The ground was already torn with cracks, the once peaceful, playful energy replaced with raw conflict and tension. All the students who had been carefree just moments ago now stood still, wide-eyed, watching the chaos unfold before them.
Jinrang lay motionless, his face twisted in pain. Blood poured from his body like water leaking from a shattered vase. A deep, bluish wound spread across his chest—Taesoo's punch had landed like a rocket blasting off its launchpad.
It wasn't just strong.
It was devastating.
His mind froze. "Is this really the man I'm supposed to fight?"
But a moment of doubt was all it took to snap him back.
"It's stupid to think like that... Every opponent I've ever fought was stronger than me. What's one more?"
Clenching at the blood-soaked grass, Jinrang forced himself to rise. His legs trembled beneath the weight of his injuries.
Across from him, Taesoo stood tall—injured, but only mildly. His figure still radiated strength and pride.
Jinrang glanced at his own bleeding elbows. His body felt like lead—cracked, open, fragile. And yet he moved forward. Not out of pride. Not out of ego.
He had younger brothers. He remembered their smiles.
He had to protect them. No matter the cost. Even if it meant breaking his body over and over again.
His steps grew faster. His thoughts filled with images of his brothers. They weren't bound by blood, but by something even stronger.
His walk turned into a sprint.
Taesoo moved too, raising his fist—his right arm slicing forward like a sword leaving its sheath, a harbinger of destruction.
"I need to dodge it."
Jinrang arched his back, narrowly avoiding the punch. Wind rushed past, ruffling his hair and revealing the resolve in his eyes.
His legs tensed with a sharp thud. In one motion, his body sprang upward like a coiled spring. His elbow twisted through the air and crashed directly into Taesoo's face.
For the first time, Taesoo hit the ground—his expression shocked, eyes wide, blood trickling from his nose.
"He... injured me."
Taesoo Ma didn't know what drove the man in front of him. But he could feel it. He saw the damage he'd inflicted, yet Jinrang still fought.
"He has my respect."
A strong man recognizes another. That was the core of Taesoo's belief.
Jinrang advanced again. His back twisted, elbow ready, aiming for the King of Ansan who was still grounded—defenseless.
But then, Jinrang paused.
He saw it.
Taesoo Ma wasn't afraid.
He was smiling.
Jinrang's elbow descended like a cannonball launched from a turret.
But just before impact, Taesoo's right fist countered.
This—
This was the kind of clash people only dreamed about.
The King
vs
The Challenger
Taesoo's punch landed hard against Jinrang's bone, but didn't stop there. It continued forward, deflecting the elbow's path with sheer force. Jinrang strained with everything he had, but his attack was pushed away, his body now wide open.
Taesoo smiled.
Jinrang was vulnerable—his elbow high in the air, his expression dazed. Taesoo tapped the ground with his fist, launching himself upward. His feet hit the ground as he steadied his stance.
He knew now. Jinrang was fighting for something—something important.
But Taesoo had his own reason.
"Ever since my fight with Gongseob... I decided—no matter who I face, I'll give it my all."
His right hand pulled back to his waist. The wind howled violently, as if warning Jinrang of what was coming.
But it was already too late.
The punch landed like a freight train, smashing straight into Jinrang's face and sending him crashing into the ground, unconscious.
In the face of raw strength, ideologies meant nothing.
It didn't matter if Jinrang fought for his brothers or if Taesoo fought to prove himself.
In this world, the only thing that mattered—
Was the victor.
And the answer was clear.
Jinrang lay embedded in the ground, unmoving.
Taesoo slowly lowered his hand, glancing down with quiet respect. He muttered, "You were strong."
The playground erupted into cheers. The onlookers had been completely absorbed in the fight—the shockwaves, the thunderous impacts—it felt like a scene straight out of a movie.
The chaos spread as the overwhelmed teachers scrambled to restore order.
In the midst of it all, a young figure no older than ten sprinted through the field like his life depended on it. His hair slicked up, eyes full of awe and reverence.
Hudson Ahn clutched an object tightly in his hands, as if he were protecting a priceless treasure.
"Master! Master!" he shouted, trying to catch the attention of his idol.
Taesoo turned toward the voice. Hudson? What's he doing here?
The boy skidded to a stop in front of him, panting hard. He'd run nonstop from the moment he heard Taesoo had returned.
He didn't even glance at the unconscious Jinrang. All his focus was on the King of Ansan.
"Master! Your phone—Apollo sent you something important!"
Taesoo took the phone from the boy and opened his messages.
Their group chat was filled with chatter he didn't care to read. He scrolled past until he reached Apollo's private message.
His eyes scanned the text, a glimmer of curiosity in them.
"I bet some guy with long hair and a scar near his eyes will come to fight you. They call him the King Hunter. First of all, don't you dare lose. Second, bring him to me. Trust me—he's important."
Taesoo smirked.
He was used to Apollo's cryptic tone by now. His eyes drifted toward the unconscious man.
"I guess I should know your name."
......
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