Big Guy and Bearded moved fast through the corridor — not full sprint, but close. Their steps were controlled, cautious. They checked every corner, every shadow, making sure nothing slipped past them.
There was tension between them.
Not the kind that came from fear.
The kind that came from irritation.
They had been heading in this direction for a while now and still hadn't found what they were looking for. The silence was starting to feel like mockery.
Then—
A loud scream tore through the air.
Both of them froze.
They exchanged a look.
No words needed.
This time, they sprinted.
The closer they got, the clearer the sounds became. Heavy impacts. Flesh being struck. Someone getting beaten brutally.
That alone wasn't unusual.
But then a sharp, high-pitched voice cut through the chaos—
"Motherfucker! I'll kill you!"
That made them slow for half a second.
Now this was serious.
They didn't hesitate.
Boots thundered against the cobblestones as they burst forward. Nothing else mattered. Nothing would stop them from reaching the source of that chaos.
They took a sharp turn without slowing down—
And saw it.
Not far ahead, Rabbit-Tooth was gripping his own forearm, teeth clenched as he jerked his shoulder back into place. The sickening pop echoed faintly even from a distance.
Big Guy and Bearded stood still for a split second, processing the scene.
That was all it took.
Ash moved.
The roundhouse kick came smooth and precise, cutting through the air like a blade. Clean. Controlled. Brutal.
It felt unreal — like watching it in crystal clarity, front-row seats to violence in motion.
Rabbit-Tooth hit the ground hard.
And Big Guy snapped.
For someone with such a bulky body, he moved unnaturally fast. In a blink, he was already charging — lightning in flesh. The ground trembled beneath each step.
By the time Rabbit-Tooth fell, Big Guy was airborne.
Adrenaline roared through his veins. He lifted both legs and launched forward, body twisting midair —
A rocket.
His kick landed cleanly against Ash.
Ash didn't even have time to register what happened.
The kick landed with a thunderous boom.
Ash's body flew backward and slammed into the nearby wall. Bricks cracked under the force, dust bursting into the air as his back hit hard.
For a second, the world went white.
Pain exploded through his ribs, stealing the air from his lungs. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed right there.
He forced himself to stay conscious.
Breathing was ragged. Every inhale felt like broken glass inside his chest.
Using the wall for support, Ash pushed himself upright, fingers digging into the rough brick. His vision steadied slowly.
Then he lifted his head—
And looked at the source of the kick.
It was the Big Guy.
Ash exhaled slowly. So they finally came, huh?
"Took you long enough," he muttered under his breath, brushing the dust off his shoulder.
Big Guy didn't answer.
He moved.
A fist shot forward at blinding speed — no warning, no hesitation.
Ash shifted half a step to the side.
The punch tore past him, splitting the air where his head had been.
Another one came immediately from the left.
Ash pivoted on his heel and slipped outside its range. Clean. Efficient. No wasted motion.
The third strike followed — heavier, faster.
Ash raised his guard this time.
The punch slammed into his forearms, the impact vibrating through bone. Another came. He blocked again. And another.
Each hit felt like being struck with a hammer.
Enough.
Ash stepped in.
No more defense.
His fist drove sharply into Big Guy's stomach — precise, compact, merciless.
The impact nearly lifted the massive man off the ground. Air exploded from Big Guy's lungs in a harsh gasp, his body folding slightly from the shock.
Ash didn't give him a second.
He seized Big Guy by the back of the head and yanked him downward, driving his knee up toward his face —
But Big Guy reacted in time.
Both hands shot up, catching the knee mid-air. The force still pushed him back half a step, boots grinding against stone, but he held it.
For a brief moment, they were locked there.
The standoff broke.
Both of them abandoned defense at the same time.
Big Guy struck first.
A straight punch shot toward Ash's face —
It landed clean.
Ash's head snapped sideways, a sharp crack echoing through the air. Blood touched the corner of his lip.
He didn't fall.
He fired back instantly.
A direct punch to the jaw.
Big Guy's head jerked in return.
And just like that—
They started trading blows.
No guards. No retreats.
Fist after fist collided with flesh. Bone meeting bone. Each strike landing with a dull, brutal thud.
Ash drove a punch into Big Guy's ribs.
Big Guy answered with a hook to Ash's temple.
Another straight.
Another hook.
They stood their ground, exchanging direct punches like two beasts refusing to back down.
Neither willing to yield.
Bearded watched them trade blows.
At first, he didn't interfere. He believed Big Guy could handle it. The size difference alone should've been enough.
But something was wrong.
Ash wasn't slowing down.
No hesitation. No visible exhaustion.
He kept moving, kept striking — relentless.
Like a damn gorilla.
Bearded's jaw tightened.
He couldn't just stand there anymore. His body itched to end it.
His eyes scanned the area quickly.
There.
A metal rod lay near a broken crate.
Perfect.
He grabbed it without hesitation and rushed forward.
Ash couldn't see him.
His back was exposed, fully focused on Big Guy in front of him.
Bearded lifted the rod high—
And brought it down straight toward Ash's head.
The impact was sickening.
A brutal metallic crack echoed through the alley.
Ash's vision exploded into white.
Pain detonated all at once, flooding his skull like a violent surge. His knees buckled as the world tilted sideways.
Warm liquid streamed down his face.
Blood poured, thick and fast.
He clutched his head, fingers slick.
"Fuck—!"
Ash dropped to his knees.
The world tilted violently as his body gave in to gravity. One hand pressed against the ground to keep himself from collapsing completely, the other still clutching his head.
Blood slipped through his fingers and dripped onto the cobblestones.
His ears rang.
Everything sounded distant. Muffled. Distorted.
The alley spun slowly around him.
His breathing grew uneven, rough and shallow, as waves of pain pulsed through his skull. Each heartbeat sent another surge of agony behind his eyes.
Everything gone silent for a second.
Then his vision came back—
But there were changes in it.
It was bloody in colour.
It glowed.
Ash was still standing.
He hadn't fallen.
The Bearded guy was giving the same punches—
The exact same ones he had already seen.
Same speed.
Same rhythm.
Same shift of his shoulders before each strike.
It was repeating.
After a few punches—
That was when the rod hit him.
He knew it.
He had already seen it.
There were so many things in Ash's head.
Fragments.
Images.
Pain.
Blood.
What was it that he just saw?
But there was no time for him to think about what it was.
No time to question it.
He knew everything that was going to happen.
And he moved on instinct.
He knew he was in danger.
The next second decided everything.
Big Guy's fist came again—
Ash didn't block.
He stepped in.
His hand shot out and grabbed Big Guy's wrist mid-swing.
Tight.
Controlled.
Then he yanked him sideways.
Hard.
It was like Ash wanted to trade places with him.
Switch positions.
Force the line to change.
Bearded had already committed.
The rod was coming down.
Fast.
Brutal.
No hesitation.
It smashed straight into Big Guy's head.
The sound—
Heavy.
Bang.
Straight to the front.
It split apart.
Big Guy's eyes widened.
The pain shot through his skull like lightning.
For a second he didn't even understand what had happened.
Then the blood came.
It gushed out, thick and hot, sliding down his forehead, dripping from his brows, falling to the ground in heavy drops.
His vision blurred.
The alley twisted.
He lifted a shaky hand and touched his head.
When he brought his fingers in front of his eyes—
Red.
So much red.
His breathing turned uneven.
He looked forward.
At Bearded.
Confusion.
Shock.
A question that would never be asked.
His knees gave out.
And he fell to the ground.
Bang.
Straight to the front.
It split apart.
Big Guy's eyes widened.
The pain shot through his skull like lightning.
For a second he didn't even understand what had happened.
Then the blood came.
It gushed out, thick and hot, sliding down his forehead, dripping from his brows, falling to the ground in heavy drops.
His vision blurred.
The alley twisted.
He lifted a shaky hand and touched his head.
When he brought his fingers in front of his eyes—
Red.
So much red.
His breathing turned uneven.
He looked forward.
At Bearded.
Confusion.
Shock.
A question that would never be asked.
His knees gave out.
And he fell to the ground.
Ash's breathing was uneven.
He gasped for air.
Adrenaline still surged through his body, making his hands tremble slightly.
There was so much going on inside his head.
What was that?
What did he just see?
He slowly raised his hand and touched his head.
It was intact.
No split.
No warm liquid.
Nothing except sweat.
His fingers pressed harder, as if expecting pain to explode.
Nothing.
It was like he had seen the future.
That thought clicked in his mind.
He froze.
"Wait… no way."
His voice was low. Disbelieving.
"Is it… did I really see a future vision?"