They both charged. Baki dodged the axe twice more, getting small cuts on his arms. He saw a gap and grabbed Kitae's wrist, twisting it with a joint lock.
SNAP!
The axe clattered to the floor. Baki noticed Kitae wasn't slowing down. If anything, Kitae was getting faster and stronger the more he bled.
Baki was running out of energy. He decided to end it now. He pulled his right fist back and twisted his entire body.
He unleashed the Mach Punch. His fist broke the sound barrier.
BOOM!
The shockwave blew the remaining water out of the hot tub. Kitae was sent flying back into the stone wall. He hit the ground and the floor caved in around him.
Dust and smoke filled the air. Baki stood there, his right hand mangled and bleeding. Every bone in his hand was shattered from the force of the strike.
He watched the dust settle, waiting for it to be over. A shadow moved in the rubble.
Kitae stood up. He was grinning like a demon. Blood was leaking from his ears and nose, but his eyes were glowing with madness.
"It's that punch. I guess you couldn't unleash the full strength this time."
Baki looked at his useless hand. He couldn't move his fingers. He felt his body starting to fail. When he had used Mach Punch in Busan, it already ruined his hand. He can't unleash it at full power for the second time in such a short period.
Kitae moved across the room and drove his shoulder into Baki's chest. Baki flew backward and hit the stone wall with enough force to crack the rock.
Kitae followed up with a barrage of heavy punches. Baki tried to use his left arm to block, but the weight behind the strikes was too much. A straight right hand caught Baki in the jaw and sent him spinning.
Baki tried to regain his footing, but Kitae kicked him in the stomach. Baki coughed up blood and slumped against the wall. Kitae grabbed Baki by the hair and slammed his head into the masonry.
CRUNCH!
Baki's vision blurred. He felt his legs grow weak. Kitae let go and landed a massive hook that sent Baki sliding across the wet floor.
Baki lay there for a moment. His lungs burned and his vision was swimming. He could hear Kitae's heavy footsteps approaching slowly.
Kitae stood over him and looked down with a bored expression. He raised his foot and began to stomp on Baki's ribs. Each blow sounded like a hammer hitting a bag of gravel.
"What happened?" Kitae spat. "Still think you can kill me?"
"...Will I lose? Against someone who doesn't even know how to fight...?" Baki thought.
Baki felt his consciousness fading. The survival instinct deep inside his brain finally snapped. A surge of heat erupted from the base of his spine.
The muscles on Baki's back began to writhe and swell. They twisted and shifted with a sickening sound of snapping fibers. The flesh stretched until it formed the unmistakable shape of a screaming demon's face.
Baki's eyes snapped open. They were no longer human.
"No! I can't lose here after I have come all this way! How can I lose here if my goal is to become the strongest man?!"
Kitae felt the shift in the air and grinned. He threw a punch with every ounce of his strength. Baki didn't dodge.
Baki caught Kitae's fist with his left hand. The sound of the impact was like a cannon going off. Baki didn't move an inch.
"I can feel it," Baki whispered. "The unrelenting strength flowing through my body."
Baki squeezed. The sound of crushing bone filled the room. Kitae didn't scream. He just swung his other fist into Baki's temple.
"Interesting!" Kitae yelled. "Show me more!"
THUD!
Baki took the hit and didn't even flinch. He drove his knee into Kitae's midsection. Kitae doubled over but immediately countered with a headbutt.
The two collided like two semi-trucks. Blood sprayed from both of them as they traded blows at point-blank range. Baki's speed had increased exponentially.
Baki landed five punches to Kitae's face in a single second. Kitae's head snapped back and forth, but he kept swinging. He caught Baki with a heavy body blow that cracked the floor beneath them.
The aura of despair around Kitae grew thicker. He was getting faster as the fight dragged on. He grabbed Baki around the waist and slammed him into the stone tub.
The tub shattered into pieces. Baki rolled through the debris and came up with a high kick that caught Kitae in the throat. Kitae stumbled back, coughing, but his grin never left his face.
Kitae dove for his axe and swung it in a massive vertical chop. Baki stepped into the strike, moving into the "dead zone" of the weapon. He drove his elbow into Kitae's jaw.
CRACK!
Kitae's jaw hung at an awkward angle. He didn't care. He dropped the axe and wrapped his massive arms around Baki in a crushing bear hug.
Baki felt his ribs groaning under the pressure. Instead of pulling away, Baki wrapped his own arms around Kitae's thick torso. He locked his grip and squeezed back.
SNAP!
The sound of Kitae's spine straining filled the room. Kitae's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Baki was smaller, but his raw power was now overwhelming the man.
Kitae roared in agony and used all his strength to shove Baki away. Baki flew across the room and hit the wall, but he landed on his feet.
Baki launched himself back at Kitae. He unleashed a flurry of strikes that targeted every vital point on Kitae's body.
Kitae's skin was turning purple from the internal bleeding. He lunged forward and managed to grab Baki by the throat. He lifted Baki off the ground and began to squeeze.
Baki's demon back flared. He grabbed Kitae's wrists and tore the hands away with raw strength. He landed a spinning kick that sent Kitae crashing into the far wall.
Kitae struggled to his feet. He was covered in his own blood. His breathing was a ragged whistle through his broken jaw.
Baki walked toward him with a blank, predatory stare. He picked up the metal axe from the floor. He didn't hesitate.
Kitae lunged one last time, putting everything into a final strike. Baki stepped to the side and swung the axe in a clean, horizontal arc.
SHLUCK!
The blade buried itself deep into Kitae's neck. Kitae stopped mid-motion. He looked at Baki, the grin finally fading as the light left his eyes.
"Is... that... all...?" Kitae managed to say.
He fell to his knees. His body slumped forward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The red water from the broken tub pooled around him.
Baki stood over the body. The demon face on his back slowly began to relax. The screaming muscles smoothed out.
He dropped the axe and leaned against a stone pillar. He looked at his mangled right hand and the deep wound in his chest.
"It's over..."
---
Guys, it's over. Not only this arc, but the book too. I know it isn't completed, but I won't be continuing it anymore.
I started this book for fun. It was never my idea to focus on Baki as the main character. I just wanted to write whatever came to mind. Like, Baki aura farming. So, there wasn't much of Baki in the beginning. Then I met you guys who are interested in this book. I was and am still surprised how people can enjoy such a poorly written book. But I am glad I met you guys. You guys are honestly the best.
Anyways, from the beginning, I had no plans whatsoever to do with this book. So, I never focused much on Baki. I purely wrote because I enjoyed everyone's comments. So, now that we have caught up to the current arc, I won't update anymore.
I would like to mention a few people who I have come to acknowledge as my friends throughout this journey.
Kharoufe, you were here from the very beginning. I am glad you stuck till the end. You're one of the guys who motivated me the most to write. I hope we will still talk with eachother in discord even if the book won't continue anymore.
TheZenith, you're one stingy man. You post comments, reviews, but why not throw some powerstones at me. You're one of the OG's of this book. At first, this book was heavily AI dependent. Because of this guy, I slowly improved. It took near 300 chapters, but now I can write without AI, grammarly or any paraphrasing apps. I hope to see you in one of my future books too. I also loved the arguments and banters we had in. 😂
There was also JRCaste, I guess he dropped it somewhere along the lines. But there was a time I used to wait for this guy's comments. He was an entertaining person.
md_rizvi, you joined late, but you remained the most active. I don't know how to say, but I guess we became good friends. You also supported me very much, not only in this fic, but by also checking out the other one. You also posted several reviews. At one point, a guy even called you my second ID. But I am glad you did all that. Let's meet in another book.
There are many guys left, I know. TheSuperInfinity, Birajkarki, BenDover, SCHayden, and many more of you guys. Let's meet again in a new book.
Let me say this once again, you guys are the best audience I could have wished for. THE BEST! I MEAN IT!