The underground base reeked of sweat, blood, and desperation.
Vali Yazumèi slammed his fists against the reinforced punching bag, each blow sending a sharp echo through the cavernous space. His knuckles were cracked and raw, but he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
Three months ago, during Alexandrov Grigorovich's assault, Vali had been utterly useless. Standing there, powerless, as chaos swallowed their world. He could still hear it — the explosions, the shouts, the mocking look on Alexandrov's face as Vali failed to even land a hit.
Pathetic.
Growling, he unleashed a savage combo, the bag swaying violently on its chain.
Around him, his loyal crew — a ragtag collection of Shark Gang bruisers and loyalists — watched in uneasy silence. They'd seen Vali angry before. But this… this was different.
This was fury barely leashed.
"This ain't healthy, boss," muttered Kento, one of his oldest guys. "You're gonna break your damn hands."
Vali didn't even glance at him.
"I need to be stronger," he hissed, sweat dripping from his chin. "Stronger than him."
A sharp beep cut through the air.
Another thug — skinny, jittery Miko — fumbled with his phone.
"Boss… we just got word," he said nervously. "Military hit Iron Jaw Mike's place last night. Took him in."
Vali paused, chest heaving.
"And?" he said coldly.
Miko swallowed hard.
"Uh... Kaz was seen there. Wearing a military uniform."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the bag exploded off its chain.
Vali's body ignited with blue-black energy, a burst of raw power shaking dust from the rafters.
"That little bastard," Vali snarled. "He thinks he's better than me? Running with the army?"
Without another word, Vali stormed out, leaving a trail of burnt footprints in his wake.
Hours later, Kaz returned home from another brutal training session with Ryusei, only to find a cheap burner phone sitting neatly on his doorstep.
The screen lit up with a single text:
"Freight yard. Midnight. Come alone."
Kaz sighed.
He knew exactly who it was from.
Vali never could handle being second.
Pocketing the phone, Kaz didn't even bother to tell anyone.
Some things had to be settled between brothers.
The old freight yard was a graveyard of rusted containers and broken dreams.
Moonlight bathed the cracked pavement in cold silver.
Kaz arrived first, clad in simple training clothes, black flames flickering softly along his arms.
Vali emerged from the shadows moments later — shirtless, scarred, fists wrapped tight. His aura burned brighter than Kaz had ever seen, a raging inferno of fury and pride.
"No teachers. No Dad. No backup," Vali growled. "Just us."
Kaz nodded silently.
The two circled each other, old tensions crackling in the air like a brewing thunderstorm.
The freight yard filled with a low, curling mist — pitch-black and suffocating.
Kaz narrowed his eyes.
"Vali's not coming at me straight this time."
Suddenly, a blow shot from the mist — Kaz barely twisted in time, feeling Vali's fist graze his ribs.
The dark fog thickened — vision dropped to inches.
Kaz closed his eyes, relying on his other senses.
Footsteps... shift of air... crackling of unstable flame.
Kaz ducked — Vali's kick passed through empty air.
Kaz grabbed Vali's ankle mid-move and hurled him through the mist — a loud crash as Vali smashed into a stack of metal barrels.
The mist writhed around Kaz, twisting into phantom arms trying to pull him down.
Vali's voice echoed, distorted:
"You think you're better than me now, Kaz?!"
Kaz flared his black flames outward — a pulse of heat ripping through the mist, thinning it briefly.
Through the haze, Vali appeared — arms coated in dark mist, claws of black energy extending from his hands. His body looked half-formed, part-shadow.
He lunged — a blur — claws slashing.
Kaz sidestepped the first strike but caught a shallow cut across his cheek from the second. Blood beaded instantly.
Kaz planted his feet, absorbed the momentum, and launched a fierce Muay Thai knee into Vali's gut.
Vali wheezed but countered by wrapping the mist around Kaz's ankle, trying to trip him — Kaz spun midair, flipping out of the trap with trained grace.
The two collided again — fists, knees, dark fire, mist, twisting and clashing like two storms meeting head-on.
Vali tried to disappear into the mist again — a common street brawler's feint.
Kaz, sharper now, closed his eyes completely, feeling with instinct.
The moment Vali's presence flickered just behind him, Kaz turned — delivering a brutal spinning elbow into Vali's jaw, snapping his head sideways. Before Vali could recover, Kaz seized his collar, igniting his hand with searing black flame —
"Ashen Surge!" he roared — the black fire exploded outward, shredding through the mist in a blast of raw force.
Vali was thrown backward, tumbling hard across the yard.
His dark mist shattered under the sheer weight of Kaz's power.
Panting, beaten, Vali pushed up onto his hands and knees. He tried to summon more mist — but only sparks came. His tank was empty.
Kaz walked forward, black flames swirling around him like a mantle.
He offered a hand down to Vali — not as a victor, but as a brother.
Vali hesitated... then slapped Kaz's hand away and forced himself upright lunging at kaz. Mid-swing, Kaz ducked under his haymaker, slammed his elbow into Vali's ribs, and swept his legs out from under him in one fluid motion.
Vali hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
Still, he rose.
Still, he charged.
Still, Kaz put him down again.
And again.
And again.
Until finally, Vali collapsed to his knees, exhausted, beaten. Kaz stood over him, breathing heavily but steady. "You're strong, Vali," Kaz said quietly. "But you're fighting the wrong battles."
Vali glared up at him, tears of frustration glinting in his eyes.
"I was supposed to protect us," he whispered. "Protect you."
Kaz knelt, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"You still can," he said. "But not by fighting me."
For a moment, the world was still.
Then, slow clapping echoed from the shadows.
Jamie Yazumèi stepped into the moonlight, grinning.
He'd been hiding, watching the whole time.
"You see, boys?" Jamie said loudly, looking around. "There's your real heir. There's the future of the Sharks."
All around the freight yard, Shark Gang members emerged — from behind crates, atop containers, out of the shadows. Dozens of them. Maybe a hundred.
Some looked confused. Some looked excited.
But not all were happy.
Among them, Sean's kids — Riko, Daiji, and Toma — pushed forward, scowling.
"You don't get to crown him leader without our say," Riko snapped. "We're Sean's blood!"
Jamie's grin didn't waver.
"And Kaz is Seamus's blood," he said. "The man who built the Sharks from nothing. The man who kept us alive."
Toma stepped up, voice sharp and cutting.
"Blood ain't enough," she said. "Strength matters. Smarts matter."
Vali staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth.
"You got a problem with Kaz?" he rasped, standing beside his brother. "You got a problem with me."
The tension rose like a coiled snake, ready to strike.
Dozens of Shark members shifted uneasily, fists tightening, powers crackling.
A single word could spark an all-out civil war.
Then —
"Enough."
The voice was calm. Powerful. Final.
Uncle Sean stepped into the freight yard, his presence silencing the mob like a thunderclap. Gray hair slicked back. Expensive suit immaculate. Eyes cold as steel.
He walked calmly between the two sides, hands behind his back, surveying the scene. "Kaz beat Vali fair and square," Sean said simply. "He's stronger. Smarter. He's earned respect."
"But—!" Toma started.
Sean's gaze cut her off.
"No buts," he said.
He turned to Kaz.
"You're Seamus's boy. My brother's son."
He paused.
"And now... you're the Sharks' future." Kaz felt the weight of the words settle on his shoulders like a mantle.
Heavy. Unforgiving. Inescapable.
Sean offered a faint, rare smile.
"Don't screw it up," he said. Around them, the gangsters began to cheer — a low, rising roar of approval.
Kaz didn't bask in it.
He didn't smile.
He just clenched his fists at his sides, black flames burning quietly against the night.
That night, as Kaz stood alone atop a stack of shipping containers, staring at the endless sprawl of the city, Vali joined him.
The two brothers stood in silence for a long time.
Finally, Vali spoke.
"You were always meant to lead," he said quietly. Kaz shook his head. "I never wanted this." Vali laughed bitterly. "Doesn't matter what you want. It's what we need."
He clapped Kaz on the back.
"And no matter what... I got your back." Kaz nodded, eyes hardening. Because deep down, he knew the truth.
The real war hadn't even started yet.
And this time, he'd be ready.