Jinrang walked into the arena.
Sang Baek watched him approach, step by step, and his eyes went red. "We've been waiting, Hyung-nim. Waiting for this day. Waiting for your fight."
The crowd erupted completely. The noise shook the floor underfoot.
Jinrang didn't stop. He kept walking until he was standing in front of Daniel.
He looked Daniel over once. "You're Daniel Park?"
"...Yeah."
"You're the current champion of this arena?"
"...That's right."
Jinrang reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, then a matchstick. He struck it and lit up, took a long drag. "A Seoul guy being champion in a Busan arena doesn't sit right with me." He held the cigarette between his fingers and looked at Daniel through the smoke. "Daniel Park."
"Yeah?"
"As a former champion, I'm challenging you. The current one."
Daniel looked at him and nodded. "Good to meet you. You're Jinrang, right? There's something I need to say to you."
"Something to say to me?"
"But before that, hold on." Daniel turned away. "This fight isn't finished yet. I can't just let it go."
At the edge of the arena floor, Jay was lying on the ground, covered in injuries, unable to move. Sang Baek had done that earlier.
Daniel looked at Sang Baek. "Once I deal with that, I'll accept your challenge." Then he asked Sang Baek directly. "You don't want it to end like this either, do you? Sang Baek."
Someone else moved first.
"End what? Step aside."
Zack Lee came in from the side, working out his wrists. "I'm Jay Hong's friend too. You're not the only one who's pissed off." He glanced at Daniel. "One more thing. You're the current head of Allied. You're here for a reason. Don't waste your energy on Number Two."
Sang Baek scoffed. "Just Number Two?"
Zack didn't acknowledge it. "Allied's head handles Jinrang Gang's head. Allied's Number Two handles Jinrang Gang's Number Two."
Sang Baek smirked. "At least your confidence is Number One."
Zack took a step forward. "Confidence? My skills are Number One too."
---
Sang Baek moved.
His foot stepped sideways and he came forward, no hesitation, straight into Zack's space.
Zack pressed first, footwork light but measured, his left hand shooting out in a jab to test the distance. Sang Baek deflected it and pivoted, but Zack had already adjusted. Another combination came, left, left, right, probing his guard layer, each punch coming from a slightly different angle.
Sang Baek blocked and kept moving.
'He's fast.' He read the rhythm as Zack's next combination landed two out of three. 'Is he a boxer?' Another exchange, Sang Baek slipping one, eating the follow-up on the shoulder. 'He has good balance. He definitely trained for more than just a day or two.' Zack stepped in again, combination coming with that same efficient economy, no wasted motion. 'I can see why he's this confident. He's a traditional boxer who worked his way up.'
Sang Baek gave ground, eyes tracking Zack's shoulders, then reached sideways without looking and his hand found a broken soju bottle. He came in fast, angle sharp, going straight for the side of Zack's face. "You think you'll win easily? Upright bastards don't know how a real fight goes."
Zack stepped back half a pace. His hand came out with a brick, nobody saw where it came from. He brought the flat of it down against the bottle's neck and the glass shattered. His hand was completely fine.
'He was prepared?!'
Zack tossed the brick aside. "What? Who says I am upright?"
He pressed forward again. His left hand shot out in a jab. Sang Baek slipped sideways and deflected it, pivoting to angle toward Zack's flank.
Zack had already turned to face him.
Another combination, left, left, right, faster this time. Sang Baek blocked two, let the third slide off, and tried to step inside and close the distance.
Zack didn't let him in. His shoulder dropped, body sliding sideways, and Sang Baek's push hit nothing. Then Zack's right hand came in from the side and landed clean on Sang Baek's cheekbone.
Sang Baek's footing stuttered.
He rolled his neck and reached down, hand scraping across the ground. A fistful of grit flew toward Zack's eyes.
Zack's eyes closed for a split second, but his foot stepped forward instead of back, pressing deeper into range. His right hand brushed past Sang Baek's face and landed hard on the side of his ear.
Sang Baek lurched sideways, ear ringing. "How did you know I'd do this?"
"Simple. I was once like you. Back when I only craved the win. When I resorted to any means just to win." Zack didn't slow down. "But not anymore. That kind of victory won't last forever."
Sang Baek reset his footing. He switched tactics, stopped guarding and rammed straight into Zack with his body, trying to drive through on impact. In the same motion a broken phone appeared in his hand and cracked hard into Zack's shoulder. "Too bad. If only you had learned from me, you'd be much stronger."
"You speak as if you're stronger than me," Zack shot back, stepping out of the clinch.
Sang Baek looked at him. "What? You're saying you are?"
"Don't get cocky yet," Zack said. "I'm holding back because I'm too lazy."
He pressed forward again, rhythm accelerating, combinations coming faster and denser. Sang Baek's guard started missing the timing, and the ones that slipped through landed fully. He gave ground step by step.
"I'll admit that you're good," Sang Baek said through his guard, still moving. "And you're different from the other second gen kids. But it's still not enough. I've been through different shit. Built myself on different experiences."
"Then I'll just have to stack mine too," Zack said, not slowing down. "We're just getting started."
Sang Baek shifted his weight and drove a punch straight at Zack's face, forcing a reaction. Zack stepped in to meet it and threw his own right hand at the same moment.
Sang Baek didn't block. Didn't dodge.
He opened his mouth and bit down on Zack's entire fist.
Zack stopped completely. "Keuaaagh!!!"
Sang Baek held the fist between his teeth, eyes perfectly calm, jaw slowly tightening. Then he let go. "Iron Fortress, the teeth hurt, huh?"
Zack pulled his hand back and looked at it. Then he looked up.
"Oi, second gen," Sang Baek said. "Gongseob Ji was the wrong choice. You should have come found me instead."
Zack closed his bitten hand slowly. This guy, he thought. There is nothing he won't do. He took a breath, and when he spoke his voice was flat and clear. "Stop spouting bullshit. I struggled so hard to find the light. Even if you whisper sugar-coated shit in my ear, I will never let go of the light again."
He raised his fists. "I am Zack Lee. Iron Fortress. The King of Daegu's, Shitty Monk's, Gongseob Ji's disciple. Zack Lee. I will win today too."
Sang Baek looked at him for a moment. Then he smiled. "Interesting. Come at me."
Zack exploded forward. His own initiative this time, footwork igniting, body flickering with speed. The combination came out in a dense blur. Sang Baek blocked half, the rest went through. He gave ground. Zack followed, pressing him into the corner, then his right hand locked around Sang Baek's wrist and pinned it down.
"Shark teeth," Zack said through his teeth. "We've yet to show our full power."
Then a kick came flying in from the side and connected with Sang Baek's face.
Vin Jin landed and slid his hands into his pockets. He glanced at Zack. "Boxer punk, we came here for an alliance. Not to fight. Save your energy."
Zack stared at him.
Sang Baek pushed himself off the floor, face red on one side, and looked back.
Vasco was already there. His knee drove straight into Sang Baek's face.
Sang Baek went back down.
"It's 2v1 again?" he said from the ground.
Vasco stood over him and looked down. "It's one on one. Get down."
---
In the crowd, Baki stood with his arms crossed, watching everything. He was quiet for a moment.
'Zack Lee...' he thought. 'The way he throws. That rhythm. That defense...'
A face surfaced in his mind.
'Gongseob Ji.'
The corner of his mouth moved. 'This kid. He's practically the man himself.'
Then the expression faded.
His fist closed slowly at his side.
'Gongseob Ji... where are you?'