Alex and Theo continued to fight.
Theo's skills were second only to those of the Blood Brothers, whose top fighter had been Tyson. In the huge courtyard of the Mitchell house, Theo lunged at Alex with a blade. He had suffered some injuries in the blast, so he wasn't at his best, and Alex easily evaded him.
Theo's martial arts skills had peaked, and if Alex had really defeated young and brilliant fighters, then Theo might not win this fight.
Theo tossed another grenade, missing once again, and opening a hole in the ground and sending dust and dirt flying into the air.
Alex pulled out a blade and advanced on his opponent. The blade was long and sharp, and it was capable of slicing through most things without much effort.
Theo raised his own knife, blocking Alex's thrust and spinning out of the way. Even though Alex was skilled with a blade, he would have to get close enough to use it.
"I have to admit, you're much more capable than I thought," Theo said, stunned. He blocked Alex again and jumped out of reach. He looked very calm, but he was slowly backing away.
"So you consider yourself the equal of Tyson?" Alex taunted, keeping pace with him. Without warning, he tossed his knife, which glinted in the sunlight as it headed toward its target.
Theo didn't take his eyes off the approaching blade. At the last moment, he managed to dodge it, only receiving a shallow cut to his arm. When he attempted to throw his own knife, his aim was off, and Alex didn't even need to move to avoid it.
"Enough, Theo," Alex said. "It's time for you to die." He pulled out another blade and dashed at Theo, determined to finish this once and for all. He moved quickly, giving Theo no time to react, and lashed out with the killing blow.
Theo didn't even see it coming. The blade slid through his ribs, straight to his heart. His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground.
**
Oscar had arrived at the Mitchell house just in time to see the end of the battle, and he looked over at the calm young man who had just defeated Theo.
Alex paid no attention to him. Instead, he turned and walked back into the villa.
Dominic was still trying to move the stone off his leg. A mobile phone kept ringing, but he couldn't reach it. The rubble shifted a little, and he inched a little closer to the phone, but it was still out of reach. After a moment, he became aware that he wasn't alone, and he looked up to see Alex staring at him with a cold expression. Dominic paled.
"Mr. Ambrose, I admit that we did the wrong thing," he said. "Please spare my life, and I will be loyal to you in the future. Whatever you need from me, I'll do it. My family has a lot of money and power, which will be at your disposal if you let me live."
Dominic was a proud man, but now he begged Alex for mercy. He hoped that the mention of his family's influence would serve as both an enticement and a threat.
"The Mitchell family?" Alex asked, shaking his head. "Even if you are rich and powerful, what can you possibly do for me?"
Alex folded his hands behind his back and strolled casually over to Dominic, leaning closer to look at the man who had declared war on the Ambrose family.
"If you kill me, the Mitchell family will never stop hunting you!" Dominic said, beginning to panic.
Dominic could feel the threat coming from Alex, who was watching him with an implacable gaze.
"That was Connor on the phone," Alex said, stomping on the phone and smashing it into little pieces. "But don't worry, you'll see him in hell. And not just him, but your entire family. You'll all be reunited soon."
"What?" Dominic asked, not understanding.
"You tried to kill my mother, and that is unforgivable," Alex said, his voice hard. "My family will ensure it never happens again." He picked up a large piece of rubble and placed it on Dominic's chest. Then, he lifted his foot and pressed down on the rock, steadily increasing the pressure. Dominic gasped, but he could no longer speak or cry for help. Within moments, his head fell to the side, and he was gone.
**
Connor Mitchell sat with his friends in a hotel.
"Connor, after tonight, your family will be the most powerful in the world," one man said. "Try to remember your old friends."
"Of course," Connor said, taking a gulp of wine. He was almost giddy just thinking about his family's success.
"Connor, everyone is talking about the Mitchell family," another man said excitedly. "You went up against the Ambrose family, and I'm not sure they'll ever recover. Other families will eventually absorb them."
"Yes," someone agreed. "The Ambrose family will be too tempting to the remaining families. They'll be swallowed up and their power and money will be dispersed."
One man remained quiet, not getting carried away. When he could no longer stand the empty flattery, he frowned and said, "Connor, don't count your chickens before they're hatched. It's too early to claim victory. The Ambrose family is more powerful than people realize. That famous martial artist called Alex is rumored to be Lincoln Ambrose's grandson. You need to be careful."
"Alex? I've never met him," Connor said dismissively, "But don't worry, he won't be around for long. Anyone who dares to fight against my family will end up dead."
Everyone was shocked. Connor had grown more and more serious lately, and he could no longer be ignored.