All the people present in the warehouse were still trying to process what they had just witnessed. No one could understand how Raghu had been defeated so easily.
Behind a broken crate nearby, a policeman and one of Rangeela's goons had ended up hiding in the same place. Neither of them seemed interested in fighting the other anymore.
The goon stared ahead with a pale face and muttered, "Sahab… sach bolun? Agar aaj bach gaya na toh crime chhod dunga.…"
The policeman kept his weapon raised and replied, "Crime chhodne ka soch raha hai? Main toh naukri chhodne ka soch raha hoon."
The goon looked at him in disbelief. "Aap log kis level ke logon se ladte rehte ho be?"
The policeman answered dryly, "Aaj se pehle toh nahi ladte the."
A little away from them, Anjali stood frozen, her eyes locked only on the man in red. There was something disturbingly familiar in his gaze, something that stirred emotions she had buried long ago.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Kya… yeh tum ho…?"
Meanwhile, the man in red looked at Raghu's fallen body and shook his head lightly.
"Bhai, bade ziddi lagta hai… RCB fans se ho kya."
He turned and began walking away casually, as if the fight had already ended.
Then a massive shadow fell over him.
His steps stopped.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Raghu was standing again.
A sharp cracking sound echoed from his body.
Crack…!
Then another.
Crunch!… Snap!… Crack…!
The bones in his arms twisted beneath his skin as his muscles swelled violently. Veins bulged across his body while his chest widened and shoulders broadened. His spine stretched upward with a sickening sound.
KRRRKKK…!
His entire frame grew larger, taller, heavier.
His clothes tore apart as his expanding muscles ripped through the fabric.
RRRIP!
Dust shook loose from the ceiling as the transformation finished.
Raghu slowly lifted his head.
His eyes glowed bright red.
Raghu moved before anyone could react.
With terrifying speed, he lunged forward and grabbed the man in red by one leg. The sudden force lifted him completely off the ground.
For the first time since the fight began, the man in red looked genuinely confused.
"Yeh kya tareeka hai ladne ka…?"
"Main koi purana phata hua kapda hoon kya jo is tarah utha ke phek raha hai?"
Raghu roared and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
The floor cracked.
He lifted him again and smashed him down.
BAM! BOOM!
Again.
Raghu thrashed him violently from side to side, hammering him into the ground over and over like a ragdoll. Every impact shook the warehouse and sent dust and debris raining down from above.
Finally, Raghu hurled him away with all his strength.
The man in red flew through the air and crashed into the corner of a wall.
CRASH!
Concrete exploded outward.
Raghu charged after him instantly and reached the broken wall before the dust had even settled. He began raining savage punches into the same spot.
BOOM! BAM! THUD!
Each blow shattered more concrete as debris burst outward in every direction.
Then—
A gunshot rang out.
BANG!
The bullet struck Raghu directly in the back.
He barely moved.
Naina stood behind him with her gun raised, her expression hardened. She had not wanted to interfere, but the warehouse was falling apart and backup could arrive any minute.
Whatever the man in red was, she did not trust him.
To her, he was just another dangerous unknown who had turned the operation into chaos.
She had only wanted to distract Raghu.
Instead—
She had enraged him.
Raghu slowly stopped punching.
Then turned.
His glowing red eyes locked onto Naina.
The Man in Red was forgotten.
Raghu began walking toward her, each heavy step shaking the cracked floor beneath him.
Naina tightened her grip on the weapon.
She knew immediately—
She was the target now.
From the shadows nearby, Rangeela watched in stunned silence as everything spiraled beyond his control.
The police had arrived.
Raghu had become a monster.
The warehouse was moments from collapse.
Still, one thought crossed his mind.
At least that masked bastard should be dead by now.
He had watched Raghu smash him into the wall and pound the same spot repeatedly with enough force to shatter concrete itself.
No ordinary person could survive that.
And in Rangeela's mind—
No one could possibly get back up after that.
Naina kept pulling the trigger in panic.
Click!
Click!
Click!
The gun gave only the dry sound of an empty chamber.
Her bullets were finished.
Raghu saw it immediately.
A cruel smile spread across his face as he stretched his massive hand toward her, ready to grab her where she stood.
Then—
Something heavy slammed into the back of his head.
THUD!
Raghu's head jerked forward from the impact.
He turned sharply in anger.
Behind him stood the Man in Red.
Completely unharmed.
Not a scratch on his body.
Not even dust had managed to cling to him.
He stood in a relaxed posture, one hand tucked casually behind his back while the other remained extended toward Raghu, his finger pointed at him in open challenge.
The broken chunk of concrete he had thrown still rolled across the floor nearby.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Everyone in the warehouse simply stared.
They had all seen Raghu slam him into the ground again and again.
They had watched him smash him through a wall and pound the same spot with enough force to break concrete apart.
And yet—
He looked completely untouched.
As if the entire beating had meant nothing.
The man in red curled his finger slowly toward himself.
A silent gesture.
Idhar... aa.. ja beta.!
The meaning was obvious.
Their fight was not over.
Around them, stunned faces filled the warehouse. Even the people hiding behind cover had forgotten their fear for a moment.
One of Rangeela's men whispered under his breath, "Yeh aadmi hai bhi ya kuch aur…?"
Even Naina stood frozen for a second, unable to understand how someone could take that kind of punishment and walk away untouched.
Raghu's breathing grew heavier.
His red eyes burned with rage as he stared at the man challenging him again.
The entire warehouse creaked around them, dust continuing to fall from above.
But neither of them cared.
Because in that moment—
Only one thing mattered.
The fight was starting again.
END OF THE CHAPTER