Chapter 331: Restricted Area -2

It turned out the handgun was actually real, but it made no difference to Yohan. He easily snatched it from the man and gave him a few smacks for firing at him.

Almost immediately, the thick wooden door pushed open and three men stepped out.

They wore pieces of cloth tied around their waists instead of pants, and none of them had shirts on. Except for one—if you could even call what he was wearing a shirt.

It was more like a short cloak that covered his back, with two extended pieces of fabric covering his chest.

"Who are you people, and what business do you have here?" the man asked. He glanced at Jenna before shifting his gaze back to Yohan.

"Before I answer, I have a few questions of my own. What’s with all the theatrics? Fake guns, hiding inside the woods, and now not even wearing any clothes?" There was genuine concern in his voice.

This was by far the sketchiest situation Yohan had ever found himself in.

"We are looking for Izumi. We just want to make sure she’s okay." Jenna’s calm voice brought the tension down a little.

The man went quiet for a few seconds, his thick black hair moving in the wind like a wolf’s mane. His sharp, piercing gaze remained fixed on Yohan, focused like that of a hunter.

After being in so many fights, Yohan could easily tell when an opponent was sizing him up.

’Experienced fighters would probably know immediately that it’s a bad idea to go against me.’

He could tell just from the look in this man’s eyes that he was experienced. The caution in his gaze was unmistakable.

"Lady Izumi is safe," the man finally said, his voice thundering. "Now that you know, you can both leave."

His arms were folded across his chest, making his muscles bulge even more and giving him an intimidating presence. He was also slightly taller than Yohan, so under normal circumstances, this should have been enough to scare off the intruder.

But that was far from the case.

"I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer." Yohan sighed and shook his head as he stepped forward, his fist tightening.

"There was no need to drag this out any longer" he thought to himself

"Wait." Jenna grabbed his arm. "Why are you always so eager to greet everybody with your fist?"

"That’s rich coming from the person who tried to kill me the first time we met."

"That was work. It’s what I was trained to do. What’s your excuse?"

He thought about his response before speaking, "Some things can’t be said with words alone. Violence sends the message more quickly."

"Plus, I just keep finding myself in situations like this..."

"That’s enough!" the man thundered, "You two get out of here right now. This is your final warning."

Yohan stepped forward with a smirk.

"I already told you, we’re not leaving without seeing Izumi. So you’d better—"

Before the words could leave Yohan’s mouth, the man moved almost in a blur.

He felt the force of the hit the moment the man’s silhouette appeared in front of him.

Yohan raised his hand to block the palm strike, but it was like the shockwave carried a force of its own. The impact slammed into his chest and sent him stumbling backward, nearly knocking him off his feet.

After that attack, Yohan looked at the man differently.

’That wasn’t a normal strike.’

His gaze tightened.

He wasted no time charging forward. However, it seemed like his opponent was still holding back, so he approached cautiously.

He closed the gap with two wide steps before sending a straight kick flying through the air.

It was a fast attack that should have been difficult to block, but Yohan never expected his opponent to be quick enough to dodge it.

With graceful steps, the shirtless man spun out of the way.

They were so close that Yohan could already see the counterattack coming.

He weaved to the side just as the man’s hand sliced through the air.

A sharp crack echoed behind him.

The trees and branches the strike passed through had been split cleanly into two. Just the wind that followed his hand was enough to do this much damage.

At this point, there was no doubt about it. This man was using a special technique, just like Yohan.

’Might even be more dangerous than mine,’ he thought, stepping a foot out of reach.

He exhaled softly, trying to calm his nerves and prepare himself for a very serious battle. This wasn’t what he expected when he agreed to come out here with Jenna. He thought they were simply coming to find Izumi, not that he’d end up fighting against a master.

But there was no point in thinking about that right now.

Right now, he was about to face something completely unpredictable. This wasn’t like facing a gun or some dummy with a knife. This was real danger.

"Brother!"

A manly but light voice called out. Another man stepped through the wooden gate, dressed similarly to the guy Yohan had been fighting.

"Father said you should let them in."

He then shifted his attention to Jenna.

"I have a feeling I know you..." he approached her with a handshake and a charming smile.

He said it casually, but to Yohan, it sounded more like a cheesy pickup line.

’I should take off my shirt too and show off my abs before this sleazy guy steals my girl.’

Yohan was mostly concerned because the guy was good-looking, with an intense physique similar to the man he called his brother. However, unlike his brother’s black hair, this man’s was a striking grey. He also spoke in a much warmer manner.

As he escorted them through the gate, Yohan was surprised to discover what the tall wooden fence had been hiding.

A small village stretched out before them, with clusters of finely designed wooden houses spread across the area.

"Whoa..." he gasped.

"Hey."

The man Yohan had been fighting called out to him from outside the gate.

"Don’t think you’ve escaped me. I never let my prey run away."

"You think I escaped?" Yohan scoffed. "I’m disappointed I didn’t get to see what kind of tricks you have under that bushy hair."

"Good."

A sinister, almost playful grin appeared on the man’s lips.

"Try not to die before I get there."