The sky was dimming, Seoul's twilight glow casting long shadows across the broken alleyways of the outskirts. Jalen strolled quietly, his footsteps light, almost soundless. He had been walking for over an hour, piecing the timeline together in his mind.
The God Dogs should've been crushed by now, he thought. Which means… Johan's already turned his sights on Burn Knuckles.
Sure enough, as he got closer to an open construction lot near the river, the tension in the air became dense like static before a thunderstorm. Jalen's sharp eyes caught the aftermath. Dozens of God Dogs lay sprawled across the concrete beaten, silent. The burn marks of intense fighting were everywhere.
In the middle stood Johan Seong. Calm. Fierce. His shirt was torn, his knuckles bloodied. Across from him stood Vasco and J High.
Both facing Johan.
But all of them turned their heads the moment Jalen walked onto the scene.
They didn't need to see his face. His aura alone sent a wave of chills through the area. Silent. Controlled. Overwhelming.
Jalen didn't rush. He moved like he had all the time in the world. Instead of stepping between the groups, he simply sat down on a nearby bench, one leg crossed over the other, watching.
Johan's eyes narrowed.
Vasco tensed.
Even Daniel, who stood at the edge, battered but conscious, looked surprised.
Jalen exhaled, brushing some dust off his sleeve. He was waiting for the right moment. Then, like a line delivered in a movie, he spoke clearly his voice carrying across the lot.
"According to Gun Park…"
He paused, smirking slightly to himself.
"You are disqualified from the Big 4, Johan Seong."
The silence after was heavy.
Johan's pupils sharpened, his fists twitching. "What?"
Jalen leaned back, arms resting along the bench's backrest. "You let your crew turn on you. You lost control. That alone would've been enough... but now you're picking fights you can't finish."
The wind blew faintly through the lot.
Daniel's heart pounded. Vasco didn't even know how to respond. And Johan… he was frozen. Not by fear. But by something else.
Recognition.
He saw it in Jalen's eyes. He wasn't bluffing. This wasn't a schoolyard threat. This was an executioner reading the verdict.
Jalen stood slowly.
"You're strong, Johan. But Gun gave me the right to speak on his behalf. And from where I'm standing?" He slid his hands into his pockets.
"You're out."
Then he walked off into the shadows silent, powerful, and leaving behind the weight of his words like a crater in the earth.