"Hoh~ How bold! To openly defy a Guardian in the capital? You've got guts," Mo Wang said, almost applauding the cloaked figures that had emerged from the crowd.
"Damn it, don't think we're afraid of you, you rookie!" one of them sneered. "This isn't the first time we've clashed with the Guardians!"
"The Gray Crow Gang? Never heard of you. What kind of small-time thugs are you?" Mo Wang replied, unimpressed.
The onlookers, however, were not so dismissive.
"What?! They're from the Gray Crow Gang?!"
"The ones who've been expanding like crazy and causing all sorts of trouble?!"
"Oh no, not them!"
The crowd began to disperse, leaving only Mo Wang and the Mad Panda Trio, who were equally clueless.
"The Gray Crow Gang? Are they famous or something?"
"They're just a bunch of rude idiots! What a stupid name!" Scarlet, Danny, and the red panda scoffed, all agreeing that "Mad Panda Trio" was a much better name.
"Hah, you think you can outnumber me? Think again! I have backup! Go, Senior Bob!" Mo Wang roared, and all eyes turned to Bob, who was still cowering on a nearby bench.
"Huh? Me?"
"What?! There's another Guardian?!"
"Damn it, how did we not see him before?!"
"He's a veteran! Of course a rookie would have an escort!"
The cloaked figures tensed, their eyes fixed on Bob.
"Hmph! Scared now, are you?! My senior is a legend in the knightly order, known as Bob the Bun! Surrender now, if you know what's good for you!"
"Bob... the Bun?" Everyone was confused. What a strange title. But Bob's burly physique and thick beard were indeed intimidating.
"Hey! Why are you provoking them?! Are you trying to get us killed?!" Bob whispered frantically, rushing over to Mo Wang.
"Senior Bob, how can you say that? As a Guardian Knight, shouldn't we take the initiative when we see criminals in the capital?!" Mo Wang said, his voice filled with righteous indignation.
"But... there are so many of them! Can the two of us really win?!"
"Senior Bob, you're such a coward!" Mo Wang said with a look of disgust, and then gave him a hard shove. "Stop dawdling! I've already buffed you! Go!"
"W-wait—"
A surge of power erupted within Bob, and his eyes turned red. With a roar, he charged into the crowd, his fists flying.
"W-what is this?!" the cloaked figures yelped, as Bob tore through their ranks like an enraged bear.
"S-so this is the power of a Guardian?!" Scarlet's jaw dropped.
"That's 'Bob the Bun' for you!" Danny gulped.
"Are all the Guardian Knights... this wild?" the red panda wondered.
But before they could process what was happening, Mo Wang turned to them with a grin. "Heh heh, you're next."
"W-what do you mean, 'we're next'?!" Scarlet yelped. "We never agreed to fight!"
"Oh? Is that so? But I could have sworn I heard someone say 'Mad Panda Trio'... Are you some kind of suspicious individuals? Perhaps I should... take you in for questioning?"
"Hey! That's an abuse of power!" the red panda squeaked.
"Less talk, more action!" Mo Wang said with a grin, and then, with three swift kicks, sent them flying into the fray.
"Waaaaah—!"
In mid-air, a strange power surged through them, and their fear was replaced by an inexplicable excitement.
"Huh? I suddenly... feel like fighting!" Scarlet said, her eyes glinting.
"Me too! I want to punch someone!" Danny cracked his knuckles.
"Let's do this!" the red panda roared.
And with that, the battle turned into a one-sided beatdown.
Mo Wang, the instigator of it all, had pulled up a chair and was enjoying the show with some snacks.
"Ah, this is so satisfying," he said, a contented expression on his face.
He had to admit, even though Bob was just a one-star character in the game, and the Mad Panda Trio didn't have their mechs yet, they were surprisingly strong with his buffs.
Soon, the battle was over.
"Finally... I'm exhausted," Bob panted, and collapsed to the ground.
"Oh~ you're amazing, Senior! You took them all down so quickly!" Mo Wang applauded. "We're so strong!"
"You! I'm the one who did all the fighting!"
"Hey, I gave you a buff, didn't I?"
The Mad Panda Trio were in even worse shape.
Mo Wang, however, ignored them and went to loot the unconscious bodies of the Gray Crow Gang.
"Heh, not only did you sell counterfeit goods, but you also dared to attack a member of the Knightly Order. You should all be executed," he said.
"You! The Gray Crow Gang will not let you go!" one of them hissed, trying to memorize Mo Wang's face.
"Hmph! You dare to threaten me?! The Gray Crow Gang, you say? I'll wipe you all out today!"
"M-Mo Wang?! Your name is Mo Wang?!" the man's eyes widened in terror.
"That's right! I'm Mo Wang, and you..."
"Crap! It's that madman!"
"The new madman from the Knightly Order who took down four gangs with a bunch of rookies?!"
"We're screwed!"
"You're going to the Gray Crow Gang's headquarters?!" Bob's face turned pale, and he fell to his knees, clinging to Mo Wang's leg. "My ancestor! My little ancestor! Please, don't be rash! We were lucky to have taken out these small fries! Going to their headquarters is a suicide mission!"
"Senior Bob, that's not the right attitude," Mo Wang said, his face a mask of righteousness. "As a Guardian Knight, we should always take the fight to the forces of darkness! Look at the captain, she always—"
"That's different! The captain is strong enough to take on a dragon by herself! The two of us together wouldn't even be an appetizer for her!"
"You're too pessimistic, Senior. Just think, what would Senior Linda think of you if we took down the Gray Crow Gang? She might be so impressed that she..." He winked.
Bob's face turned beet red. "W-well..."
"Who said there are only two of us?" Mo Wang grinned, and turned to the Mad Panda Trio, who were trying to sneak away. "Hey! My mercenary friends over there!"
"We didn't hear anything!"
"What a nice day!"
"Oh, I think I left the stove on!"
"Too bad, I was going to offer you a well-paying commission..." Mo Wang said, and jingled a purse of gold coins.
The trio skidded to a halt.
"H-how well-paying?"
"Exact numbers?"
"Down payment?"
"Complete this commission, and all of this is yours. And you'll get a ten percent cut of whatever we find in their headquarters."
Their eyes turned into gold coins.
"Let's do it! It's just a stupid gang! Let's kill them all!"
"Yeah! Let's show them the power of the Mad Panda Trio!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
Bob watched, a chill running down his spine. Wait a minute... wasn't that purse of gold coins the one Mo Wang took from the Gray Crow Gang? And didn't these three just get scammed by them? So... he's using their own money to hire them to do his dirty work?
This guy... what kind of demon is he?!