The trees were tall. The air was quiet.
Jin Haru stood near the group, watching the wind move the leaves. He wore his school hoodie over his head, hands in his pockets. The field trip was supposed to be fun. A nature trail. Team games. Laughter.
But now, things were going wrong.
The students from another school were here too. They weren't normal students—they looked tough. A few wore ripped uniforms. Some had cuts and bruises like they fought a lot. One boy even had a chain around his neck, like a gangster.
They stood in front of Haru's class, smirking.
"Look at these losers," one of the rival boys said. "This is the famous Class 1-A?"
Another boy stepped forward. He was tall with sharp eyes and short red hair. His arms were thick like logs.
Jinho stood beside Haru and whispered, "That guy… he's the top dog from East River High. Name's Kang Doyun. National Judo rep."
REI spoke inside Haru's mind.
"Warning: High-risk fighters detected. Recommended action: avoid conflict."
But it was already too late.
One of the boys from Haru's class shouted, "Don't mess with us!"
He stepped forward—and got punched in the stomach. Hard. He fell, gasping for breath.
Gasps came from the students. The teachers were too far away. No one came to stop it.
Doyun laughed. "This forest is ours now. Got a problem?"
Haru frowned. He didn't want to fight. But when he looked around, he saw fear. His classmates were shaking.
Suddenly, another boy from East River rushed forward and aimed a kick at Jinho.
Jinho blocked it, but he got pushed back.
Then it began.
The brawl.
Students screamed. Fists flew. Dirt kicked into the air. It was chaos.
Jinho yelled, "Haru! Watch out!"
A punch came toward Haru. He ducked and backed away.
"Dammit," he whispered. "I didn't want to fight today."
Then he saw something.
A tall student from the rival school was fighting three students alone. His moves were smooth—his punches fast, his kicks sharp.
REI whispered:
"Combat style detected: Northern Fist. Copy rate: 50% possible."
Haru's eyes widened. "I can copy that?"
He focused.
Every move the fighter made—Haru's mind recorded it.
He stepped forward. The rival student saw him and threw a spinning kick.
Haru raised his arm and blocked—just like the man had done.
It worked.
He copied the form.
The boy attacked again. Haru countered with the same palm strike the fighter had used.
It hit. The boy dropped.
Jinho rushed to Haru's side. "Whoa. That was clean! You copied him?"
Haru gave a small nod. "Not perfectly… but enough."
Together, they moved. Jinho used Muay Thai, his elbows sharp. Haru used the copied Northern Fist, smooth and calm.
They fought like they had trained together for years.
The enemy students backed off. Some were unconscious. Others were scared.
Doyun cracked his neck and stepped forward. "So you're the one everyone's whispering about."
Haru stayed quiet.
Doyun charged. His steps were fast.
REI screamed in his mind:
"WARNING: Technique too advanced! Danger level—high!"
Haru tried to dodge. Doyun grabbed him and threw him.
CRASH.
Haru hit a tree. His head throbbed. Blood dripped from his lip.
Everything went black for a second.
And then—
His eyes glowed blue.
Jinho froze. "Oh no. Not again…"
Haru stood up. His face was calm. Empty. Like a machine.
He moved faster than before.
SMACK.
A roundhouse kick.
BAM.
A perfect jab to the nose.
CRACK.
A sweep that dropped two boys.
The forest went silent.
Doyun took a step back. "What the hell are you?"
Haru didn't answer. He looked at Doyun—then vanished from his sight.
In a blink, he was behind him.
One punch. One fall.
Doyun hit the ground. Out cold.
Silence.
The fight was over.
The blue light faded from Haru's eyes. He blinked, confused.
"What… happened?" he asked.
Jinho helped him up. "You went full beast mode again. Man, we need to talk about that."
Haru looked at the fallen students. He felt no pride. Only fear.
"I didn't mean to…"
REI spoke softly in his mind.
"You only fought because you had to. But they will come back. Stronger. And soon."
Haru looked at his shaking hands.
The forest was quiet again. But something had changed.
The world wouldn't leave him alone.
He had entered a game of fists—and now, he was a player whether he liked it or not.