The evening before the raid, Alex's living room was filled with a quiet, heavy focus. The weeks of separate, grueling preparation with their respective veteran mentors had reached their end, and all six guardians—along with Vincenzo and Francesco—were gathered around the central table.
Spread across the wood was a detailed tactical map outlining the suburban perimeter and industrial zones surrounding Tokyo. The stolen Luciano Ring Set was out there, and this meeting would determine how they took it back.
"We know the Diablero leadership is operating out of a heavily fortified compound," Alex began, resting his palms on the table and looking across at his guardians. "Their security perimeter is dense, and rushing the front gates blind will only cost us the element of surprise."
"We need live intelligence before we cross the outer wall," Tatsuya noted, leaning over the map. "Thermal sweeps, patrol rotations, entry points—we can't afford to run into a blind trap."
Hayato tapped a finger on the blueprint's perimeter line. "Agreed. But if we move as a full unit while gathering intel, a six-man strike team stands out like a flare. We need to stay low until it's time to hit."
"Then we divide the approach," Marco suggested, his voice low and steady. "We split into three two-man reconnaissance cells to cover the north, east, and main access roads. We map their guard patterns simultaneously, then converge at the breach point."
"It's a solid scout strategy," Alex said, nodding in approval. "But coordination is everything. Every unit stays on secured comms—no one pushes past the perimeter until everyone is in position."
Francesco Rossi, who had been leaning against the doorway observing his young pupil Hiroto, stepped forward into the light. "Reconnaissance gets you to the gate, Alex, but once you're inside, their numbers will work against you. You should consider active diversion tactics to fracture their internal defense."
"What kind of diversion?" Alex asked, turning to the veteran.
"Draw their primary response team away from the central vault," Francesco explained, tracing a secondary access corridor on the map. "A high-visibility strike on their eastern armory forces their commander to reallocate security. While their heavy hitters move to contain that threat, your main unit breaches the inner sanctum virtually unopposed."
Giovanni let out a quiet, sly chuckle, tossing his coin between his fingers. "Leave the illusion work and noise to me and Hiroto. We can make two men look like an entire invading army."
Angelo smiled, adjusting his coat. "And while they're chasing phantoms on the east wing, the rest of us clear the direct path to the rings."
Alex looked around the circle. Standing before him were no longer just the hesitant classmates and scattered fighters he had met over the past month. They were disciplined, prepared, and bound by a shared cause.
"Then the plan is set," Alex declared, his voice ringing with quiet authority. "We split up for the initial sweep, maintain locked communications, draw out their main force, and reclaim what belongs to our family."
With firm nods and steady eyes, the group dispersed into the night, each guardian stepping out to take their place in the opening moves of the siege.
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