A musical blast of synthetic metal raved through the entire battlefield.

It began with a small finger hitting a single note on an electric keyboard before raising it to a crescendo. Then an electric guitar joined in with a raw and distorted riff. Next came the low-pitched beats from plucking the thick strings of a bass guitar. And finally, a quick solo from an electric drum summed up the band.

Feeling empowered by the favorable change in atmosphere, the charging delinquents of Mary Glow’s crew unleashed a war cry that only continued to grow louder as they closed into what remained of Lord Xavion’s fanatics. Although still outnumbered by a massive ratio, the delinquents’ new attitude made them feel invincible.

◆◇◆

“Viola, I hope we see each other again in Heaven. Oh god, oh man… I hope it exists.”

Davis took a deep, shaky breath as he felt for the two weapons strapped to his back and prepared to make use of them for one last stand.

Viola closed her eyes for a moment as she shifted into a one-legged martial arts stance, ready to do the same.

Seated on top of the weapon case between the two teenagers, the blond man contemplated. He eyed his two companions, then his gauntlet, with an unstable frown. The contemplation on whether or not he should tell them about its other secret he knew left him hesitant to speak.

Between the charging armies of the two Tyrants, it was Mary Glow’s delinquents who reached the trio first. Davis and Viola tensed as they prepared to hold their ground against the rowdy army, only for the delinquents to divide and run past them!

“They’re… ignoring us?” Davis looked back, gawking as the rest of the army passed him in favor of attacking Lord Xavion’s fanatics. “Why?!”

“Because you really did us a solid out there.”

A female voice not belonging to Viola alerted Davis to spin the other way with one hand fixated on his longsword, ready to yank it out. Viola and the blond man followed suit, both in direction and in a sudden spike of uneasiness.

In front of the trio, by a few feet, stood Mary Glow in her neon glory.

「야!」

「Heya!」

She raised a hand and gave them a casual greeting.

“Stay behind me,” Davis advised Viola, and by extension, the blond man. “I’d rather not mess with another Tyrant so soon, but if you’re really gonna force me to fight, then I’ll fight to my last breath!”

Mary Glow rolled her multi-colored eyes to the side while shrugging. “At ease with the clichéd heroic speech, buddy. I come in peace,” she sighed.

She held out both hands and even rotated them to show she wasn’t toting a weapon or two on them.

Then her eyes turned grim. Davis was too late to react as a pair of throwing spikes flew past him in a flash of colors.

Oh crap!

How the Tyrant drew out and threw those throwing spikes so quickly was less of a concern to Davis than what happened to his companions. He spun on a heel toward them. “Huh?”

Contrary to what he was expecting, it wasn’t Viola or the blond man who had a throwing spike plunged into their chests. That honor, if it should be considered one, went to a pair of fanatics that tried to sneak behind them. They had their weapons raised to strike but fell to their backs with a thud before getting to do that.

“Okay, I kinda lied,” Mary Glow admitted. “But hey, at least your two friends aren’t left with swords wedged into their heads. So… we cool?”

Davis was unsure if he should trust the Tyrant, especially the one considered unstable and prone to changing her mind on a whim.

“We don’t want to cause you any trouble,” he said. “All we want is to get out of this district.”

“Oh, that’s it?” Mary Glow chirped. “Then allow me to make sure you guys get to leave San Desquiciado without a care in the world, and at your own pace too!” She turned to her camp, where some extra delinquents were on standby and where her band continued to spice up the turf war with their battle music. “Look, I’ll even go ahead, so you’ll know there’s no backstabbing…” She then sent the trio a momentary glare. “…at least from me.”

Gulping in some air, Davis nodded to Viola and the blond man.

They pushed the weapon case toward Mary Glow’s camp while keeping themselves proactive and on their toes. As for Mary Glow, she marched ahead with hands clasped behind her head.

This girlie’s got spunk.

When she first met the trio’s gaze, it was the look in Viola’s eyes that left the Tyrant of the west a little rattled. For someone she considered adorably cute, there was hidden malice that warned her to tread lightly. This wasn’t simply because of instinct; she got a hint seconds ago when Viola reacted to her throwing spike by swaying further out of its way rather than panic at the sudden attack. Somehow, she reminded her of Lord Xavion.

Then again, she shouldn’t have been too surprised. She did witness Viola’s strange clash of energy tigers with her arch-nemesis. The logic behind that was a question she had to find the right timing to ask.

◆◇◆

Mary Glow’s camp on the battlefield was the complete opposite of Lord Xavion’s.

“Frat Party” was the best way to describe it in a nutshell. Stereos were littered everywhere, playing wild, symphonic music that did more than enough to kick a person’s heart into overdrive.

It wasn’t unexpected, but it did seem a little unusual to watch her crew members act like they were letting loose, which was basically acting their age. The only issue was they were doing that while the turf war was still on.

An uproar of cheers filled the camp when a few delinquents on standby noticed four people and a weapon case entering their boundaries. There were so many reactions that many threatened to drown another. Davis could’ve sworn he heard the classic “YEAAAHHH!” and the unusual “WOOP-WOOP! among many others.” The cheers only grew louder as more delinquents joined in.

Ugh… I’m all in for this kind of noise, but for them to be making that much at this time of the night? This is why I’m happy to be a heavy sleeper.

Davis endured an earache while telling all those cheering delinquents to shut up — in his mind, of course — it was probably not a good idea to tell the delinquents to shut up while they were cheering with their neon weapons raised high. The blond man seemed to share his sentiment, although in his case, it was more like he didn’t like this level of noise no matter what time it was. He already had enough pain to deal with.

Viola seemed to be having a better time. She did her best to ignore the noise while giving some delinquents a friendly wave. Several males and a few females ended up swooning.

God, you’re so adorable.

Apparently, so was Davis.

Luckily, the wild cheering stopped before any eardrums could burst. All it took was a raised hand that everyone saw amidst the rowdiness. It was a testament that reminded Davis of how Mary Glow truly was a commanding force over her crew. It was also notable to him how all the delinquents remained loose and casual as they ceased their noisemaking. The short time spent at Lord Xavion’s camp felt like they were walking on eggshells, more like how he originally envisioned the four Tyrants of San Desquiciado.

“On behalf of my crew, really sorry if you guys felt annoyed.” Mary Glow gave the trio a quick bow then raised her head with a grin. “But hey, they just wanted to give it their all when cheering for you.”

“Us?” Davis questioned. “Why?”

“Like I said, you guys did us a solid. One much bigger than you think.” Mary Glow raised a fist up high. “Lord Annoying’s really annoying pipe organ is no more!” An array of cheers from the delinquent crew erupted through the camp again. Then an open hand rose up, and they stopped almost immediately. “Listen. I think I make no bones about it when I say my crew beats Lord Whereshisface in everything except numbers because, well, his crew is full of social outcasts and stuff. Problem was we couldn’t fight our usual best this time,” she grumbled. “Not with our lack of weapons and that stupid organ playing that head-ringing garbage it calls music!”

“I’ll say.” The blond man swiveled over to the Tyrant’s personal band. He confirmed that while their music was different, it also gave the same head-ringing sensation, at least for him.

“That’s the reason?” Viola was next to raise a question.

“Think about it!” Mary Glow closed in and draped an arm over her shoulder like they were already best friends. “When you fight, wouldn’t you think you’d do better than normal if your taste of music was playing in the background? I’m talking the intense battle type that gets your heart racing, the type that makes you feel like you can take on the world!”

“You mean like the character themes in some fighting videogames?” Davis suggested.

“Boom! Now here’s someone who gets my drift!” Mary Glow shifted her attention to him. “Anyways, now that this is all said and done, I guess all that’s left is for you guys to get the hell out of San Desquiciado, right?” She skipped waiting for an answer, and pointed hands at several crew members. “Martin, Paul, Maya, Santana, make sure these three and their wheeled object leave this district safely.”

“Sure thing, Mary.” Martin spoke for the four delinquents she selected and left with his colleagues to gather weapons from a nearby stash. While they were busy picking out what would most likely work for an escort mission, Mary Glow took the time to share Davis, Viola, and the blond man some parting words.

“What you guys did is really gonna stick with me for a while,” she said. “It kinda feels like a waste to let you go. Say, is there any chance for us to meet again? My crew could always welcome some new faces, and I think that with a few adjustments, the three of you would fit right in with us.” She then turned to her crew and raised her arms again. “Let me hear you guys out loud! Are they in or out?!”

Without hesitation, every delinquent nearby roared with cheers.

“Oookay… they didn’t give a clear answer, but I think it’s obvious that they like you guys,” Mary Glow said with a shrug. “But the final decision’s yours, though. What do you say?”

While the blond man had already made up his mind, Davis and Viola struggled with their decision. It all spawned from the stock information Davis had on joining a San Desquiciado crew. Were the perks of joining worth it? How much freedom will they have if they were to try balancing a double-life between a personal one and one under the employ of a Tyrant?

“Pssst…” a voice almost suitable for a seductress appeared behind Davis and gave his ear a sweet whisper. “You seem to be wondering if I will work you to death. While I won’t say that’ll never happen, I can assure you that I never force a heavy hand upon my crew. They’re here because they want to help me, and we’ll help you whenever you need it.”

Viola was next to be whispered to by a luminous shadow.

“And you. From the looks of it, you seem like a girl who cares about the way she looks. Nothing wrong with that. My turf is called a black market for a reason, you know. All the trendiest clothes you could try on, I’m sure this place has it all. What’s more, my crew can help you secure what you want. Maybe you’ll get them for a lower price, or better yet, for free. Just come back to us when you feel like it.”

That settled her decision. Viola leaned back, inhaling all she could before letting her emotions out—

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

—only for Davis to squeal like an excited girl before she could.

“I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in! I’m in!” He exclaimed while madly hopping in place, leaving the entire camp speechless at first. “But, uh, only if we get to leave for now,” he added.

Viola nodded in agreement. “Same here. Oh, and, count me in too.”

“Right... I guess that’ll have to do.” Mary Glow said after recovering from her shock. “Come back to us anytime you’re ready, okay?” She looked over to the blond man next. “And what about you?”

He promptly raised a hand. “The offer’s appreciated, but I’ll have to decline. I don’t live anywhere near here, so it would be a hassle.” He would’ve also mentioned their actual gap in age, but there was no need to complicate things.

And just like that, the delinquents in her camp got to witness one of the rare times Mary Glow ever sulked as her upper body slumped down. “Awww… that sucks…!” But she recovered back to her perky self in almost an instant. “Well, you got a point though, so fine, I guess. Two out of three’s still a win.”

The Tyrant extended her right hand to seal the future deal. Another right hand, wearing leather gloves with a vambrace, accepted it first.

“Davis,” he introduced himself, somewhat enticed by the firm grip Mary Glow returned to him.

“I’m Viola.” His friend said next, exchanging a more bubbly smile with the Tyrant’s unsettling one.

The blond man introduced himself next. “And I’m—”

“Not interested,” Mary Glow monotoned with another hand walled to his face. His declination to join her crew had left a sour taste in the Tyrant’s mouth. The devastated look on the blond man’s face almost made her laugh out of her monotoning. “Anyways, Davis and Viola, we’re totally stoked to have you!”

The delinquents rejoiced, elated that some special new blood was now set to be added to their ranks, whenever that time will be.

Davis and Viola couldn’t help but feel elated as well. The time for when they’d have to return to San Desquiciado differed, but it was reassuring to know that they were going to have a second home in the western section of the lawless district. A zone where they had the support of an entire faction and its surprisingly compassionate Tyrant. A zone with special perks they were dying to try out. This little adventure in San Desquiciado had its ups and downs, but at least it ended on a good note.

“HEY! HEY, HEY! THOSE ARE THE GUYS WHO BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF US!”

The rejoicing turned into confusion when an angry voice among the cheers broke through. It came from an injured delinquent who’d just returned to the camp with many others like him.

Uh-oh.

Although Davis didn’t recognize most of them, there were seven exceptions that made it clear who they were as a whole.

“I REMEMBER THAT GIRL TOO!” The injured delinquent shouted next. “I DUNNO HOW SOME FINGER POKES DID IT, BUT SHE’S THE REASON WHY MOST OF US BECAME PARALYZED!”

It’s already wearing off, was what Viola wanted to say to that delinquent, but she kept her mouth shut, or else it meant proving his suspicions on them.

“BRGUHDGDRDRW! BRIGHRAHGHURHUR… BROUDHSIIDAUR!!!” This delinquent spoke incomprehensibly, but everyone could tell from the point of a finger that his spite targeted Davis.

Davis was far from happy to see this delinquent again. If the splashes of neon indigo paint on his clothes weren’t enough, the bandages wrapped poorly over his mangled face told him this was the guy he bashed with a mace.

“Y-YEAH, WHAT HE SAID! Whatever that was,” the first injured delinquent added with a light scratch to his cheek.

The jig was up. Davis tried to pull himself away, but the hand gripping his suddenly tripled in strength. The tightness rubbed the bones in his hand against each other for a mildly painful tickle.

“So… it turns out you and your friends are part of our problem.”

The look on Mary Glow’s face had changed. Gone in an instant was the friendliness and compassion she’d showcased earlier. The same went for her crew. They reverted to a more menacing flair reserved for their enemies; the type Davis had always envisioned when he first heard about the maniacal Tyrant of the west.