Kai crouched low behind a crumbling stone wall, his breathing steady but his energy buzzing.
"Are you sure about this, Chi?"
Chi grinned, his confidence practically glowing. "Of course. He might've been one of the Four Supremes back in his prime, but look at him now—old, slow, and clueless. The guy didn't even notice we've been spying on him for days."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "I'm not worried about him. I'm asking if you're ready. Because if you're not, I'll take him down myself."
Chi rolled his shoulders, activating his Gear 4. Energy pulsed around him in a green aura. "Let's move."
"Gear 5—ignition," Kai muttered. His body erupted in flames, a fiery dragon swirling around him as he launched a blazing shot at the old man's house.
The explosion rocked the air.
From the debris, Old Man Wang stepped out, stretching his back with a loud groan. "My back's killing me. Can't a man enjoy his retirement?" His sharp eyes scanned the field. "Well, well. Looks like some kids are out here playing. Someone's about to get hurt."
Chi laughed, closing the distance between them with a burst of speed. "That someone is you, old man!" He hurled six daggers at Wang in quick succession.
Wang didn't flinch. "Gear 4? Gear 5? You're decades too early to challenge someone who's surpassed Gear 10."
In one fluid motion, Wang caught two daggers in his hands, kicked two back toward Chi, and clamped the last two between his teeth. He spat them out, sending them whizzing past Kai's head.
Kai smirked. "You talk too much, old man." He raised his hands to the sky, summoning a storm of lightning. Dragons materialized from the clouds and rained down on Wang.
Wang dodged the attacks with ease, his movements precise and efficient. "Is that all you've got?"
Chi leaped back, weaving hand signs. "Guess again."
Two shadowy snakes erupted from the ground, their fangs sinking into Wang's arms. His movements faltered, his strength draining.
Wang's eyes widened. "What the—? These aren't just daggers. They're transformations!"
"That's right," Chi said, grinning. "These snakes drain energy. You underestimated us, old man, and it's going to cost you."
Kai charged forward, landing a rapid barrage of punches and kicks. Each blow sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
Chi followed up, summoning a massive hawk that swooped down and struck Wang with its beak, slamming him into the ground.
Wang coughed, blood staining his lips. "Alright, you little brats. I was just warming up. Gear 8—activate." He drew a circle in the dirt with his blood, his aura flaring.
But before Wang could complete his move, Chi and Kai burst out of the ground beneath him. They delivered a coordinated flurry of attacks, their fists and feet moving in perfect synchronization.
"You'd really jump an old man?" Wang gasped, his voice shaking with both pain and anger.
"Of course," Kai said. "You're not just some random guy. You're a Supreme. And after today, everyone will know we're coming for the rest of you."
Chi stepped back, summoning a final attack. "Hold him down."
The ground erupted with energy as 13 snakes and five lions emerged, pinning Wang in place.
Kai formed a hand sign, summoning a massive dragon and a spirit of King Kong. They descended from the sky, their combined impact leaving a crater where Wang had been.
When the dust cleared, Wang lay paralyzed, his body battered and broken.
"I'll admit," Wang muttered weakly, "you're not bad. But the other Supremes won't fall so easily."
"We'll see," Kai said. "For now, rest up. You've got a story to tell."
"I just called the medical team for Wang," Kai announced. "I picked the one furthest from this area so we can have time to run. But trust me, paralyzing him is better than killing him right now. When he wakes up, the other Supremes will hear about this."
"Alright, let's get back to the hideout before anyone else shows up," Chi said. "We might've beaten him, but we can't afford another fight right now."
"Agreed," Kai replied.
They sprinted away.
"Okay, we're within 20 meters," Kai said. "Tell Sylvia to open the gate."
"Sylvia, hello? Sylvia!" Chi shouted. "Wow, we could be getting chased by 20 Y.A.M. police, and you're sleeping on the job!"
"Calm down, I was just grabbing a snack," Sylvia said, stifling a yawn. "Totally not sleeping. The gate's opening now. Nice to see you boys back alive—and quicker than I expected, to be honest."
"Oh, wow, no faith in us?" Kai yelled as they ran through the gate. "It was so easy, I'm not even sure he was a Supreme. But we beat him, and we'll take down the others too."
Chi sighed. "There's some truth to that, but don't get cocky. The others won't be as easy. Unlike us, they can keep their gear activated at super-high levels for 24 hours a day, for as long as three months. They're Supremes for a reason, and that was when they were in their prime. They've only gotten stronger since."
"Bro, relax," Kai said. "Maybe we caught Wang after his three months, or maybe he underestimated us. Or maybe he was just old—age comes for everything, doesn't it?"
"Not for them," Chi said. "Now strip. Sylvia needs to analyze our bodies so we can be sure we're 100% safe before facing any more opponents."
"Ugh, fine. But when nothing is found, you owe me a donut," Kai muttered.
"Alright, boys," Sylvia said. "Beginning the scan now. Just a heads-up: if you feel like your organs are melting, that's probably because they are."
"Wait, huh?" Kai mumbled.
"Relax. I had to build this thing myself. You know, underground bounty hunters can't exactly buy legal equipment."
"We know," Chi snapped. "Hurry up."
"Jeez, I'm almost done," Sylvia said. "It's 99% accurate but only 70% safe. Haha."
"And you put us in this thing?" Kai cried. "Do you even love us?"
"Stop being a crybaby. It's done. You can come out now," Sylvia said. "The report's back. Everything seems normal—" She paused. "Hey, Chi, did you get a tattoo while you were out?"
"A tattoo?" Chi asked, confused. He looked over his shoulder and saw a small face of Wang on his back. "Damn it, I've been cursed."
"Jeez," Kai said, smirking. "Now I owe you a donut. What kind of curse is it?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Chi snapped.
"Obviously, I was asking Sylvia, stupid."
"And you should've been more careful," Kai added. "You knew old man Wang made a pact with Loki. Of course he'd have something up his sleeve."
"Those sound like fighting words," Chi said. "You wanna fight?"
"Stop," Sylvia interrupted. "The scan couldn't pinpoint the exact curse, but here's the gist: it'll slowly eat away at your memory starting six days after you got the mark. After 30 days, it'll completely erase you, and then you'll die. It's known as Old Man Wang's infamous curse. He's only used it twice, according to this report. For me and Kai, the curse is like killing you twice."
"There has to be a way to break it," Chi said.
"There is," Sylvia replied. "Since Wang created it, you'll either need someone who specializes in breaking curses—someone who can activate gear at level 7—or, easier but not exactly easy, Wang has to remove it himself."
"So, basically," Kai said, "we either ask the guy we just paralyzed, or find someone in the 5% of the population who can break curses."
"First things first," Chi said. "Sylvia, track down someone who specializes in curses if you can. Kai and I will head to that famous club—"
"Oh no," Kai groaned.
"—and ask the owner for help."
"I don't like going to that club," Kai muttered.
"Come on, Kai, quit crying. The owner loves you."
"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Kai grumbled.
"Time is ticking, so let's go!" Chi said. "I'll be outside, waiting in the van."