of the more competent of his men, with a World Skill that made him resistant to all sorts of physical and energy attacks. The rest were either normal, talentless civilians, or had basic personal skills.

Renato sighed. "Yeah. Yeah. Just... Tired."

Juan looked skeptical, but shrugged. "You're the boss," he said as the two of them began to head down the road towards the alley. The others were spread out to either side, walking down the street with their weapons out.

Juan looked at him, his brow furrowing.

"What's the plan when we find the little fuck?"

"We kill or capture the kid. Take the Matsudaira brat hostage. Collect our reward. The usual."

"And the girl's friends? They're with her, aren't they? What if they put up a fight or try to defend her? Do we shoot to kill?" the Mexican said, his tone flat and dispassionate.

"Depends on what they're worth. Can't imagine a silver-spoon fed kid like Matsudaira's brat is hanging around trash. Could be a few of her friends have some pedigree, so try to take them alive in case they're rich kids. But don't take too many chances. We're coming out in force because it's Kaleidoscope Academy — there's bound to be a couple of kids there with some dangerous tricks. There's no need for us to be taking unnecessary risks here."

"Right."

The group of thugs walked silently through the city streets. It was early in the night, and there weren't too many people out. It wasn't a particularly dangerous part of town, largely due to their presence. It was a decent place to grab a bite, shop for a nice evening, or go out for a drink, and the gang liked it that way.

Renato had spent enough time in the rougher parts of the city, and he knew how bad things could get. Arsenal's little fiefdom was nice, clean, and orderly. She and her predecessor had made it that way through careful and ruthless management.

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The alley they'd followed the kid towards was just a block or two down, and the street was dimly lit by the flickering street lamps. It wasn't a dark and dangerous place like the alleys of the bad side of the city. There were a few homeless men sleeping on cardboard boxes and the like, and the alleyway had a small collection of trash cans and dumpsters, but nothing too concerning.

"Nyehehehe..." a creepy laugh suddenly rang through the alleyway.

"The fuck was that?" Juan murmured.

Renato drew his gun from its holster. "Stay alert. Sounds like we're not alone."

"Right," Juan said, taking out his pistol.

Vinh pulled a knife from his belt, and the others readied themselves.

Renato led the way forward. His eyes darted from side to side as they walked slowly and cautiously.

"What have we here? Nyehehehe" the creepy voice laughed again.

Renato's eyes widened, and he quickly turned his head to the side, looking around. "Who's there?" he demanded, his voice low and cold.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk." The voice laughed, this time closer. "That's no way to greet your betters. Have you no respect for the Dark Princess of Discord? How unwise.

"What?" Vinh murmured, raising his eyebrow.

Renato barely had time to shield his eyes as a bright white light flooded the side streets. The source of the lights was a dark silhouette standing atop the building overlooking them, standing between a pair of spotlights.

The girl was dressed like an evil queen from a fairytale, wearing a lolita gothica style black and red dress. She had a small red crown on her head and held a black wand in her hand, with a heart shaped jewel on the end.

"FOOLISH MORTALS!" she shouted down, her voice booming through the alley. "I am the Goddess of Chaos and ruler of the underworld, Dark Princess Eris! Know that this city shall soon belong to me! I have captured your precious little prize — the Matsudaira's heiress! In my first fortnight, I have already delivered a humiliating defeat upon the head of your pitiful leaders. The so-called Crimson Order, so-called Arsenal, Voltage, and the so-called Kingpin of Kaleidoscope — Red Masque. You may as well be dust and pebbles before the might of my magic. Know that this city will fall before the might of the Dark Kingdom, and will be the capital of my new domain!" The girl raised a finger, and a bright white spotlight illuminated her, revealing the gagged and struggling form of the Matsudaira heiress slung over her shoulder.

"What the fuck is this shit?" Renato muttered under his breath.

"What do you want, girl? You're a bit old for trick or treating, and this isn't a very nice part of the city to be playing make-believe in." Zoran shouted up at the girl. He looked over his shoulder at the other men, who were all looking up at her with confused or worried expressions.

And they had reason to be worried, of course. Renato had heard of Dark Princess Eris — she was a C-list villain at best, a public nuisance based out of the nearby Pewterstone City. He didn't know much about the girl, except that she was supposed to be a bit of an idiot.

But she was still known to be a rogue magical girl. A weak and low level one to be certain, but a real deal magical girl. And even the weakest knights were as fast, strong, and durable as any athlete in peak physical condition. And a single gunshot or two would barely break the aura of a peak athlete. That wasn't something to take lightly — she might be an annoyance at the most, but she was still dangerous.

"Alright, little girl," Vinh said with a sneer, brandishing his knife at her. "Put down the silver-spooned brat, and we can all walk away from this."

"Little girl!?" Eris shouted, laughing. "I'll have you know that I've been around since before time began. The concept of childhood is an insult, you little specks! Nyehehe. I am the Goddess of Chaos, and your lives are forfeit!"

"Zoran. What's it look like?" Renato quickly turned to the European, whispering to his partner as Vinh shouted threats at Eris, the others laughing or chuckling nervously as they tried to come to grips with the bizarre situation.

Zoran's brow furrowed as he closed his eyes and focused, scanning Eris with his powers. "Her aura signature is pathetic. Level 45 at most, and she doesn't seem to have anything more than the bare minimum. Just a few spells expected of a cadet, an enhancement to her physical abilities, and the telltale signs of a transformation. We would not even need El Mago to handle her if it came to it. Not unless she's hiding her mana somehow."

"Right," Renato muttered. He thought back to the briefings they had on magical girls and the various forms of combat enhancements and training they'd gone through.

She didn't have the aura signature that would indicate a veteran, and there was no way for a girl like her to be disciplined enough to hide her mana. "Call for backup, just in case. She's been known to give teams of knights a runaround. She might not be much, but she could be dangerous if we aren't careful. But we can't afford to leave without that brat."

The Matsudaira heiress struggled, kicking and squirming as she shouted something muffled by her gag. The other men were all looking at Eris, and the rest were all laughing or smirking as they looked at her.

"Oi, pipe down!" Eris shouted. "I'll get to you in a second, my dear."

The Matsudaira's daughter's struggling only grew more frantic.

Renato seized on the opening, leaping up to the roof in a single bound. He brandished his hunting knife at Eris as the men behind him shouted in surprise. Eris turned to him, a manic grin on her face as Renato closed the gap between them, charging at her.

Eris didn't move a single muscle, simply standing there with a wicked smile as he closed in on her.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed, raising a hand to cover her mouth in faux surprise. "It seems that a filthy mortal has managed to get the drop on the Goddess of Chaos. Oh dear, how will I ever escape this predicament?"

"MMrrgh!" Matsudaira shouted as Renato got close, lunging forward with his blade.

A gust of wind blew past him, and Eris suddenly vanished, disappearing into thin air in a flash of red and black.

Renato blinked in confusion as he stumbled, losing his balance and nearly falling over. He groaned, regaining his balance and looked around frantically.

A sharp whistle drew his attention upward, and his eyes widened in shock as he spotted the girl sitting on the water tower above, her feet dangling over the edge as she crossed her legs.

"Did you honestly think I didn't see that coming?" she smugly grinned, leaning against her arm. "Honestly, I'm almost insulted by how stupid you are. I have seen the creation and destruction of worlds, mortal. I've lived through the ages, seen civilizations rise and fall, and your pitiful excuse of a 'sneak attack' didn't even scratch the paint on my aura's barrier. Nyehehe!"

Renato's face flushed in anger as he growled in annoyance, glaring up at Eris. He could hear his men shouting in confusion, asking where Eris went. His face flushed in embarrassment as his mind began to race with the implications of the situation. If the little magical girl decided to run off, they'd likely lose track of her and the Matsudaira kid.

He and Zoran only made up the tracking party, but there were three of the heavy hitters with them that should be able to keep up with Eris and capture her and the Matsudaira brat.

"Think fast!"

He raised his radio, ready to call in El Mago, but Eris suddenly leaped off the tower, landing right in front of him with a crack as the concrete beneath her shattered from the impact. Renato barely had time to jump backwards as the girl swung her wand, a black bolt of mana lashing out and nearly taking out one of his eyes.

Renato barely managed to regain his balance as he dodged, his feet skidding along the gravel.

Eris didn't give him a second to breathe. She was on him before he could blink. Her fist was a blur, slamming into his chest with a blow that sent him flying backwards.

He winced as his aura shimmered green, absorbing most of the impact. Renato's eyes widened as he crashed into a wall, his back hitting the concrete and sending him tumbling down. He coughed in pain as his vision blurred, his head pounding as his body reeled from the blow. His chest burned as he tried to breathe, and he coughed up a bit of blood.

He struggled to his knees, wincing in pain as the girl laughed. The rest of the thugs were climbing the ladders up the side of the building. Renato could hear them cursing, their voices echoing off the walls of the alley.

"Come now, is that all you've got?" she asked, shaking her head.

Renato's radio crackled, and a voice came through.

"Renato! Renato!" the voice of one of the other teams called. "What the hell is going on over there!?"

"We've found the Matsudaira brat," Renato managed to speak out through his pain. "Someone calling herself Dark Princess Eris got to her first. We need back-up. Magical Girl level of threat. We can't afford to lose this one."

"Roger that," a woman's voice answered. "Sidewinder, El Mago, and Hypertroph are on their way. They'll be there in a minute."

"Got it. I'll keep you posted."

He could hear his crew calling for him, shouting that they were on their way. Renato groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling as he tried to stand.

"It's not too late to cut your losses and leave, girl." Renato growled. "Do you even know what kind of fire you're playing with?"

"Oh, you poor, poor, deluded fool," Eris grinned. "This city is already mine."

Suddenly the girl leaped to the side as a streak of blue energy flew by, smashing into the water tower where Eris had been just a moment earlier. Renato's eyes widened as the water tank exploded, showering the roof of the building with water and debris. The girl was fast enough that even Renato barely saw her dodge, even with his heightened senses.

"Oi, watch it you idiot!" Eris shouted at a newcomer standing atop a building at the edge of the street, dressed in a dark green sleek modern armor. The man had a long, lanky body, with spiky, shoulder-length hair. His outfit consisted of a dark green breast plate, pants, and an insulated cloak.

The figure grinned as a surge of blue energy flowed through the cloak, causing it to flutter as if it had been struck by a strong gust of wind.

"I thought you'd dodge," he sneered.

Sidewinder, a mid-ranking lieutenant with the power to manipulate energy, usually in the form of blasts.

Eris glared at the man, her face twisted with annoyance. The poor heiress slung over the magical girl's shoulder looked like she was about to cry from terror, her muffled shouts of panic getting ignored by the rest.

"Looks like this is my lucky day. I get to take out a runaway magical girl and bring home a Matsudaira. That ought to please the boss." Sidewinder smirked, grinning.

"Well, looks like you've got a lot to learn if you think I'm gonna let you just take my prize away," Eris chuckled, leaping to her feet. "You'll need more than just some fancy light shows if you wanna get the best of me, knave!"

Sidewinder's grin twisted into a snarl, his cloak billowing in the breeze.

Renato struggled to his feet as he heard the other thugs make it to the rooftop.

Eris glanced around at the newcomers, and then her expression turned smug again. "Nyehehe. As fun as it'd be to play around with the lot of you, I'd rather get to the fun part."

She summoned a device in a swirl of red motes of light. The device resembled an old, outdated smartphone with an edgy black and red cover, and a holographic screen flickered on as she tapped it with one hand, still keeping the other firmly wrapped around the squirming heiress.

"RAIKO? If you'd be a dear and play some suitable music, I'd be ever so grateful."

"Right away, Mistress," a soft feminine voice with an odd, lilting accent replied, and music began to blare from the speakers on Eris' device.

The thugs shared confused looks and shrugged helplessly.

Sidewinder raised his hand, preparing a blast of blue energy. He fired at Eris again, and the bolt of energy exploded as the magical girl kicked the energy away like a soccer ball. She spun, kicking the next several blasts that Sidewinder fired at her with ease.

The others charged her. Eris' expression didn't change, and she simply stood still with a smirk as they closed in on her, a confident gleam in her eyes.

"Can you Can Can? I think I can!" Eris chuckled. "Thanks, dearie. You know exactly what gets my blood flowing, nyahehe!"

Renato's jaw clenched, and he raised his knife. Eris wasn't just confident. She was cocky. He'd seen that kind of expression before, on the faces of arrogant, overconfident idiots. The kind that had gotten themselves into trouble, thinking they were untouchable, and that no one could harm them.

She wasn't even paying attention to them. Her eyes were focused on Sidewinder.

That meant that they could get the jump on her. They had her surrounded. There was no way out for her.

The heiress continued to squirm and struggle, her cries muffled by her gag as she tried to break free. It was a futile effort. The ropes around her were tightly bound. Renato had to give Eris credit, at least.

"Is the composition 'Galop Infernal' by Jacques Offenbach to your liking?" the lilting voice from the phone chimed.

"That'll work just fine, dearie. Welp, looks like we've overstayed our welcome. Last one off this roof is a rotten egg!" the magical girl laughed.

A dramatic tune started playing, the sound of violins and triangles filling the air as Renato and the other men charged.

"Adios!" Eris shouted.

As if in slow motion, Renato watched in shock as Eris tossed her hostage like a sack of potatoes. The Matsudaira heiress went sailing over the edge, and he heard the sound of a girl's startled shriek before she vanished out of sight.

"Fuck," Renato hissed under his breath, pushing his World Skill to the limits as he ran and jumped, trying desperately to grab hold of the girl.

She slipped through his fingers as she plummeted over the side of the building, her screams echoing through the night. Renato stumbled as he landed hard on his stomach, sliding to a halt at the very edge of the building. He watched helplessly as the Matsudaira heiress fell into a nearby alleyway.

He swore again. If the brat died, the ransom would be worth shit, not to mention that it would make them look incompetent. He scrambled to the edge of the roof, looking over to see the girl falling to her death. The men shouted at Eris as she dodged their attacks with ease.

He looked down at the street below, dreading the sight.

What he saw was the heiress falling right towards a small girl with cat ears, catching her in mid-air.

"Later, assholes!" Eris cackled from above, and Renato whirled around, just in time to see her vanish into a flash of red light, joined by the girl with cat ears.

"Yo, Juan! Vinh! Call the boss and get down here. After 'em!" he ordered. "I don't think we can catch her, but she's gotta have a base or a safehouse somewhere. She's got the Matsudaira brat."

"Got it." Zoran said, nodding as he jumped down to street level, landing in a crouch.

Renato followed after his partner, and the others were soon to follow. His chest still ached from where Eris had punched him. He was going to make that girl pay for every single hit. She would learn not to fuck with his crew. She would be a pain in the ass for a while, but they had a good shot at catching her.

"Jebem ti sreću..." Zoran muttered, his eyes wide in amazement as he caught up with Renato. "Who the fuck throws their own hostage off a building?!"

"Daa dadadada dada dadadada dada...." Carlos hummed the dramatic tune as he caught up with them.

"Shut. The fuck up!"

"Fuck off, Carlos."

Multiple voices echoed through the side streets as Renato's men made their way off the fire escape.

Renato sighed, taking just one second to catch his breath after chased after the streaks of light.

So much for a simple smash and grab.