Hou Qing rushed forward.
He threw a punch at Baki's face. Baki's head moved before the punch got close. The fist passed by empty air.
Hou Qing threw another punch. Baki shifted his weight and the punch missed again.
Hou Qing gritted his teeth. He threw a combination—left, right, left, right. Baki moved his head slightly for each one. Every punch missed.
Hou Qing stepped back, breathing hard. "What the hell?"
Baki walked forward and punched Hou Qing in the chest. Hou Qing tried to block but was too slow. The punch hit him hard. He slid back several feet.
Baki didn't wait. He kicked Hou Qing in the head. Hou Qing's arm came up to block but the kick was already there. His arm went numb.
Baki kicked again. Hou Qing blocked with his other arm. That arm went numb too.
Baki kicked a third time. This one hit Hou Qing's head directly. Hou Qing stumbled. Baki stepped in and punched him in the jaw. Blood came out of Hou Qing's mouth.
Hou Qing swung both fists down at Baki's head. Baki ducked. The fists hit nothing. Baki came up and punched Hou Qing under the chin. Hou Qing's head snapped back.
Baki kneed him in the stomach. Hou Qing bent over. Baki grabbed his collar and kneed him in the face. Blood sprayed from Hou Qing's nose. Baki kneed him again. Then again.
Baki kicked him away. Hou Qing flew back and hit a pillar. The pillar cracked. Hou Qing slid down and dropped to one knee.
He wiped blood from his face. His nose was broken. His lip was split. He stood up.
"He's seeing everything I do," Hou Qing said quietly.
He stepped forward and threw a spinning punch. Baki leaned back. The punch missed.
Hou Qing spun again and threw his other fist. Baki moved to the side. Another miss.
Hou Qing kicked at Baki's stomach. Baki caught his leg with both hands. Hou Qing jumped and kneed Baki with his other leg.
The knee hit Baki's face. Blood came from Baki's nose.
Hou Qing landed. "I need to trade hits. That's the only way."
He charged forward even though Baki held his leg. Baki twisted and threw him. Hou Qing crashed through a table but rolled and got up right away.
He charged again and threw a punch at Baki's face. Baki moved and the punch missed. But Hou Qing kept his arm out. Baki punched him in the jaw. Hou Qing's head turned from the hit. But Hou Qing's elbow swung back and caught Baki on the temple.
Baki stumbled.
Hou Qing kept throwing punches. Baki dodged most of them. But Hou Qing wasn't trying to hit clean anymore. Every time Baki hit him, Hou Qing hit back.
Baki punched Hou Qing in the chest. Hou Qing grunted and headbutted him. Their heads smashed together. Blood ran down both faces.
Hou Qing grabbed Baki and threw him over his shoulder. Baki hit the ground hard. The floor broke under him.
Hou Qing was breathing hard. Blood covered his face. His ribs hurt. This was costing him.
Baki rolled away and stood up. He looked interested. "You want to trade damage?"
Hou Qing wiped blood from his mouth. "Even if I can't beat you, someone else can. I'll hurt you as much as I can."
Baki smiled. "You can try. But I don't lose."
Hou Qing didn't answer. He charged and threw a punch. Baki moved. Hou Qing's punch missed. Baki punched him in the face. Hou Qing's head snapped back. But Hou Qing brought his head forward and headbutted Baki again. Baki's nose broke. Blood exploded.
Hou Qing grabbed Baki and kneed him twice in the stomach. Baki bent over. Hou Qing brought both fists down on Baki's back. Baki dropped to one knee.
Baki's leg swept out and hit Hou Qing's legs. Hou Qing fell. Baki got on top of him and started punching his face.
Hou Qing blocked some punches. Many got through. Blood ran down his face.
Hou Qing grabbed Baki's arm and pulled him down. He kneed Baki in the face. Baki's head jerked back. Hou Qing pushed him off and stood up.
Baki rushed forward fast. He punched Hou Qing in the chest. Hou Qing gasped. Baki punched him under the chin. Hou Qing's feet left the ground.
While in the air, Hou Qing swung both fists down. Baki moved and they missed. Hou Qing landed and threw another punch. Baki moved again. Hou Qing let the punch miss and spun. His elbow hit Baki in the jaw.
Baki stumbled back. Hou Qing kept attacking. Some punches missed. Some were blocked. Some hit. Every time Baki dodged, Hou Qing adjusted. Every time Baki hit him, Hou Qing hit back.
Blood came from both their faces. The floor cracked under their feet.
Hou Qing threw a spinning punch. Baki ducked under it. Hou Qing kept spinning and brought his other fist down. It hit Baki on top of his head. Baki dropped to one knee.
Hou Qing kicked Baki in the chest. Baki flew back and hit a pillar.
Hou Qing stood there breathing hard. Blood dripped from his face. His ribs were cracked. His arms hurt. But he was still standing.
Baki pushed off the pillar. Blood ran down his face. His nose was broken. His jaw was swollen. But he was smiling.
"You're good," Baki said. "But you can't win."
Baki's movements changed. He became faster. Much faster.
He appeared in front of Hou Qing and punched him in the face. Before Hou Qing could react, Baki punched him under the chin. Then kicked his chest. Then kneed his stomach. Each hit came before Hou Qing could move.
Hou Qing tried to hit back but Baki was too fast. Hou Qing couldn't touch him. He just took hit after hit.
Punch to the face. Kick to the ribs. Another punch. Another kick.
Hou Qing stumbled back. Blood ran down his face. His vision blurred.
Baki grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. He kneed Hou Qing in the face. Blood sprayed. Baki kneed him again. Then kicked him in the chest.
Hou Qing flew back and crashed through a table. The table broke into pieces. He rolled across the floor and stopped.
He tried to get up. His arms shook. Blood ran down his face. He got to his hands and knees.
Baki walked toward him. "You fought well. But it's over."
Hou Qing pushed himself up and got to his feet. He swayed but stayed standing.
Baki moved forward fast. He punched Hou Qing in the stomach. Hou Qing bent over. Baki punched him in the jaw. Hou Qing's head turned. Baki kicked him. Hou Qing fell to one knee.
Baki brought his heel down on Hou Qing's head. Hou Qing dropped to both knees. Baki kicked him again. Hou Qing fell forward onto his hands.
Baki raised his leg. "Your best isn't enough."
Hou Qing's arms shook. Blood dripped onto the floor. He tried to push up. His arms gave out. He fell.
He tried again. His arms shook hard but he pushed up. He got to his hands and knees. Then he pushed more. He got to his feet.
He stood there swaying. Blood covered his face. His left eye was swollen shut. His nose was broken. His lip was split.
"Not... yet," Hou Qing said.
Baki stared at him. "You really won't give up."
Hou Qing took a step forward. Then another. His movements were slow. Each step looked painful.
He threw a punch. It was slow. Baki barely moved and it missed by a lot.
Hou Qing threw another punch. Even slower. Baki didn't move at all. The punch fell short.
Hou Qing's arm dropped. He stood there breathing hard.
Baki stepped forward and punched Hou Qing in the stomach. Hou Qing bent over. Baki grabbed his collar and kneed him in the face. Blood sprayed.
Hou Qing fell backward and hit the ground hard. He didn't move.
Baki stood over him. "You're making me look like the bad guy."
He turned to where Wang Wei was supposed to be. Both Wang Wei and Vivi were gone. Baki clicked his tongue. "Damn it. I hope Jeff and his team can hold them."
Behind him, Hou Qing lay on the ground. Blood pooled under him. His eyes were closed. His breathing was shallow.
Then something changed.
An image flashed in his mind. Zhang Jian. His first friend. The kid from middle school. The kid who asked him to teach him strength. The kid who followed him into Red Dragon.
Another image. Zhang Jian's broken body on the floor.
Another image. His brother's back, always standing between him and danger. Always protecting him.
"I have to protect," Hou Qing whispered.
His hand moved. His fingers closed into a fist.
His eyes opened slightly. Blood covered his vision.
Then something happened. His eyes began to glow purple.
He pushed himself up. His arms shook. He got to his hands and knees. Blood dripped from his face.
The purple glow got brighter.
He pushed up more and got to his feet. He swayed but stayed standing.
Baki stopped. He turned around and looked at Hou Qing.
"I need to finish this fast," Baki said.
Hou Qing took a step forward. Then another.
"I won't... let you... walk away," Hou Qing said.
Baki watched him. "You're testing my patience."
Hou Qing didn't answer. He charged forward. His movement wasn't faster. He threw a punch at Baki's face.
Baki moved to dodge. The punch went past his head. Baki punched Hou Qing in the chest right away.
The punch hit. But Hou Qing didn't fly back this time. He stumbled but stayed on his feet. His punch had missed Baki's face but kept moving. Hou Qing brought it down on Baki's shoulder.
The impact was huge.
The sound was like a car crash. Baki's shoulder broke with a crunch. His eyes went wide. The force pushed him down. His knee hit the floor. Cracks spread out from where he landed.
"What—" Baki's words stopped. Pain shot through his shoulder.
Hou Qing didn't stop. His eyes glowed brighter. He threw another punch. Baki tried to dodge but his shoulder wasn't working. The punch hit him in the side of the head.
Baki's head snapped to the side hard. Blood sprayed from his mouth. His jaw came out of place. Everything spun.
But Baki swept his leg out. It hit Hou Qing's legs. Hou Qing fell. Baki rolled away and pushed himself up with his good arm.
His left shoulder hung useless. His jaw was completely out of place. He pushed his jaw back in with a pop.
Hou Qing got to his feet. His movements were still slow. Blood still covered his face. But his eyes glowed purple.
Baki rushed forward. He couldn't use his left arm but his right still worked. He punched Hou Qing in the face. The punch hit and Hou Qing's head snapped back.
But Hou Qing threw a wild punch with his right hand. Baki ducked under it easy—the punch missed. But Hou Qing's left hand came up in an uppercut.
Baki's instincts screamed. He tried to move but he was too close. The uppercut caught him under the chin.
The force was like getting hit by a hammer. Baki's head snapped back so hard his neck popped. His feet left the ground. He flew up and back. His body hit the ceiling. The ceiling cracked. Pieces of concrete fell. Baki dropped and hit the floor hard.
He lay there for a moment. His vision was blurred. His ears rang. His shoulder was destroyed. His jaw was out of place again. His neck felt nearly broken.
But he pushed himself up and got to his feet. Blood ran down his face. A crazy grin appeared on his face. "THIS IS IT! THIS FEELING! I'VE MISSED IT!"
Hou Qing stumbled forward. Each step looked painful. Blood poured from his nose and mouth. His skin was pale. Dark veins showed under his skin. The purple glow in his eyes flickered.
His body was destroying itself. Every second he used this power, more damage built up.
Baki watched him approach. Then he decided. He rushed forward fast and kicked Hou Qing in the stomach with full power.
The kick hit. Hou Qing bent over. Baki kneed him in the face. Blood exploded. Baki grabbed Hou Qing with his good arm and kneed him again. Then again.
But Hou Qing's glowing eyes locked on Baki. He grabbed Baki's leg with both hands. Then lifted.
Hou Qing lifted him off the ground and slammed him down. The floor shattered under Baki. Cracks spread out for several feet.
Hou Qing lifted him again and slammed him down a second time. The floor cracked deeper.
Hou Qing lifted him a third time. But before he could slam Baki down, his body gave out. The purple glow in his eyes flickered hard. Blood poured from his nose and ears. He stumbled and dropped Baki.
Both of them stood there for a moment.
Baki's left shoulder was destroyed. His neck felt like it could barely hold his head up. But something about him said he was enjoying it.
Hou Qing's entire body was failing. Dark veins covered his skin. Blood poured from everywhere. The purple glow in his eyes flickered like a dying light.
Baki moved first. He rushed forward and kicked Hou Qing in the chest with his good leg. Hou Qing stumbled back but didn't fall. He threw a punch—his movement was slow. Baki dodged to the side easy.
But when Hou Qing's fist hit the pillar behind Baki, the whole pillar exploded. Pieces of concrete flew everywhere.
Hou Qing turned slowly. His movements were getting slower. Blood ran down his face constantly. But his eyes still glowed. He threw another punch at Baki.
Baki ducked under the punch. The fist went over his head and hit the floor. The impact made a crater. Cracks spread out like lightning. The whole section of floor collapsed down.
Baki punched Hou Qing in the stomach. Hou Qing bent over but grabbed Baki's arm right away.
Hou Qing pulled Baki forward and headbutted him. Their foreheads hit with a sick sound. Baki's vision went white.
Hou Qing headbutted him again. Baki's nose shattered completely. Blood exploded across both their faces.
But then Hou Qing stumbled. The purple glow in his eyes got dimmer. His grip on Baki's arm loosened. Blood poured from his nose and mouth and ears.
Baki saw the opening through his blurred vision and ringing ears. He kneed Hou Qing in the face. Blood sprayed. Hou Qing's head snapped back.
Baki kicked him in the head. His foot connected. Hou Qing stumbled to the side.
Baki grabbed Hou Qing by the collar with his good arm. He kneed him in the face. Then again. Then again. Each one hit hard.
The purple glow in Hou Qing's eyes flickered. Then went out completely.
Hou Qing's body went limp. Baki let go. Hou Qing dropped to his knees. Then fell forward onto his face.
Baki stood there swaying. His left shoulder was destroyed. Blood poured from multiple wounds.
He looked down at Hou Qing's body.
"You pushed past your limits," Baki said. "But it wasn't enough."
Baki wiped blood from his face. Then popped his shoulder back into place. He turned to Li Xiu. "You're Red Dragon too. Aren't you going to stop me?"
Li Xiu raised her hands. "I'm not a fighter. And if I were you, I'd go after your target instead of wasting time here."
Baki grinned. "Is that so? But you're all my target." He threw a punch at Li Xiu. Her eyes went wide.
The punch hit her face. Her body flew back and slammed into a wall. Her eyes rolled back.
Baki turned toward the exit. "I miss South Korea."