Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Zanzoken
"Bang!"
Danny Rand, still with his eyes closed, instinctively lifted his left arm to block Rex's attack. In a swift motion, he turned sharply, his golden Iron Fist glowing with power.
"Jan Ken: Paper!"
Caught off guard, Rex shouted as he pushed Danny away. The legendary "Iron Fist" loomed before him a force to be reckoned with. One punch from Danny would leave him bedridden for days.
Danny had learned about Ki Sense from Rex, but his sensing range was limited. Instead, he relied on his own released Ki to detect movement within a few meters… and now Rex was feeling the taste of his own medicine!
Rex, who had only come to mediate the quarrel between two friends, found himself embroiled in a real "Boss Battle."
With a direct attack impossible and an unbeatable weapon before him, how could he navigate this situation?
If he had opted for "Scissors," he wouldn't be in such a dilemma. But Danny was somewhat of a friend, and Rex couldn't bear the thought of turning the future "Iron Fist" into the "One-Armed Kunlun Fighter" or the "Single-Legged Iron Fist."
As Rex wrestled with his conscience, Danny, the Iron Fist, regained most of his vision in a matter of seconds. His still-red eyes locked onto Rex with a fierce glare. "Rex, are you really attacking me with such tricks? Despicable!"
"Trust me, I'm using these tricks for your own good!" Rex sighed, exasperated. "Danny, put away your Iron Fist; I don't want to hurt you!"
Danny's fury intensified at those words. "In your dreams! You've pissed me off, Rex! I won't hold back anymore!"
"Then go ahead!" Rex replied, extending his left hand into a combat stance, deliberately provoking Danny. "I'll try… not to hurt you too much!"
With a roar, Danny charged at Rex, embodying the strongest force that Kunlun had cultivated. Despite his anger, he remained technically proficient, leaving no openings for Rex. Even with Goku's knowledge, Rex struggled against the relentless storm of Danny's offensive.
As the two exchanged blows, neither landing a critical hit, Rex found himself in a precarious position. Using "Jan Ken: Paper," he managed to deflect Danny's powerful swings, but it drained his Ki rapidly. Realizing this strategy wouldn't work, he gritted his teeth. 'Do I really want to use Scissors? Wait… maybe I can try that new trick? But I'm not fully confident with it yet…'
Meanwhile, Colleen Wing had finally shaken off the effects of the Solar Flare. Watching the two combatants, she felt a pang of sorrow, knowing she was the reason for this chaos.
Suddenly, she gasped as she saw Rex standing still, allowing Danny's fist to collide directly with his chest.
"No!"
Colleen screamed, discarding her katana as she rushed toward Rex, ready to push him out of harm's way. But she halted in disbelief.
There were two Rex!
One stood defiantly before Danny, while the other appeared behind him, executing a precise Knifehand strike to Danny's neck.
Danny's fist swung through the first "Rex," but it struck nothing... only air. Confused and shocked, he felt a heavy blow to the back of his neck. Darkness engulfed him, and he collapsed forward, unconscious. His Iron Fist flickered for a moment before fading into nothingness.
"Ahhhh…"
After taking Danny down, Rex collapsed to the ground, clutching his right thigh in agony. "Damn! It hurts; IT HURTS!" he screamed.
Colleen stared at the dissipating figure of the "Rex" that had tricked Danny, her mind racing. She quickly knelt beside Rex. "What happened to you?"
"Muscle strain…" Rex gasped, catching his breath. "I hope it's just a strain… but it feels like a tear!"
Colleen's expression shifted to one of concern, her eyes full of remorse. "You're hurt. If you're not sure, don't be stubborn!"
"Don't worry… too much," Rex reassured her, sensing her guilt. "If it wasn't for you distracting Danny, I'd be in much worse shape!"
"I'm going to find something for a cold compress."
Flustered, Colleen dashed into the kitchen and soon returned with ice cubes wrapped in a towel. She pressed it gently against Rex's inner thigh. "Thank you… Rex."
"Ah!"
The cold stung Rex, prompting him to instinctively press his hands against the towel. Inadvertently, he brushed against Colleen's soft hands. After blinking in surprise, he kept his hand there, not wanting to let go.
Colleen bit her lower lip, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks. Yet, she kept her hands in place, the two of them sharing a moment of connection, their hands together as they pressed the compress against Rex's thigh.