Charles twisted and rotated his legs, kicking toward Baki's head.
Baki tilted his head and the kick passed by. The second kick came from the opposite angle and caught him in the eye.
Baki clutched his eye, grabbed Charles by the body, and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
A crater split open beneath him. Charles rolled away and stood up.
Baki lowered his hand. His left eye had gone blood red. Charles moved immediately for the blind spot. Baki dodged and his punch connected with Charles's leg, and Charles's body flew backward and crashed through the wooden wall.
CRACK!
Planks and splinters scattered across the muddy ground outside. Charles rolled and stopped near a tree, then pushed himself up and wiped blood from his mouth.
Baki stepped through the hole in the wall. His blood-red eye gleamed in the dark.
"Impressive," Charles said, "but you'll need more than that."
He rushed forward and slipped behind Baki at the last moment, kicking toward the back of his skull. Baki had already turned his back deliberately. He spun and his heel connected with Charles's temple.
Charles stumbled but recovered immediately. Baki closed the distance and brought his elbow down on Charles's shoulder. A shockwave ran through Charles's body and he used the momentum to spin away. He rolled his shoulder and tested it.
"You and I have no enmity," Charles said, circling to Baki's left. He kicked toward the damaged eye. "There's no reason for you to fight me."
Baki tilted his head and the kick grazed past. "Who are you to decide we have no enmity?"
Charles had already anticipated the dodge. His other leg came around in a wide arc and slammed into Baki's damaged eye socket.
CRACK!
Blood sprayed and Baki's head snapped to the side. Charles landed smoothly and kicked the back of his head, then vanished from sight. He struck the back of the knee, the lower spine, and the base of the skull in rapid succession.
Baki's legs buckled slightly. Blood ran down his face.
Baki leaped into the air and flipped forward, his leg coming down like a guillotine. Charles threw himself backward and the kick hit the ground where he had been standing.
BOOM!
A crater exploded outward and the shockwave knocked Charles off balance. Baki's knee caught him in the ribs before he could recover and Charles's body lifted off the ground and flew backward through a wooden fence.
CRASH!
Charles stood up slowly. Several ribs ground together with each breath. "You're strong. Why don't you live a prosperous life as my bodyguard?"
Baki laughed as he walked forward, blood still dripping from his damaged eye. "That's the best joke I've heard in a while."
Charles waited until Baki entered range. "I'm not joking."
He blurred and attacked from three different angles in rapid succession, targeting the blind spot. Kicks landed against Baki's head, neck, and spine before Baki could react. Blood flew from Baki's mouth. Charles circled at high speed and kept striking the back of the head, the spine, and the kidneys.
Baki stopped trying to track him. His leg shot upward in a vertical arc and his body rose with the momentum, and the kick caught Charles's chest and broke several ribs. Charles lifted off his feet, spun in the air, and crashed into a tree.
CRACK!
The trunk split halfway through. Charles slid down and coughed blood, then stood. His movements were slightly slower but still controlled. He spat onto the ground.
"Not bad. My offer still stands."
Baki approached. Charles feinted left and attacked from the right. Baki's hands shot up and caught his leg mid-strike. He spun and used the momentum against him, then brought both elbows down in a brutal double strike and Charles hit the ground face-first.
BOOM!
The earth cratered beneath him. He rolled immediately and Baki's foot came down where his head had been, leaving another crater.
"I don't fucking care about your bullshit!" Baki said, each word landing as he moved.
Charles used the roll to create distance. His body was breaking down. Multiple broken ribs, internal damage, and his amputated arm throwing off his balance with every step.
He moved in again and targeted the damaged eye, the spine, the base of the skull. He reappeared behind Baki and kicked the back of his head. Baki's head jerked forward and Charles was already on the opposite side, kicking the damaged eye. Blood sprayed and Baki stumbled.
Charles went low for the knee. Baki's kick came up faster and met the attack head-on.
CRACK!
Baki's shin connected with Charles's leg and the bone gave. Charles felt it but kept his weight on his good leg, his face staying flat. Baki kicked twice in rapid succession and caught his head and neck. Charles's jaw dislocated and blood filled his mouth. He staggered but didn't fall, then reached up and popped his jaw back into place.
"You're good. Better than I expected."
"You talk too much," Baki said.
"Do I? I'm merely stating the truth."
Charles moved again and attacked from Baki's blind side. A kick connected with the damaged temple and blood sprayed across the ground. Three more kicks hit the same spot in quick succession and Baki stumbled backward, his vision blurring.
Charles pressed forward despite everything that was broken in him.
Baki's foot scraped the ground as he spun and the kick came low and fast, catching Charles's injured leg at the knee. The leg gave out completely and Charles dropped to one knee. Baki moved behind him, hooked his arm down, and a spinning kick came around tight and connected with his ribs.
CRACK!
Multiple bones shattered. Charles felt something give internally and collapsed forward onto his hands.
Blood poured from his mouth. He looked up at Baki with a calm expression. "What a waste of potential. You're making a mistake."
"I don't think I need a lecture from someone who's about to die," Baki said.
"Is that so?" Charles laughed and blood came up with it. "My empire will continue. Killing me changes nothing."
"Maybe," Baki said. "But you'll still be dead."
Charles nodded slowly. "True."
Baki flipped backward and his leg arced up and caught Charles under the chin. Charles's body lifted off the ground and landed in a heap. Baki walked over, balanced on one leg, and brought his other leg down on Charles's spine.
Charles looked up at him. "You don't want to kill me now?"
Baki crouched beside him. "I forgot to ask. Any last words?"
Charles thought for a moment as blood spread across the ground beneath him. "No. Words are meaningless now."
Baki stood. Rain started to fall.
His leg swung around and the kick struck Charles's head and his vision shattered. Another kick collapsed his chest. Baki jumped and came down with both feet, then followed with a single downward kick from high above that drove into Charles's lower body.
Through his fading vision, Charles saw Baki's silhouette above him in the rain.
A knee came down toward his head. Everything went white.
Charles's last thought was calm. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
Baki grabbed him by the collar and lifted his body off the ground, then cocked his fist back and drove it into Charles's face in a corkscrew motion. Charles's body spun completely and hit the ground.
CRACK!
Baki turned his back, then spun one hundred and eighty degrees and whipped his leg around. The kick caught Charles's head, and the second kick followed immediately with the other leg. Charles's body rolled across the ground and came to rest in the wreckage of the fence.
Baki stood over him as rain washed the blood from his face. "I don't feel satisfied for some reason."
From a distance, a man with pink hair watched the whole thing. He held the original copies of all evidence he had retrieved from Jichang's house. When the rain picked up he got on his bike, and as he pulled away he smiled slightly. "Interesting."