Leon's fingers tightened in his pocket as the "Yo!" echoed through the alley.

He turned his head toward the sound, ready to see some cocky bastard from the crew.

Instead, he saw someone very familiar.

A boy stepped out from the deeper shadows, the light from the broken alley lamp catching his face.

Bright eyes.Relaxed smile.That same casual walk.

Daniel.

Leon stared at him for a second, then let out a long, tired sigh.

"…Why are you here, Daniel?" he asked lazily.

Daniel's face lit up even more, like he'd just run into an old friend at a festival instead of a gang war.

"Yooo, Leooonnn!" he said, dragging the name out with a playful tone as he waved both hands.

He walked toward Leon, hands in his hoodie pocket, steps light and easy, like there weren't bodies lying around them and blood on the floor.

When he stopped in front of Leon, he tilted his head slightly."Well," he said, still smiling, "I had some business to do here."

Leon narrowed his eyes a little."Business? Today?"

Daniel blinked, looking almost offended."Can't I have?"

Leon clicked his tongue and looked away for a moment. The alley was still full of knocked-out guys and quiet groans. Ryan's words, Maya's maps, Arthur's part — everything flashed through his mind for a moment.

Then Leon let out another sigh."Well, I can't deny it," he said. "I'm here too, so yeah. You might be right."

For a second, the alley felt strangely calm.

Two strong fighters, standing in the middle of a field of bodies, talking like they'd just met on the way home from school.

Leon was just about to say something else when his expression hardened.

He heard more footsteps.

He turned his head, and Daniel did too.

Three figures entered the alley's open space from deeper inside — and behind them, more footsteps followed.

Leon recognized two of them instantly.

The first was Carl — the small bar boss, the nineteen-year-old A-rank monster Ryan had told them about. He wore the same style of clothes as before, casual but sharp. His face looked annoyed, not scared. His eyes scanned the area like he was counting how many of his men were not standing.

The second was Jason — the guy from the damaged building, the one who was always high. His eyes had that dazed, half-foggy look, but beneath it there was a noticeable wildness. He moved in a lazy way, but his balance was solid. Even when he looked half off his head, his steps didn't stumble.

Behind them came roughly twenty guys — side members, the kind that follow orders and rush in together. Some held pipes. Some had fists wrapped in cloth. Some just cracked their knuckles loudly to act tough.

They stepped into the alley like a moving wall of noise.

Leon's grin slowly came back.

Daniel let out a low whistle.

"Damn," Daniel said softly. "They brought a full welcome party."

The group finally stopped, forming a loose semi-circle around Leon and Daniel.

Daniel's eyes went to Jason first. He tilted his head, smile still present."You're still high, Jason?" he asked lightly.

Jason scoffed, his words rough."Mind your own business, bitch."

Leon's grin widened.Yup. Still the same idiot, he thought.

Carl's gaze locked onto Leon first, then slid to Daniel. He gave them both a look that was half irritation, half respect, half anger — too many emotions for one expression.

"What the fuck are you both doing here?" Carl said. "Actually… never mind. I don't even want to know. I'm just pissed."

He spread his hands, pointing at the knocked-out men around them.

"Our guys are knocked out. And I assume it was you two."

Leon didn't hesitate.

"Yeah," he said, smirk sharp. "It was us. What you gonna do?"

Carl's eyes narrowed."Beat the shit out of you."

Daniel scratched his cheek lightly, amused.

Leon tilted his head like he didn't hear right."Please," he said. "Entertain me, buddy."

And with that, he dashed forward first.

No countdown, no signal.

He moved like a shot — legs pushing off the ground hard, body leaning forward, fists already raised. He closed the distance between him and Carl in an instant.

Carl lifted his guard, surprised but not slow. Leon's first punch went to his face, but Carl blocked it with his forearm. Even blocked, the impact made Carl slide half a step back.

Leon didn't pause.He followed with a quick low kick to Carl's leg, then an uppercut toward his chin. Carl ducked the uppercut and tried to counter with a punch to Leon's ribs.

Leon blocked with his elbow and twisted his torso, bringing his knee up toward Carl's stomach.

At the same time—

Jason moved.

He stepped in from the side with a wild swing, aiming for the side of Leon's head while Leon was busy with Carl.

But before the punch could land—

Daniel's leg flashed in from the side.

He didn't even look like he'd moved fast. It was a clean, controlled kick that intercepted Jason's arm, knocking it aside before it could touch Leon.

Daniel's foot lowered back to the ground with casual precision.

He smiled, eyes bright.

"Your opponent is me," Daniel said, cheerful voice not matching the situation at all.

Jason glared, angry, but there was a flicker of seriousness in his eyes now.

The alley swallowed the rising noise.

The side guys behind Carl and Jason looked at each other, then shouted and began to rush in as a group. They came from both sides, trying to surround Leon and Daniel, thinking numbers would give them an advantage.

Leon and Daniel didn't retreat.

They stepped forward.

That single motion said everything —They were not interested in running.

They wanted it.

What happened next wasn't a clean, one-hit move. It wasn't some flashy anime scene with slow motion. It was messy and raw, but controlled in a way only real fighters have.

Two strong fighters against a swarm.

But those twenty side guys were nothing but background in front of them.

One rushed Leon with a pipe, swinging high. Leon stepped in close, under the swing, and landed a punch straight into the guy's stomach. All the air left the guy in one blow. He crumpled to the ground gasping.

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