The air outside was cold.
Jin Haru walked alone on the sidewalk, his school bag slung over one shoulder. It was quiet. The sun had started to set, painting the sky orange.
He liked this time of day. It was peaceful.
But that peace didn't last long.
As he walked past an alley near a closed store, he suddenly heard a voice.
"Hey! Let go of me!"
It was a girl's voice—shaky, but loud.
Jin stopped. He turned his head toward the alley. He stepped closer, just enough to peek inside.
His eyes widened.
A girl was cornered by four older boys. She looked familiar—slim figure, short hair, school skirt slightly torn. She was from his school.
"Come on, we just wanna talk," one of the boys laughed.
"Back off!" she shouted and tried to run, but one of them grabbed her wrist.
"Hey," Jin said quietly, stepping into the alley.
The boys turned. One of them frowned.
"Who the hell are you?"
Jin didn't answer.
The girl saw him and froze. Her eyes showed surprise… then hope.
"Let her go," Jin said calmly.
The tallest boy snorted. "What if I don't?"
Jin looked around. The alley was narrow. Trash cans lined the wall. His heart pounded, but his face stayed calm.
REI's voice echoed in his head.
> "Warning: Four hostile targets. Strength level – intermediate. Shall I call emergency services?"
"No," Jin whispered.
The tallest boy walked toward him and threw a punch.
Jin moved back, dodging it barely. He raised his arms to block the second punch, but it hit hard.
CRACK!
Jin's body hit the wall.
His vision blurred. His head rang.
And then…
Everything went quiet.
His breath slowed.
A cold light flickered in his eyes—blue like ice.
REI's voice returned, but it sounded different.
> "Combat Mode activated. Syncing physical memory."
Jin stood up slowly.
His movements were smooth, controlled.
The boys took a step back. One of them muttered, "What's with his eyes…?"
Jin dashed forward.
The first boy tried to punch again, but Jin caught his wrist mid-air and twisted it. The boy screamed.
CRACK!
Jin spun, delivering a perfect side kick to the second boy's chest.
The third rushed with a broken pipe.
Jin ducked, then uppercut him hard in the jaw.
The last boy hesitated, then ran.
But Jin didn't chase. He turned to the girl.
She stared, eyes wide.
Jin blinked slowly. The blue light in his eyes faded.
He fell to one knee, dizzy.
> "Combat Mode deactivated. Returning to normal state."
The girl rushed to him.
"Are you okay?! You saved me…"
But Jin didn't hear her.
He closed his eyes.
The last thing he heard was her voice calling his name—
"Jin Haru!"
Then, darkness.