Khael quickly slid the door shut and leaned against it, letting out a sigh of relief. For a moment, it was quiet except for the muffled shouts outside.
But the silence didn't last.
Wood splintered as hands broke through the thin material of the door, clawing and reaching inside. Khael's gaze widened. Trying to keep it closed, he automatically pushed back, but the force on the other side was unyielding.
A gunshot pierced the door, creating a ragged gash in the wood and narrowly missing Khael's skull. One shot, then another, until the door, which had been undamaged, was pocked with holes. Hands yanked and clawed at what remained through the growing cracks, tearing it apart like starving wolves.
Khael took a step back.
"What do we do now?" Felix asked.
"Run."
Khael looked around for an escape route but couldn't discover one. He thought the wall he was standing in front of would be thin, so he punched it as hard as he could. But it was constructed of sturdy wood, The force did not crack, but it did leave a mark on the surface. Khael's shook his hands as they stung. The only exit was the door.
"Hey Felix,"
Felix turned to him.
"On my count. Run straight for the door."
Felix nodded.
"One… two… thre—"
Crash!
The guards rushed in like a wave as the door exploded, sending shards flying in all directions. Shouting and armed, they quickly closed in.
"Fuck…"
One rushed in swinging a bat. Grabbing his wrist, Khael dodged and dragged him forward, driving his knee into the man's abdomen. From the left, another swung. After ducking beneath the bat, Khael punched the attacker in the ribs. He kicked the weapon across the floor as the man wheezed and dropped it.
A bare-handed guard charged from behind. Khael turned around and smacked the man's jaw with his elbow. He pushed the guard into two more who were coming in before he could fall, causing the three of them to fall to the ground in a heap.
Another two tied together. Khael seized a wild punch thrown by one of the guards in the air, gave him a severe arm twist, and knocked him into the second guard. The other man stumbled back, but he quickly got up and struck straight. Leaning downward, Khael snatched the assailant's shirt and gave him a forceful kick that caused the man to crumple.
An endless swarm of guards kept coming through the broken doorway, their voices mixing into a chorus of wrath, turning the space into an ocean of chaos. Khael stood in the middle and moved like a tornado. Bodies clashed, fists flew, and every bat stroke was countered. Every swing that aimed at him was stopped or dodged. There were groaning bodies all over the floor, but as soon as he cleared it, more showed up and filled the room.
Every strike landed, and every move was accurate. It was nearly easy—until it wasn't.
Overhead, a shadow hovered. Before he was able to react, a brick-sized fist smashed with tremendous power into his chest. He was thrown across the room, and the impact lifted him straight off the ground. With a loud crack, he slammed onto the wall, causing a dent in the solid wood, and then crashed to the ground.
Khael gazed up in a daze, breathing heavily. A giant person, nearly double the size of everyone else in the room, stood in the doorway. His fists were clenched like sledgehammers, and muscles bulged beneath a sleeveless top. It was the same guard Khael had encountered outside.
Wiping the blood from his lip, Khael pushed himself back to his feet.
"Looks like that body isn't just for show."
He darted forward and swiftly punched the giant in the middle, but the guard didn't even bat an eye. Rather, his enormous arm swung like a hammer downward. The air from the swing brushed across Khael's face as he narrowly avoided it. He staggered back.
But the giant guard leaped forward, slamming into him like a battering ram. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he crashed against the wall. The guard swung Khael like a rag doll after grabbing his leg. Khael struggled to stay upright after spinning in the air, but a huge fist struck him before he could regain his balance.
He barely crossed his arms to block, but the impact sent him stumbling backward. He drove his fist toward the guard's jaw but was caught midair. The giant crushed Khael's knuckles in his grip and yanked him forward into a brutal headbutt.
It didn't hurt much, but it did give Khael an opening to strike. He grabbed the guard's enormous shoulder for leverage and leaped to his feet. He swung his whole body into the air and used the momentum to push off with all of his strength. With a loud thud, both of his legs snapped together and crashed down towards the guard's stomach.
The force was enough to knock the giant-bodied guard to the ground. Khael's fists struck the guard's face as he delivered punch after punch. He continued to strike, aiming for the guard's nose, jaw, and temple. Unaffected by the hits, the guards face stayed a rigid mask.
At last, Khael's arm was grabbed mid-punch by the guard's enormous hand. Their arms trembled from effort as they both pushed against one another.
"You're tough," Khael said as he struggled to push forwards.
But he was thrown aside by the guard. He instantly got up to his feet. There was a sharp piece of broken glass near him. He knew he can't win this fight with just raw strength. He bent down to pick it up without ever keeping his eyes off. The guard saw the chance and dashed forward.
Khael saw the attack and ducked low. As the guard came closer, he extended a leg back stumbled on his leg and fall over. Khael picked up the glass piece and walked near the guard.
"You're tough," Khael muttered through gritted teeth.
The guard didn't respond. Instead, he twisted Khael's arm and threw him aside like a rag doll. Khael hit the ground hard but he quickly rolled back onto his feet. His eyes caught the glint of broken glass nearby. It was obvious that he couldn't win this with brute force.
He kept his focus fixed on the guard as he leaned down to pick up the shard. Seeing his opportunity, the monster charged forward with hefty steps. Khael dipped low at the last second, tripping him by sliding one leg back. He stumbled abruptly and fell to the ground.
Khael walked over him and pointed the sharp piece of glass towards the guard's throat.
"Don't move." he said with a tight voice.
The guard gritted his teeth. He tried to push the shard away by slowly moving his right arm. However, Khael pressed it harder, slicing the skin and drawing a small drop of blood. With no other choice, the guard let out a 'tch' sound and looked away.
Then something hard smashed into the back of his head. His vision blurred as pain shot through his skull. The glass slipped from his hand as he staggered forward and dropped to his knees. Before he could recover, the giant guard wrapped his arms around him. Khael struggled, twisting and kicking, but it was no use. The grip was unbreakable.
The one who hit him stepped forward—it was another guard, holding the bat tightly. He looked ready to strike again, but before he could, the obese man stormed in and snatched the bat from his hands. His blood-stained look was distorted in rage. He limped, twitching with each step, but his anger was more intense than the pain.
His trembling hands gripped the bat hard as he looked down at Khael. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred as he slowly stepped closer.
"You think you can break into my territory, start throwing punches, and then just run away? You think this is a game, huh?" His voice rose, trembling with rage. "I'll make sure you remember who you messed with. You'll beg me to end it."
Khael attempted to escape, but the guards tightened their hold on him. The fat man approached and came within a few paces of striking. With no other option, Khael lifted his arms.
"Forgive me, ma…"
Crack!
The guard's hands hung loosely as his body went limp. He fell to the ground with a loud thud. The obese man and the guard behind him froze, and the room fell silent. A look of disbelief crossed the fat man's face as his eyes widened. He stepped back slowly.
"Man, I thought I would spend the life without killing anyone… but look what you've done…" Khael walked over the motionless body. "You made my hands dirty."
With a roar, the other guard lunged forward, thrashing his hands. Khael sidestepped with ease, grabbed the guard's arm in mid-strike, and twisted it behind his back. With a quick knee to the back of the legs, Khael hushed the guard's struggled scream and made him yield.
Khael's voice was calm, almost casual "You know, Chief said it's easier to kill someone in a fight than to save them…"
Crack!
The lifeless body crumpled to the floor. The obese man stepped back and stumbled on another guards body. He fell to the ground but kept moving behind.
"W-what do you want? Money? H-how much?" His voice shook.
Khael flashed him a smile.
"Ayyyy, now we're talking…" He moved closer and crouched in front of the man.
"W-what do you want? Just say it!"
"Uhh… I was here to talk about Felix's debt—"
"What debt? If it's money, I'll even pay him…"
"Well, aren't you a generous one…" He chuckled. "That was one reason, but… you see, I also need some money."
"I'll give you whatever you want! P-please don't kill me!"
Khael blinked, then let out a short laugh.
"Who said anything about killing you?" He lightly punched the man's stomach. "I'm sure you'll survive with all that protection."
"How much do you want?"
Khael smirked, his expression turning cold. "Half a million."
The man froze, eyes wide. "Half a mill—"
Khael's smile faded into a hard glare. "You've got a problem'?"
"N-no! No! No!" the man stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "That's nothing! I'll get it right now!"
The man jumped up and bolted.
"If you run away, I'll kill you."
"I-I won't! I'll be right back!" He dashed out the door.