The masked guards stepped down from the platform and rushed at Baki.
The first one came in fast, swinging his arm in a wide arc. A small blade extended from his wrist, glinting in the light. Baki leaned back. The blade passed inches from his throat. Before the guard could recover, Baki grabbed his arm and twisted hard. The wrist blade stabbed into the guard's own shoulder. Baki kicked him away into two others behind him. They went down in a heap.
Two guards attacked from both sides, their hair whipping forward with thin blades tied to the strands. Baki dropped to the ground just as the hair-blades crossed above his head. From his crouch, he swept both guards' legs. As they fell, he sprang up and delivered twin punches that sent them crashing through a marble pillar.
A guard jumped at him with a flying kick, sharp blades extending from his boot heels. Baki caught the guard's leg mid-air with both hands and scoffed. "Nothing but petty tricks." The heel blade cut into his palm. He spun the guard around like a hammer throw and released him into four others rushing forward. They all went down.
The remaining guards surrounded him. Wrist blades extended with metallic clicks. Hair blades whipped through the air. Heel blades stabbed downward. Baki moved between their attacks, his body twisting and bending. One blade grazed his shoulder, cutting through his jacket. He used one guard as a shield, forcing the others' blades into their teammate. Bodies dropped. The fight was over in minutes.
Silence filled the hall. The masked guards lay scattered across the bloodied marble. Against any other fighter, they might have been lethal. But they hadn't faced just any fighter.
Baki stood in the center of it all, small cuts marking his arms and shoulders where blades had grazed him. He looked up at Wang Wei and smiled like a devil. "Now then. Shall we have that talk?"
Wang Wei's hand shook as he pointed at Baki. "Y-YOU! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE BASTARDS FROM RED DRAGON?!"
Just as Baki took a step toward the platform, a voice called out from behind. "Hey! Not gonna meet this friend of yours first?"
Baki turned around. Seeing Zhang Jian's face, a smile appeared on his. He cracked his neck. "I was saving you guys for last."
Zhang Jian walked toward him with a grin, spinning a butterfly knife in each hand. "Is that so? What can I say—I'm not exactly the kind of guy who waits for the fun. So, how about we play right now?"
Baki laughed. "Good. But will you be able to keep up?"
Zhang Jian shook his head with a cheeky grin. "I'd like to try."
He rushed at Baki.
---
Zhang Jian came in fast, slashing with both butterfly knives in a practiced pattern. Baki caught his wrists mid-swing and twisted. Zhang Jian winced but kept grinning.
"Fast hands, eh?"
Baki released one wrist and delivered a single punch to Zhang Jian's chest. Zhang Jian gasped and stumbled back, one knife clattering to the floor.
Zhang Jian hopped forward with a side kick. Baki caught his leg and drove a knee into Zhang Jian's gut. Zhang Jian doubled over, coughing.
"That all you got, love?" Zhang Jian wheezed, trying to sound confident.
Zhang Jian spun low, attempting to grab Baki's legs for a takedown. Baki sidestepped and kicked him in the back as he spun past. Zhang Jian flew forward, hit the ground rolling, and came up on his feet.
"Slippery bastard, aren't you?" Zhang Jian laughed, wiping his mouth.
Baki stepped forward and launched a fast kick at Zhang Jian's ribs. It connected hard. Zhang Jian grunted but stayed on his feet. He crouched low and swung his remaining knife in a low arc at Baki's legs.
Baki jumped over it. While in the air, he brought his heel down twice in quick succession—once, twice. Zhang Jian's head snapped down from both impacts and he stumbled back.
"Okay, that was a good one," Zhang Jian admitted, touching his forehead. His fingers came away red.
He pulled out his boot knife and rushed forward with the blade leading.
"Let's dance properly now!"
Baki advanced calmly. Zhang Jian feinted high and slashed low at Baki's knee.
"You like your knees, right?"
Baki sidestepped and caught Zhang Jian's wrist before the blade could touch him. "I'm rather attached to them." He twisted Zhang Jian's arm and delivered an uppercut to his chin. Zhang Jian's head snapped back. The knife fell from his hand.
Zhang Jian tried to counter with a wild haymaker. Baki caught that wrist too. He delivered a rising kick with his leading leg. Zhang Jian couldn't block with both wrists held. The kick drove him to one knee.
"Strong bastard!" Zhang Jian grunted.
Baki released him and stepped back. Zhang Jian rolled away and came up quickly, pulling his second butterfly knife from inside his jacket.
"Come on, come on! Keep up!" Zhang Jian taunted, advancing with a flurry of slashes.
Baki weaved between the strikes. "I'm right here." He caught Zhang Jian's knife hand mid-slash and twisted. Zhang Jian yelped and dropped the blade.
Baki lunged forward with a heavy hook. The punch caught Zhang Jian in the jaw. Zhang Jian's head whipped sideways.
"Oof! That one actually hurt!" Zhang Jian said, spitting.
Zhang Jian backed up and executed a rising knee strike. Baki leaned back, letting it pass inches from his face, then grabbed Zhang Jian's leg. He pulled Zhang Jian close and delivered a punch to his chest, then followed with an uppercut to the chin. Zhang Jian flew into the air.
While Zhang Jian was airborne, Baki delivered a high roundhouse kick. Zhang Jian's body spun from the impact. Before he could fall, Baki followed with a crescent kick. Zhang Jian launched higher and crashed down hard on his back. The marble cracked.
"Bloody hell!" Zhang Jian coughed, rolling away.
He pushed himself up slowly, breathing harder now. Zhang Jian tried to grab Baki for a spinebuster. Baki saw it coming. He sidestepped and caught Zhang Jian's arm mid-grab, then pulled him over his shoulder. Zhang Jian crashed hard on his back.
"Stop throwing me!" Zhang Jian groaned.
Baki grabbed him again and fell into a backward roll, planting his foot on Zhang Jian's chest. Zhang Jian flipped and landed face-first on the ground with a sickening thud.
"Okay, okay! I get it! You're strong!" Zhang Jian mumbled into the floor.
Zhang Jian pushed himself up slowly. He pulled out his boot knife again—the other one—and slashed it across while stepping back. Baki leaned back smoothly. The blade cut through empty air.
"Still got some tricks left!" Zhang Jian said, frustration creeping into his voice.
He threw the knife straight at Baki's face. Baki caught it mid-air and threw it aside.
"You're good at this dodging thing, I'll give you that," Zhang Jian said, his eyes widening.
Zhang Jian rushed forward with a hook punch and tried to spit at Baki's face. Baki moved his head before the spit even left Zhang Jian's mouth. Zhang Jian followed with a headbutt. Baki put his palm on Zhang Jian's forehead and stopped him cold.
"That's not fair!" Zhang Jian complained, pushing uselessly against Baki's hand.
Baki shoved Zhang Jian back, then closed the gap in an instant. Zhang Jian barely had time to react.
"Fast little bugger!"
Baki launched a kick that shattered through Zhang Jian's guard and sent him sliding back. Baki advanced, delivering a high roundhouse. Zhang Jian raised his arms desperately. Baki's kick broke through and hit his ribs. Baki immediately followed with a second roundhouse that knocked Zhang Jian's arms aside, then a third to the head. All three kicks came in rapid succession. The third caught Zhang Jian's temple and sent him spinning to the ground.
"Alright, alright! Point taken!" Zhang Jian said as he spun.
He hit the ground and immediately rolled forward with an extended leg. Baki jumped straight up, avoiding it. Zhang Jian sprang up and executed a wheel kick, a small blade extending from his boot. Baki ducked under it smoothly.
Zhang Jian landed and kicked low at Baki's shins. Baki lifted his leg. The kick passed harmlessly under him.
"How are you feeling now?" Zhang Jian taunted, though his voice sounded strained.
He rushed forward with two headbutts. The first aimed at Baki's nose—Baki blocked it with his forearm. The second came at Baki's face—Baki caught Zhang Jian's head with both hands and stopped it inches away.
"Nice try," Baki said calmly.
"Not... funny," Zhang Jian wheezed.
Baki shoved Zhang Jian's head down and drove a knee into his gut. Zhang Jian doubled over. Baki followed with a knee strike to his face, then extended his leg in a push kick. Zhang Jian stumbled back.
Zhang Jian pulled his last knife—a small blade from an ankle sheath—and rushed at Baki, attempting to stab his gut. Baki sidestepped and caught Zhang Jian's wrist. He twisted it hard. Zhang Jian's knife clattered to the floor. Zhang Jian spun and tried a low kick to Baki's shins. Baki jumped over the kick and delivered an overhead axe kick to Zhang Jian's head while airborne. Zhang Jian's head snapped down.
Zhang Jian stumbled but desperately lunged forward, tackling Baki around the waist. This time he got the grip. He lifted Baki and tried to slam him down. Baki grabbed Zhang Jian's wrists before he could complete the throw and twisted free. He kicked Zhang Jian in the chest. Zhang Jian flew backward and crashed through a table. Wood splintered.
"How's that for a throw?" Baki said.
Zhang Jian pushed the debris aside and stood, breathing hard. His face was battered, one eye swelling shut.
"You're... really not holding back, are you?" Zhang Jian said weakly.
Zhang Jian tried to climb onto Baki with a jumping axe kick. Baki caught his leg mid-air and slammed him down onto the ground. Zhang Jian bounced from the impact.
"Almost had it!" Zhang Jian wheezed.
He rolled and came up, executing two fast backhands aimed at Baki's face and chest. Baki blocked both with his forearms.
"One for one! Not bad!" Zhang Jian tried to cheer, but his voice wavered.
Baki headbutted Zhang Jian. Zhang Jian's grip loosened. Baki delivered two consecutive jumping uppercuts. The first caught Zhang Jian's chin. The second sent Zhang Jian flying into a chandelier. Glass rained down. Zhang Jian fell.
"Not the chandelier!" Zhang Jian yelled as he fell.
Baki landed and immediately jumped again. He delivered a leaping roundhouse kick that caught Zhang Jian mid-fall. Zhang Jian crashed at Baki's feet. Baki grabbed him and drove a knee into his face, then turned and delivered a spinning back kick. Zhang Jian flew backward into a pillar.
Zhang Jian slumped against the stone. He coughed, his chest heaving. His hand went to his jacket—
Baki was already moving.
Zhang Jian pulled out a vial and threw the contents. Clear liquid splashed across Baki's chest and arms. Zhang Jian smiled through his broken face, blood running from his nose and mouth.
"One thing we Red Dragon know—there's no fun in a fair fight."
He pulled out a lighter and flicked it. Once. Twice. On the third try, it caught. He tossed it.
The chemicals ignited instantly. Flames erupted across Baki's torso.
Zhang Jian leaned against the pillar, watching the fire grow. "That should... do it..."
Smoke filled the air. The heat intensified. For a moment, there was only the roar of flames.
Then Baki walked out of the fire.
His shirt was gone, burned completely away. His skin was red and blistered across his chest and shoulders, but he kept walking. He didn't slow down.
Zhang Jian's eyes went wide. "What the— You're not human!"
Baki broke into a run.
Zhang Jian tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond fast enough. Baki jumped and delivered a flying kick to Zhang Jian's chest. Zhang Jian flew back and hit the wall hard.
"Bloody hell!" Zhang Jian gasped, the air driven from his lungs.
He slumped to the ground, barely able to lift his arms. Baki grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. Zhang Jian's legs wouldn't support him.
"You... monster..." Zhang Jian whispered.
Baki delivered a final uppercut. Zhang Jian's head snapped back and he went limp.
Baki let him drop.
Zhang Jian lay there, chest rising and falling weakly. His eyes were half-closed, unfocused. One hand twitched toward a fallen knife nearby, fingers stretching—but the arm dropped before reaching it.
"Damn... I... couldn't... win..." Zhang Jian whispered.
His eyes closed.
Baki turned away from Zhang Jian's unconscious form, burns visible across his torso, small cuts on his arms, breathing slightly heavier than before.
Li Xiu stepped forward from the shadows. She still held her drink. She took a sip and smiled, though her eyes showed something sharper than amusement. "My, my. You really are something~"
A tall man with a buzz cut stood behind her, jaw tight, face set in anger. Hou Qing.
Baki cracked his neck and looked at both of them. "Good. Line up. I'll take you all on."