As the furious teenager charged towards him, Hikki adopted a casual yet focused fighting stance. Swiftly, he sidestepped to his left, neatly evading the incoming punch aimed at him. Seizing the opening, Hikki responded by launching a quick jab, connecting with the teen's face.
A pained groan escaped the teen as the jab hit its mark. Before he could recover, Hikki capitalised on the moment, delivering another powerful punch that utilised his entire body's strength. The force of Hikki's punch sent the teenager tumbling to the ground, his attempt at a retaliation thwarted.
"..."
The scene turned quiet, thebother thugs ibserving in stunned silence. Among them, a blond haired individual approached the lesder of the group. With a hint of begrudging admiration, he commented, "Well, it seems he know how to handle himself."
"....I warned you that trying to take him on one-on-one was a bad idea," the leader stated matter-of-factly, his gaze fixed on Hikki, who remained composed. The completely ignored the guy who got KO'ed by Hikki.
The blond thug responded with a dismissive laugh, disregarding the leader's words. He signalled to his comrades to encircle Hikki.
"Nah, that's just bullshit. But you know what, fighting as a group is our expertise."
Hikki's observations quickly showed that the thugs were brandishing things blunt objects as makeshift weapons.
Noticing the weapons as well, the leader's expression turned sour. The other teen, still feeling the effects of Hikki's gift from last night, grew anxious. He addressed the leader, "This wasn't the plan. We ageeed, no weapons —just fists."
With an audible sigh, the blond thug displayed his irritation. He spoke, clearly unhappy with the situation, "You asked for our help, but we help in our own way. Understand?"
"You got it, boss! Haha!" The thugs responded in agreement, their laughter echoing around them. Evidently, they were accustomed to this sort of scenario, their excitement evident at the prospect of using weapons against Hikki.
The blond thug signaled for his comrades to quiet down, ending their laughter. He looked down at Hikki, who remained remarkably composed despite the circumstances. "You've got guts for not backing down. I'll give you that."
He began clapping his hands in a mocking applause, a gesture to acknowledge Hikki's courage. "But let's be realistic, do you seriously believe that you can take all of us on.
Hikki didn't rush to respond. Instead, he carefully scanned his surroundings, noting that the thugs lacked any knives or lethal weapons. His attention returned to the blond thug.
"At least you people don't have anything that could finish me off instantly," Hikki replied calmly, almost as if the blunt objects posed no threat.
While the blunt could indeed cause harm, Hikki's combat training taught him how to minimise the impact of such hits. He knew he couldn't afford to hold back in this perilous situation.
'I might slip up today,' The white haired boy thought to himself, thinking he couldn't afford to hold back the way he fought as he prepared to re-engage. He shifted into his fighting stance again and continued his inner thought process, 'But it's oddly satisfying. It seems when it's a matter of life or death, all that matters is efficiency.'
Hikki's calm demeanour and words clearly annoyed the blond thug. His ego stung. As Hikki settled into his fighting stance once more, the thug raised his hand, signalling his crew to go after Hikki all at once. He commanded, "Take him down."
The thugs charged at Hikki in a collective rush. Even the leader of the three and the last teen who hesitated also ran in, their faces contorted with cruel anticipation. They were relishing in the prospect of pumelling Hikki to a pulp.
