Yujae stared at Jaegyeon Na's body on the floor. His mind went completely blank for a few seconds. The hallway smelled like iron.
Kitae Kim stepped over the pool of blood and rested his heavy weapon on his shoulder. He looked at Yujae like he was looking at a bug he was about to crush.
"I was wondering what all that pathetic crying was about. I didn't expect to find a rat and a traitor having a heart-to-heart in my hallway."
Yujae felt a heat rising from his stomach that he couldn't control. His vision turned red at the edges. He forgot about his plans and his fears of the man standing before him.
"Kitae... Kim...!"
Yujae let out a roar that shook the thin walls of the cabin. He lunged forward before the sound even finished. He moved so fast that his body became a blurry streak in the dim light.
WHAM!
He drove a hand strike into Kitae's chest. The impact sounded like a car crashing into a brick wall. Kitae didn't move his feet, but the floorboards beneath him snapped from the pressure.
Yujae didn't stop to breathe. He rained down a barrage of palm strikes and knife-hand chops. Each hit landed with enough force to shatter bone, but Kitae just stood there and absorbed the impact.
Kitae suddenly swung his massive fist in a wide arc. The wind from the punch whistled in the air. Yujae felt the danger and used the Overturning Void Technique.
He caught the momentum of Kitae's arm and twisted his body in mid-air. He added his own explosive speed to the redirected force and drove his heel into Kitae's temple.
CRACK!
Kitae's head snapped to the side and he stumbled back two steps. He wiped a smear of blood from his lip and let out a low, terrifying chuckle. He moved faster than a man his size should.
Kitae grabbed Yujae's leg before he could retract it and slammed him into the ceiling. The plaster exploded and Yujae fell back down, only for Kitae to meet him with a knee to the gut.
THUD!
The air left Yujae's lungs instantly. He felt his ribs cracking under the inhuman strength of the blow. He realized that standard strikes wouldn't work against this monster.
Yujae forced himself to stand up. He eliminated every wasted motion and focused all his energy into his palms. He used the speed and strength he had perfected over ten years.
He closed the distance instantly. His hands became as dense as solid metal as he prepared his Dead Hand Technique. He aimed for Kitae's solar plexus, looking to crush the internal organs in one shot.
BOOM!
The strike connected with a sound like a cannon blast. The back of Kitae's jacket burst open from the sheer kinetic energy passing through his body. Kitae's eyes rolled back for a split second.
Yujae fell back and gasped for air. He watched Kitae's body slump forward. He thought it was finally over.
Kitae's hand suddenly shot out and gripped the floor. He forced his body upright like a demon rising from the grave. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, filled with a wild, hungry light.
"That actually hurt a lot."
Kitae didn't give Yujae a chance to recover. He delivered a series of savage punches that broke through Yujae's guard like it was made of paper. Yujae was thrown across the hallway, smashing through three different wooden doors.
CRASH!
Yujae lay in the wreckage of the rooms. His vision was fading and his internal injuries were fatal. He could feel his life leaking out of him.
He had no choice left. He reached deep into the forbidden lessons he had learned from Paecheon Jo. He felt his blood turn cold and dark as he activated the Dark Blood Transformation.
His skin turned a purple, sickly grey and the veins in his arms began to pulse with a black hue. The pain in his body vanished, replaced by a cold, numbing power.
Yujae stood up among the broken wood. He didn't look human anymore. He looked like a nightmare as he prepared to face Kitae one last time.
He lunged at Kitae once again with a speed that defied logic. He didn't bother with feints or careful movements. He drove his palm toward Kitae's throat with everything he had left.
Kitae didn't even try to block. He completely abandoned his defense and stepped into the strike. He let Yujae's hand smash into his neck and used the moment to drive a heavy hook into Yujae's temple.
WHAM!
Yujae's head snapped to the side but he didn't fall. He used the momentum to spin and deliver a sharp knee to Kitae's chest. Kitae didn't flinch. He ignored the impact and countered with a brutal straight punch that caught Yujae right in the mouth.
THUD!
The force of the blow sent Yujae's head slamming into the floorboards. The wood splintered and gave way under the pressure. Yujae tried to roll away, but Kitae was already looming over him like a mountain.
Kitae didn't stop to catch his breath. He rained down a series of savage, overhead haymakers. Each punch was a reckless explosion of power that ignored any opening Yujae tried to create.
BOOM!
One of Kitae's fists missed Yujae's head and punched a hole straight through the floor. He didn't even look at the damage. He just pulled his arm out and swung again with even more violence.
Yujae tried to use his speed to escape, but his legs finally gave out. The strain of the Dark Blood Transformation was eating him alive from the inside. His pale skin began to bruise and leak blood from the sheer pressure.
Kitae's attacks only became more frequent and more violent. He didn't care if he took a hit to the face. He only cared about landing his own blows. He swung his fists like sledgehammers, destroying everything in his path.
CRASH!
The entire hallway groaned as Kitae's shoulder smashed through a support beam. Dust and dirt filled the air. Yujae lay in the middle of the debris, his body broken and unable to move.
Kitae emerged from the dust like a demon rising from hell. He was covered in blood and grime, but his eyes were glowing with a terrifying intensity. He walked through the wreckage without a single stumble.
He reached down and grabbed Yujae's limp body by the collar. He lifted him off the ground with one hand. Yujae's head hung low and blood dripped from his chin onto Kitae's hand.
"You really tried your best, didn't you? It's almost sad to see you like this."
Yujae tried to lift his hand, but his fingers only twitched. His vision was swimming and he could feel the cold darkness taking over. The black veins on his arms began to recede as his strength failed.
Kitae looked at him for a long moment and then pulled his other fist back. He wasn't smiling anymore.
"Say hello to your friend for me."