Cheers still echoed through Hazandeen International High School. The school trembled with excitement from the earlier basketball match—but now, all eyes were fixed on the martial arts arena at the center of the grand hall. This was the climax of the event.
HIHS had already lost on points—7 out of 10 sports events were dominated by MES. The art competitions ended in a 2–2 draw, and HIHS barely scraped a 3–2 win in science and tech.
But martial arts... was a different story.
This was pride. Honor.
And most importantly, the final entertainment for HIHS's nobles.
"Welcome to the ultimate showdown!"
shouted the commentator.
"The most anticipated event—martial arts between two elite schools!"
The Fighters Appeared
From HIHS:
Rina Ashara – a martial prodigy, standing tall with confidence.
Jogo Karagara – calm face, sharp eyes.
Al – slouched posture, blank face, half-lidded eyes.
Whispers spread among the audience.
"Who's that last one?"
"He's new?"
"They say he's from an orphanage... scholarship kid."
"Pfft… an orphan? In this match? Disgusting."
"Embarrassing HIHS by letting a street rat in…"
Al remained silent. Like a statue.
Unfazed by the mockery.
Because how could he ever stand firm at the top if even a fly could shake him?
Rina clenched the edge of her jacket. Irritated—but held back. Now wasn't the time to deal with their words.
From MES:
Yolanda Karagara – an athletic, tanned girl with a high ponytail and fierce aura.
Two strong male fighters—MES's martial powerhouses.
Yolanda walked forward casually. Her eyes brushed over Al for a second, then locked on Rina.
"Ah, the princess of HIHS. Looks like your win streak ends today."
The rules were simple:
Win and stay. Lose and you're out.
The team that loses all three fighters first... loses.
And the match began.
Rina vs MES Fighter #1
A crushing win. Fast strikes. Precise counters.
Rina vs MES Fighter #2
Tougher. But she still pulled through.
HIHS roared with cheers.
"That's our Rina!"
"Wipe them out, Rin!"
"HIHS is rising again!"
Only Yolanda remained.
Rina, breathing heavily after two consecutive matches, stood tall regardless.
Yolanda entered the arena.
"You can forfeit now, Rina,"
she said with a mocking smile.
"Why ruin your perfect record?"
"Didn't you want to break it? Then shut up and fight,"
Rina replied, catching her breath.
The fight began.
Rina attacked first, but...
Yolanda was different.
Her movements were composed—calm. She easily deflected Rina's weakening blows.
Then she struck back—
Hard.
Throwing Rina across the stage.
A powerful hit—typical of the Karagara clan.
But something was off. The energy…
It felt wrong.
Dark. Evil.
Al's half-closed eyes opened slightly. His gaze sharpened.
This isn't just physical strength… there's something evil in it
Another heavy blow landed.
Rina staggered.
Yolanda chuckled.
"Come on, Rina. Show me what you've got. Or are you just a name with no substance?"
Rina tried to hold on—but her body was spent.
Yolanda's energy was suffocating.
Boom!
A final blow.
Rina flew backward—right into Al.
Al caught her effortlessly with one arm.
Their eyes met briefly—Rina gasped for breath—then collapsed.
Yolanda crossed her arms, amused.
"Not bad reflexes, Kid… so even orphans can be useful, huh?."
Al blinked.
Kid? Aren't we the same age?
Cheers now shifted to MES.
HIHS fell silent.
Rina was down.
Now came Jogo.
HIHS students cheered—sure Jogo would turn things around.
Jogo stepped forward.
And raised his hand.
"I forfeit,"
he announced.
The crowd gasped.
"What?!"
"Jogo?!"
"Why?!"
"Sorry. She's my cousin. Our family forbids us from fighting each other."
He said it so casually.
Whispers turned to boos—but Jogo didn't care.
He shook Yolanda's hand and whispered:
"Crush that orphan."
Yolanda smiled back.
"That's my mission today."
Now It Was Al's Turn
Whispers started again.
"Finally the orphan gets his turn."
"HIHS is doomed now."
"What a joke…"
But Al walked forward.
Slow. Lazy. Hands in pockets.
Each step calm—but his eyes… had changed.
That energy...
How could a kid her age possibly use it—especially in such large quantities?
And yet, there was nothing wrong with her soul, he thought.
HIHS students muttered in despair.
"It's over… Rina lost, Jogo gave up."
"Only that beater boy remains."
"We're screwed."
A few clung to hope—but Al looked lifeless, like a joke.
Al himself… had planned to forfeit.
But Yolanda's dark energy kept gnawing at him.
If I let this go… it'll be dangerous.
He stepped forward—reluctantly, as if walking toward an execution.
For some reason, his presence gave Yolanda a strange sense of discomfort.
But she ignored it. To her, Al was just an unlucky boy caught in the games of the elites—and she was the executioner today.
Yolanda smirked, welcoming Al like a joke.
"You? That orphan boy? You dare challenge me? Hah! What a joke. This is an insult!" she scoffed. "Tch, maybe this is just your way of seeking attention. Pathetic."
Al simply stood still. His gaze sharp. Then he suddenly asked,
"Where did you get… that energy?"
Yolanda froze.
Her eyes widened. Her body stiffened, like a child caught stealing. Shocked by Al's question.
"E-energy? Wh-what are you talking about?"
Her tone changed—panicked.
"You know exactly what I mean," Al replied, his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.
How does he know? Yolanda thought.
"If you're talking about inner strength, I could teach you," Yolanda said. "That is… if you're still breathing after this."
She felt cornered—restless and nervous. That growing discomfort stirred her aggression.
An invisible, dark energy began seeping from her. Unseen by normal eyes—but its pressure was palpable.
From afar, David's eyes lit up, pleased by Yolanda's aggression.
Crush him, he muttered in his mind.
Not far away, in the corner of the room, stood a man wearing an oversized jacket, a hood, dark sunglasses, and a mask.
No one knew who he was. but he looked uneasy.
Back in the arena, the tension grew thicker.
"That energy will destroy you if you keep using it. You should let it go… before it consumes you," Al said firmly, his voice laced with genuine warning.
But Yolanda only grew more irritated. She couldn't take it anymore—
She attacked.
A sudden, high-speed strike—full of raw power.
The dark energy gathered in both her fists—dense and sinister.
"Enough talk. Take this!" she shouted, hurling a devastating punch.
Even the spectators in the stands could feel the pressure of her attack. And then—
DUGHH!
The punch landed squarely on Al's crossed arms, which he raised to shield his face.
He tried to block it with both hands—but in the end, he was thrown back hard, sent flying out of the arena.
BRUGHH!
His body crashed into the wall with a heavy thud.
The students of HIHS, who hadn't expected much from this match, let out a collective sigh.
Some were disappointed, some felt pity—
Watching a match that offered nothing impressive. Just a weak boy unlucky enough to take a hit from a trained martial artist.
But then...
AAARRGGGHHH!
Suddenly, Yolanda screamed.
Her body spasmed.
A dark aura erupted from her.
Eyes turned white. Breath erratic.
She moved like a wild beast.
The audience froze in shock, then panic erupted. The surge of energy shook the hall. Tremors rippled through the air, sending people fleeing in terror as the auditorium descended into chaos.
"AAAAHH!!"
"Everyone out!"
"What's happening?!"
"Help!"
"My shoooooes!!"
Yolanda moved like a wild beast—screaming and thrashing—like a nine-tailed fox that hadn't fully awakened inside a blond-haired man.
Amid the chaos—
Al shouted out an order:
"Dedy! Restrain her!"
From the shadows at the edge of the hall, a figure dashed forward.
He threw off his thick jacket, sunglasses, mask, and hoodie.
Fast. Calm. Precise—Dedy.
His hand sliced through the air like it was cutting space itself.
Yolanda froze—suspended in midair.
In the stands—David clenched his fists.
"Tch… I thought the pill was stable."
Earlier, David had handed Yolanda a pill.
"This is More than enough to beat Rina.
And… break that orphan's arms and legs." he said
Yolanda had accepted it.
That's how she gained power she never should have touched.
Back at the arena—panic reigned.
Teachers couldn't even enter due to the chaos.
Dedy approached Al, still holding the writhing Yolanda.
"Young Master… you knew I was here?"
Al smirked.
"How could I not?
Pick me up. We're going to the back forest."
Dedy carried them both—bursting through the cracked glass ceiling.
Deep in the Forest
Al stood tall.
No injuries.
He dropped his act.
Yolanda still squirmed in dark energy.
"This energy…"
Al placed his hand on her forehead.
A soft white light glowed.
Bit by bit, the dark aura faded.
It took a while. The energy was overwhelming.
But... it was finally over.
Yolanda collapsed instantly—unconscious.
All the energy had been neutralized.
Al let out a deep sigh.
Then patted Dedy's shoulder.
"Good job. But you really shouldn't have taken off your hood."
"Ah... haha... thank you, Young Master," he replied sheepishly, scratching his head.
"By the way, what exactly happened to this girl, Young Master?" he asked.
"Do you believe in ghosts?" Al replied with a question of his own.
Dedy blinked, confused by the sudden shift in topic.
"I… not really, Young Master."
Al simply shook his head.
"Then I can't explain it to you right now." he said casually.
"Dedy, take us back to the others."
Dedy was even more confused. His question went unanswered, and now this person was talking about ghosts. What does that have to do with anything?
But for now, all he had to do was follow orders.
"Understood, Young Master."
Dedy carried the unconscious Yolanda—and the "unconscious" Al—back to the school.
Crowds had gathered outside.
Students erupted in cheers.
Everyone cheered as Dedy appeared.
Many were still confused about what had just happened.
Some believed it was a supernatural event, others thought it was some kind of natural disaster.
But one thing was clear—
To most of them, Dedy was now seen as the hero who saved them from the chaos.
"School hero!"
"He saved us all!"
Dedy glanced at Al.
Uncomfortable with the praise.
But Al said nothing.
Let them cheer for Dedy…
Dedy sighed.
Then David appeared—arms crossed. A fake calm on his face.
Dedy saluted David.
The students immediately assumed:
"So David sent that guy!"
"David Virellano… the true hero!"
David smiled, soaking in the praise.
But inside—he boiled.
Why did Dedy save him too?
"Dedy. Take them to the school bus.
We need to head to the hospital."
"Yes, Young Master."
David, Dedy, Yolanda, and a few MES staff members left for the hospital.
The rest of the MES delegation stayed behind, along with HIHS, to resume the School Festival.
Al, who was still receiving first aid among the crowd, slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze narrowed as he caught sight of David from afar.
From David's pocket—faint traces of dark energy flickered.
So that's the source...
This power… no human should access it.
Al clenched his fist.
---
At the Hospital
Yolanda writhed.
Cold sweat drenched her brow.
Her breath shallow.
She dreamed—No—remembered.
Dark energy cloaked her as she lunged at Al.
Suddenly—
Time slowed.
Her body froze in extreme slow motion.
The world—silent, frozen.
Except Al.
He walked normally through the frozen time.
Time magic? No… what kind of skill is this?!
Only inches between them—yet it felt like a century.
Al's voice echoed.
"Sorry, miss."
"This energy… should never belong to humans."
He touched her forehead.
A surge of light flowed from his fingers—gentle, yet piercing.
Yolanda twitched.
Pain jolted through her skull as the foreign energy clashed with the darkness inside her.
Her corrupted aura spiraled violently…
no longer solid, no longer stable—
twisting and writhing like a storm barely contained.
Suddenly—
Time resumed.
Her punch landed.
But her body gave out, and she lost control
Then...
Yolanda woke up... screaming.
"AAAAAH!!"
She gasped. Heart racing.
Looking around—hospital room. Empty.
David entered.
"Took you long enough.
You nearly ruined everything, Yolanda."
Yolanda tried to speak. Tried to explain.
"David… that boy… he… time… he said…"
But—
Her head throbbed.
She screamed, clutching it.
Blood dripped from her nose.
She tried again.
"A-Al… he—"
She coughed. Blood again.
Frozen in fear.
Why… why can't I say it?
---
Back at the School Infirmary
Al sat quietly.
Rina lay on the bed—pale, but breathing steadily.
Al touched her forehead, releasing a soft wave of healing energy.
"Good thing I remembered… to plant the seal,"
he whispered.
"Yolanda can't speak a word about me now."
Rina stirred. Slowly opened her eyes.
Breathing fast.
"Al!! Are you okay?... Did Jogo win?"
Al blinked.
Then smiled.
"Of course…"
Rina's face lit up. She smiled in relief, thinking they had won.
But then he added:
"…we lost, Rina."
Her expression dimmed.
Eyes narrowed.
"Huff… I figured…"
She sat up, holding her head.
"Yolanda… that woman used something strange.
I'll prove she cheated!"
Al chuckled.
"You should worry about healing first.
It's very annoying to take care of you." Al said, joking.
"Ugh… you're the worst."
Rina pouted.
Then laughed.
Outside—the sun was setting.
Orange light spilled through the infirmary windows.
Two students sat at the edge of the bed—
In a world that didn't care.
But they knew…
Something had begun.
Something big.
And dark.
---