Four Days After the Tribunal
For most students, Friday night meant karaoke, cheap soju, or rooftop gossip.
For the Grey List, it meant breaking into the basement beneath the school gym.
The Hollow, Chan-mi had called it.
A myth. A place where expelled fighters—former Divisions, disgraced strategists, even dropped-out prodigies—were said to gather. It wasn't just a fight club. It was a proving ground.
No rules. No teachers. No cameras.
No mercy.
---
Scene 1: The Entrance
It began with a loose tile behind the weight rack in the abandoned training room.
Dae-hyun, Min-ji, Tae-yul, and Sun-woo pulled it aside, revealing a short, rusted stairwell. The air smelled like mold, copper, and sweat.
> "You sure about this?" Sun-woo asked.
> "No," Dae-hyun replied, stepping down first. "But I'm not waiting for Bishop 4 to find us."
One by one, they descended into the dark.
---
Scene 2: Welcome to The Hollow
It wasn't what they expected.
The hallway opened into a wide underground chamber lit by neon floodlights and lined with graffiti-covered walls. A metal cage stood at the center, bloodstains still visible on the floor.
Around it: students. Not Daejin High students. Older. Meaner. Exiles.
Their uniforms were shredded or replaced entirely—some wore leather jackets, others had tattooed arms and piercings. A few wore no shirt at all, showing scars like badges.
And in the corner: a small, flickering LED board that read:
> "Next Fight – Entry 65, vs. Subject: Crow"
Min-ji whispered, "Crow… wasn't that Bishop 1?"
> "Looks like we've found their nest," Tae-yul said.
---
Scene 3: The Broker
A man approached them. He looked maybe twenty, but his eyes were old. His left leg dragged slightly. His right eye was milky-white. A healed stab wound crossed his neck.
> "You're not locals," he said, voice raspy. "And you don't look stupid enough to be tourists."
> "We're looking for a fighter," Dae-hyun replied.
> "Everyone down here is a fighter."
> "We're looking for Bishop 4."
The man paused.
> "Big words," he muttered. "That name doesn't get spoken unless you're ready to bleed."
> "Then get me gloves," Sun-woo said, stepping forward.
> "You don't get to choose your opponent, rookie."
He raised a finger toward Dae-hyun.
> "You fight tonight. Your friends stay. If you win, you ask your question."
> "And if I lose?" Dae-hyun asked.
> "Then you don't leave."
---
Scene 4: Fight Night
They changed in silence.
Dae-hyun pulled on worn MMA gloves. No headgear. No mouthguard. Just adrenaline and bad odds.
The cage gate opened with a heavy clang.
Opposite him stood a boy with pale skin, a thin frame, and red contact lenses. His hair was silver-dyed and tied in braids. His knuckles were bandaged black.
> "Name's Tae-gun," he said, voice echoing. "But everyone here calls me Crow."
The bell rang.
And he vanished.
---
Scene 5: Crow
Crow didn't fight like a student. He fought like an animal.
He moved sideways—diagonal—dodging instead of blocking. His first kick slammed into Dae-hyun's ribs before he could react.
Then came the elbows.
Crow spun low, grabbed Dae-hyun's wrist, and yanked him forward into a knee. Blood splattered from his nose.
> "He's fast," Min-ji muttered, watching from outside. "Too fast."
> "It's not speed," Chan-mi said. "It's reading."
> "Like Dae-hyun?"
> "No. Worse. He's memorized fight patterns—hundreds of them."
In the ring, Dae-hyun struggled to stay upright.
Crow circled him like a hawk.
> "They said you were smart," he whispered. "Let's see your calculation now."
---
Scene 6: Reversal
Dae-hyun wiped blood from his lip. His ribs ached. His vision blurred.
But then…
He stopped thinking.
He watched.
Crow's patterns weren't random. They were geometric—an angle, a step, a counter.
Left-right-spin-drop. Always in fives. Always in motion.
> "You memorize fights…" Dae-hyun muttered. "But not your own habits."
Crow's eyes widened.
> "You reset every fifth move."
The next time Crow stepped forward, Dae-hyun didn't dodge. He stepped into the strike.
Caught the leg. Threw him sideways.
Crow hit the cage hard.
The crowd roared.
He got up fast—but not fast enough.
Dae-hyun closed the distance, two jabs, one low elbow.
Crow stumbled.
Dae-hyun hooked his leg and slammed him down.
---
Scene 7: Questions and Clues
Crow lay on the mat, breathing hard.
> "You win," he muttered. "Ask your question."
Dae-hyun knelt beside him. "Who is Bishop 4?"
Crow coughed. "No name. Just rumors."
> "I need more than rumors."
Crow nodded slowly.
> "They don't fight like us. They talk people into collapse. Fought only once—made a senior Division Captain drop his armband without throwing a punch."
> "So a strategist?"
> "No. A ghost. Their fights don't get recorded."
He grabbed Dae-hyun's wrist.
> "They're here. In this room."
Dae-hyun looked around.
But the crowd was silent.
Staring.
Watching.
Too many eyes.
> "And they're already watching you."
---
Scene 8: Smoke and Shadows
The Grey List retreated to an alley behind the old dorms. Dae-hyun leaned against the wall, chest heaving.
> "So now we know Bishop 4 exists," Tae-yul said. "And that they're… what? A manipulator?"
> "Not just that," Chan-mi replied. "Crow said something important. They make people drop their armbands."
> "So they dismantle power… with words."
Min-ji said, "Then we can't outfight them."
Dae-hyun shook his head. "We don't have to. We just have to expose them."
> "But how do you expose a shadow?"
Chan-mi pulled a folded page from her jacket.
> "I stole this during the fight."
The page had two lines:
> "Final Phase: May 14
Subject: Oh Min-ji – Breakpoint Test Initiation"
Silence.
Everyone looked at Min-ji.
She stayed still. Expression unreadable.
> "What's a Breakpoint Test?" she asked.
Chan-mi looked away.
> "It's when they push you far enough… to see if you self-destruct."
---
Scene 9: The Trigger
Back at school the next day, everything changed.
Min-ji's name was suddenly at the center of every hallway rumor.
> "She dated three seniors at once."
"She broke a kid's jaw in middle school."
"She's the one who ratted out Class 2-B."
Fake screenshots. Edited photos. Anonymous tip boxes stuffed with lies.
Even teachers began treating her differently.
Whispers. Suspicious looks. One even asked if she needed counseling.
> "This is psychological warfare," Sun-woo growled.
Min-ji said nothing.
Until she snapped.
---
Scene 10: Breakpoint
It happened during PE class.
A junior—cocky, loud, eager to impress—spilled red paint across Min-ji's locker.
> "Oops," he said.
Min-ji stared.
He smirked. "Word is you're dangerous. Let's see if the rumors are true."
She didn't speak.
She moved.
Faster than he expected.
She slammed him into the locker with one knee, cracked his wrist back at a painful angle, then twisted his elbow until he screamed.
> "Rumors hurt," she whispered. "But lies break."
Teachers pulled her off. Students backed away.
But the cameras had caught everything.
And the one watching from the top floor… smiled.
---
End of Chapter 11