[3rd POV]

'What is this feeling in my chest?' Eli Jang asked himself as he gazed upon his enemy.

Was it because of the mask? Was it because of the mystery? Was it because of the trashing that he just went through? Or was it because of the fact that he could feel his enemy smiling even with the mask on?

Eli was not sure, but he was too preoccupied at the moment to find out. 

He looked at his opponent, a man wearing a nice suit along with a white smiling mask and a hat. Eli could see that his opponent had a perfect muscular body even through the suit.

But the most important thing was the aura around his opponent. He was strong.

Eli activated his animal instincts as he felt his entire being become more beast than a man. His green eyes let out an eerie glow as he gazed upon his opponent, his prey.

The feeling inside his chest intensified. But he pushed it down.

Then they blasted towards each other, Eli sprinted at his opponent and when they were about to meet in the middle, he went down on the ground and slid between his opponent's legs.

He balled his hand into a fist as he tired to smash his opponent's balls. There were no rules in the wild, and his animal instinct told him that this was a weak spot.

Yet Yuito jumped up and Eli missed his shot. He continued sliding until he reached the place where the flying pan was laying. He took it up and then shot towards Yuito again.

This time, both threw an attack. Yuito launched a punch and Eli used the metal frying pan to hit the knuckles of Yuito's incoming fist, determined to break his hand.

It was a natural conclusion is it not? If metal and bones were to clash, human bone would break.

Well, not this time.

*BONG!!*

Eli was taken aback when he saw the fist mark on his frying pan. The sound of bone cracking or snapping was not heard as human flesh bend metal.

Huh, it seemed he would have to asses his opponent better. 

Eli ducked under a fast hook that came flying from his right. He was beding down so although he dodged the hook, he was met with a destructive knee from Yuito.

Eli's eyes widened as he saw the huge knee coming at him. The world slowed down as Eli gave in to the animal instincts.

Eli quickly brought up his frying pan and used the end of the handle to hit the patellar tendon under Yuito's kneecap.

"!!!" Yuito was surprised as the knee-jerk reflex kicked in. His knee attack, turned into a kick, throwing the trajectory of his attack completely off so he missed Eli's face.

Eli moved swiftly and grabbed Yuito's other leg. Since he was only standing with one leg it was easy for Eli to pull him off balance.

Yuito used his arms to catch himself and the moment he did that, Eli used his frying pan and swung at him, aiming for his extended elbow.

Coupled with his animal instinct and his high IQ, Eli was a lethal fighter who fought his enemies ruthlessly. He only aimed to break his enemy or kill them. That was why he had the most kill counts of all of the fighters in central Seoul.

Yuito quickly moved his arm but that caused him to to fall on his back as he was unable to maintain balance with one arm.

Eli was quick to take that chance as he brought his frying pan up and ready to smash at his opponent mercilessly. Yuito raised his arms to protect himself but that only made Eli adjust his grip on the frying pan.

Now, instead of the flat end, Eli used the shorter side of the frying pan. He then started smashing at Yuito who was blocking the attack with his forearm.

Or was it accurate to say blocking? Because Eli was aiming for his forearm, He used the edge side of the frying pan to try and break Yuito's forearm.

*Baam!*

*Baam!*

*Baam!*

Eli continued smashing Yuito mercilessly but the sound of bones snapping that he was waiting for never came. Instead, his frying pan broke first.

The main metal body fell off from the handle due to the constant beating. Eli threw away the handle and used his elbow to smash down at Yuito, aiming to cut open his face.

But this time, something changed.

Yuito caught his elbow and his tight grip send waves of panic down Elis spine. He imagined that he was being caught by a crocodile in a lake as his animal instinct roared at him to move away.

But all was for nought as in a show of supreme strength and Jiu-Jitsu expertise, Yuito popped his arm out of his elbow socket. 

With pain assaulting his mind, Eli used all of his strength to pull himself off his opponent and Yuito used that momentum to stand up from the ground.

They were both on their feet but Yuito was holding Eli by the eblows. No choice then, Eli thought before trying to bite Yutio's hand that was on his elbow.

A foolish mistake. 

'huh?' Eli's mind shook as he was suddenly upside down. Then before he could even find out what the heck was going on, his body was planted head-first on the ground.

He felt his skull crack and his neck bending in the wrong way. He had just experienced a more ruthless version of Tombstone piledriver.

He felt his whole body go limp as he fell to the ground. His back felt the cold floor and he was not sure if he could feel any other sensation.

His eyes were still wide open as the masked face of Yuito appeared inches from him, upside down. Eli could see the purple glow in his eyes.

It was then that Eli suddenly realized what the feeling in his chest was. It was an incredibly awkward time to find out but he knew what it was now.

It was fear.

It was not like your average fear of things but the most primal fear an animal could experience. The fear of a stronger beast, fear of the apex.

"Is that all? If it is then I am not impressed." He said and that lit a fire of anger and desperation in Eli as he felt the control over his body return.

Eli roared like a wild beast and grabbed Yuito's ears, but before he could tear the thing off, Yutio stood up.

Eli quickly got up and started attacking Yuito like a wild beast pushed near death. He used his nails as claw and pounce at his opponent but to no avail.

What was he fighting? It felt like he was fighting a ghost. He was afraid yet he couldn't touch or harm his enemy.

That made his fear grow.

The attack went on for some time before Yuito let out a sigh.

"Okay, I have seen enough."

Eli never saw the next attack coming. But he felt it in his bone, an attack, one of the most dangerous he had felt, probably on the level as Tom Lee.

--------

In an old and worn-out house, a child of eight years old was laughing with joy. But coupled with the continuous flow of tears and his desperate eyes, it made for a haunting sight.

He was crying in despair and laughing in joy.

He was wearing worn-out and torn clothes that barely hid his private parts as he hid behind a cupboard. He was shaking due to the sheer emotions he was feeling right now.

The kid was thin to the bone and although he was 8 years old, his body was only the size of a 6-year-old. There were also hints of bruises and abuse on his juvenile body.

"Boy!! Where are you~" A voice came from afar as the boy tried to hold back his laughter and crying. It was his mother

They were playing hide and seek, and if he made too much noise he would be easily found. He was having so much fun, he didn't want the game to end.

But alas, he could not hold back his crying mixed with laughter.

The sound of footsteps send a thrill of excitement and fear in the young boy. 

"Oh, there you are Eli!~" Her mother's voice sounded sweet but her grin was that of the vilest creature.

"Yes, Y-You found me mom." The boy, Eli said with the brightest smile he could show. Yet tears and snot never stopped following from his face.

That was until his mother kicked him on his face, she was wearing a high heel so it stab right through his cheek, causing blood to flow out as the boy writhed and laughed in pain.

"There you are you vermin. Hahahaha you can't hide from me!!!" She said with crazed eyes as she continued kicking the boy madly. The pointy tip of her high heel caused great damage to his underdeveloped body.

The boy continued laughing and crying madly as he bore the attacks. The excitement and terror were equal in his heart.

She continued kicking the boy until she was tired and after that, she stepped on the boy's ribs. Her pointy heel dug into his ribs, breaking it as she continued applying pressure.

"AHHHHHHAHHWAWAAHA!!!" The boy writhed and screamed in pain as the woman continued looking at him with glee. She took a swig of her alcohol and spat it at his face.

"Does it feel good? Does mommy's pampering feel good?" She said and twisted her foot, torturing the boy until she was satisfied.

After a long time, she took her feet off the trembling boy.

"Did you have fun?" She asked to which the boy said yes.

It was his favourite game. His favourite memory in his childhood was the time when he would play hide and seek like this. He had heard from other kids that they used to play this game with their mothers so Eli once asked his mother to play it together.

And they did, his mother teach her how the game goes and now it became his favourite game

He also liked the game because it was the only time his mother remembered his name and sought him out.

It was the only time she acknowledged his existence.

Although it hurt him, he liked that since he felt like they were having a real mother bonding time. Like how other kids play with their mother.

"Then go hide again, on the count of three I will come search for you." His mother said, prompting him to move away.

He was excited to play the game more.

He felt that his mother actually cared for him.

--------------

Eli opened his eyes as he looked at the ceiling.

"What was that?" He asked himself before looking around to find no one around. It seemed he had passed out from the attack.

And that dream just now, it was his life flashing before his eyes. When faced with death, his mind played the most precious memory he had of his childhood,

"I lost huh." He muttered to himself before trying to sit up. It hurt but he managed.

He checked his whole body for injuries but nothing life-threatening could be found. But then he felt something in his pocket.

He took it out and it was a piece of paper.

"No, a cheque." He said as he looked at it. His eyes widen at the many zeroes he saw.

...

...

...

It seemed, at least he impressed the monster in the end.

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