Chapter 6: A Knife's Edge

The older man closest to Katon roared, swinging his baseball bat viciously towards Katon's head. Katon, unable to spare a thought for Morgan's position, was forced to let his friend fight for himself. Katon threw his body aside to avoid the bat, simultaneously sweeping the attacker's legs.

The man crashed to the hard floor, cursing. Katon regained his footing and launched punches at the two men attacking from different sides. There was no time for karate moves; Katon instinctively resorted to street fighting, like Morgan often did.

Jabs and hooks rained down on his enemies, sending them sprawling. An uppercut slammed into one man's chin, hurling him into the kitchen counter, shattering the glasses above. With more room to maneuver, Katon reflexively unleashed his karate techniques.

Katon began with Oi-Zuki-Chudan, targeting his opponents' solar plexus and abdomen. It was more effective to disable them instantly while their hearts raced from attacking him. Katon's Oi-Zuki-Chudan sent his opponent flying, crashing into two overturned chairs, demolishing them. The man groaned, unable to rise.

Katon didn't see Morgan, only heard his equally ferocious fight. Some of his victims crashed into the Brooklyn Blend's furniture, destroying it. One man was thrown against the wall, shattering a glass display case.

A black-skinned man lunged at Katon, brandishing a knife. Katon swiftly unleashed a Kakato Geri. His leg shot straight up, an "axe kick" that descended towards the man's head, targeting his nose. Before the knife reached him, Katon's longer leg connected, sending the man reeling backward, unconscious.

From the Kakato Geri, Katon's leg didn't descend. Instead, it spun into a Mawashi Geri, striking the man behind him with the back of his foot, raised waist-high. The man tumbled backward, falling onto his companion. They cried out in pain and panic.

Just then, Katon felt a kick to his back, sending him crashing face-first into the corner of a tilted table. He tasted blood. Before being stomped, Katon rolled, sweeping his leg towards the attacker's chin. Katon spun, his instep connecting with the man's chin, snapping his head back.

Katon stood as his opponent lay bleeding, having bitten his own tongue. Katon's back hit something solid—Morgan's back.

They stood back-to-back, scanning the remaining enemies. Fists clenched. The Brooklyn Blend's central area was a wreck, chairs and tables scattered, some broken. Amidst the chaos, Katon and Morgan stood, surrounded by ten gangsters, each armed. Their bloodied faces made them even more menacing.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked, guarding Katon's back.

"Oh, come on, Morg. This is just a warm-up, buddy!" Katon scoffed, glaring at their opponents. He spat blood, as if it were nothing.

"HHEEAAAAA!!!!" The remaining gangsters charged, surrounding Katon and Morgan. Alice's scream was the last thing Katon heard before adrenaline surged through him.

He retaliated with hard jabs, Oi-Zuki-Jodan, and Tetsui-Uchi. Katon was a whirlwind of fury.

His Oi-Zuki-Jodan targeted heads, followed by a nose strike to disrupt breathing, then an elbow to the jaw. One enemy fell, and Katon moved on, combining hooks with his hammer-like Tetsui-Uchi.

Katon's fist resembled a "hammer hand," striking his enemies' jaws with the bottom of his fist.

Beside him, Morgan moved just as ferociously, his dark figure weaving, his fists landing relentlessly.

Right, left, right, left, sending their enemies reeling, clutching their noses, faces, and eyes, their bats flying.

"Katon!" Morgan yelled, spotting a man behind Katon, knife raised. Morgan elbowed a nearby enemy, grabbed a broken chair, and hurled it at the man. The chair hit its target, but Morgan was left momentarily exposed. A bat slammed into his shoulder, nearly his head.

"Akh! Fuck!" Morgan roared, grabbing the bat, pulling its wielder towards him. He seized the man's neck, cutting off his air, then brutally smashed his head against the man's. The man collapsed, dropping the bat.

"KATON!" Morgan yelled again, tossing the bat. Katon caught it, swinging it to repel three attackers. Up, down, right, left. They fell like autumn leaves.

Katon didn't stop, turning to aid Morgan. He leaped over an overturned table, expertly spinning the bat, striking his opponents' heads. One, two, three men fell. Nothing could stop Katon. He rushed towards Brad, still holding Alice.

Brad, however, wasn't fazed. He moved a hand, keeping Alice close. "Don't come closer, or she dies!" he snarled, pressing a knife to Alice's throat.

Katon, landing in front of Brad, froze. He saw Alice's pale face, afraid to move with the knife at her throat.

Morgan, having just downed his last opponent, also froze. Their faces showed the gravity of the situation. Seeing them still, Brad scanned the room, looking for an escape. He dragged Alice, the knife digging deeper, making her whimper.