Allen stood his ground, his expression turning cold. "How did you find out?"
"Hahaha! The moment our assets realized a rogue element was systematically targeting our branches, we locked down our network and initiated deep-dive protocol checks on every single applicant entering our perimeter,"
Noah laughed, stepping onto the snow.
"And then your file crossed my desk. We ran your digital footprint through the central registry and found something incredibly amusing."
Allen narrowed his eyes, he clenched his fists. Waiting for him to speak.
"Then, we discovered you're a high-ranking operator," Noah continued, his smirk widening. "And more importantly, you're a direct classmate and associate of the bastard who attacked the Fourth Branch."
Allen's lips curved into a sharp, confident smile. "You guys are sharper than we gave you credit for. We didn't anticipate you'd pull something like this."
"Enough chitchat. Let's get to business," Noah barked.
He dropped the knife into the snow, dropping his center of gravity and raising his massive, scarred fists into an elite, low-profile combat stance.
Allen smiled, shifting his weight and mirroring the stance, his eyes tracking every micro-movement.
"Kid, you may have a reputation in the underworld," Noah warned, his voice booming. "But are you honestly certain you can handle me in this terrain?"
"We're about to find out," Allen replied smoothly.
Noah erupted into a cold laugh. "Arrogant brat. Let me introduce myself properly before I break you. I am Number 9 of the Loop."
Allen stretched his neck, letting out a casual yawn. "Fascinating. I thought we came up here to fight, not to read off each others rankings."
Noah's eyes flashed with pure rage. He lunged forward, throwing a massive, heavy-weight straight right.
Allen rolled under the punch easily. Because of the thick, knee-deep snow, both of their tactical movements were significantly slowed down, turning the fast-paced brawl into a heavy, grinding test of leverage.
Allen extended a rapid three-punch combination, but Noah managed to slip the strikes, using his massive frame to push through the drifts.
"Looks like the terrain puts both of us at a severe disadvantage," Noah grunted, recovering his balance.
Allen simply smiled. With lightning speed, he scooped his boot through the deep drift, sending a blinding wave of heavy snow directly into Noah's face.
Noah flinched, his vision obscured for a fraction of a second. Seizing the opening, Allen pivoted on his heel, launching his body into a high-velocity, airborne spinning heel kick.
Noah's eyes widened behind the snow spray, but a dark, predatory smile cut across his face. "Nice trick, kid... but..."
Before Allen's heel could connect with Noah's skull, a massive, reinforced fist exploded out from the snow screen. Noah's punch collided directly with the sole of Allen's foot with the force of a hydraulic press.
The sheer kinetic output fractured the air, slamming Allen violently out of the sky and crashing his body deep into the frozen ground. The snow fell far away at a vert great distance.
Noah lowered his smoking fist, looking down at the crater in the ground. "...all I ever needed was a single punch."
Allen lay motionless on the frozen ground, his breathing shallow.
Noah chuckled, shaking out his knuckles. "My specialty has always been raw fist conditioning." He walked over, looking down at Allen's limp form. "I honestly expected more from someone of legendary caliber, based on the intel. But, I was wrong."
Noah turned his back, stepping toward his idling SUV. "You're not even worth the effort to finish off. The mountain cold will take care of the rest."
Suddenly, a sharp crunch of snow echoed behind him.
Noah froze. He whirled around, his eyes expanding in absolute shock.
Allen was standing perfectly upright in his original position. He casually dusted the dirt, and the snow which had fell on him from the sky as snow was falling from the sky, off his cargo pants, his eyes gleaming with an intense, terrifying focus.
Noah's brow furrowed, a bead of sweat forming despite the sub-zero cold. How the hell is he still conscious after taking a direct structural hit from my fist?
Assuming it was nothing more than a fluke of endurance, Noah roared in fury, charging forward once more with his fists raised. Allen's smile returned—a cold, menacing expression—as both fighters rushed head-on into the blinding white storm.
Noah looked at Allen's smiling expression and felt something strange.