Daniel, Vasco, Vin Jin, Jay, and Zack surrounded Logan.
Daniel alone was stronger than Logan, let alone all five of them together.
Seeing he couldn't win, Logan rushed at Vasco. Vasco braced for a tackle, but Logan slipped past him and locked Alexander in a chokehold. "DON'T MOVE, FUCKERS!"
Alexander Hwang thrashed like a fish out of water. "PLEASE SAVE ME! PLEASE SAVE ME!"
"I'LL KILL THIS FUCKER IF YOU MOVE!" Logan warned.
Terrified, Alexander spat lies. "NO! I DON'T EVEN KNOW THESE FUCKERS! IT'S ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING!"
Even Daniel was shocked at how quickly Alexander switched sides. "Alexander Hwang...!"
"That cowardly fucker..." Zack cursed.
"YOU KNOW WHAT'S COWARDLY? ALL OF YOU GANGING UP ON ME! DON'T MOVE, FUCKERS!" Logan shouted back.
He glared at Alexander. "You little fuck..." He kicked Alexander's ass, sending him flying. "FUCK OFF!!!"
Logan ran.
Daniel caught Alexander. "Alexander!"
"As expected—the kind Daniel Park saved me!" Alexander cried out.
"That's not the case at all...!" Daniel shot back.
Vasco watched Logan's retreating back. "...He ran."
"He moves too fast for a fucking pig," Zack said, surprised.
Jay kept quiet as always.
Vin Jin stared after Logan. "That fucker was part of the company. I was wondering what that pig was up to after he left."
Daniel helped Alexander up. "Let's go. Now that we've cleared the first floor, we need to move before company staff arrives."
"If that's what you're worried about, you shouldn't have come here in the first place," Alexander Valentina said, walking in.
Zack and Jay turned.
"What the?" Zack muttered.
Jay looked confused.
Vin Jin glanced back. "Huh? A girl? Blonde? Tsk! Reminds me of some bad memories."
Daniel tensed. "Wait. Does this mean Hudson Ahn..."
"What are you gonna do, Daniel? We can't underestimate them if they've defeated Hudson," Vasco said.
Zack walked toward Valentina. "Go first. I'll stay behind."
"Zack?!" Daniel called out.
Zack shook his head. "Someone needs to stay. Go upstairs. I'll take care of things here and catch up."
"But Zack...!" Vasco protested.
Vin Jin cut him off. "Let him be. That punk won't lose."
Daniel closed his eyes and nodded. "...Alright. If it's you now, it'll be fine. We'll go up first. Be careful, Zack. See you on the fourth floor."
Everyone began to leave except Jay.
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"..."
Daniel scratched his head. "You'll stay here with Zack?"
Jay nodded.
"Okay. See you on the fourth floor," Daniel said.
Everyone left.
Zack and Jay stood side by side. Zack glanced at Jay. "I guess this'll be a breeze with both of us."
Jay nodded.
Valentina tilted her head. "You two are going to face me alone? Seems foolish."
Zack cleaned his glasses. "Lady, I'll ask you one thing. What happened to the person in the basement?"
Valentina squinted. "The one who only uses his fists? He won't be using them anymore."
Zack's eyes widened.
---
Daniel and the others stood before a gate.
"Alright. We're here. Second floor of the mental hospital. Why is there a door? The second floor must be special. We don't know what's inside, so be careful."
Daniel pushed the door slowly. "Let's see what's behind. We don't have time."
The scene surprised him.
A buffet. An extravagant buffet. People in robes sat on sofas, some at the counter picking food, others on massage chairs. Nothing like the first floor.
Alexander Hwang explained. "These are the VIPs of the First Affiliate."
"VIPs?"
"The First Affiliate doesn't just lock people up forcefully... Some desire to confine themselves."
"People want to imprison themselves?"
Alexander nodded. "Politicians, celebrities—people in similar positions need to go into hiding. When someone needs shelter, the First Affiliate receives payment to legally portray them as mentally ill and hide them here. This is the space for those VIPs."
"A space exclusively for VIPs..." Daniel muttered.
"Hmm? Who let kids in?" A ripped, muscular man approached—chiseled jaw, perpetually displeased expression, light blue eyes, no eyebrows, three-inch flattop military cut, blonde hair.
Behind him stood Changyong Ji and Dosu Lee. The blonde was Guile, a mercenary from North Korea.
"Kids, go back. This isn't a playground," Guile said.
Daniel stood his ground. "Sorry, we forgot the way back."
Guile nodded. "...Is that so? In our country, we have a special way to make sure kids don't stray."
---
Back on the first floor.
Zack and Jay faced Valentina.
Zack stepped forward. "Jay, watch my back."
Jay nodded. "..."
Valentina rolled her neck. "Come on. Don't waste my time."
Zack shot forward—jab, cross, hook.
Valentina slipped the jab, ducked the cross, swayed back from the hook. It passed a hair's width from her mask.
Her needle flashed toward his lead hand.
Zack pulled back. The needle grazed his knuckles. A thin line of blood appeared. "A needle?"
He stepped in again, throwing a straight right.
Valentina leaned away, but Zack followed up—left hook from the opposite side.
She ducked under it.
"You're quite fast," Valentina muttered.
She moved.
A burst of speed. Her outline blurred.
Zack's eyes tracked her. He threw a punch at where she'd be.
The fist cut through air where she was a fraction of a second ago.
She appeared beside him, needle aimed at his shoulder.
Zack twisted. The needle pierced his deltoid, but not as deep as intended.
He grabbed for her wrist.
His fingers brushed fabric.
She was already gone.
Zack's left arm twitched. The muscle wasn't responding.
Jay moved.
He closed the distance, palm strike aimed at her collarbone.
Valentina sidestepped.
Jay transitioned into an elbow.
Valentina was already moving. She caught his arm mid-motion, redirecting it. Her needle flashed toward his kidney.
Jay twisted, barely avoiding it. The needle scraped his side instead of sinking deep.
He tried to trap her wrist, but she was faster. She pulled back and kicked his chest.
Jay slid back several feet.
"Systema? No... Sophia's variant," Valentina said, circling them. "Alexander Sophia trained you. I recognize that flow."
Zack came in again—jab, cross, hook, uppercut.
Each punch was fast—blurring fast.
Valentina slipped the jab, ducked the cross. The hook forced her to lean back sharply. The uppercut she blocked with her forearm.
The impact made her grimace.
"You're keeping up," she said. "Impressive."
She burst forward.
Zack threw a counter—a straight right timed to intercept.
Valentina shifted mid-step, the punch missing by inches. Her needle drove into his thigh.
Zack grunted, his leg buckling. But he threw a hook with his good arm even as he fell.
Valentina leaned back. The hook whistled past her face.
She yanked the needle free. Blood poured from Zack's thigh.
Then she kicked his injured leg.
Zack's stance collapsed, but he didn't go down. He planted his good leg and threw another punch.
Valentina sidestepped. "Stubborn."
Jay attacked from her blind side.
Valentina spun, weaving through the first two strikes. The third caught her forearm.
She slashed at his face. The blade opened a cut across Jay's cheek.
Jay grabbed for her knife hand.
She twisted free and drove her knee into his ribs.
Jay took the hit, grabbed her leg, and tried to sweep her.
Valentina hopped back before he could complete the sweep. She kicked his shin hard.
Jay's balance faltered.
Zack was already moving. Despite his injured arm and leg, he closed the distance. His remaining fist came like a piston.
Valentina slipped it.
Zack threw another. Then another.
Each punch was timed perfectly, cutting off her angles.
Valentina's eyes narrowed. She had to move faster.
She blurred.
Multiple afterimages filled the corridor.
Zack's eyes tracked them, reading the rhythm. He threw a punch at where the real one would be.
Close.
But not close enough.
Valentina appeared beside him, needle flashing.
Three quick strikes—bicep, forearm, ribs.
Zack's left arm went completely dead. His breathing grew ragged. "What are you, a ninja?!"
But his right arm was still moving. He threw a hook.
Valentina ducked and drove her needle into his shoulder blade.
Zack roared and spun, throwing a wild backfist.
She leaned away. The fist passed inches from her face.
"You're fast enough to see me," Valentina said. "But not fast enough to catch me."
Jay came in with a broken pipe. He swung it at her head.
Valentina ducked—the pipe whistling overhead. She stabbed her needle into Jay's side.
Jay grunted but didn't drop the pipe. He swung again, faster.
Valentina blocked with her blade. Sparks flew.
She kicked his injured ribs. Jay stumbled back.
Zack charged again, throwing a straight right.
Valentina sidestepped—her speed just a fraction faster than his punch. She drove her needle into his side.
Zack coughed, blood on his lips. But he grabbed her wrist—held on with everything he had.
"Got you," Zack gasped.
He threw a short uppercut.
Valentina twisted. The punch glanced off her jaw instead of landing clean. She drove her knee into Zack's injured thigh.
Pain exploded. His grip loosened. She yanked free and kicked him in the chest.
Zack flew back, hitting the wall. He slid down, gasping. Blood covered his shirt, pants, face.
"Fuck this! Her fighting style completely counters mine. I've never met someone like this."
Jay swung the pipe again.
Valentina ducked under it—faster than he could adjust. She kicked the pipe from his hands and slashed his thigh.
The blade cut deep. Jay's leg gave out. He dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
Valentina stood over them, breathing slightly heavier. A thin cut on her side. A bruise forming on her jaw. Sweat on her brow.
"Hmm," she said to Zack. "Your speed is good, but not quite enough."
She looked at Jay. "And you... You're a disappointment to Sophia's teaching."
"Jay..." Zack coughed. "We're... not losing... to her..."
Jay nodded weakly. "..."
They slowly stood again.
Valentina sighed. "You don't know when to give up."