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 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?" "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 stood still. Like a statue. Rina clenched the edge of her jacket. Irritated—but held back. Now wasn’t the time to deal with their words. 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. 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. "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. Rina attacked first, but... Yolanda was different. Her movements were composed—calm. She easily deflected Rina’s weakening blows. Then she struck back— Throwing Rina across the stage. A powerful hit—typical of the Karagara clan. But something was off. The energy... 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. "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. 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?." Kid? Aren’t we the same age? Cheers now shifted to MES. HIHS students cheered—sure Jogo would turn things around. Jogo stepped forward. "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: "That’s my mission today." Whispers started again. "Finally the orphan gets his turn." "HIHS is doomed now." But Al walked forward. Slow. Lazy. Hands in pockets. Each step calm—but his eyes... had changed. That energy... How can someone our age wield that much of it? HIHS students muttered in despair. "It’s over... Rina lost, Jogo gave up." "Only that beater boy remains." 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. So he stepped forward. "You? The orphan? Fighting me? Hahaha... this is pathetic. Looking for attention? Poor thing." "Where did you get... that energy?" Like a child caught stealing. "E-Energy? W-what do you mean?" Her voice wavered. Panic. Seeing Al remain silent, Yolanda—restless and visibly panicked—suddenly launched an attack. Her movement was lightning-fast and packed with raw force. The moment her punch connected, Al was sent flying across the arena, crashing down hard. The students from HIHS, who hadn’t expected much from the match, simply sighed. To them, it was just another dull fight—watching a weak kid get unlucky and take a blow from a skilled martial artist. Suddenly, Yolanda screamed. 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. Yolanda moved like a wild beast—screaming and thrashing—like a nine-tailed fox that hadn’t fully awakened inside a blond-haired man. "Dedy! Restrain her!" From the shadows—Dedy appeared. With one move, he stopped Yolanda mid-air. In the stands—David clenched his fists. "Tch... I thought the pill was stable." Earlier, David had handed Yolanda a pill. "More than enough to beat Rina. And... break that orphan’s arms and legs." 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?" Pick me up. We’re going to the back forest." Dedy carried them both—bursting through the cracked glass ceiling. Yolanda still squirmed in dark energy. Al placed his hand on her forehead. A soft white light glowed. Bit by bit, the dark aura faded. "Dedy. Let’s return." Dedy carried the unconscious Yolanda—and the "unconscious" Al—back to the school. Crowds had gathered outside. Students erupted in cheers. Uncomfortable with the praise. Let them cheer for Dedy... Then David appeared—arms crossed. A fake calm on his face. 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." 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. Cold sweat drenched her brow. She dreamed—No—remembered. Dark energy cloaked her as she lunged at Al. Her body froze in extreme slow motion. The world—silent, frozen. 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. "This energy... should never belong to humans." He touched her forehead. A surge of light flowed from his fingers—gentle, yet piercing. 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. But her body gave out, and she lost control Yolanda woke up... screaming. She gasped. Heart racing. Looking around—hospital room. Empty. "Took you long enough. You nearly ruined everything, Yolanda." Yolanda tried to speak. Tried to explain. "David... that boy... he... time... he said..." She screamed, clutching it. Blood dripped from her nose. She coughed. Blood again. Why... why can’t I say it? Back at the School Infirmary 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," "Yolanda can’t speak a word about me now." Rina stirred. Slowly opened her eyes. "Al!! Are you okay?... Did Jogo win?" Rina’s face lit up. She smiled in relief, thinking they had won. Her expression dimmed. "Huff... I figured..." She sat up, holding her head. "Yolanda... that woman used something strange. I’ll prove she cheated!" "You should worry about healing first. It’s very annoying to take care of you." Al said, joking. "Ugh... you’re the worst." 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.