The dark street remained silent, seemingly empty, but Van Thien's instincts screamed otherwise. He turned to Minh.
"Go up to the room first."
Minh looked surprised. "Huh? You're not coming up?"
"I'm going to grab a bottle of water."
Minh nodded simply. "Oh, okay. I'll head up then." As he ran toward the hotel entrance, he called back over his shoulder, "Hey, could you grab one for me too? Thanks a ton, brother!"
Van Thien smiled faintly as Minh disappeared inside. He stood still for a few heartbeats, then deliberately stepped into the narrow alley adjacent to the hotel. The path led toward an old residential block behind the Old Quarter, where ancient houses stood huddled together under the dim, yellow glow of the streetlights.
Van Thien stopped. "Stop hiding... Come out."
Silence. Only the whistling of the night wind answered him.
One second.
Two seconds.
CLANG.
A metallic ring echoed from above. Van Thien snapped his head up. On the roof, a towering figure loomed. Clad in black armor like a living war machine, with a massive metal hammer fused to his right arm, Duan Thiet stood there, smirking.
"Impressive. I didn't think you'd spot me."
Van Thien stared at him, his gaze unnervingly calm. "Who are you?"
Duan Thiet didn't answer. He leaped. His heavy frame collided with the pavement.
BOOM!
The ground cracked, sending shards of brick flying. He straightened up, his glowing red eyes locked onto Thien. "You're the one who slaughtered my scouts."
Van Thien narrowed his eyes. "So those things were your subordinates?"
Duan Thiet let out a cold laugh. "Subordinates? They were merely pawns. But what I want to know now..." He leaned in, his gaze piercing. "What... exactly are you?"
Thien exhaled softly. "I'd like to know that myself."
Suddenly—SWISH!
Duan Thiet vanished. A split second later, he appeared directly in front of Van Thien. The massive hammer swung horizontally, tearing through the air.
CRASH!
Van Thien raised his arm to block. The resulting shockwave exploded outward, spider-webbing the ground beneath his feet. For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate. Duan Thiet's eyes narrowed. "Surprising."
With a powerful shove, Thien forced him back. They separated. Duan Thiet jumped back up onto the rooftops, and Thien vaulted after him. In the blink of an eye, two silhouettes stood atop the tiled roofs of the houses near Hoan Kiem Lake.
The night wind howled as they moved across the ancient architecture. Duan Thiet slammed his hammer down.
THUD!
The tiles shattered into dust. Van Thien dodged effortlessly, but the vibration was so intense that car alarms on the street below began to wail.
Duan Thiet roared with laughter. "Not bad! How about this?"
He charged again, his hammer swinging with terrifying velocity. Each strike brought down sections of the roof. The rhythmic BOOMs began to wake the residents below. Some thought it was just stray cats; a few opened their windows but saw nothing but the dark sky.
Above them, Van Thien flickered out of existence, reappearing behind Duan Thiet.
THUMP!
A heavy punch landed squarely on the giant's back, staggering him. Duan Thiet spun around, his red eyes blazing. "That's more like it!"
Van Thien stood his ground. The necklace around his neck began to emit a faint, pulsing light. He took a deep breath and whispered:
"…5%."
The air around him warped. Tiny blue veins of energy surged along his forearms, and an invisible pressure radiated outward. Duan Thiet froze, sensing the massive spike in power.
"I see..." He grinned. "So... you haven't even been trying."
Van Thien stared him down. Duan Thiet laughed maniacally. "Hahaha! Excellent! Let's see just how strong you really are." He hoisted his hammer, red energy coursing through his mechanical arm.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Duan Thiet—Reconnaissance Commander of the 4th Fleet, Fire Forrest." He locked eyes with Thien. "And you? What is your name?"
The wind swept fiercely over the old roofs of Hanoi. Van Thien clenched his fist.
"Van Thien."
Their gazes met in a moment of absolute silence.
Then—BOOM!
Two streaks of light collided against the midnight sky.