44: Incheon [19]- Opponents matched
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"Huh? By sunglasses you mean, the black-haired of Cheonliang, who was with you all?" Jaegyeon asked, his face calm, almost unreadable. The tension in the room was thick, sticky, like the air itself was holding its breath. Vasco and Zack exchanged a glance, quick and taut with anticipation. No one dared speak over the silence, the weight of the upcoming confrontation pressing down like a physical force.
"Taejin Cheon is a friend of your friend?" Samuel's voice cut through the quiet, casual but sharp, like a knife slicing through fog.
Vasco rubbed his forehead, fingers tracing the lines of exhaustion on his skin. "Friends? Exact opposite. He and that man are archenemies. We met him at Worker's first Affiliate, right?" The words carried years of history, each syllable tight with the tension of old grudges and unspoken violence.
"Huh, I can't imagine. If Sunglasses met him, what kind of fight would be going on there?" Vasco added, a crooked, nervous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He leaned back slightly, wary, eyes scanning the room as if expecting the fight to appear out of thin air.
———
Boom.
The sound struck like a thunderclap. Concrete shattered under the impact of a falling body, dust exploding into the air in a choking cloud. The room shook. Every object rattled, and the lingering smoke of old fights swirled around them like a storm.
"Hehe, Vin Jin, grabbing my ribs and giving a suplex?" Taejin grinned, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. The grin was savage, cruel, filled with arrogance and confidence born of sheer strength. He twisted Vin Jin's arm, forcing the hold open until it snapped with a wet, brittle sound.
"Not good!"
Baam!
Taejin's legs snapped out like pistons. The force hurled Vin Jin across the ruined room, his body smashing into the wall. Concrete cracked under the blow; plaster rained down in small clouds. The room itself seemed to tremble with the energy of the impact. Vin Jin fell, panting, blood matted across his face, his sunglasses long since shattered.
Vin Jin struggled, his jaw grinding through pain. He forced himself up, eyes wide, lips twisted into a furious snarl. "YOU BASTARD, I AM GONNA—"
Baam!
Taejin's fist met Vin Jin's skull with explosive force. The sound echoed like a gunshot, reverberating in every corner of the room. Vin Jin's head snapped backward, a shower of crimson catching the light as he hit the concrete again. For a long beat, they froze—Vin Jin sprawled, broken but alive; Taejin standing over him, chest heaving, a predator surveying its prey.
Taejin's arm hung near Vin Jin, fist still clenched, poised. His other hand hovered near his waist, a coil ready to spring. His ripped clothes clung to his body, blood mixing with sweat on exposed scars and taut abs. The room was destroyed around them: a sofa shredded, walls streaked with red, shards of concrete scattered like shrapnel.
"Gonna what? Avenge Soung Ji Yuk?" Taejin spat, each word sharp and lethal. "You still think I am the same as three years ago? You fucking weak asshole! Remember, I am letting you alive today, even you have killed my father is because Joongoo strictly prohibited killing. With your weakness, you would have been dead already!"
The air vibrated with his words, heavy and dark, filled with the scent of blood and sweat. Taejin's chest rose and fell violently, muscles flexing like steel cables under skin, every exhale punctuated by sharp, measured breaths.
He relaxed his stance for a moment, taking in the wrecked room and the figure of Vin Jin still struggling to rise. The torn suit in his hand, blood stiffened into ragged lines, swung loosely as he stepped toward the doorway, his boots crunching over debris. Is someone fighting outside too? Did he come with his group?This motherfucker! Taejin thought, eyes scanning the shattered frame, alert to every sound.
Then, a rustle behind him.
"Auh! It tingled, I might have lost my consciousness for a bit."
Taejin froze mid-step. He turned slowly, muscles coiled and ready. Vin Jin was on the floor, shaking, struggling, forcing himself upright with an unnatural stubbornness. His bloodied face glinted in the harsh light, each step a testament to sheer willpower.
"Where are you going, fucker?" Vin Jin spat, hand braced across his face, shielding his left eye. A demonic grin broke across his features. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING, FUCKER! DIDN'T I SAY, ONLY ONE WILL GO OUT OF THIS ROOM ALIVE!?"
His left eye's pupils glowed a violent red, a window into the ferocity burning inside him.
Taejin's grin widened, teeth bared, eyes wide and fierce. "YOU ARE ASKING TO BE KILLED!" he roared, voice echoing off cracked walls.
He threw his torn suit aside with a theatrical flourish, stepping back a few paces. The debris beneath his boots crunched with every movement, tiny clouds of dust rising. He planted his feet firmly, bent his knees slightly, one fist extended far from his body, the other near his waist—every inch a coil of lethal potential.
"Sorry, Joongoo, but I guess—" His voice dropped, heavy, almost reverent in its malice. Then his grin returned, spreading wide, eyes glinting with an unnatural yellow glow.
"I have to kill a fucking two-eyed mutt."
The yellow in his pupils flared unnaturally, reflecting in the blood-smeared floor. The room seemed to shrink around them, air thick with anticipation, sweat, and fear. The wreckage—the broken furniture, walls streaked with crimson, shattered concrete—was a backdrop to their fury. Time slowed. Every movement, every breath, every muscle twitch mattered.
Vin Jin's chest heaved, each inhale ragged, blood dripping down his jaw. He lifted his head, the red glow of his pupil cutting through the gloom like a flare. His stance wavered, muscles tense, but his resolve burned fiercely.
Taejin's grin never faltered. His chest rose and fell with exaggerated control, eyes flicking between Vin Jin's movements, reading the slightest twitch. The yellow flare in his eyes was almost hypnotic, a warning, a declaration, a promise of devastation.
The room, silent but for ragged breaths and distant echoes of other fights outside, held its tension like a drum. The shattered concrete, blood-streaked walls, and torn furniture were evidence of their brutal history—but now, every object, every shadow, every smell of sweat and iron magnified the danger.
Both men crouched, coiled, ready to explode. A single wrong movement could end the other in an instant. The air vibrated with power and intent, charged by years of hatred and vengeance. The fight was not just physical—it was a clash of wills, a war of souls.
And with a roar that shook the room and a flash of yellow in his eyes, Taejin lunged, muscles taut, fist arcing toward Vin Jin, every ounce of power and history behind it.
The storm had begun.
___
"Huh, thought so, That Bastard, he is spoiled brat, who would have been friends with him?." Samuel spoke, he kept glacing at Jake, as he was trying to make him talk, as he tried to converse with him.
"Because he is son of a Shaman of Cheonliang, Shinmyung Cheon." Samuel said as he glanced over Jake, but Jake didn't respond or moved, Samuel sighed and turned, but as he turned he was shocked, shocked to see Jaegyeon Na's face.
Jaegyeon Na's mouth rolled open; his eyebrows lifted as if a wire had been pulled. For a single suspended second he wore the perfect mask of astonishment—an expression that made the air around him crack.
"Son of that Shaman?" He spoke with a great surprise.
"Y…es" said Samuel, his voice clipped, the surprise still clinging to it like dust.
Vasco noticed the change first. "What is the matter?" he asked, eyes flicking to Jaegyeon's face. Jaegyeon's composure snapped back like a drawn bow. He smoothed a hand over his jacket, drew a breath, and forced his voice steady. "no, nothing, Let us move towards our plan…" he said.
Vasco gave Daniel a quick look—brow raised, silent question in his posture. Daniel only shrugged, shoulders lifting and falling in a small, weary motion. His mouth turned down at one corner; his eyes stayed even, then he tilted his head and opened his palm, rotating it as if offering up the uncertainty. I don't know, his stance said without words.
Zack watched them both, confusion knotted across his brow. Jay simply smiled—half amused, half curious—and kept his quiet watch. Samuel took them all in, the cigarette smoke drifting like a thin curtain between thought and action. He sighed, the sound low, tired.
"So, here is the plan." Said Jaegyeon, placing his finger to the map. The room leaned in as if gravity itself wanted to eavesdrop. Vasco, Daniel, Jay, Zack and Samuel tilted their heads toward the spread of paper, the creases and inked lines catching the flicker of the single overhead bulb.
"You all just need to stop Joongoo, Kitae Kim, Taejin and the other guy for max 60 Minutes. And, we in those 60 Minutes would run through these tunnels and emerge out in Incheon Chinatown, as you said, Your friend, Seong Ji Yuk's student, will be there, we could meet him in the way." Jaegyeon's voice was clipped, precise; his finger traced the route with steady confidence.
Heads nodded—slow, reluctant agreements made with the weight of inevitability.
"Now, you all, have to stop Kitae and others till they…" Jaegyeon paused, eyes flicking toward Speed, Jake and Lineman, their silhouettes shaded with bandages and exhaustion. "Reach on your Yacht, and could go to Busan."
Daniel's gaze passed over Yeowool as she slept fitfully, breaths shallow and uneven. The room tightened; the map's lines seemed to constrict like a noose.
"Now, Who will fight whom?…" As Jaegyeon said these words, the pressure in the room dropped, Zack gulped and Daniel exhaled. A fine film of sweat appeared at temples; the question hung heavy, a challenge with teeth.
"Who will fight…Kitae Kim?" The syllables fell like stones. Muscles tensed across faces. A trail of sweat slipped down a cheek.
Silence answered—because they all knew the truth: to face Kitae Kim was to befriend with death.
"I will!" A voice cut through the room, authoritative and absolute. It was Samuel Seo. "I will fight Kitae Kim" Samuel declared.
The circle fractured into astonished faces—Zack, Vasco, Daniel, Jay and even Jake Kim's eyes widened. Jaegyeon smiled, a small, complicated thing. Zack's protest burst out, fingers twitching. "But-but you shouldn't Samuel Seo, if you do, You may die!" he shouted.
Samuel's reply was calm, cold steel. "I know Kitae Kim's poweress perfectly, and don't worry, he won't kill me…"
"He won't kill you, how?" Zack demanded, stunned.
"Have you forgotten who's secret friend I am? It's…" Samuel paused, the corner of his mouth lifting. Then he smiled, darker, wider. "Joongoo Kim. The Weapon Master."
Daniel and the others turned to Samuel, eyes narrowing slightly as the weight of his revelation sank in. The tension in the room was almost tangible, a quiet hum vibrating against the walls. Jaegyeon broke the silence, his voice calm but deliberate, cutting through the unspoken questions.
"Yes, you are associated with Joongoo, right?"
Samuel's gaze shifted to Jaegyeon, brow raised. His voice, laced with sharp curiosity, responded, "I am associated with Joongoo? What does that mean… do you even know him?"
Jaegyeon met Samuel's eyes steadily, his own voice measured. "Well, I have once helped Joongoo in the past, but this doesn't change the meaning that he won't attack us while we run." The words carried authority, a reassurance wrapped in practicality, and yet a subtle tension lingered beneath them.
Samuel opened his mouth, intending to question Jaegyeon further about his ties to Joongoo. But something in Jaegyeon's composed demeanor stopped him mid-thought. The unspoken weight of trust and past alliances held him silent. Jaegyeon, sensing the hesitation, continued without pause, his voice slicing the quiet.
"Now that Kitae is handled, who will fight Paecheon Jo?"
At the mention of Paecheon Jo, the room shifted. Yeowool, the other members of Speed, and even Jake turned their eyes toward Jaegyeon sharply, a mixture of concern and anticipation etched across their faces. Every muscle seemed to stiffen at the name, the tension in the air palpable as if the mention itself summoned the storm of conflict to come.
"I will." Daniel's voice cut through, calm but unwavering. His eyes, previously clouded with hesitation, now shone with resolve, the faint gleam of determination reflecting in the low light of the room.
Jaegyeon nodded without further debate, his gaze sharp, accepting the decision with the efficiency of someone who had seen far too much blood to waste words. In the next few moments, the arrangements fell into place like pieces of a calculated puzzle. Zack and Jay would face Joongoo together, their coordination a necessary counter to the overwhelming force they would confront.
If Vin Jin did not find Taejin, Jaegyeon would personally intervene. Any unassigned Squad Leaders would also be met with Jaegyeon's direct engagement, leaving no gaps in their defensive plan. The meticulous precision of his mind contrasted with the raw tension radiating from those around him, yet no one questioned it; they understood the stakes too well.
"And now," Jaegyeon's voice cut through the remaining murmur, heavy with gravity, "one that is left… the new man who came with them. Name—unknown. And the only one left to face him is…" He paused, sweeping his gaze across the group, letting the weight of his decision settle. "Vasco. You."
Vasco's body tensed, a spark of determination flickering in his eyes. He rose swiftly, the movement fluid yet sharp, and interlocked his fingers, stretching them behind his back in silent preparation. Jay and Zack exchanged brief, startled glances, each recognizing the magnitude of the task laid before him.
"Finally, it is my time," Vasco said, voice steady, carrying a sense of resolve that seemed to anchor the room.
Jaegyeon's calm voice cut through, precise as ever. "It's okay, but I believe you shouldn't engage with him if he hasn't done anything. Just keep an eye on him."
Vasco's gaze sharpened. "What if he had beaten up a civilian?"
Jaegyeon's expression shifted, the calm mask fading into a sharp frown, the air around him heavy and tense. "You can break every bone in his body," he said, his voice hard, unwavering, the weight of authority pressing down on the room like iron.
Vasco straightened, adjusting his hair into a ponytail, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly, replaced by resolve. "Right…"
---
Somewhere deep within Incheon, darkness consumed the streets. The area was a graveyard of twisted metal and shattered asphalt, the remains of vehicles scattered like forgotten toys, doors torn off, mirrors shattered. Among the wreckage lay bodies—some slashed, some barely moving, their groans lost amidst the metallic chaos. The air was thick with the stench of gasoline and blood, metallic and sharp.
A man grunted as he struggled to grip the asphalt beneath him. His fingernails tore against the concrete, leaving shallow red streaks that mirrored the blood already on his body.
"Aa!! Rhha!!" he screamed, masked in black skull mask, pain lancing through every nerve as his body refused to obey his will.
Upon him sat a figure, motionless in contrast to the chaos around, yet emanating an unsettling calm. His black trousers were stained with dirt and blood, the yellow shirt with white stripes stretched taut across his body, blond hair catching the dim light like fire. Glasses reflected fragments of the shattered world around him.
"Never expected King of Uijeongbu...Juhyuk Eun, was it?" The words were casual, almost bored, as if delivered in a classroom rather than a battlefield.
The man beneath him coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, a faint red smear along his jaw. Joongoo Kim rested one elbow on his knee, his fist under his chin, an effortless display of dominance.
"I never expected a King to be this weak." His voice was low, cold, tainted with disdain yet almost playful. He yawned, stretching slightly. "I am bored… should I just go home and play Nintendo?"
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Hello, this is the author and I have to say something, For some technical glitch, I am unable to give away comments, so I might not be able to reply or give Characters Sketch with his account, that's why there is my another account, I have given a review, you can see it.
You all might think that why Jaegyeon is trying to keep Kitae and Joongoo away even if Joongoo would not attack him, well because he doesn't want to take any kind of risk, since number of Dark Crocodile's forces are down, and 80% of the Non-injured forces are searching for him, it was the best idea to make him run through Chinatown.
Also, Now you know who is fighting whom, This chapter is actually rushed, I merged 2-3 chapters, I hope you don't hate it.
Recently, The view count has gone low, It is not that I complain because I know that only 5-10 people will read this, including me, well anyway thank you for reading.
I am not saying good by, I am just expressing my gratitude.