Richard Haruno stepped into the small, warm house.

  Little Leo was seated on a tall chair, legs swinging idly as he read a university-level textbook on quantum physics. His eyes moved eagerly across the lines, entirely absorbed, barely acknowledging his father’s return from work.

  Richard placed his police cap onto the rack without bothering to remove his uniform. He lowered himself onto the seat beside his son. Dark circles weighed heavily under his eyes; exhaustion clung to him like a second coat. Yet when he looked at Leo, the gloom on his face softened.

  Only then did Leo glance at him. Still, he offered little attention. Richard did not force conversation. He simply watched his twelve-year-old son in silence.

  Leo had always been like this—quiet, detached. Perhaps it was his way of compensating for the absence of a mother. He had been forced to grow up early. Combined with his natural talent, his intellect advanced far ahead of his age and experience. At home, he sometimes felt like a small old man.

  Richard let out a faint chuckle at the thought.

  Leo sighed and finally spoke.

  “Dad. How was today?”

  Richard gently ruffled his son’s hair. His silver strands fell forward as he leaned down, smiling warmly.

  “Just adult matters. Eat dinner and get some sleep, alright? It’s late.”

  Leo disliked that tone. He hated being treated like a child—even if he was one. His cheeks puffed in annoyance. The book snapped shut with a sharp sound.

  “Dad, why become a police officer? The pay’s low. The job’s dangerous. People hate you even when you’re right. If you arrest someone, they say you oppress citizens. If you don’t, they say society is lawless. And if you speak up, no one listens. So why?”

  Richard fell silent.

  He knew Leo had been observing him for a long time. And he knew his son well. Leo leaned toward self-interest more than ideals. He had yet to find something larger than himself to believe in.

  Richard sighed. He did not blame him.

  His rough, calloused hand rested again on the boy’s head.

  “Because I believe it’s the right thing,” he said quietly. “When I was young, I wanted to be a hero. The job isn’t what I imagined. It’s harder. Dirtier. But even in the darkness you talk about, there are people who rely on us.”

  He paused.

  “Have you ever seen the eyes of hostages when they’re rescued? Or heard a mother cry when she learns the man who killed her child has been caught?”

  His voice did not rise. It did not need to.

  “I live for that belief. Leo… find your own.”

  Leo listened—but the words did not truly settle inside him.

  Why live for something as vague as an ideal?

  Wasn’t life about success?

  That was what the twelve-year-old believed.

  The next day, rain poured from morning until dusk.

  Leo walked home from school beneath an umbrella, one shoulder soaked despite it. The summer rain carried an unnatural chill that made him shiver. An unease followed, as though the sky itself knew something he did not.

  Then he saw the crowd.

  Red and blue lights flickered in the distance.

  He stopped.

  This was his father’s district.

  A stranger in the crowd turned and noticed Leo staring from afar. The man’s expression shifted—shock, then pity. Whispers spread.

  Leo’s stomach tightened.

  The year was 2018.

  Officer Richard Haruno was stabbed beneath the ribs during an attempt to restrain a suspect. The blade punctured one lung. He died shortly after.

  The assailant had a history of harassment and petty theft. Drug intoxication was confirmed. During an attempted assault on a woman, Richard intervened. The struggle ended when the man produced a concealed switchblade.

  The neighborhood mourned. Few did not know the aging officer who had spent decades serving them.

  For twelve-year-old Leo, it was the greatest shock he had ever known.

  Yet consequences do not end with tragedy.

  The people Richard had helped over the years gathered funds to support Leo’s education. Another family took him in until he turned eighteen.

  That day should have broken him completely.

  But the goodwill his father left behind shielded him from being swallowed by grief.

  “I’ll carry on his will,” Leo said one night, staring at his reflection. “But not as a police officer. Crime begins at the root of human nature. I’ll become a teacher. I’ll shape the next generation before they fall. No one else will suffer like this.”

  “That is my ideal.”

  Step by step, that resolve led him to Johnson, where he believed life would be quiet. Peaceful.

  Until that day.

  He saw students who once spoke of dreams—who once laughed with bright, careless smiles—lying in pools of blood.

  All because of Yeri’s selfish cruelty.

  Leo knew only one thing.

  He could not stand there.

  He could not run.

  The ideal his father left him—and the one he chose for himself—demanded action.

  Today, that man had to be punished.

  “Welcome to the Sacred Conquest Board, Leo.”

  Yeri flicked the dagger. It skidded across the stone floor and stopped at Leo’s feet.

  Leo picked it up.

  Something about this place was wrong. The air. The silence. And Yeri clearly knew more than he did.

  Sacred Conquest Board?

  “Yeri! What the hell is this place? Why don’t you drop this insanity and let me beat some sense into you?”

  Leo spoke while unlocking his phone, eyes fixed on the screen. His thumb hovered—then pressed 911.

  No signal.

  Useless.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  He slipped the phone back into his pocket, gaze distant for a split second.

  “And that fly—”

  A gunshot exploded through the courtyard.

  The stone pillar shielding him shattered, fragments spraying outward. Yeri blew lightly across the barrel, satisfied.

  “Too much talking. You think I’m giving you time to plan? Who do you think you’re looking down on?”

  He pulled a grenade from inside his vest.

  The pin clinked against the ground.

  A second later, the heavy sphere landed beside Leo.

  Leo’s jaw tightened. Sweat slid down his temple.

  If dying once had dragged him here, dying again to a grenade would be the end.

  His legs coiled. He launched himself backward. For a brief instant, his body left the cover of the pillar before disappearing behind a row of stone railings. He sprinted toward one of the temple chambers, diving inside just as—

  The explosion thundered through the courtyard.

  From outside, Yeri clicked his tongue.

  “You’re just gonna keep running? Where’s the fun in that?”

  He remained at the entrance hall. He wouldn’t rush blindly. If Leo wanted him, Leo would have to come.

  “Gone already?”

  Behind the stone railing, Leo cursed under his breath.

  He could run.

  He was certain he could escape if he chose to.

  But then what?

  He glanced beyond the ruins. Forest stretched endlessly in every direction. Dense trees swallowed the horizon in shadow.

  This wasn’t Earth.

  The monk-like man. The grotesque fly. The rules that made no sense.

  Leo let out a dry laugh, though his eyes narrowed.

  Reincarnation?

  But why him again? And why here? There was nothing grand or fantastical about this—just stone, forest, and a lunatic with explosives.

  No. This wasn’t some power fantasy where he respawned at level 9999.

  He shoved the thought aside.

  First: deal with Yeri.

  Understanding this world could wait.

  Inside the temple, Yeri stared toward the stone railing, uncertain whether Leo was still there. The oversized fly circled him, its wings beating in harsh, uneven bursts.

  Then Yzy whispered something.

  Yeri’s eyes widened. A grin stretched slowly across his face.

  “On second thought… using guns feels cheap, Leo. I know you’re around here somewhere. And honestly? I’ve never been this high in my life. Makes me wanna see who really wins.”

  Leo slipped through the lower corridor and climbed to the second floor of the temple. He had almost finished forming a plan when Yeri’s voice echoed upward.

  Leo froze.

  From behind a cracked glass window, he looked down.

  It was Yeri.

  But different.

  He wore only his trousers now. His scar-covered torso was bare, arms spread wide beneath the sunlight like some feral animal basking in freedom. The MP5K hung from a tree branch. The body armor and grenades lay discarded on the ground.

  A trap?

  It was too convenient.

  Hand-to-hand, Leo trusted himself. He had trained. He was disciplined.

  But he remembered the kick at the school. The raw force behind it.

  He hesitated.

  Yeri seemed to sense it. He laughed.

  “I still have grenades, Leo. So here’s the deal. You come down and fight me. Or I blow this entire place to hell.”

  He tilted his head, eyes glittering.

  “We’ve both died once already. You know I’m crazy enough to do it. Right, Leo?”

  As soon as he finished speaking, Yeri heard footsteps from afar.

  Leo stepped out from the temple, light spilling across his tense, focused face. A dagger rested in his hand.

  A massive advantage—at least on the surface.

  But then what?

  He had never fought before. He could think up a few dirty tricks, sure—but in a real one-on-one fight, how much of that could he actually execute? Experience, skill, strength—he lacked all of it.

  And yet…

  This was his chance.

  If he hesitated now, the night would only grow darker.

  Leo stood opposite Yeri. Their gazes locked, sparks flying in silence. He raised the dagger into a guarded stance, weight shifting to his right leg. Sweat ran down his face. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest. Adrenaline surged through his veins. He was trembling—

  —but he had decided.

  No stepping back.

  The air fell still.

  A banyan leaf drifted softly to the ground.

  Then Yeri shot forward.

  He moved like a bullet. In Leo’s eyes, he was nothing but a blur.

  Without hesitation, Leo slashed downward with his left hand. The blade cut cleanly through empty air.

  Leo inhaled sharply.

  His heart skipped.

  Yeri’s hand flicked out. The back of his palm struck Leo’s forearm, knocking it upward. In the same motion, Yeri seized Leo’s left shoulder and trapped his arm beneath his armpit.

  Cornered.

  Leo tried to step back—to break free—

  —but Yeri pinned his leg down.

  Leo looked straight at him.

  Time slowed.

  Then—

  A hammer-like blow crashed into his face.

  For a split second, he couldn’t breathe. The world spun violently. Instinct forced a mouthful of blood out of him.

  “Hurts… It hurts…”

  Another punch smashed into his face. Yeri gripped his shoulder tightly, savoring it. Then he twisted and delivered a brutal kick straight into Leo’s stomach.

  It was strong enough to send Leo flying over a meter, rolling across the ground.

  His body burned as if set on fire. He couldn’t move. It felt as though his brain had stopped responding. The sky and earth flipped—ground above, sky below—he couldn’t tell which was which.

  With immense effort, he rolled onto his stomach and forced one arm beneath him, pushing his heavy body up.

  “Easy now. That was only a few hits. Why so weak? Were you only good at cheap tricks before?”

  Yeri looked down at him with mocking satisfaction, bouncing lightly on his feet like a boxer.

  Leo could barely hear him. Then, gradually, his senses began to return.

  A blow to the chin—hard enough—could shake the brain inside the skull. It often led to a knockout.

  “Am I… going to die again?”

  The fight had barely begun, and Leo clearly didn’t even hold five percent of a chance at winning.

  “No. I’ve already died once. Even if I die again… this isn’t the time to lie here.”

  He saw their smiling faces.

  “What would they think… if they saw their teacher crawling in the dirt like this?”

  Leo drew in a deep breath and stood.

  His entire body ached. Waves of pain pulsed from his abdomen. He could feel it—one of his ribs was broken.

  He could barely stand, trembling on unsteady legs.

  Still—

  He raised his guard again.

  This time, gripping the dagger in reverse.

  “One more round.”

  His gaze turned sharp and cold, like a bullet aimed straight at Yeri’s heart.

  Yeri smiled.

  Leo stepped forward.

  Yeri assumed a basic boxing stance—hands up before his chest, guarding his ribs and face, footwork quick and light against the ground. He seemed amused by Leo’s battered appearance.

  Leo slashed.

  Yeri dodged by a hair’s breadth.

  Leo’s speed was nowhere near enough to match him.

  Yeri circled behind.

  Leo’s back—completely exposed.

  Yeri smirked, ready to finish it in a single strike—

  Then something fast and sharp lashed across his face.

  Leo’s figure lunged forward—

  No.

  It was the pain that made Yeri recoil.

  He glanced at Leo’s hand and let out a crooked smile.

  The young teacher had cut off his belt and whipped it across Yeri’s face.

  Now Leo stood with the belt in his right hand and the dagger in his left.

  Ready to continue.

  “You’ve got a lot of tricks, don’t you?” Yeri muttered, rubbing the burning sting on his face before brushing his hair aside. “A brat your age, and already trying to fool adults?”

  “You want a one-on-one? Fine. I’ll give you one. Just so you know—I’ll beat you until you’re barely conscious, then I’ll rip every piece of information about this world out of your mouth.”

  “Keep talking. Win first—then we’ll discuss.”

  Yeri lunged like a beast.

  Leo reacted instantly. He lashed the belt toward Yeri’s body. Yeri caught it effortlessly, gripping the leather tight. He gathered strength and yanked it toward himself.

  Too light.

  The metal buckle whipped straight at his face. In a split second, he swung the belt aside.

  That brief distraction was enough.

  Leo dashed forward, pouring every ounce of strength into his dagger.

  The blade tore through the air.

  Yeri barely dodged in time—but the tip of Leo’s dagger carved a shallow line across his chest.

  Sweat began to bead down the battle maniac’s face.

  “He’s… faster. More decisive. Learning while fighting—adapting mid-battle. What a talent. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Yeri smiled inwardly, satisfied.

  “But unfortunately… this is where it ends.”

  His eyes sharpened—predatory, merciless.

  In less than a breath—

  Leo froze.

  Every muscle in his body locked as if seized by invisible chains. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. It felt as though his soul itself had been shackled by thousands of unseen restraints.

  “Eternal Stillness.”

  Earlier inside the temple, that skeletal fly had rambled endlessly—but the only thing that caught Yeri’s interest was one rule of this new world:

  Every player possessed a supernatural ability.

  Even he hadn’t expected that.

  Yeri stepped forward slowly.

  Leo’s consciousness screamed at his body to move—but nothing responded.

  Yeri’s hands slammed into Leo’s neck.

  The paralysis broke.

  Leo collapsed to his knees from the shock of pain, gasping violently for air.

  “W–What… what was that?! Why couldn’t I move just now?!”

  For a split second, Leo felt death brushing against him.

  When faced with the unknown, fear was instinctive.

  “Stay calm… think… damn it, think!”

  His thoughts raced wildly. His strength was nearly gone. His hand instinctively clutched at his throbbing neck.

  Yeri smiled faintly.

  Then he burst forward.

  His leg swung upward, aiming a brutal kick at Leo’s face.

  One more direct hit—and Leo would die.

  Without question.

  “Yzy!”

  Leo shouted.

  The skeletal fly burst into existence from thin air.

  Yeri’s kick smashed straight into it.

  Flesh and bone exploded midair. Blood splattered everywhere.

  Yeri froze.

  “Even in this situation… he’s still resisting? What the hell is this guy?”

  Leo staggered backward, gulping down air.

  Yeri glared at him, his gaze sharp as a blade.

  Leo flinched.

  “I’m frozen again!”

  His body locked once more.

  Yeri rushed to close the distance.

  Leo clenched the mouthful of blood he’d been holding in.

  One second.

  His body suddenly felt lighter.

  “Ptah—!”

  He spat the blood straight into Yeri’s face.

  Yeri instinctively covered his eyes. His vision blurred again.

  Leo turned and sprinted toward the temple.

  “It’s his gaze! I don’t know how—but it’s his line of sight! He has an ability! He can freeze his opponent’s movement for one second—as long as they’re within his vision!”

  Yeri wiped the blood from his face.

  Leo was already out of sight.

  He had been baited.

  But it made sense. Faced with something supernatural, of course the boy would retreat.

  Still…

  A one-on-one was a one-on-one.

  And he ran.

  He’s too weak to survive out there anyway.

  Fine.

  Let’s end this.

  “Yzy. Use my points. Purchase six more grenades.”