Chapter 12: Hanma
General POV
In the midst of the rain, a young boy with neatly tied-back black hair could be spotted approaching the store from outside, visible through the rain-streaked glass window. He moved with lazy steps, seemingly unaffected by the heavy rain.
As he reached the entrance to the store, he opened the door gradually, taking his time to fold down his umbrella in a deliberate and slow manner
He wore a black hoodie that clung to his frame showing his muscular build, and the sleeves of his hoodie were pushed up to reveal intricate tattoos on his forearms.
Daniel, the fat boy who had called for his help, broke the silence, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you for coming, Hwan." However, the young man's stoic expression revealed that he was clearly annoyed at being summoned in the middle of the night
"Where's Ryu?" Mia asked, her brow furrowing with curiosity making the man beside her clench his fist in anger, as Hwan settled into a seat at the table with the others.
Hwan looked up, thinking about the phone call he received from Ryu some minutes ago, and replied, "He said he has to meet someone. Something important, I guess."
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In the middle of a heavy downpour, Ryu walked through the alley. His white hair was completely soaked and clung to his head. The raindrops fell like shimmering threads, making the whole scene feel strange. He followed the loud sounds echoing through the narrow path that he was taking, each step taking him closer to the noise.
Following the raucous sounds of a heavy brawl. What he came upon, however, was less of a brawl and more of a one-sided thrashing. A man in a brown coat over his suit was ruthlessly pummeling his opponent mercilessly, not even breaking a sweat.
"Howdy there, Mister Gun!" Ryu chimed in, mischief dancing in his voice as he strolled up to the scene. Both of his hands were tucked casually in his pockets, and his hair veiled his eyes, adding an air of mystery.
The man, his name being called grabbing his focus, turned around to meet Ryu.
He just delivered a hardcore final blow, sending his opponent plummeting to the ground with a resounding crash, and creating a noticeable pit where the powerful kick had landed.
"Well, well, what a surprise!" Gun exclaimed, his grin sly and knowing. "To what pleasure do I owe the head of the Nobles visiting me, or is it the head of the Union, Ryu Hanma?" He distanced himself casually from the battered man on the ground, wiping his hands on the defeated opponent to clean the blood in a manner that was both chilling and oddly entertaining.
"Oh, come on, you know why I'm here," Ryu taunted with a playful glint in his eyes. "Don't be shy now," he continued, cracking his knuckles with a rebellious smile.
Upon hearing this, Gun steadily closed the gap between himself and Ryu. He took each step with deliberation.
Removing his glasses, he unveiled an unsightly scar that stretched between his eyes. His smile underwent a devilish transformation, turning into something wild and unsettling, and his pace quickened as he closed the distance between them, with the sensation that things were about to get heated now.
As time passed, the sound of heavy raindrops clashing the hard road were replaced by an even more thunderous noise of two crazy battle maniacs clashing with each other under the feeble glow of a dimly lit streetlight
In the heat of the intense brawl, Ryu unleashed a relentless flurry of powerful punches, each one landing with a bone-rattling *Bam*.
These strikes found their mark, striking Gun squarely in the chest. The sheer force of the impact tore through Gun's shirt, sending shreds of fabric flying with tinge of smoke coming from the stricken area, and causing him to hurtle backward with his flow disrupted and his stance momentarily broken.
"Now, this is getting interesting!" Gun commented as the battle intensified. With a leap, he lunged towards Ryu, pulling his hand back like a catapult, aiming to deliver a powerful punch right to Ryu's face.
As Gun lunged toward him, Ryu deftly shifted his weight, evading the incoming punch by ducking to the side. With remarkable agility, he seamlessly positioned himself by Gun's exposed side, ready to unleash a punishing strike aimed at Gun's liver.
Gun blocked the attack with his palms, causing him to be thrown forcefully into the wall, breaking through it with the now broken wall covering him in heap.
Ryu couldn't help but sport a cocky grin. "I'll teach you what true power looks like," he declared, the hint of playfulness in his voice now replaced with a touch of arrogance.
He casually stretched his shoulders, displaying a cocky demeanor as Gun emerged from the rubble, forcefully kicking aside the debris that covered him.
Even as blood trickled from Gun's mouth, his face contorted into an even creepier smile, resembling the legendary 'Shiro Oni' that Ryu had heard about.
Gun exclaimed in excitement, witnessing a new level of strength, "Is sheer power all you've got?" Rather than feeling pain He couldn't help but be curious about the rumors he had heard regarding Ryu's combat abilities.
"Is that your best shot?" Gun taunted, his eyes gleaming brighter as the pupils contracted, detecting the imminent danger posed by Ryu.
As Gun attempted an aikido pin, Ryu's powerful muscles bulged, releasing a surge of strength with a sharp gush of power around his body.
The moment he broke free, there was a resounding Bam, echoing through the alley causing the air around him to get distort.
"I'm still standing, and I'm not even impressed!" Gun's cocky words echoed in the rain-soaked alley, Highlighting his unbreakable mind when facing opponents stronger than himself.
"Show me what you've got, and maybe, just maybe, I'll actually start trying." Ryu's words carried a hint of threat and complete disregard for his opponent, completely irked by Gun's cocky attitude and his smile that he hates the most.
He brushed his wet hair back with his hand, revealing an eye fiercer than Gun's. It gleamed sapphire blue in the darkness around it, calculating every possible move of his opponent for the very next second, ready to seize the advantage even in his slightest mistake.
Experiencing the wide gap in the strength difference between them, with an incredible display of agility and flexibility, Gun executed a lightning-fast elbow strike, aimed with deadly precision at Ryu's throat.
His intent was clear: he aimed to strike with the sharp tip of his elbow, a move that could kill the receiver in an instant. If this attack found its mark, it had the potential to cut through Ryu's throat
Ryu swiftly sidestepped Gun's elbow strike using an evasive step, narrowly avoiding the lethal attack.
He quickly transitioned into a spinning a low spinning kick, aimed at Gun's supporting leg to destabilize him causing Guns eyes to go wide seeing an agility that can be said impossible to be achieved by a human.
"Is this the best you've got? I was hoping for more of a challenge."
As Gun struggled to maintain his balance, Ryu performed an a cartwheel kick, to sweep Gun's legs out from under him making his vision go upside down.
"I don't even need to go all out to defeat you. You're just that weak."
Ryu continued his fluid movement without forgetting to humiliate his opponent, launching himself into a somersault,
Capitalizing on Gun's momentary disarray, Ryu unleashed a powerful double spinning kick, aimed at Gun's torso which was an attack that would break Gun inside out if it landed.
*Crack*
Gun felt a shockwave of pain as his own hands cracked from the sheer force of the kick, proving that his attempt to guard his torso with his hands was pathetically insufficient.
He felt like being struck by a steel pole swung with the power of a giant.
"Don't worry," Ryu said with a sinister laugh, his voice laced with a mocking tone seeing his opponents face changing into something he waited to see. "I won't end this too quickly. I want to savor it." His laughter echoed through the alley, a cocky, monstrous sound that seemed to reverberate in the air, causing Gun's veins to pop out in anger.
Ryu effortlessly shifted into a fundamental capoeira technique, maintaining his rhythm. His snow white hair moved in sync with his footwork waiting for Gun's next move.
With both hands broken and an dark purple hue spreading over it, Gun opted to deploy his Kyokushin karate skills against Ryu. After getting back on his feet, he intentionally increased the distance between them.
"I can't believe I'm being toyed with like this," Gun muttered in frustration.
With a swift motion, he tore off his remaining shirt, revealing the scars that bore witness to his history of violence.
He aimed a powerful roundhouse kick at Ryu's head, but Ryu effortlessly dodged it by leaning back, making Gun's attack look clumsy.
'Is this fucker kidding me! He's not even breaking a sweat, and here I am, struggling, its like he is playing with me' Gun thought in anger fueling his attacks with rage
He followed up with a spin kick without stopping, but Ryu swiftly blocked it with a well-timed forearm guard, frustrating Gun's attempts.
"You should consider a new career. Fighting clearly isn't your forte. "Ryu said as deflecting a kick to his side with his knee.
"You're really testing my patience."
Gun attempted an axe kick, aiming to bring it down on Ryu's head, but Ryu's reflexes were unreal to Gun.
He caught Gun's leg mid-air and with a powerful sweep, sent him off balance. and slammed him down in the hard ground making the surrounding area to cave in
The result was a bloodied and scar-covered Gun, lying amid the wreckage of their intense battle, showing the extent of the brutality that had just unfolded.
In a desperate final effort, Gun executed a spinning lower hook kick, his lip bitten hard enough to draw blood as he sought to dispel the pain and shock from the previous slam.
However, Ryu's anticipation of the move was uncanny. With effortless agility, he leaped over the kick, performing a mid-air somersault with his hands casually tucked in his pockets.
He landed in Gun's face doing a cartwheel kick causing guns head to sink further in the already formed pit
The smile on Ryu's face was etched with like an devil that Gun knew he would remember in his darkest nightmares.
As Gun lay on the ground, staring up at Ryu's face, the only word that echoed in his mind was 'Monster.' He couldn't help but be overwhelmed by Ryu's formidable presence, which radiated strength and talent in a way that made Gun feel a deep sense of jealousy for the seemingly unfair traits of ability that Ryu possessed.
It had been a long time since Gun had felt a defeat this overwhelming. It brought back memories of his earlier days in his delinquent life.
Now, his new encounter with Ryu, someone who could undeniably be considered a monster, left him with the bitter realization that he hadn't even been able to land a single hit in their battle.
"You've got potential, I'll give you that, but remember, I'm just on a whole different level," Ryu remarked with a cocky grin,
"I put my heart and soul into every fight, and that's because I can't accept anything less than victory. Losing would disgrace my bloodline, and I refuse to let that happen," he declared with unwavering pride,
"And my real name is Ryu Hanma, not Axel Myung," he said, his cockiness and pride radiating in every word, as he embraced his true identity and legacy.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone