Chapter 57: Speed

The tension in the plaza escalated as Jin adjusted his stance, his body gradually adapting to the smaller frame. The ache from Mu-Jin's earlier kicks still lingered, but his movements were becoming sharper. Every strike, every counter, was refining his sense of distance, timing, and range.

Mu-Jin, hands still tucked in his pockets, observed the shift with a keen eye. "You're adjusting faster than I expected." he commented, exhaling a stream of smoke. "Most kids your age would've folded by now."

Jin cracked his neck. "Good thing I'm not most kids."

Without hesitation, he launched forward, his footwork fluid as he closed the distance. Mu-Jin's posture remained relaxed, but his foot flicked up the moment Jin entered his range, aiming for a rapid low kick to disrupt his approach.

This time, Jin was ready.

He twisted his hips mid-step, narrowly avoiding the kick while stepping deeper into Mu-Jin's guard. His elbow shot out, targeting the officer's ribs. Mu-Jin barely leaned back in time to avoid the strike, but before he could reset his stance, Jin's knee surged upward, aiming for his liver.

Mu-Jin grinned, impressed, and pivoted his standing leg, lifting his other foot for a side kick meant to knock Jin away. But Jin had anticipated it, his hand shot out, gripping Mu-Jin's shin before twisting his body, attempting to unbalance him.

Mu-Jin reacted instantly. Instead of resisting, he used the force to push off the ground, flipping mid-air and snapping his other foot down toward Jin's head in a textbook Taekwondo axe kick.

Jin managed to raise his arm to block as the impact sent a shockwave through his bones. His feet skidded back across the pavement, but he stayed upright.

The gathered crowd gasped. Some bystanders whispered in disbelief.

"That kid's actually keeping up…"

"Who the hell is he?"

Mu-Jin chuckled as he landed, shaking his leg as if testing it. "You're good, kid. If you were born in my era, you would've made a name for yourself in no time."

Jin narrowed his eyes at the statement. "What were you? Part of some gang or organization?"

Mu-Jin's expression darkened slightly. His foot lifted off the ground, a faint blue glow beginning to flicker around his leg.

Then!

BOOM!

The air itself trembled as Mu-Jin's kick struck Jin's abdomen, generating a powerful shockwave that blasted dust and debris outward. Jin's eyes widened as his body was hurled back, crashing through a stone bench before skidding to a stop against the pavement.

Mu-Jin stood still, the blue energy fading from his leg as he adjusted his jacket. "Don't lump me in with those criminals." he said in his firm tone. "I am a lawful officer and i've always been." He sighed, rolling his shoulder. "In my youth, I fought against the troublemakers of the 0th Generation… but it wasn't enough to stop those monsters."

Jin coughed as he pushed himself up, wiping a trail of blood from his mouth. "That kick was pretty fast." he muttered.

His mind replayed the moment, analyzing what he had seen, or rather, what he hadn't seen.

'That color…' Jin's eyes narrowed. 'Speed Mastery.'

It was so fast he couldn't even register the moment of impact.

Mu-Jin watched him with an amused glint in his eye. "You're just a kid, after all. You're not even near the peak of the 1st Generation, let alone the 0th."

Then, in an instant, he was gone.

A light blue streak flashed across the battlefield as Mu-Jin moved, his form barely visible as he closed the distance with another devastating kick aimed at Jin's head.

But-

SMASH!

Mu-Jin's head suddenly snapped to the side, his brain rattling in his skull. His vision blurred for a fraction of a second as his body staggered, trying to process what had just happened.

He had clearly just seen Jin leg in front of him, then, suddenly, he lost track of the kick. The next thing he knew, a powerful impact struck his temple.

Jin stood a few feet away, his leg lowering from a perfect mid-air kick.

'That wasn't just speed… I lost track of his attack.' Mu-Jin's thoughts raced as he felt the sting on his temple. 'No… that isn't mastery, so what is it?'

Jin's gaze was sharp, his mana flowing subtly around him.

He had just used Blind Spot Strike with mana.

....

Mu-Jin steadied himself, his head still ringing from the unexpected strike. His instincts told him, Jin's movements weren't normal. His attack wasn't necessarily faster, yet it managed to slip past Mu-Jin senses.

Jin didn't give him time to think.

He lunged forward, his footwork calculated, and threw a sharp right jab aimed at Mu-Jin's ribs. The officer twisted his body to evade, his mind already predicting Jin's next movement. But the moment he adjusted, Jin's left fist blurred out of existence.

Mu-Jin's vision wavered for a split second before-

BAM!

His shoulder jerked back as Jin's punch landed cleanly against his collarbone. It wasn't an overwhelming blow, but the fact that it landed at all made Mu-Jin's brows furrow.

'What the hell was that?'

Before he could regain his footing, Jin pivoted smoothly, shifting his weight into a spinning heel kick.

Mu-Jin saw it, he read the motion and prepared to counter.

But then, just before impact-

It vanished.

His brain lost track of the incoming attack, and in the next instant..

SMASH!

His forearm shot up just in time to block, but the force sent him sliding back across the pavement. His body adjusted automatically, but his mind was still catching up.

'The speed of his attacks isn't changing i know... but why? for some reason, I lose track of them at the last second…'

Mu-Jin exhaled through his nose, shaking off the impact. "That's not normal." He locked eyes with Jin. "What kind of trick are you pulling?"

Jin didn't answer. His focus was entirely on Mu-Jin's footwork, his breathing, the subtle shifts in his weight.

Because no matter how skilled he was, he couldn't see Mu-Jin's movements clearly. The officer's Speed Mastery outclassed him entirely. The moment he relied on reaction speed alone, he would lose.

So he didn't rely on it.

Jin planted his feet, anticipating the trajectory of Mu-Jin's next attack. His mind sharpened. He wasn't tracking the man's movements, he was predicting them.

Mu-Jin shot forward again, his foot whipping up in a classic Taekwondo roundhouse kick aimed at Jin's ribs.

Jin moved before the kick even launched, activating Blind Spot Strike mid-step.

Mu-Jin's mind faltered just before the impact. The image of Jin blurred, his movement unreadable, and-

BAM!

A sharp elbow struck his ribs. The blow was precise, digging into the soft tissue between the lower ribs. Mu-Jin gritted his teeth, but before he could retaliate, Jin's knee snapped upward.

Again, he lost track of it.

THUD!

Jin's knee collided with Mu-Jin's sternum, knocking the air from his lungs. The officer staggered back slightly with his expression darkening.

'What the hell is this?'

He wasn't just being outmaneuvered, his mind was actively failing to keep up with Jin's attacks. It was unnatural.

Jin didn't let up. He surged forward, this time throwing a series of rapid punches toward Mu-Jin's throat, joints and liver, forcing him to stay on the defensive.

Mu-Jin deflected one strike, only to lose sight of the next. A sharp jab connected with his jaw. Another kick struck the inside of his thigh, nearly buckling his stance.

The crowd murmured in disbelief.

"He's pressuring Mr. Mu-Jin…?!"

"That officer's been kicking him around this whole time, but now..."

Mu-Jin wiped his lip with the back of his hand, exhaling deeply. His gaze sharpened as he analyzed Jin's movements.

'It's not hypnosis. It's not speed. My eyes see his attacks, but my brain fails to register them before they land.'

He took a step forward, then abruptly stopped.

Jin's eyes flickered slightly at the feint, and Mu-Jin caught it instantly.

'He's waiting for me to move. Predicting instead of reacting.'

A grin formed on Mu-Jin's lips. "That's a dangerous habit, kid."

Jin barely had time to process the words before-

Mu-Jin vanished.

A light blue streak flashed across the battlefield as he moved with full Speed Mastery.

Jin's body tensed, his brain scrambled to predict the next attack.

Then...

BOOM!

A brutal roundhouse kick smashed into the side of Jin's head, the sheer impact sending his body spiraling through the air. His vision blurred as the world tilted violently.

The moment his back hit the pavement, a shadow loomed over him.

Mu-Jin's foot was already raised high above his head.

"Not bad, Jin." the officer murmured. "You actually made me use my full speed."

Jin's dazed vision caught the brighter blue glow around Mu-Jin's leg, before the axe kick came crashing down.

----

I think this made you all understand Jin scaling a bit.

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