The entire school yard is bustling with activity, and the headmaster stands in the center, holding a list of names in his hand. He appears focused, ready to organize the upcoming competition. All the students wear a distinctive uniform—one commonly associated with fighters. The outfits are a striking combination of dark blue and black, creating an aura of determination and strength.
Miss Choi leans toward ji-yeon and whispers softly, her tone laced with concern.
"Is Kangha's shoulder fully healed from last night?" she asks.
"Yes, it's fine now," .
The headmaster addresses the students, his authoritative voice cutting through the chatter. "Listen carefully! I will divide you into groups of four. Each group will compete against another. The winning team from each match will move forward, and from them, individual winners will be selected. Some of those winners will advance to the next level, while others may have to fight again for their place."
Kangha finds himself teamed up with Woo-Jin and two other boys, their faces set with determination. On the other hand, Ji-yeon is the member of Marty's team, which also includes his two close friends.
As the groups gather, the field becomes a sea of small clusters, each team huddled together, whispering strategies and sharing nervous laughter. They have an hour before the matches begin, and tension fills the air.
Kangha glances toward Ji-yeon, who is standing with her team. He leans closer to Woo-Jin and whispers, his voice just loud enough to be heard.
"Do you think Ji-yeon will be able to fight?"
Woo-Jin's sharp gaze shifts to Kangha, and he responds calmly but firmly, "Focus on your fight, Kangha. If she can't fight, the worst that can happen is she'll be out of the competition. But here, it's essential that you win."
" I am just worried about her," Kangha said at glancing on ji-yeon, " her team has three boys and she's the only girl. What If the team they fight against, doesn't have a girl either?
"Kangha, are you feeling pity for her?"
"No! I am just worried about her, how will she manage it.Is that not you feeling worried about her?
" She is not a child, she can handle her problems by her own. If her fight against the boy she can handle it by its own. Don't you worry.
"If the boy doesn't easy on her?"
" Soo! Soo what Kangha" if the boy doesn't Treet her softly?
"Then? Then, I will breat the bones whoever dares, to hurt her"
—---------------
An hour later, the headmaster announces the team matchups. The fighters stand in the arena, facing their opponents. The air grows tense as they wait for the whistle to signal the start. According to the rules, everyone must fight the person standing opposite them. Kangha finds himself facing Ji-yeon, while Marty faces Woo-Jin. The headmaster declares that whoever defeats their opponent first will earn the most points.
The whistle blows, and the fights begin. The arena erupts into chaos as the fighters clash. However, Kangha doesn't attack Ji-yeon. Instead, he dodges her strikes, his movements cautious and defensive. His face is blank, almost expressionless, as he focuses solely on avoiding her moves and shielding himself from her blows.
Marty notices this and grows furious. In his fight against Woo-Jin, Marty lands a powerful punch on him, but Woo-Jin retaliates with a strong blow of his own. Enraged, Marty uses his enhanced strength, throwing Woo-Jin across the arena. Woo-Jin crashes into a pillar with a sickening thud and collapses, unmoving.
Ignoring Woo-Jin, Marty turns his anger toward Kangha. He storms toward him, shoving Ji-yeon out of the way with a rough push. She falls hard to the ground, and Kangha's attention shifts to her for a moment. That's when Marty lands a brutal punch on Kangha's face, sending him staggering. As Kangha tries to steady himself, Marty lands another strike, followed by a third, his rage uncontrollable.
Miss Choi and the headmaster watch the scene unfold from a distance, their faces grim. Ji-yeon, now sidelined, crawls over to Woo-Jin, who remains unconscious near the pillar.
Marty, blinded by rage, prepares to deliver a third punch to Kangha. As his fist smashes into a pillar behind Kangha, the impact cracks the bricks, as if fueled by a strength far beyond normal. Kangha freezes, astonished by the sheer force Marty exhibits.
In that instant, Kangha realizes that Marty's right hand is his most dangerous weapon. When Marty swings at him again, Kangha quickly deflects the punch, twisting his arm to the side. With precision, Kangha counters by striking Marty's face, followed by a sharp blow to his right shoulder. Marty falters, his arm momentarily immobilized, his strength seemingly drained.
Marty's shoulder goes limp, and he lets out a pained "Ahhhh!" His anger intensifies, burning brighter despite his injury. Kangha senses that something is strange about Marty's right arm—it seems to hold some kind of powerful weapon. But there's no time to figure it out now.
Furious, Marty lunges at Kangha in desperation, but his strikes lack their earlier strength. Kangha fights back, delivering precise blows that eventually bring Marty to the ground. Panting heavily, Kangha steps back, standing in place as his chest rises and falls with every breath. Marty lies on the ground, his shoulder immobilized. Whatever happened to it, he can no longer move.
The arena remains alive with the sounds of ongoing battles, but this fight is over. Blood trickles from Kangha's mouth, a sign of the damage he's endured, yet he doesn't linger. Leaving Marty in his defeated state, Kangha walks over to Ji-yeon and Woo-Jin. Woo-Jin remains unconscious, and Ji-yeon is crouched beside him.
The headmaster watches everything unfold from a distance, his sharp eyes taking in the scene. The fight, which started only two minutes ago, is already over. Kangha stands victorious, but his condition speaks of the effort it cost him. The joy that once lit the headmaster's face fades, replaced by a shadow of concern.
The remaining students are still locked in fierce combat, their determination blazing like fire. The headmaster steps forward, raising his hand in a commanding gesture. The fighting ceases immediately as his voice echoes across the field.
"Those who have fallen or been defeated by their opponents are disqualified from the competition,. "The rest of you are selected for the next round."
His eyes settle on Kangha, scrutinizing him closely. A thought flickers in his mind—he wants to test Kangha himself, to gauge the young fighter's strength. But then his gaze shifts to Marty, lying injured and pale, and he knows there's no time to waste.
Around the field, the wounded are being carefully lifted and carried away for treatment. Marty, barely conscious, is taken away by two men. Miss Choi approaches Woo-Jin and Ji-Yeon, her concern evident, and escorts them off the field. The rest of the injured are directed toward the school's medical ward.
Kangha stands still, his piercing gaze locked on the headmaster as if challenging him silently. But after a moment, he turns and follows Miss Choi, his steps steady and determined. Without saying a word, he leaves the battlefield, walking close behind her.
—------------
"Ji-Yeon, are you okay?" Kangha asks softly as he sits down on the edge of her bed. Miss Choi is seated on the other side, her face tense with concern.
"No," Ji-Yeon replies, wincing. "Something hit me hard from behind, like someone struck me with a heavy object."
Before Kangha can respond, a sudden thought crosses his mind. "Miss Choi, where's Woo-Jin?"
Miss Choi glances at him, her expression weary. "I shifted him to a private ward myself. He's unconscious, and I'm not sure about his condition. He doesn't seem okay. When you struck that pillar, I think Woo-Jin took the brunt of it."
Ji-Yeon's voice trembles as she interrupts. "There was something unnatural about him. His strength—it wasn't normal. He picked up Woo-Jin and slammed him down in an instant. And the way he shoved me... I fell to the ground so hard I couldn't even stand up afterward."
Kangha narrows his eyes, his mind racing. "It's possible he's created some kind of power using the Alora stone. "That stone holds immense energy and can be used to forge powerful weapons. If someone knows how to wield it properly, they can use it for all kinds of purposes—even to enhance their own strength. The poison within the stone can be neutralized and consumed, making the user even stronger. Only highly skilled individuals can manipulate it, though... and often, they use it for their own gain or to harm others."
Kangha's words are still hanging in the air when Ji-Yeon interrupts. "That's something Felix could easily pull off."
Kangha turns to her, his gaze thoughtful. "Yes, I read about him in the archives. Felix used the stone's poison to create that deadly disease, the one whose cure was also derived from the same stones. But in the process, many people went missing... or perhaps Felix himself made them disappear."
Kangha falls into deep contemplation, his brows furrowed. Ji-Yeon's words make sense. Only someone as skilled as Felix could wield such advanced science and alchemy.
"Ji-Yeon," Kangha says finally, "it's possible Felix allowed him to cheat in the competition and supplied him with weapons. But we'll investigate this thoroughly. We need to be certain."