Eli opened the door and stepped out of the car slowly, his eyes never leaving the man before him.
"Who are you?" he asked, closing the door behind him.
James Lee smiled as he approached.
"Eli Jang. Big Daddy of Hostel. Legend of Gangdong. The man acknowledged by Gun Park. The man who created the idea behind the four major crews. The man who betrayed the Workers." James stopped in front of Eli. "One man, so many titles. But today, I didn't come to meet you."
Eli looked up at him. "What do you want?"
James gazed down, a faint smile on his face. "I can't allow you to take Eugene."
Eli's eyes glowed faintly green. "And what if I do?"
Wind swept James's pink hair sideways, making his smile look almost angelic. "I'll make sure you can't."
Eli's body moved in a blur. He lunged forward, fist aimed at James's face.
James tilted his head slightly, hands in his pockets. The punch missed by an inch. Eli immediately followed with his other hand, grabbing for James's shirt. James stepped back smoothly, and Eli's hand closed on air.
Eli didn't stop. He threw a low kick at James's knee. James lifted his leg, letting Eli's foot pass underneath. Before Eli could recover, James's foot came down on his thigh. The impact sent a shock through his leg, and he stumbled back.
James smiled, hands still in his pockets. "Is that all?"
Eli charged again, throwing a straight punch. James shifted to the side, and Eli's fist passed by his shoulder. Eli immediately grabbed for James's arm, but James twisted his body and stepped away.
Eli swung his elbow at James's head. James ducked under it, hands never leaving his pockets. Eli's knee came up toward James's face. James leaned back, and the knee missed. His kick struck Eli's chest, sending him sliding backward across the muddy ground, his feet carving tracks.
Eli coughed and straightened. His chest ached where James had kicked him. He looked at James, who stood in the same relaxed position, hands in his pockets, not even breathing hard.
"You need to do better," James said.
Eli rushed forward again. He feinted a high punch and went for a low tackle instead. James saw through it. He stepped to the side and brought his knee up into Eli's stomach as he passed. Eli's breath left his lungs. He stumbled and fell to one knee.
James walked around him slowly, hands still in his pockets. "Eugene is coming with me."
Eli pushed himself up. Blood dripped from his mouth. He wiped it with the back of his hand and charged again.
He threw a combination—left jab, right cross, left hook. James weaved through all three without moving his feet, hands still in his pockets. Eli grabbed a handful of mud from the ground and threw it at James's face. James turned his head, and the mud splattered against his cheek. Eli lunged, trying to capitalize on the distraction.
James's foot came up and caught Eli in the ribs. Eli heard something crack. He flew sideways and crashed into his car. The door dented inward. Glass in the window cracked but didn't shatter.
Eli slid down to the ground, his ribs screaming in pain. He looked up. James was wiping the mud from his face with his shoulder.
"Oh, I forgot," James said. "You're the successor of the Fighting Prodigy."
Eli grabbed the car's side mirror and ripped it off, then threw it at James's head. James dodged, and the mirror flew past him, hitting a pile of construction materials. Metal pipes clanged and rolled across the ground.
Eli grabbed one of the fallen pipes and swung it at James like a bat. James ducked under the swing, hands never leaving his pockets. The pipe whistled through the air above his head. Eli reversed the swing, bringing it back from the other side. James jumped back. The pipe smashed into a concrete pillar, and the impact sent vibrations up Eli's arms. A chunk of concrete broke off and fell to the ground.
James moved in while Eli was off-balance. His kick came from below, striking Eli's hand. The pipe flew out of Eli's grip and clattered away. James's follow-up kick hit Eli's shoulder. Eli spun from the impact and fell against a wooden pallet stacked with bricks. The pallet collapsed, and bricks scattered everywhere.
Eli pushed himself up, breathing hard. His shoulder throbbed. His ribs hurt with every breath. He looked at James, who stood several feet away, hands in his pockets, completely calm.
"You can't win," James said.
Eli's eyes began to glow brighter. Green light emanated from them. His breathing changed, becoming more ragged and uneven. His posture shifted, becoming lower, more predatory.
Animal Instinct.
Eli moved. His speed increased dramatically. He closed the distance in an instant. His attack came from a strange angle—his hand reaching for James's face, fingers spread like claws aimed at his eyes.
James leaned back, hands still in his pockets. Eli's fingers missed his eyes by a hair's breadth. Eli immediately dropped low and swept at James's legs. James jumped over the sweep. Eli didn't stop. He grabbed a loose brick from the ground and hurled it at James while he was in the air.
James twisted his body mid-air. The brick passed by his side and crashed into a steel beam behind him with a loud clang.
Eli was already moving. He grabbed a length of chain from the construction debris. As James landed, Eli swung the chain at his head. James ducked, hands in his pockets. The chain wrapped around a metal support beam. Eli yanked it back and swung again. This time the chain came from a completely different angle, unpredictable.
James kicked the chain aside mid-swing. It flew off course and wrapped around a concrete pillar. Eli yanked it free and swung again, this time aiming low. James jumped over it. The chain smashed into a stack of metal barrels. The barrels toppled and rolled across the ground.
Eli dropped the chain and charged. He came at James from an unpredictable angle, his movements wild. He threw a punch at James's stomach. James's knee came up and blocked it. Eli immediately went for James's eyes with his other hand. James tilted his head back.
Eli grabbed James's jacket with both hands and pulled him forward while attempting to headbutt him. James saw it coming and kicked Eli's leg out from under him. Eli's headbutt missed, and he fell. He rolled and grabbed a handful of nails scattered on the ground, then threw them at James's face.
James kicked them away mid-air. The nails scattered harmlessly. Eli was already on his feet, charging again. He grabbed James's collar with one hand and tried to gouge his eyes with the other.
James's kick came up between them, hitting Eli's wrist and knocking his hand away. But Eli kept his grip on James's collar. He yanked hard, pulling James toward him while trying to bite his throat.
James's kick hit Eli's stomach. Eli's grip loosened. James's spinning kick caught Eli in the head. Eli flew to the side and crashed into a pile of wooden planks. The planks scattered everywhere.
Eli pushed himself up. Blood ran down his face. His vision was blurry. He grabbed a plank of wood with nails sticking out of it and charged at James, swinging the makeshift weapon wildly.
James's kick knocked the wood out of Eli's hands before it could reach him. The wood flew away and crashed into a window of an unfinished building. Glass shattered and rained down.
Eli kept coming. His movements were completely unpredictable now. He threw sand at James's eyes. James turned his head and kicked Eli's leg. Eli stumbled but grabbed at James's necklace—a simple chain around his neck. He yanked hard.
The chain bit into James's neck. James's eyes widened slightly as Eli pulled, using the necklace to choke him while simultaneously pulling him off balance.
"Who told you to wear a necklace to a fight?" Eli growled.
James's leg swept Eli's feet out from under him. Eli fell but kept his grip on the necklace. Both of them went down. The chain dug deeper into James's neck as Eli pulled with all his strength.
James twisted his body, and his kick hit Eli's ribs—the already broken ones. Eli gasped but didn't let go. James kicked him again in the same spot. The third kick finally made Eli's hand open. The necklace snapped and fell to the ground.
James rolled away and stood up. There was a red mark on his neck where the chain had dug in. He looked at Eli differently now.
It was the first time Eli had managed to actually hurt him.
James slowly pulled his right hand out of his pocket.
"You're better than I thought," James said, his tone more serious now.
Eli charged again, his Animal Instinct pushing him forward despite his broken body. James met him head-on this time, one hand out.
The difference was immediate.
James's palm strike came toward Eli's face. Eli tried to dodge, but the attack came from his blind spot and hit his temple. Eli's vision blurred. James's kick followed, hitting Eli's stomach. Eli doubled over. James's hand grabbed Eli's collar and threw him.
Eli crashed through a wooden frame structure. Wood splintered and broke around him. He hit the ground hard, dust rising around his body.
Eli climbed out of the broken wood. His instincts were screaming. He grabbed another plank and charged. James's kick knocked it away. Before Eli could react, James's palm struck his solar plexus. All the air left Eli's lungs.
James's kick came from the side, invisible. Eli didn't see it until it hit his ribs. He gasped. Another kick came from another blind spot, hitting his leg. Eli's leg buckled.
James's hand grabbed Eli's head and slammed it down onto his knee. Blood sprayed from Eli's nose. James's kick sent Eli flying backward.
Eli crashed through a stack of wooden pallets. The pallets exploded into splinters. His back hit a concrete pillar, and the pillar cracked from the impact. Eli slid down and landed in a heap among the broken wood.
He tried to get up. His arms shook. His legs wouldn't support him. The green glow in his eyes flickered and died. Animal Instinct faded. Pain overwhelmed his senses.
James walked toward him slowly, putting his right hand back in his pocket. He wasn't even breathing hard. His white clothes were dirty, but he was otherwise unharmed except for the red mark on his neck and a bruise forming on his forehead.
"It's over," James said.
He walked past Eli toward the car. Eugene was still in the back seat, unconscious. James opened the door and started to pull Eugene out.
"Stop."
The voice came from behind. James turned.
A man stood at the edge of the construction area. Red hair. His clothes were torn and covered in blood.
The man's eyes locked onto James.
"I finally get to meet you after all these years, James Lee."
James's smile faded. He let go of Eugene and turned to face the newcomer fully.
The red-haired man stepped forward into the light.
It was Baki Hanma.