The Survival of an Inferior

The first step into the building sends a chilling dark ambience. The air is mouldy and suffocating. 

Holes bombard the walls and ceiling, revealing whatever should be hidden. Jagged Metal pipes jut out like skeletal remnants, dirt and ruin engulf everything. Despite the status of the building, activity is high. I can hear many people. 

Directly after the entrance is a small gathering of people around a table full of beer bottles. They all wear a black hooded coat. 

"What do you want?" One of them gets up and walks to me. 

"Where's the young girl?" 

...

He glances back to the others surrounding the table. They chuckle. "Look at this guy-"

With his back still facing me, I throw a kick right at his spine. He flings and crashes at the table. 

All the other men jump up and get into a stance. One throws a punch at me, my left arm blocks it and I counter with a fist to his face. 

Another man throws a few fast light punches that I easily deflect before mixing in a sweeping kick, I step back to dodge it and leap in, spinning my heel right into his temple. 

*Bam!*

The bomb sends his eyes rolling back and out cold on the floor. 

I duck to avoid a sweeping machete and kick the assailant away. Another man swoops in, swinging a pipe to my arm. A hump dent in the steel bar as a layer of mana coats my arm. 

I try my best not to kill them and reveal my strength so I do not attract too much attention and escalate the situation. 

They back off and surround me, some go ahead to pick up their fallen friends. 

"I don't want much trouble. Just tell me where the man took the young girl."

...

They step aside and point at a rusty door. 

Through the door reveals a long corridor. Many people wearing similar clothing loiter here regardless of size, gender, or age. 

They immediately shift their attention to me. Some reach for their weapons before anything. 

I close the door behind me. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" The man closest to me asks. 

"Not much, where is the young girl dragged here a moment ago?" 

...

Everyone gets into a stance. "We have a problem here." the man says. 

"Hah...do we have to do this the hard way?" I crack my knuckles. 

*BAM!*

Seconds later, a woman crashes through the rusty door. 

A man throws a dagger at me which I catch and return, piercing his shoulder. 

Another man with a large physique attempts to grab me. I duck and sweep the giant, he tumbles to the ground. Using his size, I kick the heavy chunk of meat with a loud "bang" to the other attackers in this narrow corridor. The boulder smashes into three dominoes of men.

I jump across the boulder and land my feet on a woman's face, propelling her away. 

Suddenly, two men leap off the walls and strike me with mana-infused daggers. I bring up my guard and am pushed back by their advance. 

...

These two are slightly stronger than the usual thugs, should I take this more seriously and start using mana? 

...

No, I don't need to use mana against them. 

The two men charge towards me with beautiful synergy but I notice one slower. By stepping back to avoid the initial slash, I jump back in and send a jab to his face, pushing one back. The partner uses that window to throw two swift cuts which I easily evade and counter with a quick jab to the throat, hitting the Adam's Apple. 

"Ugh?! *cough* *cough*" The man grasps his neck, dazed from suffocation. 

I grab his head and slam it against the wall. 

With his partner gone, the confidence of the man diminishes. He attempts to thrust his blade but I grab his wrist. 

"W-What..." He mumbles. 

"A-Arghhhh!!!" He screams when I twist his wrist, and he drops the weapon and himself to the ground. 

"Okay okay. We get your point. The girl is right there."  

The remaining man stares at me in fear and moves aside. My shadow leaves a trail of unconscious bodies. 

*Bam! Bam!* 

The two men are seen kicking the young girl. 

"Fucking thief. Do you think you are the only one suffering?! We are starving too!" 

"Stop," I say. They stop and glance at me. 

"What do you want?" 

I throw a few gold coins on the floor. 

"Leave her alone."

...

Veins erupt on their face. "You-"

"Stop." a rough familiar voice came from behind. It's the old man that warned me outside the building. 

The two men clear their hostility and their posture rigid. "Good afternoon, Sir." They bow at the old man. 

"Let the girl." 

They easily comply and the girl runs out with the rotten apples. 

"You don't strike as the justice type but I don't think anyone sent you." The old man says as he walks near me. "For what purpose do you visit this wasteland?"  

...

"Why should I tell you?" I reply. 

"I will help you."

I raise my brow. "What?" 

"If you are helping a mere child because of something so minor, I don't know what you will do when you see the extreme. You see, currently, three gangs dominate the Opium City. The strengths of each gang are approximately equal."

He points at me. "If someone like you interferes, the balance will break and war is inevitable. I want you out of this city as soon as possible. So speak."

...

I doubt I should trust this old man. Who knows? Maybe he works for Despair. 

Then again, it's close to impossible to find Joana in this large city by myself. 

"I am looking for someone. A priestess with short silver hair wearing a veil, about 5 foot 6. An escort should be following her, an old giant that wields a large spear." I say. 

Light in the old man's eyes lit. "Ah...those two."

...

He tells his subordinates to leave.

"Albeit embarrassing, the overarching ruler of the streets is not us three gangs, it's a group called Despair. Those guys are ruthless. "

I reach for my sword. 

"Wait! I'm not going to snitch you or anything. I'm just saying. The girl you are looking for is under the protection of Despair. I can tell you the location but you must prepare yourself." The old man says.