The gang strode in without breaking stride, slamming the door open to make their announcement of their entry. Arthur cut off the flow of energy from the stone, pulled the energy deeper within him as he smoothly stood up, slipping the stone into his pocket. Ever since he learnt how to control two flows, moving and cultivating was a lot easier. He couldn't fight, and he wouldn't even want to try cultivating while having to do more than pay minor attention; but cutting off the flow and pulling the energy in was something he could handle.
Unless he got shot immediately, of course. But the way the gang was strutting around, spreading out to take up space at the entrance, it was clear this was more a show-off moment than a full out assault.
"Oy! Don't get in our way, we won't hurt you. Got it ah?" the speaker, a mohawk hairstyled leader with dyed purple tips - and how he managed that in this environment, Arthur was really curious about - was swinging his parang around to punctuate his point.
Arthur reached sideways without taking his eyes off the speaker or his gang, grabbing his spear. He could see how Noor had dropped the bars, grabbed at her own shield and short spear combo. The trio of his students were less careful and had started inching towards their weapons, spreading out until they realised there was no way they'd reach them. What with the weapons and clothing set at the start of the gym.
Something to reconsider and look into.
"Who are you?" he called out once he had grip of his spear and the majority of the energy within him had been put away. He started up the Heavenly Sage's Mischief, figuring he'd need that soon enough. Though Bark Skin might make more sense, but he still wasn't competent enough to run two full body techniques yet. Once he was sure he was stabilized, he'd build another Refined Energy Dart.
"We're the 04," snapped the speaker, he and his fellow gang members waving their parangs around. They were all Indians, all but the single Chinese member hanging right in the back.
Arthur frowned, racking his brain and remembering details. The 04 weren't like the Ghee Hin or the 66 who'd jumped into the Towers with abandon. Instead, they'd stuck to their usual businesses, murdering, extorting, kidnapping and dealing drugs until they realised they'd been overshadowed. Now, while still strong in the real world, they were a significantly smaller power in the Towers.
Still, they should have avoided them. Gang 04 was an old triad gang before they'd devolved into just being a brute thug group without the same level of connection to other groups like the Ghee Hin. Which was why they generally listened to them. Unless...
"Great," Arthur replied. "Counting past three is a big thing. You should be proud. Now, stop terrorising my people and get out."
"You think you big man, eh?" Sneering, the leader waved to two of his people on his left. They sped up, stopping with the casual rifling of backpacks and clothing near the entrance where the members kept their goods and headed for Arthur.
"I'm going to give you all one last chance. Mostly because I don't want to be cleaning up the blood," Arthur said, slowly and carefully. He continued, as he moved forward, seeing how his students came to flank him at a distance and Noor hurried from the weight area. Jan he knew was down at the obstacle course, though she'd been quiet for the last hour. "You don't want to start this. Even if you win, the Benevolent Durians are going to have hunt you down."
"You think you something, ah? Once we teach you a lesson, your people won't dare." Another gesture, another two on his right moving to flank Arthur on the other side. The speaker joined the group flanking on the other side now that it was clear everyone was committed.
"Okay." Arthur sighed. He wondered what they had to use, what they intended. How lethal they intended to go. How lethal he intended to go. Then, after a moment, realised it didn't matter. Just like the 04 meant to make a statement, he needed one too.
He waited till they were ten feet away, a quick dash for someone with their strength. Then he released the first Refined Energy Dart, sending it right at the one who was trying to flank him on the furthest direction. He waited a half-second, watched the man jerk and throw himself back to dodge the speeding attack and released the Energy Dart from his Pocket Simpanan.
Arthur didn't have time to pay attention to his pair of surprise attacks, instead having to do his own dodging. The first Energy Dart shot outwards from the other flanker on his right - the gang leader's left - aimed at his head.
Fool.
He leaned sideways, letting it flow pass him as he dropped his weight and started a low-passing lunge. He saw the flicker of movement on the other side, a hand raising up and clenching and he leapt without thought. Moments later, grasping tendrils of energy tried to grab him, missing by inches.
Hauling his spear back, he got ready to thrust it at the Energy Dart opponent only to be thrown back, his whole body cast away as a pulse of energy tore through the air centered around the boss. In the air, he had nothing to brace against and he found himself tumbling backwards.
Arthur hit the ground hard, rolling with the attack. He wasn't the only one, he noticed as he came up on his feet. He'd managed to hold onto his spear through long practise, but Zhiang Lin was picking herself up and Jai was recovering, desperately throwing a block with his arm against the descending parang.
Arthur winced, looking aside, pouring the Heavenly Sage's Mischief through him as he formed another Refined Energy Dart. His first gambit had worked at least, his target down and clutching at his chest and the hole his attack had created. Then, he was too busy to pay attention, blocking the swinging pair of parang.
Two on one was never fun, but neither party were trained to work with one another. So after he backpedaled a bit, he managed to get them to foul up their own footsteps, putting the leader in front of his opponent. He'd been reserving how fast he was moving till then, exploding into a flurry of blows with his spear that culminated with an ankle hook using his lead leg.
As the gang 04 leader fell, he thrust with his spear. The strike was perfect, catching the other in the neck. Only for it to bounce and bend a little as Tower energy reinforced skin refused to give away immediately. So instead of skewering the other in the neck, it just tore a wide hole through it.
It still put his opponent down as he rolled away, clutching his neck.
A couple of seconds of backing away gave Arthur enough time to take in the rest of the fight for the training hall. Noor had her own opponent well in-hand, weaving an impenetrable defense that kept hemming her opponent in and actually fouling up his footsteps and those of his others. She was angling him into their backline, forcing him to stumble and fall over others.
At the same time, Aman was actually rolling around on the floor, grappling his own opponent trying to see who would come out the winner. Luckily, neither had a weapon in hand so they were easy to dismiss. Whoever won that fight, it would be significantly later unless either party showed a degree of sudden and surprising competence.
Jai on the other hand was staggering back, holding onto his arm. Good news - he hadn't lost it. Bad news, it was a close thing and only exceptional Body and probably a Trait had stopped that. But he was bleeding all over the place and only the fact that Zhang Lai had chosen to get involved with his fighter by sending a series of spinning lights that kept rotating around the other man, blinding him kept him alive. Unfortunately, without a weapon herself she wasn't doing very well, nor was the other Clan member against the two after her.
In other words, they were losing.
Cross-body block with the spear, pushing the parang off line. He angled it so that the weapon would slide and bounce away rather than keep sliding down into his fingers and then he stepped in, bumping his opponent with chest and hip. While the other man was falling back, and as the leader was staggering away, he roared.
"JAN!"