"You know him?" Lena whispered into Kang's ear.
"He was the one who told me about Xiao Yun, and that she was with your gang."
Lena was a little surprised. He had told her about this before but she never thought about who that poor gangster was.
"Souka. In case you don't know, he's Dalton 'Iron Fist,' one of the three Red Poles under Henry." She nodded.
Kang raised an eyebrow slightly. Red Pole? As in the top fighters from the old Hong Kong gangs?
"Isn't he a little weak for a Red Pole?" Kang asked.
"Did you ever think that maybe it's not he's weak, but you're just too fragging strong?" Lena rolled her eyes at him.
In truth, Dalton wasn't weak at all. None of her regular gang members could beat him, except maybe her lieutenant Pedro. Even then, his chance would only be fifty-fifty in a one-on-one fight against him. Once again Lena was reminded just how much of a monster this man, Yunyun's senior brother, really was.
Henry must have received the same report from Dalton, and his expression wasn't pleasant. Hearing that one of his Red Poles had been knocked out in less than five seconds would bruise anyone's pride. He looked at Kang warily, though his hostility had noticeably lessened.
To everyone's surprise, Henry stepped forward and offered his hand to Kang in a friendly gesture.
"Henry 'Brute' Willis. Dalton told me you're quite the big swag. Looks like he gave you a little trouble before, thanks for going easy on him."
"Liu Kang, nice to meet you! Don't worry about it, your man was a big help. Gotta thank him later~"
Kang cheerfully shook his hand. This was how it should be—one less enemy, one more friend. Didn't they always say, make friends not war, or something like that?
Henry, on the other hand, was thinking about his options. Razorgirl was a fierce fighter, and with this man at her side, they'd make dangerous enemies. Not to mention that breeder. Truth be told, he was attracted to her looks, but it was her combat skill that truly caught his attention. She would have been perfect as his woman, and as the fourth Red Pole of the Bruisers.
But now, with the situation changed, Henry weighed the risks and decided it wasn't worth it. That careful nature of his was exactly what had helped the Bruisers rise as the biggest gang in Slum 9.
"In respect to Mr. Kang, the Bruisers will stay out of this matter."
Henry announced loudly, giving Xiao Yun and Lena a nod, his way of apologizing for the trouble.
The other gangs watched the scene with curious eyes. Gai of the Neodancers placed a hand on his sister Lesbie's shoulder, motioning for her to stay quiet and observe for now.
Skull, leader of the go-gang Hell Riders, didn't take kindly to what he was seeing.
"Oi oi, are you serious, Henry? I dunno if that drek's really a swag or not, but you're just gonna walk away with your tail between your legs? Bah, so that's the great Bruisers, huh? Color me surprised!"
Henry raised a hand to stop his angry men from reacting. He simply shook his head and spat one word at Skull.
"Stupid."
Skull's face reddened, but he didn't want to start a fight with the Bruisers now. His goal had always been the breeder, he couldn't wait to have her moaning and squirming under him. So instead, he turned his rage toward Kang.
"So you're a swag, huh? And this swag thinks he can take on three gangs by himself or what?"
Lena was about to speak, but Kang stopped her with a gesture. He spoke calmly.
"Let me introduce myself first. Liu Kang, disciple of the Hidden Tiger Style and senior brother of little Xiao Yun here. You could say... I'm her guardian."
"And?" Skull asked mockingly.
"To put it simply, if you want her, you'll have to get my permission first."
Skull burst out laughing. His gang members joined in, and even a few from the other gangs snickered. Kang didn't say a word. He just stood there with a faint smile, waiting for them to finish.
"So how do we get that, uh, permission thing? Would breaking your head with my electric bat be enough, dear brother-in-law?" Skull sneered.
"Actually, that would work." Kang nodded.
The laughter stopped. Everyone stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
"That's what I was about to propose. Let's put away all this gang war nonsense and make this a personal matter between me, Xiao Yun, and anyone who wants her. Is that clear? None of you want a full-on war with the Orphans over this, right?"
Lena looked at Kang, stunned. She was about to protest, but when Kang met her eyes, his calm, steady gaze told her "trust me". That was enough for her to stay silent and let him handle it.
A single clap echoed through the junkyard, breaking the tension. It came from the samurai in the green cloak.
"Sugoi! I like you, omae." He nodded approvingly at Kang, then introduced himself. "Kenzo. Zantetsu Kenzo, fuku-banchou of the Senka."
Kenzo glanced at the red samurai beside him, then at Skull and Lesbie.
"The man's got a point. Don't drag your gangs into your personal business. Only bakayarou start a war over a breeder!"
All the gangsters nodded. They were following their leaders' orders, didn't mean they liked it. Especially since, even if their boss won, none of them would get to touch that breeder anyway.
Going with the flow, Kang spoke to Skull in a challenging tone.
"So what now, tough guy? It's simple. You fight me one-on-one. You win, and she's yours." Kang turned to Xiao Yun. "That fine with you, sister?"
Xiao Yun nodded without a hint of hesitation.
Skull thought for a moment, glancing at the red samurai, who already looked eager to jump in.
Despite what people thought of him, Skull wasn't a complete idiot. Reckless and violent, sure, but beneath all that was a schemer. Big John had been the only leader here who truly lacked a brain, and look where he ended up.
"What if I lose?" Skull asked, feigning nonchalance.
"Don't worry, there's no losing for you."
Kang shrugged casually.
"What?" Skull frowned.
"There's no losing," Kang said, his voice turning cold. "Only death."
He stepped forward, fury in his eyes.
"You bastards really think you can walk away alive after harassing my sister like that?"
He spoke slowly, each word like a hammer.
"It's. A. Deathmatch."