Villain Origin : Every Crime I Commit Helps Me Level Up-Chapter 38: Territory Claimed

Zaria rushed to Ken’s side, who was struggling to sit up amid the scattered debris. Julian stood frozen, the gun still warm in his trembling hands as he stared at the spot where the ninja had vanished.

"Are you okay?" Zaria asked as she lifted Ken up, supporting his weight with her shoulder.

Ken winced, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah... I’m good." His eyes shifted to Julian, narrowing slightly. "Who’s the kid?"

"That’s Julian Blackwood, André’s best friend," she replied, steadying Ken as he found his footing.

Ken’s eyes widened. "What?... Blackwood? The Blackwood?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yep, the same," she confirmed, fixing her gaze on Julian who still looked confused and shocked. Once Ken was steady enough to stand on his own, she approached Julian with purposeful strides.

"Why are you here?" Zaria demanded, her questions coming rapid-fire. "And why did that ninja not attack you? Are you just pretending to also be in danger? Might you actually know who sent it here? Maybe you did and you’re just acting scared..."

Julian took a step back, raising his hands defensively. "I-I swear, I had nothing to do with any of this!" he stammered, his voice cracking. "I was just here to help André out, and I noticed you guys were in danger. That’s the only reason I stepped in!"

"Really convenient timing," Ken muttered, massaging his jaw where the ninja’s kick had connected.

"I’m serious!" Julian protested. "I just followed André here because I was worried about him. He’s been acting strange lately, disappearing at odd hours. I thought maybe he was in some kind of trouble."

Their conversation was abruptly cut short when André appeared, carrying Victor’s lifeless body over his shoulder. The corpse’s head lolled unnaturally, blood still seeping from the bullet wound.

Zaria’s expression hardened at the sight, though not entirely from shock—she hadn’t expected André to kill Victor, but in their line of work, death was an occupational hazard. "So you killed him?" she asked, her tone matter-of-fact.

"No, this wasn’t me," André replied grimly, carefully setting Victor’s body on the ground. "It was done by someone else. He came out of the shadows."

Ken exchanged glances with Zaria. "The same thing happened here. A shadow ninja showed up and was about to kill us before your friend saved us." He nodded toward Julian.

André turned, noticing Julian for the first time. His eyes widened in shock. "Julian? What are you doing here?"

Julian stepped forward, his earlier fear giving way to indignation. "You’ve been hiding something from me. I wouldn’t have guessed you joined a gang." His voice carried a mixture of hurt and disbelief. "How long did you plan on hiding something as big as this from me?"

André’s lips quirked into an amused smile. "I didn’t join a gang," he corrected. "I created one."

Julian’s jaw dropped, and he stared at André as if seeing him for the first time. The silence stretched between them for several seconds before Julian found his voice again.

"Let me join," he blurted out.

"What? No," André responded immediately, shaking his head.

"Come on, man! I just found out I might be good with a gun!" Julian pointed at the pistol he’d used, now lying on the concrete floor. "You heard what happened—I saved them!"

Ken snorted. "We already have a gun guy, and that’s me," he interjected, patting the holster at his hip. "Besides, one lucky shot doesn’t make you Deadshot."

"But I hit the ninja!" Julian protested.

"Yeah, and it healed itself and would’ve sliced you in half if it hadn’t decided to go all smoke monster on us," Ken retorted. "What were you going to do for an encore? Throw the empty gun at it?"

Julian’s face flushed. "I could have... I don’t know... distracted it more?"

"Right, distracted it," Ken drawled. "With what? Your incredible screaming-like-a-little-girl technique? Very intimidating."

"I did not scream like a girl!" Julian objected.

"You’re right," Ken agreed with mock seriousness. "That would be an insult to girls. I’ve heard banshees with more pleasant battle cries."

Zaria rolled her eyes. "Are you two done? We’ve got bigger problems than Julian’s questionable marksmanship."

"Hey!" Julian frowned, but André held up a hand to silence him.

"The answer is still no, Julian," André said firmly. "This isn’t a game. These people are dangerous—you saw what that ninja could do, and you haven’t even met the one who seems to be it leader—someone far more dangerous."

Julian’s enthusiasm deflated as he recognized the finality in André’s tone. After a moment, he asked, "What’s your gang called, anyway?"

Ken perked up before André could answer. "We’re the Shadow Smashers," he declared with a proud smirk.

André shot him an exasperated look. "We are not called the Shadow Smashers."

"Come on, it’s perfect!" Ken insisted. "We smash shadows... shadows try to smash us... there’s a whole theme going on."

"That’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard," Zaria muttered.

"We’re called Nighfall," André stated firmly, ignoring Ken’s pout. "Because we don’t fade, we don’t break—and Solar Shade was just the beginning."

Julian nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Nightfall... that’s actually pretty cool."

André turned to Zaria, changing the subject. "Where’s Hawk?"

"He’s resting right there," she replied, gesturing toward a secluded corner of the warehouse where a bulky figure was propped against the wall. "He’s pretty battered up—but don’t be fooled. He’s the one who took down Marcus."

André looked in Hawk’s direction, a proud expression crossing his face. "Let’s present their leader and lieutenant’s bodies to them before they wipe our men out."

They made their way across the warehouse to where the battle was still raging between Victor’s men and their own. The fighting had intensified in their absence, with neither side gaining a clear advantage. The clash of metal and occasional gunfire created a cacophony of violence that echoed through the cavernous space.

André stepped forward, dragging Victor’s corpse by the collar of his jacket. Before he could speak, Ken raised a pistol and fired a single shot into the air. The sharp crack echoed through the warehouse, cutting through the chaos. The fighting stuttered to a halt as all eyes turned toward the source of the disruption.

"Your leaders have fallen!" André shouted, his voice carrying across the warehouse. He dropped Victor’s body unceremoniously, the thud of the corpse hitting the concrete floor emphasizing his words. Zaria and Ken flanked him, with Hawk’s unconscious form slung between them. "Marcus and Victor have been defeated. This battle is over."

A murmur rippled through Victor’s men as they stared at their leader’s lifeless body. Disbelief gave way to shock, and then to fear as the reality of their situation sank in.

"Nightfall has claimed this territory," André continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous pitch that somehow carried even more weight than his shout had. "Anyone who wishes to join us may do so now. The rest of you—leave. And spread the word: these streets belong to Nightfall now."

For a moment, no one moved. Then, like a spell breaking, Victor’s men began dropping their weapons. The clatter of guns and knives hitting the floor was followed by the sound of retreating footsteps as they scattered, pushing past each other in their haste to escape.

André watched them flee, his expression impassive. When the last of Victor’s men had disappeared, he turned to his own followers. "Secure the perimeter. Make sure they don’t double back. And someone get Hawk to our medic."

As his orders were carried out, Zaria approached André, her expression serious. She glanced meaningfully at Julian, who was examining the warehouse with newfound interest.

"We need to talk about your friend," she said in a low voice. "Don’t you think it’s strange that the shadow ninja didn’t attack him? Even after being shot by him?"

André’s eyes narrowed as he considered her words. "What are you suggesting?"

"I’m saying the timing is suspicious," Zaria continued. "He shows up right when we’re under attack, fires one shot that barely does anything, and then the ninja just... disappears? Instead of finishing him off? Something doesn’t add up."

André felt a cold knot form in his stomach. He’d known Julian since they were kids, but recent events had taught him that trust was a luxury he could ill afford. For a brief moment, he considered using his Karmic Authority on Julian—a power that would force the truth from his friend’s lips. But there would be no coming back from that. If Julian was innocent, André would carry the guilt of that violation for the rest of his life.

As André wrestled with the decision, Julian approached them, seemingly oblivious to their hushed conversation.

"Hey, André," Julian said, his earlier disappointment apparently forgotten. "I meant to tell you—I’m leaving the country later today. My dad wants me for some business thing abroad and says they need a blood relative there. Asked me to go for a while, so I’ll have to miss the exam, but I’ll be back when I’m done with business over there..." He hesitated, then added hopefully, "Can I join your gang then?"

André studied his friend’s face, searching for any sign of deception. The mention of leaving the country right after this incident only heightened his suspicions, but he kept his expression neutral.

"Let’s see," André replied carefully, extending his hand for a dap. Julian returned the gesture, and they exchanged smiles, though André’s didn’t quite reach his eyes.

In his mind, André made a silent promise: ’If Julian does have anything to do with the shadow that showed up in the warehouse, I would have to kill him. Even knowing I might have a hard time actually doing it.’

As Julian moved away to examine a discarded weapon on the floor, Zaria approached André again.

"What’s next from here?" she asked quietly.

Ken joined them, holstering his gun. "Yeah, boss. What’s the play now that we’ve got this territory?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

André looked at the aftermath of the battle—the scattered weapons, the few remaining members of Nightfall securing the warehouse, the blood staining the concrete floor. His gaze hardened with resolve.

"We strengthen our position," he replied. "Absorb as many of Victor’s operations as we can. Build our numbers."

In the recesses of his mind, a seething vow took shape: ’That man—only remembered by the echo of his laughter—will pay for what he did to Iris.’