Monsters

"An unexpected situation occurred. I heard Big Deal started to move." A voice came from a teenager, short black hair, wearing glasses, in a white suit uniform, Eugene. He continued with a serious tone "They are starting a war in order to get Sinu Han back."

"That's right. And you know it too. That they are all dumbasses." A mature voice replied to Eugene. The figure, extremely muscular with a broad chest and arms, black hair with shaved sides, in a white suit as tattoos could be seen on his neck and hands, with glasses as he smoked a cigarette, Samuel Seo.

"That's good president Samuel." Eugene said with a smile "You and big deal never had the same ideology in the first place anyways."

"So let us show the real difference and show them who's stronger." Eugene said as he looked at the two other figures in the car.

One was a muscular black man with an afro hair style who has an expressionless face, Madeok Bang the other was slender as he wore a cap on his head.

They were currently sitting in a limousine car as a large number of cars followed, making their way to the second affiliate.

----

"Let's dance, fucker." Akira grinned as he locked eyes with Daniel, whose face remained expressionless.

In the next instant, both of them moved simultaneously, a loud shockwave rippling through the arena.

"I expected this." Akira's voice rang out.

Their right forearms clashed against each other, both rooted to the ground as cracks formed beneath their feet, which had sunken into the floor from the force of their collision.

"I expected this outcome, but I didn't expect how quickly you'd adjust." Akira said with excitement. He had anticipated that they would be evenly matched, but Daniel had adapted his strength to match Akira's almost instantly.

"What a scary guy you are." Akira said, though his wide grin betrayed that statement. He wasn't afraid, he was excited. He knew Daniel could give him what he wanted. A fight along side death.

The two pushed off, backing away from each other.

"Then, let's begin." Akira suddenly vanished, leaving behind two deep footprints, and reappeared in front of Daniel in an instant, his right fist aimed directly at Daniel's face. Just inches before impact, Daniel seemed to move to dodge, but suddenly his head was smashed into the ground, creating a pit.

"You thought it was a normal punch?" Akira chuckled. His fist hadn't even connected, but the shockwave it generated had hit Daniel before the punch could land.

Daniel, still expressionless with his head buried in the pit, used his arms to lift himself upside down, spinning his legs with such force that shockwaves cut through the air, aiming to strike Akira's head. Akira, anticipating the attack, dodged by dropping low and immediately countered with a kick aimed at Daniel's face. However, Daniel blocked the kick with one hand, using the force behind it to propel himself into a mid air backflip. Twisting his body, he adjusted himself mid spin and came down with an axe kick targeting Akira's head.

Akira saw the attack coming and blocked it with his right forearm, but the sheer force caused his feet to sink further into the concrete floor.

"As expected of my strength." Akira smiled, feeling the impact numb his arm, nearly breaking it despite his hardened skin. He then grabbed Daniel's leg, spinning around to slam him into the ground. However, Daniel stopped the impact by driving his fists into the floor, sinking them into the concrete. Using this leverage, he pulled himself forward hurling Akira into the air. In a fluid motion, Daniel pushed himself up onto his feet and dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. He unleashed an elbow strike, invisible to the naked eye and even to heightened senses, aimed directly at Akira's ribs while he was mid air.

"Heh, you think I can't sense that?" Akira taunted even though he knows Daniel isn't listening, while being upside down mid air, his grin widening. He recognized the type of strike Daniel was using, one that escaped normal senses and sight. But Akira's instincts were anything but normal. He twisted his body in the air just as Daniel's elbow sliced through the space where he had been, narrowly avoiding the strike. Landing on his arm, Akira followed up with a swift downward kick, striking Daniel's head and sending him smashing face first into the ground as Akira quickly got back on his feet.

"Heh, yo-" Akira's sentence was abruptly cut off when a sudden strike smashed into his face, sending him sliding backward.

'What?' Akira's eyes widened in shock as blood dripped from his nose.

'A kick... was it? But I couldn't sense anything?' he thought, staring at Daniel, who was already back on his feet, blood trickling down his head. Normally, Akira would have sensed any attack coming. But this time, neither his eyes nor his instincts had detected anything. The strike had been completely invisible. For someone to bypass his instincts like that...

"You bastard sure are something else." Akira said, a grin spreading across his face as he watched the still expressionless Daniel. "To think you're able to do this."

For Daniel to bypass Akira's instincts meant that, on the spot, he created an attack with a motion that bypassed the alert system that normally reacted instantly within Akira's body. After all no his instincts can sense the attack no matter what speed it's going at, and, the fact that the strike was completely invisible even to his eyes made sense as the attack was able to bypass the fastest mechanism in his body.

"Are you truly unconscious, or what?" Akira wondered aloud, skeptical. Was Daniel's body merely acting on what it remembers? Creating a technique of that caliber required conscious thought, and Daniel appeared to be in an unconscious state. It was a unexplainable.

"But it doesn't matter." Akira said, his wild smile returning. The stronger Daniel was, the more thrilled he felt. This was his chance to push himself to even greater levels.

With that, both Akira and Daniel charged at each other once more, continuously trading blows.

On the other side of the arena, the people that surrounded Jake were now all lying unconscious on the ground.

"These two are complete monsters." Jake said as he looked serious at the far away battle between Akira and Daniel.

"This guy is able to keep up with Daniel?" Jake was shocked as he looked at the laughing Akira who was trading blows with Daniel as shockwaves rippled through the air with each movements they made. To know, even him and the others weren't able to take Daniel down or even scratch him, but now someone was able to stand his ground against him, which shocked him, he didn't think there would be someone at this level here.

"But there is no time to waste." Jake turned back to leave as he left to look for Sinu who left while he was fighting.

"Hahahaha, yes, that's it! Almost there!" Akira laughed, covered in blood as he traded blow after blow with Daniel. With each hit Daniel landed, the strength behind it seemed to increase, and Akira's reinforced body barely kept up. Yet, he was enjoying it. He was getting closer with every passing second, feeling his instincts slowly adapt to Daniel's evolving attack.

"But I'll be ending it now..." Akira muttered under his breath, preparing for something bigger. He knew the fight wouldn't progress unless he resorted to that, though he refused to use it. Now, he was getting ready to unleash a punch that could finish Daniel.

"Are you ready, you fucker?" Akira grinned, dashing forward as he generated a devastating punch, his right arm bulging, generating the force that he stored within his body from beginning of the fight, as it shot towards Daniel.

Daniel as if sensing the shift in Akira's strength, adjusted his approach, placing a palm in front of the oncoming fist, using the momentum to spin around.

"Hah, you really fell for it!" Akira laughed, fully expecting Daniel's move. He had stored all his power in his right fist but dispersed it at the last second, knowing Daniel would try to counter as it became useless, leaving himself exposed to Akira's real attack.

With Daniel spinning, Akira once again aimed his right fist, this time with the full force. But he knew it would probably only knock Daniel out. After all, the perfect body isn't a joke. His fist flew toward the side of Daniel's face, closing the distance in an instant.

"Bye Bye, idiot." Akira smirked as his fist struck Daniel. But the expected result. Daniel being crushed into the ground never happened. Instead, Daniel remained rigid, Akira's fist pressed against his face.

'Huh?' Akira's eyes widened in disbelief. 'What the-' He felt the force of his punch absorbed completely.

His thoughts were abruptly cut off. Danger. Absolute danger. Akira's instincts screamed in panic, warning him that something catastrophic was about to happen, something that could end his life.

In that moment of ultimate crisis, time seemed to slow down for Akira. His eyes caught sight of something. The leg of Daniel, now poised next to his head. The leg, which had been seemingly harmless a second ago, was now visibly larger, brimming with force. Akira realized it too late, the force he'd stored in his punch had been absorbed by Daniel's spin which shouldn't be possible considering the spin had already been done, and transferred into his leg, doubling the already destructive power.

"You've got to be fucking kidd-" Akira's words were cut as Daniel's leg smashed into his head. The impact sent him hurtling across the arena's ground, the force shattering the floor beneath him as he continued to slide until he crashed into the wall, creating a massive hole, his body slumped inside it.

Daniel stood in the center, his back facing Akira who was still embedded in the wall, his condition unknown. He didn't move at all considering nobody standing against him. 

"Cough!" 

A sudden cough echoed from the hole where Akira lay.

"You fucker....you really are a cheat code." Akira's voice sounded from the hole. "I almost died right there, but the gamble pretty much worked out." Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet, his head dripping blood, which smeared across his face. His mouth was bloody, and both arms hung damaged, blood trickling down.

Akira took a gamble, a risky one second move after Daniel's devastating hit landed. The force which was too great, if it landed neatly without him doing anything would actually have gotten him killed. So, he chose to take half of the force head on, while releasing the other half through his arms. The process of channeling such a force internally was extremely dangerous as one wrong step could've shattered his internal organs, ending him on the spot, but thanks to his luck and quick thinking he was able to pull it off. 

"But I have to thank you..." Akira spat out a thick glob of blood from his mouth, then smiled fiercely through his bloodied face. "I'm new once again." He could feel it, his instincts completely further being adapted, his vision clearer. Surviving that had pushed him to a new level. 'Fighting on the edge of life and death sure is stimulating.' 

Daniel turned to face Akira again. He charged towards Akira with blinding speed, appearing instantly infront of Akira, aiming the newly created punch straight at his face, with shockwave rippling as it landed.

"Same thing won't ever work twice on me." Akira was seen holding the fist of Daniel, the attack that troubled him from before was easily intercepted now. Even more shocking was that Akira's injured arms were healing with a speed naked to the visible eyes. But this wasn't just any ordinary healing.

This was related to to his third wish, Perfect Regeneration. At first glance, it seemed like simple healing, but it was far more than that. It was the ability to regenerate and evolve from damage, transforming his body to become stronger with each injury. Every time he sustains damage, his body heals at an accelerated rate, but not just by restoring his original state. His muscles, bones, and cells adapt to the injuries, becoming stronger, more durable, and more resistant. If he breaks a bone, it grows back denser. If his skin is cut, it heals tougher. This creates a form of combat body evolution, where the more he's hurt, the stronger and more resilient he later becomes. 

And that's what's currently happening to his body. 

"It seems I'll have to use that." Akira said as his smile widened looking at Daniel's not so soon to be expressionless face. "I didn't expect I'll be using it now, but...who made you to be such a freak?" Following Akira's words, a tremor ran through Daniel's body as his eyes widened, quickly backing away pulling his fist back from Akira's grip, distancing himself from him. His body reacted purely on instinct as it sensed danger. Akira's eyes were slowly changing, the color black was slowly spreading on his sclera, the color blood red slowly spreading on his iris. The air around Akira became even deadlier as his transformation progressed.

"This is the first time I'm using this but.." Akira's savagely smiled "I'll make sure, with this, your ultra instinct is ended directly by my hands." 

By directedly, Akira meant that he wants to end Daniel's UI with his strength. He could have ended Daniel right from the start, since he knew the UI's weakness. But that isn't his style, after all he's Akira fucking Katsuzawa, only losers uses others weakness to win as they exactly know that if they don't take advantage of that weakness they will lose. 

He's not like the rest of them, dealing directly and straightforwardly is his style, and he will make sure to end the UI bloodline of Daniel. 

"I hope you're ready you freak, becau-" Akira was making his way towards Daniel, his aura becoming deadlier with each step he takes, but he stopped right in his tracks, his aura vanishing. 

"You fucking bastard.." Akira muttered in frustration, he looked down at Daniel who was lying on the floor . "Fainting all of the sudden without letting me make my comeback." 

"Tch" Akira clicked his tongue in irritation, his eyes stopped their transformation as they returned back to normal. "I guess there's nothing I can do about it." 

"Next time, though..." Akira muttered as he walked away, leaving the unconscious Daniel behind. Making his way towards the exit. "Next time, you'd better be ready for what's coming." 

He will make sure of one thing. That Daniel won't be able to easily match his strength next time. One way or another, he's gonna make sure at some point in the future, the perfect body will become useless infront of him.

(Skipping the part where Sinu was able to get his memories, and Workers arriving to stop Big Deal from leaving.)

"Attention!"

A voice rang out, stopping Big Deal and the Workers from clashing.

"Attention!"

The voice repeated, drawing everyone's eyes to its source. Their eyes met with a towering, muscular figure, Tom Lee.

"Tom Lee?" Eugene said, a smile forming on his face. "Did you come to help us? I don't think I'll be hiring you today. You can head back." he said casually, turning to Jake. "We can handle Big Deal ourselves."

'Who is this guy? He looks familiar.' Jake thought, eyeing Tom curiously.

Tom, however, seemed just as confused. "What are you talking about?" He asked, looking at Eugene. "I'm not here for you."

"What?" Eugene blinked in confusion.

"I'm here because of this guy's request." Tom grinned as he held little Daniel with one hand. "This fella here hired me."

With that Tom made his way, centering himself between Big Deal and the workers.

"Red light, green light." Tom announced "You Guys know how this game works, right? You will be punished by me if you move."

"Big deal please head back." Little Daniel said to Jake 

"Are you telling me to leave without making an effort against those guys that did all this to Sinu-Hyung?" Jake questioned, he was not going to let go of the Workers without making them pay some price. What they did to Sinu was unforgivable.

"Then, are you going to fight? Can you defeat the workers right now? Do you want to lose Sinu-Hyung when you just found him?" Daniel said multiple questions, trying to convince Jake to leave. "It might not just be Sinu-Hyung this time , you might lose other guys as well." His expression was serious as he continued "I'm not telling you to give up the war, it's just for today."

"Jake let's go." Sinu said as he placed his hand on Jake's shoulder. "I want to eat some rice soup and take a look at Big Deal's sreet." He smiled "On top of that, we have a lot to talk about."

"Alright." Jake hesitated for a moment, then finally relaxed as he replied with a small smile.

"Daniel Park."

"Yes?"

"Thanks a lot." Jake said gratefully. "Contact me anytime. Big Deal will have your back." He turned to leave, but..

"Nobody's leaving while I'm here."

A new voice sounded across the room, freezing everyone in their tracks. The entrance, which had been open, was now closed aa a figure was leaning casually against the door.

All eyes turned to the new arrival, a tall, muscular man with a lean frame, a red mohawk on top shaved on the sides. His face, shirt, and arms were smeared with dried blood. His hands remained tucked in his pockets, and a smile ran across his lips.

'This guy is…' Jake and Sinu thought as they looked at the smiling Akira, they were on guard, after all they saw what this guy was capable of.

'Where's Daniel? Could it be…' Jake thought, his gaze narrowing as he noticed the blood on Akira. 'Did he overpower that monster?' The idea seemed unbelievable since he experienced what it was like to fight Daniel in that kind of state, it was terrifying.

"Heh, you two thought you'd just leave peacefully?" Akira sneered, his eyes locked on Sinu and Jake. "Last time, luck saved you. But now? There's no one left to interfere."

"This bastard."

"Who the hell does he think he is?"

One with short black hair, Jason. The other bald, Bradly. They shouted as they came from behind Jake with anger on their faces.

But before they could act, Sinu and Jake quickly pulled them back.

"Bradley, Jason, don't." Jake ordered firmly.

"But Jake-" Bradley started, only to be cut off.

"Listen." Sinu said, his gaze locked on Akira. "That guy… he's not someone you can handle." The memory of his brief clash with Akira played in his mind. He knew firsthand how dangerous this man was.

Akira's grin widened. "Well, now that's surprising." His tone was mocking, but there was a hint of fake respect. "It's rare to see someone with an actual brain. You've got my respect."

With that, Akira started walking towards them, the tension thick in the air. He stopped just in front of Jake and Sinu, his expression suddenly serious.

"So." he said, his eyes cold. "Move."

Reluctantly, the group stepped aside, clearing a path for him.

Akira moved through them, ignoring the stares of the Workers from the side and Tom's. His attention was fixed elsewhere.

'Who is he?' Eugene thought, watching Akira pass by. Judging by his clothes, he seemed to be a prisoner. But what caught Eugene's attention more was the serious looks on Jake and Sinu's faces. They were clearly on guard, and that made Eugene interested.

"Yo, princess." Akira called out, his voice filled with mockery. "Miss me?"

Neko had been lost in thought, the events of the day swirling in her mind. From the moment Sinu regained his memory, she had hated Big Deal. But now, hearing Akira's voice cut through the tension, she snapped back to reality, her eyes widening.

She hadn't been able to see him before, but now, as the crowd parted, Akira came into view. His face and clothes were bloodied, clearly from a fight. She wondered who was it that was able to damage him that much.

'What happened to him?' she wondered. Despite the blood and the situation, seeing him gave her an odd sense of comfort. It was strange, she hated him, yet somehow, his presence calmed her.

"What happened to you?" she asked as she stood up, pulling herself away from Ryuhei's desperate hug.

"Oh? Is the princess worried about me? Well, about what happened? I fought a hacker in real life." Akira's grin grew wider. He found her sudden shift in behavior surprising. "But seriously, I didn't expect blondie here to be such a crybaby." He pointed at Ryuhei, who was still on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "Using your energy to cry instead of being useful? You really are a dead dog, even though I didn't turn you into one." His smile twisted into something more sinister. "If I'd been here earlier, this wouldn't have happened. No one would've gotten this far." His eyes flicked toward Tom and the members of Big Deal. "After all, how would a bunch of corpses manage anything?"

"But there's one thing that really pissed me off." Akira's voice cut through the tension, and he began striding forward, stopping right in front of Tom. He tilted his head up, looking at Tom due to their height difference. "You hippo looking bastard." he sneered, a manic grin spreading across his face. "Did you just say you'd punish anyone who moved?" His eyes glowed dangerously. "I'd love to see you try it with me."

Tom's expression slowly shifted, his eyes narrowing as Akira continued to stare him down.

"Hey, four eyes." Akira called out, his gaze never leaving Tom.

Eugene, realizing Akira was addressing him, looked over, his curiosity piqued. He wasn't naïve, he could sense something dangerous about this man.

"I've got an offer for you." Akira said, his tone casual. "I'll take care of both the hippo here, and.." He pointed to Jake. "and Big Deal. In exchange..."

Big Deal's members boiled with anger as Akira's words sank in their ears.

"You let me join the Workers as a VVIP." Akira finished, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Why was Akira so eager to take on both Tom and Big Deal? It was a test, one he was setting up for Eugene. He knew Eugene valued strength above all else. Akira just needs to destroy both of them, and the entry into the Workers would be easy. And besides, Akira despised the idea of being treated like a pawn, if Eugene ever tried, he might just end up slaughtering the entire Workers' faction.

But for Eugene, this sudden offer was hard to process. Could he really trust Akira?

"Trust him."

A voice, rough and weak, came from the side. Eugene turned to see a bruised figure step forward.

"Kenta?" Eugene asked in surprise.

"Trust Akira." Kenta repeated, his voice firm despite his injuries. "I'm the one who brought him into the circus. I know he seems unstable, but…" Kenta glanced at Akira, now facing Tom with a smile. "He's someone you can rely on."

Eugene took a moment, considering his options. After a brief pause, he made his decision.

"Alright, Mr. Akira." Eugene said, his serious expression changed into a smile. "I'll accept your offer. If you can take care of both Mr. Tom and Big Deal, you'll be immediately granted the position of a VVIP."

"Smart move." Akira replied with a grin, his eyes shifting back to Tom. "You hear that, hippo? Better brace yourself because what's coming next, you won't be able to handle. And you..." His gaze then shifted toward Big Deal. "Don't even think about running. I've already sealed the exit."

'What does he mean by that?' Jake thought, his expression growing more serious as he considered Akira's words.

"S-sir! The door...it won't budge!" A panicked voice came from one of Big Deal's members stationed at the door. The man's face was pale, his hand trembling as he pointed at the twisted metal frame.

'The door?' Jake looked over, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. The metal door, which had sturdy steel sides, was now twisted and clamped shut, rendering it impossible to open. 

'He did that?' Jake looked at Akira who was facing Tom, with cold sweat, because it's obvious that Akira twisted the metal sides with his bare hands, showing further his strength.

"Heh, that look on your face really seals the deal, you're a perfect match for a hippo." Akira mocked, a smug grin stretching across his face as he watched Tom's growing anger. His veins bulged visibly across his entire head and face, his entire body trembling with barely contained rage. The mockery from this insolent brat had pushed him to the limit. He wasn't going to let some punk no less than a kid talk to him like that. It was time to teach this kid some manners.

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Didn't put much effort into this chapter, but anyways, enjoy.