Jacky cracked his knuckles. "So… this is the crew that thinks they can take me down?" His smirk was sharp, confident. He didn't wait for an answer.
He lunged first. Dojin met him head-on, forearms locking against Jacky's flurry of jabs. Taejun moved like water, weaving around Jacky's swings, delivering kicks aimed to destabilize. Jacky's eyes flickered, adjusting to the rhythm instantly, and countered with a spinning back fist that sent Dojin stumbling.
For a moment, the fight slowed — a glimpse for the reader:
Flashback — Hudson glazing Jacky Lee:
Jacky's strength wasn't just raw. Hudson had once tested him during a minor crew scuffle in Ansan. Jacky had swung with everything he had, fists capable of knocking down fighters of the same level, but Hudson had stood unmoved, a faint grin on his face. "You've got power," Hudson had said, "but you're predictable. Don't get cocky."
Back in the alley:
Jacky's first punch slammed into Taejun's ribs. Taejun gasped, twisting away, while Dojin was forced back several steps by a brutal uppercut. Jacky Lee was dominating — his precision and experience evident in every strike.
Another reader flashback appeared:
Flashback — Yujhae observing Dojin's strength:
Dojin's arms were carved like stone. He had lifted weights that would crush a normal man, blocked strikes that could have split most bones, and taken on three gang members at once without breaking rhythm. Against someone like Jacky Lee, Dojin's resilience and raw power were his best assets — but even they required coordination.
Back in the fight:
Taejun ducked under a haymaker, swinging low and connecting with Jacky's knee. Jacky snarled, pivoting on one leg to deliver a spinning back kick that struck Taejun's shoulder, sending him crashing into the wall. The new recruits froze, realizing the full threat Jacky posed — he was a High Crew / Mid Head-level elite operating at peak efficiency.
Dojin gritted his teeth, blood streaming from a split lip, and lunged with a coordinated strike. Taejun followed the rhythm, using Jacky's forward momentum against him. Their combined weight and timing began to shift the fight, if only slightly. Jacky staggered for a moment — a rare crack in his defense — before snapping back, delivering a counterpunch that flattened one of the new recruits against a dumpster.
Yujhae's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, guiding the team: "Keep moving! Work together! Jacky's strong, but he can be outmaneuvered!"
The alley became chaos incarnate — fists flying, kicks slamming, grunts, and the dull thud of concrete being struck. Jacky Lee's domination was evident, but the coordination of Dojin and Taejun began slowly tipping the balance. Every feint and synchronized attack chipped away at his advantage.
Jacky paused, breathing hard, glancing at the coordinated team. "Alright," he muttered through gritted teeth, "maybe… you're tougher than I thought."
Though they weren't fully winning yet, the first cracks had appeared in Jacky Lee's armor. The reader now understands the scale: this fight is intense, high-level, and strategic. The Phoenix security team is proving their worth, inching closer to challenging even elite fighters — but Jacky's dominance and experience still loom large.