The twins were already gone by the time I woke up.
Now, as I drove back, the whole thing played through my mind again.
No trace of them remained in the room. No clothes. No perfume lingering in the air. Just a small note on the bedside table.
"It was fun."
They had left breakfast as well. I shrugged and ate it. Halfway through, something clicked.
I forgot to ask their names.
Not only that, I had even forgotten to check their names through the system. Truthfully, I had been too distracted by more important things for the thought even to cross my mind.
After clearing out of the room, I stopped by the reception desk. When I asked the clerk who had booked the suite, he flat-out refused to tell me, citing corporate confidentiality policy.
After pushing him some more, he had only said, "The suite is registered under a private holding account."
I had tried to reason with him, saying I had stayed in the room with them for the night and just wanted to know their names.
"If they wanted to tell you their names, they would've done so," he had said with a fake politeness.
I wouldn't lie; I really wanted to punch the smug bastard in the face when he had said that, but I controlled myself. A high-end hotel lobby wasn't the place for random violence.
With no other choice, I had left the hotel.
I shook my head and turned on the radio.
"Harlem got a two-for-one special last night—attempted robbery with a complimentary gang shootout."
"Members of the 110th Street crew—you know, the ones working under Harlem's favorite up-and-coming crime lord, Tombstone—tried to hit a jewelry store on 125th. Really inspiring to see local businesses thriving like that."
"Simple plan: walk in, take the shiny things, leave. Complication: the Crimson Talons showed up mid-heist and decided bullets were the preferred negotiation strategy."
"What followed was less 'robbery' and more 'live-fire argument.' Multiple gang members from both sides are now permanently out of business, and the survivors are scattered before the cops could show up and ask anyone to use their indoor voices."
"The miracle of the night? The store's inventory is still there. Diamonds untouched, glass very much not. So congratulations to the jewelry—turns out it had better protection than the neighborhood."
"Police are investigating, which in this case means putting up tape, writing reports, and pretending this wasn't inevitable the second two rival gangs picked the same block."
"This is Jenna Volt, Channel 7 and a Half—reminding you: when criminals start shooting each other, the only winners are the ones who sell the coffins."
Finally, some good news.
I had just thought that when two black vans surged forward and boxed me in from both sides.
I had been driving leisurely. They closed the distance almost instantly.
A silver-gray snake decal ran along their doors. It was the Iron Serpent MC.
I tested the gap with a subtle acceleration. A third van cut in from a side road ahead, sliding smoothly into the lead position. A fourth sealed the rear. Classic rolling cage formation.
Emergency Mission: Ambush
Description: Amanda Watson, lieutenant of the Iron Serpent MC, has identified one of the individuals responsible for her brother Derek Watson's death. She has initiated a retaliatory ambush.
Objective: Survive the ambush.
Reward: Black Beauty (Green Hornet)
Who the hell tipped them off?
My question was answered when I looked to my right and saw Diego sitting on the passenger seat of the van. He gave me a savage grin in greeting and dragged a thumb across his throat.
It was then that I remembered that Luis had told me that the Reyes family worked for the Iron Serpent MC.
I exhaled slowly and looked to my left. The gangster there grinned. He had a pistol trained on me. But he didn't shoot. It was for the same reason I didn't start shooting.
Too many witnesses.
Instead, he jerked the gun forward—keep driving.
I faced front again, expression blank, and complied.
Motorcycles joined the formation as we moved. Traffic thinned. Buildings gave way to quieter streets… then to the outskirts.
Thanks to my enhanced perception, I spotted the blockade well in advance—two more vans sliding across the road, completely sealing the lane—no other vehicles in sight. Perfect isolation.
The men in the flanking vans gave me mocking stares as we closed the distance. Diego's grin widened.
It was then—
I slammed the brakes. The car jolted. The rear van smashed into my bumper with a crunch of metal and shattering plastic, but I was already moving.
I floored the accelerator and yanked the wheel right. My front fender clipped the right van's rear quarter panel in a perfect PIT maneuver. Tires howled. The van spun wildly across the road, its rear swinging out.
With one hand locked on the wheel, I snapped open the glove compartment, pulled on my white, expressionless mask in a single fluid motion, and drew the pistol. My enhanced reflexes made the entire motion seamless.
For a brief moment, my car and the spinning van ran parallel but in opposite directions. Through the shattered windows, the van's driver and Diego's shocked and panicked faces filled my vision. I fired twice and popped their heads. The driverless van veered and slammed into the left flanking vehicle with a grinding crash.
I wrenched the steering wheel into a tight, controlled U-turn, now facing the original rear blocker. The two front-seat passengers were still fumbling for their weapons. Two more precise shots. They slumped instantly.
I was already accelerating away when movement in the rearview mirror caught my eye. The original lead van's back door had slid open. My stomach tightened.
I exhaled sharply. "What's with these siblings' fetish for miniguns?!"
The van's doors opened to reveal a lean woman in her mid-twenties. Dirty-blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail, a cropped black biker jacket over a green mesh top, and a serpent tattoo curling across her exposed midriff. She stood braced behind the minigun, her eyes burning with murderous intent.
She was Amanda, one of Iron Serpent MC's lieutenants and Derek's sister. She snatched a loudspeaker from her subordinate's hand and raised it.
"You really thought you could run after putting a bullet in my brother?" Her voice cracked with raw fury over the loudspeaker. "I'm gonna paint this road with your blood. And once you're rotting, I'm coming for that bitch too."
I ignored her rant, my focus locked on the minigun.
Multiple bikers rolled in from the flanks, engines snarling as they tightened the perimeter. She gave the signal. The minigun barrel started spinning while the gangsters raised their weapons.
I grabbed the rearview mirror and ripped it free from the windshield mount.
The first biker's shot slammed into my rear bumper. I dove out of the car as bullets tore through the windshield. The minigun was still spooling up—I had a few seconds to reach solid cover.
I hit the ground, rolled twice, and came up on my feet. As I sprinted toward the woods, I raised my pistol and fired. My first shot targeted Amanda, but she had already ducked behind the minigun. The next two bullets found the heads of two exposed bikers.
One of the bikers I had killed had a rider behind him on his bike. He held his dead partner's body in front of him and fired at me from behind it. I swung my arm while firing, and the bullet, instead of going in a straight line, followed a curved trajectory and hit that biker on the side of his head.
I reached the tree line just as the minigun roared to life behind me. I slid behind a thick trunk, bark exploding inches from my face as heavy rounds shredded wood and sent splinters flying.
Using the detached mirror, I watched the gangsters from cover. I couldn't see all of them, but the ones I did see looked visibly shaken, even if they continued shooting. It looked like the curved bullet had rattled them.
By the time the minigun fell silent, the tree was barely standing.
"So that's how you killed Derek…" Amanda roared through the loudspeaker. "I knew there was no fucking way a couple of normal bastards could've taken him down that day."
I was thinking of countermeasures when my Danger Sense flickered. I yanked my face back from the edge of the tree just as a green ball of energy slammed into it. The bark visibly rotted on impact.
"Do you think only you have superpowers?" Amanda grinned menacingly.
I stored the mirror in my inventory and pulled out another pistol.
I rose from my crouched position behind the tree, sprinted a few steps, and then turned around.
I couldn't shoot them directly because the tree blocked my view. I swung both my arms and fired. The bullets followed an arc around the tree and then pierced the foreheads of two more bikers.
I ignored the commotion, turned around, and ran deeper into the forest.
"Go after him," Amanda barked. "Don't let him escape!"
She took the lead and plunged into the woods with her underlings.
I ran for a few minutes, then climbed a tall tree and suppressed my presence. A soft white light covered my arms. Since I was only at the Novice stage in the Curved Bullet skill, I had to swing my whole arm, which strained the muscles throughout it and left them aching. So I waited a minute to let it heal enough.
My breathing slowed down as I perched on a branch. From the movements I heard from the forest, the bikers had scattered to look for me. I focused on the noises closest to me. I flexed my arms; they felt ok enough.
Time for the hunt.
I leaped onto the next branch, sprinted along it, then launched myself toward another tree. Traveling from tree to tree, I reached my destination.
I was welcomed by a hail of bullets fired by three gangsters as they heard the rustling of the tree when I jumped on it. But the tree was dense, and they didn't see my exact position. I hid behind a branch as they emptied their magazines. I aimed from above and shot all three dead.
I continued the hunt, singling out one gangster after another.
Finally, I reached the last and largest group, consisting of Amanda and five other thugs.
I aimed and fired at both a biker and Amanda. The biker dropped, but another thug stepped in front of her at the last instant and took the bullet meant for her.
"He's here!" Amanda roared. A sickly green glow ignited around her hands. "Shoot him!"
I leaped down from the branch as bullets whipped through the leaves. A green energy ball streaked toward me midair. I twisted, but it clipped my left forearm. My sleeve blackened instantly; rotten fabric crumbled away as blackness spread across my skin. Sharp pain lanced up my arm. A soft green light flared over the wound. It was the latest spell I had learned.
Minor Detoxification
Type: Spell
School: Order
Rank: Novice
Description: Detoxifies minor poisons. Limited effect on higher potential poisons.
It was only a novice-rank spell, and Amanda's poison was far stronger. The spell slowed the spread but couldn't purge it completely. But it was still better than nothing.
I shot another biker and ducked behind a tree. The fight turned into a desperate exchange of cover fire.
After a few minutes, I spotted a sliver of a biker's head peeking out. One clean shot blew out the back of his skull against the tree trunk.
Now, only Amanda and another biker remained. At this point, Amanda did something both unexpected and expected.
"Cover me," Amanda ordered and bolted.
Kudos to the last biker, who didn't run away and kept shooting at me.
I couldn't let Amanda run away, or I wouldn't have a moment of peace unless she were dead. I marked her with my Mark of the Hunter skill and focused back on the last biker.
The guy likely knew that death was a foregone conclusion, so he stopped hiding behind the tree and came out of it, shooting at the tree I was behind without stopping. He likely just wanted to borrow enough time for Amanda to run away.
I couldn't let him do that. I dived to my right and, while in midair, shot the biker. One bullet in the chest and another in the head, and he was dead.
Quickly hopping to my feet, I ran behind Amanda. She was still within the range of the skill, so I could see a red dot moving away from me on my map.
Soon, I caught up to her and shot the back of her knee. She screamed and collapsed. Before she could hurl another poison orb, I shot both her wrists.
"Now, my dear Iron Serpent lieutenant," I said with a cold smile, "would you mind answering some questions?"
"Never," Amanda snarled, her face twisted in pain.
I sighed. Oh well. Expected.
I used some of the tricks I had used to make that pirate cultist talk. She broke faster than he did.
Once I had everything I needed, I put a bullet through her head, freeing her from her misery and sending her to join her brother in hell.
Wait a second. There are too many hells in Marvel. Did they even go to the same one?
I shrugged a moment later. Not my problem.
Emergency Mission: Ambush (Completed)
Description: Amanda Watson, lieutenant of the Iron Serpent MC, has identified one of the individuals responsible for her brother Derek Watson's death. She has initiated a retaliatory ambush.
Objective: Survive the ambush. (Completed)
Reward: Black Beauty (Green Hornet)
Hidden Objective: Kill Amanda Watson, Iron Serpent MC lieutenant. (Completed)
Reward: $20000
I captured Amanda's photo and sent it to Reina with a text message, "Need to talk to you about something important regarding the Iron Serpents tonight."
Her only reply was a single "?". I didn't respond. My priority right now was getting this poison treated—the Minor Detoxification spell was barely holding it back.
On the ride back, the information Amanda had spilled replayed in my mind
I sighed. The age of superhumans has barely started, yet the arms race is already in full swing.
Amanda's powers weren't innate; instead, they were the result of a genetic experiment conducted by Roxxon.
Yep, Roxxon had already decided to take part in the race and had already created a prototype of their first supervillain team, the Serpent Society. The Serpent Society and, by extension, Roxxon were backing the Iron Serpent MC.
Roxxon wanted to take over the Newark underworld through the Iron Serpents and use it as a foothold to battle for New York City's underworld.
It had already begun human experiments, but the results were still unstable.
Amanda, consumed by grief and rage, had volunteered as a test subject and somehow survived the process. Her power's source was a member of the Serpent Society. Cleopatra Nefertiti, better known as Asp, was a mutant with the power to shoot venom bolts from her hands. Amanda got a similar but degraded version of the power from the experiment.
I arrived at the road. My car was already shredded. I hopped on one of the bikes with the keys still on it.
I made my way to the Pig Sty Alley in NYC. I just hoped that Granny Mei would be available to treat me.
Pig Sty Alley:
Two men approached the entrance to Pig Sty Alley. The lean one wore a crisp white shirt, a grey coat draped loosely over his shoulders, and brown trousers. The fat one wore a black coat and black trousers. Both sported light brown hats with black stripes.
A group of kids was playing soccer nearby. The ball rolled straight toward the two strangers. The lean man stopped it with his foot and launched into an impressive series of tricks—juggling, knee taps, and a flashy behind-the-back pass. The children watched, wide-eyed and impressed.
"Please, sir, can you teach us?" one boy asked, eyes shining with respect and an eager grin.
"No more soccer," the lean man scoffed. He stomped down hard, bursting the ball with a loud pop. The kids stared in shock. One—the ball's owner—burst into tears.
The two men stepped into the Pig Sty Alley and walked in with measured steps. They made their way to the barber's shop, The Close Shave.
Zhao Ming was drinking soup straight from the bowl when the duo entered. He set it down and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Who wants the cut?"
"My boss," the lean man replied, removing his own hat and gesturing toward the fat man with his other hand.
Zhao Ming nodded, removed the hat from the fat guy's head, and passed it to the lean guy. The fat guy sat wordlessly in the chair.
The lean man's gaze dropped to Zhao Ming's sagging pants, half his butt crack on full display. Zhao Ming flashed his best customer-service smile. The lean man quickly looked away.
"Done!" Zhao Ming announced minutes later. "Thirty dollars, please."
"Isn't it great?" he asked proudly, admiring his work.
"It's too good!" The lean man said, his face grim. Raising his voice, he demanded, "Why'd you make him look so good?"
"Why?" The lean guy yelled in anger.
The fat man, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, slowly opened them and fixed Zhao Ming with a scornful glare. He stood, shrugged off his black coat—revealing nothing underneath—and flexed. A large tattoo of two criss-crossed axes dominated his chest. He slammed his fists against his thick thighs. His chest and belly jiggled dramatically. The tattoo looked as if it were rolling on waves.
"Don't get mad, boss," the lean guy said placatingly. "He's an old buddy of mine from the block. Let me handle this."
He pulled Zhao Ming into a corner and pointed at the fat man. "That's the boss of the Axe Gang. Don't you see the two axes? We're the bad guys."
He placed a hand on Zhao Ming's shoulder, adopting the tone of a wise mentor. "Making him look good is really bad for business. Understand?"
"No," Zhao Ming shook his head. His smile turned back to his signature poker face.
"You're a complete numbskull!" The lean guy groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Look, I like you," he continued, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, his hand still anchored to the barber's shoulder. "So just slide me a little something on the side, and I'll smooth things over with the boss."
"No," Zhao Ming flatly refused, his expression completely unchanging.
The fat man hit his fists against his thighs again, his face angry. But once again, this caused his man-boobs and stomach to jiggle. The tattoo once again looked as if it were rolling on waves.
"Easy with the axes, boss!" the lean guy called out over his shoulder. "I'm reasoning with him!"
The lean guy took a step closer to Zhao Ming. "I really care for you. You saw it yourself; I stood up to my boss for you. Seriously."
"Why don't you just pay up?" he asked, voice softening. "Not much. Just enough for a few drinks."
"Oh," Zhao Ming said, expression unchanging. "So it's extortion."
The lean man sighed, then spun dramatically. "Boss!" But the fat man had already dozed off in the chair, snoring softly. The lean man shook him. No response.
He whirled back to Zhao Ming, eyes wide. "Now you've done it! You're dead! Just wait until the boss wakes up from his nap!"
"I am not afraid," Zhao Ming declared, standing tall with sudden, utterly fearless heroism. "You can kill me, but there will be thousands more just like me to take my place!"
He turned toward the shop entrance. The lean man followed his gaze and saw the residents of Pig Sty Alley marching toward them.
The lean man shoved Zhao Ming aside and stepped outside. "You want to play tough?" he called to the growing crowd. "The Axe Gang boss is napping right in there." He sneered. "Whoever wants to die, take one step forward."
Without a second of hesitation, the entire crowd took a synchronized step forward.
"Oh, so you want to fight?" The lean man asked, raising his eyebrows. "Great! We'll go one-on-one."
"Don't even think about cheating," he warned, pointing his finger at the crowd.
He looked at the crowd, and finally his gaze rested on one person. "That old woman with the onion!" He said, pointing his finger at a woman. "Come here," he said, gesturing with his hand.
The kindly-looking woman approached with a warm smile.
"You look really tough," the lean guy scoffed. "Want to try me?" He pointed to his stomach and continued, "I'll let you hit me first."
She punched him square in the gut. The lean man doubled over and vomited a mouthful of blood, some of it splattering across the woman's face.
"What do you do for a living?" he wheezed, wiping his mouth.
"I'm a construction worker," she replied sweetly.
"Construction workers don't fight," he waved her off. "Piss off!"
The woman frowned. "Crazy guy," she muttered as she walked away.
"Calling me names?" he snarled. "You're lucky you're a woman."
He scanned the crowd and settled his gaze on a man. "Hey, shorty," he called the man with only a face visible from the crowd. The man looked around, then looked at the lean guy. "Yeah, you." The lean guy confirmed. He continued, "If you're short, don't retort."
The man who was actually sitting on a stool stood up and walked out from the back of the crowd. He turned out to be a man more than seven feet high.
The lean guy carefully took half a step back, then said, "What did I say about cheating?" He growled, "Sit your ass back down!"
The lean guy scanned the crowd again and, this time, chose an old man. "You! The geezer with glasses. Step out."
The old man walked out of the crowd. He was topless and had thick muscles on his body.
"No, not you," the lean guy said immediately. "I mean…" He hurriedly looked at the crowd to find a suitable alternative.
"You!" He excitedly pointed at a kid. "Hey, kid. Let's rumble!"
The kid came out of the crowd. He was topless, too, and had bigger muscles than the old man.
"Alright, alright," the lean guy said hurriedly. "So, no one-on-ones today?" He continued with disdain, "You all are a bunch of wimps."
It was then that Zhao Ming brought the Landlady. He pointed towards the lean guy and complained, "He blackmailed me."
The lean guy scoffed, crossing his arms. "Fat woman, you're in charge of this dump?"
The Landlady didn't answer. She calmly slipped off one of her slippers and weighed it in her hand like a weapon.
"Fat woman, my ass!" she roared, slapping him hard across the face with the slipper.
The lean man flinched and staggered back, fear flashing in his eyes. Still, he tried to recover. "I'm with the Axe Gang!" he shouted, jabbing a finger at her.
She stepped forward and slapped him again. "Axe Gang, my ass!"
"Boss!" he yelled desperately toward the shop. The fat guy kept snoring loudly in the chair.
The lean man covered his face. She whacked the top of his head. "Boss, my ass!"
"You have to pay our medical bills—"
"Bills, my ass!" Another stinging slap.
"I'll sue you—"
"Sue, my ass!" Another slap.
He turned and tried to flee, but she chased him down and delivered two more powerful slaps. The sound echoed through the alley.
"You think you're tough?" he spat, backing away. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a firecracker. "I'll call for backup."
"You nitwit," she scoffed. "Let's see you call backup."
He took out a lighter and lit the firecracker with trembling hands. "You don't know the backup I have. I'm talking about an army here."
He hurled it over the community wall, then edged toward the entrance while keeping one eye on her. "Don't you go away. Put a down payment on your coffin."
Just as he reached the exit, both he and the Landlady noticed a large group of men entering the alley.
The leader wore a sharp black two-piece suit over a white shirt with several buttons undone, revealing a prominent two-axes tattoo. A light brown hat sat on his head, one side burned away with singed hair visible beneath. The men behind him were identically dressed in black suits, white shirts, and ties.
"Who threw the firecracker?" the lieutenant demanded, his voice low and simmering with rage.
"I'm one of you, brother!" the lean man cried out, practically throwing himself at the lieutenant's feet before spinning to point an accusing finger. "She did it! It was her!"
At first, the Landlady looked completely unbothered. But the moment her gaze locked onto the identical crossed-axes tattoos and the sheer numbers filling the narrow street, her face completely fell.
As the Axe Gang advanced, dark rain clouds rolled in overhead as if on cue, casting long shadows that seemed to move with the group. The residents watched in uneasy silence.
The Landlady calmly turned around and looked at the residents. "Mind your own business! It's going to rain, so go bring in your laundry."
"Fat woman," the lieutenant with the burned hair called after her.
But the Landlady bolted toward her apartment with blinding speed. The lieutenant could only stare, mouth agape, as her figure blurred and vanished behind a slamming door.
He shook off his shock and turned back to the residents, his eyes locking onto Zhao Ming.
"You want to blackmail me too?" Zhao Ming asked, face poker-flat. "I ain't afraid."
The man pulled out an axe hung on his trousers' belt loops.
He took a step forward toward Zhao Ming and turned his ear toward him. "Hmm?" He hummed tauntingly, as if daring Zhao Ming to repeat that.
Sweat beaded on Zhao Ming's face. His mouth opened, but no sound came. He finally managed a weak, "I…"
That was enough for the Axe Gang lieutenant. He couldn't let some guy talk back to him and spit on the Axe Gang's majesty. He swung his axe, but the axe didn't hit the target.
No one saw what happened.
One instant, the blade was descending. The next, the lieutenant lay crumpled inside a barrel dozens of meters away, folded nearly in half.
Cold sweat poured down Zhao Ming's face. The other Axe Gang members spun around in shock and rushed to their fallen leader.
"Did anyone see that?" the lieutenant wheezed, pain etched across his face.
They shook their heads, bewildered.
"Don't pull me out!" he gasped as hands reached for him. "My back's broken!"
He coughed violently. "Call for help… Call for help!"
One of the subordinates nodded quickly, fumbling in his tailored suit pocket to pull out a smartphone. He aggressively tapped the screen, raising it to his ear to demand immediate, heavy reinforcements.
Soon, the Axe Gang boss Sum Weilong, aka Brother Sum, arrived at the Pig Sty Alley together with more than a hundred of his subordinates.
The gang members forcefully pulled out every resident from their apartments and herded them into the central square.
"Keep quiet," one thug snarled at a crying child.
Brother Sum walked to the edge of the square, casting a brief, disgusted glance at his unconscious lieutenant. He scoffed, entirely indifferent to the man's broken spine, and turned his cold eyes toward the huddled mass of residents.
With a casual jerk of his chin, a burly gangster stepped forward and violently yanked a terrified woman out of the crowd. Her young son broke free from the panic, screaming as he ran to her side; she instantly clutched him against her chest. Another gangster grabbed a heavy metal canister of kerosene from a nearby eatery, unscrewed the cap, and doused them both. The mother curled her body protectively over her boy, shivering as the fuel soaked through their clothes.
The surrounding thugs tightened their perimeter, locking down the rest of the neighborhood. Nobody dared to move. The residents pressed closer together, swallowed by a suffocating fear, staring at the concrete.
"Who did this?" Sum Weilong asked calmly.
Silence.
Brother Sum didn't seem to mind the lack of an answer. He pulled a sleek, silver lighter from his pocket and flicked it open, the small flame dancing against the dark, overcast sky. "I'll count to three."
"One…"
"Two…"
He didn't bother waiting for three. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the burning lighter directly toward the soaked mother and child.
— Kevin —
I finally arrived at the Pig Sty alley. I couldn't use the magic openly on the road, so the poison had again started to spread. I killed the bike's engine at the entrance and frowned at the sea of black suits inside.
A bad feeling twisted my gut when I saw those men, as I had a faint idea who they might be. I dismounted and moved in cautiously. That's when I heard, "I'll count to three."
My eyes widened as I understood what was happening. I knew it was a canon event and that no one would die, but this was reality. There was no guarantee it would follow canon. I hurriedly ran and stepped on a drum.
"One…"
Using that as a platform, I jumped onto one of the Axe Gang members' shoulders.
"Two…"
I sprang shoulder-to-shoulder across two more men, using them as stepping stones, and dropped to the ground directly in front of them.
Sum Weilong threw the lighter.
I ran with all my might. But I wasn't the only one. Liu Hongbin, aka Coolie, was half a step closer. His hand caught the lighter. My hand was barely behind his. Even if he had missed, I would've caught it.
We nodded at each other, and Liu Hongbin snapped the lighter shut.
Together, we turned to face the Axe Gang and declared in unison:
"I did it!"
Sum Weilong frowned as I suddenly appeared in the square. For a moment, his eyes narrowed in confusion, then recognition flashed across his face, and one eyebrow rose sharply.
Before he could speak, a gangster bellowed and charged. The cry triggered the rest. Over a hundred Axe Gang members surged forward like a black wave—some rushing Liu Hongbin, the rest converging on me.
I attacked the first with the wooden sword in my hand. I had taken it out of my inventory when I was at the entrance so that no one would see me taking it out of thin air. I parried the axe of the first gangster, then drove a hard kick into the man's shin, dropping him, and immediately launched into the sword forms the old man had taught me earlier.
—
Liu Hongbin exploded into motion. He met the front wave with a calm expression. A low sweeping kick shattered three ankles in one arc. He rose instantly, driving a fist into a chest, then spun into a back kick that hurled a charging gangster ten feet back. Axes whistled past him—he ducked one, trapped another mid-swing with his forearm, and twisted the weapon from its owner's grip before smashing an elbow into the man's temple.
Kevin thrust the sword tip into the stomach of the nearest gangster, doubling him over. He ripped the blade free and swung wildly at the next two. Danger Sense flared; he tilted aside just as an axe sliced past his back. He kicked the knee of the gangster in front, then pivoted and delivered a downward diagonal slash to the one behind. He felt a bit lightheaded as the poison spread faster, but he held on. Another axe came from his blind spot—he grabbed the handle, yanked the man forward, and planted a boot squarely in his chest, sending him crashing into two others.
Liu Hongbin flowed like water through the chaos. A gangster lunged; Liu Hongbin leaped and slammed a flying side kick into his ribs. Rotating midair, he unleashed a tornado kick that caught the next man across the jaw. Two more charged from opposite sides—he jumped again and split-kicked both simultaneously. A third came from the right; Liu Hongbin spun into another tornado kick, then dropped low into a sweeping leg that spun the attacker through the air before finishing him with a crushing downward axe kick. He followed with a rapid barrage of kicks, each one hurling a gangster away like a rag doll.
Unlike Liu Hongbin's refined technique, Kevin relied on overwhelming physical ability to compensate for his rougher swordsmanship. He gripped the sword with both hands, holding it vertically beside his right ear, then brought it down in a heavy diagonal strike from right to left, cracking a gangster's chest. He reversed the motion in a left-to-right downward cut, then whipped the blade upward like a baseball bat, smashing the third man under the chin and lifting him off his feet.
Liu Hongbin and Kevin kept hitting the gangsters, but soon they were surrounded and attacked from every angle. As a result, they shifted from attacking to defending. If they were to attack one, they would be attacked by five more simultaneously. Hitting and defending, they barely made their way towards each other. When they hit the last gangster between them, they immediately turned around and stood with their backs against each other.
Sum Weilong frowned as he saw his men going down one by one. He knew that with the overwhelming numerical advantage, it was only a matter of time before Kevin and Liu Hongbin would go down. However, the more of his subordinates he lost, the more face he would lose in front of others. Defeating two enemies at the cost of tens of his own was a losing battle for him. He would lose whatever prestige he had gained till now. His jaw tightened; he regretted not bringing any of his elite fighters. The only reason he had even brought so many of his subordinates was a show of force. To intimidate his rivals and crush whoever offended the Axe Gang with overwhelming numerical advantage. After all, visually, more than a hundred foot soldiers looked more intimidating than four elite soldiers.
The last gangster whom Liu Hongbin kicked flew through the window into the clothing store, shattering the glass. The gangster pulled himself up with difficulty and saw Cai Jin, aka Tailor, huddled in a corner. The gangster raised his axe. Cai Jin whimpered and pleaded by shaking his head and hands. The gangster still attacked.
A moment later, the gangster flew out. The other gangsters didn't notice; they had all circled Kevin and Liu Hongbin. Cai Jin jumped out of the window. He was topless, and both his forearms were covered with thick metallic rings. He punched two gangsters in the back. He took a stance as the nearby gangsters looked back in astonishment, then attacked him together.
Cai Jin used the metallic rings to block the axe strikes. Not a single scratch appeared on those rings; merely sparks flew when the axe blade hit the rings. He hit three gangsters in the gut in quick succession. Two more attacked from either side. First, he blocked the axe strikes with his forearms and pushed the axes back. Then he drove his forearms into both of their chests, snapping multiple ribs. Soon, he made his way to Kevin and Liu Hongbin.
Liu Hongbin and Cai Jin exchanged astonished looks, as they hadn't realized until now that the other was a martial artist. But they knew it was not the time to dwell on that. Cai Jin gave Kevin a nod, who returned it. After a single look at each other, they turned their attention back to the enemies present.
With the addition of Cai Jin, the pressure on Kevin and Liu Hongbin reduced significantly. As they defeated more and more gangsters, the gangsters couldn't take it anymore. A few ran towards their boss's car and took out the firearms stashed in it.
From the eatery, Zhou Lin, aka Donut, watched the gangsters come with rifles and pistols. A determined expression appeared on his face. He looked at the wall, where multiple sticks, longer than he was, stood. He hurled a stick that smashed into two rifles in the hands of two gangsters, breaking both rifles on impact.
Zhou Lin grabbed a second stick and charged out. Another gangster raised his rifle toward Zhou Lin, but before he could fire, Zhou Lin smashed the man's hand with the stick. The gangster cried out in pain just as a second strike hurled him sideways. The rifle flew up, and Zhou Lin hit it with the stick in midair, breaking it. Another gangster took out a pistol. Zhou Lin swung the stick and broke the pistol in the gangster's hand on impact. Zhou Lin swung the stick downward, hitting the gangster's leg, then pulled it up and hit him on the shoulder.
Several axe-wielding gangsters abandoned the main fight and rushed Zhou Lin. He met them calmly, spinning and thrusting the long stick like a spear. Each precise strike hurled a man backward, axes spinning uselessly from their hands. He advanced steadily toward the other three.
Now four against the remaining members of the Axe Gang.
Liu Hongbin danced through attackers with spinning kicks and precise strikes. Cai Jin battered them with devastating blows, sending men flying. Zhou Lin controlled range with sweeping, whip-like staff techniques, breaking weapons and bones alike. Kevin held on with his wooden sword, using every ounce of strength to create openings for the others.
They moved as a single unit—each man carving space for the rest. Gangsters fell in heaps. The square echoed with the sounds of impact: wood on flesh, metal rings on steel, bodies hitting the ground.
The last Axe Gang members broke. Supporting their wounded, they fled the alley in a disorganized rout.
The four warriors stood panting in the center of the carnage. Sweat and blood streaked their faces and clothes. Their chests heaved. Their limbs trembled with exhaustion. But they were still standing.
The Axe Gang had been driven out of Pigsty Alley.
*********************
[Author's Notes]
Power Ranking (It's not fixed; I may modify it in the future):
F: Human
F1: Average Human
F2: Trained Human
F3: Peak Human
E: Superhuman
E1: Enhanced Human
E2: Door (Beyond human; breaks doors, bends bars, ragdolls people)
E3: Wall (Can smash masonry, throw cars around, punch through heavy barriers)
D: Urban
D1: Building (Can physically demolish or collapse a small modern building unaided through direct force)
D2: City Block
D3: Multi City Block
C: Nuclear
C1: Town
C2: City
C3: Mountain
B: Tectonic
B1: Island
B2: Country
B3: Continent
A: Substellar
A1: Moon
A2: Planet
A3: Gas Giant
S: Stellar
S1: Star
S2: Star Cluster
S3: Galaxy
SS: Universal
SS1: Supercluster
SS2: Cosmic Web
SS3: Universe
SSS: Multiversal
SSS1: Infinite universes in a multiverse in a 3d plane.
SSS2: Infinite parallel realities of infinite universes in a multiverse in a 4D plane
SSS3: Megaverse: Collection of multiverses on higher-dimensional planes