Baki reached the location sent by Jaegyeon Na and stopped his bike. The Dark Crocodile Fortress stood before him like a massive stone tomb.
He spent several minutes securing his bike with heavy chains and multiple locks. He remembered the last time he visited a place like this and someone stole his entire engine. He was not going to let that happen again.
He approached the main entrance and scanned the surrounding area for any movement. He heard rumors that this place was guarded by 20,000 men.
Baki walked through the outer gates and found the ground covered in bodies. Hundreds of men were lying unconscious in the dirt. He stopped and looked at the scale of the carnage.
"It seems I am late to the party."
He moved deeper into the fortress and heard heavy, stumbling footsteps coming from a dark corridor. Baki immediately raised his hands and settled into a fighting stance.
Jake emerged from the shadows and looked like he was about to collapse. He was carrying both Jaegyeon Na and Yujae over his shoulders.
Baki dropped his guard and stared at them in total shock. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"What happened to them...?"
Jake stopped and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He saw Baki and let out a long sigh of relief because he knew Baki wasn't an enemy.
"Kitae Kim is here in Incheon."
Baki tightened his fists and the air around him seemed to grow cold. He understood exactly how Jaegyeon ended up in such a terrible state just by hearing that name.
"Where is he?"
Jake looked back at the hallway he had just escaped from.
"I am not sure if you should fight him alone, but he is just down that hallway."
Baki reached into his pocket and tossed his bike keys to Jake. He didn't hesitate for a single second.
"Take them to the hospital. There are no other transports out of here."
Jake caught the keys and nodded with a look of grim determination. He adjusted the weight of the two men and sprinted toward the exit.
Baki turned toward the dark hallway and his face became completely blank. He walked past the shattered wood and crumbled plaster. The destruction on the walls showed the sheer power of the fight that had just ended.
He reached a large stone gate at the end of the corridor and pushed it open. The room inside was massive and dimly lit.
Kitae Kim was lying back in a large hot tub in the center of the room. He looked completely relaxed as if he were on vacation. He looked over at Baki and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"What a pleasant surprise. I was wanting to meet you again."
Baki walked into the room and stopped ten feet away from the tub. He stared directly into Kitae's eyes.
"I have been wanting the same thing."
Kitae let out a low chuckle and sat up slightly.
"It seems we both want the same thing then."
Baki shook his head and lowered his center of gravity.
"I want to kill you."
The smile vanished from Kitae's face. He stood up from the water and his muscles rippled under the flickering lights.
"Coincidence. I want to kill you too!"
Kitae lunged from the tub with a roar. He closed the distance in an instant. Baki met him halfway.
Baki unleashed a flurry of kicks. His legs moved so fast they were a blur of motion. He landed a roundhouse on Kitae's neck and a spinning hook kick on his jaw.
CRACK!
Kitae didn't even flinch. He grabbed Baki's shoulder and threw a heavy punch. Baki ducked and countered with a lightning-fast combination to Kitae's ribs.
Each hit sounded like a whip cracking. Baki was moving around Kitae with superior speed. He landed two hits for every one Kitae landed.
Kitae suddenly swung his massive arm in a wide arc. Baki jumped back. Kitae started swinging with both fists now.
He wasn't aiming for vitals. He was just trying to crush everything in front of him. Baki found himself backed into a corner of the stone room.
The wall behind him shattered as Kitae's fist buried itself in the masonry. Baki saw his opening. He focused on the tiny gap of time before Kitae could pull his arm back.
Baki used the 0.5-second window where Kitae's brain was still processing the miss. He stepped in and drove a Goutaijutsu punch straight into Kitae's solar plexus with everything he had.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire room. Kitae gasped and stumbled back several feet. His eyes went wide as he felt his lungs seize up.
Baki didn't stop. He used Defensive Xiaoli as Kitae tried to retaliate with a desperate shove. Baki's body went completely limp, absorbing the force.
He flowed with the momentum and transitioned into Offensive Xiaoli. He swung his fist back, adding Kitae's own massive power to his own.
CRASH!
The blow caught Kitae right in the mouth. Teeth flew across the room. Kitae crashed into the center of the room, splashing water everywhere from the tub.
Kitae wiped blood from his lips and laughed. He reached behind the tub and pulled out a heavy, all-metal axe. The blade caught the dim light.
"I saw that trick in Busan," Kitae said. "It wont work twice."
He swung the axe downward. Baki knew Xiaoli couldn't absorb a sharp edge. He dodged and used the 0.5-second trick again.
He moved in and landed a second Goutaijutsu punch on Kitae's chest. The strike cracked Kitae's ribs and sent him reeling. Baki circled him, waiting for the perfect moment.
Kitae swung the axe in a horizontal sweep. Baki jumped over the blade and landed. He saw the opening for the third time and lunged forward for one more heavy strike.
On the third attempt, something went wrong. Kitae didn't wait for his conscious mind to catch up. His body moved on pure instinct.
SHLUCK!
The axe blade buried itself deep into Baki's chest. Blood sprayed across the floor. Baki gasped and fell back, clutching the wound.
The pain was white-hot. Baki realized he had been too arrogant. He didn't think anyone could move in that split second.
He gritted his teeth and forced his brain to release a flood of endorphins. The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a cold numbness.
Baki ripped his shirt off and tied it tightly around his chest to plug the slash. He stood up and looked at Kitae.
Kitae was breathing hard. He was covered in bruises and his chest was sunken from the heavy hits. A dark, suffocating aura began to pour out of him.
"Let's finish this," Kitae growled.