𝓢𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓟𝓼𝔂𝓬𝓱𝓸

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓔𝓵𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷

Heyo, it's Alberto's POV again!!!

𝓐𝓵𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓽𝓸 𝓟𝓞𝓥

The gunshot ripped through the air, and I braced for blinding pain and darkness. 

But a thud to the right of me told me that the bullet hadn't hit me. 

I opened my eyes- I didn't realize I had closed them- and saw the mercenary who was about to shoot me dead on the ground, blood pooling out of a wound on his chest. 

The entire group froze before turning slowly around.

Luca had a small pistol in his hand- I realized that it was the one he had used to shoot me at the masquerade, all those days ago.  His expression was one of pure, undying hatred. 

"I want to make something clear, boss," he said, his voice dripping with venom. He walked up to me, standing in front of me to shield me. 

"This one belongs to me."

My heart warmed and began to pound wildly. He didn't give up on me!

Ercole was shocked, but he recovered quickly and gave Luca a grim smile. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this, piccoleto," he said with forced regret. He snapped his fingers sharply. "Guido! Ciccio! Restrain this rogue so that we can get on with our business," he ordered.

Two men, the two men who had first accompanied Ercole when I was in the interrogation room, walked towards Luca, with pistols in holsters on their hips. But when they got to him, they simply drew their weapons and spun around to face the rest of the mercenaries, ready to fire.

Luca gave a wicked grin at Ercole's sputtering rage. "Oh, what's the matter, Ercole? Losing your men too easily?" he teased, his voice light and playful. Ercole snarled, then pointed at us. "You've outlived your usefulness, piccoleto. You of all people should know what happens to people I don't need."

He then called to all of the mercenaries around us. "Get them! KILL THEM ALL! I don't want a single one left alive!" he shrieked. 

Luca, surprisingly, chuckled. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that," he said. He pointed his pistol upward and shot, hitting a pipe along the wall above us. 

Ercole laughed. "You missed," he said condescendingly. 

Luca smiled, his fangs glinting. "Did I?"

Ercole's smile faltered, and he turned around just to be blasted to the ground by a torrent of water streaming from the pipe. For half a second, all I could see was the water, and then-

Luca. 

Standing tall in his siren form.

Tail lashing.

Fangs and claws sharp.

His eyes glowed ominously as he cast his gun away, glaring at Ercole. "I won't be needing that anymore," he said, before drawing his dagger and lunging towards the mercenaries. 

He landed on top of one, using his dagger to stab them in the throat. He yanked the blade out, causing blood to burble up from the wound, then threw the dagger and hit another right in the chest. I could tell by the way they started coughing that he had punctured a lung. 

The remaining mercenaries recovered from their shock and ran towards the jade siren, drawing clubs to try and fight.

I scrambled to my feet, straining against the handcuffs. One of the men, Guido, grabbed my arm and spun me around. "Hold still," he muttered before releasing me, the handcuffs falling to the ground.