My Substitute CEO Bride

Barther charged at Smiley frantically, unleashing his frustration over his parents' failed reunion on the innocent young girl. His anger and twisted mindset knew no bounds.

Seeing that Barther was growing even more unhinged instead of stopping himself, the masked man quickly grabbed Smiley and tried to get her away from danger.

Nonetheless, the rampaging Barther, who had now transformed into a relentless pursuer, was hot on their heels.

Francel desperately tried to intervene, but his efforts seemed futile. In a frantic attempt to buy more time, the masked man fired another shot.

Blinded by his rage, Barther did not even attempt to dodge and took the impact directly. Even so, he continued his assault on Smiley without a second thought.

The masked man then stepped in to block, knowing full well that he was no match for Barther. His frail physical condition meant that this next clash could easily be his last.

Undeterred, he shielded Smiley. As expected, Barther's powerful blow shattered the masked man's disguise, knocking him unconscious. Francel arrived just in time to witness the chaos and knew immediately that only he could stand between Smiley and Barther.

With renewed determination, Francel engaged Barther in close combat.

Weakened by the masked man's earlier hit, Barther found himself evenly matched with Francel.

As a seasoned member of the Stick Gang, Francel's endurance was superior. Even though Barther's earlier strike could have been fatal, Francel had anticipated the impact point and adjusted his true energy just in time, narrowly avoiding disaster.

Now, he had to keep Barther occupied at all costs.

The battle became a tense exchange of moves and countermoves, with each man testing the other. They knew that even the slightest mistake could decide the fight.

Francel knew he could not afford to slip up. One wrong move could mean a swift and brutal end.

At this point, Barther was losing patience. He made the first aggressive move by stepping forward recklessly.

Francel recognized the opening immediately-Barther's advance was a crucial misstep. Francel dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Barther's fierce attack. As Barther struggled to regain his balance, Francel swung his staff and struck Barther's leg.

Nonetheless, Barther endured the blow, pushing through the pain. He then countered with a powerful punch.noveldrama

Francel swiftly pulled back, using the momentum of his staff to spin away from Barther's assault.

Regaining his stance, Francel timed his next move perfectly, using the staff to block another heavy punch before delivering a precise kick to the spot where Barther had been struck by the earlier shot.

Barther stumbled backward, forced to retreat under Francel's relentless assault. Although Barther held an advantage in raw power, once he fell into Francel's attack rhythm, he could only defend himself desperately.

Francel wielded his staff with precision, keeping a calculated mid-range distance. If Barther tried to close in, Francel would simply step back, evading the attack while countering with his staff.

As soon as he gained the upper hand, Francel launched into a relentless barrage, combining his strikes with swift punches and kicks that rained down like a violent storm.

By now, Barther struggled to keep up, and he was disoriented by the unending onslaught. He continued to back away as Francel's strikes landed unpredictably, forcing Barther to constantly readjust his defenses.

For both of them, this fight became a battle of endurance. Barther knew that to turn the tide, he needed to catch one of Francel's attacks and break the cycle, but Francel's unpredictable moves made this nearly impossible.

Even Francel was beginning to tire, but he knew he could not afford to slow down. Any hesitation would result in a fatal blow from Barther. Despite Francel's dominance, his attacks had yet to inflict significant damage.

The battle dragged on, with each side refusing to give in.

Suddenly, an unexpected figure appeared behind Francel-someone he never anticipated. A sharp pain seared through his left side as a knife plunged deep into his waist.

Stunned, Francel turned his head to see who had struck him.

"Pine?!"

It was the Stick Gang's leader, Pine Kopers, who had stabbed Francel from behind.

At that moment, everything became clear to Francel the reason he was trapped

in the barrier without noticing was because Pine had been working against him all along.

Why?

They had grown up together and were practically like brothers. Francel could not comprehend why Pine would betray him.

There was no time for answers. Barther seized the opportunity and delivered a powerful punch, piercing Francel's chest.

The blow was decisive, and Francel was defeated. He knew this would be the end.

Barther withdrew his arm. Then, he began advancing step by step toward Smiley once more without pause.