Kai sprinted toward the source of the scream, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
As he turned into a narrow alleyway, he spotted a group of ten thugs surrounding a woman.
She had blonde hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves, and she looked to be in her mid-30s, maybe early 40s. Fear was written all over her face as she struggled against the men leering at her.
"Hey!" Kai's voice boomed through the alley. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
The thugs all turned toward him, scowling at the interruption.
One of them, a burly man with a jagged scar across his cheek, stepped forward. "Mind your own business, kid, before you get hurt."
Kai clenched his fists, his blood boiling.
"Then make me shut up." Scarface grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Cocky little bastard, ain't ya? Fine, I'll teach you a lesson."
The big thug lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch straight at Kai's face. But in that instant, everything slowed down.
Kai could see the thug's fist moving sluggishly, as if time had momentarily lost its grip.
So this is what Chronos meant by a power-up…
Kai smirked, easily ducking under the punch. His body moved fluidly, his instincts sharpened beyond normal human limits. As soon as he dodged, he countered with a devastating liver punch.
His knuckles slammed into Scarface's side with brutal precision.
The thug's eyes widened in shock before his body crumpled to the ground like a sack of bricks, knocked out cold.
Kai shook his hand, rolling his shoulder. "Is that it?"
The other nine thugs exchanged glances before rage overtook their hesitation. "You little shit! Get him!"
They all rushed him at once. Kai dropped into his boxing stance, his feet light and ready to maneuver. The first thug swung at him, but Kai easily weaved out of the way and delivered a sharp counter straight to the jaw, sending the man flying into the alley wall.
Another came at him from the side with a wooden club, but Kai ducked under the swing, pivoted on his heel, and delivered a crushing hook to the ribs.
The man collapsed, gasping for air.
A third opponent aimed a kick at Kai's stomach, but Kai caught the leg mid-air and twisted, flipping the man onto the cobblestone ground. He then stomped on his chest, ensuring he stayed down.
Two more charged in unison. Kai bobbed and weaved between their clumsy punches before launching a devastating one-two combo, sending them sprawling onto the ground.
Blood trickled from their lips as they groaned in pain.The remaining four hesitated, suddenly realizing they were outmatched. Kai wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and grinned.
"What's wrong? You guys were so confident a second ago."
Enraged, the last thug attempted a sneak attack from behind, but Kai twisted just in time, using a brutal spinning back fist that sent the man spinning through the air.
The final three, seeing their comrades in shambles, took one last look at Kai before turning tail and sprinting away in terror.
Kai exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he surveyed the unconscious bodies strewn across the alley.
A few small scratches marked his arms, but he was otherwise fine. Just as he caught his breath, Zac came running up, panting heavily.
"Kai—" Zac doubled over, hands on his knees, catching his breath.
"What… what the hell happened here?!" Kai smirked, jerking a thumb at the pile of groaning thugs.
"Nothing much. Just some lowlifes who needed an attitude adjustment."
The woman they had been harassing stepped forward, her hands clasped in gratitude. "Thank you so much for saving me," she said warmly.
"My name is Sophia." Kai gave her a casual nod. "No problem. You okay?"
Sophia smiled. "Thanks to you, yes. But you're injured. Let me heal you."
She raised her hand, and suddenly, tiny specks of light surrounded Kai's body.
A warm sensation spread through him as the golden particles danced around his wounds, mending them instantly. Not only that, but he felt a rush of energy as if he had just woken up from the best nap of his life.
Kai blinked in surprise. "What was that?!"
Sophia chuckled. "Healing magic. Now, come with me. I'd like to properly repay you for your kindness."
Zac and Kai exchanged a glance before nodding. They followed Sophia through the winding streets until they arrived at a familiar inn.
Kai scratched his head. "Wait a second… isn't this—?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the front door burst open, and a familiar voice called out. "Sophia!" Merla, the owner of the inn, ran out and embraced her tightly. "Where have you been?!"
Sophia laughed. "I ran into some trouble, but these boys saved me."
Merla turned to Kai and Zac, eyes widening. "You two saved my sister?!"
Kai and Zac were equally shocked. "Wait—you two are sisters?!"
Merla nodded. "Yes, Sophia is my younger sister."
Sophia smiled at them warmly. "I was lucky they were there."
Merla turned to the brothers, her expression softening. "You two have done so much already. From now on, you don't have to worry about paying for your stay.
You can live here as long as you want, free of charge." Both Kai and Zac were taken aback. They bowed slightly in appreciation.
"Thank you so much," Zac said sincerely.
Kai, for once, held back his usual cocky attitude and nodded gratefully.
"Yeah, thanks." Merla crossed her arms, a teasing smile on her lips. "But if you're going to keep picking fights in my city, at least try not to wreck my alleyways."
Kai chuckled. "No promises."
Sophia and Merla both laughed, and for the first time since arriving in this strange world, Kai and Zac felt a little more at home.