The underground arena was silent. Everyone had seen it.
Jin Haru, the quiet new student, had beaten a black belt in Taekwondo.
And not just beaten—he destroyed him.
His blue glowing eyes. The cold way he moved. The perfect form. No fear. No mistakes.
It wasn't normal.
The crowd had cheered loudly at first. Then they got scared. Some people whispered.
"Is he even human?"
"Did you see his eyes?"
"He moved like a machine…"
Cold Girl, the top student, stood outside the arena exit. She watched Haru walk away. He didn't look back.
She clenched her fists.
"That wasn't just talent," she whispered to herself. "He was… different."
---
Far away, in a dark boxing gym, a loud BANG echoed.
A punching bag flew off the hook and crashed to the floor.
The leader of the boxing club, Kang Dojin, stood in front of it, breathing heavily. His knuckles were red.
"He beat all of them?" he asked, voice low.
His lackeys nodded.
"Even Han Min, our best fighter. Jin Haru... that bastard."
"He's the one who messed up the gang near Gangbuk Street too," someone added. "People say he's the same guy."
Dojin sat down, wiped his face, and smiled slowly.
"So, this new guy thinks he's hot stuff, huh?"
He stood up and cracked his neck.
"I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."
---
At school, Haru walked through the hallway, quiet as always.
Students moved out of the way as he passed.
Some waved. Others just stared.
Jin Haru didn't speak to anyone.
Inside his mind, REI spoke.
[Combat footage saved. Performance: 83%. Processing adaptive data.]
"Can I see the fight again?" Haru asked in a low voice.
[Affirmative. But warning: You lost consciousness again. That makes three times.]
Haru frowned.
He didn't like losing control. When he blacked out, something else took over. Cold. Fast. Perfect.
He remembered the Taekwondo fighter's face after the fight. He looked terrified.
That wasn't normal.
"I need more control," Haru muttered.
[Combat Mode is evolving. But emotion is the key.]
---
After class, a girl approached him in the library. Her name was Areum.
The second love interest.
She was usually quiet too. But she had seen the street fight weeks ago. And now, after the arena match, she wanted to know more.
"Hey," she said, looking at him from across the table.
Haru looked up. "Hm?"
"Who are you really?"
Haru paused. "Just… a student."
"That's not true. You don't move like one. You don't think like one."
He said nothing.
She stared at him. "You helped me that day. I didn't say thank you."
He blinked. "You don't need to."
"Still… thanks."
She smiled a little. Haru felt strange inside. Warm. A little confused.
---
In the shadows, one of Kang Dojin's boys took photos of them from outside the window.
He sent a message.
Target found. Boxing Club will move tonight.
---
At the end of the day, Haru felt something weird.
REI spoke softly.
[Caution: Surveillance detected. Unusual movement near exit gate.]
"Someone's watching?"
[Possibly. Would you like to avoid the area?]
Haru shook his head. "No. Let them come."
---
Somewhere in a small apartment, Cold Girl looked at her phone.
She scrolled through posts.
"Blue-Eyed Monster," "Unknown Fighter," "New Ranker Appears."
Her eyes narrowed.
She clicked on a video.
It showed Haru's fight from the underground arena.
She watched his movements in slow motion.
"This is… not normal. Not natural."
She closed her phone.
"If he's dangerous… I need to know first."
---
Back at the gym, Dojin wrapped his hands in tape.
"We go tonight," he told his gang. "No cameras. No noise."
"We'll break his legs."
He smiled cruelly.
"Let's see how he fights when he can't stand."
---
Back in his room, Haru sat on his bed, eyes closed.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
Something was coming.
He opened his eyes. They glowed faintly for just one second.
He didn't notice.
But Combat Mode was already waking up.