The King of Seoul—Jichang Kwak shifted his weight onto one leg. The atmosphere of the battle had changed entirely. He could feel the oppressive aura he and his allies now exuded, pressing down on their opponent like a crushing weight.
Taesoo Ma stood tall and unyielding, not even close to spent. A slight draft of wind rustled his hair, but his posture remained firm—grounded. His eyes carried the intensity of a wild lion, resolute and ready.
Jichang glanced over at the slightly injured Gongseob. As the team's shield, he had taken the brunt of many attacks. A faint bluish tint across his abdominal muscles suggested he had absorbed more than a few heavy hits from this man.
Jichang sighed. He had already analyzed their fighting style.
"A shield and sword tactic… Gongseob can take the hits, and Taesoo deals the damage."
He raised his arms slowly, acknowledging the pressure radiating off of them. It was different now—denser, sharper.
"Before I broke the wall…" he thought, his brow furrowed. "Apollo's breakthrough was different. This feels... unique."
He pushed his hands into his iconic stance. Hips angled wide, feet planted firmly on the balls of his feet—poised for a sudden counter.
"It doesn't matter for now. I have to focus on this man first."
There was no need for a signal. No countdown. The fight began the moment Jichang vanished—reappearing beside Kojima in a flash of peach, the color of his suit.
His hands slithered like coiling serpents. A phantom image of a white snake seemed to flicker before him. His eyes glowed crimson, and his strike shot out toward Kojima's expressionless face.
Swoosh.
One moment, the man was set to be embedded in the ground like his brother. The next, he vanished.
Jichang's attack struck only air—barely brushing Kojima's outline before it disappeared.
Jichang tensed, preparing for the inevitable counter. But the blow didn't come.
In reality, barely a second had passed.
He turned—only to find a kick already embedded in Taesoo's face. His muscles clenched. With a whoosh, he dashed toward his ally.
Taesoo reacted, swinging his arm downward in a crushing arc. His muscles contracted violently, aiming to punish Kojima's close-range approach.
And just then—Jichang arrived. The two kings attacked in tandem.
The result?
Air.
Both of their attacks hit nothing. Eyes widened as Kojima rushed past them, straight toward Gongseob.
The King of Daegu hadn't charged blindly into the fray. It wasn't cowardice—it was self-awareness. He knew exactly what he could handle.
Gongseob widened his stance. His abs clenched. Fists clenched tight beside his core.
BOOM.
"Urgh." Gongseob spat blood and saliva as he was sent flying. The bruise on his abs now spread across his midsection—the precise point of impact.
He was being outclassed, and he knew it.
"I can't outspeed him."
"All I can do is block."
He glared toward Kojima, gritting his teeth.
"I swear I'll hit you so bad one day."
Jichang once again moved toward the opponent—but once again, Kojima vanished.
This time, he reappeared behind the unguarded Taesoo.
One minute ago...
The King of Daegu had watched with conflicted emotions.
"Am I even contributing to this fight?"
He had tried to defend Taesoo, but even his reaction time lagged behind Kojima's relentless onslaught.
The hair on his neck stood up. A wave of chills surged through him.
"Iron Fortress."
He braced for impact. The kick connected and launched him into the distance.
"Urgh." His whole body throbbed. But that wasn't what hurt the most.
No, what truly stung was the thought screaming in his head:
"Am I even doing anything out here?"
His gaze fell on Jichang—rushing to assist him. Shame burned hotter than the bruises on his skin.
Once again, his glare turned toward Kojima.
"I swear I'll hit you so bad one day."
He closed his eyes. Muscles relaxed.
"I can't outpace him… but I can block."
His eyes flicked open, glancing down at his chest—his sweater had been torn clean off.
"All I can do is take the hit. So that's what I'll do."
Kojima lunged toward Taesoo. The King of Ansan was a second too late.
A swift blur crossed the battlefield.
Gongseob stepped between them.
"You owe me twice, King of Ansan," he muttered, legs wide, fists tight. His mind was clear.
"Either my Iron Fortress breaks—or I will."
BOOM.
The kick landed square on his face. His nose shattered, blood gushing down his chin.
But he smiled.
His eyes locked onto Jichang's.
A smirk twitched across his lips.
"There."
Just as he predicted, Kojima had rushed Jichang's flank—and Jichang was too slow to block it alone.
With a soft whoosh, Gongseob once again moved into the path of the blow.
The Kudo punch smashed into his torso. It hurt like hell—but Gongseob didn't care.
His tongue lolled from his mouth, blood and spit mixing.
"You know what happens when Jichang gets time to strike."
And sure enough—he felt it.
The air trembled behind him.
Kojima, finally caught off guard, looked up in alarm.
A white hand blade cut through the air in a deadly arc—
—and smashed right onto Kojima's forehead.
....
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