Ryuhei's body smashed through the wall. Vin Jin crouched and mocked him. "What happened now, motherfucker? Oh, sorry. You don't understand Korean. Hahahaha!"
Just then, Ryuhei raised his legs and kicked Vin Jin in the chest. Vin Jin raised his hands to block it, but the impact sent him skidding backward.
Ryuhei stood up and slid his hair back. "Let's settle this once and for all," he said in Japanese.
Vin Jin grinned. "Though I don't understand what you're saying, I can feel the intent," he replied in Korean.
Both of them rushed at each other.
Ryuhei threw the first punch. Vin Jin ducked and grabbed Ryuhei's collar with both hands, twisting his body to flip him over. Ryuhei's back hit the floor hard, cracking the concrete beneath him.
But Ryuhei didn't stay down. He swept his leg out, catching Vin Jin's ankle. Vin Jin stumbled, and Ryuhei rolled away, jumping back to his feet.
"Not bad!" Ryuhei grinned in Japanese, wiping his mouth.
Vin Jin charged forward with a straight punch. Ryuhei blocked it with his forearm, then countered with a kick aimed at Vin Jin's ribs. The kick connected. Vin Jin grunted but grabbed Ryuhei's leg before he could pull it back.
"Got you!" Vin Jin said in Korean. He yanked hard, pulling Ryuhei off balance, then drove his elbow down into Ryuhei's thigh. Ryuhei hissed in pain but twisted his body, using the momentum to kick Vin Jin in the face with his other leg.
Vin Jin's head snapped back. He let go and staggered. Blood dripped from his nose.
"You hit hard, motherfucker," Vin Jin said in Korean, grinning. He spat blood to the side.
Ryuhei rushed in with a flurry of punches. Vin Jin blocked the first two, but the third one slipped through, hitting his jaw. Vin Jin's head turned from the impact, but he immediately grabbed Ryuhei's punching arm with one hand and his shoulder with the other.
In one smooth motion, Vin Jin twisted and threw Ryuhei over his hip. Ryuhei crashed through a lamppost, breaking it.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Ryuhei groaned in Japanese, shaking his head. But he was smiling.
He sprang up and charged again. This time he feinted a punch, then dropped low and swept Vin Jin's legs. Vin Jin fell hard on his back. Before he could recover, Ryuhei mounted him and started raining down punches.
Vin Jin covered his face with his arms, blocking most of the hits. Then he bucked his hips hard, throwing Ryuhei off balance. Vin Jin grabbed Ryuhei's wrist and twisted, rolling them both over. Now Vin Jin was on top.
He slammed his fist into Ryuhei's face. The floor beneath Ryuhei's head cracked from the force.
Ryuhei's eyes went wide, then he headbutted Vin Jin right in the nose. Vin Jin reeled back, and Ryuhei kicked him off, sending him sliding across the floor.
Both fighters stood up slowly, breathing hard.
"Damn it! You're one stinky bastard," Ryuhei said in Japanese, grinning despite the blood on his face.
"Same to you, asshole," Vin Jin replied in Korean, cracking his neck.
They charged again.
Vin Jin threw a heavy punch. Ryuhei dodged to the side and countered with a punch to Vin Jin's ribs. Vin Jin grunted but immediately grabbed Ryuhei's arm and shoulder, attempting another throw. But this time Ryuhei planted his feet and resisted, muscles straining.
For a moment they were locked in place, pushing against each other. Then Ryuhei shifted his weight and kicked Vin Jin's supporting leg. Vin Jin's balance broke, and Ryuhei threw him instead, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The wall cracked, pieces of plaster falling to the floor.
Vin Jin pushed himself out of the wall, shaking off debris. "Okay, no more playing around," he said in Korean.
Vin Jin rushed forward, faster than before. Ryuhei threw a punch, but Vin Jin slipped past it and grabbed Ryuhei's wrist. His other hand clamped onto Ryuhei's elbow joint.
Ryuhei felt the grip—not on his clothes, but deeper, like Vin Jin's fingers were digging into the joint itself. He tried to pull away, but Vin Jin twisted hard. Ryuhei's arm buckled at an awkward angle.
"Shit!" Ryuhei cursed in Japanese, dropping to one knee from the pain.
Vin Jin didn't let go. He pivoted his body and yanked Ryuhei upward by the arm, then slammed him down into the ground. The concrete exploded beneath Ryuhei's body, sending chunks flying. A crater formed where he landed.
Ryuhei gasped for air, the wind knocked out of him. He tried to roll away, but Vin Jin was already on him. Vin Jin's hand shot out and grabbed Ryuhei's shoulder—again, that same deep grip, like he was holding onto bone.
Vin Jin lifted Ryuhei up and threw him across the street. Ryuhei's body crashed through a parked car, denting the metal inward. The windows shattered. The car alarm started blaring.
Ryuhei groaned and crawled out from the wreckage. Blood dripped from his mouth.
Vin Jin walked toward him slowly, cracking his knuckles. "Still want more?" he asked in Korean.
Ryuhei charged in once again. He threw a wild haymaker. Vin Jin ducked under it easily and grabbed Ryuhei's hip and thigh. His fingers pressed deep into the joints.
Ryuhei's eyes went wide. Before he could react, Vin Jin hoisted him up and drove him straight down onto his knee. Ryuhei's back bent over Vin Jin's knee with a sickening crack. Ryuhei pressed his legs against Vin Jin's chest and threw himself back.
He dropped near his bike. There was a wooden sword wrapped in chains attached to the side of his bike. It was the weapon Ryuhei had used when unifying Kanto, Japan. It was called Commando. The moment he grabbed it, his whole demeanor changed.
"Let's go for one more round," he said in Japanese.
---
A private jet touched down at Gimpo International Airport, its wheels screeching against the runway. Baki stepped out onto the tarmac, carrying only a small duffel bag over his shoulder. The flight from Shanghai had taken less than two hours.
He walked through the private terminal without stopping, clearing customs in minutes. Outside, the cold Seoul air hit his face as he looked around.
"Finally... Home sweet home."
Just then, a car stopped before him. Baki raised his eyebrow in confusion.
The car's window rolled down. A beautiful woman with long, brown hair sat in the driver's seat. She wore black round-rimmed glasses and golden ball earrings.
A faint smile appeared on Baki's face. "Sera, I didn't expect you to be the first person I'd meet after returning to South Korea."
Sera Shin smiled. "Why? Did you not like it? Hop in the car."
Baki laughed while opening the door and sat inside the car. "No, no. I just thought the Major General would personally welcome me. After all, he was kind enough to send me on a suicide mission."
Sera raised her eyebrow and was about to ask something, but ultimately didn't. A silent awkwardness filled the car.
Sera sighed. "Though I don't know what the Major General has done, I can see that you're pretty pissed. Actually, the Major General sent me here to pick you up."
Baki smiled. "Is that so? How kind of him~ I'm also curious about many things."
After a while, they reached the headquarters of White Tiger Job Centre. Sera went to park the car in the underground garage, while Baki was already on his way up the stairs.
Just then, he noticed Robert Choi and Gabriel Park climbing down the stairs.
Baki greeted them. "It's been a while. Is the Major General upstairs?"
Robert enthusiastically raised his hand to greet Baki, but stopped midway. The fight against Hostel was still fresh in his mind. Hostel was essentially Baki's family.
Gabriel understood Robert's situation. He replied to Baki. "Yeah. It's been a while. Yes, the Major General is upstairs in his office."
Then, both Robert and Gabriel quickly walked past Baki. Though Baki felt that something was odd, he didn't know what the problem was.
He entered inside. The hallway was empty. He went directly to Tom Lee's office. Just as he was about to open the door, someone opened it from the inside.
Yeongcheol Kim walked out and Sanghui Han followed him while combing his receding hair. Seeing Baki, both of them stopped.
Sanghui smiled as usual. "Oh, Baki. It's good to see you again. It seems the mission this time was very difficult. It took you a month. Hahaha."
It seemed that Sanghui didn't know anything yet. Baki smiled and nodded.
Yeongcheol, on the other hand, looked a bit serious. He clasped Baki's shoulder and said before leaving, "The Major General had his own reasoning. I hope you guys can sort out this matter peacefully."