Chapter 88: Mafia Boss [1]

Bodies were scattered throughout the courtyard.

Some had been riddled with bullets, while others bore wounds far too severe to have been inflicted by ordinary firearms.

The once-grand mansion of the Hiroshi Family had become a slaughterhouse.

Matthias swallowed nervously as he surveyed the scene.

"Good grief..."

He had seen his fair share of gruesome crime scenes during his time with the SCBD, but this was something else entirely.

There were bodies everywhere.

The courtyard was practically drenched in blood, and the destruction suggested that a fierce battle had taken place only moments earlier.

"Ah, if it isn’t Klaus Weber from the SCBD."

A voice suddenly came from behind them.

Startled, Matthias spun around and immediately drew his revolver.

"Don’t move!"

"STOP, YOU MORON!"

Klaus snatched the gun from Matthias’s hand and barked at him.

"Senior?"

Matthias stared at his superior in confusion before cautiously turning toward the newcomer.

"...What brings you here, Mr. Salvatore?"

Standing before them was Salvatore, the second-in-command of the Riina Family and the right-hand man of Don Aldric Riina.

Throughout the underworld, he was known by another name.

Riina’s Bloodhound.

The moment Matthias recognized him, his face turned pale.

"S-Salvatore?! Senior, that’s the man! He’s—"

Klaus immediately clamped a hand over his subordinate’s mouth.

"Shut up!"

He returned the confiscated revolver to its holster before turning toward Salvatore with an awkward smile.

"Please forgive my subordinate’s behavior, Mr. Salvatore. He’s still inexperienced."

Despite his attempt to appear composed, sweat was already trickling down Klaus’s forehead.

Salvatore merely smiled, seemingly unbothered by the commotion.

"So, what brings you here, Mr. Salvatore?" Klaus asked again, carefully choosing his words.

"We’re taking out the trash belonging to the Riina Family."

Salvatore’s answer was so casual that Klaus almost wondered whether he had heard correctly.

’Taking out the trash?’

His gaze shifted toward the ruined mansion.

Then, slowly, understanding dawned on him.

’I see. So the Hiroshi Family is finished.’

There won’t be a Hiroshi Family in Berlin anymore.

Strangely enough, Klaus didn’t feel particularly upset about that.

The Hiroshi Family had never been a pleasant group to deal with. Its members had spent years abusing their connections and throwing their weight around, confident that their affiliation with the Riina Family would protect them from consequences.

They had acted as though the Riina Family’s name gave them permission to do whatever they pleased.

Apparently, that protection had finally come to an end.

’Well, that’s good news.’

However, there was still one problem.

What the hell are we supposed to do now?

Klaus glanced around, trying to assess the situation without attracting Salvatore’s attention.

That was when he noticed two figures in the garden.

One was a man lying motionless on the ground.

The other was a young boy holding a pair of axes, their blades dripping with blood.

The boy was staring blankly at the sky, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. His black suit was stained with blood, and his expression was strangely calm for someone standing in the middle of a massacre.

Klaus narrowed his eyes.

Who’s that boy?

His gaze shifted toward the motionless man.

Then his eyes widened.

’Wait... Don’t tell me that’s...’

He recognized the man’s face immediately.

Zomboto Hiroshi.

There was no doubt about it.

The head of the Hiroshi Family, a man who had wielded considerable influence throughout Berlin, was lying defeated in his own garden.

And the boy holding those bloodstained axes was standing right beside him.

Did that kid defeat Zomboto Hiroshi?

A chill ran down Klaus’s spine.

Who on earth was this boy?

He looked young enough to still be attending an academy, yet he was standing beside the defeated head of a powerful family as though the massacre surrounding him were nothing more than an ordinary afternoon.

Then, something about the boy’s presence caught Klaus’s attention.

A familiar sensation.

An image suddenly flashed through his mind.

A photograph taken thirty years ago.

It depicted a man emerging from a gate in Novella City. His body was covered in blood, and behind him lay the corpse of an SS-rank monster.

The incident had become legendary.

Klaus had been a child at the time, but he still remembered the photograph vividly.

The man in it possessed an overwhelming presence. A crimson aura seemed to radiate from his very being, making even the most seasoned warriors appear insignificant in comparison.

And now, looking at the boy in the garden, Klaus felt as though he were seeing that same image all over again.

The same crimson aura.

The same unnerving composure.

Even though the boy was far younger, something about him stirred the same instinctive fear.

Klaus’s thoughts began racing.

Salvatore is here personally. That means the boy must have a significant connection to Aldric Riina.

He glanced at the young man again.

And if he’s important enough for the second-in-command to accompany him on a mission like this...

Klaus finally understood.

"Haa..."

He let out a long sigh and removed his hand from Matthias’s mouth, wiping his palm against his trousers.

"Senior...?"

"Stay quiet."

"But—"

"I said, stay quiet!"

Matthias immediately shut his mouth.

Klaus turned toward Salvatore, forcing a smile onto his face.

"We received a report about gunshots coming from the Hiroshi Family mansion. However, after arriving here, it seems there was a misunderstanding."

Salvatore raised an eyebrow.

"A misunderstanding?"

"Yes. It appears the sounds were merely fireworks."

For a moment, Salvatore stared at him.

Then he chuckled.

"Indeed. The Hiroshi Family was holding a retirement party today."

"Ah, I see! That explains everything."

Klaus nodded enthusiastically, pretending not to notice the bodies scattered across the courtyard.

"Then we’ll be on our way. There’s no need for the SCBD to interfere in a private family matter."

"An excellent decision, Detective Weber."

Salvatore’s smile widened.

Klaus felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders.

Thank goodness. At least this man understands how to handle things.

"Senior?"

Matthias looked at Klaus as though he’d suddenly grown another head.

"How can you call this a retirement party?! Look at all the—"

"Do you want to lose your job?!"

Klaus hissed through gritted teeth.

Matthias immediately fell silent.

Klaus took a moment to compose himself before glancing toward the young man in the garden again.

His curiosity was getting the better of him.

"By the way, Mr. Salvatore..."

"Yes?"

"That young man over there..."

Klaus hesitated briefly before continuing.

"He looks remarkably like Overlord Aldric Riina."

Salvatore followed his gaze.

The boy was still staring at the sky, seemingly indifferent to their conversation.

"Does he?" Salvatore replied with a faint smile. "You’re not the first person to notice. Anyone who has seen Don Aldric’s face would recognize the resemblance."

Klaus’s heart skipped a beat.

"C-Could it be that he’s...?"

"Yes. That’s correct."

Salvatore’s expression grew slightly more serious as he looked toward the boy.

Then, with unmistakable pride, he spoke the words that confirmed Klaus’s suspicions.

"He is Lorenzo Riina, the son of Overlord Aldric Riina."

Klaus went completely still.

He had suspected as much, but hearing the confirmation from Salvatore himself was another matter entirely.

Lorenzo Riina.

The heir to the most feared underworld organization in the world.

And judging by the scene before him, the young man was already proving that the Riina Family’s future was in capable hands.

Klaus looked toward Lorenzo again.

The boy hadn’t moved.

He was still holding his twin axes, his bloodstained clothes contrasting sharply with his youthful appearance.

For some reason, Klaus couldn’t help but imagine what the young man would become after another decade of growth.

’If this was what he could accomplish at seventeen, what would happen when he reached his father’s level?’

Salvatore seemed to notice where his thoughts were heading.

He watched Lorenzo for a moment, his expression carrying a quiet sense of pride.

"One day, he will inherit everything his father has built."

His gaze settled on the bloodstained boy holding the twin axes.

"And he will become the next Mafia Boss of the Riina Family."