Inside the office, Kangmi Choi sat with her legs and arms crossed as she looked at the man before her directly in the eye.
"So you're saying that the deceased chairman of HNH Group, Charles Choi, was a criminal? Not just any criminal, but someone with links to the Yamazaki syndicate?"
Seongji nodded. "Yes. He had dealings with the Yamazaki syndicate."
Kangmi pushed her glasses back. "I've had my suspicions for a while, but I didn't expect information of this magnitude. What's your credibility? You don't expect me to take you at your word, do you?"
Seongji shook his head. He brought out the Red Paper. "I have the evidence in my hands."
Kangmi looked at the Red Paper with a measured gaze. "What is that?"
Seongji turned the paper toward her. Seeing its content, Kangmi's eyes widened. "This explains how he built his empire in a matter of few years. Where did you obtain this?"
Seongji didn't answer.
Kangmi leaned forward to take the Red Paper, but Seongji pulled it back. "I can't let you have it. Not until you agree to help."
Kangmi leaned back and pushed her glasses up. "What do you need from me?"
"To free my friend," Seongji answered.
Kangmi's expression remained neutral. "You're referring to Baki Hanma. I saw the news. He was arrested for the murder of Charles Choi."
Her fingers tapped once on the desk. Her expression remained controlled, but there was a coldness in her eyes. "Mr. Hanma helped my daughter during a difficult time. However, that doesn't erase the circumstances that led to that situation in the first place."
Seongji smiled bitterly. "You still haven't let go of the past? Eli made a mistake and he is still repenting for it. I didn't expect you to hold onto it even now."
She adjusted her glasses. "Personal matters aside, I need to understand the full scope of this case before I can commit to representation. The evidence you've brought is significant, but proving Mr. Hanma's innocence will require more than documentation of Charles Choi's criminal activities. After all, taking the law into your own hands isn't justifiable."
Seongji shook his head. "Self defense is justified by the law."
Kangmi nodded. "It is. But what's the proof that Mr. Hanma acted in self defense?"
Seongji smiled. "Officer Kwak and Noh Bakugo are still alive. As long as they give their testimonials, it should prove Baki's innocence. And with the Red Paper present, the law should be in our favor."
Kangmi's expression softened slightly. "You're rather well informed."
---
Jichang wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His breathing came in ragged gasps and his legs trembled beneath him. Bruises covered his arms and torso, and every movement sent pain through his body.
Gongseob Ji stood beside him with his robes torn and stained with blood. His hands remained raised in a defensive stance, but they shook from exhaustion. His prosthetic left leg had sustained damage during the fight, and the knee joint made a grinding sound with each movement.
Taesoo Ma lay unconscious near the ruined Rolls Royce. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and blood had dried on his face while his right arm hung at an awkward angle.
Seokdu Wang was slumped against the black sedan with his eyes closed. His scarred forehead showed fresh cuts, and his body didn't move except for the slight rise and fall of his breathing.
Kitae Kim stood in the center of the street with his leather jacket unbuttoned. His red shirt showed no tears, and only a small amount of blood had dried at the corner of his mouth while the bruising on his face had already faded. His breathing was steady and his posture was relaxed as he looked at the two remaining kings with the same blank expression he had worn from the start.
"Just you two left," Kitae said. "Let's wrap this up."
Jichang's pupils contracted as he glanced at Gongseob Ji, then back at Kitae. They had thrown everything at this monster, but nothing had stopped him.
Gongseob Ji spat blood onto the pavement. "Amitabha. This bastard is truly a demon."
Kitae tilted his head slightly. "Did you just get that?"
Gongseob Ji stepped forward with his hands raised. His torn robes hung loose around his shoulders and blood dripped from a cut above his eye. His breathing had steadied somewhat, but his body showed the accumulated damage from the fight. His functional leg planted firmly on the cracked pavement while his damaged prosthetic leg provided unstable balance.
"Amitabha," Gongseob said. "I shall try once more."
Kitae walked toward Gongseob with the same measured pace he had maintained throughout the fight.
Gongseob waited with his weight settled completely on his rear leg and his arms positioned at angles that covered multiple attack vectors. His eyes tracked Kitae's approach without blinking.
Kitae closed the distance and threw a straight punch aimed at Gongseob's face with his full body weight behind the strike.
Gongseob pivoted on his functional leg and his torso rotated with the movement as his counter-punch shot through the space where Kitae's guard had opened. The edge of Gongseob's fist connected with Kitae's jaw, and the impact sent a sharp crack through the air.
Kitae's head snapped to the side as blood appeared at the corner of his mouth where his teeth had cut into the tissue. His body shifted slightly from the force, but his feet remained planted.
Gongseob reset his stance immediately, and his breathing deepened from the exertion of channeling his full power into the single rotation.
Kitae turned his head back to face Gongseob and touched the blood on his lip before looking at it for a moment. His expression remained blank.
"That one actually surprised me," Kitae said.
Jichang moved in from Kitae's blind side with his hand blade cutting downward in a vertical arc aimed at the base of Kitae's skull. The strike carried all his remaining strength concentrated into the edge of his palm.
Kitae twisted at the waist and caught Jichang's wrist with his left hand as his fingers closed around the joint and squeezed. Jichang felt the bones grind together under the pressure.
Gongseob pivoted into another counter-punch aimed at Kitae's exposed ribs, and his fist drove forward with the accumulated momentum of his body rotation.
Kitae released Jichang's wrist and blocked Gongseob's punch with his forearm. The collision sent both fighters backward as Kitae slid two feet across the pavement while Gongseob's functional leg buckled slightly before he caught his balance.
Jichang circled to Kitae's other side and attacked with a horizontal hand blade aimed at Kitae's throat. His fingers extended like a spear point and the edge of his palm cut through the air.
Kitae ducked under the strike and drove his fist into Jichang's stomach. The punch lifted Jichang off his feet as air rushed from his lungs and blood sprayed from his mouth. His body folded around Kitae's fist before the force sent him flying backward to crash into the pavement and roll twice before coming to a stop.
Gongseob stepped in again and threw a combination of punches that targeted Kitae's head and torso. Each strike carried the full rotation of his pivot system.
Kitae blocked the first two punches with his forearms and absorbed the third on his shoulder. The fourth glanced off his cheekbone but caused no visible damage.
Kitae grabbed Gongseob's extended arm with both hands and yanked him forward. Gongseob's balance broke as his functional leg couldn't compensate for the sudden pull while his damaged prosthetic buckled completely. Kitae's other fist drove into Gongseob's stomach with devastating force.
The impact lifted Gongseob completely off the ground, and his body flew backward through the air. The force transferred through his entire frame, and the connection point of his prosthetic leg couldn't withstand it. Metal screeched and plastic shattered as the prosthetic separated from his body mid-flight. The artificial limb spun through the air in one direction while Gongseob's body flew in another.
Gongseob crashed and rolled across the street before crumpling to the ground in a heap. His prosthetic leg landed on the pavement with a metallic clang as bolts and fragments of the attachment mechanism scattered across the asphalt. The knee joint had bent completely backward and cracks ran through the carbon fiber components.
Gongseob tried to push himself up with his arms as blood poured from his mouth and his breathing came in wet, choking gasps. His functional leg twitched but he had no way to stand. He looked across the street at his shattered prosthetic.
Kitae walked toward him, and each step echoed across the empty street.
Gongseob dragged himself forward with his arms as blood ran from his nose and mouth, mixing with the dirt and broken asphalt. His functional leg pushed against the ground, but without the prosthetic he could only manage a crawling motion.
Jichang pushed himself to his feet. His face had gone pale and he coughed up more blood, but his eyes remained focused as he positioned himself between Kitae and Gongseob. His breathing came in ragged gasps and his arms trembled from exhaustion, but he raised his hands in a defensive stance.
"Gongseob Ji, it's okay. You've done your part. Now rest."
Kitae stopped and looked at Jichang. "You think you can still fight?"
Jichang wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His legs shook beneath him and his vision blurred at the edges, but he forced himself to stand upright.
Jichang rushed forward and his hand blade cut through the air in a diagonal slash aimed at Kitae's neck. The strike came faster than before as he channeled the last reserves of his strength into pure speed.
Kitae raised his arm to block, but Jichang redirected mid-strike and drove the edge of his palm into Kitae's ribs. The impact made a solid thud and Kitae's body shifted slightly to the side.
Jichang followed immediately with a vertical chop aimed at Kitae's collarbone. Kitae caught his wrist, but Jichang twisted free and slammed his other hand into Kitae's jaw. Kitae's head snapped to the side.
Kitae stepped back and touched his jaw. His expression showed interest for the first time in the fight. "I guess the wait is where the flavor builds."
Jichang's breathing was labored, but he pressed forward. He knew he couldn't win, but he could make Kitae work for it. His hand blade struck out in rapid succession as he targeted Kitae's throat, temple, and eyes with precise strikes that forced Kitae to defend.
Kitae dodged the first three attacks by tilting his head and blocked the fourth strike.
Jichang stepped in closer and drove his knee toward Kitae's stomach. Kitae caught his leg and shoved him backward, but Jichang used the momentum to spin and deliver a spinning hand blade to Kitae's temple. But Kitae blocked it.
Kitae wiped blood from his face and his blank expression shifted into something resembling a smile. "Now this is better."
Jichang's vision swam and his legs threatened to give out, but he maintained his stance. His hands were numb from the repeated impacts and his ribs screamed with every breath, but he couldn't stop now.
Kitae rushed forward faster than before. His fist drove toward Jichang's face with crushing force.
Jichang slipped to the side and the punch grazed past his ear. He drove his hand blade forward.
Kitae twisted at the last moment and Jichang's hand blade missed. Kitae grabbed Jichang's wrist with both hands and yanked him forward while driving his knee up into Jichang's stomach.
The impact folded Jichang in half and blood sprayed from his mouth. His vision went white with pain.
Kitae rolled his shoulder. "You're tougher than I remembered."
Jichang spat blood onto the pavement. His whole body shook and sweat mixed with blood ran down his face. "All plan fail against overwhelming might. But I just can't help but not give up."
Kitae moved in again with his fists cutting through the air in a combination that targeted Jichang's head and body. Jichang deflected the first punch and absorbed the second on his forearm, but the third caught him in the ribs and he heard something crack. The fourth slammed into his jaw and sent him spinning to the side.
Jichang's legs gave out and he dropped to one knee. Blood poured from his mouth and his vision doubled. He planted his hand on the pavement and pushed himself back up. His body screamed at him to stay down, but he forced himself to stand.
Kitae watched him rise with his head tilted slightly. "Why do you keep getting up?"
Jichang didn't answer. He raised his hands again and his fingers trembled as he positioned them for another strike. His breathing came in wet, rasping gasps and blood dripped steadily from his mouth onto the pavement.
Kitae rushed forward and his hand shot out to grab Jichang by the throat. His fingers squeezed and lifted Jichang off the ground as Jichang's hands clawed at Kitae's wrist, but the grip didn't loosen.
Jichang brought both hands up and chopped down on Kitae's forearm with a double hand blade strike. The attack carried all his remaining strength and the edge of his palms dug into the muscle and tendons. Kitae's grip loosened slightly and Jichang gasped for air.
Jichang struck again at the same spot and Kitae's hand opened enough for Jichang to tear himself free. He dropped to the ground and immediately drove his hand blade toward Kitae's throat.
Kitae caught his wrist mid-strike and yanked Jichang forward. His other hand grabbed Jichang by the back of the head.
"I'm done playing around," Kitae said.
He drove his forehead into Jichang's face. The headbutt shattered Jichang's nose and sent blood spraying across both of them. Jichang's knees buckled but Kitae held him up by the head.
Kitae hit him again with another headbutt. The second impact split Jichang's eyebrow and blood poured down his face. His eyes lost focus and his arms dropped to his sides.
Kitae hit him a third time. The bone in Jichang's nose broke completely and his consciousness began to fade. His body went limp in Kitae's grip.
Kitae threw him aside and Jichang collapsed to the pavement without moving. Blood pooled beneath his head as his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.
Kitae stood alone among the four fallen kings. His hand reached to his back and pulled out a small axe as he walked toward Jichang and Gongseob. The axe hung loose in his grip as he approached and crouched down beside them.
He raised the axe and brought it down.
Blood splashed across the pavement and ran between the cracks in the asphalt. The sound of metal striking flesh echoed through the empty street.
Kitae straightened and looked at the carnage around him. Blood covered his face and hands as he examined the blade of the axe. He wiped it clean on his jeans and tucked it back into his belt.
"Game's over," Kitae said.
He walked back to the black sedan where Isu Jo waited beside the vehicle. Isu opened the rear door without speaking, and Kitae climbed inside. The car pulled away from the street.