╔. ■ .══════════════════════════════════════╗

╚══════════════════════════════════════. ■ .╝

AN ENTIRE DAY HAD PASSED WITHOUT FOOD, WATER, OR REST. The students trudged up and down the steep staircase, backs bent under the brutal weight of sacks that strained their muscles and crushed any hope of relief. Their breaths grew ragged; even those with the most stamina felt their lungs ache as if on the verge of bursting. For hours, they endured, each tortured step a testament to one student's reckless words. Kreese had made it clear: they were all paying for Kwon's defiance, a punishment so grueling that even the usually hardhearted Sensei Kim cast a wary glance at her colleague.

But the culprit didn't flinch. While the others shot glares and muttered curses, resenting every stumble and sting, he simply continued. His eyes remained steady, refusing to let any weakness show, even as the heat pressed down, sweat mixing with dust across his skin. His defiance came at a brash cost.

At last, his restraint wore thin for the others. The lead student, Yoon, seized the opportunity Kreese had so perfectly orchestrated, shoving Kwon from the top of the stairs. Kwon crashed down, limbs scraping against hard concrete. Sacks of sand and stone cascaded after him, landing heavily on his back, his arms, even striking his head. His vision blurred momentarily, his pulse roaring in his ears, while around him the others chortled, momentarily distracted from their own misery. Yoon's gang took advantage, jeering as Kwon lay momentarily stunned. But he didn't rise. Every bone in his body screamed for rest, and he simply allowed himself to sink into the exhaustion, no energy left for retaliation.

The day ended with everyone but him dismissed, given rations, and sent to their tents to recover. They laughed and shared their grievances while Kwon was granted only a single glass of water. He took it in silence, grateful for the meager mercy. But once he had drained it, something simmered inside him. His exhaustion gave way to anger—a fierce, defiant burn that sent him storming to the fireside where Kreese sat, cigar in hand, watching the flames.

"Hey!" he called, stepping into the flickering glow.

Kreese turned slowly, his eyes cold and calculating as they fixed on the fiery resistance in the boy's stare.

"You tried to get students angry at me? You think I'm afraid of... them?" His voice dripped with disdain.

Kreese exhaled slowly, his gaze never wavering. "No, I don't. I don't think you're afraid of anybody." His voice was calm, laced with a dangerous promise. "I think you're cocky and disrespectful... but you combine that with your skills and strengths, I think you could be one of the most terrifying fighters in the Sekai Taikai."

Kwon frowned, Kreese's words ringing cryptic in his mind. His exhaustion tugged at him, amplifying his frustration. He wanted to scoff, to brush off the man's words, but something held him back, something dark and potent in Kreese's gaze.

"I don't understand," he admitted, voice quieter, almost humbled.

"Just take all that anger inside you," murmured the Sensei, his voice a low growl, "and give it purpose..."

Without another word, Kwon somehow knew exactly what to do. Obeying his orders for the first time, Kreese's words echoed in his mind: "prove to the others that you are the best fighter in the class, and there is only one way to do that..."

Kwon stalked toward Yoon and his friends, who lounged in the corner with smug expressions. Without warning, he shoved Yoon, prompting a sneer from the other boy.

"What's the matter, Kwon? Haven't had enough?" Yoon taunted, his voice dripping with scorn. His friends laughed as they looked down on Kwon, believing him beneath them. But the rebel's eyes narrowed, a cold fire burning within.

"I have had enough... of you!" He shot back, his voice low and menacing.

Yoon immediately snapped into a fighting stance, eager to make Kwon regret those words. Rage darkened his face, and with a fierce scream, he launched himself forward, his foot aimed squarely at the boy's chest. But Kwon sidestepped the attack with a calm, fluid motion, merely swatting his opponent's leg aside. There was no tension in his movements, no strain or struggle—only icy, contained power.

Infuriated, Yoon lunged again, swinging his leg around in a wide arc to strike Kwon's side. Kwon's hand came up, deflecting the kick effortlessly. The unanimously proclaimed best student hesitated, visibly rattled, but threw a final, desperate roundhouse aimed at the raven's head, but Kwon had anticipated it with unsettling ease, stepping inside Yoon's reach and delivering a brutal punch to the boy's shin. Yoon gasped, stumbling back, his face contorted with shock and pain.

That was when Kwon saw it—the flash of fear in Yoon's eyes. The kind of fear that sent a thrill through his veins, feeding his hunger for domination.

"You only know what you've been taught," he scoffed, voice dripping with disdain. "You can't think for yourself." He let out a low, mocking laugh, the sound grating against Yoon's pride. "It makes you formidable, but also predictable."

Enraged and humiliated, Yoon spun into a reckless heel kick, aiming at the side of Kwon's head—exactly where he'd been injured earlier. Kwon ducked smoothly, his own foot flying up to slam into Yoon's jaw, sending him sprawling. Yoon crashed to the ground with a choked groan, clutching his head. Kwon loomed over him, embodying the ruthless philosophy Kreese had so painstakingly instilled.

As Yoon's two friends glanced at each other, contemplating whether to stay or run, Kwon smirked, locking his eyes onto them with a predator's gaze.

"Where are you going?" he sneered, voice taunting, challenging them to stay. The fear in their eyes ignited something feral in him, stoking his desire for more.

With forced bravado, the two stepped forward, fists raised. But their movements lacked conviction; they were simply going through the motions, praying for a stroke of luck. Kwon, however, moved like water—slipping around their punches, dodging every wild swing with grace that bordered on disdain. His counterattacks were relentless: a vicious shove here, a brutal kick there. One of the boys tried to tackle him, but Kwon easily knocked him to the ground, only to turn and sweep the other's legs out from under him, sending him sprawling.

They tried to rally, staggering to their feet with renewed desperation, but Kwon only smirked, sensing their weakness. He held back momentarily, letting them think they had a chance, letting them catch their breath—only to shatter their hope moments later. He launched himself into a powerful scissors kick, each leg slamming into a different opponent with bone-crunching force. Both collapsed in unison, eyes rolling back as they fell unconscious.

Landing gracefully, Kwon couldn't resist a moment of satisfaction. His chest heaved, but he was exhilarated, alive, every nerve on fire. But just as he savored his triumph, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his back. Stumbling forward, he turned to see Yoon, anger rekindled, a spiteful smirk twisting his bruised face.

"Oh, the teacher's pet is back," Kwon mocked, his voice laced with venom as he turned to face his rival.

"Keep talking, bitch," Yoon snarled. They began circling each other, their eyes locked, both too proud to back down.

Yoon lunged first, leaping into a powerful kick aimed at Kwon's chest. Kwon intercepted the attack mid-air with a brutal leg block, driving his knee into Yoon's ribs with enough force to make him falter. Yoon's hand shot out, trying to grab Kwon's collar, but Kwon was faster. His fist struck the sides of Yoon's neck in rapid succession, momentarily cutting off his air. Then, Kwon seized Yoon's collar, yanking him close and driving his knee deep into Yoon's gut.

Yoon collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his face twisted in pain and humiliation. Kwon held him there, savoring the sight of his enemy broken before him. He relished the raw fear and anger in Yoon's eyes, drinking in every last drop of power that this moment granted him. With deliberate cruelty, he twisted his hand into Yoon's collar and struck him with a final punch to the chest, sending him sprawling backward.

By this point, the commotion had drawn the attention of Sensei Kim Da-eun. Her meditative stillness shattered as she observed the brutal scene unfolding before her. But she was too late; the damage had already been done. Kwon had stripped Yoon of his authority, a gleam of triumph in his eyes.

Kwon finished it with a sweep to Yoon's legs, sending him crashing to the ground, his last vestige of strength vanishing. As Yoon lay there, dazed and defeated, Kwon stood over him, his face twisted into a dark, victorious grin. With a deadly precision, he executed a final Webster axe kick to Yoon's head, a blow that ended the fight with merciless finality.

Breathing heavily, Kwon stepped back, pride and adrenaline coursing through his veins. He looked down at Yoon, who now lay motionless, unconscious, and utterly defeated. Chuckling, he muttered, "This is mine," claiming victory with a chilling confidence.

Sensei Kim stood silently, stunned by the sheer brutality Kwon had displayed. She had always known him to be formidable, but this? This was something darker, something cruel and unrestrained. It frightened and fascinated her in equal measure. Kreese's words echoed in her mind, Only through pain does a champion reveal himself. And when she looked over, she saw Kreese standing by the fire, watching with a satisfied smirk as he puffed his cigar.

A new champion had indeed been born.

1.5k words