Systemism

One Night (3)

Jisoo surged forward, only for Ji-Woong to stop her.

Ji-Woong: "Thanks for the help. I'll take it from here."

Jisoo: "Reall—"

Hyeonwoo cut in, grabbing her arm with urgency.

Hyeonwoo: "Yes, they will! We should go off!"

Jisoo gave Hyeonwoo a sharp look. Something wasn't right. The confident, mysterious aura Hyeonwoo usually carried was gone, replaced by fear and desperation. It wasn't like him at all.

Hyeonwoo pulled her back, stumbling as his hand brushed something cold and wet behind him.

Hyeonwoo: "What the hell is that?!"

The answer came when they turned to see a bloody, barely conscious Jin Na, somehow still standing. His body was covered in bruises, blood leaking from his mouth and nose, yet his legs refused to buckle.

Jisoo: "How is he even still standing?!"

<Jin Na's potential is crackling!>

Hyeonwoo stared with disbelief in his eyes. "I—"

His words trailed off as his gaze shifted behind Jin Na. Two figures emerged from the shadows, and his heart sank. He recognized them immediately.

???: "Come home, Hyeonwoo."

Kwang Sun: 175 cm, 74 kg
S, S, A+, B+, A+

Evan Yang: 178 cm, 82 kg
SSS, SS+, A(Awakened), D, SS+

Jin Na, despite his broken state, still had a fight left in him.

Jin Na: "What the hell... all this for—"

Kwang Sun's slap came out of nowhere, cutting Jin Na off mid-sentence and sending him sprawling onto the pavement once again. His face hit the ground hard, blood splattering across the concrete.

Kwang Sun: "As I was saying—"

Jin Na, bloodied and battered, coughed weakly as he pushed himself back up, face swollen but defiant. 

"I didn't hear no bell."

<Jin Na's potential is bursting once more!>

Kwang Sun turned to Evan.

Kwang Sun: "Evan."

Without hesitation, Evan stepped forward. His fists were like hammers, landing with bone-crushing force. Jin Na didn't stand a chance. Every punch sent a sickening thud through the alley. Jin Na's ribs cracked under the sheer impact, his body bending and contorting with each blow. Blood sprayed from his mouth, painting the alley in crimson streaks. Evan was relentless, turning Jin Na's body into a punching bag, and pounding him into submission.

Jin Na's screams echoed through the narrow streets, each one more desperate than the last. Evan wasn't pulling his punches—he didn't need to. With every strike, Jin Na's body seemed to break further, bones cracking and skin tearing as blood spilt freely onto the ground. The pavement beneath him was stained red, his body nothing more than a broken, twitching mess.

Ji-Woong watched from the sidelines, arms crossed and a smug smile playing on his lips.

 "Poor bastard. Almost feel bad for beating him up earlier."

Jin Na (weakly): "We... we were on the same side..."

His voice was hoarse, barely audible over the pounding in his chest. Every breath came out ragged, wheezing through the blood clogging his throat. His body felt like it was on the verge of collapse—his vision blurry, his limbs numb, and his mind swimming in a haze of pain. He'd given everything in the fight, but it still wasn't enough. He staggered on his knees, broken and bloodied, and stared up at the towering figures before him. They were supposed to be his allies, his brothers in arms. How did it all come to this?

<Jin Na's potential is unleashing all its fury!>

A sharp, searing pain cut through his chest, but something else was boiling up inside him, something deeper. Anger. Fury. It roared through his veins, fueling him with a primal rage that drowned out everything else—the pain, the fear, the exhaustion. His muscles trembled with the energy coursing through him, and a twisted grin slowly crept across his blood-smeared face. His eyes, bloodshot and wide with madness, locked onto Kwang Sun and Evan.

Jin Na (spitting blood): "Guess money is all you need, huh?"

His voice, weak moments ago, was now laced with venom. He spat the words, blood dripping from his mouth, staining the ground. The sting of betrayal cut deeper than any punch. He had fought beside these men, trusted them, only to be thrown aside the moment it suited them. The thought churned inside him like a storm, fanning the flames of his wrath.

<Jin Na has awakened!>

His body, beaten and battered, suddenly began to pulse with renewed energy. The pain he felt moments ago faded into the background, replaced by a cold, ferocious focus. His potential, which had been simmering beneath the surface, exploded with raw power. Every fibre of his being screamed for vengeance, and his shattered body began to stitch itself together, his wounds healing in real time.

<Jin Na's stamina has been restored!>

With a sudden, violent burst of energy, Jin Na shot to his feet, his movements almost mechanical, too fast and too sharp for someone who had been on the verge of death moments before. His eyes, wild with fury, gleamed in the dim alley light. Blood still clung to his skin, but he stood tall, like a demon rising from the ashes of defeat.

Jin Na (sadistically): "Let's go, you bastards."

His grin was twisted, a mask of sadistic glee. He relished the thought of tearing them apart, limb by limb. He cracked his neck, stretching his bloodied hands, and with a voice dripping with malevolence, he taunted his former comrades, daring them to come at him again. They had no idea what kind of monster they had unleashed.

This wasn't just a fight anymore—it was a reckoning.

<Jin Na's awakening cards are being revealed!>

<Trigger Card> 
<Survivor >
<...>

<Attack Card> 
<Pure Counter >
<...>

Myul, watching the scene unfold, could hardly believe his eyes.

Myul: "He's busted..."

But while everyone's attention was on Jin Na, Hyeonwoo saw his chance.

Hyeonwoo: "We're getting out of here," he muttered under his breath, grabbing Jisoo and pulling her away.

<You have escaped successfully!>

As they bolted through the maze of alleyways, Hyeonwoo could hear the sounds of Jin Na fighting all three of his former crewmates behind him. His defiant cries echoed through the night, followed by the relentless pounding of fists and the sickening crack of bones. Jin Na was fighting like a man possessed, his fury and potential unleashed, taking on the men who had once fought beside him.

Hyeonwoo: "Ji-Woong never changes... Everything's for money, huh?"

The noise of the brutal battle faded as they ran, but the memory of Jin Na standing bloodied, broken, and still fighting burned itself into Hyeonwoo's mind. Even in the distance, the sickening thud of fists and the splatter of blood rang in their ears, a reminder of the carnage they had barely escaped from.