— Sunday - Evening - Veneziale Estate —
andasnovel.com In the evening at the Veneziale estate, Don Aridito Veneziale indulged in his routine and favorite activity: playing with Cotton, the adorable 'Portal Rabbit' and Michaela's pet. Michaela had entrusted the gangster with the care of Cotton while she was busy with her bodyguard duties.
Unbeknownst to Daniel, whenever the archangel had some free time from her bodyguard responsibilities, such as when Wrath was engrossed in training with the soldiers at the base and granted her permission, she would fly to the Veneziale estate at high speed. There, she would spend time playing with Cotton and enjoy her favorite pastime.
One of the special amenities prepared for her enjoyment was a mini theater, where she could watch K-Dramas. The Veneziale gang had recognized her as an archangel, thanks to Michaela's inability to keep her true identity a secret. Consequently, some devout Christians within the gang would pray to her, and she graciously accepted the role of confessor, listening to their confessions.
The archangel found solace in this role, as ever since Daniel associated with the gang, they had abandoned many of their illegal activities, particularly drug and human trafficking. They now focused mainly on smuggling and the black market for lower-grade magical artifacts, which proved to be a lucrative venture. In fact, their profits from these endeavors far exceeded the combined earnings of their previously abandoned illegal businesses.
As a result, Cotton, the adorable 'Portal Rabbit,' garnered immense affection from the gang members. They saw her as their mascot and a tangible connection to the archangel. Some even went as far as buying carrots in abundance to spoil her, much to the chagrin of Don Veneziale, who had the responsibility of ensuring Cotton didn't overindulge. Michaela was concerned about Cotton becoming too chubby for her own good.
"Cotton, come. Let's go sleep together," Don Veneziale called out with a smile. His son had recently departed to study abroad at a butler school in London as part of the agreement made with Daniel. During these times, the little white furball provided him with companionship and light-heartedness.
"Fu!" Cotton responded, expressing her agreement before gleefully leaping towards Don Veneziale. She then hopped onto his shoulder, perching there like a beloved stuffed animal.
Don Veneziale walked out of the guest wing, where Cotton was usually kept, as it was the place Michaela visited to play with her beloved pet. He made his way towards the residential wing, which served as his home.
Upon entering the residential wing, several maids rushed over, eager to take Cotton from their boss's shoulder. However, Don Veneziale halted them with a simple gesture.
"No thanks, today I'll sleep with this little furball," the Don declared with adoration, continuing on to the second floor where his bedroom was located.
Just as he was about to enter the room to rest, his Consigliere, Luciano, hurriedly approached him, panic evident in his typically composed expression.
"What's the problem, Mr. Luciano?" Don Veneziale inquired, his face adopting a serious expression as he was not accustomed to seeing his advisor in such a state of panic.
"Don! We've been attacked!" the Consigliere exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.
"What? By whom?" the Don questioned, a hint of anger flickering across his face.
As if in response to the Don's query, a commotion erupted from the direction of the estate's main gate. Don Veneziale could hear the clamor of voices and shouting coming from outside the gate.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion resonated from the vicinity of the main gate. Without hesitation, Don Veneziale and Luciano swiftly made their way towards the entrance of the estate, gripping their guns tightly, ready to confront whoever had the audacity to attack them in the dead of night.
At the estate's main entrance, the sight of a car that had plowed through the gate unfolded before their eyes. Surrounding the entrance were numerous gangsters, some injured, heavily wounded, or lying lifeless on the ground. Blood stained the pavement, and pick-up trucks filled with armed individuals continued to arrive, disgorging their occupants who were armed to the teeth.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted as the invaders launched their assault on the estate. Don Veneziale and Luciano swiftly sought cover and fought back against the assailants.
"Little one, hide here. I'll be back," Don Veneziale instructed, gently placing Cotton behind a thick wall before returning to his position at the entrance. He returned fire, aiming at the invaders while keeping an eye on Luciano, who was firing his gun and attempting to contact the outside for backup. However, the beeping sound from Luciano's phone indicated that he was out of range.
"Shit! They brought a jammer too!" Luciano swore in frustration, continuing to fire at the invaders and successfully taking down two of them.
"Use the direct line in my office!" Don Veneziale instructed his Consigliere.
Luciano rushed to the Don's office, his heart pounding with urgency. As soon as he arrived, he hastened to the line phone, desperately attempting to contact all the nearby gangs, including their own members who guarded their businesses such as bars, clubs, and warehouses, as well as their allied gangs.
To Luciano's dismay, every place he reached out to was under attack. It was a coordinated assault orchestrated by different gangs, some of whom held grudges against them or were outside of their sphere of influence. Many of these gangs were from nearby cities, oblivious to the existence of the Curtained World. They were like audacious hyenas challenging a lion, and their sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm them.
In the past, an attack of this scale would not have shaken them. The Don had a multitude of loyal guards armed to the teeth, capable of defending their interests. However, their current situation was dire. While they possessed weapons and artifacts, they lacked the manpower to effectively deploy them.
Most of the trusted individuals who could wield artifacts had either been transferred to Daniel's secret base or had transitioned to normal employment in middle management positions within Daniel's company, as they sought early retirement from the underworld. This left behind only lower-ranking goons who didn't inspire enough confidence. A small group of management personnel remained to safeguard their interests and businesses.
In essence, they had stretched themselves too thin.
There was one final option for Luciano to contact, but he hesitated. Seeking assistance from this particular number would imply their own incompetence in dealing with matters unrelated to the Curtained World. Luciano's gaze fell upon the address of the port, where they had permission to use the surface facilities, beneath which lay their backer's secret base.
As the gunfight raged on, the relentless exchange of gunfire filled the air. The invaders, armed with submachine guns and rifles, were still pinned down, unable to advance even a single meter due to their lack of skill in combat. However, their overwhelming numbers posed a formidable challenge.
"Damn it! How long is it going to take for those assholes to bring out the heavy weapons? It's just in the basement!" the Don exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice, to one of his lieutenants who continued to suppress the invaders with his submachine gun, preventing them from making any further progress.
"Don, your armory has excessive security checks, even with the permission. It'll take some time before they can retrieve those babies," his lieutenant reminded him, highlighting the inflexibility of the security measures in place.
"Fucking hell!" The Don swore in frustration, his anger mounting as they continued to exchange gunfire from behind their protective barriers. Suddenly, a grenade sailed through the air, landing perilously close to their position.
"Shit!" Both the Don and his lieutenant cursed, instinctively diving away from the impending explosion.
Boom!
The grenade detonated, unleashing a devastating shockwave that shattered their mana shields. The Don's leg seared with intense pain as he surveyed the grisly sight of shrapnel wounds. Miraculously, his leg remained intact, averting the dire possibility of amputation.
Turning his attention to his lieutenant, who had fought valiantly by his side, the Don observed the marks of shrapnel wounds on his body. Though shielded by the mana shield brooch, the lieutenant had still sustained injuries. The Don's proximity to the grenade had inflicted more severe damage to his leg compared to his lieutenant, despite the partial protection provided by the brooch.
"Fuu!" A sound escaped from the innocent little white furball, Cotton, who was by the Don's side. Startled, the Don quickly turned his gaze towards the source of the sound.
"Cotton! Why are you here!? Go hide!" The Don shouted in a panic. Cotton was the pet entrusted to him and the Veneziale gang by the archangel and their backer, Daniel. At that moment, he momentarily forgot about his injured leg.
"Hahahaha! What's this? Don Veneziale, The Great, showing a soft spot for a little rabbit?" One of the invaders swaggered in through the entrance, taking advantage of the momentary ceasefire and the inability of many gang members outside to prevent them from infiltrating the main estate.
"You!" The Don clenched his teeth, trying to shoo Cotton away. However, instead of fleeing, she hopped closer to him, her expression filled with concern for the Don, who had always taken care of her in addition to her owner.
"Oh... Don Veneziale... watch as I send that little furball to join you in hell," the invader sneered, aiming his gun at Cotton, who remained oblivious to the danger, innocently watching over the Don.
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