Chapter 30: One Versus Seven (2)

The guy launched yet another punch, but this time, I decided to show him a thing or two. As his fist sailed towards me, I swiftly blocked it with a karate-style forearm move, redirecting his force to the side. His eyes widened in surprise as his punch missed its mark.

But I wasn't done yet. In a quick spin, I executed a low sweep kick, targeting his ankles. His legs got tangled up, and he lost his balance, stumbling awkwardly.

"Agh!"

He tried to regain his footing, but I made sure he stayed down by placing my foot on him.

I glanced at the other six onlookers. Their reactions were quite amusing, to be honest. Raising my hand, I signaled them to come at me.

"Heh." The leader sneered. "Seems like I underestimated you a bit. But seriously, do you really believe you can take on all of us?" He gestured grandly. "Sure, you know a bit of karate, but let's be real here – you've got a dorky build. You won't beat all of us!"

This guy just wasn't getting it, was he?

I removed my foot from the guy and allowed him to stand. He backed away from me.

I raised my hand and flipped them the middle finger. "Well, let's find out if that's true. But you know, if I fight each of you one by one, it'll take forever. I'd rather get back to enjoying my time with Chinatsu. We still have a date to finish, after all." I cracked my neck and started warming up. "So, why don't all of you come at me at once?"

The leader burst into laughter, a mocking tone in his voice. "Hahaha, you're a real comedian, you know that? You think you can take on all of us at the same time? This guy's got some guts!"

His laughter was infectious, and soon enough, his buddies joined in. Seven guys laughing together in an alley made quite a spectacle.

"Alright, tough guy. Since you're so damn eager, let's see what you've got."

He signaled to all his buddies, and they started circling me. The grins on their faces sent shivers down my spine as they slowly closed in. There was malice in the air, but thankfully, no intention to kill me. That was a relief; I didn't want Chinatsu witnessing a bloodbath.

As they circled me, one guy, sporting a backward cap and sunglasses at night, decided to make his move. I couldn't help but wonder about the sunglasses. Why wear them in the dark? As he approached, I grabbed his hand and twisted it as if I were about to break it, without actually doing so. Just enough to make him feel like his bone was about to snap.

The guy winced in pain, his face contorted. "Ouch! Stop that, you son of a—"

Before he could finish his sentence, another one of his buddies lunged at me from behind.

I released the first guy's hand, and with a swift sidestep, I caused the second guy to crash into his friend. The collision left them both stumbling, momentarily disoriented.

"Watch where you're going, you oaf!" the guy I had just twisted his hand complained, rubbing his sore wrist.

His friend muttered, "Yeah, yeah, my bad."

The others, seeing their comrades' less-than-graceful takedown, exchanged glances, their grins faltering slightly.

I seized the moment. "So, who's next?"

The leader, though hesitant, wasn't one to back down easily. "Alright, enough messing around! Let's get him, guys!"

They regrouped and made another attempt, this time coordinating their movements better. Two of them moved in from the sides while another rushed straight at me.

I decided to take on the one charging directly at me first. He swung a wild punch, which I deftly ducked under, simultaneously delivering a knee to his gut. He let out a groan and staggered back, temporarily out of the fight.

Meanwhile, the two on the sides tried to flank me. I had to keep an eye on both, moving back and forth to evade their punches. They weren't as slow as the first guy, but they lacked finesse.

One of them, a guy with a varsity jacket, tried a roundhouse kick, which I managed to block with my forearm. He winced in pain as his foot collided with my arm.

The other one, a stocky fellow with a shaved head, lunged forward with a left hook. I leaned back just in time, his fist grazing the tip of my nose. I could feel the breeze as it passed.

"Close, but not close enough," I taunted.

The leader, growing increasingly frustrated by their lack of progress, shouted, "Enough of this! Get him together!"

Their synchronized assault had me surrounded. It was a seven-on-one situation now, but that didn't seem to bother me. Instead, I remained calm, ready to meet their charge head-on.

The stocky guy with the shaved head led the charge this time, attempting to grab me from behind and restrain me. But I was too quick for him. I twisted out of his grasp and simultaneously delivered a swift elbow to his gut. He doubled over, gasping for breath.

The guy with the varsity jacket swung a wild punch at me, which I effortlessly dodged by leaning back. His fist sailed harmlessly past my face. The guy in sunglasses, tried to tackle me from the side, but I sidestepped his charge, sending him crashing into the alley wall.

The remaining three guys closed in, attacking simultaneously. One attempted a low sweep kick, but I effortlessly jumped over it. The other two lunged at me with punches, which I managed to block with well-timed forearm defenses.

Despite their coordinated effort, they couldn't land a single blow on me. I continued to evade, deflect, and counter their attacks with a calm confidence that seemed to frustrate them even more.

I couldn't help but tease, "Is this the best you've got?"

The leader's face reddened with anger as he watched their failed attempts. "Enough playing around, guys! Take him down!"