Max felt energized. Even in the heat of this chaotic brawl, he was performing better than he had ever done before.
Sure, he had years of experience fighting in the past life, but as his group had grown larger and evolved into a massive Syndicate, his days of personal front-line fighting had dwindled. To the point where, even though he was the undisputed leader of the White Tigers, he definitely wouldn’t have been considered the strongest physical combatant in the organization. He had become a strategist, a man of shadows.
But right now, with the weight of his current Vow and the techniques he had managed to pick up along the way, he felt like he was even stronger than he had been in his previous life.
I would have resorted to other means to try and get back at gangs in the past, Max thought as he ducked a wild swing. I would have worked my way up by wiggling and digging through their foundations. It’s a way I don’t necessarily have to fight right now... but this feeling in my fists. Is it the Vow? Is all of this because I’m now richer than ever?
There was a large, triumphant grin spreading across Max’s face, although it was safely hidden underneath his mask. It wasn’t just about feeling stronger; it was almost as if a perfect flow of information was entering his mind, allowing him to instantly calculate the best use of the various techniques and styles he had witnessed. He wasn’t overthinking his movements; they just came to him naturally, as if his body knew the answer before his brain did.
A part of Max wondered what Wolf would think if he were to see him right now, moving with such predatory grace.
Although Max was doing remarkably well against the elite guards, there was still a major issue that two other individuals had to deal with. That issue was the massive, hulking man known as Jett.
"You saved me back there, but I have a feeling you just made it so I need to save you a lot more," Darno said through gritted teeth. He looked over at Stephen, who was standing but heavily leaning to one side, his face twisted in pain.
Darno was worried. He didn’t think for a second that Jett was a fool; surely the enforcer would eventually realize Darno’s weakness. Anyone would think a person was crazy if all they could do was defend and never dodge, but since a tackle had worked to pin Darno last time, Jett would be more inclined to try something similar again.
"I don’t think I’ll be much help," Stephen panted, his voice strained. "But if I see even a small chance, I’ll charge my whole body at him. I’ll break it if I have to."
If there was one thing Stephen possessed in abundance, it was sheer willpower.
That was when Darno noticed something strange. Jett hadn’t moved in to attack this entire time. There had to be a reason for the hesitation.
Is he actually worried? Darno wondered. He surely should be able to tell that Stephen is injured, right? Or maybe not. Maybe he’s actually scared of another big attack.
Darno realized that such a large attack, one delivered with enough speed and force to break Stephen’s own bones, must have hurt Jett significantly. There was a good chance that Jett wasn’t a superhuman; he just had inhumane levels of grip strength and durability. Still, regardless of this realization, Darno was at a standstill because he couldn’t technically initiate a strike.
I can’t attack myself, but I can still charge in and make it look like I am! Darno ran forward, letting out a roar as he lifted his fist high in the air. It was his normal, almost rash fighting style, and in response to the perceived threat, Jett finally snapped out of his hesitation. He wound up to throw a massive counter-punch of his own.
That was exactly what Darno wanted. He quickly switched into his regular defensive stance, almost hopping into place right in front of Jett. He used his forearm to knock Jett’s arm away, and using the momentum of Jett’s own failed strike, Darno’s fist pounded forward, hitting the enforcer right in the face.
I don’t have to worry about damaging my fists because of my own Vow... so I’ll take his face as a weak point!
Jett was now stumbling back, clearly rattled by the impact. Taking small, calculated steps forward, Darno continued the pressure. He blocked every desperate punch Jett threw and followed up by slamming a heavy fist right back into Jett’s face.
Jett’s head swung back, and for the first time in the fight, it looked like the high-ranking Black Hound was purely on the defensive.
Is it the pressure from Stephen? Darno thought, his hope rising. Even if Stephen is injured, Jett is being cautious because of that last hit. We can actually do this!
When Jett stumbled back further, his back hit the edge of a heavy wooden table from one of the fleeing customers. He had already been pushed off the main fighting platform. This was where Darno realized another advantage: if he stayed in close quarters, it didn’t give Jett the space to build up momentum for a rhino-like tackle. Even if Jett tried to grab him, Darno could knock his hands away at this distance.
However, Jett’s frustration finally reached a breaking point. Instead of trying to punch, he reached back, grabbed the heavy table behind him, and swung the entire thing in a wide arc right at Darno’s head.
Crap... Darno thought, his eyes widening as the massive piece of furniture flew toward him. Can my Vow even allow me to dodge tables?!
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