The sound of iron clashing against concrete echoed through the narrow alley. As soon as Phueak finished speaking, a giant thug lunged forward, swinging a steel pipe aimed squarely at Ohm’s skull. In that split second where death came calling, the deep-rooted Muay Thai instincts dormant in Ohm’s cells surged to life.

  "Stand still and be my base!"

  Ohm lunged toward Phueak, his strong hands grabbing the broad shoulders of the trembling fat boy. He used Phueak as a springboard, launching himself into the air to the utter shock of the opposition.

  Thwack!

  A powerful thrust kick slammed into the center of the giant thug’s chest. The impact sent the man flying backward until he hit the ground hard. Phueak, who had served as the human pedestal, let out a laugh and did a little provocative dance.

  "Beautiful, Boss! That was smooth!" Phueak cheered, but his grin faded as the remaining thugs began to charge, armed to the teeth.

  "We won't finish this tonight if we keep fighting them one-on-one. Do you have anything 'good' in your pockets?" Ohm asked his junior, raising a tight boxing guard, his eyes turning razor-sharp.

  Phueak reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a small curry bag. "Roasted Karen chilies I brought from Thailand! Will this work, Boss?"

  Ohm flashed a devious smirk. "Hell yes! Toss it!"

  The bag of chili flew over Ohm's shoulder. He caught it with one hand, grabbed a fistful of the red powder, and flung it into the air. A lethal mist of spice fanned out, blinding the front line. They screamed in agony, clutching their eyes. Phueak, seeing the opening, brandished the remaining chili bags like grenades.

  "Hey! This round is going left!" Phueak roared provocatively.

  Falling for the bluff, the thugs dove to the right with all their might only for Phueak to whip his hand and hurl the chili powder directly at their faces. "Aaargh!" The screams intensified, but then a sudden gust of wind blew the powder right back at them.

  "Ow! My eyes!" Phueak wailed. Ohm squinted, shielding his eyes and cursing under his breath. "Why does this kind of thing always happen to you?!" But there was no time to lecture. He grabbed the fat boy’s wrist and dragged him through the red haze.

  They sprinted past an old wooden house where the aroma of a fried egg wafted out. Ohm, still holding the plate of Stir-fried minced pork with holy basil, quickly set it down on a table in front of the house. The old woman inside, who was currently frying an egg, looked on in confusion.

  "Thai Street Food: Basil Pork with a Fried Egg. It’s for you, Grandma!" he called out just as the confused lady flipped the egg perfectly onto his plate.

  Ohm led Phueak through crumbling tenements until they hit a bottleneck alley less than a meter wide. Seeing his chance, Ohm used his legs to brace against the opposite walls, climbing upward until he was suspended above their heads. Meanwhile, Phueak lured the mob into the narrow gap.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Excuse me, brothers. Handsome man coming through!" The thugs were packed so tight they could barely breathe.

  Ohm dropped down, his feet landing squarely on the first thug’s head. He began to sprint at high speed, stepping across the shoulders and scalps of the packed crowd as if he were on a high-fashion catwalk. Thud! Ow! Oof! The sounds formed a rhythmic beat like a rap song.

  He landed gracefully on the main road and gave a wink to the men stuck in the alley. "Gotta go. Bye!" Then, he bolted into high gear.

  But their luck hadn't turned yet. At the end of the alley, a dozen silhouettes stood waiting, their stern faces lit by red neon. Ohm skidded to a halt, taking a deep breath.

  "Dammit! Is there no end to this?!"

  Ohm looked frustrated, but with the circle closing in, there was nowhere left to run. The only way out was through. He exhaled a weary breath before stepping forward silently. Without a word of warning, the first thug swung a steel bar. Ohm slipped the strike and countered with a left hook to the jaw that rattled the man's brain. In a flash, he spun into a low leg kick, taking out the second man's knee.

  However... the wet, slick pavement caused Ohm’s foot to slide. The big man tumbled to the ground. Ugh!

  "Die, you!" A giant thug raised a steel pipe high.

  Clang! Thwack! A large aluminum pot flew over Ohm’s head, slamming into the giant's forehead and knocking him out cold. "Get away from my brother!" Phueak rushed in to help Ohm up. Ohm flowed through the mob with elbows and punches, while Phueak used his body weight to ram into enemies, tackling and pinning them like a wrestler.

  Soon, the alley was littered with the groaning remains of the thugs. Ohm brushed the dust off his shirt, with Phueak flexing behind him. Only one remained a muscular man in black who stepped from the shadows, a long scar on his face twitching with rage.

  "Just you left, huh?" Ohm said flatly, taking a Muay Thai stance. "This time... you’re gonna get a taste of Muay Thai so brutal, even a surgeon won't be able to stitch you back together!"

  The leader swung a wooden plank, the Chinese martial arts style meeting the Thai warrior. Ohm slipped the strikes fluidly, using a "parting the curtains" block to deflect the plank before driving an elbow toward the solar plexus. The leader blocked, but Ohm was faster pressing the man's arm down and slicing a diagonal elbow across his chest.

  Infuriated, the leader charged. Ohm dropped low and launched an uppercut to the chin. The man staggered but remained standing, swinging the plank down toward Ohm’s head. Ohm raised his left arm at an angle to parry the force, shattering the wood.

  Now down to bare knuckles, Ohm used a foot thrust to the thigh to sap the man’s strength before spinning 360 degrees and slamming his heel into the leader’s neck. As the man staggered against the wall, Ohm leaped into the air, grabbing the enemy’s head with both hands and driving double knees into his chest.

  Thump!

  The giant collapsed onto the wet pavement, out cold. Ohm stood panting, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  "Whoa, Boss... you looked like a straight-up martial arts legend reincarnated!"

  Ohm straightened up to strike a cool pose. "I told you... don't make a Thai person angry." But before he could boast further, the thugs began to rise again, their vengeful shadows looming larger than before.

  "What now, Boss? They’re like zombies! This might actually be the end," Phueak whimpered. As the mob charged, a group of men in black suddenly swarmed in, intercepting the thugs with professional brutality.

  "What the...?" Ohm looked on, confused, as one of the men in black ran up to them.

  "You two, get out of here! We're Mr. Chatchawin's men!" the man said sternly. Ohm and Phueak’s eyes went wide.

  "Okay! Let’s haul ass!"

  With that, they sprinted out of the dark alley, leaving the legend of the "Basil Pork Mist" and the sound of Chatchawin's men handling the cleanup behind them.