The ferocious strength created a gust of wind, and even before his hand arrived, the intense pressure caused Number 101 to gasp for breath slightly.
Galon's right arm seemed to extend and swell in an instant, like a club, as he ferociously grabbed at the air.
Swish!
His hand clawed past the side of Number 101's face.
Number 101 snorted coldly, deftly dodging the grab with a side step.
"Is this the speed of your attacks? Are you playing with kids?"
Galon slowly retracted his hand, his arm returning to normal as he stood still, calmly looking past Number 101.
At the riverbank's edge, a man holding a small knife slumped to the ground, his head slowly oozing blood. A book-shaped pendant slipped onto his clothing.
"You...!!" Number 101's expression darkened as he withdrew his gaze, "It seems I have no choice but to break the rules this time..."
He fiercely tore off his overcoat, throwing it far away, revealing a tight black leather vest underneath that showed off his streamlined muscular lines.
One hand held up in front, the other with the palm facing outward, he assumed a peculiar fighting stance.
"Oh? So you practice martial arts too?" Galon, noticing the stance, showed a hint of surprise. He noted that the right hand Number 101 raised had a slightly different color than normal skin, a faint rust-red.
Bang, bang!
Suddenly, two gunshots rang out from the neighboring street. The sound was jarringly loud in the quiet night.
Upon hearing the gunshots, Number 101 glanced to the right, his expression changing dramatically as he quickly dropped his stance.
"The situation has changed! Everyone withdraw!!"
The men surrounding Galon also seemed to become tense, quickly sheathing their knives and other weapons and running towards the neighboring street, quickly disappearing into the alley leading to the next block.
Number 101 gave Galon a cold final look.
"I'll come back for you."
With a tap of his foot, he picked up his overcoat, draped it over himself, and swiftly vanished into the alley like a gray bat slipping into the shadows.
Galon frowned as he watched the group disappear, his muscles gradually relaxing.
"It's a pity my speed is too slow; otherwise, I might have had a chance to keep this man here."
He tugged at his collar and quickly walked to the riverbank's edge.
Snap.
He grabbed Goris's right hand, gently lifting her up to hold her, then slowly placed her back on the ground.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thankfully your action just now scared those people off, otherwise it would have been really troublesome." Goris was still shaken, glancing at the dead Golden Ring man beside her.
"Golden Ring actually dared to lay hands on me, a senior executive of the company! Lord Galon, please excuse me for a moment, I must immediately return to the company to report this matter to headquarters!" Goris's expression also gradually turned cold.
"Although we in Manreidon are not as powerful as Golden Ring, we are not to be trifed with!"
"Alright, go ahead," Galon nodded, "I need to check out what exactly happened next door that drew them all away. Take care of yourself, and try to arrange for more people to protect you. Where's your gun?"
Goris's cheeks flushed, "I was ambushed from behind before I could draw it..."
"Be careful, I'll check it out." Galon couldn't help but laugh, "What happened to the fierceness you had when you first met me?" He ruffled Goris's hair like a child, picked up the pendant, and turned towards the alley from before.
He was now over 1.7 meters tall, even without any change, slightly taller than Goris. The action seemed very natural, making people overlook his current age.
Goris stood still, biting her lip with a slightly red face.
"I've told you not to treat me like a child!" She quickly got into her car, pulled out a handgun from her purse, and then drove off towards the company.
Galon walked into the alley, soon hearing the sounds of fists hitting flesh, accompanied by grunts and cries of pain.
"Catch him, don't let him run!" "Galo's passed out! Damn it! This guy packs a heavy punch!" "Watch the gap! Don't give him a chance!"
Shouts from a group of men seemed to be attacking someone.
Galon stood in the shadow at the alley's entrance, looking out.
On the street, amidst the muddy ground, a group of Golden Ring men surrounded two skinny youths. Number 101 stood coldly to one side, watching the scene while also alert to the surroundings.
Three or four grown men lay on the ground, seemingly knocked unconscious by direct hits to the face.
Galon assessed the injuries of these men and let out a slight gasp.
"The strength of these blows is almost as strong as my first kill! Could it be that these kids inflicted all this damage?"
His gaze then fell on the two youths in the center.
The pair, a boy and a girl, looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, Galon's age, but the look in their eyes showed this wasn't their first encounter with danger.
Dressed in white sportswear, they stood back to back, assuming a standard boxing stance.
"My dad will come to save us soon!" The boy gritted his teeth, "He won't let you get away with this!"
"Don't talk too much, conserve your energy!" The girl whispered, a black handgun hanging at her waist.
Number 101 sneered and stepped forward.
"I'll take it from here. You guys just surround them and don't let them escape. This kid is the son of White Eagle; we finally caught him and can't let him slip away."
He stepped into the circle, assuming the fighting stance he had shown earlier.
Galon noticed his right hand, the hand-blade, seemed redder than before, as if it was about to bleed.
"Kid, you dared to fight back, you're asking for death! Don't blame me for where you end up crippled."
"Less talk, let's fight!" The boy stood upright, interrupting him.
As soon as the words fell, swish.
A red streak slashed across his chest, silently ripping open the white sportswear, leaving a cut on the skin beneath that began to bleed.
The red streak vanished as quickly as it appeared, returning to Number 101's hand-blade.
The boy's face paled. At the instant the red streak approached, he exhaled sharply and contracted his chest, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound. But now, his breathing was strained, causing pain in his lungs.
"Sivika! Are you okay?" The girl called out anxiously, "Be careful! He's using the Red Hand Fist!"
"I'm fine, I dodged it!" The boy, Sivika, coughed twice, still focusing on Number 101.
"The time for delays is over." Number 101 resumed his stance, "I was just warning you before. Now, I'll cripple your right arm." His eyes turned colder, hinting at a killing intent.
Swish, swish, swish!
Following three swift sounds, the boy Sivika stumbled backward, dodging two hand chops but the third left a bloody mark on his right arm, staining his white tracksuit red.
"Not bad at dodging, huh? Have another go!" 101 was getting heated. "Die!"
His right hand shook violently, chopping towards the boy's limbs like a machete, managing to deliver four strikes in two seconds.
Each strike was incredibly fast, only a blur of red could be seen.
Both retreated continuously.
A concrete lamp post was grazed, snapping and breaking into pieces, just as if it had been cut by a real machete.
Another series of light sounds followed, and the boy's right leg was cut due to his slow reaction, bending almost unable to stand straight.
"Sivika!" the girl cried out in distress.
Galon, standing at the entrance of the alley, intending to step forward, retracted his step.
"White Eagle? Could it be the guy with Tarry Mercury?"
"If it's him, this could be troublesome. Can't let them see my true face."
He looked around, took a deep breath.
Bang!
A punch on the right wall of the alley created a bowl-sized dent, and large chunks of concrete were scattered.
Galon grabbed a piece of concrete, crushed it into a fine dust, and smeared it over his face, masking his identity.
"Who's there?!" someone outside the alley shouted upon hearing the noise.
Galon stepped out slowly, observing the scene's changes.
In just that brief moment, the boy had been cut again on his left arm, only one leg left supporting his body from falling. The girl was surrounded and isolated by others, in a dire situation.
And 101 stood with his back to him.
Hearing the noise, 101 turned around to glance at Galon.
"Is it you? You want to mess in this as well?" Before Galon could answer, 101 sneered, "Good, today I'll settle with all of you together."
The girl was kicked in the stomach, stumbling back a few steps, then punched in the back by someone else, kneeling on the ground, pale and gasping for air. Her handgun was knocked away at some point.
"Eve!" Sivika, half-kneeling, shouted anxiously.
101 turned around, ignoring the nearly incapacitated boy, and walked straight towards Galon.
"You had a chance to run just now but didn't take it. Should I call you foolish or an idiot? I don't understand why they value you so much up there." He gestured towards the beaten boy and girl, "See? This is what happens when you oppose Gold Ring. Even the son of White Eagle and Tarry Mercury's daughter can only be at our mercy."
Galon shrugged off his shoulders, his body cracking with a series of snaps.
"Enough talk, let's get started. As a return gift, I'll make your end a bit easier."
"That's my line," 101 said, and in an instant, charged at Galon with incredible speed. Reaching Galon, he skidded to the left, delivering a sharp chop.
Galon felt a sting on his left arm, his clothes tearing with a hiss, and noticed a faint red mark on his skin.