ตอน 13: The Demon

"Phew, that was quite the show," Ryu thought to himself as he looked up at the sky. The rain continued to pour, slowly washing away the blood from his body

However, his playful expression shifted dramatically when he suddenly heard a notification sound echoing in his mind

*Ding*

'Congratulations. You have perfected the control of your strength,' the notification rang out in his mind.

'Limiter will no longer control anything other than cursed energy flow.'

'Commencing integration of Hanma Bloodline (Progenitor)'

'Integrating in 00.05.00. Please find a secure and secluded area for your safety.'

'Integrating in 00.04.58. Please find a secure and secluded area for your safety.'

…

For the first time ever in this body, he felt what true fear was like.

Ryu felt his throat grow dry. Five minutes? Safety? That meant he would be vulnerable to any attack once the countdown reached zero.

Out of nowhere, the flow of his inner thoughts was abruptly disrupted by the screeching of massive car tires. A convoy of imposing vehicles came to a screeching halt nearby

As the car doors swung open, a group of individuals, wearing sharp suits that gave them the appearance of local thugs, emerged. A small group of remarkably talented individuals also accompanied them.

He began to curse his own bad luck, knowing that it would only be a matter of moments before his numerous enemies caught up with him as the commotion is getting huge.

His arrogant and prideful attitude had earned him numerous foes over the years all around the globe.

The newcomers gathered around him and began assessing the condition of the person whose teeth had been knocked out by Gun's kick. It was Jake Kim, the leader of the Big Deal

Should I call Hwan? He thought as he reached for his pocket to retrieve his phone, he realized that he had left it inside the car he had arrived in.

Without wasting time he contemplated whether he could incapacitate them all within the next 2 minutes and make it back to the car in time.

However, to make matters worse, Karma added a cherry on top of this situation by introducing someone whom Ryu had been eager to meet, but not under such a situation like this.

It was Goo Kim, holding his katana with an ironclad grip, his face etched with a serious expression which is very rare for people who know him.

...

'Integrating in 00.00.30. Please find a secure and secluded area for your safety.'

Caught in the moment, he faced choices: to escape, teleport to safety like a coward, or.... unleash his cursed energy, erasing all witnesses from existence.

Ryu's stubborn pride, akin to the pride that led to the fall of the first angel, kept him firmly standing his ground, unwilling to admit defeat or accept that he cant win this fight.

"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH" His laughter echoed maniacally in the narrow alley It was almost like the laugh of a madman, a stark opposite to the tense atmosphere that was closing in around him.

'Integration in process (0.1%),' the robotic voice echoed within Ryu's mind, with his vision fading to complete darkness as he thought of his ironic end... or so he thought.

The automated voice stated, "Entering auto-pilot mode," and Ryu's expression immediately shifted from the previous state where he was laughing maniacally

His face lost all emotion, wearing a stoic look, Every muscle in his face relaxed, and his eyes seemed to glow even brighter as if charged with energy.

As thin streams of vapor seeped from Ryu's mouth, those surrounding him were momentarily struck by a chilling sensation.

They hesitated, their instincts urging them to run as far as possible

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Eugene POV

I heard Gun Park is set to face off with the Big Deal today, especially after their underground betting business now got exposed.

That crafty old man might be out to tidy up his fucked up past, I'm fairly certain I'm on his list too, and if it's not today, it's likely to be my turn tomorrow.

Joining forces with Big Deal at this point might just be the smart move, as they're likely at their weakest.

"Sir, it seems the head of the Union is also there," my secretary reported.

I couldn't help but wonder how Ryu had come into the picture. Was he there to replace Big Deal as the next 4th crew, or was he, like me, biding his time for the right moment?

"There's no need to change the plan; proceed as scheduled," I declared confidently.

I spoke with confidence because I was moving with the most powerful crew members of workers.

I couldn't help but be surprised by Ryu Hanma and his crew's growth and influence which was like of a cancer cell. It felt like they had an invisible support behind them, as if someone influential was backing their rise.

Well, let's dig deeper and see what we can find out. If it turns out the odds are against him, we can explore the possibility of buying him out as well....After all, money is power.

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"What the..." I'm utterly shocked by the gruesome sight before me, the bodies of Big Deal members are stacked high like a heap of junk beside the alley walls

'What in the world happened here? Did Gun cause all of this? And why is he still here? He should have left two hours ago after visiting Jake.' tons of questions

I walked between them, taking care not to get blood on my clothes, as my men led the way.

What I saw was the least expected sight for me and same for the men beside me.

On top of a heap, there stood someone I had previously underestimated, someone I neither considered weak nor strong. Someone I didn't found worth in investigating before,—a character often described as arrogant and so prideful of himself by those who had the bad luck to face him.

However, this person was there, not as a human, but more like some kind of unleashed animal like a predator on hunt.

It was Ryu Hanma , The head of union

Watching Ryu in action was a unreal experience which gave me goosebumps after a long time since I met with that monster.

His every move seemed as natural as breathing, yet it resulted in huge damage to who ever received that.

The alley became a horrifying scene for me. Every strike he did shattered bones and spilled blood on those grey walls.

The once-rowdy mobsters fell like lifeless dummies, their cries of pain echoing through the alley creating a violent atmosphere.

It was a horrifying scene, an embodiment of violence that defied my belief about what is true power.

His stoic expression, almost devoid of emotion, made him seem more like a demon than a human. Blood splatters covered his face, evidence of the ruthless efficiency with which he nearly killed his enemies.

His eyes glowed with a menacing blue, piercing the very souls of those who dared to look in those.

His dominating height added to his fearsome presence, and his once-white hair was now drenched in red, like a demon from the depths of hell.

In the midst of this brutal fight, something even more unbelievable caught my eye enough for my subordinates legs go weak and limp for those who know what they are seeing.

Goo Kim, one of the Ten geniuses, known for his talent in weapons, So much that he could rival some people from the legendary 0th generation , lay unconscious with a dislocated jaw and half of his front teeth missing

"In the midst of this chaos, I witnessed something I never imagined I'd see in my life time. It even sent a shiver down my spine seeing my calculation go wrong for first time in my life.

Gun Park, the man who could single-handedly end the rule of the entire 4 crews, a man who is so feared for his craziness that they named him the 'Shiro Oni', was now in a deep crater, marked with scars and a weirdly twisted hands.

"Just who is he?" Everyone around me was in a similar or worse state of mind than me, but I can't think like them. I want him—no, I NEED HIM! If I want my plan to work out, having him by my side will make everything possible, everything I've wanted.

"Secretary Park, I need every shred of information available on him, right now! I want official records, unofficial accounts, and even the rumors about him. From the day he was born up to this very minute, I want to know everything." I wanted to know if not experience what made him like this, is it family?, is it money? women? Power? what in the fuck made him this strong!

"What in the world has pushed him to this edge of madness?" I muttered to myself, my voice trembling as he turned his gaze in my direction. My men gathered in front of me, but deep down, I know its useless...nothing can stop him

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"Sir, we can't hold him anymore," my secretary said, fear and desperation in his voice.

"What about the tranquilizers? Are they having any effect?" I inquired.

My secretary's response was stressed. "They won't even penetrate his skin. It's like he's not even human. He's only getting angrier in return."

In front of my eyes Mandeok's desperate punch was simply catches by him and countered with a brutal elbow to Mandeok's temple, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious with a severe head injury.

"He's getting closer, tearing our men apart," my secretary added, his voice trembling with fear.

What type of fighting is that?" I questioned my brother, who watched Ryu with a mix of awe and fear. He emitted a quiet chuckle, a sign of his anxiety when he realized he couldn't defeat his opponent.

"It's not any fancy fighting style or technique; it's just raw, brute strength," my brother clarified, his tone laden with uneasiness as He was the last line of defense between that demon and me.