Do Kang lifted the Shaman by the throat, his grip steady and emotionless, as if he were holding an object rather than a person. "Where's the red paper?" he asked, voice flat and bored. Nearby, James Lee overwhelmed Seongji with ruthless efficiency, every movement sharp and calculated, forcing him back step by step. Seongji clenched his teeth, pain flashing across his face as he struggled to keep standing. "You're… still growing?" he muttered, half in disbelief, half in fear. James Lee didn't even look proud. "You noticed." The Shaman coughed weakly, his hands clawing at Do Kang's wrist. "I-I don't know anything…" Do Kang sighed quietly, disappointed. "Annoying." He didn't need the paper, but possessing it would weaken Charles, and with Ulsan rising again, the First Generation Kings were becoming obstacles that Charles would inevitably try to erase.
"This ends now," James Lee said, his tone cold, already dismissing Seongji as finished. He moved forward, but Do Kang dropped between them, cracking the ground beneath his feet. At the same time, Jichang and the other Kings arrived, their expressions hardening as they absorbed the destruction. "So it really was you, Do Kang," Jichang muttered, not with anger, but certainty. Seeing Seongji still standing loosened something in their chests, but the sight of James Lee, a boy make Seongji like that, sent unease through them. "A kid matching Seongji…?" Taesoo said quietly, disturbed. James Lee frowned, irritation flickering for the first time. "Tch… bothersome." He turned to Seongji, voice strangely sincere. "Final offer for you Seongji, Join the Crewheads." "No," Seongji answered without hesitation, despite his shaking legs. "Its pity, I thought we could be friends…." He try to walk away but Do Kang then blocked James Lee's path as the Kings closed in. Jichang's voice dropped. "YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MESSING WITH THE FIRST GENERATION"
James Lee scanned them, mind racing, heartbeat steady but heavy. The Kings are manageable… but that man isn't. His gaze stopped on Do Kang, and for the first time, uncertainty surfaced. Same level as Seongji… maybe higher. He shifted his stance, already planning escape, but Seokdu rushed him, Taesoo's punch shook his bones, he ran away but Gongseob's catch him but he manage to push him away. Jichang's hand blade strategically make him backward towards Jaegyeon Na. "Hold on… my shoelace," Jaegyeon muttered blankly, despite wearing slip-ons, then vanished in pursuit to catch James Lee. James Lee barely escaped onto a wall, chest rising for the first time. "You're all making a mistake," he warned, but his confidence faltered as a cold sensation crawled up his spine. Where did Do Kang go—
The answer came too late. His body was lifted like it weighed nothing. "Impossible..!" James Lee said surprised, before getting slammed into the earth. The impact stole the air from James Lee's lungs; blood spilled from his mouth as he lay staring at the sky. Do Kang stepped on his chest, not cruelly, but decisively. "Sorry, kid," he said. "But Jichang's right. We can't let you grow. Charles will just get himself a new genius." James Lee saw it in Do Kang eyes, the man that Charles warned about. Do Kang reached down—then his vision blurred as a motorcycle crashed into him, sending him through a building. A blond man caught James Lee mid-fall, grinning like he'd found a toy. "Wow… you're lighter than I expected." "…Goo Kim," James Lee muttered. "Yup. It's me," Goo replied cheerfully. "Charles sent you?" "Of course. He said, 'bring the kid back alive.' Such a pain." "You enjoy this," James Lee whispered, bitterness leaking through. "Obviously," Goo laughed. "Look at your face. It's art." He mounted his bike. "Sorry, First Generation. Orders are orders. Also thanks for the bike Do Kang!!" Then he vanished into the distance.
Silence swallowed the battlefield. "That bastard just stole him…" Gongseob muttered, stunned. Moments later, Do Kang emerged from the rubble, blood running down his face, eyes dark with frustration rather than pain. "Of course it had to be Goo…" he muttered, forcing himself upright. My endurance still isn't enough. Seongji approached him slowly, voice trembling with gratitude and guilt. "You saved them… thank you." Do Kang shrugged, looking away. "You're my friend. Why wouldn't I help?" The Shaman was already gone, rescued by villagers, and Seongji froze as old trauma surged back, his breathing breaking until the others steadied him. Do Kang looked up at the darkening sky, expression heavy. "This was the trigger. Charles won't ignore today." I'll either become the first to fall… or the last one standing. Somewhere far away, James Lee was being carried back to his master, Goo was laughing on an empty highway, and the era of balance between generations quietly began to collapse.