The pit's silence shattered as Jin moved, no warning, no stance, his body a blur of unnatural speed. His head tilted, black sclera swallowing his eyes, pale white irises burning with coils of dark purple, a predator's gaze locked on Gwan. The crowd's murmurs froze, the air thick with sweat, blood, neon flickering over scarred concrete. Jin's limbs flowed, limp yet precise, pushed to an inhuman edge, every muscle screaming under the System's corrupted grip.
Gwan, the Breaker, raised his fists, shoulders tight, but Jin was already there, closing the distance in a heartbeat. A palm strike slammed into Gwan's forearms, the crack echoing, driving him back, heels scraping the dirt until he hit the barrier ropes. His teeth clenched, eyes wide, the blow's precision slicing through his guard like a scalpel. The crowd erupted, voices jagged with shock. "What the fuck was that?!" a man yelled, beer sloshing.
Jin surged again, feet gliding, the ground yielding to his steps. Gwan swung, his Close Quarters Combat fists cutting sharp angles, elbows slicing for Jin's skull. But Jin wasn't there, weaving through gaps with eerie grace, body bending millimeters from each strike, untouchable, a shadow stalking prey. His movements weren't human, too smooth, too fast, his frame pushed beyond natural limits, muscles straining, veins pulsing fire.
Gwan snarled, shaking off the chill crawling up his spine. He'd broken men, crushed their spirits, but this was no man. He roared, lunging to smother Jin, knees and shoulders driving forward, aiming to trap him in close quarters where size and experience could dominate. His elbow crashed down, heavy enough to crack bone, but Jin's body twisted, slipping under by a hair, countering with a heel kick to Gwan's knee, the impact sharp, designed to tear ligaments.
The pit shook, cheers mixing with gasps. "He's not human!" a woman screamed, yen fluttering. Jin pressed, relentless, a palm thrusting into Gwan's solar plexus, stealing his breath, followed by an elbow to the jaw, seamless, surgical. Gwan reeled, guard faltering, vision blurring as strikes rained, each one precise, dismantling his defense.
A System window flickered in Jin's slipping mind: [Warning: Forbidden Move Utilized]. The words vanished, static tearing through his thoughts, his body moving without him, driven by the corrupted Ultra Instinct. His fist snapped up, grazing Gwan's cheek, splitting skin, blood spraying. Gwan staggered, roaring, desperation fueling a flurry of jabs, elbows, a knee aimed at Jin's ribs. Each missed, Jin's body swaying, puppet-like, dodging with unnatural ease, his muscles screaming, pushed to their absolute limit.
The crowd's noise spiked, chaotic, split between awe and fear. "Kill him!" a gambler shouted, but others whispered, "Stop the fight, this ain't right!" Jin's body didn't pause, stepping forward, faster, smoother, as if gravity didn't bind him. A spin kick cracked into Gwan's thigh, forcing a stumble, followed by a palm to the chest, the impact echoing, knocking air from Gwan's lungs.
Gwan's panic surged, his strikes wilder, a jab to measure, an elbow to crush, a low grapple to pin the demon. Jin bent, slipped, wove, untouchable, his body limp yet lethal, every dodge a hair's breadth, every counter a blade. His elbow whipped up, catching Gwan's jaw, blood spraying, the Breaker's head snapping back. A knee followed, slamming Gwan's ribs, the crack silencing the pit for a breath.
Gwan's eyes widened, blood dripping from his mouth, arms flailing for a guard. Jin was there, hands slick with crimson, pressing in, his body a machine of destruction, muscles burning, joints straining beyond human limits. The crowd's roars faded to murmurs, unease threading through. This wasn't a fight, this was slaughter.
Jin's final strike came, merciless, a downward hammerfist crashing into Gwan's skull, the sound sharp, reverberating off the walls. Gwan crumpled, body limp, blood pooling beneath him on the concrete. The pit fell silent, the only sound his ragged breathing and the drip of crimson from Jin's fists.
The announcer's mic shook in his hand, voice trembling. "The, uh, Breaker is down! The King, the Apex, stands undefeated!"
The crowd erupted, some cheering wildly, others staring in horror, bets exchanged, drinks spilled, fists pounding barriers. Jin stood motionless, drenched in blood, those unnatural eyes fixed on nothing, head tilted, predatory, alien.
His body shuddered, breath quickening, vision flickering. Darkness receded, like waking from a nightmare. Jin gasped, chest heaving, blinking rapidly. His fists were raw, knuckles torn, dripping red. Gwan lay limp against his chest, unconscious, heavy. Horror surged, and Jin dropped him, stumbling back. "What the hell," he whispered, voice shaking, "what did I do?"
A System window flickered.
[Card Restored: Instinct]
No trace of corruption, no explanation, just cold text. The announcer's voice broke through, shaky but hyped. "The Apex keeps his crown!"
The pit roared, screaming his name, some with reverence, others with fear. Jin barely heard, fists clenching, blood dripping, one thought cutting through.
That wasn't me.
The announcer, pale under the neon lights, regained his swagger, leaning into the mic. "The Apex wins again! Our King of the Ring stands tall, unbroken! One more fight, folks, and he's in the deciding round for the whole damn tournament!" The crowd erupted louder, some cheering wildly, others whispering, still shaken by Jin's unnatural eyes, his blood-soaked hands. Money flew, bets surged, the pit alive with chaos.
Jin stumbled as a staffer grabbed his arm, guiding him through the roaring crowd, their faces a blur of awe and unease. The dim hallway swallowed him, the pit's noise fading to a muffled pulse, the air heavy with smoke and sweat. His legs moved on instinct, heavy, unsteady, each step jarring his bruised ribs, his throbbing jaw. The restroom door creaked open, and he staggered inside, collapsing onto a splintered bench, the concrete walls closing in, paint peeling like old scars.
He sat heavily, breath ragged, staring at his blood-stained fists, crimson smeared across raw knuckles, drying in streaks. His chest heaved, sweat stinging his eyes, the fluorescent bulbs buzzing overhead, flickering, casting jagged shadows. The pit's distant roars echoed through the walls, a reminder of the beast waiting outside. Jin's mind churned, replaying the fight, not his own moves but the thing that had taken him over, that alien force wearing his skin, moving his limbs, painting the floor with Gwan's blood.
A flicker sparked in his vision, cold and merciless.
[Penalty Applied: Unauthorized Access of Card Before Unlock Time.
[Consequence: Pain Compliance Protocol Initiated.]
Jin's eyes widened, a curse caught in his throat. Before he could brace, his body convulsed, white-hot pain lancing through every muscle, every tendon, every nerve. It was like fire poured into his veins, searing from the inside, tearing at his core. His fist slammed into the wall, concrete biting his knuckles, blood leaking from his bitten lip as he gritted his teeth. "Damn you, System," he snarled, voice raw, trembling, "I didn't activate shit!"
The agony surged, a storm ripping through his body, muscles locking, joints screaming, as if his bones were grinding themselves apart. His vision blurred, black spots dancing, the room tilting. He gripped the bench, splintered wood digging into his palms, fighting to stay conscious. The pain was relentless, a blade twisting deeper, punishing him for a power he hadn't chosen, a fight he hadn't controlled. His breath came in gasps, each one a battle, his heart pounding like it would burst.
The System's text flickered again, unyielding.
[Compliance Required. Penalty Duration: 30 Seconds Remaining.]
Jin's head sagged, sweat dripping, pooling on the floor with flecks of blood. He teetered on the edge of blackout, his body screaming, but one thought burned through the haze: those S-Rank cards, the tournament's reward, the key to building the Apex Syndicate, to challenging the Drop Outs, to facing the Four Crews. He couldn't fall, not now, not when he was so close.
His fist tightened, blood seeping through his fingers, the pain a cruel anchor keeping him awake. He forced his eyes open, staring at the peeling wall, the buzzing bulbs, the faint roar of the pit beyond. The System wanted to break him, but he'd clawed his way here, a nobody with nothing but will and a name he'd make feared. The Apex wasn't just a dream, it was his, and no pain, no corruption, no Crew would stop him.
The agony ebbed, slowly, leaving his muscles trembling, his breath shallow. The System's text vanished, silent, as if it had never been. Jin slumped forward, drenched in sweat, body screaming, the pit's muffled roars swelling through the walls. The next round waited, a beast hungry for more blood, and Jin, battered but unbroken, would face it, crown or no crown.