Chapter 16: Mid-Air Takedown

He lunged at Morgan again, a rage-fueled attack. Katon, about to assist Morgan, was startled by Warren, who had suddenly risen and swung his sword toward Katon, who was about to cross the aisle to Morgan. 

"Ah! Shit!" Katon yelled, the blade whistling past his face, nearly slicing his nose. Luckily, Katon pulled back just in time. 

Warren gave Katon no respite. His sword flashed up again, and Katon parried with his own blade. Warren dragged his blade down and then slashed upward again. Katon parried once more. The two swords clashed repeatedly. 

Katon was under a relentless barrage, and he quickly assessed Warren. He was crazy and sadistic but lacked any martial arts skill. His movements were random and reckless. Katon needed to end this quickly and help Morgan. Katon retreated and tossed his sword out of everyone's reach. 

"Hahaha... you give up? You want me to slice you up? Come here, pretty boy, play with Uncle." Warren's words were laced with mocking laughter. Katon adopted a fighting stance and began to utilize his karate skills. 

Warren laughed gleefully and charged forward, swinging his sword. Instead of backing away, Katon moved forward as well. Stella screamed in terror, seeing Katon fight barehanded against a sword-wielding Warren. 

Katon never acted without calculating his moves. 

As Warren swung his sword to slash at Katon, the man expertly dodged the blow and hooked the inside of Warren's sword-wielding elbow with his own. He grabbed Warren's wrist to control the sword, then twisted his arm. This forced Warren's arm and hand, still holding the sword, to twist behind his back. Katon slipped his shoulder under Warren's armpit and slammed him to the ground. The sword changed hands as Warren crashed onto the cabin floor, groaning loudly. 

Katon flipped the sword in his hand and slammed the hilt into Warren's prone nose. One. Two. Three. With full force. 

Katon didn't stop even as blood gushed from Warren's nose. He only stopped when Warren lost consciousness. 

Seeing Warren neutralized, Katon charged toward the boss hijacker to aid Morgan. He felt more comfortable fighting barehanded, so he discarded the stolen sword. 

They fought two against one in the cramped space. Morgan repeatedly bumped into the seat edges, making it difficult to subdue the boss hijacker. Katon's arrival was a huge help. Soon, the boss hijacker was overwhelmed. 

Katon stepped onto a seat and launched a flying kick at the boss hijacker's head. The burly man stumbled backward. Morgan wrapped his arm around the boss hijacker's neck, trapping him, and Katon moved in to pummel the man's chest and stomach. 

Outnumbered, the boss hijacker was helpless and fell to his knees, still trapped by Morgan's arm. Katon quickly removed his belt and tied the boss hijacker's hands. 

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to squirt your belt and turn it into a sword too, Ton!" Morgan said, panting. Katon, still busy tying the boss hijacker's hands, couldn't suppress a smile. 

"What kind of weapon is that? Damn, the world's getting weirder." Morgan muttered to himself. 

"It exists, Sir. There's a special material that's flexible but hardens quickly when exposed to liquid. Not metal. Ah, I don't really understand the material." One of Teguh Putra's bodyguards had regained consciousness and intended to join the fight. However, it was too late. Now he stood, holding onto a seat, answering Morgan. Katon finished tying the boss hijacker and stood up straight. 

"Morg, talk to Katherine and Edward, see if they've contacted the cockpit. You, help your friend, man. And return to your boss." Katon gave orders to Teguh Putra's bodyguard and Morgan, who turned and headed toward the crew area, wiping blood from his face. 

"A month with you, and I'm bleeding dry, Ton!" he grumbled. 

"Who asked you to come to Jakarta?" Katon retorted, approaching Stella. "Are you okay, Stella?" he asked. Stella, who had been wringing her hands in front of her chest, nodded, her face pale. She leaned weakly against the cabin wall. 

"Sit down, Miss. It's all over. Calm down," Katon reassured her, guiding Stella to a passenger seat to calm her down. Stella's eyes were fixed on the unconscious boss hijacker, his hands bound with Katon's belt. 

After Stella sat down, Katon looked back and saw that Teguh Putra's other bodyguard had also restrained the still-unconscious Warren. Morgan returned to first class with Edward. However, Edward continued toward the cockpit. 

"How is it?" Katon asked. 

"Okay. Katherine's okay. Edward reported through the intercom and is now reporting directly. You, in such a short time, managed to get acquainted with Katherine and Edward? Amazing..." 

"Name tag, Morg," Katon whispered. 

"Oh!" 

Teguh Putra, who had been tense and worried during the fight, approached Katon and Morgan. Thanking them in a low voice, he handed them his business cards. 

"Thank you, both of you. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to fight them," he said, genuinely grateful. 

"I just followed him, Sir. Katon was the one who acted bravely by deciding to fight," Morgan said, since Katon was silent, busy examining the business card. Teguh Putra smiled wisely and patted Morgan's shoulder. 

"You're both equally valuable." 

"Mr. Teguh Putra, owner of the Cempaka mine in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan? Nice to meet you, Sir." Katon said, extending his hand. Morgan's eyebrows rose. 

A diamond mine owner? No wonder he was a target for hijackers. And no wonder Katon suddenly became friendly. Katon's father also owned a diamond mine in South Africa! 

The plane landed safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. In the hangar area, many police cars and ambulances were ready for the worst. But thanks to Katon and Morgan, there were no casualties among the passengers. Except for Katon and Morgan themselves. 

As soon as the plane landed and came to a complete stop, all ground personnel were on standby. Medical personnel, accompanied by airport security and police, boarded the plane to apprehend the perpetrators and evacuate the hijackers' bodies. Katon and Morgan remained in first class and received first aid for their fight wounds, along with Teguh Putra's two bodyguards, while answering questions from airport authorities and the police.