David stood in front of Rio with a smile that carried no warmth. Their eyes locked, like two predators realizing they shared the same hunting ground. No audience. No whistle. Just tension crawling between them like smoke.
"Try this!!"
David shattered the silence first.
His right cross shot forward, almost too fast for an ordinary person. But Rio's head had already moved left, a clean slip born from instincts that were sharpening by the second. The motion was simple, just a slight shift of the head, yet when Rio did it, even the air seemed to stir.
David realized too late. He had lost momentum.
Rio answered with a jab aimed straight at David's jaw. David stepped back fast, trying to reset the distance. His left hook tore through the air, nearly grazing Rio's face, a blow strong enough to end the fight for most people.
Rio dipped right.
His counter landed like a hammer.
Rio's hook smashed into David's jaw, sending his body flying sideways. Not a wide swing, just enough to show who controlled the rhythm now.
David jumped back again, desperate to create space before everything slipped beyond control.
Rio gave him none.
"Wha—?!"
The word never finished leaving David's mouth.
Rio vanished from his sight.
In a blink, Rio was right in front of him, movement slicing through distance like paper. His jab crashed into David's nose, the impact echoing through the empty street.
David's body flew several meters.
"I don't regret following him."
Watching from a distance, Riko smiled. Not shocked. More like someone seeing an old prediction come true. Out of everyone, he understood best how wild Rio's growth had become.
And now he was watching the result.
David forced himself up again, face tight with pain. He tried to set a perfect stance, hoping posture could hide his delay.
The air behind him shifted.
Rio was already there.
"What kind of speed is that…? I came to hunt him. So why does it feel like I'm the one being chased?"
The thought flashed for a second. Long enough to taste the bitterness of reality.
Rio's spinning hook kick came.
It swept across the side of David's head with power he could no longer block.
His world went dark.
THUD.
David's body was launched away, rolling across the pavement before finally stopping face down. The fight ended before the atmosphere even had time to change.
When Rio looked toward Riko, he saw his friend had already taken down all three opponents.
A fast victory. Still impressive.
"You're insane, Riko," Rio said as he walked over. He still couldn't believe Riko handled three people alone. Even with their abilities now, that was no small feat.
Riko laughed lightly. "You're way stronger than me."
"Then how did you lose to David?" Rio asked, genuinely confused.
"I didn't lose to David," Riko replied casually. "The one who beat me was Rivaldo himself."
The truth landed quietly, confirming what Rio had suspected from the start.
"That figures," Rio nodded. "David's too weak to beat you. Especially if he's just one of Rivaldo's guys."
Riko shook his head. "You've got it wrong. David was just recruited. He's not even top thirty strongest in Naraya."
A thin smile formed on Rio's lips.
The walk home felt lighter. They split at an intersection, their short conversation restoring a bit of warmth after the heated clash.
So this is what it feels like… to finally live like this.
Rio walked alone, old memories surfacing. Of the boy who was always the target. And the one he was now.
The evening sky glowed with soft orange, light washing over rooftops. It was bright, yet somehow calming.
All these changes… they started with that headache. That mysterious voice.
A small tear slipped out before he could stop it. He had never imagined his life could shift this far. All because of his new ability.
King's Sense.
Without it, he would still be a shadow everyone stepped on.
Rio straightened his back.
His house came into view. The weekend was waiting, and he already planned to buy training equipment. Life wasn't dragging him anymore.
Now he was pulling life forward.
"I'm home," he said as he opened the door.
No answer.
Rani was nowhere in sight, but her shoes were outside. The house was quiet. Too quiet.
A faint vibration ran through Rio's bones, stealing his breath.
King's Sense pulsed.
THUMP… THUMP…
His head shook violently, like something was tearing inside. "W-what is this…?!"
Rio lost control. His knees buckled. An unnatural pain ripped through his body.
In the next second, he collapsed in front of the door.
THUD.
Rani stepped out of the bathroom, hair still wet. When she saw Rio lying unconscious, her eyes widened in panic.
"Big brother!!"
Without thinking, she ran toward him, sudden fear gripping her heart.
Rio didn't move.