"When you cut off the head of a monster… what grows back is worse."
One month had passed since the fall of Señor Lim Tionco. His death sent a shockwave through the underworld, but it didn't bring peace — it ignited a war.
The Sangley Syndicate collapsed overnight. Their clubs were raided, warehouses burned, and key lieutenants either vanished or ended up face-down in Manila Bay. Yet from the ashes of Lim's empire, something darker emerged.
They called themselves Los Tigres Negros — The Black Tigers.
Unlike the old guard, they were younger, hungrier, more ruthless. Ex-military, former rebel commanders, and foreign mercenaries made up their ranks. Their symbol: a snarling black tiger devouring a golden pearl — a warning to all who stood in their way.
Their base of operations wasn't Intramuros. It was scattered — in ports, abandoned haciendas, and dusty southern roads. They thrived in chaos. And in the void left behind, they began taking territories — from Binondo to Batangas, Cebu to Zamboanga.
Meanwhile, Juan Cariño Hernández kept a low profile. For the first time in years, he tried to rest. But Manila never sleeps. Rumors spread again — of masked men moving at night, of old guards being assassinated, and of whispers that La Sombra de Manila had returned.
But the truth was, Juan hadn't picked up a gun in weeks.
Not until one night… when Maria burst into the Escolta café, holding a burner phone in her trembling hands.
The screen played a video.
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Don Eduardo Montefalco — bound, bruised, bleeding.
Behind him, a flag: a black tiger on a red background.
A voice spoke in broken Spanish.
> "Cariño… You took our king. Now we take yours. Come to Cebu, if you want him alive."
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Mission Trigger: "Nueva Sangre"
Objective: Investigate rise of Los Tigres Negros.
Side Objective: Locate safehouse remnants of the Sangley Syndicate.
Juan stubbed out his cigar.
The shadows had returned.
It was time to go south.