Without warning, Vincent darted forward. He swatted away the gun in Lorenzo's hand quickly before the man could shoot him, then slammed into his face with a solid punch. Lorenzo was pushed back, but he quickly steadied himself and countered with a kick to Vincent's ribs.
The impact was so strong that Vincent staggered, but he didn't care. Vincent advanced again, fighting with a burning fury. His hands and feet moved quickly, every punch and kick aimed at Lorenzo's vital points. However, Lorenzo was not an easy opponent. The Italian mafia man dodged deftly, retaliating with a knife slash that nearly caught Vincent in the neck.
A fierce battle erupted in the middle of the dark harbour dock. The rain fell harder and harder, drenching the two men who were fighting it out there. In the distance, the sound of waves crashing against the concrete of the dock, while lights glow on the rippling black water.
Then, there was a mechanical noise in the distance. Vincent looked away for a moment, and that was his mistake.
When Vincent was caught off guard, Lorenzo took advantage, kicking him in the chest and knocking him to the ground. Meanwhile, the sea was churning violently. From beneath the surface, a black submarine slowly emerged, splitting the night ocean.
Lorenzo's sly smile appeared on his face. “Looks like my time here is over.”
Lorenzo turned and ran towards the submarine. Vincent growled, forcing his body to rise. He couldn't just let Lorenzo leave. Not after all this was over.
With the last of his strength, Vincet chased after Lorenzo, but...
A shot whizzed by, narrowly missing Vincent's leg, forcing him to stop. From aboard the submarine, a male sniper stood with his gun still raised, his eyes glaring at Vincent.
Lorenzo jumped onto the ship, chuckling. “We'll meet again, Vin. And when that time comes, I'll make sure you can't stand up again.”
The submarine doors began to close, the sound of the engines growing louder.
Vincent clenched his fists, his breathing a little heavy. He knew... if Lorenzo managed to leave tonight, then this hunt would be even harder.
However, just before the submarine fully submerged, another voice rang out in the rain.
“Vin... beat them...”
Vincent was startled. He turned his head, looking at Ryuga who was now trying to get up, blood flowing from his forehead, but his eyes still burning with enthusiasm.
Vincent nodded. He wasn't going to let this end like that. And with one breath, he leapt towards the slowly sinking submarine...
Then, the screen went dark.
***
Vincent had to hurry and let Lorenzo escape. “I won't let you go,” he determined.
The submarine shook violently that night, alarms ringing loudly throughout the room. Thick smoke billowed up, mixing with the flickering red emergency lights. Systems were beginning to fail, a sign that the ship wouldn't last much longer.
“Lorenzo!” Vincent shouted.
Amidst the chaos, Vincent and Lorenzo faced each other in the submarine's narrow hallway. Their breathing sounded heavy, their bodies covered in wounds and blood. However, neither had any intention of backing down.
Lorenzo grinned, despite the blood dripping from his temples. “You're really stubborn, Vin. You don't give up at all.”
Vincent clenched his fist. “And you really are a sneaky devil. There's no place for you even in hell.”
Without warning, Lorenzo lunged!
The final battle began.
Lorenzo threw a punch at Vincent's face, but Vincent ducked and countered with an elbow to Lorenzo's jaw. Lorenzo staggered, but he quickly pulled a knife from his waist and swung it at Vincent.
“Instead of you fighting with me, you might as well join me,” Lorenzo bargained one last time with Vincent.
Vincent parried quickly, grabbing Lorenzo's arm and squeezing it tightly, trying to wrestle the weapon away. They struggled, pushing and shoving in the narrow passageway of the increasingly unstable ship. The shocks from the system that was about to explode made the walls vibrate violently.
“Give up, it's time for you to repent,” Vincent said.
“Surrender is not in my dictionary, Vin,” Lorenzo replied in an arrogant tone.
Lorenzo finally managed to break free, and kicked Vincent, sending him crashing into the ship's metal wall. He raised his knife high, ready to finish Vincent off.
But Vincent's movements were faster. In one lightning move, he grabbed the gun tucked into his waistband and fired a bullet into Lorenzo's stomach.
One shot hit Lorenzo's lower abdomen.
Lorenzo growled in pain, but he held on with all his might. Full of rage, he lunged again, and this time, Vincent aimed for his heart.
Two bullets pierced Lorenzo's body.
Blood gushed from his chest. Lorenzo's eyes widened. He staggered, then smiled faintly, a meaningful smile, as if he still had something to reveal.
“Looks like... you win this time...” Lorenzo's voice sounded shaky, growing weaker. Then, his body collapsed instantly, blood pooling on the floor of the ship.
However, before Vincent could breathe a sigh of relief, the submarine shook violently.
The alarm sounded louder and louder. From the flashing computer screen at the side of the room, a countdown appeared.
Vincent cursed silently. The submarine was about to explode. “Damn it! This submarine will be destroyed.”
Wasting no time, Vincent ran to the exit, opened the emergency hatch and jumped out into the cold sea water.
Behind him, in a matter of seconds...
BOOOOM!
A powerful explosion shook the ocean, a huge wave crashing onto the surface of the water. Lorenzo's submarine was smashed to pieces, then they sank to the bottom of the sea.
Vincent surfaced, breathing heavily, staring at the remnants of destruction before him. For the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of relief.
Lorenzo was dead. This war was finally over.
An explosion shook the ocean. Enormous flames soared high, lighting up the dark night sky. Lorenzo's submarine was smashed to pieces, sucked into the dark ocean.
Vincent was panting at the edge of the dock, his body drenched in seawater and blood. Beside him, Ryuga lay weak, but still alive. With what strength he had left, Vincent lifted his wife's younger cousin onto his back and hobbled to shore.
No more traces of Lorenzo. No more threats. It was over... or at least, that's what they thought.
“We're safe, Vin,” Ryuga said with teary eyes.
“You did great, Ryuga!” praised Vincent.
“Where are the others?” asked Ryuga. “You came alone to pick me up?”
Vincent nodded with a smile. “Let's go home! They're waiting for us.”