Charles struggled to break free from Baki's grasp, but Baki's physical strength wasn't something he could contend with.
So he did what he did best. He twisted his body, rotated his legs, and kicked Baki in the head.
In his Death Concentration state, Baki easily saw the kick coming. He tilted his head to the side and the kick passed harmlessly by.
But Charles outsmarted him. As Baki dodged the first kick, Charles's second kick came from the side and struck Baki in the eye.
Baki clutched his eye and slammed Charles into the ground, creating a crater.
Charles rolled away and stood up.
Baki removed his hand, revealing a blood-red left eye.
A kick appeared at his blind spot. Baki dodged easily and countered with a punch that connected with Charles's leg.
Charles's body flew backward and crashed through the wooden wall, splintering it into pieces. He rolled across the muddy ground outside, coming to a stop near a tree.
Baki stepped through the hole in the wall, his blood-red eye gleaming in the darkness. His other eye remained cold and focused.
Charles pushed himself up, breathing heavily. Blood trickled from his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, his expression calm despite the situation.
"Impressive," Charles said flatly. "But you'll need more than that."
He rushed forward, his movements a blur.
Baki stood still, watching.
At the last moment, Charles vanished from Baki's sight. The attack came from behind—a kick aimed at the back of Baki's skull.
But Baki had already turned his back toward Charles deliberately. As the kick came in, Baki spun, his leg whipping around in a devastating arc. His heel connected with Charles's temple.
CRACK!
Charles stumbled sideways but immediately recovered, his eyes sharp and calculating. "He's definitely stronger than most 1st generation Kings."
Baki didn't give him time to think. He closed the distance in an instant, his elbow raised. The strike came down on Charles's shoulder.
THOOM!
A shockwave rippled through Charles's body. He grunted, feeling his bones rattle, but used the momentum to spin away, creating distance.
Charles rolled his shoulder, testing it. Still functional. "You and I have no enmity. There's no reason for you to fight me."
He moved again—this time faster, more purposeful. He circled to Baki's left side, targeting the damaged eye. His kick came from the blind spot, aimed at Baki's temple.
Baki tilted his head. The kick grazed past. "Who are you to decide we have no enmity?"
But Charles had anticipated the dodge. His body was already pivoting, his other leg coming around in a brutal arc. The kick slammed into Baki's damaged eye socket.
CRACK!
Blood sprayed. Baki's head snapped to the side.
Charles landed smoothly, already moving to follow up. Another kick came from behind—invisible, striking the back of Baki's head.
WHAM!
Baki stumbled forward a step.
Charles pressed his advantage. He vanished from sight again, his attacks coming from angles Baki couldn't see. A kick to the back of the knee. Another to the lower spine. A strike to the base of the skull.
Each hit was precise, calculated to cause maximum damage while minimizing his own exposure.
Baki's legs buckled slightly. Blood ran down his face from the reopened wound.
But then Baki stopped moving defensively.
He leaped into the air, his body flipping forward. His leg came down like a guillotine blade.
Charles read the attack and threw himself backward.
BOOM!
The kick struck the ground where Charles had been standing. A crater exploded outward, chunks of earth and stone flying in all directions. The shockwave knocked Charles off balance.
Before he could recover, Baki was there.
A knee strike came up fast, catching Charles in the ribs.
WHAM!
Charles's body lifted off the ground. He flew backward, crashing through a wooden fence. Splinters rained down around him.
Charles stood up slowly, methodically. Several ribs were cracked—he could feel them grinding with each breath. But his expression remained unchanged.
"You're strong," Charles said. "Why don't you live a prosperous life as my bodyguard?"
Baki laughed thunderously as he walked toward him, blood still dripping from his damaged eye. "Hahaha! That's the best joke I've heard in a while."
Charles waited, perfectly still. Then, at the precise moment Baki entered range, he moved. "I'm not joking."
His body blurred. He attacked from three different angles in rapid succession—each strike targeting Baki's blind spot. The kicks were invisible, landing against Baki's head, neck, and spine before Baki could react.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Baki's body jerked from each impact. Blood flew from his mouth.
Charles didn't stop. He circled around Baki at high speed, his attacks coming from every direction. The back of the head. The spine. The kidneys. Each strike was precise, designed to break down Baki's defenses piece by piece.
"I didn't think a fighter of this caliber would be out of my sight for so long."
But Baki suddenly stopped trying to track Charles's movements.
Instead, his leg shot upward in a vertical arc, his body rising with the momentum. The kick came from below, aimed at where Charles would be.
Charles saw it coming and leaned back—but not far enough.
The kick caught his chest.
CRACK!
Ribs broke. Charles was lifted off his feet, his body spinning in the air before crashing into a tree. The trunk cracked from the impact.
Charles slid down, coughing blood. His breathing became labored.
"Multiple broken ribs. Possible internal bleeding. I need to end this quickly."
He stood, his movements slightly slower now but still controlled. He spat blood onto the ground.
"Not bad," Charles said. "My offer still stands. I'm thinking of replacing one of my bodyguards."
Baki approached again, his footsteps heavy.
Charles feinted left, then immediately attacked from the right. His kick came at Baki's head with tremendous speed.
But Baki's hands shot up, grabbing Charles's leg mid-strike. Before Charles could react, Baki spun, using Charles's momentum against him. Both elbows came down in a brutal double strike. "I don't fucking—"
BOOM!
Charles crashed into the ground face-first. The earth cratered beneath him. Dust and debris exploded outward.
He rolled immediately, ignoring the pain. Baki's foot came down where his head had been, leaving another crater. "—care about your bullshit!"
Charles used the roll to create distance. His body was breaking down—he could feel it. Multiple broken ribs. Internal injuries. His amputated arm threw off his balance, making his movements less efficient.
"He's surpassed the 1st generation Kings! I'm sure he's on the level of the Pre Generation!"
He analyzed Baki as they circled each other. "But I can still win as long as he's taking damage. His eye is compromised. The strikes to his head and spine are accumulating."
Charles moved in again, his strategy shifting. Instead of trying to overwhelm Baki with speed, he targeted specific points—the damaged eye, the back of the head where previous strikes had landed, the spine.
He vanished from Baki's sight, reappearing behind him. A kick struck the base of Baki's skull.
Baki's head jerked forward. Charles was already moving, his next attack coming from the opposite side. Another kick to the damaged eye.
CRACK!
Blood sprayed. Baki stumbled.
Charles pressed forward ruthlessly. He might be weaker, but he was smarter. Every attack had purpose. Every movement was calculated.
His kick came low, aiming for Baki's knee.
But Baki saw through the pattern.
His own kick came up faster, meeting Charles's attack head-on. Baki's shin connected with Charles's leg with devastating force.
SNAP!
Pain exploded through Charles's leg. He felt the bone crack but didn't scream. His face remained impassive as he shifted his weight to his good leg.
"This is not what I had in mind for tonight."
Baki didn't give him time to adjust. Two kicks came in rapid succession—horizontal strikes to Charles's head and neck. The base of Baki's feet connected with brutal precision.
CRACK! CRACK!
Charles's head whipped to the side. He felt his jaw dislocate. Blood filled his mouth.
He staggered backward, his vision swimming.
But he didn't fall.
"I've built an empire from nothing. I can still hold on against just one guy."
Charles spat blood and adjusted his jaw back into place with a sickening pop. The pain was immense, but his expression showed nothing.
"You're good," Charles said, his voice slightly distorted from the injury. "Better than I expected."
Baki's expression didn't change. "You talk too much."
"Do I?" Charles tilted his head slightly. "I'm merely stating the truth."
He moved again, faster despite his injuries. His attacks came from Baki's blind spot—the damaged left eye that was now nearly swollen shut.
There.
A kick connected with Baki's temple on the damaged side.
CRACK!
Baki's head snapped to the side. Blood sprayed across the ground.
Charles followed up immediately. Another kick to the same spot. Then another. He was relentless, targeting the injury repeatedly.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Baki stumbled backward, his vision blurring from the repeated impacts to his head.
Charles pressed his advantage. Despite his broken leg, fractured ribs, and dislocated jaw, he moved with deadly precision. Each attack targeted Baki's weaknesses—the damaged eye, the accumulated damage to his head.
"I wonder how fun it would have been to fight this guy back then."
But Baki's foot suddenly scraped against the ground, spinning, grinding the earth as he moved. The kick came low and fast, striking Charles's injured leg at the knee.
CRUNCH!
The leg gave out completely. Charles dropped to one knee, his face finally showing a flicker of pain.
"Both legs compromised now. But I can still go on."
Baki moved behind him. His leg shot out in a feint—a reverse kick that Charles tried to deflect.
But the kick wasn't real.
Baki's leg hooked around Charles's arm instead, pulling it down and exposing his entire upper body.
Before Charles could react, a spinning kick came around in a tight arc, gathering force with each rotation.
WHAM!
The kick connected with Charles's ribs. Multiple bones shattered. Charles felt something puncture internally—probably a rib fragment into his lung.
Baki released his arm. Charles collapsed forward onto his hands and good knee, blood pouring from his mouth.
"Punctured lung. Multiple organ damage. Both legs broken. This is it."
But Charles's mind remained clear. Sharp. He'd always known this day might come. Death had been a possibility in every major decision he'd made.
He looked up at Baki, his expression calm despite the blood covering his face.
"What a waste of potential," Charles said, his voice wet with blood. "You're making a mistake. You can never reach your potential like this."
Baki stared down at him. "I don't think I need a lecture from someone who's about to die."
"Is that so?" Charles laughed—a horrible, gurgling sound. "My empire will continue. My systems are already in place. Killing me changes nothing."
"Maybe." Baki's voice was cold. "But you'll still be dead."
Charles nodded slowly, accepting the reality. "True."
Baki flipped backward, his leg arcing up as he did. The kick caught Charles under the chin, snapping his head back.
Charles's body lifted off the ground from the impact. He landed in a heap, his vision going dark at the edges.
"So this is how it ends. It's not that bad indeed."
Baki walked over to him. He balanced perfectly on one leg, his other leg rising without using his hands for balance. Every ounce of strength focused into a single point.
The kick came down on Charles's spine.
CRACK!
Charles felt nothing below his waist. His spine was severed.
"You don't want to kill me now?" Charles said clinically, as if discussing someone else's death.
Baki crouched beside him. "I forgot to ask. Any last words?"
Charles thought for a moment. Blood pooled beneath him, spreading across the ground.
"No," he said finally. "Words are meaningless now."
Baki stood. His leg swung around in a wide, spinning arc. The kick struck Charles's head with the force of a sledgehammer.
BOOM!
Charles's vision shattered into fragments. Darkness crept in from all sides.
Baki's foot came down again—this time in a semi-circular motion, the front of his foot slamming into Charles's upper body.
Charles felt his chest cavity collapse. Felt his organs rupture.
Baki jumped into the air, his legs scissoring together in a diagonal motion. Both feet came down on Charles's chest.
CRUNCH!
Everything went numb. Cold.
A downward kick came from high above, slamming into Charles's lower body. He barely felt it.
Through his fading vision, he saw Baki's silhouette above him. The rain had started to fall, mixing with the blood on the ground.
A knee strike came down, aimed at Charles's head.
CRACK!
Everything went white. Then dark.
Charles Choi's last thought was strange.
"Interesting."
Baki grabbed Charles by the collar with one hand, lifting his broken body off the ground. His other hand cocked back, the fist rotating in a corkscrew motion.
The punch connected with Charles's face.
Charles's body spun completely around from the impact before crashing back to the ground.
He lay motionless. His chest no longer rose and fell.
Baki turned his back to the corpse. Then he spun 180 degrees, his leg whipping around. The kick caught Charles's head, followed immediately by another kick with the other leg.
CRACK! CRACK!
Charles's body rolled across the ground before coming to rest in the wreckage of the fence.
Complete stillness.
Baki stood over the corpse, rain washing the blood from his face. "Damn it! I don't feel satisfied for some reason."
From a distance, a man with pink hair watched the whole scene. A small smile appeared on his face. In his hands were the original copies of all evidence he'd retrieved from Jichang's house.
Seeing the rain falling, he got onto his bike and left. "Interesting."