For the first three minutes, Viktor didn't strike. He danced. He used the brothers' momentum against each other, staying on the periphery, making the Five trip over their own shadows. He was "buying time," letting the adrenaline dump wear them out.
The Grappler lunged, trying to take the fight to the floor, but Viktor caught him in a clinch, using the man as a human shield against the brothers' strikes. With a sharp twist, he sent the Grappler into the corner post.
The crowd went silent as the five challengers entered. They weren't just street thugs; they were a coordinated unit—specialists. There was the Boxer, the Grappler, two heavy-hitting brothers, and a man they called "The Ghost" for his speed. The bell chimed once.
As Viktor walked out of the ring, bruised and bloodied, the promoter approached him with a stack of bills.
Viktor stood in the center of the ring, his knuckles taped, his breathing slow. He wasn't a giant, but he moved with the economical grace of a man who had spent a decade in the shadows. Tonight’s contract was "Five Against One."
Now it was personal. The brothers charged together, a wall of muscle. Viktor dropped low, swept the legs of the first, and used the falling body as a stepping stone to launch a flying knee into the second.
The neon sign above the basement entrance flickered, casting a rhythmic red glow over the wet pavement. Inside, the air smelled of stale ozone and expensive tobacco. This was the "Red Circle," a high-stakes underground arena where disputes were settled not by lawyers, but by stamina.
"You're a madman, Viktor," the promoter whispered. "Why take a five-to-one bet?"