[Gradion City-Black market]

"Boss, why are we here?" Leo asked Ethan curiously as he looked around the street, which was filled with thugs and frauds. He felt uneasy and out of place in this shady part of the city.

"We are here to recruit our fourth member." Ethan replied calmly, as if he knew what he was doing.

"Here? In this place?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Yes." Ethan replied.

"Alright, fine. But how are we going to find him?" Leo asked.

"We have to split up. He might be hiding in one of these alleys or buildings. Just look for his purple hair with ponytails and daggers. And be careful, this place is dangerous." Ethan said.

"Okay, got it. Let's meet back here in an hour." Leo agreed.

They both split up in different directions, Leo went left into a busy street, and Ethan went straight towards a dark alley.

As Leo walked on the street, he tried to ignore the commotion of the people and the stench of the garbage.

He wondered what kind of person their fourth member would be. Would he be friendly or hostile? Would he join them willingly or reluctantly? Would he be loyal or treacherous? Leo hoped for the best but prepared for the worst.

He scanned the crowd for any sign of purple hair or daggers, but he saw none. He felt frustrated and bored. He wished he could find him soon and get out of this place.

"Excuse me." A melodious voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned back and saw a beautiful girl about his height. She was wearing a skirt and had two ponytails, one of them purple. She had big eyes and a cute smile. She looked innocent and harmless. Leo felt his heart skip a beat.

"Ye.. Yes." His face turned red, and he stuttered as he spoke.

"Can you help me?" The girl asked sweetly.

"Yes, of course. " He quickly replied without even asking about her problem. He was smitten by her charm.

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"Thank you, thank you very much." She said gratefully.

"It's nothing. Anyway, my name is Leo. What is your name?" He asked politely.

"My name is Mia." She said.

"Okay, Mia. What can I help you with?" He asked.

"You look strong. Some thugs are bullying my brother. Can you beat them up for me?" She asked.

"Sure. Tell me where he is." He said, trying to sound brave.

He thought it was a noble cause to help a damsel in distress.

"Okay, follow me." She said.

He followed Mia and reached an empty alley. He felt a sudden chill in his spine. He sensed something was wrong and wanted to say something, but he quickly felt that he couldn't move. He was paralyzed.

"What's happening?" He asked in panic.

"Just a temporary paralysis," Mia turned and said with an enigmatic smile.

"What? What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

"Nothing serious, just relieving you of your belonging." She said casually. She moved towards him and snatched the shield from his back.

"Give me back my shield." He demanded angrily.

Mia darted up the alley wall. "Goodbye," she taunted before fleeing.

Leo also quickly snapped out of the paralyzed state and started chasing her. He realized he had been fooled by a clever thief. He felt angry and humiliated.

Leo ran after Mia, but she was faster and more agile than him. She dodged the people and the obstacles on the street while he struggled to keep up with her.

He cursed under his breath as he saw her getting farther and farther away from him. He wondered how she could run so fast with a skirt and a shield.

He wished he had his shield back. It was not only a weapon but also a gift that his team leader had selected for him. He couldn’t let her get away with it. He had to catch her and make her pay. He pushed himself harder and harder, hoping to close the gap between them.

Meanwhile, Ethan was also looking for Dagger in the dark alley. He had a different approach than Leo. He didn’t rely on his eyes, but on his ears and his nose. He listened carefully for any sound of metal clashing or blades slicing. He smelled the air for any trace of blood or sweat.

Suddenly, he heard a scream. He recognized the voice. It was Leo. He sounded angry and desperate. He quickly reached on the terris of a building and saw Leo running after a girl.

He saw the shield in the girl hand and understood the whole situation. He noticed that Leo was having a problem catching her. But instead of helping him, he silently stood their and watched the scene unfold.

Leo chased her to another alley, where he saw her talking to a man. The man had purple hair tied in a ponytail and was holding several daggers in his hands. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. He looked cool and confident. He was Dagger.

"Hey, sis. What did you bring today?" Dagger asked Mia.

"Look, I got this shield from a stupid guy. He was so easy to trick. He thought I was in trouble and followed me like a puppy." Mia said proudly.

"Wow, nice. This shield looks valuable. Good job, sis. You are the best thief in the city." Dagger praised her.

"Thanks, bro. You are the best assassin in the city." Mia said.

They hugged each other and laughed.

Leo felt a surge of anger and disbelief. He couldn't believe that Mia was Dagger's sister and that they were both criminals. He felt betrayed and foolish. He decided to confront them and get his shield back. He stepped out of his hiding place and shouted.

"Hey, you two. Give me back my shield. Now."

They turned around and saw him. They looked surprised and amused.

"Look who's here. It's the stupid guy." Mia said mockingly.

"Hey, stupid guy. How did you find us?" Dagger asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter. Just give me back my shield. It's mine." Leo demanded.

"Sorry, no can do. It's ours now. Finders keepers, losers weepers." Mia taunted.

"That's not fair. You tricked me." Leo said angrily.

"So what? Life is not fair. You were naive. You fell for me. So you got tricked." Mia said.

"That's enough. Stop talking and fight me. If you win, you can keep the shield. If I win, I get it back. And you have to join my team."

"Your team? What team?" Dagger asked.

"I'm a tank of Twilight team, the most powerful team of Phoenix guild." Leo said proudly.

"I've also heard rumors about Twilight but a tank and you?" Dagger said sarcastically as he looked at Leo small height.

"Enough talking. Do you accept or are you scared?" Leo provoked Dagger.

"Fine then." Dagger said as he held two daggers in his hand.

"But don't blame me if I accidentally kill you."