The Workers members barely had time to process what was happening before the attack came.
Little Daniel moved first. His fist crashed into a Worker's face with such force that the man's entire body lifted off the ground, flew backward, and slammed into several others. They smashed through a wooden storefront, the entire structure collapsing inward as splinters and dust exploded everywhere.
Vasco charged at Li Maeng-Ho. "Skill No. 01: Hero!" His body blurred with increased speed. Li Maeng-Ho tried to block, but Vasco was already past his guard. "Skill No. 05: Piercing The Intestines!" His knee drove into Li Maeng-Ho's stomach with brutal force. Li Maeng-Ho's eyes rolled back as blood poured from his mouth. Vasco didn't stop. He grabbed Li Maeng-Ho's head. "Skill No. 07: Mince The Dough!" He slammed Li Maeng-Ho's face into his knee repeatedly, each impact making a sickening crack. On the fifth hit, Li Maeng-Ho went completely limp.
Sinu Han appeared behind Cha Wonseok. His invisible strike hit the back of Wonseok's skull, snapping his head forward. Wonseok collapsed face-first into the pavement, creating a small crater. Lee Dosoo tried to attack Sinu from the side, but Sinu's elbow appeared from his blind spot and caught him in the temple. Dosoo dropped instantly.
Zack Lee rushed at Ha Hushing. "Iron Fortress!" His body seemed to harden as Ha Hushing's punch connected with his chest. The punch barely moved him. Zack countered with a straight punch that broke through Ha Hushing's guard and shattered his jaw. Ha Hushing spun from the impact and crashed into a parked motorcycle. The bike tipped over and slid across the street, sparks flying.
Warren moved on Hwang Ho. His one-inch punch caught Hwang Ho in the solar plexus. Despite the short distance, the power behind it folded Hwang Ho completely in half. Warren followed with a low kick that shattered Hwang Ho's knee. Hwang Ho screamed and collapsed. Warren's elbow strike finished him, driving his face into the concrete.
Vin Jin grabbed Lee Seunghan's collar. "Too slow." He flipped Seunghan over his shoulder using pure judo technique. Seunghan's back hit the pavement so hard the concrete cracked in a spiderweb pattern. Before Seunghan could recover, Vin Jin grabbed his arm and twisted. The bone snapped with a loud crack. Seunghan's scream was cut short when Vin Jin's foot stomped on his face.
Mary Kim approached Mu Baekang and Lee Byungchan. Both tried to rush her at once. She grabbed Baekang's wrist in one second and pulled him down in the next. Two seconds. Baekang's face smashed into the ground. She immediately grabbed Byungchan's shoulder and wrist, using his own momentum to flip him. Byungchan crashed into a metal dumpster so hard the entire thing dented inward. He slid down and didn't get back up.
Noah tried to run. Jace caught him. "Where you going?" Jace's punch sent Noah flying through a wooden fence. The fence exploded into splinters. Noah landed in a pile of garbage bags on the other side and didn't move.
Little Daniel grabbed Jin Jang, who was trying to escape. Jin Jang threw a desperate punch. Daniel caught his fist and squeezed. Jin Jang's hand bones crumbled. Jin Jang screamed. Daniel's knee came up and caught him in the face, his nose exploding in a spray of blood. Daniel threw him sideways. Jin Jang's body crashed through a car window, setting off the alarm. Glass covered the interior. Jin Jang hung half in, half out, unconscious.
Mandeok pushed himself up from where Mary Kim had beaten him earlier. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose, but his eyes burned with determination. "I'm not done yet!"
He charged at Mary Kim from behind. She turned just as he threw a wild punch. Mary Kim sidestepped and grabbed his wrist and shoulder. One second to grab. Mandeok tried to resist with everything he had, muscles straining, but Mary Kim's technique was perfect. One second to pull down. Mandeok's feet left the ground and he flipped through the air. His back slammed into the pavement with enough force to crack the concrete beneath him. The impact knocked all the air from his lungs.
Mandeok tried to get up. His arms shook as he pushed against the ground. Little Daniel appeared above him. "Stay down." Daniel's punch came down like a hammer, hitting Mandeok in the face. Mandeok's head bounced off the pavement and he went limp.
The remaining Workers members tried to scatter, but there was nowhere to go. The Burn Knuckles cut off every escape route. One Worker tried to climb over a wall. Jace grabbed his leg and yanked him back down, the Worker's head bouncing off the pavement. Another tried to hide behind a car. Warren kicked the car's bumper so hard the entire vehicle shifted and pinned the Worker against a wall. The Worker's ribs cracked from the pressure.
Only Ryuhei was still fighting.
He swung his wooden chained sword at Little Daniel. Daniel dodged and the sword demolished a lamppost, bending it completely in half. Ryuhei immediately spun and swung at Sinu. Sinu ducked and the sword shattered a storefront window behind him.
"Damn it," Ryuhei panted. "I don't think we can survive tonight!"
He charged at Vasco. Vasco met him head-on. "Skill No. 03: Compressed Low Kick!" His leg pulled back to maximum extension then shot forward. Ryuhei blocked with the wooden sword. The chains rattled and absorbed some of the impact, but the force still sent Ryuhei sliding back several feet, his shoes leaving tracks in the wet pavement.
Ryuhei swung the sword at Vasco's face. Vasco tilted his head and the sword missed by inches, cutting through a street sign and ripping it from the ground. Ryuhei used the momentum to spin and attack Zack, who was approaching from the side.
Zack raised his guard. "Iron Fortress!" The sword hit his arms but didn't penetrate. Zack's counter punch caught Ryuhei in the ribs. Ryuhei grunted and staggered back, swinging his sword in a wide arc to create distance. The sword smashed through a wooden crate, sending splinters everywhere.
Warren tried to close in from the left. Ryuhei spun and the chained sword wrapped around Warren's arm. Ryuhei yanked hard, pulling Warren off balance, then kicked him in the chest. Warren stumbled back and crashed into a metal barrel, denting it on impact.
Vin Jin grabbed Ryuhei from behind, attempting a hold. Ryuhei thrashed and broke free using pure strength, sending Vin Jin sliding back several feet. Ryuhei immediately swung his sword at Mary Kim, who was closing in. Mary Kim ducked under the sword and grabbed for his wrist. Ryuhei pulled back and headbutted her. She stumbled back, blood on her lip.
Little Daniel appeared at Ryuhei's side. His punch came from Ryuhei's blind spot. Ryuhei somehow sensed it and raised his sword to block. The punch hit the wooden sword and the impact sent Ryuhei crashing through a wooden cart. The cart exploded into pieces. Ryuhei's sword remained intact in his grip.
Sinu Han was there when Ryuhei stood up. Sinu's invisible strike hit Ryuhei's liver. Ryuhei gasped and doubled over. Vasco's knee came up. "Skill No. 05: Piercing The Intestines!" The knee drove into Ryuhei's chest with devastating power. Something cracked inside his body.
Ryuhei fell to his knees, still gripping his sword, coughing blood. He tried to stand but Zack's straight punch caught him square in the face, snapping his head back. Warren's one-inch punch hit his solar plexus, forcing all the air from his lungs. The sword slipped from his fingers and clattered on the ground.
Vin Jin grabbed Ryuhei's arm and twisted, performing Kani Basami. Ryuhei crashed to the ground face-first. Mary Kim was there immediately. She grabbed his collar and flipped him. Ryuhei's back hit the pavement so hard it created a crater.
Little Daniel stood over him. "It's over."
Ryuhei tried to reach for his sword one more time. Daniel's foot came down on his chest, pinning him. Ryuhei struggled for a moment, then went still, unconscious. His chained sword lay beside him.
The street was littered with broken bodies. Every Worker member lay defeated. Windows were shattered, walls had holes, cars were dented and destroyed, street signs bent or ripped out, the pavement cracked and cratered in dozens of places.
Suddenly, sirens filled the air. Red and blue lights flashed at both ends of the street.
"Police! Everyone freeze!"
Officers poured out of their vehicles, surrounding the area.
---
Construction Area
The rain had stopped. The construction area was quiet except for the sound of Eli's car driving through the muddy roads. Unfinished buildings loomed on all sides, skeletal concrete structures reaching toward the sky.
Eli gripped the steering wheel tightly. In the back seat, Eugene sat bound and gagged, barely conscious. They were almost at the meeting point where Charles Choi was waiting.
The road ahead was straight and empty. Eli pressed the gas pedal, wanting to get this over with.
Then he saw him.
A figure stood in the middle of the road. White t-shirt, white pants, white shoes. Pink hair.
As if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds behind the figure. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating him from behind. The rain-soaked ground around him seemed to steam slightly in the sudden warmth.
Eli's eyes widened. "No way..."
He slammed on the brakes. The car's tires screeched against the wet pavement. The vehicle skidded, fishtailing slightly, mud and water spraying to the sides. It slid forward, closer and closer to the figure who didn't move an inch.
The car stopped just five feet from him.
The pink-haired figure smiled.
James Lee stood in the road, blocking their path.