The Path Of A True King.

Kai's grip on his daggers tightened.

His breathing stayed steady, but his heart pounded like a war drum.

"This won't be easy," he muttered.

The boss stood up, rolling his neck until it cracked.

His presence alone was suffocating—raw power radiated off him in waves.

The man was a mountain, muscle stacked on muscle, every movement slow and deliberate, like a beast deciding when to strike.

"You made a mistake coming here, boy." His voice was deep, calm, controlled.

Kai smirked. "We'll see about that."

The boss let out a low chuckle. His violet eyes swept over them, assessing.

"You walked into my business.

Killed my men.

Made my customers uncomfortable..."

His tone didn't shift, not even when he added, "And killed a few of them, too."

He tilted his head slightly. "So... what do you want?"

Kai didn't hesitate. "Your business. Your power." He grinned.

The boss laughed. "Hah... funny. I'll ask you again when you're a corpse."

Kai moved first.

A blur of motion—his daggers sliced through the air, aimed for the boss's throat.

But the man was faster than expected.

He twisted at the last second, narrowly dodging the lethal edge before countering with a lightning-fast jab.

Kai ducked, feeling the wind from the strike graze his cheek.

He retaliated with an upward slash, but the boss sidestepped, catching Kai's wrist mid-swing.

A jolt of pain shot through his arm.

Before he could react, the boss yanked him forward and drove a knee straight into his stomach.

The impact was brutal.

Kai gasped, the air knocked from his lungs, but he gritted his teeth and used the momentum to twist out of the boss's grasp.

He hit the ground in a roll, barely steadying himself before the man was on him again.

Lucas and Jack didn't wait.

Lucas dashed low, sweeping at the boss's legs.

Jack struck from the side, his fists glowing faintly with Ki.

Their timing was near perfect.

But the boss moved like a beast.

He jumped over Lucas's sweep with terrifying ease, twisted mid-air, and planted a kick square into Jack's ribs.

Jack flew backward, crashing into a stack of crates.

Wood exploded around him.

Lucas barely had time to react before the boss landed in front of him.

A fist came down like a hammer.

Lucas rolled aside, just in time—the sheer force of the strike cracked the concrete where he'd stood.

The boss chuckled, shaking his head. "You kids really think you stand a chance, huh?"

"Shit," Lucas muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

He lunged, his fists blurring in a flurry of punches.

One hit landed—a clean shot to the ribs.

The boss didn't even flinch.

Instead, he caught Lucas's wrist in a vice grip and yanked him forward, slamming a headbutt straight into his skull.

Lucas's vision blurred.

Before he even registered the pain, he was airborne—then slammed into the cold, hard wall with a sickening thud.

Kai seized the moment.

He lunged, daggers gleaming, aiming for the boss's back.

The man turned at the last second, catching one of the blades mid-air.

His grip tightened, sheer strength twisting Kai's wrist.

Pain shot up Kai's arm.

But he didn't let go.

Instead, he twisted with the motion, using the momentum to snap his leg up in a spinning kick.

His boot connected with the boss's jaw.

The man staggered.

For the first time, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

He wiped his mouth.

Then grinned.

"Not bad, boy. But you're dead."

Jack groaned, pushing himself up from the rubble.

He wiped blood from his lip and chuckled.

"Alright, I'll admit it—this guy's tough."

Lucas spat to the side, shaking off the dizziness. "Then we bring him down together."

Kai rolled his aching wrist, his blue eyes locking onto the boss. "Let's end this."

The boss smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Bring it on. I was just starting to have fun."

They moved as one.

Lucas went low, feinting a kick before launching himself upward with a rising knee.

Jack came in from the right, fists glowing with raw Ki, aiming for the ribs.

Kai struck from above, descending like a hawk, both daggers poised for the kill.

The boss roared, muscles tensing as he prepared to counter.

But this time, they were ready.

Lucas's feint worked—just as the boss braced to counter his knee, he twisted mid-air and drove an elbow straight into the man's shoulder.

The impact knocked him slightly off-balance.

Jack seized the opening.

His Ki-infused fist crashed into the boss's ribs.

A sickening crack echoed.

A grunt of pain escaped the man's lips as he staggered back.

And then came Kai.

With a burst of speed, he twisted mid-air, his daggers flashing in the dim light.

The boss, still reeling from Jack's blow, couldn't fully react.

Kai's blade sliced across his chest in a clean, precise cut.

Blood sprayed.

The boss let out a growl of pain, his violet eyes burning with fury.

"Not enough," he snarled, his massive hand shooting out in a blur.

But Kai was ready.

He let the momentum carry him away, just as Lucas and Jack struck again.

Lucas drove a knee into the boss's gut.

Jack's fist slammed into his jaw, snapping his head back.

The boss staggered.

Kai landed behind him, breath steady. This was it.

With one fluid motion, he lunged, both daggers sinking deep—one between the ribs, the other straight into the kidney.

The boss stiffened.

A guttural noise escaped him.

His knees buckled.

For the first time... he looked defeated.

Blood dripped from his lips as he let out a weak chuckle. "...Not bad..."

Then his body collapsed.

Silence.

Kai exhaled, stepping back.

His daggers dripped crimson, his grip firm but steady.

Lucas and Jack exchanged looks, then turned to the unmoving body of the boss.

"...He's not dead?" Lucas panted.

Jack wiped his bloody knuckles on his pants. "Yeah. Do we end him?"

Kai gazed down at the fallen man, then turned to the rest of the room—the terrified remnants of the boss's crew, the scattered customers, the ruined establishment.

A slow smile crept onto his lips.

"Not yet," he said. "We still need him to sign this place over to us.