The underground room burned with tension. Dust floated in the air. Chains rattled softly in the back as the girls looked on, helpless.
Ryker stood tall, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes locked onto Manager Taro.
"I will kill you," he said—no fear, no hesitation, only purpose.
Taro chuckled darkly, cracking his knuckles. "Then try, kid."
In a flash, Ryker surged forward, flames bursting from his palm—a blazing fireball hurtling toward Taro.
With a twist of his hand, Taro conjured water, splitting the fireball in two. Steam hissed through the room.
But Ryker was already there.
Out of the steam, his fist shot forward—a surprise right hook toward Taro's jaw.
Taro tilted his head.
Too fast.
His counter came instantly—a solid punch to Ryker's gut. Ryker flew backward like a missile, crashing against the concrete wall with a sickening thud.
"RYKER!" Jasmine shouted.
"That bastard!" King roared, rushing forward beside Sol.
They came in together, fists blazing—Sol aiming high, King low.
But Taro was a master.
He flowed like water, spinning and using Aikido—redirecting their force with ease. Both hit the ground with gasps of shock.
"What the fuck?!" Sol growled, coughing.
"You piece of shit!" King cursed, trying to get up.
"Stay back," Ryker muttered, pushing himself up again, blood smearing the wall behind him.
"This is my fight."
Taro wiped dust from his knuckles. "And your funeral."
Behind them, Jasmine,mio and Saki had rushed to the chained girls—Aisa, Yumi, celica, Akira, and the others.
"We'll get you out," Jasmine said, kneeling by the chains. "Saki, find the lock!"
"I'm on it!" Saki shouted.
Sparks of a plasma cutter hummed in her hands.
Meanwhile, in the center of the room, Ryker slowly peeled off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground. Steam rose from his skin. His aura began to shift.
"You want a fight?" he said, eyes glowing faintly. "Then I'll show you what a real Ryker Tensai can do."
Taro narrowed his gaze, finally serious. "So the kid wants to stop holding back."
Everyone stood frozen.
The air tightened.
The real fight was just about to begin.
Everyone stood still. The silence was tense—sharp like a blade, moments before the next strike.
Ryker moved.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned glowing silver chains, sparking with latent energy, and hurled them toward Manager Taro.
"Chains?!" Shin's eyes widened. "He's using the same ability…! When he killed that assassin, he awakened it."
"How did he learn to use them?" Arisu murmured, sensing the surge. "No… he's not just strong—he's evolving mid-battle."
The chains wrapped around Taro's arms, tight and seething with electricity.
"Not bad," Taro muttered, then grinned. "But not enough."
He pulled the chains, dragging Ryker toward him—but Ryker was ready.
Lightning surged through the chains.
Taro's eyes narrowed. Tch—clever.
Electric current blasted through him. With a pained grunt, he dropped the chains and leapt back, dodging the full shock.
But Ryker wasn't done.
He raised his hand. The atmosphere trembled. Thunder crackled.
"Lightning Strike!"
A bolt screamed from the ceiling, aiming for Taro.
He rolled sideways, avoiding it just in time—his coat singed at the edges.
"Still not using any magic…" Arisu whispered, eyes focused. "He's only using martial arts."
"That's not just skill," Sol said darkly. "That's fearsome restraint."
Then—Ryker raised his left hand. A chill swept through the air.
From his palm, ice bloomed.
It raced across the ground and snaked up Taro's leg.
"Ice…?" Taro muttered.
Before he could react—Ryker charged.
A punch through the mist—a direct blow to the face. Taro's head snapped back.
Everyone gasped.
Finally—a hit.
Ryker didn't stop. He pulled back again—but—
Taro's hand moved calmly. He pressed one finger to Ryker's chest.
"Kid…"
BAM!
One Inch punch—cleaner, heavier, more precise than anything before.
Ryker was launched backward, crashing against the far wall.
CRACK.
"RYKER!" everyone screamed—Sol, Jasmine, Celica, and the girls all at once.
He slumped down.
Blood spilled from his mouth. He coughed hard, vomiting blood onto the stone floor.
Still, he stood.
Shaking.
Trembling.
Eyes locked on Taro.
The fight wasn't over.
The sound of broken breath echoed through the cold underground chamber.
Ryker was slumped against the wall, his chest heaving, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His hands trembled as he tried to push himself up again.
Footsteps.
Soft. Urgent.
Aisa rushed to him, falling to her knees at his side.
"Ryker!" she cried, wrapping her arms under his shoulders, trying to help him rise. "Don't do this. You're bleeding too much. Take care of yourself—don't push it."
His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.
"R… Run… Aisa…" he said, wincing as more blood spilled from his lips. "Get away… now…"
She froze. Tears welled in her eyes.
Then—Shin's voice cut through the tension like lightning.
"Everyone, run! Take the girls and go!" he barked, already moving toward them.
Aisa looked back—Sol, Jasmine, Arisu, King, Mio—they were gathering the freed girls, guiding them to the hallway. The room was filling with the noise of hurried feet.
"Ryker!" Aisa pleaded.
"Fuck!" Shin shouted. "Let him stay! He's made his choice! If we stay, we all die!"
"Hurry!" Jasmine yelled, voice cracking with urgency as she guided the last girl through the corridor. "We'll come back for him!"
Aisa stood, hesitating. Her eyes met Ryker's one last time.
He was barely upright, leaning on one knee, staring down Manager Taro, whose presence felt more like a storm than a man.
She ran.
Her heart shattered with each step.
As she sprinted after the others, tears fell silently down her face.
"Ryker… please… come back."
She whispered the words in her mind, as if her thoughts alone could reach him through the chaos and the dark.
The dim lights of the underground chamber flickered—dust and smoke still hung in the air from the chaos that had just passed.
Now, all that remained in the room were two men.
One stood tall and composed, his sleeves rolled up, eyes calm yet deadly.
Manager Taro.
The other, hunched slightly but radiating raw power, wiped the blood from his lips and slowly stood up straight, his eyes no longer clouded with pain—but clarity.
Ryker Tensai.
Taro took a slow step forward, his voice steady.
"Use your full power," he said. "I know you've been holding back. Because of those girls."
Ryker let out a soft laugh—half amused, half exhausted.
"I don't care about the girls," he said coldly.
Taro raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what's stopping you?"
Ryker's eyes narrowed, his voice dropping into something darker—deeper.
"…Because I never wanted them to see what I really am."
He stepped forward.
The air began to vibrate.
"I never wanted to show them my true potential."
Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet cracked.
A storm of lightning began dancing across his body—crimson energy pulsing with every heartbeat. The walls groaned as if fearing what was to come.
Manager Taro didn't move.
He simply smiled.
"So you're finally ready…"
Ryker's eyes burned.
"Now," he whispered, "let's finish this."