It had been three years since the disappearance of the professional martial artists. Governments around the world had tried their best to find them, but even after three years, there were still no answers. The families of those who vanished continued begging the authorities to find their loved ones as soon as possible.
Strangely, after the first wave of disappearances, a new pattern began to emerge. Young martial artists who had just turned professional also started disappearing. Every month, at least ten to twelve people went missing without leaving a single trace.
Families grew frustrated and terrified.
Some parents warned their children never to step inside a martial arts club again, while others forced them to leave their dojos even if martial arts had been their greatest passion.
On September 21st, 2028, governments around the world made a drastic decision. For safety reasons, all dojos and martial arts clubs were completely shut down.
Because of this decision, the number of missing people decreased by nearly 89%.
But…
"That's ridiculous!!"
Several coaches and dojo owners gathered in a private meeting, furious after hearing the news. None of them were willing to accept it.
To them, their dojo was not just a place of training—it was the only way they could earn money and support their families. Without it, they had nothing.
"I don't give a damn about the government," one of the coaches said angrily. "I'm going to open my dojo anyway."
The others nodded in agreement.
What they didn't know was that if they were caught secretly training teenagers, they could face life imprisonment—or even the death penalty—if one of their students disappeared.
It wasn't only the coaches who were unhappy. Teenagers around the world were also frustrated.
After the dojos were shut down and martial arts training was banned, school bullying increased by nearly 40%. Many students suffered from trauma, and some even took their own lives.
Despite all of this, the government still refused to lift the ban.
…
"Mom, I'm heading to school now."
A teenage boy with short blue hair put on his shoes as he said goodbye to his mother.
"Haruto dear, you almost forgot your lunch!" his mother called out, scolding him from behind. "Make sure to come back home before 6:00 p.m., young man."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be back sooner than that," Haruto replied teasingly.
He waved goodbye and left the house. His mother waved back, though he didn't look behind him.
Finally, I can go back to the karate club.
The thought crossed his mind as he checked his bag and looked at the Kyokushin karate uniform inside.
The truth was that Haruto Takamori had secretly been learning Kyokushin karate since he was sixteen, and he had been making impressive progress. His coach, who ran the dojo secretly, often praised Haruto for his natural talent.
The real reason Haruto started learning Kyokushin karate was because of his older brother.
His brother had been known as the "Undefeatable Tiger."
He often defeated his opponents in the first round with his devastating left roundhouse kick aimed at the liver.
Haruto admired his big brother deeply and dreamed of becoming just like him one day.
Every evening, his brother would spend time playing with him, filling their home with laughter and joy.
But one day, as usual, his brother left for the karate club in the morning.
Haruto said goodbye to him like always.
But that day…
His brother never came back.
Haruto didn't want to lose hope. He stood patiently in front of the door, waiting for him.
Finally, the door slowly opened.
Haruto's face lit up with joy—
—but only for a second.
The person standing there wasn't his brother.
It was an old man wearing a blue shirt that clearly showed he was a police officer.
His mother came to the door and began speaking with the officer. Haruto stood silently nearby. He couldn't hear what they were saying.
But when the officer slowly removed his hat…
Haruto's mother suddenly collapsed to her knees and began crying.
Haruto was only nine years old at the time.
He didn't understand why his mother was crying like that.
A few days later, his mother brought him to a funeral.
He still didn't understand what was happening.
Until he saw the person lying inside the coffin.
"Big… brother?"
His whisper was barely audible.
…
"Takamori, focus on your training!"
The coach's voice snapped him back to reality.
Haruto was currently sparring with his friend.
His friend launched a right roundhouse kick followed by a hook kick. Haruto stepped back, dodging the attack, before countering with a powerful axe kick that knocked his friend down.
"Sorry about that," Haruto said, bowing respectfully to his friend after the sparring match. "I should have held back a little."
"Hey, hey, don't be like that," his friend said, placing a hand on Haruto's shoulder to comfort him. "That happens sometimes. Besides, you'll be a black belt soon. You should be happy about it."
His friend was right.
Soon there would be an underground martial arts competition, secretly held every three months.
If Haruto won this tournament, he would finally earn his Kyokushin karate black belt.
"Thank you," Haruto replied before getting ready to head home.
He hadn't gone to school at all that day. Instead, he had spent the entire time training at the hidden dojo.
His mother had never allowed him to practice martial arts after the incident in 2027.
But Haruto refused to give up.
He continued training in secret.
On his way home, he stopped by a supermarket to buy something for his mother.
I almost forgot… It's Mom's birthday today.
He bought the most expensive cake he could find, hoping to surprise her.
"Man… I can't wait to go home," he muttered as he stood alone at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.
"I wonder how Mom will react to this."
He paused for a moment, his expression turning slightly pale.
"I wish you could be with us now… big brother."
The traffic light turned green.
As soon as he took one step forward—
Ring…
He heard the sound of a bell.
It wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either.
The sound echoed like a distant rhyme.
In the blink of an eye—
"What…?"
Haruto suddenly found himself standing in the middle of nowhere.