24.Long -Legged Storm

Ruby looked toward Moon.

Her expression shifted slightly… confusion? Doubt?

She turned to Kai, her voice quiet but sharp.

"Is this a joke?"

Before Kai could reply, James gently stepped forward.

"Sister Ruby… please calm down. Just give it a try. One fight. That's all."

Ruby closed her eyes for a second, took a breath, and then nodded.

Since childhood, she had been taught one thing — speak less with the mouth, more with the hands.

---

Five minutes passed.

Moon was on the far side of the training ground, stretching his shoulders and arms slowly. Focused. Calm.

Ruby, however, stood in place. No warm-up. No hesitation.

Kai watched them both and asked, "Do you want to fight with weapons or hand-to-hand?"

Ruby smirked, brushing her hair back with a casual flick.

"Either's fine. Come however you want."

Moon gave a small smile. "Then let's go hand-to-hand."

He didn't underestimate her. Not even a little.

The moment he stepped forward, his posture changed. Sharp, clean, grounded. His eyes narrowed. The air around him grew heavier.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished—

And reappeared right in front of Ruby, aiming a spinning kick directly at her face—

But Ruby's hand moved instantly.

With perfect timing, she caught his leg—not just caught it, locked it—between her wrist and shoulder.

Moon's eyes widened slightly. What?

Before he could react, Ruby twisted. Her grip tightened like a vice.

With a flash, she teleported.

SLAM!

Moon's back hit the wall hard—

And before he could hit the ground, Ruby grabbed him mid-air and slammed him again onto the floor.

She raised her fist for a knockout blow.

But suddenly—

Moon vanished.

"Behind?" she whispered.

He was already behind her.

Moon's arm wrapped around her waist tightly—

And in the next moment, he head-slammed her into the floor.

She hadn't expected that.

Ruby gritted her teeth and quickly locked her legs around his waist in a choke position.

Moon stepped back and broke free.

But Ruby was already on the offensive.

She threw a flurry of punches toward his face and chest—

Moon shifted into a boxing stance, his arms close, his footwork smooth. He dodged them all. One punch snuck through—

CRACK!

A clean hit to Ruby's jaw.

Her head jerked.

Her vision swayed slightly.

Anger rose.

She retaliated with a swift kick straight to Moon's face.

BANG!

It connected.

Hard.

His mind blanked for a second.

And then—

Barrage.

Kick after kick after kick landed across Moon's body like a storm.

He fell back, breathless, onto the floor.

Ruby stood, her breathing slightly heavy. She turned to look at Kai and James.

Her expression said: Is this what you wanted to test?

But as her eyes met Kai's calm smile—

And James' stern, unreadable gaze—

Something clicked.

She realized she had let her guard down.

Too late.

Suddenly—

She felt a strange pressure on her shoulder.

She looked—

Moon was sitting on her shoulder.

Playfully.

Grinning widely. Too widely.

The kind of grin that could scare even the devil himself.

"You're quite skilled…" he said, voice low and cold,

"…long-legged bitch."

Before Ruby could react—

He twisted his body unnaturally mid-air, like a spinning hinge—

And slammed her into the ground with all his weight.

Blood trickled from Ruby's mouth.

From her nose.

Even her eyes.

As she hit the ground, Moon didn't stop.

He started kicking her—

The exact same barrage she had used on him.

Kick. After. Kick.

Ruby quickly covered herself. She blocked the next incoming strike—

And in that instant, a small smile spread across her bruised face.

This is the real fight, she thought.

She looked up—

Moon's expression had changed. The grin had stretched. Twisted.

He started laughing.

Not a normal laugh.

A mad one.

A laugh that echoed across the empty hall.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"

Before she could react, Moon dislocated his own ankle—just to twist into a better angle—

And landed a brutal, sharp kick to her face.

BOOM.

Ruby flew into a wall.

She dropped to the ground, coughing blood. Dazed.

But as her blurry vision cleared—

Moon was standing right in front of her.

Still laughing.

"You dared to underestimate me, long-legged bitch."

He threw another punch.

She dodged by the width of a single hair.

And then—

She activated something.

A secret technique.

Moon noticed it.

He saw the change.

But didn't move.

Didn't dodge.

Didn't counter.

He waited for the hit to land—

And when it did—

He laughed harder.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA— I expected more from this!!"

Ruby growled and grabbed his legs.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

Over and over, she slammed him into the ground like he was nothing but a rag doll.

Like Hulk throwing Loki.

Kai watched quietly.

That version of Moon, the one filled with pain and madness…

Kai had given it a name.

"Maniacal Moon."

It wasn't the same person anymore.

Even Ruby noticed.

"This isn't the same Moon…"

She got serious.

Moon got faster.

He rushed her again with wild punches—

Ruby ducked. Slipped. Blocked.

And this time—

She hit back.

Fast, precise kicks. Punches that made him stagger.

Moon just laughed louder.

"HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You're strong, long legs," he whispered, voice hoarse, "but I'm no weakling either."

Suddenly—

A clean punch hit her lower jaw. CRACK.

Everything went dark for a second.

But she didn't fall.

She clenched her fists tighter.

Moon vanished again—

He reappeared behind her.

This time he grabbed her hipbones(not around hipbones but hipbones)—

It was an Advanced Ssireum wrestling grip only learned in the Alhuwalia clan.

Ruby's eyes widened.

Even Kai's face changed.

Moon tried to slam her again—

But before the move completed, Ruby twisted—

And struck his neck from behind with a precise hand-blade.

Moon froze.

Then fell—

Unconscious.

---

Ruby stepped back, chest rising and falling.

She bowed to Kai deeply.

"…I'm sorry for underestimating your brother," she said. "I… nearly got knocked out by him."

Kai simply smiled. "You handled it well."

---

Fifteen minutes later.

Moon's eyes slowly opened.

He blinked.

His head ached a little.

Everyone was standing around him, watching silently.

He sat up.

"…Hmm. Alright. I guess we should check Minji next."

Kai shook his head.

"I've already checked her. And I've come up with a plan too."

Moon nodded slowly.

Then he turned to Ruby.

He stepped forward—

And bowed deeply.

"…I'm sorry," he said, voice quiet. "I couldn't control myself."

Without waiting for a reply, he walked away.

Straight to his room.

And collapsed onto his bed.

Asleep.

---

To be continued…