The Hotel of Hands had seen many battles.
But this?
This was about to be the most disrespectful one yet.
---
Rika's First Mistake: Thinking Max Fights Fair
Rika lunged forward with blinding speed, aiming a kick straight at Max's head.
Max?
Didn't even move.
At the last second, he tilted his head just slightly—the kick barely grazing his cheek.
Max:
"Damn, that was close. Almost felt a breeze. You trying to air out the room or what?"
Rika: "Oh, you're funny? Let's see if you're still laughing when I break your face!"
She followed up with a rapid series of punches.
Max dodged every single one without even blinking.
Max: "Alright, alright. You got speed. But I've seen old ladies fight for grocery discounts with more intensity."
Rika's vein popped.
Rika: "YOU—!"
Max suddenly side-stepped, making her punch swing right into the hotel wall.
CRACK!
A massive dent formed.
The entire lobby went dead silent.
Max: "…Oh, damn. Yeah, I'm gonna need you to pay for that."
---
The Fight Escalates
Rika wasn't playing anymore.
She vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing behind Max with her dagger drawn.
But before she could even strike—
Max: "Yeah, no."
With one smooth motion, he grabbed a nearby wooden chair and yeeted it behind him.
BAM!
The chair exploded into pieces against Rika's face.
Gang Member #1: "BRO. HE JUST THREW A CHAIR AT HER."
Gang Member #2: "NAH, THIS MAN HAS NO RESPECT FOR LIFE."
---
Max's Counterattack: Pure Disrespect
Max finally decided to fight back.
He vanished, reappearing right in front of Rika before she could recover.
Max: "You ever heard of a 'love tap'?"
Then he casually slapped her across the face.
SMACK!
The sound echoed through the hotel lobby.
Gang Member #3: "Oh my god, he didn't even punch her. HE SLAPPED HER."
Rika staggered back, eyes wide in shock.
Max: "That was for being loud."
Then he slapped her again.
SMACK!
Max: "And that one? That's for calling me a kid."
Rika: "YOU PIECE OF—!"
She swung her dagger.
Max caught it with two fingers.
Max: "Cute. But I think I'll hold onto this for now."
He flicked the dagger into the air, grabbed it, and threw it across the room—sticking it into the hotel's front desk.
Rika froze.
Rika: "What the hell are you…?"
Max: "Me? Oh, I'm just your local hotel owner. But if you really wanna keep fighting, we can go all night."
---
Rika's Second Mistake: Taking the Fight Seriously
Rika gritted her teeth.
She wasn't going to let some random hotel owner humiliate her like this.
She took a deep breath.
Her aura changed.
Gang Member #1: "Yo… something's different."
Gang Member #2: "She's getting serious now."
Rika's eyes glowed violet.
A dark energy surged around her.
Max: "Oh? You got power-ups now? Cool, cool. But uh…"
Max cracked his knuckles.
Max: "You ain't the only one who can flex."
BOOM.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Max shattered.
The air grew heavy.
An unseen force pressed down on the entire room.
Max's smug grin never faded.
Max: "Wanna see what happens when I stop holding back?"