The abandoned warehouse smelled of rust and dust. Sunlight pierced through broken windows, casting jagged patterns on the concrete floor.
Mikey tightened his gloves, feeling the weight of his uncle's lessons in every fiber of his body. Beside him, Jin stretched, cocky grin in place, eyes scanning the shadows.
"You feel that?" Mikey asked, voice tight.
Jin smirked. "Yeah… he's here. And he's ready to eat us alive."
From the far end, a figure stepped forward. Kang. The scars on his body, the cold, empty stare, the aura of lethal control—it was unmistakable. He walked forward like a shadow, silent and merciless.
The Clash Begins
Kang struck first. His Black Serpent's Coil came alive: elbows snapping, knees twisting, every strike precise, calculated. Mikey barely dodged the first wave, his Phantom Jab weaving between the chaos of attacks.
Jin's feet blurred. He used the Heavenly Triple Kick, striking with pinpoint precision, trying to keep Kang off balance. Yet, Kang's clinches were flawless. Every knee and elbow crushed with surgical brutality, forcing Jin to retreat.
Mikey felt the storm of punches tearing through his guard. He blocked, dodged, but Kang's power was overwhelming.
Jin countered with a kick that could shatter ribs, but Kang's grip snapped around his leg midair, twisting it dangerously.
The warehouse echoed with shouts, grunts, and the cracking of bone.
Mikey's Struggle
Mikey took a heavy hit to the ribs, falling to the ground. Pain surged, but he pushed through it, weaving a chain of Dempsey Phantom strikes. Each hit landed with brutal precision, but Kang barely flinched.
He realized—Kang was not the bully from school anymore. He was a predator, and Mikey's boxing alone wasn't enough.
Jin Steps Up
Jin's eyes narrowed, vision flickering slightly as he pushed his Copy ability to its limit, reading Kang's movement. Every strike Kang used, Jin anticipated, countering with faster kicks and angles.
But the strain was brutal. His vision blurred, red tint creeping at the edges. Still, he grinned cockily.
"You're fast… but sloppy," Jin taunted, delivering a spinning kick that clipped Kang's shoulder.
Kang's eyes darkened, fury and amusement flickering. "You think you've learned enough?"
The three clashed again, a storm of fists, elbows, and kicks, each testing limits, each pushing past pain.
Cliffhanger Ending
The chapter closes with Kang holding Jin against the wall with his Black Serpent clinch, while Mikey struggles to catch his breath.
Kang whispered, deadly calm:"This… is only the beginning."