Malika and Brittany gave one final glance at Gabrielle before making their way to a distant hill, taking a safe distance. The mob leader, noticing this, smirked in satisfaction, "Well look at that, your little friends finally decided to sit this one out. It's just you and me now, babe.”

  Gabrielle, unbothered by the mob leader's arrogance, retorted with a dry remark, "Oh, what a privilege. Now I get to deal with your annoying ass alone."

  She flexed her gauntlets, testing their feel once again, her eyes never leaving the mob leader. "You gonna stand there and yammer all day, or are we gonna get started already?”

  The mob leader chuckled softly at Gabrielle's remark, his smirk never leaving his face. "Impatient, are we?" he crooned, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Don't worry, darlin’, I don't intend to keep blabbering. It's time for the real show to commence."

  With that, he took a few steps back, gesturing towards Gabrielle with a flourish. "Come at me, then. Show me what you got, little lady.”

  Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the mobster's condescending tone, his arrogance only adding fuel to her fiery spirit. "Oh, I'll give you a show, alright," she retorted, her voice sharp. "And don't you dare underestimate me cause I'm a woman."

  Without wasting another moment, she lunged forward. In the blink of an eye, she unleashed a barrage of consecutive left hook punches, the force of her attacks leaving aftershocks in their wake. The mobsters surrounding them couldn't even keep track of Gabrielle's left hooks, which hit the man faster than the untrained eye can perceive and left him unable to react or even catch a breath.

  The mobster stumbled back, stunned and unable to even look Gabrielle in the eyes after the rapid onslaught of blows. His once arrogant expression quickly turned to one of disorientation and shock as the reality of Gabrielle's strength hit him hard.

  The other mobsters, who witnessed the flurry of powerful left hooks, were stunned into silence. They had underestimated Gabrielle, and now they were getting a front-row seat to her fearsome strength and combat proficiency.

  Gabrielle continued her relentless offense, her fists moving with lightning reflexes, each hit landing with pinpoint accuracy on the mobster's head. Soon enough, the force of her onslaught became unbearable, forcing him to his knees.

  Despite the beating he received, the mobster still found his voice, growling out, "Is that-- ugh-- all you got, doll?"

  "Those were just little love taps," Gabrielle quipped, looking down at her gauntlets for a brief moment. "But if you want to see what I can really do, then here,"

  Before the man knew it, Gabrielle punched a hole clean through his chest before throwing his body several meters away towards the other mobsters, who looked down in disbelief.

  The mobsters, still in shock and disbelief, couldn't believe their eyes as they stared down at their fallen comrade. The sight of his lifeless body, riddled with holes, sent a chill down their spines, making them realize the true extent of Gabrielle's power.

  But the mobsters knew better than to give up now. They were trained professionals, and they had seen worse. Straightening themselves, they drew their weapons and prepared for the next onslaught.

  Meanwhile, the other Cabal members found a good spot on the tallest hill in the forest. They settled down and pondered what to do to pass the time while Gabrielle handled the mobsters. Vilho suggested:

  "Anyone here plays mahjong?”

  Malika raised an eyebrow at Vilho's question, surprised by his sudden suggestion. "Mahjong? Really?" she replied, a mix of amusement and disbelief in her voice.

  Brittany, as always, couldn't resist adding her two cents, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "And you just conveniently happen to have a set on you?"

  Vilho, not missing a beat, pulled a compact mahjong set out of his pocket, holding it up triumphantly. "Who do you take me for?"

  "Heh?!" Chelsea exclaimed, her surprise quickly turning into smugness as she leaned closer to him, "Gee, so the serious, no-nonsense guy actually has a fun-loving side to 'em after all!”

  Vilho shrugged, maintaining his serious exterior. "Even the most serious people like me need some form of entertainment," he replied, his tone light and casual.

  Malika, still slightly amused by the turn of events, couldn't help but tease, "And who knew you'd find entertainment in something as... traditional as mahjong?"

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  Vilho shrugged nonchalantly, his nonchalant demeanor betraying any hint of embarrassment. "Mahjong has its charms. It's a strategic, challenging game. Plus, I find it oddly relaxing.”

  Brittany, with her cheerful nature, chimed in, a smile playing on her lips, "Who would have guessed the serious, stoic Vilho has a thing for the ancient Heiguonese board game?"

  Lotte joined, "Well, I must admit, I wouldn't have expected this hidden side of you, V.”

  Brittany nodded and looked at Vilho with newfound interest, a mischievous grin on her face. "True. I never woulda thought."

  "Seems like this is his form of self-care,” Lotte added, “A hobby he indulges in to unwind.”

  Vilho raised an eyebrow at Lotte's remark, his expression hinting that she was right but not wanting to admit it. "I suppose you could say that," he answered, his tone nonchalant.

  Malika chuckled at the unexpected side of him, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "Well, who knew our serious Vilho had a secret love for mahjong? Next, you're gonna tell us he enjoys knitting, too?”

  Vilho shook his head at Malika's jest, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Now, now, let's not push it. Mahjong is one thing, but knitting? That's a stretch."

  Brittany, unable to resist, giggled at the image, chiming in, "Ah, now that I wouldn't mind seeing! Stone-cold, tough guy like you with knitting needles and colorful yarn. It's almost adorable!”

  Vilho shot Brittany a half-playful, half-serious glare, his expression a mix of irritation and resignation. "Adorable? Hardly," he muttered, shaking his head.

  Malika chuckled at Vilho's reaction, finding it both amusing and slightly endearing. "I can't believe we're actually trying to picture Vilho knitting socks. Imagine him handling needles and yarn. It's like a scene straight out of a comedy sketch.”

  Vilho rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance. "Ha ha, very funny," he retorted, trying to hide a slight hint of embarrassment. "Can we get back to the topic?"

  Malika, still in a playful mood, couldn't resist teasing him further. "Oh, come on, we're not done with this yet. I have a vision of you rocking knitting needles and knitting colorful beanies."

  "I am warning you, stop it." Vilho warned, his voice slightly firm.

  Cassie hopped into the conversation with a sly grin, "Too bad for you, Vivi, Danemon's the only guy here besides you. You're kinda fucked right now.”

  Vilho shot Cassie a sharp look, his annoyance with the ongoing jesting now growing more prominent. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone laced with a hint of irritation.

  Cassie, unfazed by his reaction, leaned back casually, a playful smile playing on her face. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean, my friend," she replied, her voice smug.

  Malika and Brittany, unable to contain their grins, shared knowing glances with each other, amused by the ongoing banter.

  Vilho's irritation continued to grow, his patience nearing its limit. His voice grew stern as he shot back, "Well, enlighten me then, since you seem so eager."

  Brittany, unable to resist poking fun at Vilho further, chimed in, the amusement in her eyes clear. "Oh come on, don't play dumb, Vilho," she said, a cheeky smile playing on her lips. "It's pretty obvious what Cassie means.”

  Vilho let out a frustrated sigh, trying to maintain composure despite the growing urge to snap at them. His eyes darted between Brittany and Cassie, his expression growing more annoyed by the second. "And what exactly would that be, huh?" he asked through clenched teeth.

  Brittany, unfazed by Vilho's rising annoyance, continued to press his buttons with her playful attitude. "Oh, you know, just the fact that you're outnumbered here, buddy," she replied with a mischievous grin.

  Vilho's temper flared at Brittany's words, his patience finally snapping. "I'm quite aware of that, thank you," he retorted, his voice laced with irritation. "I don't need you to remind me of the obvious."

  Cassie, still maintaining her relaxed demeanor, couldn't help but chime in, "Ah, looks like someone's a little touchy about being outnumbered. It's alright, you'll survive.”

  Vilho's eyes narrowed at Cassie's remark, his annoyance growing further. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," he replied, his tone becoming sharper. "I don't need your reassurance."

  Brittany, still finding amusement in the situation, couldn't resist throwing in another jab, "Hey, Cass is a demon. Getting under people's skin is their specialty, after all!”

  Vilho clenched his jaw, his irritation reaching its peak. He directed a sharp glare at Brittany, his voice filled with frustration. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. I'm well aware of demon behavior and tendencies. That doesn't make it any less infuriating."

  Cassie shrugged, undeterred by Vilho's reaction. "What can I say? It's in our nature. Besides, watching you get all riled up is pretty entertaining."

  Vilho shook his head, setting up the game and setting down the mahjong pieces on Malika's carpet. "Let's just play the damn game…”

  Brittany couldn't suppress her amusement, a smug grin spreading across her face at Vilho's growing irritation. She had to hold back laughter as she added another comment, "Yep, you definitely need this mahjong game as stress relief right now. You're getting all cranky."

  Vilho shot her a sharp glare, his patience wearing even thinner. "I am not cranky. I am merely trying to focus on the game. Something that can be difficult when you're incessantly chirping.”

  Brittany chuckled heartily at Vilho's response, finding his irritation quite entertaining. She decided to go for the last jab, unable to resist the opportunity to annoy him further, "Oh c'mon, you love my chirping. I bring a bit of spice to the mix."

  Vilho let out a sharp breath, trying to maintain composure despite feeling himself snap. "No, I do not. I find your incessant chattering and teasing both irritating and distracting," he replied through gritted teeth.

  Brittany shrugged as she looked back at the battleground off in the distance. "Heh, you'll be alright. Anyways, y'all can play the game, I'll be watching Gabrielle mow down those mobsters.”

  Vilho nodded, his irritation still simmering beneath the surface. "Good. Perhaps your absence will allow me to concentrate."

  Brittany gave him a cheeky salute, her smirk plastered over her face. "Alright, have fun playing your tiles and all that. I'll be over here witnessing Gabrielle kick some serious ass."

  As Brittany walked off to observe the battle afar, Vilho turned his attention back to the mahjong set, his irritation slowly starting to ease as he started to concentrate on the game.