As a gentle summer breeze drifted peacefully through the air and the sun's rays timidly pierced the clouds, life went on in the city of SpeedWagon.On this calm morning, the city slowly awakened beneath a soft cacophony—the opening of shops, the sound of cars driven by workers late for their jobs, and the early-morning screeching of public transportation.
At this time of year, one of the strangest sights was unfolding: young people heading "joyfully" to school—though, of course, that only happened because it was the last day of classes.
Yet inside Myriad High School, within the gymnasium, two students were still training relentlessly under the excited gaze of the entire school.
On the left stood a young man over 1.90 meters tall, with the build of an athlete. Most of the girls in the gym seemed to be there solely for him. His face possessed an indescribable beauty—features so fine and perfectly sculpted that he looked like a living statue of a god. His silver-colored hair and pale, almost porcelain skin gave him the appearance of a being from another world.
His name was Jack, known as the number one student of Myriad High. He was undoubtedly the most talented individual the school had ever produced.
"Wow, Jack is so handsome!"
"I know!"
"It's such a shame he's already dating Cynthia."
"By the way, what is he doing in the gym so early in the morning?"
As the two girls squealed with uncontrollable excitement, a beautiful young woman with a divine, princess-like presence interrupted them.
"It's Shin again—he's challenging him."
"Lady Cynthia, we apologize for speaking so indiscreetly about you,"the two girls said, bowing deeply while trembling before the noble woman, whose slightly arrogant demeanor was paired with a faintly disdainful gaze.
"It's fine. You may stand."
As the girls straightened up with relieved sighs, one of them suddenly realized something important about what Cynthia had just said.
"Shin… you mean the one ranked right below you?"
"You mean the famous third-ranked student? The insane fighter?"
Cynthia smiled faintly, clearly amused.
"Yes. Shin—the one who keeps challenging Jack ever since he transferred here. And since this is his last chance to fight Jack before the national training camp, he's making the most of it."
As she finished speaking, her eyes shifted toward the young man standing opposite Jack.
A boy with messy royal-blue hair, reddish eyes, ebony skin, and a rather insolent expression.
Though shorter than his opponent, Shin was still tall at 1.86 meters, with a lean yet well-defined build.
The scene looked as if it had been pulled straight from a novel—on one side, a divine and almost hypnotic being; on the other, someone who looked like a mad demon incarnate.
"Ready, Shin?"
"I should be asking you that. Who knows—maybe you'll lose today."
"Just to remind you, I'm at ninety-eight wins. You're at zero."
As the two fighters assumed their stances, a heavy and unexpected silence flooded the gym.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Jack moved first. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Shin. Shin raised his guard just as Jack delivered a powerful kick, sending him literally flying off the ground. However, before being launched away, Shin managed to throw a quick jab that forced Jack to step back slightly.
As Shin began to fall, Jack didn't waste a second and charged forward, aiming to slam him into the ground. The moment Shin landed, he saw Jack rushing toward him. Without hesitation, he charged as well, catching Jack off guard. Jack slowed down—only to realize it was a feint. Shin seized the opportunity and unleashed a flurry of punches as soon as Jack came within range.
Because of his momentum, Jack couldn't fully guard or stop himself, though he managed to protect his vital areas.
"Looks like you've improved, Shin—but it's still not enough!"
As Jack finished speaking, a greenish light gradually enveloped his body. Suddenly, he grabbed Shin's fist and hurled him into the ground in one clean motion.
Shin got back up instantly, but Jack's fist was already right in front of his eyes. At that moment, a bluish light spread across Shin's body as he blocked the strike and countered with a headbutt.
"Damn… this martial art is insanely strong,"Shin muttered as his nose began to bleed.
The crowd erupted, most of them cheering wildly for Jack.
"No matter how many times I see it, he's incredible,"Cynthia said warmly, a stark contrast to her usual distant demeanor.
"That's the principal's martial art, right? The Mountain Tiger Art!"
"I heard the principal only teaches it to the best student in the school—and only if he deems them talented enough!"
As everyone marveled at Jack's overwhelming skill and his high-level martial art, someone noticed something unusual.
"Wait… isn't that the Perpetual Cycle Martial Art that Shin is using?"
"Isn't that the basic art everyone abandons after middle school?"
"Why is he still using it?"
As shock spread through the gym, Shin wiped the blood from his nose and took his stance once more. Jack did the same.
The gym fell into a marble-like silence again—not because the fight was resuming, but because of what Jack was about to do.
He was about to unleash one of the Mountain Tiger Art's techniques: King of the Mountain.
A translucent energy gathered around Jack's fist as he assumed his stance. Shin wasn't about to wait—he appeared instantly in front of his opponent, ready to slam him to the ground. But Jack had anticipated everything and leapt over Shin with a jump exceeding two meters.
Shin was trapped. Because of his speed, he couldn't stop or change direction, and Jack was ready to execute his technique.
Jack struck with unbelievable speed and nameless power—but Shin refused to yield. He redirected his momentum, using his own velocity to counter Jack's blow.
Shin's body shone with an even brighter light as he clashed head-on with Jack.
The ground trembled beneath the impact of their collision. Once again, silence filled the gym—this time as everyone waited to see who would emerge victorious.
As the dust settled, a figure became visible.
It was Jack, standing proudly with only minor injuries, while Shin lay on the ground, his arm drenched in blood.
At the end of the battle, the victor was the last man standing—adored by all—while the loser lay pitifully as usual, his defeat count now at ninety-nine.
And that loser… is me.
Shin—a man who dreams of reshaping the world.
But things aren't off to a great start.