As soon as Ethan arrived at the designated location, two men waiting there immediately searched his body for weapons. After confirming he was unarmed, one of them led the way while the other followed closely behind him from the rear.
They headed toward an abandoned building near the docks.
Upon entering the building, David — the right-hand man of the Devil Iris group — was sitting cross-legged beside a round table. He lazily flicked a coin across the tabletop with his fingers, making it spin in circles.
The moment he noticed Ethan's arrival, he tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. A crooked smile appeared on his lips as he slowly stood up. He tossed the coin into the air playfully before catching it again.
With an arrogant attitude, he walked closer to Ethan being famous as Kakamora, the right-hand man of Eagle Wings. Kakamora stared back at him without blinking even once. Then he glanced around the surroundings before speaking coldly.
"Where's my mother? I came here already, didn't I? Let the unrelated person go."
David let out a short laugh while staring at the coin in his hand.
"Oh… don't rush. Let's play a little game first. If you win, both you and your mother can leave peacefully. But if you lose… you'll do whatever I tell you."
As he spoke, he looked directly into Kakamora's eyes. Inside those eyes flickered traces of a cruelty that was impossible to understand.
"Don't worry. I didn't bring that many men either. I just came to collect compensation for what you did. You know how it is, right? Debts are things you shouldn't leave unpaid. Otherwise… I tend to hold grudges."
Kakamora smirked mockingly while glaring at David as if he wanted to devour him alive. David met his gaze and laughed in amusement.
"Hmph… David, stop talking in circles and get straight to the point. I don't have that much free time."
"Oh… our little boy is in a hurry already."
David slowly shrugged.
"Take it easy. Compared to us, you're still younger. An older brother shouldn't bully his junior unfairly, right? So, I'll make this fair. I'll have one of my men fight you one-on-one. How about it? After all, Eagle Wings' right-hand man is famous for being skilled in combat and fearless. So, I want to see with my own eyes whether the rumors are true or not."
David observed Kakamora carefully as he spoke.
Kakamora raised one eyebrow arrogantly and shrugged.
"Oh… sure. A little warm-up exercise then. If I accidentally snap someone's neck, that's fine too, right? You seniors won't get angry over something small like that… I hope."
His voice was full of sarcasm.
David nodded slowly while stepping backward. Then he gestured toward one of the men standing nearby.
The man immediately charged toward Kakamora.
"Oh… starting already?"
Kakamora instantly adjusted his stance and blocked the incoming attack. The opponent attacked continuously without stopping. Kakamora crossed both arms defensively while slowly retreating backward, calmly enduring the relentless punches and kicks.
He patiently waited for an opening.
Then suddenly, at an unexpected moment, he grabbed one of the attacker's arms, pulled hard, and flipped him over his shoulder.
Bang!
The man was thrown violently across the room and slammed into the wall.
Yet he quickly staggered back to his feet and rushed forward again.
Like a raging bull in a bullfight, the man charged recklessly and attacked nonstop. Punch after punch crashed against Kakamora's body without pause.
Kakamora barely had any chance to counterattack and was forced to defend continuously.
However, he quietly endured the attacks while carefully observing his opponent's movements.
Suddenly, while shifting his footing left and right to maintain balance, he launched a powerful kick directly at the man's leg.
The moment the man lost balance, Kakamora smashed his elbow downward onto the opponent's shoulder.
Then, before the man could recover, he drove another fierce kick straight into his stomach.
The opponent lost footing completely and collapsed onto the floor.
The instant he fell, Kakamora immediately pinned him down by the chest and began raining punches onto the defenseless face.
Again, and again—
until blood covered the man's face and his body finally went limp.
...........
Inside the abandoned dockside building, the atmosphere instantly turned tense.
Kakamora had just brushed the dust off his shirt while staring coldly at David when suddenly—
A man rushed in from behind and locked both of Kakamora's arms tightly behind his back.
"Cowardly bastards…"
Kakamora spat out coldly while struggling against the grip. David only laughed lightly as he slowly walked closer.
"Oh, don't misunderstand. This isn't cheating."
He crouched slightly in front of Kakamora and smiled faintly.
"You already won the first round. I'm just making things a little more interesting now."
Kakamora narrowed his eyes sharply and glared at him.
"Interesting, my ass…"
David ignored the insult and casually spun the coin between his fingers.
"You know, Kakamora… I actually admire people like you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Reckless. Violent. Fearless. The kind of idiot who charges forward even when he knows he'll die."
Then his smile slowly faded.
"But people like that usually die early."
The moment those words fell—
Bam!
A heavy punch slammed straight into Kakamora's stomach from the side.
His body bent slightly from the impact, but he clenched his teeth and suppressed the pain without making a sound.
"Tch…"
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
David watched him silently for a moment before speaking again.
"Still holding on?"
Another punch struck his ribs.
This time, the dull cracking sound echoed faintly through the room.
The men surrounding them smirked coldly while watching the scene.
Yet Kakamora slowly raised his head and laughed hoarsely.
"Heh…"
Blood stained his teeth as he grinned.
"That all you've got?"
One of the men immediately lost his temper and stepped forward to punch him again, but David raised a hand to stop him.
"Enough."
The room quieted instantly. David stared directly into Kakamora's eyes.
"Tell me something."
He leaned closer.
"Why'd you kidnap Henry Brown's informant?"
Kakamora's expression remained unchanged.
"Because I felt like it."
David chuckled softly.
"You've got guts."
Then his eyes turned cold.
"But your stupidity dragged your mother into this mess."
At the mention of his mother, Kakamora's gaze sharpened violently. The air around him suddenly changed. Even the man restraining him instinctively tightened his grip.
David noticed the shift and smiled faintly.
"There it is…"
He tapped the coin against Kakamora's chest.
"So, you do have a weak spot."
Kakamora lowered his head slightly before suddenly laughing under his breath.
"…You people really love talking too much."
David narrowed his eyes.
The next second—
Kakamora violently slammed his head backward.
Bang!
The man restraining him took the hit directly to the face and staggered backward screaming. Without hesitation, Kakamora twisted his body free and immediately drove his elbow into another man charging toward him.
Crack!
The man collapsed sideways.
"Catch him!"
Several men rushed forward at once. Kakamora grabbed a nearby metal pipe from the floor and swung it fiercely.
Clang!
One man's shoulder shattered from the impact. Another kick landed toward his side, forcing him back several steps. Despite the overwhelming numbers, Kakamora continued fighting like a mad beast cornered to death.
Blood dripped down his jaw while his breathing grew heavier. Yet the grin on his face only became more terrifying. David stood nearby watching silently.
Then slowly—
he smiled.
"Now this…"
He slipped the coin into his pocket.
"…is finally getting entertaining."