《The Empty Throne》 A New School Year The new school year had begun, and many fresh-faced students eagerly prepared to enter their new schools. One of them was Meruya Selatan High School, located in West Jakarta. "A new school year, is it? Who cares! ¡­Wait, could this actually be an opportunity for me? Hahaha!" A voice echoed through a dimly lit room, its owner concealed in shadows, laughter reverberating against the walls. Excited new students stepped through the school gates, brimming with enthusiasm, eager to embark on a fresh start with newfound confidence. Yet, that confidence was shattered the moment they set foot inside. Their once-bright expressions dulled, their heads lowered as an unsettling atmosphere loomed over them. The reason? It was painfully obvious. Like many others, this school was ruled by delinquents. Upperclassmen loitered about, eyeing the newcomers as though they were fresh prey. Not only that, but they also seemed to take great pleasure in stirring up conflict among the weaker ones, treating them as mere playthings. Don''t blame the world¡ªit is simply fulfilling its duty. The real mistake lies in being born weak. --- The crackle of a microphone filled the air. "Attention, all new students. Please gather at the multipurpose hall. I repeat, all new students, please proceed to the multipurpose hall. Supervisors will guide you, so just follow them. Thank you." The first-years hurried towards the hall. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Just then, an upperclassman suddenly grabbed one of them. "P-please¡­ I-I''ve done nothing wrong! I''m sorry, I really am!" The boy stammered, his voice shaking with fear. Seeing this, the other new students panicked. Their faces paled as they rushed towards the hall, pushing and shoving in a desperate attempt to get inside as quickly as possible. Fear, anxiety, and helplessness filled the air. --- Meanwhile, elsewhere¡­ "Look at them, trembling with fear! Hahaha! Perfect. Just as planned. Let''s go." The shadowy figure, surrounded by a group of women, smirked before stepping forward. --- [ Inside the Multipurpose Hall ] A stout man in a black suit stepped onto the stage, teachers standing behind him. "Ahem¡­ Welcome, new students! I am the headmaster of this school." "So, what do you think of your first impression of Meruya Selatan High? Exciting, isn''t it? Of course it is! From now on, you will all become my mo¡ª I mean, new students at this school! Give yourselves an A+!" The entire hall erupted into applause and cheers. "Oh, come on, don''t flatter me too much. Anyway, congratulations on becoming students here! That''s all from me. I shall be taking my leave now." With that, the headmaster strolled off the stage. Suddenly, a loud voice rang from the back. "Make way for the boss!!" A group of upperclassmen pushed through the crowd. The new students quickly stepped aside as a hulking figure made his way forward. This so-called boss was massive¡ªno, perhaps even obese¡ªcasually smoking a cigarette as he climbed onto the stage. He tapped the microphone. "Testing, testing¡­ Tch, this mic is rubbish, you idiots! Get me a new one!" The teachers visibly flinched at his words. A staff member quickly handed him a new microphone. "Now, this is more like it. Right then, you bunch of weaklings!" "My name is King Yudan, and I run this school." "I''ll keep it simple¡ªstarting tomorrow, each of you will pay me 1.50 dollars every day. That''s all." --- Meanwhile, outside the school¡­ A lone figure stood before the gates. "So, this is Meruya Selatan High¡­ My new school, huh?" Inside, a group of upperclassmen noticed him. "Oi, who''s that? He''s been standing there for ages." "Weird¡­ Wait, isn''t he wearing our school uniform? But I''ve never seen him before. Is he a new student?" Just as they were talking, the boy began walking towards the entrance. In an instant, the upperclassmen surrounded him. "Yo, you a new student, mate?" "Yeah, Uncle." "Uncle?! You trying to get yourself killed, brat?!" The upperclassman flared up in anger. "Huh? Oh, you''re not? My bad. I just assumed, y''know¡­ ''cause your face looks ancient." The boy grinned. "You little¡ª!!" The upperclassman swung his fist at him. Whoosh! BAM! Shock filled his eyes. The boy had effortlessly blocked the punch¡ªwith his foot. "Sorry, but I''m already late. If I don''t hurry, I might get scolded." The other upperclassmen wasted no time. "GET HIM!!" --- Five Minutes Later A figure emerged from an alley in front of the school. He had silver-grey hair, his clothes stained with blood. In his hand, he dragged an unconscious body¡ªevidence of a one-sided fight that had just taken place. After dropping the body onto the ground, he stepped into the school gates¡­ only to freeze in surprise. "What the hell? Eighty people¡­ down?" TO BE CONTINUED¡­ The New School Year [2] [ Scene: Return to the Multipurpose Building ] King Yudan was now walking back with the other senior students. As he approached their base, he saw that his subordinates, who were guarding the entrance, had all collapsed unconscious. The other seniors were also shocked by what they saw. "What is this? Why are they all defeated? Who did this? Why didn''t anyone inform us, damn it!!!" Yudan was visibly furious. This was the first time he had been attacked like this. [ The Next Day ] All the students were talking about yesterday¡¯s incident¡ªexcept for the new students, who neither knew about it nor cared to find out. Yesterday, the classes had been assigned, and the new students were divided into five classes. Riiinggg¡ªthe bell rang, signaling the start of class. All the students got ready. [ In Class 10-F ] This was the lowest-ranked class among the new students. Some were playing around, others were sleeping, and some were even smoking. This class could be considered the worst among the newcomers. Suddenly, the door swung open. A teacher entered¡ªa woman with her hair tied up, wearing a single earring on her left ear. "Tch, turns out it''s just a cowardly woman!!" sneered one of the students smoking in the back. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He walked toward the teacher, stepping forward with a smug expression. But suddenly, a female student blocked his path. "What do you think you''re doing? She''s our teacher!" THWACK! The male student struck her, sending her flying out of the classroom. CREAK¡ªThe door opened again. The student rushed toward the teacher. She was looking down, tears streaming down her face. Was this what they meant by a woman¡¯s heart being as fragile as glass? WHOOSH He swung his fist at the teacher. But before he realized it, someone passed by, intercepting his punch. THUD! The impact cracked the wall behind them. But what was more shocking was that his fist had landed directly on someone¡¯s face¡ªmore precisely, their cheek. Yet, the person didn¡¯t flinch, not even a scratch. The man had gray eyes. The gray-eyed man placed his hand on the student¡¯s shoulder as he walked past him. "A fool like you¡ªsomeone who can¡¯t even resist the evil urges within himself¡ªisn¡¯t worthy of competing with real men," he said. WHOOSH BOOM! The student was sent flying out of the classroom, flung from the second floor¡ªjust from a mere touch. "Huh? I lost just like that? What he said..." He recalled the gray-eyed man''s words. "I see... In the end, I¡¯m not even worth being a side character." He blinked. Then, he opened his eyes. He was still in the classroom, his fist raised, about to hit the same student as before. The teacher was still crying behind the gray-eyed man. Seeing this, the student collapsed to the ground, realizing that what he had just experienced wasn¡¯t a mere illusion. The gray-eyed man walked past him toward the back of the classroom. "Why hold the performance here instead of on the stage?" A new voice spoke up. A young man appeared, carrying the female student who had been hit earlier. "Come on, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll give you some candy, hehe." Who was this now? Many students were causing trouble on the first day, each trying to make a name for themselves. "Oh yeah, by the way, where¡¯s my seat? I was absent yesterday, so I have no idea," the young man said with a smile, looking at the gray-eyed student. "Eh? Is the empty seat next to you mine? Haha, guess we¡¯re seatmates!" ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª The New School Year [3] "Oh yeah, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Aswi." Aswi was the student who took down an upperclassman at the school gate. He was also the one who brought a female student along. "What¡¯s your name, kid?" Aswi looked at the gray-haired guy. "I have no name." He spoke indifferently. The classroom returned to normal. The students resumed their studies as usual. The teacher no longer looked sad. This time, all the students respected her¡ªeven the troublemakers couldn¡¯t believe what they had just witnessed. Everything proceeded like an ordinary school day, except for the back row. "Come on, tell me your name," Aswi kept bothering the gray-haired guy. But the guy remained silent, his attitude indifferent. Despite that, Aswi continued to pester him, pushing his patience to the limit. A vein popped on the guy¡¯s face. He grabbed Aswi¡¯s collar, pulling him close. "Annoy me one more time, and I¡¯ll beat the hell out of you. My name is Arca!!" He spoke with a furious tone. The entire class turned their attention toward them, watching intently. But the moment Arca shot them a glare, they immediately looked away. His gaze alone was enough to intimidate them. Arca then let go of his grip. The classroom fell into silence. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Don¡¯t bother me again!" Seven minutes passed. The class went back to normal, but¡­ "Come on, show me that strength of yours. Knock me down, haha!" Aswi continued to provoke Arca despite the warning. The other students were visibly worried about what he was doing. "If you won¡¯t use it on me, how about we fight together? That way, I can see your strength firsthand, haha! What do you say?" Arca¡¯s patience had reached its limit. BHUAK! Arca slammed his fist onto the desk, splitting it in half. "Damn it! If you can make me fight alongside you, then I¡¯ll fight with you forever!!" Both Arca and Aswi were stunned. How could they not be? They were suddenly surrounded by a massive crowd¡ªat least 530 students, cramming both the classroom and the area outside. "You two are the ones who beat up our friends, huh? Cocky little freshmen!!" A large-built student yelled at them. Someone whispered to him. "Oh¡­ so you¡¯re the so-called ¡®Weapon Slayer¡¯? What a cringy name." The other students could only watch in silence, frozen with fear. Even the teacher hid under her desk. "At first, our boss only wanted you to pay tribute money. But you just had to cause trouble. Now, we¡¯re gonna beat the hell out of all the new kids!" The mob charged at Arca and Aswi. WOSHH! A punch was thrown at Arca. DUARR! The attacker was sent flying, crashing through the wall and landing outside. Arca leaped through the hole from the second floor. Aswi followed, diving headfirst with a smirk. This feels like flying, haha! They landed amidst a swarm of enemies. DUP! Dust scattered around them. As the dust settled, Arca wasted no time and launched a surprise attack. WOSHH! BHUAKK! His punch sent one flying, knocking over a few others. Seeing this, the rest charged at Arca, aiming for his face from every direction. But from above, Aswi suddenly flipped and grabbed Arca¡¯s head, his feet pointing upwards. This made Arca duck his head down. Aswi then used this momentum to propel himself upward, causing all the punches to miss. From below, Arca capitalized on the moment¡ªhe spun and delivered a wide 180-degree kick, knocking them to the ground. A perfect combo. But that was just a small fraction of the enemies. Hundreds more were ready to attack. "Tch, what a pain¡­" Arca muttered. ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª The New School Year [END] Arca stood surrounded, a sharp smirk on his face. "Tch, what a hassle," he muttered. The horde attacked from all directions at once. Arca didn''t just stand there¡ªhe fought back fiercely. Meanwhile, Aswa was still in midair, seemingly having jumped too high. "I guess I pushed off his head too hard¡­ Now I¡¯m stuck up here," Aswa mused, still floating. From above, he watched Arca¡¯s intense battle. "Oh well, his head¡¯s fine. I get to watch him fight too, haha." Even while surrounded, Arca remained calm¡ªlike a seasoned warrior. One by one, he took them down, his movements precise and powerful. "What the hell is this guy?! Why isn¡¯t he going down?!" one of them shouted. BHUAKK! BHUAKKK! Arca kept striking. Half of them had already fallen. Yet¡­ He didn¡¯t seem tired at all. BHUAKK! His punches grew heavier. BHUAKK! BHUAKK! Stronger. More painful. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. BHUAKK! BHUAKK! BHUAKKK! Now, Arca looked terrifying. His arms and body seemed to swell with power. This time, his punch was different. WOSHHH BHUAKK! He struck again¡ª But instead of his enemy, he hit Aswa, who had just landed. Aswa was sent flying, crashing into the crowd, knocking several of them out. Arca¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "What the hell did I hit just now? Was that iron?!" BHUAKK! A punch landed on Arca¡¯s face. "Sorry, but I¡¯m just that amazing," Aswa grinned. Hearing that, a vein popped on Arca¡¯s forehead. "You damn¡ª!" WOSHH BHUAK BHUAK BHUAK BHUAK! Arca¡¯s speed doubled. He attacked wildly. "H-He¡¯s a monster! His attacks are too fast to see! How the hell do we beat him?!" Doubt crept into the gang¡¯s hearts. Fear painted their faces. They were 530 strong. Yet in front of this one man¡­ They felt like they were facing a WALL. Still, they had no choice but to fight. Arca had already stopped caring who his opponents were. FWUSHHH! His punch sent bodies flying, a testament to his overwhelming strength. Meanwhile, from the school¡¯s upper window¡ª "Tsk, why does he keep getting scarier?! I knew he was called the ¡®Weapon Slayer,¡¯ but damn it! If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have messed with him! Almost everyone¡¯s down¡­ What do I do now?" Yudan muttered anxiously, pacing back and forth. THAANG His foot hit something. Back to the battlefield¡ª Almost all of them had been defeated. Only a few remained. They attacked together. But in the end¡­ They fell too. BHUAKK! The last one collapsed. WHUUSHH A weapon swung from behind Arca. He turned¡ª Yudan was lunging at him with a steel pipe. But¡ª Arca¡¯s pupils suddenly glowed blue. "Die, Arc¡ª!" DHAKK! FWUUSHH! Yudan was sent flying. Aswa had kicked him in the head. Arca stood still, his pupils returning to normal. "Fyuuh¡­ I¡¯m exhausted. How about we take a break? Haha." Aswa slung an arm over Arca¡¯s shoulder. The two walked toward the cafeteria. Arca glanced back. The first-year students, teachers, even the principal¡ª They had all witnessed it. Their faces were filled with joy¡­ but also fear. Their hearts wavered. Their minds conflicted. And that¡­ Was the beginning of the legend of THE TWO HUNTERS. ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Teacher Celsi [The Next Day] "Breaking News, viewers! Another student brawl has broken out, and this time it''s quite a big one. The fight took place at Meruya Selatan High School, involving nearly 550 students. The police are still investigating the incident..." "Due to the rising cases of teenage fights, the government is considering a decision to¡ª" "PRAAANG!" The TV screen shattered. A silhouette of a person lay on the sofa. "Huhh..." [At Meruya Selatan High School] "Hahaha... This is getting more and more exciting, huh?" Aswa smirked. "By the way, why are you following me around? I don''t have any money to pay you, New Boss." Aswa walked toward the school building, followed by Arca. The students in the hallway¡ªfirst, second, and third years¡ªbowed their heads in respect to Arca. "Shut up¡­ I''m following you because I made a promise," Arca said firmly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." [Elsewhere, in the Principal''s Office] "Have you seen the news that''s gone viral?" ¡ª Barler Sikik, Principal of Meruya Selatan High School "Y-yes, sir..." ¡ª Celsi, Aswa¡¯s Homeroom Teacher "Because of him, our school¡¯s reputation is in the gutter. Make sure he regrets ever enrolling here." "B-but sir, he¡¯s still a stu¡ª" "So what if he¡¯s a student? I can get you fired and thrown into prison." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Celsi left the principal¡¯s office. She walked toward Aswa and Arca''s classroom. "Good morning, Ms. Celsi!" one of the teachers greeted. Celsi kept walking without saying a word. Click. The sound of a door opening. "I just saw Ms. Celsi, but when I greeted her, she ignored me." "That¡¯s normal. She¡¯s probably just scared again. She¡¯s always like that," another teacher replied. "No..." "???" "That wasn¡¯t a face of fear... That was the face of pure rage." Celsi was getting closer to Aswa¡¯s classroom¡ªjust a few more doors to go. "I can get you fired and thrown into prison. Your only choice is yes or no." ¡ª (Celsi¡¯s memory of her conversation with the principal.) She arrived. Her eyes were red. Her face was expressionless. Her posture, rigid and firm. She stared at Aswa and Arca with cold, emotionless eyes. The students around them shivered. Sweat dripped down Arca¡¯s face. "What the hell is with that stare? She¡¯s just standing there, but I feel completely overwhelmed? No way¡­ I¡¯ve fought hundreds of people before. Just one person?" Celsi slowly walked toward the two, while the other students froze in place. They couldn¡¯t move. She stopped in front of them, her gaze locked on their seated figures. Neither Aswa nor Arca could move a muscle. Woshh! Aswa threw a punch. Bhuakkk! Duarrr! Both Aswa and Arca were sent flying. The classroom wall shattered into pieces. Before they could react, Celsi was suddenly right in front of them in mid-air¡ªthen slammed them straight into the ground. Blood dripped from Aswa and Arca¡¯s mouths. The ground where they landed had caved in. Struggling, they tried to get back on their feet. "What the hell is that speed?!" Arca gasped. "Ahh¡­ Why did I get hit too?" Aswa said, still sounding relaxed. "What do you mean? You attacked first!" Arca scolded him. "But it was just a joke!" Celsi walked toward them. Arca immediately took a fighting stance, while Aswa watched her approach. He focused, trying not to lose sight of her movements. Then he blinked. Celsi was already in front of them. Bhuakkk! Arca and Aswa were launched backward again. Aswa tried to plant his feet into the ground to stop himself, while Arca crashed even farther away. "Heee¡­ You''re fast. But sorry, I¡¯m actually super duper fa¡ª" Celsi was already right in front of Aswa. She swung her leg at his face. Bhuakkk! ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Celsi [2] Aswa Was Blown Away... "You''ve got to be kidding me... We can''t even see her movements. So she¡¯s been hiding her strength all this time," Arca muttered. Celsi stood still, her eyes glowing red, smoke seeping out from her eyes and mouth. Arca struggled to move his body, while Aswa remained lying on the ground where he had crashed. "Just give up already. If you do, I might go eas¡ª" WOSSHH Arca and Aswa leaped toward Celsi. "Hahaha... Now this is getting fun! Why didn''t we start like this?" Aswa grinned excitedly. "...There''s someone this strong in a place like this? You don¡¯t belong here," Arca muttered. The two launched another attack on Celsi. Despite being beaten badly, there was no fear on their faces. Instead, there was only... "How do you even pull off a move like that?" Aswa adjusted his stance. Arca clenched his fists, but before they could react, Celsi vanished. Celsi reappeared behind them. BHUAKKK Aswa was sent flying, this time crashing hard into the school wall. DHUKKK This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Arca seized the moment to attack Celsi. "So, you still don¡¯t get it, huh?" BHUAKKK This time, Arca was the one sent flying. ... But on their faces, there was nothing but excitement. These were the faces of hunters. The faces of maniacs. Aswa sprinted towards Celsi at full speed. As he got close, he executed a spinning kick, but before it could land¡ª Celsi drove a fist into his stomach. Aswa was launched backward again, but this time, Celsi didn¡¯t just stand idly by. She vanished again, reappearing behind Aswa while he was still mid-air, and delivered a brutal kick. Aswa was hurled in the opposite direction. But once wasn¡¯t enough. Celsi did it again. And again. Punching. Kicking. Slapping. Again and again. Relentlessly. It seemed like Celsi wanted to end this quickly. Eventually, Aswa lost consciousness, his eyes rolling back, turning completely white. Celsi finally stopped. It looked like this time, Aswa had truly been defeated. She then turned toward Arca. The battlefield was now unrecognizable¡ªwhat was once a grassy area was now full of craters, the grass completely gone. At that moment, Celsi suddenly felt an intimidating aura behind her. She turned around¡ªthere was Aswa, still unconscious. His once white eyes were now slowly turning red. Smoke started leaking from them. WOSHHH Arca attacked from the other side while Celsi was distracted. But she easily dodged his strike. Without hesitation, she grabbed a metal rod from the ground and swung it. DHUAKKK The metal rod slammed into Arca. Celsi then turned back to Aswa¡ª But nothing happened. She discarded the metal rod. Again, she felt the same intimidating aura, this time from the opposite direction. She turned¡ª Arca was closing his eyes. But for a brief moment¡­ his eyes flickered blue. The battlefield was in ruins. Buildings were cracked, even completely shattered. The fences were destroyed. The plants had withered. The sky was dark and overcast. Celsi grabbed Aswa and Arca and dragged them inside. Thus¡ª The winner of this battle was Celsi.
[Elsewhere, on top of the school building] A shadowy figure watched the fight between Celsi, Aswa, and Arca. Once the battle ended, the figure disappeared. Meanwhile, a CCTV camera slowly adjusted its position. "Hehe, got another one..." ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Celsi [3] Aswa sprinted toward Celsi at full speed. As he got close, he executed a spinning kick¡ª But before it could land, Celsi struck him in the stomach. Aswa was sent flying once again. But this time, Celsi didn¡¯t stay still. She vanished again. In an instant, she was behind Aswa while he was still airborne¡ª And launched a devastating kick. Aswa was hurled in the opposite direction. But once wasn¡¯t enough. She did it again. And again. Punching. Kicking. Slapping. Again and again. Over and over. Relentlessly. Without stopping. Without mercy. Again¡ª Again¡ª Aga¡ª "Huff..." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Aswa jolted awake, drenched in sweat. "You finally up?" Arca was doing sit-ups, his shirt off. "Why are you sweating more than me?... Oh yeah, you should check this out. The nurse said Celsi left this for you." Arca handed him a piece of paper from Celsi. Aswa glanced at the paper, then smirked. "So, you up for it?" he chuckled. "Of course." Arca grinned back. Arca threw his shirt back on. Aswa stretched, warming up. "Now?" Arca asked. "When else?" Aswa replied. They took off running. The school hallways were eerily silent, cloaked in darkness. A cold chill filled the air. They passed classroom after classroom¡ª Until they reached the last one. A dead end. Only a solid wall stood before them. "You ever hear that saying about dead ends? If there''s no path, make one yourself! Hahaha!" Aswa laughed. "That¡¯s not a saying... Wait, isn¡¯t that from another story?" Arca squinted. Drip... drip... Rain began to fall. BRAKKK! The wall shattered. Aswa and Arca leaped from the third floor. "You¡¯ve been waiting, haven¡¯t you? Haha!" Aswa shouted mid-air. "The rain sets a nice mood," Arca added.
[CELSI VS ASWA & ARCA - ROUND 2] Celsi stood in the middle of the field, already drenched. She looked up at them, mainly at Aswa, who was still laughing. Her vision blurred. For a moment, she saw someone else¡ª Someone jumping toward her, laughing, reaching out for a hug. Someone from her past. Plashh! Aswa and Arca landed in a puddle, splashing water everywhere. They faced her. "How do I get you two to surrender?" Celsi asked. "Never happened before," Aswa grinned. "Once, but that was a long time ago," Arca admitted. "???" Celsi frowned. Aswa took small steps forward¡ª Then broke into a sprint. Arca followed right behind him. Aswa leaped and swung a kick at Celsi. She dodged easily, slipping behind him, ready to land a punch. But¡ª From behind, Arca¡¯s fist was already aiming for the back of her head. Right before it connected¡ª She vanished. "You can see me, kid?" Celsi reappeared a distance away. "No way. That¡¯s my move. But I did notice something¡ªwhenever you dodge, you tend to move backward." Arca smirked. "Oh, so that¡¯s why... I only did that because you two are weak. No wonder you caught on." Celsi closed her eyes¡ª Then opened them. And vanished once more. Before they could react¡ª She was suddenly between them, a fist aimed at each of them. BHUAKK! Aswa and Arca were sent flying. Arca tumbled far away¡ª But Aswa, even as he was struck from behind, managed to grab Celsi¡¯s leg before getting flung away. Even though he took the hit, he held on tight. Then¡ª He pulled her in. And aimed a punch straight for her face. BHUAKK! ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Celsi [4] Arca was thrown far away. At the same time, Aswa, who was facing forward when attacked from behind, managed to grab Celsi¡¯s leg. Although he was also hit, it didn¡¯t send him flying. Then he pulled Celsi¡¯s leg. "You... can see my movements?" Celsi looked slightly surprised. "Hehe, this is called prediction¡­ I knew you would appear behind me, so I attacked using my leg to keep my hands behind me¡­ Then, I guessed that since Arca was behind me, you would most likely dodge. At that moment, I stood upright slowly but left my hand behind¡­ because the most advantageous position for you was attacking from between us." ¡ªAswa. "You¡­ Not bad, kid." ¡ªCelsi. "Thanks, ma¡¯am. Hehe." Aswa replied teasingly. At that moment, Celsi''s vision turned white. Once again, she saw someone in Aswa¡ªsmiling at her while hugging her. Without realizing it¡­ Aswa launched an attack at Celsi¡¯s face. Bhuakk! Celsi countered with her other leg, kicking Aswa hard into the ground. Shushh! A brick flew toward Celsi. She tilted her head, avoiding it. At that moment, Arca dashed toward her. Seeing this, Celsi reacted immediately. She was already above Arca, positioning her feet over his shoulders and supporting herself with both hands. Then, she performed a backflip while gripping Arca¡¯s shoulders tightly, throwing him away. Both of them lay motionless. Celsi stood still for a moment, facing the sky as the heavy rain poured down. Behind her, Aswa lay unconscious. That moment brought back an unforgettable memory. Celsi¡¯s vision turned white again.
"Stop it, sis! Why are you doing all this?" ¡ªSomeone. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "No¡­ I¡¯m fighting for us." ¡ªCelsi, years ago. "What do you mean? Weren''t you fighting for us, for our people, to keep us safe? We''ve been safe for a long time! But now, what are you doing? You''re the one destroying our people!" ¡ªThat person, crying while hugging someone covered in blood. "No¡­ Rui, I will make you feel safer than ever. That¡¯s why¡­ follow me!" [Rui, Celsi''s younger brother] Rui ran aimlessly, passing through the gang members. Celsi ordered them to find him and put up posters, but Rui was never found. Six months later... Bhuakk! Rui punched a gangster. "Give me back my sister!" But his strength didn¡¯t even faze the gangster. He wasn¡¯t alone¡ªother ragged children stood by his side. "Why is it so noisy here? Have you found Rui?" Celsi arrived, dressed in a black suit, her hands in her pockets. The sky looked gloomy, strong winds blew against her, making her coat and hair flutter. "Rui!... Where have you been? I¡¯ve been looking for you!!" Celsi signaled her men not to attack. "Don''t act like you care about me! You''re probably just going to throw me away like the others!" ¡ªRui. "What are you saying? I would never¡ª" "SHUT UP!!! Enough of your nonsense!" Rui''s friends charged at Celsi. Celsi tried to reach Rui, but his friends clung to her, preventing her from getting close. She pushed them aside. Again and again, they kept blocking her. Celsi tried to be gentle with Rui. Her longing for him was overwhelming, but at that moment, she couldn''t even touch him. His friends kept stopping her. Little by little, it made Celsi lose control. A voice inside her head kept repeating, "Hug him! Hug him! Over and over! Again and again!" Until finally¡­ she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She wanted to embrace Rui. Celsi lost patience. She finally used her strength¡ªdisappearing behind the children. Then¡­ Bhuakk! Without realizing it, she struck them down. Then she froze. Her pupils widened. Her eyes and lips trembled. The children lay unconscious, blood everywhere¡ªincluding¡­ Rui. tik...tik...tikk The rain began to fall, drop by drop, mixing with Celsi¡¯s tears. She held Rui in her arms. Her body and face were now covered in his blood. She rushed him to the hospital. Upon arrival, Rui was immediately taken into the operating room. The doctors worked tirelessly. Meanwhile, Celsi sat in the waiting area, her head down. Her body was drenched¡ªrainwater mixed with blood. Tears flowed from her eyes. "Damn it! Damn it!" Celsi cursed in her heart. And then¡­ "Beep... beep... beeeeeeeeeep¡ª" (The heart monitor flatlined.) A doctor walked out of the operating room. "I-I''m sorry¡­ the patient is alr¡ª¡­ huh? Where did she go?" Celsi ran outside. She kept running. The sound of heavy rain was nothing to her now. Then she stopped. She stood in an empty field, her arms weak and lifeless. She lifted her head, staring at the raindrops falling from the sky¡­ Tears continued to flow¡ªfalling to the ground along with the rain.
[Back to the Present] She stood in the same spot, looking up at the rainy sky. "Rui! If you''re still alive! What would you say to me? Let your sister hear your voice this time!" ¡ªCelsi. Aswa¡¯s fingers twitched. ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Celsi [5] He stood in the same position, gazing up at the rainy sky. "Rui... If you''re still alive, what would you say? Let your sister hear you this time!" Celsi called out. Aswa grabbed Celsi''s leg. "You... still don''t know your limits, do you? Giving up is your best option," Celsi spoke with a blank expression. "Hehe... Fool. As long as you''re alive, you''re given chances, whether it''s the second, the thirtieth, the seventieth, or the hundredth," Aswa said. Hearing Aswa''s words, Celsi looked slightly surprised. She slowly turned her gaze toward him. "What if you''re a murderer? Do you think chances can erase that?" Celsi asked. "Well, a murderer is still a murderer. But if they want to change, they should stop. If you keep doing it..." Aswa spoke while struggling to crawl toward Celsi. "Even in death, you¡¯ll still be a killer! Do you think the laws of this world exist for nothing? They''re there to atone for mistakes... Idiot!" Phek Aswa lightly punched Celsi¡¯s face, so weak that it had no effect at all. Meanwhile, Celsi stared at Aswa seriously. Her pupils widened as if she was shocked. "If you still don¡¯t get it... just wait until I get back up! Then I''ll beat you up! This is a promise from a man, haha." Aswa grinned widely. At that moment, Celsi saw her brother''s soul within Aswa. Her crimson eyes began to glow. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Aswa, on the other hand, slowly collapsed. Then, completely unconscious, he fell. It seemed that Celsi had won once again. Celsi stood still, but unlike before... this time, she wasn¡¯t looking at the sky. She was looking at Aswa. Could Aswa really defeat Celsi? "Hahh... I''m getting bored of waiting. How long will it take for him to get up?" Celsi muttered. Arca opened his eyes¡ªit seemed he had regained consciousness. He was trapped under the debris of a destroyed building. "Ugh... So annoying." KRAK-KRAK Arca pushed the debris off himself. Then he stood up, still a bit unsteady, and walked back to the battlefield. "Huh?... Looks like Aswa lost. That means it''s my turn to attack, right?" Arca smirked. "Wait!" Celsi signaled him to stop. "What is it? Don''t tell me you''re scared of me? If so, it''s fine. I''ll give you time to rest... Though I''ll still be the one to defeat you!" Arca boasted. "That''s not it... The problem is, even with both of you together, you couldn''t defeat me. What makes you think you can do it alone?" Celsi replied. "Yeah, whatever. I''ll just take that as an excuse," Arca shrugged. Then, he took off his shirt, standing in the pouring rain. "???" Celsi looked confused. Without warning, Arca raised both hands slightly at shoulder height. Then, unexpectedly... he started running around, as if he was... Playing in the rain. "Sigh... What is this kid doing now?" Celsi shook her head. She grabbed a chair from a nearby classroom and placed it in the open field, sitting in the rain. Some time passed¡ªabout 20 minutes. "Ah..." Aswa finally opened his eyes. He sat up briefly to gather his focus, then stood up. He saw Arca playing in the rain. "What is that guy doing?... Ah, right. Wasn''t I supposed to fight Celsi?" Aswa took a deep breath and then¡ª "Celsiiiiiiii!! Where are you??" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Hearing someone shout, Arca stopped running and turned toward Aswa. "Oh... You¡¯re finally awake! Took you long enough!" Arca grinned. "... What¡¯s this? You like playing in the rain?" Aswa asked, puzzled. "Dunno... I just enjoy watching the water. Anyway, that person over there has been waiting! How about we teach her a lesson?" Arca said, pointing at Celsi, who was sitting in the chair. Aswa looked at Celsi, who seemed to be waiting for them. A faint aura radiated from her, enough to instill fear in anyone. But not in Aswa or Arca. They both looked ready to fight once again. "Let''s go!... Round three! Hehehe," Aswa grinned. -TO BE CONTINUED- Miss Celsi [6] Aswa looked at Celsi, who seemed to be waiting. Celsi emitted a faint aura that could instill fear in anyone¡ªanyone except Aswa and Arca. They both appeared ready to fight once more. "Let''s begin!... Round three! Hehe." Aswa grinned. Arca opened the fight, dashing toward Celsi before launching a kick at her. Celsi reacted swiftly, disappearing from Arca¡¯s view. Yet, Arca didn¡¯t stop there; he followed through with his kick, spinning backward in an attempt to strike from behind. Shossh Unfortunately, Arca¡¯s prediction was wrong. Celsi wasn¡¯t behind him¡ªshe was above him. Aswa sprinted and jumped toward Celsi, aiming to grab her, but his attempt failed. Celsi dodged his attack, and Aswa immediately threw a forward kick at her. Celsi noticed an opening between them¡ªshe could strike both of them from the center. But then she recalled that Arca had used a kick earlier, meaning his hands were positioned behind him. If she went for an attack, she might end up getting caught like before. Left with no choice, she retreated. She stepped back, but at that moment, her eyes widened in shock¡ªArca was already right in front of her. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Bhuakk Arca landed a direct punch to Celsi¡¯s head, causing her to slip. Seizing the opportunity, she kicked Arca from below, making it difficult for him to dodge, especially with her incredible speed. Bhuakk Arca was sent flying backward. Aswa stopped him by planting his foot on Arca¡¯s shoulder, preventing him from being thrown too far. Aswa grinned. "See? Didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯d beat you up?" Celsi got up. In her mind, she envisioned Aswa and Arca¡¯s teamwork. A moment later, she made her decision to retreat, knowing that Aswa, while kicking at her, had positioned his hands behind him. But this time, it wasn¡¯t to grab her like before¡ªit was to grab Arca and hurl him forward. "So, he already knew I would step back¡­" Celsi thought. "Heh¡­ Turns out you¡¯re not as fast as I thought!" Aswa taunted. "So this is what you meant by a man''s promise?" Celsi asked. "Yeah, something like that!" Aswa replied. "Hmm¡­ Interesting." Celsi smirked. "Damn¡­ That kick hurt. Her speed is really troublesome." Arca groaned in pain. "Oi, Aswa! You noticed it too, right? She¡¯s still fast, but not as fast as before. Her eyes aren¡¯t red anymore, and she¡¯s talking a lot more. Do you know what¡¯s going on?" Arca asked while keeping his focus on Celsi. Arca felt that something about Celsi was different compared to earlier. "Hmm¡­ No idea. What do you think?" Aswa responded casually. The rain had now started to ease, leaving only a light drizzle. They stared at each other for quite some time. Then, suddenly¡­ They dashed toward each other¡ªAswa and Arca charging at Celsi, while Celsi rushed toward them. This time, they could see her movements clearly. As they closed in, Aswa and Arca both launched punches, each aiming for a different side. Aswa attacked from the left, while Arca struck from the right. Bhuakk Celsi blocked both punches, using just one hand for each. "Let¡¯s end this." Arca declared. ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª Miss Celsi [END] Both of their punches were blocked by Celsi, each with just one hand. Aswa and Arca then followed up with side kicks¡ªAswa kicked from the left while Arca kicked from the right. Bhuakk! Their attacks missed Celsi and ended up hitting each other instead. Celsi took advantage of the situation, positioning herself between their legs before flipping backward to create some distance. But Aswa and Arca wouldn¡¯t let that happen. They immediately charged at Celsi again, this time engaging in a full-on exchange of techniques. Punches and kicks flew in rapid succession, their fight growing even more intense. Aswa and Arca relentlessly launched attack after attack, trying to find an opening. However, Celsi still held the upper hand, blocking every single one of their strikes. Aswa grabbed onto Arca¡¯s body, spinning around him like a pole before launching a kick at Celsi. Celsi looked slightly surprised¡ªit seemed like she wasn¡¯t used to their teamwork. Even so, she managed to evade their attacks with ease. This time, Aswa and Arca adjusted their approach. Their attacks were no longer as aggressive as before. Aswa grabbed Celsi¡¯s head and pulled it forward while simultaneously bringing his knee up towards her face. Bhuakk! Celsi caught Aswa¡¯s knee with her hand. She had already predicted their move and was merely testing them. Then, she used that moment to deliver a strong punch to Aswa¡¯s head. Bhuakk! The punch landed, sending Aswa flying backward. Before Aswa could be thrown too far, Celsi was suddenly caught off guard¡ªArca was already in front of her. It turned out that Arca had been running behind Aswa, using him as cover. The moment Aswa was hit, Arca dodged his falling body and prepared to strike. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Arca launched a straight punch at Celsi. Bhuakk! Celsi avoided it by shifting her body to the side and countered by striking Arca¡¯s elbow, sending him flying upward. Aswa, who had just recovered from being knocked back, now had a bruised face. Before he could react, Arca¡ªwho had been launched into the air¡ªlanded right on top of him. Celsi seized the moment, moving swiftly. Bhuakk! Celsi delivered another blow to Arca, causing Aswa¡ªwho was underneath him¡ªto also get caught in the impact. Both of them were sent flying even farther, crashing through a school wall and landing inside a classroom. Aswa and Arca groaned as they got up inside the empty classroom. Celsi calmly stepped inside after them. Whoosh! Suddenly, Aswa kicked a desk toward Celsi. Celsi easily destroyed it with her fist¡ªbut it was just a distraction. Arca immediately followed up by swinging a chair at her. However, when the chair struck her, it shattered instead of harming her. Arca froze in place, stunned by Celsi¡¯s raw physical strength. Bhuakk! Aswa then kicked Celsi in the stomach, sending her flying out of the classroom. He quickly sprinted after her, refusing to let her recover. ¡°Tch, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Aswa smirked. ¡°I was just a little surprised,¡± Arca replied, slapping his own cheeks to refocus. The two of them walked back outside. Plak-plak-plak! The sound of their footsteps splashed through the puddles as they ran toward Celsi. The battle resumed with a relentless exchange of attacks. Aswa and Arca refused to stop, throwing kicks, punches, and various techniques at Celsi. Despite failing to land a clean hit, both Aswa and Arca grinned, enjoying the fight. Celsi, too, looked pleased. She skillfully dodged their attacks, her movements fluid. But this time, she decided to stop holding back. Celsi launched a flurry of strikes at both of them. Bhuakk! Bhuakk! Bhuakk! Even as their bodies took hit after hit, Aswa and Arca didn¡¯t care. Bhuakk! Bhuakk! Bhuakk! They endured it. Bhuakk! Bhuakk! They continued to fight. Bhuakk! Until finally, Aswa¡¯s punch landed squarely on Celsi¡¯s face, while Arca¡¯s fist struck her stomach. But¡­ Their attacks had no strength left behind them. Aswa and Arca were completely exhausted, having spent all their energy in the fight. With the added toll of Celsi¡¯s relentless blows, they both collapsed onto the ground¡ªsmiling. Seeing them like that, Celsi deliberately let herself fall as well, forming a circle with them. The light rain had stopped, leaving behind the warm rays of the sun, illuminating their faces. ¡°What¡¯s your reason for fighting?¡± Celsi asked, curiosity in her voice. ¡°Me? It¡¯s because¡­ I¡¯m the weakest in my family,¡± Aswa answered. ¡°Yeah, same here,¡± Arca added. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll join you guys. How about it?¡± Celsi offered. ¡°No way! If you, the strongest one, join us, then you¡ª¡± Aswa began to protest. Celsi interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll still be the leader. I¡¯ll just be a member.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing in my team. Just one leader, and everyone else is a friend,¡± Aswa grinned. -TO BE CONTINUED- Joglo High School A bright morning, the sun shone brightly but didn''t feel hot, and the air was cool. Droplets of water dripped from the rooftops, and puddles were everywhere. That peaceful atmosphere made everyone look happy and calm. However, there was one person who wasn¡¯t enjoying it. "Ugh, this sun is so bright!" Aswa covered his face with his hand to block the sunlight. Aswa walked to school alongside other students. Unlike the others, he looked unmotivated. "Hoaaahhh..." He let out a long yawn, his eyes still drowsy. Aswa spotted a public minibus (angkot) filled with students from his school. "Come on! This is a first-day promo! That means it''s free this time! Just for today! Hop in!" shouted a man who looked like the bus conductor. The sign on the minibus read "MERUYA SELATAN." Seeing this, Aswa grinned. "Free? Hehe... Sounds good." He walked toward the minibus. "You wanna ride too, kid? Alright, hop in! Come on, come on! Anyone else?" the conductor called out. Inside, there were already ten students. "Alright, looks like we¡¯re full. Let¡¯s go now!" said the driver. The minibus started moving. Within minutes, Aswa had already dozed off, resting his head against the seat. Unlike Aswa, the other students seemed excited, chatting enthusiastically with each other. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Are you a first-year too?" one female student asked. "Yeah, I¡¯m a first-year," another girl replied. "Oh, you too? That makes us the same," another student joined in. "Looks like we¡¯re all first-years here." Then, a male student raised his hand. "I''m a second-year student." The atmosphere fell silent as everyone turned to look at him¡ªexcept Aswa, who was still asleep. "Wah!! That means you''re our senior?!" a girl exclaimed. "Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not one of those delinquent troublemakers," the second-year student assured them. The students sighed in relief. "Speaking of delinquents, ever since that fight, this school has been a lot more peaceful, right?" the first girl said. "Yeah! Serves them right for getting beaten up," another student added. "They must be ashamed. Getting taken down by just one person..." "HAHA!" The students laughed. "Wait... Do you guys even know who defeated them? That guy was insane. His strength was unreal!" They all fell silent and shook their heads. "I know who he is," the second-year student said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Eh, really?! Who is he?" "He¡¯s... my friend," the second-year student said. Their jaws dropped. "Ehh!!" "So he''s your friend, Senior?! That¡¯s so cool! Doesn¡¯t that mean you should be respected at our school too?" "Senior, please give me your number!" The students scrambled to take out their phones. "Haha, relax, one at a time." The second-year student grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. The girls eagerly fought over his contact information¡ªexcept for one girl. She didn¡¯t seem interested in the conversation at all. Instead, she looked out the window. "Eh!!" she gasped in her mind. ¡ªMeanwhile, at Meruya Selatan High School, in a different first-year class from Aswa¡¯s¡ª Everything felt like a normal school day. There was no violence or bullying, just students chatting and joking around. "Good morning!" a girl greeted cheerfully. "Morning," replied another girl sitting down, scrolling on her phone. "Hmm... I don¡¯t see your friend. Where is he?" the first girl asked. "Oh, he¡¯s on his way. He said he took a free minibus that¡¯s doing a promo... Oh, and he also said he got the number of the guy who beat up the seniors yesterday," Rika replied. "Whoa, wouldn¡¯t that be really useful?" "Yeah!..." ¡ªTO BE CONTINUED¡ª