Daniel and the Speed members skidded to a halt in the stone hallway. A massive figure stood in their path, blocking the only way forward. The man had dark skin and thick, alligator-shaped scars that twisted across his face.
Paecheon Jo stood there with his body wrapped in heavy white bandages. He stared at the group with a cold, singular eye.
"Dark Crocodile Fortress is not a place where anyone can just walk in. Now that you are here, you will never leave."
Yeowool didn't hesitate. She let out a scream and lunged at the old man with her fist cocked back.
"You bastard!"
Paecheon Jo didn't even blink. The shame of his defeat against Kitae Kim was still burning in his chest. He caught Yeowool by the throat in mid-air and lifted her off her feet.
He reached up and touched his blind eye. He looked at her face and saw the ghost of the man who had stood equal to him decades ago.
"You are his daughter. I will kill you for this eye your father took from me."
Sung and Roy roared and rushed him from both sides. They tried to overwhelm him, but Paecheon moved like a blur. He swung his arm and sent both of them crashing into the masonry.
WHAM!
He dropped Yeowool and stepped forward with his fingers held out like iron claws. He used his Emperor Finger style to pierce through flesh and muscle. Every strike left deep, bleeding holes in anyone who got close.
Boknam and Sebastian tried to close the gap together. Paecheon didn't even move his feet. He struck out with both hands, his fingers impaling their shoulders as if they were made of soft clay.
Lineman saw Paecheon raising his hand for a finishing blow on Yeowool. He sprinted forward and used his agility to scoop up his fallen friends. He moved through the chaos, dragging Sung and Roy out of Paecheon's reach.
Lineman panted as he pulled Sebastian, Boknam, and the others back toward the entrance of the hallway. He looked up and saw Daniel stepping forward into the center of the path.
"Step back. Take them and get out of here."
Daniel spoke without looking over his shoulder. His eyes were locked on Paecheon Jo. He felt the heavy pressure coming off the old man, but his feet didn't move an inch.
Paecheon Jo looked at the young man standing alone in front of him. He pointed a single, blackened finger at Daniel's chest. He focused his speed and strength into a point.
"Black Needle."
Paecheon lunged forward with a piercing strike. The attack was nearly invisible to the naked eye. Daniel didn't try to block or catch the finger.
SWISH!
Daniel twisted his torso at the very last millisecond. The blackened finger grazed the fabric of his shirt, tearing a hole through the cloth. The air pressure from the strike was so intense that it left a thin red line on Daniel's skin without even touching him.
BOOM!
The force of the missed strike hit the stone wall behind Daniel. A massive hole exploded into the masonry, sending shards of rock flying everywhere. Daniel skated back a few feet and lowered his center of gravity.
"I will be your opponent now."
---
Kitae stood in the middle of the ruined hallway and held Yujae by the collar. He looked at the blood dripping from the man's chin and shook his head.
"You really tried your best, didn't you? It's almost sad to see you like this."
Kitae pulled his massive fist back. He tightened his grip on Yujae's shirt and prepared to end it.
"Say hello to your friend for me."
The lights in the hallway suddenly flickered. Kitae paused and looked up at the ceiling. A second later, the corridor went pitch black.
WHACK!
A flying knee slammed into Kitae's jaw. The impact was so sudden that his fingers loosened and he dropped Yujae.
A shadow blurred past Kitae in the darkness. He felt the wind of someone moving at high speed. The figure scooped up Yujae's body and disappeared into the gloom.
Kitae turned to chase the intruder but he stopped after a single step. He stood in the dark and felt the lingering heat of the attack. A wide, knowing smile spread across his face.
"Next time I see you, brother... it will certainly be the last time."
The lights hummed and turned back on. The hallway was empty. Both Yujae and the body of Jaegyeon Na were gone.
Jake panted heavily as he sprinted through the the fortress. He had Yujae draped over one shoulder and Jaegyeon over the other. Both men were pale and barely breathing.
At this moment, he couldn't care if he ran away. He remembered what happened to Big Deal when Sinu Han sacrificed himself. He refused to let that kind of tragedy happen to the Speed crew.
Jake didn't fight just for the sake of winning. He fought to protect. He pushed his legs to move faster, ignoring the fire in his lungs.
---
Near the Incheon port, the army of the Dark Crocodile Society was returning in separate groups. They were frustrated after failing to locate the Speed members.
A group of strange people suddenly jumped intercepted these groups. The Daaek Crocodile Society members didn't understand what was happening, but they drew their weapons and fought back with everything they had.
The Kings invited by Jaegyeon Na had finally arrived.
The King of Bucheon, BJ Shobu, stood in the center of the docks. She held a phone on a selfie stick in one hand while she smashed through a crowd of enemies.
"Make sure you hit that like button, guys! Look at this loser's face!"
WHAM!
The King of Uijeongbu, Juhyeok Eun, roared onto the scene with his crew on motorcycles. They tore through the waves of enemies. As the Crocodile soldiers fell, the bikers stopped just long enough to spray paint graffiti on their backs.
In another section of the port, the King of Daejeon, Jaemin Noh, walked forward with a calm smile. He held a burger in one hand and used the other to knock men unconscious. His crew followed behind him, fighting with effortless coordination.
---
On the other side of Incheon, a man with bright blonde hair stepped off a bus. He wore a red and white tracksuit and looked around at the city with a bored expression.
At the same time, a crimson-haired man with tan skin and massive muscles tore through the streets on a heavy bike. He leaned into the turns and avoided every pothole with perfect precision.
The time to decide the fate of Incheon had finally arrived.
---
Guys, do you want to see Daniel vs Paecheon Jo, and then Goo vs Paecheon Jo, or should I skip it completely? It might take 3 to 4 chapters if I write these.