Jason turned his head back, eyes widening with curiosity.
It was his first time seeing Knuckle.
Even from a distance… he could feel it —
a pressure, an energy unlike anything he had ever sensed.
A confidence so absolute it felt like Knuckle could crush everyone there in a single heartbeat.
Trekker stumbled back, fear crawling across his face.
TREKKER: "W-What is he doing here…? He's not supposed to be here…"
He snapped out of his panic and screamed:
TREKKER: "Everyone! Don't just stand— DO SOMETHING! STOP HIM!.
Jason glanced at Trekker again.
There was pure terror in the man's eyes.
Is he really that powerful…? Jason wondered.
Trekker's men huddled together, gripping their weapons.
Metal clinked.
(clank… clank…)
Their breathing turned shaky.
(huff… huff…)
They charged.
Knuckle didn't move.
His shoulders lowered…
His stare sharpened through the mask…
His voice dropped into something cold and heavy:
KNUCKLE: "What did you do?"
Silence swept the rooftop.
Even the wind felt afraid to pass.
KNUCKLE: "You'd better not have done something unforgivable."
Two men sprinted toward him, terrified but with no escape.
The first swung a baseball bat—
(WHOOSH!)
Knuckle didn't even step back.
He punched.
(CRACK!)
The bat shattered.
The man collapsed, half-dead before he touched the ground.
The second man panicked and ran back into the group.
Fear spread instantly.
TREKKER: "IF WE GO ONE BY ONE, WE DIE! ATTACK TOGETHER!"
His men nodded, shaking.
But before they rushed in, Knuckle slightly turned his head toward Jason.
KNUCKLE: "Are you alright, sir?
Can you hold the pain for a bit?
This… won't take long."
Jason stared at him.
Can he actually win? There are too many…
Then the men charged.
Knuckle shifted his posture.
Jason froze.
That stance—
the same mysterious technique Jason himself had used earlier…
But Knuckle's version was sharper, deadlier— perfected.
In the blink of an eye—
(THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!)
Four bodies hit the ground.
Jason's heartbeat spiked.
Four… just like that? Impossible…
I was the first one in my family to took out two person in an instant and he did four
Who he is??.
Another scream tore through the air.
Another rib cracked.
Another jaw snapped.
Blood sprayed into the cold wind.
Trekker hid behind his men and threw a cheap punch from behind.
(BAM!)
Knuckle staggered slightly.
Trekker smirked. His men found false hope.
Knuckle lifted his head slowly… breathing deep…
Then he screamed at the sky.
(AAAAAAAHHHHH!)
Everyone froze.
Even Jason felt shivers crawling down his spine.
A metal rod smashed into Knuckle's back—
(CLANG!)
He didn't flinch.
The attacker's eyes widened in pure horror.
Knuckle's punch turned him into a lifeless ragdoll.
People tried to run.
Knuckle didn't let even one escape.
(THUD!)
(CRACK!)
(SMASH!)
Blood rained under the dark clouds.
Trekker panicked.
He spotted his gun lying on the ground and crawled to it, shaking.
He aimed—
then hesitated.
If he missed… he'd die instantly.
His eyes shifted to Jason.
A cruel idea sparked.
He lunged and grabbed Jason, pressing the gun to his head.
TREKKER: "STOP! TAKE ONE MORE STEP AND I'LL BLOW HIS HEAD OPEN!"
Knuckle froze.
KNUCKLE: "Damn… I was too focused on these fools."
Jason shouted:
JASON: "Don't listen to him!"
Blood dripped from Jason's leg — he could barely stay upright.
Trekker trembled, sweating.
Why did I take that contract? And why did that idiot run away and leave me with this monster!?
Knuckle stepped forward.
TREKKER: "STOP! I'LL KILL HIM!"
Knuckle slowly kneeled, raising his hands.
TREKKER: "Hands in the air! NOW!"
Knuckle remained calm.
KNUCKLE: "People like you… never win.
Not while I'm here."
(SWISH!)
Knuckle flicked a metal rod with his foot—
(CLANG!)
It smashed into Trekker's hand.
The gun flew from his grip.
Jason saw it happen in a flash.
Knuckle had taken those earlier steps…
on purpose
to pull Trekker into lowering his guard.
But something about his stance… his movements… his timing…
felt familiar.
Before Jason could think further, Trekker grabbed him again—
Backing away—
toward the very edge of the rooftop.
No escape left.
His voice trembled, insanity replacing fear.
TREKKER: "Y-You think you won, Knuckle…?
You can't save everyone!"
He looked down at the fall—
then at Knuckle.
A broken smile twisted onto his face.
TREKKER: "I'd rather die from the fall…
than die by YOUR hands!"
And he leapt—
dragging Jason with him.
They fell.
Wind roared in Jason's ears.
The ground rushed up to greet him.
There was no way he could survive.
JASON (whisper): "You fool… you can't save me now…"
But Knuckle wasn't trying to catch him.
Knuckle was sacrificing himself.
He sprinted—
(WHOOSH!)
Dove off the roof—
Caught Jason mid-air—
Pulled him to his chest—
Jason heard a faint voice:
KNUCKLE (soft): "Take care… of yourself."
That voice…
It sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
Knuckle lost control—
Gravity took him.
He fell.
Jason rolled across the ground at the rooftop's edge, alive by a miracle.
When he looked down—
Knuckle's body lay motionless.
Sanctuary City's protector—
its silent guardian—
its legend—
was dead.