Rain dripped from the gray sky, hitting the cracked schoolyard floor like tiny bullets.
"Hey, Kurasawa! Still think you're strong?"
Laughter echoed around him.
Kurasawa stood in the middle of a circle of students, his uniform torn, his fists trembling. A taller boy shoved him hard, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Get up," someone sneered. "Is that all you've got?"
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to fight back.
But his body refused to move.
Kurasawa clenched his teeth, his nails digging into the dirt.
Why am I so weak?
That night, his face bruised and his heart burning, he stood in front of a small building with a faded sign:
KICKBOXING CLUB
His hands shook as he pushed the door open.
The gym smelled like sweat and determination. Punching bags swayed, and the sound of fists hitting pads filled the air.
That was when he saw her.
A girl, about his age, standing in the ring. Her movements were sharp, clean, and powerful. Every punch she threw looked perfect.
"Who's that?" Kurasawa asked.
"Her?" a trainer replied. "She's a prodigy. Joined two years ago and already beats adults."
Kurasawa swallowed.
"I want to fight her."
The room went quiet.
The girl stepped down from the ring and looked straight at him.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes," Kurasawa said, even though fear screamed inside him.
Minutes later, he stood across from her in the ring.
"Ready?" she asked.
He nodded.
The bell rang.
In the next second, everything went black.
When Kurasawa woke up, he was on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
"You're weak," the girl said calmly. "But your eyes… they don't give up."
That was the day Kurasawa's hell began.
Three years passed.
Sweat. Blood. Tears.
Every day, Kurasawa trained.
Every day, he fought her.
Every day, he lost.
Even now…
The bell rang again.
Kurasawa collapsed to one knee, breathing hard. The girl stood in front of him, barely tired.
"You're close," she said. "But still not enough."
Kurasawa clenched his fists.
I'm still not strong enough…
That night, he walked home alone through the quiet streets of Japan.
Something felt… wrong.
The air was heavy.
The city was too quiet.
Then he heard it.
A scream.
Kurasawa turned the corner—and froze.
A man was on the ground, screaming as something… something not human… bit into him. Its jaw stretched unnaturally wide, blood pouring down its face.
Another creature stood beside it, chewing on a body like it was food.
Kurasawa's heart nearly stopped.
"W-What… are those…?"
One of the creatures slowly turned toward him.
Its eyes were empty.
And hungry.
End of Chapter 1