Inside the University
Inside the lecture hall, Boris sat quietly at the far corner.
The room buzzed with noise—students chatting, laughing, waiting for the professor.
But Boris didn't join in.
Head down, he read a book in silence.
The door opened. The professor entered. The noise died instantly.
Boris didn't move. His eyes stayed fixed on the pages, sharp and focused throughout the lecture.
When class ended, he packed up and headed outside for breakfast.
The main gate was crowded—students everywhere, laughter, movement.
Then, a taxi stopped right in front of him.
Two familiar faces stepped out, unloading their bags—Simon and Hana.
Boris froze. His face lit up with a huge grin.
Energy shot through him like lightning.
He whispered under his breath,
"Well, look who's here…"
He walked toward them, just a few steps before they noticed him.
With a teasing smile, Boris said,
"You're fast, Simon, but somehow you're always late."
Simon laughed.
"Haha! Yeah, well—we weren't gonna miss the Halloween party like you did."
Hana smiled.
"How have you been?"
"Good," Boris said. "We started the new program early, so I had to leave. How was the party?"
Simon joked,
"Man, you missed the barbecue, bro."
They all laughed.
"The one here was boring anyway," Boris shrugged. "Where are you two headed now?"
"We'll drop off our stuff first, then grab lunch outside," Simon said.
"Perfect," Boris grinned. "I know a place nearby. They've got killer hamburgers."
---
In the Village
Khaled walked through the green fields, heading toward the training hall.
In the distance, he spotted Stan among the orchards, working with the laborers.
Stan called out to two workers,
"I'll move the trees—fill the sacks when they drop."
He raised his hands.
The trees shook violently, branches thrashing, fruit raining to the ground.
The workers rushed to gather them, filling large bags.
"Take most of these to the food stores," Stan ordered. "But keep some aside—we're distributing them to the villagers today."
Khaled approached.
"How's the work going?"
Stan turned.
"Khaled! Hey! I'm good, man."
"Looks like everyone's working hard," Khaled said.
Stan glanced at the workers again.
"They are. But our clean water's running low. That's our biggest issue now."
He looked back at Khaled.
"Where are you off to?"
"Special team training," Khaled replied. "We're short three members today, so we'll need you to fill in."
"Of course," Stan nodded. "I'll come as soon as we're done here."
Khaled smirked as he turned away.
"Don't be late."
---
Inside the Training Hall
Khaled entered.
Connor and Ethan were already there, waiting.
"You two came early," he said.
Connor grinned, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Finally! I was about to beat Ethan just to pass the boredom!"
Ethan laughed nervously.
"What? You're a little too excited today, huh?"
Connor cracked his knuckles.
"Haven't fought in a while. I'm starving for it."
Ethan stepped back.
"Whoa, chill, man—it's just training."
Khaled spoke firmly,
"This session's mostly for you two. You haven't fought with us yet, so today's your chance."
Then he glanced around.
"Where's Mosta? I told him to join us—our numbers are low."
Connor smirked.
"Maybe he 'finished off' the old villagers after our last session."
Ethan chuckled.
"Stan warned me not to train with him. Says his sessions don't end until someone passes out."
Connor laughed.
"Really? He told me the same thing."
Just then, Almy walked in.
Everyone turned toward the door.
Ethan blinked.
"We thought you were Mosta!"
Almy smiled shyly.
Khaled asked,
"Why are you here? Did something happen?"
"No," she said softly. "I just wanted to watch."
Connor smirked.
"Someone's here to watch Ethan get his face smashed in."
Ethan shot him a look.
"Don't forget, we're here to learn, not to die."
Khaled turned to Almy
"Since you're here, I want you to evaluate everyone's abilities—strengths, weaknesses, transformations, everything."
"Got it," she nodded, pulling out her device.
The door opened again. Mosta entered, followed by maru .
"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late," Mosta called.
Khaled crossed his arms.
"Good. You made it. But… who's this?"
"A new talent," Mosta explained. "I found him during the youth training program. No powers —but he's a skilled Shaolin fighter. I want him leading the village guards eventually. He'll train with us to get stronger."
Khaled nodded.
"Sounds good."
Connor grinned darkly.
"Better let your little Bruce Lee sit up there with Almy . Wouldn't want him dying on his first day."
Mosta's voice sharpened.
"Don't underestimate anyone, kid."
"Oh, I'm counting on it," Connor said, eyes glinting. "Guess you're today's warm-up meal.",
Ethan snickered under his breath.
Khaled cut in, voice firm.
"That's enough. Warm-up circle—now. Mosta, lead it."
They all began stretching and moving in a wide circle—Connor, Ethan, Khaled, Maru, and Mosta.
Up in the stands, Almy observed closely, tapping on her tablet. She filled out a table: names, powers, strengths, weaknesses.
"Alright, that's enough," Mousta said finally.
He turned to Khaled. "We're ready."
Khaled nodded.
"Today we'll go one-on-one. Three minutes per fight. This is just to gauge our solo combat levels and learn from each other. Next time, we'll train as a coordinated team—under pressure."
He stepped into the circular arena.
"I'll go first—with Connor."
Connor smirked.
"Heh. Hope you're ready, Khaled. I don't like short fights."
He entered the arena. The two faced each other.
Khaled shifted into stance, eyes locked on his opponent, waiting for Mosta's signal.
Connor taunted,
"Wanna bet who collapses first?"
Khaled smiled faintly.
"I like your spirit. You'll be a valuable fighter for the team."
Mosta raised his hand.
"Ready... Fight!"
The bell rang.
Connor grinned.
"Let's do this."
Then his transformation began.
His eyes turned pure white with a black slit like a dragon's.
His teeth grew serrated—sharp like a shark's.
Gills tore open along his neck.
Blue scales crawled up his skin, metallic and rough.
His nails stretched into gleaming metal claws.
He looked down at his hands, breathing hard, trembling with energy—then let out a monstrous roar.
"RAAAAHHHH!!!"
Mosta stumbled back, stunned.
"Holy—what the hell is this?!"
Ethan's face went pale.
Almy froze in shock, eyes wide from the stands.
But Khaled stayed still. Calm. Ready.
He thought, "I've seen this before."
Connor charged on all fours .
He leapt—claws first—slamming into Khaled.
They rolled across the floor in a blur of motion. Khaled kicked him off, flipping back to his feet.
"Looks like I'll need my axe," he muttered.
He swung the large weapon off his back.
Connor laughed.
"Recalculating already, huh? Hahaha!"
Then he lunged again—faster, fiercer.
Khaled swung his axe in a wide arc—missed.
Connor slashed him across the abdomen, claws cutting deep. Blood splashed.
Khaled staggered. Connor pounced, pinning him to the floor, teeth bared.
Drool dripped from his jaws.
"Didn't expect this side of you," Khaled grunted, struggling beneath him.
Mosta shouted,
"My God—he's a monster!"
Ethan whispered, wide-eyed,
"He's so fast… and strong."
Almy clutched her tablet.
"What the hell is he?!"
She quickly typed his data:
Half-human sea beast. Dragon eyes. Metal claws. Shark teeth. Blue armored scales. Gills on neck.
Strengths: Brutal close combat. Perfect for aquatic fights.
Weakness: Human head—unscaled, vulnerable.
While Elmi logged the data, Khaled lifted his leg and kicked Connor square in the chest, throwing him back hard.
Khaled rose, spun his axe, and unleashed a burst of light—blades of energy slicing through the air.
Connor dodged, weaving left and right, closing in again.
Khaled charged power into his weapon and fired one last blast—
BOOM!
Connor flew into the wall. The stone cracked, dust exploding.
Stan burst into the room.
"What the hell's going on here?! You broke the damn wall! Who's fixing that?!"
Ethan laughed.
Everyone thought it was over.
Khaled lowered his axe.
Then—
Connor stood back up.
Not a single wound marked his body. The scales had protected him completely.
A crazy grin revealed his serrated teeth, trembling, panting, and in pain.
"Oh… were you about to end it?"
His voice cracked between laughter and pain.
"Sorry… I'm not done having fun yet."
Who do you think will win—Connor the monster 🦈, or Khaled the Boss🗿?