《Killer Instinct》


 1 Killer Personality

    The City of Tren was bustling with people. There were a lot of buildings, stores and parks.


    Karma, after a long day at school, was walking home. As he turned a corner, he heard laughter and screams of pain coming from the alleyway. Karma carefully walked to the alleyway and peek around the corner. A bunch of gang members were beating the crap out of someone.


    *Better not get involved* he thought. As he started to walk past them, one gang member spotted him.


    "Hey. Come over here." the gang member said. Karma slowly walked towards them. The person that was getting beat up had his face turned into an red mushroom.


    "This fucker over here pissed us off. We still have some vent up anger, so we''re gonna take it on you. Consider yourself unlucky." said one of the gang members, who seemed to be the leader of the group.The gang members punched Karma and he fell back. Pain rushed from every corner of his body. He screamed in pain.


    "Yes. Keep on screaming." said the leader, as he kicked Karma in the stomach. Karma spat out blood and his vision was fading bit by bit. Then, Karma felt a sudden rush of bloodlust coming from inside him. Karma got up.


    "Huh, what''s with that look?" said the leader. "You wanna die?"


    "Hehe" laughed Karma.


    "What''s so funny, you little bitch?" said the leader and threw a punch. Karma, in his changed state, caught the fist.


    "The ones who''s gonna die are you people" said Karma. In a quick instant, Karma elbowed the leader in the face, sending him back. The leader screamed in pain. Karma laughed at the scream as he felt joy from the leader''s suffering. The underlings charged at Karma, attempting to bring him down. Karma dodged their attack and beat them down one by one.


    "What''s the matter, huh?!" laughed Karma. "I thought you were tough guys? What happened to all that talk before, huh?"


    Karma continued to beat the members senseless. The leader, who was barely conscious, pulled out a knife and charged at Karma.


    "Die, you piece of shit!" said the leader, charging at Karma, knife in hand. He tried to stab Karma, but Karma was too quick and dodged the knife. Karma then kicked the knife out of the leader''s hands and punched the leader in the gut.


    "Ack!" screamed the leader, in pain. Karma then grabbed him by the collar, with a evil grin on his face.


    "Please don''t hurt me!" the gang leader said, face full of terror. Karma looked at his victim, bloodied from up to down.


    "You act tough when you got numbers." smirked Karma." When your pals are all out and you get beat the shit out of, you start pleading. Haha haha! How pathetic!"


    Karma punched the gang leader in the face, harder than before. The gang member blacked out. His face warped into an unidentifiable shape.


    "Aha..hahaha!" Karma laughed devilishly. He felt joy go through his whole body. The bloodlust lessened as he laughed, until finally, he returned to his other self. Karma looked around in horror at what he has done.


    "What have I done..." said Karma." Damn it.. I couldn''t control it again."


    Karma walked out of the alleyway and towards Guch Street. His house was just around the corner. His house was run down. There were pieces of the roof on the ground.


    Karma took out his keys and opened his door. The house reeked of dirty laundry and dishes. Karma closed the door and walked upstairs to his bedroom.


    *I''ll clean tomorrow.*


    With that thought, he felt asleep.


    The night was silent once again.

 2 Meeting

    The next morning...


    "Groannn..." groaned Karma. The sunlight was seeping through the curtains. It was a school day.


    "Damn it, my head hurts." complained Karma. He got up and went to his closet. There were clothes scattered on the floor. Karma picked a random shirt and pants and put them on. He went and got ready for the day. After eating some bread, he grabbed his backpack and went out the door.


    He arrived at a deli to buy lunch, since he couldn''t cook. He picked out a regular bento with rice and meat.


    "That will be 1000 yen" said the cashier. Karma paid the price and walked out. The sun was glaring. Karma walked onto the path that leads to Shounen High. There were a lot of students talking and laughing.


    Karma, who didn''t want to be seen as a loner, quickly went to class. He thought he was safe but just his luck, a rumor was spreading about him.


    "Hey, did you hear about the 10 beat up gang members?" one girl said. "Appearently one kid did it and made them partially paralyzed."


    "He didn''t have to go that far." said a boy. "He''s like a murderer. Scary..."


    Gossips didn''t really bother Karma, but this one made him furious.


    *It wasn''t my fault! It was the demon inside of me!*


    Karma didn''t make a scene and made his way towards class 2-E. He sat down at his desk and looked out the window. The birds were soaring through the sky.


    "How I wish I can fly away from all this shit..." muttered Karma to himself.


    The bell rang. It was time for homeroom. The students settled into their seats and the teacher, Ms. Kiyotara, walked into the classroom.


    "Good morning everyone. I''ll like to announce that we have a new transfer student joining us." Ms. Kiyotara. "Come in."


    A sliver-haired girl walked into the classroom. She wore sliver earrings and carried a pretty fashionable bag. She was quite beautiful too. She walked to the board and wrote her name: Kamayama Shirohana. She put the chalk down and walked forward.


    "Hello, everyone! My name is Shirohana. Kamayama Shirohana. Hope we all get along!" Shirohana exclaimed happily.


    The class burst with excitement. Shirohana''s beauty awed all of the student. Her name, which means "white flower", fit her quite well.


    At lunch, everyone gathered around Shirohana.


    "Where did you come from?" said one guy


    "How do you keep your hair so smooth?" said one girl.


    *Of course she''s going to get popular...*


    Karma wasn''t interested in the new girl. He took his bento and walked out the room to the rooftop. The breeze was cool up here. From the edge, you can see all of Tren City.


    Karma sat down on the ground and opened his bento. Karma quietly ate his lunch, gazing at the sky. The birds were flying above, as if mocking him for being confined by his murderous nature.


    The bell soon rang and Karma returned to class. By the end of the day, everyone was talking about the new girl in 2-E.


    Karma quickly walked out of school. He wanted to just go home and sleep. He didn''t want what occurred yesterday to happen again. As he was walking, he saw a group of men. They were surrounding the new girl.


    "Hey girl. Wanna hang?" said one dude.


    "Let''s grab something to eat. I''ll treat you." said another dude.


    "Please go away." Shirohana said. "I have no intention of going with you."


    "Don''t be so cold." One guy replied, as he went and touched Shirohana.


    "Don''t touch me!" Shirohana shouted, as slapped the guy.


    "You bitch..!" said the guy being slapped. He punched Shirohana in the gut. Shirohana screamed in pain. The guys then continued to harm her.


    "Weak britches like you should not act so tough!" said the guy who punched her.


    At that moment, those words triggered the darkest part of Karma. His face turned into a evil smile. All he cared about now was to take on those guys proclaimed their strength.


    "Hehe....hahaha." Karma laughed."This will be fun."


    Karma went up to one guy and touched his shoulder.


    "Wha-" the guy began to say, but Karma punched him in the face. The guy fell and blacked out.


    "You bastard!" said another guy. The guy tried to punch Karma but Karma was too fast. Karma dodges and punch the guy in his jugular. The guy screamed in pain.


    "Hahaha! Suffer! Scream!" Karma laughed." Your pain is like music to my ears."


    Karma continued to beat the crap out the guys. Shirohana laid there, horrified at the scene in front of her.


    It wasn''t a fight. It was a one sided massacre. Since the adrenaline was still strong, he continued to beat them even though they were in no condition to fight.


    Karma stood in the middle of the bodies, laughing. When Karma calmed down, he looked with horror at his surroundings.


    *No....No! Why can''t I control this? Why am I like this?*


    Karma sat near a wall and cried. He was frustrated and scared of his psychotic side.


    Shirohana, who was afraid, looked with worry. The boy who was a demon a second ago was now just a regular guy.


    *He''s scary... but he saved me...*


    The sounds of the night echoes through the city.

 3 Acquaintance?

    *Guess I''ll go home...*


    After a few minutes of crying in frustration, Karma decided to go home. As he started to get up, he noticed someone beside him. It was Shirohana. She was unconscious, probably from the blow she received. Karma didn''t want anything to do with the girl, but he felt bad leaving her. So, he carried her on his back and walked home.


    It was around 8:00 when Karma got home. He walked to his room and laid Shirohana on his bed and pull the blanket over her. He then went to wash up. After washing up, he returned to his room and pulled out a futon from his closet and laid it on the floor. He plopped down on it.


    *I hate this. I hate my other side...*


    With that thought, he fell asleep.


    The next morning...


    Karma awoke to a pleasant smell coming from outside. He got up and scratched his head.


    *What''s that smell? It smells like....eggs and bacon?*


    Karma exited his room and to his surprise, Shirohana was in the kitchen making something,


    "Oh! Good Morning!" Shirohana said when she noticed Karma walking into the kitchen. "Sorry for using your kitchen without asking."


    "That''s fine...but what are you doing?" Karma asked.


    "I''m making some breakfast for us, of course," Shirohana replied, as she plated the eggs and bacon and set them on the table." Well? How long are you going to stand there for? Let''s eat."


    Karma slowly walked to the table. The smell was irresistible. It has been a long time since he had good looking breakfast. He sat down and took a bite. The flavors spread in his mouth.


    "This is delicious!" exclaimed Karma, as he scoffed down more.


    "I''m glad," Shirohana said with a smile. "I only started to cook a few days ago."


    "But... why did you do this?" Karma asked.


    "Well, you saved me, didn''t you? Although it was quite disturbing, you still helped me," replied Shirohana, biting off a piece of bacon. "You also carried me here so I won''t be alone out there. Of course, it''s only natural to repay you."


    "You''re too nice. We only just met," said Karma. "Back there, I wasn''t myself. If the demon inside me wasn''t satisfied, it would have gone after you."


    "But it didn''t happen," Shirohana replied. "You were trying to stop it, weren''t you? In that way, you did save me. Come on, let''s finish so we can get to school on time."


    "Ok..." said Karma as he munched on his eggs.


    After they were done, Karma and Shirohana left the house and head for school. Then, Karma realizes something. He came out of his house with a girl. A popular one at that. There is definitely going to be gossip.


    Sure enough, people were looking at them and whispering.


    *Great... I''m the talk of the school now...*


    Shirohana was oblivious to the situation and just happily walked to school.


    After lunchtime, a lot of people crowded around Shirohana. Karma couldn''t hear what they were talking to Shirohana about, but Shirohana suddenly looked flustered.


    "N-no. We aren''t dating. He just saved me from some unpleasant people," Shirohana said, blushing.


    Karma didn''t like the attention. He got up to go to his usual lunch spot after buying something from the school cafeteria. Just as he exited the room, a guy grabbed him by the collar.


    "Is it true you walked with Shirohana from your house?!" The guy said.


    "Y-yes?" Karma replied.


    "I''m grateful you saved her from those fuckers," said the guy. "But I suggest you not to get all chummy with her. The next time I hear about you being close to her, you''re dead."


    The guy lets go of Karma and walked off. Karma sighed.


    *This is why I didn''t want to get involved with her.*


    Karma made his way to the cafeteria. He brought a yakisoba bun and walked to the rooftop. The breeze greeted him and he made his way to a bench. He munched on his bun as he looked at the sky.


    *I need to learn to control it. I can''t just keep on letting it come out*


    The bell rang. Karma got up and walked down the stairs to his class. He threw the plastic in the trash and walked to his seat. After a few hours, the bell rang to signal the end of school. Karma got up and walked out of the classroom.


    As he made his way to the entrance, Karma heard a girl''s voice calling him. He turned around and saw Shirohana running towards him. Karma quickly turned and ran out of the school.


    "Wait! Karma!" Shirohana said, running.


    Karma ignored her and just kept on running. Karma ran down the street, with Shirohana chasing after him.


    "Why are you running away?!" Shirohana yelled.


    Karma pretended to not hear and kept on running. As he crossed the street, he heard Shirohana fall. He turned around and saw that her ankle was sprained. A car was speeding towards her.


    *Dammit!*


    Karma ran back carried her in his arms and ran towards the sidewalk. The car zoomed past, almost hitting Karma''s leg.


    Karma sighed in relief as both of them were ok.


    "T-thanks for saving me again," Shirohana said, blushing. Karma didn''t know why she was embarrassed. Then he realized he was carrying her bridal style. There were people looking and whispering.


    Karma blushed a bright red. Then, he ran to a bench and laid Shirohana down. Then, Karma sat down on the far end of the bench.


    "Call someone to pick you up," Karma said.


    "I''ll do that later," Shirohana said. "Why did you run away from me?"


    "You don''t need to know," Karma said. "Just make your call so we can be on our way."


    Karma turned around to see if Shirohana was making a call. To his surprise, Shirohana was close to his face.


    "Did Josh say something to you?" Shirohana said, looking at Karma in the eyes.


    "Who?" Karma asked.


    "He''s the guy who I saw grab you," Shirohana replied. "He''s my childhood friend and he''s way too overprotective. I will have a talk with him."


    "It''s fine. You shouldn''t associate with me. I''m a nobody. I also don''t want to get involved with anything." Karma said


    "But you saved me, even though you didn''t want anything to do with me," Shirohana said.


    "It was a natural thing to do," Karma said. "Anyway, call someone. I''ll be going now."


    Karma stood up and walked away. He turned around and saw someone helping Shirohana in a car. Karma sighed in relief and walked home.

 4 Blossoming

    The next day during lunch break...


    "Did you hear?" one guy said. "Shirohana was with Karma yesterday."


    "Oh my god," one girl said. "Are they dating?"


    There was a rumor that floated through the school that Karma and Shirohana were on a "date". Everyone was talking about it.


    *Oh my god. Why is everyone talking about that? We were just hanging out...* Karma thought, annoyed.


    "HEY FUCKER! COME HERE!" Someone shouted. The class grew silent and looked at who was shouting. Karma slowly turned and saw the guy who warned him not to get close to Shirohana. Everyone looked at Karma.


    "M-Me?" Karma asked, nervously.


    "WHO ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING ABOUT?!" The guy shouted. He stomped over to Karma and grabbed him by the collar.


    "I warned you to not get so close to her. Yet, you did," The guy exclaimed angrily and raised a fist.


    "Josh! Stop that!" A girl shouted. Shirohana was at the door, heavily breathing. "What are you doing?!"


    "S-Shirohana?" Josh said, nervously. "What are you doing here?"


    "I should be asking you that," Shirohana said angrily. "What are you doing to Karma?"


    "I-I can''t let a repeat of that incident. I won''t let it happen. That''s why I need to take care of this guy," Josh said, turning back to Karma and raised his fist. Shirohana quickly ran to them and stepped between them, arms stretched, facing Josh.


    "I won''t let you. Karma saved my life and I owe it to him to stop you," Shirohana said, sternly. Josh slowly dropped his fist.


    "Tsk," Josh mumbled and left the classroom. Shirohana sighed and turned to Karma.


    "I''m sorry about Josh. He''s just very overprotective of me," Shirohana said. "It''s all because of an incident that happened a long time ago. I''m sorry you were dragged into this."


    "It''s alright," Karma replied. "I sorta get what he was feeling." Shirohana smiled.


    "Come with me for a bit," Shriohana said, lightly pulling on Karma''s hand. Karma allowed himself to be led out of the classroom. They headed for the school courtyard and found themselves an empty bench.


    "Here I made this as thanks for yesterday," Shirohana said, pulling out a bento box. She opened it to reveal a wide variety of meat, vegetables, etc.


    "This is all for me?" Karma said, amazed.


    "Yep. You saved me from that speeding car. The least I can do is give you this," Shirohana said, handing Karma the bento. Karma readily accepted and took a bite of the meat.


    "This is so delicious," Karma said.


    "Thanks," Shirohana said sweetly. "I tried my best."They ate and talked until the bell signaled the end of lunch break. Classes went on as usual, with some quick glances and small gossip because of the incident with Josh.


    "Sighh," Karma sighed as the last bell rang. He packed up his things and left the classroom. It was cool outside, breezes of wind blew past Karma. As Karma was walking, someone knocked him out. Karma fell on to the ground. As his vision faded, he saw a bunch of men in black suits looking down at him.


    Then everything was black.


    "Ugh...," Karma groaned in pain. His head was ringing and he was really dizzy. He sat up and realized he was roped up.


    "You''re finally awake," a boy''s voice said. It was Josh. Beside him were men in black suits. They were in a dark room.


    "Why am I here. What are you going to do to me?" Karma wearily asked.


    "These men are going to teach you a lesson. So you won''t ever dare get close to Shirohana ever again!" Josh said. "Men, get him." He then walked out of the place and slammed the door.


    "W-wait," Karma said. "You don''t have to do this."


    "We''re getting paid for this. You don''t have any say in this," The men said. They advanced on him.


    One guy punched him in the gut.


    "AGH," Karma screamed in pain. The other men threw punches at him too.


    "It''s relaxing to get paid huge sums of money for an easy job like this," One man said while punching Karma.


    "Sure is. This guy is a weak-ass punk," Another man said, laughing.


    *Weak...Weak...Weak...* The word echoed in Karma''s head. He then felt a sharp pain in his head.


    "No... I''m....turning....", Karma mumbled, as he struggled to keep the demon inside of him. It was no use. He falls to the ground.


    "Man, he''s out cold," One man said. "This ain''t fun enough."


    "Fun? I''ll give you fun!" Karma said suddenly, springing up and uppercutting the guy.


    "AGHH," The guy groaned in pain.


    "HAHAHA. What''s the matter? Can''t handle some pain?" Karma said devilishly.


    "YOU BRAT," Another man screamed in charged at Karma. It was no use. Karma easily dodged and struck the man''s solar plexus. The man fell to the ground, holding his stomach.


    "I thought you guys were supposed to be tough?" Karma snicked. "Guess I overestimated you guys."


    "Don''t get cocky, kid," One man said. "Guys! Let''s charge him together." The men dashed at Karma.


    "Man," Karma said. "Can''t even fight by yourself." Karma, in his heightened state, easily avoided the men and beat them senseless one by one.


    "That''s all you got?" Karma said condescendingly. "Man, you''re not even making me break a swe-" Before he could finish, Karma was attacked by a man, who body slammed him to the wall. Instead of groaning in pain, Karma laughed.


    "Yes. YES. That''s it. Give me more of a thrill!" Karma shouted and dashed at the man. He kicked the man in the side and punched his face. The fight continued for quite a while, both the men and Karma taking blow after blow. After about an hour, Karma had defeated all the men. The adrenaline was still strong, so Karma still hadn''t turned back. He stood up and saw a knife near a fallen man.


    "You guys were going to use this on me?" Karma said. "Since you guys didn''t get to, maybe I should use it on you and on that Josh kid that set me up." Karma picked up the knife and felt a great sense of excitement.


    "Ugh..." One man groaned in pain. Karma stood up and walked over to the man. The man sat up and saw Karma walking towards him with a knife. He scurried back.


    "N-No. Please don''t hurt me!" The man said. "I don''t even care about the money or the job. Just let me go and I''ll never show up again!"


    "You are all the same," Karma said. "When the circumstances don''t favor you, you beg for your life. Pathetic." Karma grabbed the man by the collar and point the knife at the man''s eye.


    "How about I take an eye?" Karma said, smiling. "So, you will remember this moment forever."


    "N-No! Please!" The man cried. Karma drew the knife back and advanced it toward the man''s eye.


    "''Stop!" A girl''s voice shouted. Karma, without warning, was grabbed by the arm and held from behind. It was Shirohana.


    "Please Karma. You already did too much. Don''t turn yourself into a monster," Shirohana said, tears dripping. Somehow, Shirohana''s voice reached the Karma trapped inside the demon.


    *I have to get out* Inner Karma thought. The demonic Karma pushed Shirohana to the ground.


    "Bitch. Do you want to get it first?" Demonic Karma said. Karma pinned Shirohana down and held the knife above her eye and started to move the knife toward her eye.


    "Please. Karma. Wake up!" Shirohana shouted. "This isn''t you!" The knife stopped just before it reached Shirohana''s eye.


    "S-Shirohana?" Karma said, confused. He dropped the knife in confusion.


    "Karma! You''re back!" Shirohana said and hugged him. Karma blushed.


    "S-Shirohana? What are you doing?" Karma said, embarrassed. Then he looked around him.


    "No...I did it again..." Karma said, shocked. He plopped down on the floor.


    "Karma..." Shirohana started. She stopped when Karma entered his depressed mood again. She embraced him to comfort him.


    They sat there in silence.

 4 A Vengeful Ambush

    The next day during lunch break...


    "Did you hear?" one guy said. "Shirohana was with Karma yesterday."


    "Oh my god," one girl said. "Are they dating?"


    There was a rumor that floated through the school that Karma and Shirohana were on a "date". Everyone was talking about it.


    *Oh my god. Why is everyone talking about that? We were just hanging out...* Karma thought, annoyed.


    "HEY FUCKER! COME HERE!" Someone shouted. The class grew silent and looked at who was shouting. Karma slowly turned and saw the guy who warned him not to get close to Shirohana. Everyone looked at Karma.


    "M-Me?" Karma asked, nervously.


    "WHO ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING ABOUT?!" The guy shouted. He stomped over to Karma and grabbed him by the collar.


    "I warned you to not get so close to her. Yet, you did," The guy exclaimed angrily and raised a fist.


    "Josh! Stop that!" A girl shouted. Shirohana was at the door, heavily breathing. "What are you doing?!"


    "S-Shirohana?" Josh said, nervously. "What are you doing here?"


    "I should be asking you that," Shirohana said angrily. "What are you doing to Karma?"


    "I-I can''t let a repeat of that incident. I won''t let it happen. That''s why I need to take care of this guy," Josh said, turning back to Karma and raised his fist. Shirohana quickly ran to them and stepped between them, arms stretched, facing Josh.


    "I won''t let you. Karma saved my life and I owe it to him to stop you," Shirohana said, sternly. Josh slowly dropped his fist.


    "Tsk," Josh mumbled and left the classroom. Shirohana sighed and turned to Karma.


    "I''m sorry about Josh. He''s just very overprotective of me," Shirohana said. "It''s all because of an incident that happened a long time ago. I''m sorry you were dragged into this."


    "It''s alright," Karma replied. "I sorta get what he was feeling." Shirohana smiled.


    "Come with me for a bit," Shriohana said, lightly pulling on Karma''s hand. Karma allowed himself to be led out of the classroom. They headed for the school courtyard and found themselves an empty bench.


    "Here I made this as thanks for yesterday," Shirohana said, pulling out a bento box. She opened it to reveal a wide variety of meat, vegetables, etc.


    "This is all for me?" Karma said, amazed.


    "Yep. You saved me from that speeding car. The least I can do is give you this," Shirohana said, handing Karma the bento. Karma readily accepted and took a bite of the meat.


    "This is so delicious," Karma said.


    "Thanks," Shirohana said sweetly. "I tried my best."They ate and talked until the bell signaled the end of lunch break. Classes went on as usual, with some quick glances and small gossip because of the incident with Josh.


    "Sighh," Karma sighed as the last bell rang. He packed up his things and left the classroom. It was cool outside, breezes of wind blew past Karma. As Karma was walking, someone knocked him out. Karma fell on to the ground. As his vision faded, he saw a bunch of men in black suits looking down at him.


    Then everything was black.


    "Ugh...," Karma groaned in pain. His head was ringing and he was really dizzy. He sat up and realized he was roped up.


    "You''re finally awake," a boy''s voice said. It was Josh. Beside him were men in black suits. They were in a dark room.


    "Why am I here. What are you going to do to me?" Karma wearily asked.


    "These men are going to teach you a lesson. So you won''t ever dare get close to Shirohana ever again!" Josh said. "Men, get him." He then walked out of the place and slammed the door.


    "W-wait," Karma said. "You don''t have to do this."


    "We''re getting paid for this. You don''t have any say in this," The men said. They advanced on him.


    One guy punched him in the gut.


    "AGH," Karma screamed in pain. The other men threw punches at him too.


    "It''s relaxing to get paid huge sums of money for an easy job like this," One man said while punching Karma.


    "Sure is. This guy is a weak-ass punk," Another man said, laughing.


    *Weak...Weak...Weak...* The word echoed in Karma''s head. He then felt a sharp pain in his head.


    "No... I''m....turning....", Karma mumbled, as he struggled to keep the demon inside of him. It was no use. He falls to the ground.


    "Man, he''s out cold," One man said. "This ain''t fun enough."


    "Fun? I''ll give you fun!" Karma said suddenly, springing up and uppercutting the guy.


    "AGHH," The guy groaned in pain.


    "HAHAHA. What''s the matter? Can''t handle some pain?" Karma said devilishly.


    "YOU BRAT," Another man screamed in charged at Karma. It was no use. Karma easily dodged and struck the man''s solar plexus. The man fell to the ground, holding his stomach.


    "I thought you guys were supposed to be tough?" Karma snicked. "Guess I overestimated you guys."


    "Don''t get cocky, kid," One man said. "Guys! Let''s charge him together." The men dashed at Karma.


    "Man," Karma said. "Can''t even fight by yourself." Karma, in his heightened state, easily avoided the men and beat them senseless one by one.


    "That''s all you got?" Karma said condescendingly. "Man, you''re not even making me break a swe-" Before he could finish, Karma was attacked by a man, who body slammed him to the wall. Instead of groaning in pain, Karma laughed.


    "Yes. YES. That''s it. Give me more of a thrill!" Karma shouted and dashed at the man. He kicked the man in the side and punched his face. The fight continued for quite a while, both the men and Karma taking blow after blow. After about an hour, Karma had defeated all the men. The adrenaline was still strong, so Karma still hadn''t turned back. He stood up and saw a knife near a fallen man.


    "You guys were going to use this on me?" Karma said. "Since you guys didn''t get to, maybe I should use it on you and on that Josh kid that set me up." Karma picked up the knife and felt a great sense of excitement.


    "Ugh..." One man groaned in pain. Karma stood up and walked over to the man. The man sat up and saw Karma walking towards him with a knife. He scurried back.


    "N-No. Please don''t hurt me!" The man said. "I don''t even care about the money or the job. Just let me go and I''ll never show up again!"


    "You are all the same," Karma said. "When the circumstances don''t favor you, you beg for your life. Pathetic." Karma grabbed the man by the collar and point the knife at the man''s eye.


    "How about I take an eye?" Karma said, smiling. "So, you will remember this moment forever."


    "N-No! Please!" The man cried. Karma drew the knife back and advanced it toward the man''s eye.


    "''Stop!" A girl''s voice shouted. Karma, without warning, was grabbed by the arm and held from behind. It was Shirohana.


    "Please Karma. You already did too much. Don''t turn yourself into a monster," Shirohana said, tears dripping. Somehow, Shirohana''s voice reached the Karma trapped inside the demon.


    *I have to get out* Inner Karma thought. The demonic Karma pushed Shirohana to the ground.


    "Bitch. Do you want to get it first?" Demonic Karma said. Karma pinned Shirohana down and held the knife above her eye and started to move the knife toward her eye.


    "Please. Karma. Wake up!" Shirohana shouted. "This isn''t you!" The knife stopped just before it reached Shirohana''s eye.


    "S-Shirohana?" Karma said, confused. He dropped the knife in confusion.


    "Karma! You''re back!" Shirohana said and hugged him. Karma blushed.


    "S-Shirohana? What are you doing?" Karma said, embarrassed. Then he looked around him.


    "No...I did it again..." Karma said, shocked. He plopped down on the floor.


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    "Karma..." Shirohana started. She stopped when Karma entered his depressed mood again. She embraced him to comfort him.


    They sat there in silence.

 5 Troubling Past: First Day

    (P.S. This is Before the last chapter)


    The bell rang, signaling the end of school.


    Shirohana opened her shoe locker to find her daily love letters. She put them in her bag and changed into her outdoor shoes.


    As she stepped out the building, she saw people whispering and making quick glances at her. Shirohana sighed.


    *Josh has the whole school spreading what happened.Why is Josh still hung up on that...* Shirohana thought.


    "Shirohana, wait up!" a girl''s voice called out behind her. Shirohana turned around and saw Miki, her friend, running up to her.


    "Miki!" Shirohana said, smiling. She was the only one that didn''t get hung up with the whole incident between Josh and Karma. Shirohana felt a sort of comfort when Miki was there.


    "Sorry for walking off without you. I just have so much on my mind," Shirohana said apologetically.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine!" Miki said cheerfully. "Fill me in later if you want to talk about it, kay?" Shirohana smiled and nodded in agreement.


    As they were walking, Miki blurted out.


    "So... do you like Karma? You are overly kind to him."


    Shirohana blushed heavily.


    "W-what?! I-It''s not like that. He just saved me from a couple of incidents and I wanted to repay him, that''s all," Shirohana said bashfully. She covered her face in embarrassment.


    "I''m just kidding," Miki laughed. "You are so cute when you are embarrassed."


    "Miki!" Shirohana said, with an angry pout.


    "I''m sorry, haha!" Miki replied, laughing.


    he two crossed the street and reached a three-way pathway.


    "Well, I''m going this way," Miki said. "See you tomorrow, Shirohana!" Shirohana waved goodbye and the two parted ways.As Shirohana walked, she thought of the incident from today.


    *Sigh. Josh still hasn''t forgotten that day, huh?*


    ~7 years ago~


    "Shirohana! Wake up! It''s your first day of school!" Shirohana''s mom shouted as she knocked on Shirohana''s door.


    "Ugh..." Shirohana groaned. "I''m coming..."


    Shirohana struggled against her tired state and got out of bed. She was pretty excited last night that she didn''t really sleep too much.After she got dressed in her new school uniform, she dashed down the stairs. As she approached the kitchen, a sweet amora tickled her nose.


    "Breakfast is ready, sweetie. I made pancakes to celebrate your first day of school," Shirohana''s mom said as she saw Shirohana enter the kitchen.


    "Wow!" Shirohana shouted with joy at her favorite food. "Thanks, Mom!"


    "You''re quite welcome, " her mom replied, smiling.


    Shirohana poured some maple syrup on the pancakes and took a bite. The taste was exhilarating. She quickly scoffed down her breakfast and headed for the door.


    "Be careful on your way to school! Look both ways before crossing the street and don''t talk to strangers!" Shirohana''s mom said.


    "I will, Mom!" Shirohana said, putting on her shoes. "I''m off now!"


    "Have a safe trip!" her mom yelled.


    Shirohana closed the door and walked out the front gate. There, she found a boy waiting for her.


    "H-hello, Shirohana!" the boy said nervously.


    "Hello, Josh!" Shirohana said sweetly. "It''s the first day of school. Aren''t you excited?"


    "Y-ya! I am!" Josh said, smiling. The two walked side by side, talking about school and other things.


    As they neared the school, a lot of fo students were there.


    "Wow! There are so many people here! I hope I can make some friends!" Shirohana said innocently.


    "I-I hope I can too, " Josh said softly.


    "You will! I will help you find friends!" Shirohana said, assuring Josh.


    "T-Thanks.." Josh said quietly.


    The school they were attending was StainFord Middle School. It was bustling with students. Gossip and laughter filled the air.


    "Let''s see... Our classroom is...Ah...Here it is!" Shirohana said as she opened the 1-A classroom door.


    There were about 30 or so students there. They were chatting and laughing about hobbies, love, and all that middle school students talk about.


    The bell rang and everyone took their seats. Since Shirohana and Josh were transfer students, they waited by the door for the teacher to come. A few moments later, a short lady entered the classroom.


    "Good morning class!" the lady said to the students.


    "Good morning, Miss Yaya!" the students answered back. Miss Yaya was a short woman with short hair. She was wearing a pink blouse.


    "Today we have two transfer students!" Miss Yaya said. "Shirohana. Josh. Please come and introduce yourself."


    Shirohana walked up to the front, beaming.


    "Hello! My name is Shirohana! Kiyoshi Shirohana! It''s nice to meet you all!" Shirohana said with a big smile on her face.


    Whispers filled the room.


    "That girl is so pretty!"


    "I wonder if she will be my friend?"


    "Come on Josh! It''s your turn!" Shirohana said, dragging Josh up to the front.


    "Um...H-Hello. M-My name is Josh. Somen Josh. N-Nice to meet you..." Josh said in a soft but audible voice.


    "Let''s see..." Miss Yaya said. "You two can sit at the two empty seats at the back."


    Shirohana walked to her new seat, with Josh slowly following her.


    Shirohana sat next to the window, while Josh sat in the seat left of hers. Class proceeded as normal.


    When it was break time, students started to crowd around Shirohana. They began to bombard her with many questions, to which Shirohana answered joyfully.


    "Where are you from?"


    "How did you get your hair to be this smooth?"


    "What are your hobbies?"


    Shirohana was the center of attention. However, a certain group didn''t like that. In the corner stood three girls. They whispered to each other while laughing maliciously.


    "Who does she think she is?"


    "She thinks she''s so great, doesn''t she?


    "How about we teach her a lesson?"


    Break shortly passed and classes continued. After a long while, it was time to go home. Shirohana and Josh packed up all their books and left the classroom. As they neared the entrance, three girls stepped in front of them. The girl in the middle walked toward Shirohana.


    "Hey. We want to be friends with you," the girl said.


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    Shirohana''s eyes lit up.


    "Yes! I would love to!" Shirohana said joyfully.


    "Great! Follow us! We want to show you something cool!" the girl said.


    "Okay! Come on Josh," Shirohana said, grabbing Josh''s arm.


    "Oh no. He will have to wait somewhere," the girl said.


    "But why? He''s my friend. I want him to see it too," Shirohana said.


    "It''s more of a girl''s thing. He would probably get bored. We have something else to show him later," the girl said.


    Shirohana was reluctant on leaving Josh. She held onto Josh''s arm.


    "I-It''s ok, Shirohana..." Josh said quietly. "I''ll wait here."


    "Are you sure? I thought you wanted to make friends. This is a chance!" Shirohana said.


    "N-No, it''s fine," Josh reassured her. "They said they will show me something too, so I-I will wait here."


    "If you say so..." Shirohana said. "Wait for me, okay?"


    "Y-Yeah. I will," Josh replied.


    "Alright. Let''s go, Shirohana," the girl said.


    Shirohana looked back to see Josh standing there. Josh waved at Shirohana. After seeing that Josh was fine, Shirohana followed the girls to the "cool" thing that was about to come. Unbeknownst to her, her school life was about to take a turn for the worst.

 6 Troubling Past: The Past Meeting

    "So..." Shirohana started. "What are your names?"


    "Huh?" One girl replied. "Oh, my name is Hanna. This is Rise and Mary."


    Hanna had short purple hair with a ribbon on her head. Rise, standing left of Hanna has long black hair, with a flower hair pin. Mary, standing right of Hanna, had a brown ponytail, tied with a cute panda hairband.


    "It''s nice to be you all. Hanna. Rise. Mary." Shirohana said, smiling.


    "Likewise," the three girls replied. "Come on. The fun is about to begin."


    The four walked up to the stairs. As Shirohana peered at the window, she saw that the sky was becoming dark.


    *Oh no. Josh is afraid of the dark. I better head back.* She thought to herself. Josh, despite his caring nature toward Shirohana, was probably very lonely right now.


    "Um... How about you show me this cool thing tomorrow? During break time," Shirohana said.


    "What? You think we aren''t worth your time?" Hanna said. ?"You think you''re so great, having all of them idiots swoon over you. You think you''re better than us?"


    "W-What? No. I didn''t mean..." Shirohana started to reply. Before she could finish her sentence, Rize and Mary grabbed her by the arms.


    "What are you doing?" Shirohana shouted. "Let me go!" She tried to get out of their clutches, but it was to no avail. The three girls dragged Shirohana to a room on the 3rd floor.


    Hanna opened the door and the two girls threw Shirohana in.


    "Wha-" Shirohana said in confusion. Before she realized what was happening, the three girls slammed the door and stuck something at the door to prevent it from opening. Shirohana tried to open the door but it was locked pretty tight.


    "Let me out of here!" Shirohana shouted. "Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted to be friends!"


    "Ha! Friends with you? Dream on. You''re nothing to us, " Hanna said mockingly. "You think you''re so special because the teachers love you and the other kids admire you. This is a lesson from us. Be thankful."


    The three girls laughed and left.


    "Let me out!" Shirohana shouted. "Please..."


    Shirohana burst into tears. For the first time in a while, she shed tears. The room wasn''t a classroom. There wasn''t a light switch nor a window. Shirohana curled up in a corner and cried.


    About an hour later, she heard a knock.


    "Is anyone in here?" the person on the other side asked. It was a boy''s voice.


    "Yes! I''m here. Please...Help me!" Shirohana shouted, rushing to the door.


    "Hold on, I''ll go get a teacher!" the boy said.


    Shirohana heard the boy run down the hall. She clasped her hands together.


    *Please. Please find a teacher!* She thought desperately.


    About 5 minutes later, Shirohana heard footsteps again. She rushed to the door and the same voice spoke to her.


    "I brought the Janitor. Thankfully he was still working."


    "Are you okay, child? Don''t worry, I''ll get you out," the Janitor said, half gasping for air.


    "Thank you!" Shirohana said, relieved. The Janitor unlocked the door and Shirohana''s eyes were met with the calming lights of the hallway. The sky outside has become pitch dark.


    "You okay?" the boy asked with a concerned look.


    "Yeah! I''m fine, thanks to you," Shirohana said cheerfully. The boy blushed a bright red.


    "Well, I have to go back to work. Boy, take the young lady home, okay?" The Janitor said as he walked off.


    "So...uh...what were you doing there in the first place?" the boy asked her as they went down the stairs.


    Shirohana thought of the three mean girls, how it was their fault that she was locked in the room. But, she didn''t want to involve someone she just met with any more of her problems.


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    "It''s nothing," Shirohana replied. "I just wanted some peace and quiet and someone locked the door from the outside, that''s all."


    "Oh...okay," the boy replied.


    Then, a worrying image flashed through Shirohana''s mind.


    *Oh no! Josh! He must still be waiting!*


    "I have to go. Thanks!" Shirohana said to the boy, waving.


    The boy waved back with a smile on his face.


    Shirohana ran down the stairs, almost tripping. When she reached where Josh was waiting originally, he was not there.


    *Oh no! Where is he?* She thought, panicking.


    Shirohana ran outside and was met with a cold chill. She ran around the school, looking for Josh. When she reached the back of the gym, a horrible sight met her eyes. She froze in horror.


    On the floor laid Josh, all beaten up. Blood was splatted on the wall.


    "Josh!" Shirohana screamed in terror. She ran to Josh.


    *Oh! Thank goodness. He''s breathing.* Shirohana thought, relieved.


    "S-Shiro..." Josh said, weakly.


    "Don''t talk! You need to rest. I''ll go get the first aid kit!" Shirohana said, laying Josh in a comfortable position. She ran back into the school and bumped into the boy.


    "Ouch..." Shirohana said.


    "S-Sorry! Are you alright?" the boy asked. It was the same boy who rescued her from the dark room.


    "Yeah... Sorry for bumping into you. I''m in a hurry. J...Josh is..." Shirohana replied. Suddenly tears dripped down her eyes. She quickly tried to wipe them away. The boy handed her some tissues.


    "T-Thank you..." Shirohana said, still weeping.


    "Why are you crying? What''s wrong?" the boy asked, concerned.


    She didn''t want to tell him and make him get involved, but the words just slipped right out.


    "Please...help me...My friend...he''s hurt...he...he" Shirohana started before bursting into tears.


    "Don''t cry, I''ll help. You go back to him. I''ll get the first aid kit and other things," the boy said, before running off and turning left on the hallway.


    Shirohana gathered herself and made her way to Josh. Josh was sleeping soundly. Shirohana sat next to Josh and waited for the boy to come.


    After a few moments, the boy did not come.


    "Guess he left me...Just like those girls..." Shirohana said, getting up.


    As she got up, she heard someone approaching. It was a boy. He was carrying a lot of medical items and was sweating.


    "I...huff..I...I''m sorry. I went home to grab more stuff, just in case." the boy said, clearly tired from the long run.


    Shirohana fell in relief.


    *He didn''t abandon me... I''m glad* She thought happily.


    They treated Josh''s wounds. Luckily there weren''t any severe injuries. After that, the boy carried Josh and walked to Josh''s house with Shirohana.


    "Thank you," Shirohana said. "I don''t know how to repay you, but if you need anything just ask."


    "It''s no problem," the boy said. "I''ll be heading off now."


    "Wait!" Shirohana said. "My name is Shirohana. What is your name?"


    "Just call me Karma," the boy said as he ran into the darkness.


    *Karma, huh?* Shirohana thought as she carried Josh to the door.


    The night covered the city.

 7 Troubling Past: The Inciden

    ***The following chapter is filled with disturbing content. If you are easily offended, please skip this chapter. Otherwise, continue. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!***


    *P.S. This is a long chapter. I didn''t really plan out anything and just wrote. I thought of doing 5 parts but decided on 3 parts instead. Well, the good thing is, you get to read more. Enjoy!*


    "Hello! Ms. Somen!" Shirohana yelled.


    After a few moments, a slender short-haired woman opened the door.


    "Why! It''s little Shirohana! Have you seen Josh? He''s - OH NO MY BABY!" the woman screamed when she realized who Shirohana was carrying. "What happened to my baby?!"


    "Don''t worry. He''s okay. He just needs some rest," Shirohana assured Josh''s mom. Shirohana and Josh''s mom carried Josh to his room. They laid Josh down on his bed and closed the lights.


    "Would you mind telling me what happened?" Josh''s mom asked, upset.


    "Um...It''s nothing really. You don''t have to worry, I won''t let Josh get hurt like that again. I promise," Shirohana replied. Despite her words, she was shaking.


    "Is he being bullied?" Josh''s mom asked. "I am going to report the school of their improper conduct!"


    Shirohana opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Josh''s mother was right. Contacting the school would be the best course of action. Not only would the girls not bother Shirohana again, but they also won''t hurt Josh because he''s her friend. Shirohana decided to let Josh''s mother handle it. She looked forward to returning to the peaceful school days she always wanted. That''s what she hoped. The reality, as it always is, wasn''t that nice.


    The next day...


    "Hey, come here you," a girl said. Shirohana turned around but before she could see who was calling her, she felt a fist hit her in the face. She fell down, holding her face in pain.


    "You ratted us out, didn''t you?!" the girl said. The girl was the girl from before, Hanna. Two other girls strolled and stood on each side of the girl. They were Rise and Mary.


    "Yeah, you did didn''t you?!" Rise said as she kicked Shirohana in the stomach. Shirohana felt the pain course through her body. That sudden impact made her throw up.


    "Ewww! She barfed! For someone who had the guts to call on us, you sure are a little bitch!" Hanna said, laughing. The three girls continued to kick her. All Shirohana could do was hold her head. No one helped her. They were all too scared. The three girls were from influential families. They had the power to ruin any lives that they see as a threat to their interests.


    "Stop!" a boy shouted. Everyone turned to the door. There, stood the boy that helped Shirohana yesterday. Karma.


    "Stop hurting her! What is wrong with you!" Karma shouted, rushing over to Shirohana. "Are you alright?"


    "Y-Yes..." Shirohana mumbled through her pain.


    Karma turned to the girls.


    "What is wrong with you people?" Karma said. "You think picking on the weak is fun? You three are fucked up to the core."


    "Wha-!" Hanna said, taken back. "Who do you think you are? You think you can get away with insulting us like that?"


    "I don''t give a shit who you are," Karma said, picking up Shirohana. "I am going to take her to the nurse''s office."


    "You put her down!" Hanna said, grabbing Karma''s shoulder. "We aren''t done with her yet!"


    Karma glared at her. Hanna pulled her hand away in fear. Karma walked out of the classroom, carrying Shirohana.


    When they arrived, the school nurse was sitting in her chair, doing some paperwork. She looked up when they came in.


    "Oh my god!" the nurse shouted in horror. "What happened to her?!"


    "Please help her!" Karma said. "Some mean girls were beating her."


    "This is terrible!" the nurse said. "Quickly, lay her on the bed. I''ll treat her injuries."


    Both of them worked to treat Shirohana. Then, at last, they bandaged her up. Shirohana was asleep.


    "I''ll watch over her," the nurse said. "You go to class."


    "Alright," Karma replied, heading out the door.


    Karma walked to his classroom. As he walked, he was thinking of the incident that occurred.


    *Why are those girls bullying a sweet and caring girl like her?* Karma thought to himself. As he entered his classroom, the students turned to look at him. Even though Karma was in a different class, the word about the incident traveled fast.


    "What?" Karma asked, annoyed. He sat down at his desk and laid his head down. Then class started. Karma looked out the window, wondering if Shirohana was better.


    Then lunch break came along. That''s when everyone just exploded. There was gossip about Karma standing up to the three girls. Karma was very annoyed and took his lunch and walked out. He went to the nurse''s office and see that Shirohana was eating.


    "You''re awake," Karma said, walking towards her.


    ''Oh!" Shirohana said, surprised. "Karma! I heard you carried me here. Thank you again."


    "No problem," Karma replied, smiling. "I did what I had to do. How are you now?"


    "I''m better now. My body still aches, but I can walk now," Shirohana replied.


    "That''s great," Karma said. "Mind if I sit next to you?"


    "Not at all, " Shirohana replied. Karma pulled a chair next to the bed Shirohana was on and sat down. The two ate lunch and chatted. It was a peaceful time for them both.


    Then chaos struck.


    After four more classes, the school bell rang. Karma packed up his things and walked to the nurse''s office to check on Shirohana. She wasn''t there.


    *Did she go home already?* Karma thought.


    He left and walked out of the school entrance.As he walked out of the school, he felt a strong impact on his head. He fell forward, his vision slowly fading.


    Then everything went black.


    When he awoke, he saw the sky between two buildings. He was still dizzy from the impact and took a while to collect his thoughts.


    "So, you are awake," a boy said. Karma tried to sit up and see who said that, but his hands and legs were tied up.


    The boy was really tall. He wore a high school uniform with a black opened coat. His hair was black and spiky. He wore a gold chain on his belt.


    "Who are you?!" Karma asked. "What do you want with me."


    "I''m sure you know the reason, " a girl''s voice answered him. It was Hanna. She walked over to Karma, snickering.


    "I heard you insulted my little sister, " the high schooler said. "You humiliated her in front of the whole class."


    "That''s only because she was hurting someone!" Karma objected angrily.


    "My sister only did that because that bitch probably deserved it," the boy said, pointing to a girl lying unconscious.


    "Shirohana!" Karma shouted. "Leave her alone! She already suffered enough!"


    "So she means that much to you, huh?" the boy said, with an evil smile.


    "What are you going to d- NO STOP," Karma shouted in horror.


    "She is gonna be punished, and you are going to watch, " the boy said, ripping Shirohana''s clothes.


    "No! You piece of shit! I will murder you!" Karma shouted, struggling to take off his restrains.


    "AHHH!" a sudden scream sounded. It was Josh, charging at the high schooler.


    "Wha-" the high schooler started but got slammed.


    "Let go of her, you fucking bastard!" Josh screamed, pushing the boy down.


    "You little fucker!" the boy shouted, kicking Josh in the stomach. Josh screamed in pain. He had only healed enough to walk, so the pain he had inflicted on him was crushingly painful.


    "I''ll take care of him, " Hanna said. "Make sure you fuck them up, big brother." Hanna and her two companions, Rize and Mary carried Josh away.


    "You got it, " the high schooler said, going back to strip Shirohana.


    "No...Shirohana..." Josh said weakly.


    "No! You scum!" Karma shouted, tears forming. The high schooler just laughed and continued defiling Shirohana.


    "Wha..." Shirohana opened her eyes. She felt dizzy and strangely cold. In front of her was a high schooler taking her clothes off.


    "What are you doing?!" Shirohana shouted. "Let me go!" She tried to push the high schooler away, but her hands and legs were tied up.


    "Stop struggling, bitch," the high schooler shouted. "You are going to pay for what you have done."


    "What did I do?!" Shirohana asked, tears dripping. "Why are you doing this?


    "You should know why," the high schooler said. "Embarrassing my precious sister and trying to ruin our family name."


    "I never did that!" Shirohana screamed, still struggling.


    "It doesn''t matter what you say," the high schooler said. "I only trust my sister. Now your life will be ruined."


    "No!" Shirohana screamed. "Help!"


    "Shirohana!" Karma screamed. He slammed his head on the ground.


    *Can''t I do anything?!*


    Then, a strange voice spoke to him.


    -Do you want power?-


    -Do you want to kill the bastard?-


    -Do you want to hurt the ones that have committed sin?-


    "Who is that? Who are you?!" Karma shouted in confusion.


    -If you want...-


    -If you wish...-


    -You can gain great power.-


    Karma thought of Shirohana, how she was a nice and caring girl, who put her loved ones in front of her.


    "Yes. Give it to me! I want to murder him and that bitch sister!" Karma shouted. As soon as he said that, his body heated up. Pain went through his body.


    "AHHHH," Karma screamed in pain.


    "Man, would you be quiet?" the high schooler said after taking off Shirohana''s bra. "He got up and walked over to Karma.


    Then he fell over.


    "Huh?" the high schooler said before slamming onto the ground. Karma had landed a fist into his face.


    "AHH!" the high schooler screamed in pain, blooding dripping from his nose. "You fucker!"


    "Heh," Karma laughed. "HAHAHA."


    "How fucking dare you! Why the fuck are you laughing?!" the high schooler asked angrily. He got up and threw a punch. Karma caught it fairly easily.


    "Why am I laughing?" Karma said, snickering. "I''m laughing because I am going to kill you." And with that, hell broke loose. Karma destroyed the high schooler. Each punch was like having a hammer smash your face. The high schooler could not do anything. His sister, Hanna, just stood in horror. After beating up the high schooler into a bloody pulp, Karma smiled evilly and turned to Hanna.


    "No...Don''t... STAY AWAY!" Hanna screamed, trying to run away. But Karma, in his current state, caught up to her and grabbed her hair. He pulled her down and punch her in the gut.


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    "Ack!" the girl screamed. That impact so strong it made her barf.


    "HAHAHA!" Karma laughed. "Now who''s barfing? Huh, bitch?!"


    "You piece of shit! How dare you hurt my sister!" the high schooler got up and charged at Karma. He punched Karma in the face. Karma smiled.


    "You still have some fight left in you! Good! GOOD!" Karma said, laughing. Blood ran down his chin. Instead of feeling pain, Karma felt excited. He punches the high schooler back, sending him crashing into a wall. The high schooler screamed.


    "Yes! Yes!" Karma said excitedly. "Scream more! That''s what I want to hear. Your suffering, your pain, let me hear all of it!" Karma then proceeded to punch the living hell out of the high schooler. By the time Karma was done, the high schooler''s face was a bloody mess.


    But Karma wasn''t done.


    From the corner of his eye, he spotted two girls trying to slowly carry Hanna away. They were Rise and Mary.


    *It''s those bitches* Karma thought, smiling viciously. He dashes at them and grabbed them. Without a moment of hesitation, he threw them down to the ground, face first.


    "AHHH! It hurts!" the girls screamed, holding their face.


    "Yes! Cry more! There''s more to come!" Karma shouted.


    "No...Please! We won''t hurt her anymore. We will leave Shirohana, her friend, and you alone. Please spare us!" the girls said, trembling.


    "You think you deserve mercy?" Karma said. "Laughable! Pathetic! Others might be lenient with you, but you won''t get any mercy from me!" Karma started to throw a punch but stopped when he heard Shirohana.


    "That''s enough! They have learned their lesson... please stop..." Shirohana said. Karma walked over to Shirohana and smacked her. He grabbed her face.


    "I don''t think you have any say in this," Karma said smiling. "I feel really fucking good. When I''m done with them, you''re next."


    "Please stop! You were such a nice boy. You helped Josh and me. I don''t want you to ruin your life like this!" Shirohana said, weeping. "Please... "


    "You don''t know me," Karma said. "I love this kind of stuff. It''s exhilarating!


    "No! This isn''t who you are! Please, I know you are trying to help me, but please turn back!" Shirohana screamed.


    "I don''t like that tone..." Karma said. "You ought to be taught a lesson..." He raised a fist, beginning to throw a full power punch.


    *Stop! What am I doing?!*


    Karma''s left hand stopped his punch.


    *This wasn''t what I was meant to do!*


    "Don''t interfere! You are mine now!" Karma shouted, struggling to free his right hand.


    *No! I don''t want to hurt her!*


    Then, in a swift movement, Karma''s left hand punched him in the face. He fell back, blood spurting out his nose.


    "AHH!" Karma screamed in pain.


    *You did your job. Now...G-Get back*


    Then, the evil was gone.


    Karma was breathing hard. It took all his strength to surpass the thing that had now awoken.


    "I''m sorry," Karma said, after gathering his breath. "I wasn''t sane. All I was thinking about was getting revenge."


    "It''s alright," Shirohana said, weeping tears of joy. "You are back now, that''s all that matters."


    Karma untied Shirohana''s ropes and she slowly got up.


    "Oh no! Josh!" Shirohana said, worryingly, realizing Josh had taken a beating. She rushed over and felt his chest.


    "Thank god. He''s breathing," Shirohana said with relief. "Josh...thank you."


    She hugged Josh, crying.


    "S-Shiro..." Josh said weakly, with a small smile on his face.


    "Don''t talk," Shirohana said. "We''ll get you fixed up. Just rest, alright?"


    Josh nodded and dozed off. Shirohana tried to carry Josh but she was very tired. Karma swooped in and put his shirt on Shirohana.


    "You will catch a cold," Karma said. "I''ll help you. "You can hold on to me if you need to balance." Karma put Josh on his back and stood up.


    "Thanks again," Shirohana said, smiling warmly.


    Karma blushed.


    "It''s nothing," Karma replied. "I''m just glad this ordeal is over...kinda."


    "Let me call for help," Shirohana said. "As bad as they were, they deserve help."


    *You''re way too kind, Shirohana.* Karma thought. After Shirohana made the call, they walked off, looking back every few moments to make sure help arrived. When they saw some police cars, they quickly walked to be out of sight.


    It was a long day for the three of them. But this won''t be the end. The evil that now surges inside Karma will be both a blessing and a curse in his life.


    ~Back to the present~


    Shirohana thought of the events that transpired during the incident. It was a terrible incident and didn''t really get solved in the best way. She thought of the boy that saved her.


    *That boy really seems like Karma. Even their names and the strange entity inside their bodies are the same...* Shirohana thought to herself. As she was walking, she heard screaming coming from a small warehouse. Curious, she walked to a window. What she saw made her jump.


    Inside, Karma was beating up men in black suits. The room was dimly lit, with a single lightbulb. Karma was laughing, punching all the men. The men were no match for Karma. Then, Karma grabbed a knife and held it above one of the man''s eye. Shirohana gasped and quickly opened the door to stop Karma from doing something that will ruin his life.

 8 The Visit: Meeting the Family

    After a while, Shirohana helped the exhausted Karma out the door. He was only able to really do all the moving and fighting thanks to his other side. His body gets extremely fatigued when he reverts and the damage he took from the fight still lingered.


    It was cold. The sky was already dark and the area wasn''t really well lit. Shirohana pulled out her phone.


    *7:30, huh?* She thought.


    "I can walk myself home now..." Karma said, moving away from Shirohana. His legs gave out and he fell to the floor.


    "Oh no you''re not," Shirohana said firmly,"You''re still not well. I am NOT letting you go home like this. I''m taking you to my house. I''ll call my family."


    They headed to a park that was nearby by. There, Shirohana sat Karma on the bench and called her family. A few moments later, a fancy black car arrived. From the driver''s side stepped out a handsome tall gentleman. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a red tie and black dress pants. He had short, smooth black hair. He walked over to Shirohana and bowed.


    "Greetings Lady Shirohana. I am here to pick you up," the man said.


    "Thank you, Frank," Shirohana said, starting to help Karma stand.


    "Oh no, I will do that, m''lady," Frank said as he grabbed Karma and holstered him over his shoulder. "Shall we go?"


    "Oh please be careful with him. He is pretty tired," Shirohana said, looking at Karma worryingly.


    "Understood," Frank said, carrying Karma to the car, with Shirohana following behind. Frank put Karma in the back seat.


    "Thank you," Karma said.


    "I only did it on the request of my mistress," Frank said sternly. "You should thank m''lady."


    "O-O..k," Karma said, frightened by the butler''s tone.


    "Frank!" Shirohana said. "Don''t be mean to him."


    "With all due respect, m''lady, but I don''t believe I have the obligation to be "nice" to a commoner," Frank said with a subtle undermining tone.


    "Then I guess you don''t have the obligation to be nice to me since I came from a commoner family and was taken in by my father," Shirohana said in a slightly angry tone.


    The butler was taken aback but quickly regained his composure.


    "I apologize," Frank said, bowing.


    "It''s a-alright, Karma replied.


    Frank stood up and gave Karma a final stern look before entering the driver''s seat.


    "I''m sorry, Karma," Shirohana said. "Frank is the head butler and he''s very protective."


    "It''s all right, " Karma said.


    The drive to Shirohana''s house wasn''t long. As they neared the house, Karma''s eyes widened.


    It was a big mansion.


    As they exited the car and walked through the open pearl gates, Karma grew more and more astonished.


    The area was filled with an abundance of nature. Trees, flowers, you name it. There was a large fountain in the middle, with a statue of a lady with a vase that was pouring water into the fountain. The moonlight shined beautifully on the statue.


    "T-This is your house?" Karma said in awe. He had never seen a house quite like this one.


    "Yeah. Sorry to surprise you like this," Shirohana replied.


    "It''s no problem. I kinda had a feeling you were a privileged person...," Karma said. "I-I mean that in a good way, that is."


    "I know. Thanks, " Shirohana said, smiling. Karma blushed and looked away. He heard a sudden "tsk" and looked up. He noticed a slight movement from the butler.


    *Was...that him? He is friggin scary...*


    When they got to the front door, the butler opened the door and Shirohana and Karma walked in. They were greeted by a myriad of butlers and maids.


    "Welcome back, Lady Shirohana," they said, bowing.


    "I''m back," Shirohana replied, smiling.


    "Wow..." Karma said, mesmerized. The mansion was on a whole new level. There were gold plated furniture, walls decorated with expensive paintings, and much more.


    "Welcome back, Shirohana," a woman called. Upon the stairs stood a beautiful lady. She, like Shirohana, had long, smooth silver hair and wore silver earrings. She wore a purple kimono that had flowers on it.


    "Hello, Mother," Shirohana said, smiling.


    *M-Mother?* Karma thought to himself. The woman looked to be around Shirohana''s age, so he thought she was Shirohana''s sister or young cousin.


    "And you brought a friend!" Shirohana''s mom said, running down the stairs. "My, my. You look exhausted. Frank, please guide this young man to the guest bedroom."


    "Yes, Mistress," Frank said, bowing. "Come, boy."


    "O-Okay," Karma said, following him. They went up to the stairs and took a right. After a few moments, they arrived at a huge door.


    "This is it," Frank said.


    "T-Thank you," Karma replied. Then Frank grabbed Karma by the collar.


    "Listen here, you low life," Frank said. " I have seen too much of your kind. You pretend to be nice and then you backstab Lady Shirohana. If you ever hurt her, I will chase you to the ends of the Earth and make you regret the day you were born! So it would be in your best interest to stay away from her."


    Frank threw Karma on the ground and walked off. Karma was just in complete shock at what happened.


    *What did he mean by that? What has Shirohana gone through that would make the other people in her life hate me this much?*


    He got up and opened the guest bedroom door. The inside was well furnished. It had a queen size bed, a nightstand, table, everything you would find in a bedroom, just ten times better and more expensive. Karma couldn''t really pick at the fact that he gets to stay here for a while.


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    He laid down on the bed. It was soft. Very soft. Like he''s sleeping on clouds. As soon as he laid down, he fell into a deep slumber.


    However, just moments after he fell asleep, the door opened slowly...


    Meanwhile in the living room...


    "N-No, mom! He''s i-isn''t my boyfriend!" Shirohana said embarrassed.


    "Now, now. Don''t have to get all flustered," Shirohana''s mom said, chuckling."He is quite a cutie, wasn''t he?"


    "Mom!" Shirohana said.


    "Alright, I''ll stop teasing you," Shirohana''s mom said, smiling. Then her face goes stern.


    "Now tell me. What happened to you? You have a bruise on the back of your head and that boy seemed to be in a bad condition," Shirohana''s mom asked firmly. Shirohana''s mom doesn''t let anything go past her. No matter how small, if it concerns her daughter, she will dig out the truth.


    Shirohana touched her head, which sent a shock. She didn''t even realize she was bruised.


    *This must be from when Karma pushed me down...*


    "I..." Shirohana began. She told her mother everything. About Karma. About the fight. Everything.


    "I see..." Shirohana''s mom said at last.


    "But he''s not dangerous! He''s... He''s... suffering. He lives alone and has no friends. Whenever he turns back to his original self after fighting, he''s crying all alone. He''s a good person. He saved me twice, even though he said he didn''t want to get involved with me," Shirohana said.


    Shirohana''s mom looked at her daughter. This was the first time in a while she said something this strong for the sake of another.


    *That boy might just be the one...* Shirohana''s mom thought.


    "Then you better be by his side, alright?" Shirohana''s mom said, smiling. Shirohana smiled.


    "Yes!"


    Then, suddenly...


    -CRASH-


    "What was that?" Shirohana asked as she exited the living room. "It came from upstairs."


    The two ran to see what the whole commotion was.

 9 The Visit: Joshs Second Attemp

    *Ah. Shirohana''s home.*


    Josh was sitting on the sofa of a guest room. He had been waiting for Shirohana to come home. Hearing the front doors opening, he started to exit the room to go and greet Shirohana. As he was exiting, he heard a voice. A voice he hated.


    *It''s him?! But...the people I hired should have taken care of him... WHY IS HE HERE?!*


    Josh was furious. He had invested quite a large sum of money to get rid of Karma so that he won''t ever get near Shirohana again. He was frustrated and confused about how Karma was here.


    *This guy''s...dangerous! The only possible explanation is that he somehow beat the people I hired. Shirohana''s in trouble! I knew he was bad. Every guy Shirohana encountered turned out to be a violent maniac. I have to protect her!*


    Then, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Josh locked the door and put his ear on the wall. He heard the head butler shout and a "thump" sound was heard after. Then, the door of the adjacent room opened.


    *That must be that fucker that''s entering the guest room next door...*


    Josh pulled out his phone and dialed the organization where he hired the men in black suits.


    "Yes...Yes. You better send someone strong. I''m not giving you any more chances after this! I spent too much money and got weaklings! This time, it better be someone who can do the job! You got it?!" Josh said angrily, then hung up the phone.


    He slowly opened his door. After checking that the coast was clear, he sneaked into the guest room where Karma was staying.


    *Perfect...He''s asleep. Now I just have to give them the signal and we''re all set. Karma...I won''t let you hurt Shirohana!*


    He tapped a button on his phone. This was to send the organization his location to ensure that the job will go smoothly. After a few minutes, the door slowly opened and 5 men in black suits stepped in.


    "Are you our client, Sudan Josh?" a man asked. He seemed to be the squad leader.


    "Yes, that''s me," Josh replied. "There''s your assignment." He pointed at Karma. The men walked over to Karma.


    "Can''t believe this weak-looking motherfucker took out our men," the leader said.


    "Huh...?" Karma opened his eyes to the sound. He was still a bit drowsy from the nap. It took a while for him to register what was happening.


    "W-Who are you guys?" He asked, panicked. He sat up.


    "Sorry, but you are gonna get kidnapped and beat up," the leader replied. "Get him, boys!"


    The other 4 men swiftly restrained Karma and one put a cloth over his mouth before he could yell for help.


    "This is what you get for trying to trick Shirohana, " Josh said. "You''re dangerous, and you will be rid of before you can harm Shirohana."


    Those words echoed through Karma''s mind, which made him remember all the times where he fought and Shirohana was involved.


    *He''s right...With my condition, I could easily hurt Shirohana...It''s probably best to just face my fate.*


    -Not if I can help it-


    *NO! STOP!*


    -Hehe...You tryin'' to order me around? Since when were you the one in control? Eh?!-


    And with that...another round breaks loose.


    "Hehe..." Karma laughed in a muffled voice.


    "Huh?" What are you laughing at, bitch?" one of the men said. Then, the man holding Karma was knocked into a wall. The impact made a vase fall.


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    -CRASH-


    "What the fuck are you doing?!" the leader shouted, throwing a punch at Karma. Karma caught his fist.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m trying to kill you," Karma said, smirking. Then, Karma ducked and punched the leader in the stomach.


    The leader, being well versed in martial arts, withstood the attack. But Karma still made him kneel.


    "Oh? You are pretty good. Most people just flop to the ground," Karma said, impressed.


    "I ain''t going down from your weak punches," the leader said, standing up. He got into a fighting stance.


    "Strong words, bitch. But can you back it up?" Karma said, charging at the leader. The leader charged toward Karma. The two wrestled, both not budging a bit. Then. out of nowhere, a chair slams right onto Karma''s head. It was one of the other men, who had picked up a chair and slowly approached Karma while he was talking. Blood dripped from his head.


    Instead of being in pain, Karma smiled.


    "Yes! Keep it coming! I want to feel more of a thrill!" Karma said, instantly punching the guy who smacked a chair on his head. He fell head first into a wall making a small crack in it.


    "Why you..!" Another one of the men said as he charged at Karma. Karma dodged him but was attacked by the leader again. The leader kicks him in the side and he fell back. Karma quickly gets up to dodge a barrage of attacks by the subordinates.As Karma readies another attack, a familiar voice was heard.


    "What''s going on here?"


    It was Shirohana, followed by her mom and the head butler, Frank.


    "Looks like the punk brought more problems. This time to us," Frank said, looking at Karma.


    "It''s not his fault!" Shirohana said, determined. Then she saw Josh, and she grew angry.


    "Josh! What do you think you''re doing?!" Shirohana said angrily, walking toward Josh.


    "S-Shirohana! Uh...I can explain," Josh said. "It''s uh... uh..."


    Shirohana stared at him with great intensity. Fearful of Shirohana''s expression, Josh told her his plans.


    "I hired these guys to get rid of Karma," Josh admitted. "But well within reason! Shirohana, he''s dangerous. He somehow defeated those men in black I hired at the warehouse. He might hurt you too."


    "So you have done this not only once, but now..twice?" Shirohana said. "Let go of the past already! Why can''t you just move on? I know you want to protect me, but I can take care of myself. So please...just call this off."


    Josh was about to comply when the squad leader interrupted.


    "I''m sorry, but all jobs have a ''must complete'' requirement. He cannot back out."


    "What do you mean?!" Shirohana said, angrily.


    "I mean exactly that. This job cannot be retracted. So if you would be so kind as to stay away, I need to finish what I have started," the leader said, walking over toward Karma. Shirohana ran to Karma and held her hand out.


    "I won''t let you do this," Shirohana said firmly.


    "I don''t think you have any power for you to say that. Now move," the leader said, reaching for Shirohana in order to push her away.


    "M''la-" Frank began, walking toward the leader when Josh blurted out.


    "Don''t you dare touch her!"


    He ran toward the leader to stop him but was restrained by the other members.


    "I would much prefer you as the client to not interfere," the leader said.


    "Josh!" Shirohana shouted."


    "Now move woman!" the leader said plunging a fist right at her. Shirohana closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Then, she opened her eyes and saw that Karma had stepped in and blocked the leader''s punch.


    "This is between him and me," Karma said to Shirohana. "So stay out of this!"


    Shirohana, shocked from what just occurred, fell to the ground.


    "Now, come at me. Give me some excitement!" Karma said, putting his fists up.


    "Don''t get cocky just cause you were able to strike me and block my attack!" the leader replied, getting into a fighting stance.


    The two glared each other down. Then, the fight began.

 10 The Visit: The Figh

    Karma ran straight at the leader with both fists held up. He throws a punch, but the leader dodges it and punches Karma''s stomach. Karma fell back but stood his ground. Then he charged in again and tried to elbow the leader''s face. The leader quickly got into a position to dodge.


    But that merely a feint.


    Karma quickly pulled back his elbow and grabbed the leader''s head and slammed it on his knee. The leader burst out in pain but managed to stay his ground. Blood dripped from his nose.


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    "I got to admit," the leader said. "You have been the toughest assignment so far."


    "Same here," Karma said, smirking. "You are the only one I have fought who hasn''t fallen unconscious yet."


    And with that, the fight continued. Karma kicked the leader in the side but was kicked back in the stomach.


    "M''lady, it would be wise to leave right now," Frank said to Shirohana. "These hooligans might hurt you in their ridiculous brawl.


    "N-No, I''m alright," Shirohana said weakly. "Let me watch."


    *Why do you keep on wanting to be with that brat? Haven''t you had enough of all of those that had betrayed your trust?* Frank angrily thought as he looked at Shirohana.


    He had taken care of Shirohana since she was 13, which was when her mother got remarried to the head of the Kamayama Family. He had been there and had seen the harsh events that had occurred in Shirohana''s life.


    Now she''s repeating the past that she is trying to move away from.


    He wanted to take her away. He wanted to close her relationship to anyone so that she wouldn''t have to despair again. But at the same time, he was secretly curious.


    *What does she see in that brat? He''s not rich. He has no friends. And he has this "condition" that makes him go berzerk. Why is she so determined to see this through?!*


    "I''m going to finish this now," the leader said.


    "You ain''t finishing anything!" Karma said. "The fun has only just begun!" Karma ran towards the leader and punched him. The leader was pushed back, but quickly regained his stance and threw a one-two. Karma jumps back to avoid the attack, but the leader kept advancing with a barrage of punches. Karma managed to weave through most of the attacks but was hit hard in the head and chest.


    Karma, getting even more excited, advanced back and attacked with a combination of kicks and punches. The leader fought back with his martial art moves. After what seemed like forever, they stopped, each panting from the long fight.


    "Huff...huff. Do you ever...go down?" the leader said, exhausted.


    "What?...huff...You already tired?" Karma said smugly, but also very tired.


    "You cocky brat..." the leader said, as he got into his stance. Just when he was about to engage in another round, his phone rang.


    He picked it up, talked, and hung up.


    "Tsk," the leased clicked his tongue. "Guess this is it, isn''t it?"


    "What? You giving up?" Karma said smugly. "You''re not ending this like that! I''m not even half done!"


    "No. No, I''m not," the leader replied. "But you''re right about one thing. I am ending this. I was just told that I needed to finish this job so that I can do my other jobs. Since the contract only said to "rid of" the target and it has come to this, I guess I have no choice..."


    He then reaches into his pocket and puts out something.


    A pistol.


    "And what are you gonna do with that? Shoot me?" Karma said with a smile.


    "Yes, you would be right," the leader said. "Since my assignment is just to get rid of you, killing you satisfies the quota."


    "W-Wait!" Josh suddenly blurted out. "I only said to scare him into never getting near Shirohana. I never said to kill him."


    "Well, that might be what YOU said," the leader replied. "But as for the contract, there was no mention of that. You probably should have read the contract thoroughly before signing, eh?"


    Josh grated his teeth in frustration.


    He turned back to Karma and repointed the pistol at Karma.


    "I wished I could fight you more, but due to the circumstances, you will have to die now." the leader said.


    "Interesting. Never tried to fight someone with a gun, but I''m feeling the burn," Karma said.


    "I don''t know if you are brave or just plain stupid," the leader said, facepalming. "Well, either way, I won''t be able to find out nor do I want to. It was nice fighting you, but now your luck has run out."


    He pulls the trigger.


    -BANG-


    It should have hit Karma. In the heart. It should have ended Karma''s life.


    But it didn''t.


    At the last minute, without hesitation...


    "M''lady!" Frank yelled, realizing what just happened.


    "Shirohana!" Shirohana''s mom yelled.


    Shirohana had jumped in front of Karma and took the bullet. Blood spurted everywhere. She fell to the ground. A pool of blood surrounds her. Karma walks slowly over to her.


    "Ah...Stupid girl. Who in their right mind would jump in front of a bullet?" the leader said, shaking his head. "Guess I have to take another shot...I hate using this..."


    "Why...Why did you do this?" Karma asked Shirohana. The shock had caused him to revert back.


    "I...I don''t know. W...hen he pulled the trigger, I...I just jumped..." Shirohana said weakly. "I...I guess I...j...usr wanted to do something for you...inste..ad of j...ust watch..ing..."


    And with that, Shirohana lost consciousness.


    At that moment, something snapped inside of Karma.


    Karma picked up Shirohana and walked over to Frank and Shirohana''s mother, who were completely in shock. He lays Shirohana down and walks back to the leader. They quickly tend to Shirohana.


    "What''s with that look?" the leader asked. "It''s the girl''s own fault for being so reckless."


    The next moment...


    -WHAM-


    The leader was knocked a few feet away. It all happened so fast that the leader wasn''t able to react in time.


    There standing just a few feet away was Karma.


    Or rather...something else. Something dark. Terrifying. Blood-thirsty.


    Whatever it was, it was no longer human. Or at least the inside Karma''s mind.


    "P-Please...Spare me...I-I won''t hurt you again," the leader said, terrified. "I-I will quit my job and everything!"


    *This guy''s dangerous! I-I have to get out of here!* the leader thought, as he looked at Karma. His eyes were blank. It appeared to be soulless. Eyes that had no sign of consciousness. Only Instinct.


    Killer Instinct.


    Just then...


    "My...How pathetic. Losing to a kid like that. And you call yourselves professional?"


    The leader turned around to the voice. There, standing behind him was a man in a black suit. He wore a red tie and sunglasses.


    "Mr. Rye..." the leader said. "W-What are you doing here?"


    "You guys were taking way too long, so the boss had me come." Mr. Rye said. "Honestly though, how the fuck are you having this much trouble against a brat like that?"


    "H-H isn''t normal, Mr. Rye!" the leader said, his words trembling. "H-He was manageable a second ago, but now he''s become something completely different!"


    "All I hear are excuses," Mr. Rye replied, walking forward. "Explain it to the boss when we get back."


    He walked up to Karma, cracking his fists.


    "Hey, brat. So you think getting a few lucky punches makes yo-" My. Rye began but was cut off when he was suddenly punched. The pain was none he had experienced before. It felt like lighting had coursed through his body. But, he managed to stand his ground.


    "You shit!" Mr. Rye said. He charged at Karma and threw a jab, but Karma dodged and threw an uppercut at Mr. Rye''s chin. The impact made him fly back and his head hit first onto the ground.


    *How...How is he able to overpower me like this?* Mr. Rye thought, slowly getting up. *He is a danger that needs to be rid of, or he will kill us all!*


    Mr. Rye, a professional at getting rid of people, who had been training for 20 years, was losing to a kid moving on a pure animalistic drive and who had no training whatsoever.


    The wind howled as if signaling the final blows that Karma, or what was left of him. seemed very intent on doing.

 11 The Visit: The Resul

    *Ugh...What should I do?!*


    Mr. Rye was scared. This was the first time he had been truly terrified of something.


    And that something was...


    A little brat. A high school student. A, by definition, an ordinary human being.


    A kid who snapped. Who has gone beyond what is considered human.


    Mr. Rye scrambled to find something that can free himself from this situation. The more he thought, the more panicked he got and the closer Karma approached him. The bloodlust was oozing from every corner of Karma''s body. He was dead serious about killing Mr. Rye and the other members.


    "W-Wait...Please hear me out. We can make a deal..." Mr. Rye pleaded, but Karma kept advancing.


    Then Karma fell.


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    "Go, Mr.Rye! Get backup and put this brat down for good!" the leader said. He had mustered the energy to grab onto Karma''s legs, causing him to fall. Mr. Rye quickly scrambled up.


    "H-Ha. Not so tough now, ain''t ya, kid?" Mr. Rye said. He walked up to Karma and kicked him in the face. A few teeth were knocked out.


    "Quickly, Mr. Rye! Go get help!" the leader said, hanging on to Karma''s legs.


    "Don''t tell me what to do! You just hold on to him while I beat him!" Mr. Rye said, giving Karma another kick.


    But Karma didn''t scream. There was no pain felt. He just...was empty.


    Suddenly, in an instant, the leader was pushed away. Karma had kicked the leader with an extreme force that made him fly a few inches away. Karma got up and grabbed Mr. Rye''s collar. He punched him and threw him down. Mr. Rye screamed in pain.


    Then Karma smiled. A smile so dark and disturbing that sent shivers down Mr. Rye''s spine. Mr. Rye tried scrambling away with what little energy he had but Karma swiftly axe kicked him. Sounds of bones breaking were heard.


    "AHHH!" Mr. Rye screamed in pain.


    The pain was so intense it left him partially paralyzed. He couldn''t get up.


    *F-Fuck...I should have just escaped and got the whole gang...* Mr. Rye regretfully thought. Then he felt another jolt of pain and passed out.


    Karma raised his fist to deliver a final blow, when...


    He felt an impact on his head.


    It was the leader. He had picked up a chair and threw it, hoping to deal some damage. Blood ran down Karma''s neck, but he didn''t feel it. He turned his attention towards the leader and started advancing towards him.


    "You monster...!" the leader said, continuing throwing whatever was in the room. He managed to make scratches on Karma''s face and arm, but no sign of Karma backing down.


    It was a vain effort.


    "B-Boss..."


    The leader turned around. One of his subordinates had regained consciousness.


    "What is it? Can you see I am trying to hold that freak off?" the leader said, annoyed.


    "Oh... I''m sorry, boss." the subordinate said. "Just wanted to tell you something that I just remembered."


    "Well? Spit it out then!" the leader said, still keeping an eye on Karma.


    "Well, when we entered the organization they gave us each something unique as a welcoming gift, right?" the subordinate asked.


    The leader''s eyes gleamed with hope.


    "Well? What did you get? Is it something we can use against that... thing?" the leader asked eagerly.


    "Um... I got some sleeping powder..." the subordinate replied, taking out a bottle of white powder.


    The leader smacked the subordinate in the head.


    "Ow!" the subordinate yelled.


    "Why didn''t you fucking tell me you had something this useful?! the leader yelled, grabbing the powder. "Do not tell of this to Mr. Rye or the boss or anyone in that matter. You got that?!"


    "Y-Yes Sir!" the subordinate complied.


    "Now...Come, monster! I will fuck you up for all that you have done to me!" the leader yelled, charging at Karma. Karma, as if provoked, responded in kind.


    The leader sneakily opened the bottle. He threw a punch. Karma got in a position to dodge. However, just when the leader''s fist reached Karma...


    -PSSS-


    A bunch of powder flew into Karma''s face. Karma stated coughing, as some got stuck in his throat. Then, he fell and lost consciousness.


    "Huff...huff...huff," the leader panted. After a long ordeal, it was finally over.


    Now it was time to deliver the killing blow.


    "Ha! Finally, I can deal some payback," the leader said, smiling. "You ain''t so tough, are you now?"


    He kicked Karma in the head several times, laughing as he did so.


    Then he went to pick up his pistol. He spun the barrel and aimed at Karma.


    "Now, rot in hell, you piece of shit!" the leader said, pulling the trigger.


    -CHOP-


    "Huh?" the leader said, as he fell, dropping the pistol.


    "I think that''s enough."


    The leader looked to where the voice was coming. There stood a tall man in a butler''s uniform.


    It was Head Butler Frank.


    "You...!" the leader said angrily, trying to get up. But Frank hit a nerve so the leader wasn''t able to get up.


    "The police are on their way. Just stay still and there would be no more trouble," Frank said, picking up the sleeping Karma.


    "The organization will come and reap the soul that you saved!" the leader said. "They will track that brat down and anyone who is on his side!"


    "Then let them. As far as I can see, you people couldn''t even beat a kid like him, even if he was a little mentally insane," Frank said. "So let them. We''ll be ready."


    And with that, he walked off. A couple of minutes later, sirens were heard. The leader was screaming, something about revenge.


    As Frank walked, he looked at Karma. He had gone to the point of utter insanity when Shirohana was shot. That in itself is a show of proof that he won''t betray Shirohana.


    *But you''re too dangerous... I cannot allow you to be near M''lady when you are able to go berserk like this...But maybe he can help...*


    Frank carried Karma to another guest bedroom and laid him on the bed. As he turned to leave, he heard Karma weakly ask.


    "H-How is she..."


    "She''s fine. She''s not in danger. You don''t need to worry." Frank replied.


    That answer seemed to satisfy Karma as he drifted off into a deep sleep.


    Frank closed the door and walked to Shirohana''s room to check on her while deciding on a plan for Karma.


    The sun slowly set and darkness covered the city.

 12 The Visit: The Calm After and Before the Storm

    *Where am I?*


    Karma was stuck in what seemed to be an empty black world. There was no light. No sound. No Life.


    Only pure darkness.


    "Hello?" Karma shouted into the dark. But there was no answer. Not even an echo. The blackness seemed to stretch far and wide, infinitely.


    He walked forward to find something other than black. Some light. Or perhaps a person.


    Then he saw something.


    It wasn''t light nor a person. But it was something. Something that he could not really describe. As he got closer, an invisible force was pushing him, but not completely blocking him.


    As he pushed forward, the force got stringer. He walked until he could no longer push forward. The force knocked him down. Then out of nowhere, appeared a terrifying figure.


    "AHHH!" Karma screamed in fear. He tried backing away, but another force was blocking him from behind. As he watched, the figure slowly transformed into something familiar.


    It was him. But at the same time, it wasn''t him.


    "W-Who are you?" Karma asked, terrified.


    He didn''t expect it, but he got a reply.


    -I aM YOU-


    -I aM ThE DArk EsSence iNsIde oF YOU-


    -I aM ThE YOU THaT KiLlS-


    Then Karma was dragged down by the darkness. Images of bloodied victims flashed through his mind. Some delinquents. The people from the organization.


    Then, as a final image, it showed a large image, Of Shirohana. Except, she was doused in blood.


    -WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, KARMA?- the bloodied Shirohana said.


    "N-No...! NOOOO!" Karma shouted.


    Then a ray of sunlight shone on his face. He bolted up, panting. He looked around. He was in bed. There were closets, cabinets, anything you can find in a bedroom.


    *Thank goodness...That was just a dream...* he thought, relieved.


    He got up and saw a clock on the wall. It read 5:00 P.M. Then he saw a pile of clothes neatly folded on the side. It was his clothes, washed and clean. He looked down to see that he was wearing a rather fancy set of pajamas.


    He got changed and went outside. There, he saw a maid dusting a vase that was by the door.


    "Hello, sir," the maid said upon seeing Karma.


    "Hello..." Karma replied.


    "If you are looking for Lady Shirohana, she''s in her room," the maid said. "It''s the second door from the staircase.


    "Thank you, Karma said, walking toward the direction of the staircase.


    "So this is the man Lady Shirohana is so fond of..." the maid said chuckling. She then walked off in the opposite direction.


    Karma was standing in front of the room nervously. He had never been in a girl''s room before.Just thinking about it made him a bit uncomfortable. He gulped and opened the door. There he saw Shirohana sitting in her bed, reading a book.


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    Shirohana turned to the sound of the door opening. Then tears fell. Tears of Joy. Of Relief.


    "Karma...You...are okay..." Shirohana said. She tried getting up and running to him, but her body still ached.


    "Don''t move! I don''t want you getting even more hurt," Karma said running to Shirohana. When he got close, Shirohana suddenly embraced him.


    "I''m glad you''re okay," Shirohana said, weeping.


    "I should be saying that, " Karma said. "Please don''t do anything like that ever again."


    "Okay. I''ll be less reckless," Shirohana replied with a smile. After a long embrace, the two then talked about normal student topics, to steer away from the incident that happened a week ago.


    -Knock, Knock-


    "Come in," Shirohana said. It was the head maid and a few subordinate maids.


    "Lady Shirohana, Lady Shirohana''s friend. I have brought some tea and treats," she said.


    "Thank you, Maria," Shirohana replied.


    "T-Thank you," Karma replied also.


    The maids moved a table closer to Shirohana''s bed and sat the food down. They poured two cups of tea and handed them to Karma and Shirohana.


    "Please enjoy and take your time, " Maria said, bowing. The other maids did the same and they left, with Maria slowly closing the door behind them.


    Karma took a sip of the tea. He was bewildered. Of all the tea he had tasted, this one was by far the best.


    "This is so good!" Karma exclaimed. "What tea is this?"


    "Yeah, Maria''s tea is the best in the world," Shirohana happily agreed. "It''s carefully brewed Rosemary tea.


    "That makes sense. It smells like flowers," Karma said, taking another sip. Shirohana smiled. Karma was looking a lot better now. Not depressed. Not bloodthirsty. Just...human. A high school student, like her.


    Then dinner came around.


    "Oh no, I don''t want to trouble you anymore," Karma said. "I''ll go home now."


    "That won''t do," Frank said. "We made dinner on the Mistress and Young Mistress''s command. If you won''t eat, we will be betraying our masters'' word."


    "Yeah. Stay here for the night," Shirohana said, wheeling in a wheelchair. She wanted to be able to move around, so Frank got her a wheelchair.


    "Well, if you say so," Karma said. "Thanks."


    "You''re welcome, " Shirohana replied, smiling.


    They went into the dining hall, where Shirohana''s mother was waiting.


    "Hello, Darling," Shirohana''s mom said. "Are you feeling better?"


    "Yes I am, mother," Shirohana replied.


    "And how about you, young man?" Shirohana''s mom turned to Karma.


    "I-I''m alright, ma''am," Karma replied nervously. Shirohana''s mom chuckled.


    "Oh don''t be so tense," she said. "Loosen up. You are welcome here."


    "T-Thank you," Karma replied, less nervous than before. A butler pulled out a chair so that Shirohana can wheel her self into the spot. Another butler pulled the chair out for Karma.


    "Thank you," Karma said.


    "My pleasure," the butler said, bowing.


    There was a wide variety of high-class food, some of which Karma had never seen before. The smell filled Karma with gluttony. He couldn''t wait to show all of it down. Of course, he had to wait for the signal to be polite.


    "You seem hungry," Shirohana''s mom said. "Go ahead. Eat to your heart''s content."


    "Oh, but your husband isn''t here yet," Karma replied. "I''ll wait until he comes."


    Shirohana''s mom chuckled.


    "My, you are quite the sweet one, aren''t you?" Shirohana''s mom said. "Don''t worry. My husband is on a business trip right now, so you can go right ahead."


    "Well, alright," Karma replied.


    "Here, try this," Shirohana said, moving a plate of food closer. It was a vegetable stir-fry. Karma complied and tried it. The taste filled his mouth and his taste buds started tingling. Each bite was heavenly. He could eat it for the rest of his life and not get tired of it.


    "This is so good!" Karma said, stuffing his mouth with more food.


    Shirohana chuckled.


    "You don''t have to hurry," she said. "The food isn''t going anywhere."


    "S-Sorry," Karma said, realizing he was just the only one eating so quickly. The rest of the dinner proceeded with talks of school, laughs, and heightened relationships. It was a pleasant time.


    After dinner, Karma and Shirohana chatted a little while more before both headed to their rooms to sleep.


    *Can''t believe that incident occurred just a week ago,* Karma thought to himself. He couldn''t really remember all that had happened during the fight. The last clear thing he remembered was Shirohana getting shot. That scene still was vivid in his mind and brought chills. And then everything went black, only lifting for a few moments at a time.


    Then he fell asleep, and all was quiet.


    The next morning...


    "Thank you for your patronage," Karma said, bowing.


    "You''re welcome," Shirohana''s mom replied, smiling.


    "See you in school," Shirohana said, waving.


    "Yeah, see you," Karma replied, waving and walking off.


    "He''s a nice boy, isn''t he?" Shirohana''s mom said to Shirohana.


    "Yeah, he is," Shirohana replied cheerfully.


    As Karma walked, he thought about all the things that had happened. So much had happened in such a short while. He wanted to just relax after engaging in fights non-stop. He also needed to work on keeping his other side in check now more than ever, considering the damage he remembered he caused during the fight with the organization that Josh called to deal with him.


    As he turned the corner, a dark shadow loomed from behind a telephone pole.

 13 A Desire For Revenge

    "Pathetic, Paul. Pathetic."


    A woman was facing another man through a glass screen. They were in the police department.


    "I''m sorry, ma''am."


    The squad leader, Paul, who was arrested on charges of assault against Karma was trembling in his chair. His boss''s secretary had come on his behalf to see Paul.


    "''Sorry'' isn''t going to cut it," the secretary said, pushing up her glasses. "You lost to a high schooler. A child. And you think just saying sorry is going to make us forgive you? In this organization, as the Boss says it, ''it''s do or die''. There are no second chances."


    "Please! Just give me another chance! I have to get him back. I will kill him. I need to!" Paul said, getting up and putting his hands on the glass screen.


    "Didn''t you hear me? There. Are. No. Second. Chances. We can''t have you embarrassing us again. And besides, this job isn''t about revenge or personal affairs. This is about fulfilling our client''s requests, which in turn, if done successfully, boosts our reputation. Not you." the secretary said firmly. "At least, that''s what I would say. But the boss wants to see you for another chance. A redemption, if you will."


    "Really? Thank you...thank you..." Paul said, weeping.


    "Thank the boss directly later after you get out today," the secretary said.


    "Today?" Paul asked, looking up.


    "How will he talk to you if you are still stuck in prison? He is no a man that will be bothered to come here to talk to you. He doesn''t go to you. You go to him."


    "Yes...Thank you...Thank you," Paul said.


    "Again...thank the boss, not me," the secretary replied and left.


    *That kid...He will regret not dying when he should have... He will face something scarier than death!* Paul thought, smiling maniacally.


    After a few hours, Paul was released. A black car was waiting outside the police station. The driver opened the window.


    "Get in quick. The Boss is a busy man. You don''t want to keep him waiting," the driver said, unlocking the passenger door.


    Paul got into the car. As they went, Paul''s thoughts exploded.


    *What does the Boss want?*


    *Why does he want to talk to me, even though he fired me?*


    Paul was strong, but the Boss was on an entirely different level. He isn''t someone to take lightly. He had never gone to see the Boss personally. He always sends commands through the computer, never once showing his face.


    The car stopped at a family diner. There were a lot of people coming in an out. It was quite busy there.


    "Get out, "the driver said to the leader.


    "Wait, what?" Paul asked confused. He didn''t see any giant building. Fancy hotel. Or anything that would indicate "IMPORTANT".


    "Just follow me. Don''t ask questions," the driver replied. Paul complied and got out. They went into the diner.


    "Welcome, table for 2?" the receptionist asked.


    "Table for 3," the driver replied. Then he handed the receptionist a card. He took a look and handed the card back to the driver, along with a piece of paper.


    "Go on," the receptionist said.


    "Come on," the driver said to Paul.


    "I still don''t get what''s going on...How is this the Boss'' Headquarters?" Paul complained, but followed.


    They went the counter. There, a curly-haired lady was sitting on a stool.


    "Welcome," the lady said when she saw them. "What can I get for ya?"


    The driver handed the paper to the lady. She looked at it and stuck it in a drawer.


    "The stairs on the right. You should know the password," the lady said, pointing to an open door. Paul and the driver went in the direction the lady pointed.


    The two went to the open door and went down the stairs. It was a long walk down. As they walked, the smell of dirt became apparent.


    "Are we going underground?" Paul asked, looking around. The driver just ignored him and continued walking. After a long while, they came across a door. It was metallic with a small window. There was no knob or handle.


    The driver pounded on the door. But it wasn''t just regular knocking. It sounded almost rhythmic


    -BOM. BOMBOM.BOM.BOM.BOMBOM.-


    After the last two consecutive knocks, a voice appears from the door. It was a man''s voice


    "Who goes there?" the man asked.


    "Agent #4587, sir," the driver replied. "Bringing Boss''s request to door."


    "Password?" the man asked.


    "45784587," the driver replied. Then the door opened. A tall, slender man was standing there. He wore a black suit with a blue tie, accompanied by a pair of stylish glasses.


    "The Boss is getting impatient. Please make haste following me," the man said,


    Upon hearing that, Paul and the driver scurried along. The room beyond the door was a sight to behold. There was an abundance of advanced technology. Big monitors. A myriad of switches, buttons, and levers. There were tubes full of liquid of varying colors.


    "The Boss works in a... lab?" Paul asked, confused. He always thought the Boss worked in a tall building, conducting operations from behind the desk. A mysterious and strong man that looked down upon the city.


    "Yes, it''s for reasons that are classified. Just know this is what the Boss wished. And what he wished is not for us to question," the tall man said.


    The tall man led them to what seemed to be an elevator. He pressed a button and a robotic voice came from the elevator.


    "To where?" the robotic voice asked.


    "Top Floor. To the Boss," the tall man said.


    "Voice recognized. Location Confirmed. Prepare for opening," the robotic voice replied.Then, the elevator opened. The three stepped inside and the door closed. The mood was tense among the three, but no one said a word. After a while, the door opened and a hallway stretched in from of them. There was only one door- a door at the end of the hallway. The sign on it read: Principal Department.


    The tall man opened the door. A rush of intensity filled the air. It was like going into a completely different world.


    "Boss, he''s here," the tall man said, bowing.


    "Good, leave us be," the Boss said. Compared to what can be heard from the monitor that Paul gets his orders from, the Boss had a rather scratchy and deep voice. His tone was of authority, as every word send shivers through everyone present.


    "Yes, sir," the tall man and the driver replied. They bowed and left. The tension got greater as only Paul was in the room with the Boss.


    "I heard you lost to a high school student," the Boss said suddenly.


    "E-er..." Paul started to say, but his words got stuck. Talking to the Boss face to face was harder than communicating through a monitor.


    "Was he that strong? For you to have fallen, it is quite rare," the Boss asked.


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    "Y-Yes...But don''t worry! I-I will defeat him! I swear," Paul said nervously, but will confidence. "I will make him pay for embarrassing me and this organization."


    "Tell me about him. What exactly transpired in that fight?" the Boss said, turning in his chair. He had smooth black hair, brown eyes with a scar on his right eye. He wore a black suit and a white tie. His demeanor was ten times scarier now that he''s facing Paul.


    Paul, struggling, told the Boss the events that led up to his arrest.


    "Interesting... A sudden change in attitude, leading to an unexplained boost of power..." the Boss said to himself.


    "B-But I will get him! I p-promise!" Paul said.


    "I''m glad," the Boss said. "But before you go, let me ask you something. If I could make you stronger, what would you say?"


    "I w-would be h-honored! I will do anything to kill that brat!" Paul said eagerly.


    "Good," the Boss said standing up. "Come, I want to show you something."


    The Boss opened the door and Paul followed, ignorant of the big plan that is in store, and that he was just a pawn to a bigger goal.

 14 The Body Enhancement Lab

    The two arrived at the elevator. The Boss pressed the button and again, the robotic voice of the elevator spoke.


    "To Where?"


    "To the Body Enhancement Lab," the Boss replied.


    "Voice of High Authority recognized. High-Status Location recognized," the robotic voice said. Then the doors opened. When they stepped in, the door closed and prepared to take them to the location the Boss indicated. However, the elevator didn''t go down.


    It moved back.


    "Uh...Boss? Why did the elevator move back?" Paul asked nervously.


    "Don''t worry," the Boss replied. And with that, the elevator moved down. After about 2 or 3 minutes, the elevator stopped. But instead of the front doors opening, the back wall lifted.


    "That''s a door?" Paul asked.


    "A secret one. Reserved only for myself and those I trust without any percent of doubt," the Boss said.


    "Then that means..." Paul said, realizing what that implied.


    "Yes. You are someone I trust beyond any doubt," the Boss assured him.


    Paul was beyond happy. The Boss had recognized him to be a worthy subordinate to be the keeper of his secrets.


    Behind those words was a smile. A smile that indicates a small but successful step to an end. Needless to say, it was going exactly how the Boss wanted.


    They exited the elevator and the door closed and reverted to being a simple wall of an elevator. In front of them lay a large room. It was dimly lit, but the Boss seemed to know where to go. As Paul followed the Boss, he saw an area blocked by a circular bar. The Boss put his hand on the bar and the part where he touched lifted.


    The two walked onto the middle of the area. The bar closed and the floor slowly went down. As they went down, they entered an area with a circular reinforced glass wall. Paul could see everything. There were tubes among tubes of strange colored liquid. People in lab coats were working. There were large amounts of data on screens. It seemed just like the lab when Paul entered the door at the bottom of the staircase, but this one had something about it, aside from the secret pathway to get here.


    *Wow...* Paul thought. *This must be a really special place...and the Boss is entrusting me with this!*


    Two minutes later, the platform stopped. They had arrived in the Body Enhancement Lab.


    "Come with me," the Boss said to Paul. "If you want power beyond anything you would imagine."


    "Y-Yes!" Paul said, following the Boss, more excited than he was before.


    As they walked, the researchers greeted the Boss.


    "Hello, Boss!"


    "Hello, everyone," the Boss replied. "Let me introduce you. This is Paul. He will be with us today."


    "N-Nice to meet everyone here," Paul said nervously.


    "Don''t be nervous," a man said, patting Paul''s back. "If you''re recognized by the Boss, then you are one of us."


    "T-Thanks," Paul said, still nervous. The man that patted him was a chubby man in his late 50s. He had black hair and beard and wore a fancy lab coat and round glasses.


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    "This is the director of this lab, Dr. Morel," the Boss said to Paul. Paul and Dr. Morel shook hands. After a short intermission of greetings and introductions, Dr. Morel spoke.


    "Well, let''s go. You didn''t just come here to meet the lab members, right?" Dr. Morel said. "Follow me."


    The Boss and Paul followed Dr. Morel. They came to a door labeled: Field Experimentation Room. Dr. Morel put his eyes on a scanner that was beside the door. The scanner beeped and turned green, which opened the door.


    The room was a lot smaller compared to what Paul saw on the outside, but the atmosphere in the room was much tenser.


    There was a large glass window, with a huge control panel filled with buttons and levers. There were a total of 7 people in the room, excluding the Boss, Dr. Morel, and Paul, 2 of which were operating the control panel that was against the glass screen.


    When they saw who came in, they all stopped what they were doing and lined up.


    "Hello, Boss! Dr. Morel!" they shouted, bowing.


    "Good work everyone!" Dr. Morel said, smiling. "Is everything proceeding as we have predicted?"


    "Yes, there were some complications, but we fixed them. We are just doing tests right now," one man replied.


    "Uh...if I may...What are you testing?" Paul asked.


    "Who is this man?" the man asked.


    "He''s someone I have brought here on the pretense that he be tested with the status improvement drugs," the Boss said.


    "B-But is he qualified? The drugs have some serious side effects, plus not many people can handle it as it triggers the brain and projects a painful shock feeling throughout the body," the man asked.


    "Are you questioning my decision?" the Boss said, looking at the man with fierce eyes.


    "Er- Sorry Sir. Didn''t mean to offend you," the man apologized and backed off.


    "It''s alright," the Boss said. "Just don''t question me again."


    After a long silence after that last word, Dr. Morel spoke.


    "Well, let''s not dilly-dally now. Everyone, let''s get back to work."


    "Y-Yes, sir!" the 7 men complied and ran back to their stations.


    "Boss, Paul. Come with me," Dr. Morel said to the two. They walked to where 2 people were working.


    "Do you have the drugs that were tested and had little error?" Dr. Morel asked one of the men.


    "Yes, sir," the man replied, putting out a drawer on the side. There were 4 different glass containers of liquid in the drawer, each in its own space. They were in a large glass box that the man took out of the drawer. He opened the case and Dr. Morel and Paul went closer to look.


    "These are the 4 drugs that are tested thoroughly," Dr. Morel said. "They are, from left to right: Strength-Inducing, Reflex-Improving, Intellect-Enticing, and Speed-Breaking."


    Paul looked at each of them. They were strangely fascinating to him. Each drug had a unique color. The Strength one had a greenish-yellow color; the Reflex had a reddish-orange color; the intellect one had a purplish- pink color, and the Speed one had a reddish-yellow color.


    "Each one has its own functions, which can improve the human body and help the user go beyond limits," Dr. Morel said. "Unfortunately, this drug violates some chemical laws, so the only production is here. The Boss had been kind enough to fund our research. So, which one do you want to use?"


    Paul thought about it as he looked from each drug to another. He remembered his fight with Karma. Aside from intelligence, Karma showed a strong physical ability, was able to dodge a lot of strikes and was quite fast on his feet, which amplified when he went into that demonic state. Just thinking about it made Paul fill with embarrassment and rage. He had been humiliated by the brat and in turn, had humiliated the Boss and the organization. The Boss was kind enough to let him on this secret. He didn''t want to upset the Boss again, not after he gave him this opportunity.


    "I''ll take all four!" Paul replied, his eyes gleamed with seriousness. Dr. Morel looked at Paul with a surprised look. Just then, the Boss walked forward and put his hand on Paul.


    "Alright, we''ll let you use all four," the Boss said. "Make sure to defeat that kid after you been administered with the drugs, alright?"


    "Y-Yes! I will!" Paul replied.


    "Take him to the lab and inject him with these," the Boss said to the lab members.


    "Bu-" the men started to say but was stopped by the Boss'' angry glance. They quickly led Paul to the testing room.


    "Boss, are you sure?" Dr. Morel asked the Boss in a quiet tone. "It''s going to leave him with a huge burden."


    "Don''t try to fool me," the Boss said. "You know as well as I do that you wanted this. You, the mad scientist of the East, have been wanting a loyal subject to be used as your plaything, weren''t you?"


    "Heh...You know me too well," Dr. Morel replied with an evil grin.

 15 Power Stimulation

    "Woah..." Paul said, amazed.


    The room was glamorous. It was clean and sparkly. It seemed like he was the first one to ever walk into this room.


    There were a lot of unique machines that were in full view. Even though Paul didn''t know much about technology, they still fascinated him and also considering that the machines were only used by the organization and nowhere else.


    "Well, have a seat. I need to prepare something for you to get your drug injections." the man that came in with Paul said.


    Paul obliged and sat on one of the available seats near the door. The man was scribbling something on a piece of paper. As the man did his thing, Paul took a long look around the room.


    The walls and floor were made of what seems to be a shiny white material. All of the equipment was also white, with a few other colors here and there.


    "Alright, I am done," the man finally said, after about 10 minutes. "It''s time. I would like you to undress to your underwear and lie in this machine please."


    Paul got up and walked over to the machine. It had an open lid and there was a space where someone was to lie down in. Paul took off his clothes and climbed in. It was a little cold, but Paul persevered through the cold by thinking of how he was going to be able to get back at Karma.


    The man then went to the side with the controls. The lid closed and the machine started making noise. A scanning light ran over Paul''s body in a couple of different ways.


    Up-down and vice versa.


    Left-Right and vice versa.


    Diagonally and sometimes only a part of his body.


    After a few minutes, the lid opened.


    "Alright, we''re done with this test," the man said. "Come out and follow me. Don''t put your clothes on yet. Use a towel over there if you need it."


    Paul got out of the machine. It was colder getting out than staying in the machine. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself. It didn''t help much, but he was still warmed up a little.


    The man signaled him to come to a machine much like the one Paul was in before, except the lid was made to open from bottom-up and notfrom right-left and there was a good amount of a four-layered liquid, each with a different color, that laid on top of one another, as if something was preventing them from mixing on the bottom of the machine, contained in the glass portion of it.


    "Alright. This test isn''t like the one before. It''s far too intense and can break your mental stability," the man said. "I will need to confirm one last time. Are you sure about this?"


    "Yes. Yes, I am," Paul answered without hesitation.


    "Alright, but if you become anything other than stable then..." the man began.


    "Then?" Paul asked.


    "Let''s just say it won''t be good for your goals," the man said.


    Paul swore he saw a small smile come from the man''s mouth, but it didn''t matter. If he is successful, he can help the Boss. He was willing to take the risk. After all, he was prepared for this kind of thing when joining the organization.


    The man pressed a button on the control panel of the machine. The lid opened and Paul climbed in. This one was freezing. It felt like his bones were frozen.


    "Everything you feel is part of the test. You will be submerged in the liquid and cords with sticky padding will be put on your head and a breathing mouthpiece will be ut on your mouth, so don''t worry about drowning or anything," The man said. "You will then go through a large simulation of attaining and using each power. Since you chose all of them, you will have to go through four parts, which is probably going to take a long while. You''ll see when you start."


    "Alright," Paul said.


    The lid then closed, and blackness ensued. After a few minutes, Paul felt the bottom disappear and he was submerged in the liquid. At that exact moment, he drifted into his subconscious and the simulation began.


    Paul slowly opened his eyes. It was dark and cold. He couldn''t remember when or how he got here. But something in his mind tells him to move forward. As he moved forward, a pedestal laid before him. There was a vile sitting neatly in a hole in the pedestal.It was filled with greenish-yellow liquid. Curious, Paul picks it up and immediately had a craving to drink it. He opened the vile and gulped it down.


    Then the effects started.


    First, he just felt a slight electric shock run through his body. Then, his body started burning.


    *It hurts!* Paul thought. He couldn''t shout for some reason, which made his pain worse. His body burned like his bones with melting and his body would disintegrate into a puddle of human liquid.


    The pain went on for seemingly hours on end. He wanted to scream, to run away from all of this. But somewhere, deep in his mind, he felt a hatred. A hatred that made him want to destroy. He also felt a feeling of respect. Respect to someone he couldn''t quite remember, but the feelings were still boiling inside. These two feelings were what helped him endure this pain.


    Then his head started to hurt. Every nerve in his brain started to act up. It felt like his brain was going to be pulled out from his head.


    Then he felt extreme pain in his joints, muscles, abdomen. The pain just goes from a few parts to the whole body, then to another set of selected parts. When he thought the pain was over in one area, the pain would come back again.


    Paul suffered for what seems like forever. He had no perception of time in this dark world where the only things he felt were anger and pain, with a dose of needing to meet with expectations.


    Then, at last, the pain subsided. Paul huffed in exhaustion. His whole body ached like it was about to fall off. Then, from the darkness, came a figure of a boy. When Paul saw his face, he grew angry.


    Suddenly, the boy threw a punch. As if Paul''s arm had a mind of its own, it blocked the punch and Paul punched the boy with his other hand. The boy went flying back into the darkness, with his foot sticking out. The boy tried to run, but Paul predicted his movements and caught him with incredible speed. Paul then hit with a barrage of punches and kicks that left the boy in a bloodied mess. A smile appeared on Paul''s face. This was the most pleasing scene to him.


    He began to laugh. Although no sound came out, he continued. Then light overcame him. The lid on the machine opened and his eyes were met with bright light. His eyes hurt and he struggled to gather his thoughts and figure out his situation.


    "Ark...My head hurts," Paul groaned, rubbing his head as he struggled to get out of the machine.


    "Well, that is to be expected from all that mental pain."


    Paul turned to where the sound was coming from. A young man wearing a lab coat was standing next to a desk tapping something on a small device. Then Paul remembered. He had cam here to gain new strength from the colored liquid.


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    "That''s right!" Paul said suddenly. "Can I get my injections now?"


    The man looked amazed. No one was as eager as him after having their mind tortured for so long. He chuckled.


    "You''re very weird," the man said. "Get out of the machine and wipe yourself dry. We will do the injections after I assess your results thoroughly."


    Paul climbed out of the machine. He took the towel he used and wiped himself.


    *Finally...! I can make it up to the Boss and screw that brat up* the leader thought. *And that butler too...He''s gonna pay...Everyone who''s on that brat''s side is gonna pay.*


    After Paul was done drying himself, the man signaled for Paul to come. There was a chair next to the desk, and on the desk were four needles, each with the color of each power.


    "This will hurt a lot," the man said. "Side effects will occur and you will be brought to the brink of death. But from what I can gather from the results, you''ll survive."


    The man then proceeded to give Paul the injections. After the injections, Paul stood up but immediately fell. His body was in pain, but he could handle it quite well now. He got after a couple of minutes and had mostly conquered the pain.


    "Well, you are all set," the man said. "You should go into the field to get used to your new powers."


    "Alright," Paul said. He got dressed and exited the room.

 16 A New Beast Awakens

    "Great! You are all done!" Dr. Morel said in excitement.


    "Yeah, it was quite the struggle, but I''m ready to do my task for the Boss," Paul replied. "Say...Where is the Boss?"


    "I''m right here," the Boss answered. Paul turned to the voice. The Boss was standing near the glass screen. " I suppose you are going to test your new power?"


    " Y-Yes!" Paul replied.


    "Good. Impress me with it," The Boss said smiling.


    "Yes, Sir!" Paul said, then turned to Dr. Morel. "Doctor! How do I get down there?"


    "You''re quite eager. I like that," Dr. Morel said, chuckling. " Follow me."


    Paul followed Dr. Morel to a door on the side of the entrance.


    "Go down the stairs and you will arrive. I am going to test your powers by sending out some...specimens I have been experimenting with," Dr. Morel said.


    Paul went down the stairs, excited to try and wield his new strength. If it''s as effective as that in his simulation, which the only clear memory was that fight with the brat in his mind, he should have no trouble beating some specimens or whatever Dr.Morel had in store.


    Paul reached a door. He tried the handle. It was unlocked. He walked in and was greeted with a white-tiled room. Upon the left side stood the Boss, Dr. Morel, and a couple of men from the lab. They were ready to see the four powers in combination together.


    There were also two giant metal bars, blocking off two rooms.


    Then from a loudspeaker on the bottom of the glass screen, came Dr.Morel''s voice.


    "Alright. Are you ready, Paul?"


    "Yes! Bring it on!" Paul replied, stretching.


    And with that, the bars lifted and out came...people. Two people with weird technology attached to them


    "Wait...what?" Paul asked, confused. "I''m going to fight two people?


    "It''s not a person," Dr. Morel. "They''re androids I have been working on for a couple of years."


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    "Oh. Alright then," Paul said, getting into a fighting stance.


    The androids made a loud robotic sound. Then, human life screams came out and they charged at Paul. Paul dodged one but was pulled down by the second one.


    "Ack!" Paul gacked, his head slamming on the hard floor.


    He quickly got up before the two androids could get on top of him. They both had sort of an intense killing aura, even though they were just robots.


    *Damn...How did I get fucked like that? I thought I had amplified speed and reflex...* he angerly thought.


    The two androids charged once again. Paul readied himself to dodge and attack. Then one of them disappeared.


    *What the hell...?!*


    -WHAM-


    Because he was too busy figuring out where the android that disappeared was, the other managed to strike him in the chest. He spat out blood.


    "This is disappointing," The Boss said behind the glass. He had been expecting a lot more from the man who volunteered to take in all 4 amplifiers.


    "It''s going to take a while for him to show his new strengths," Dr. Morel said. "Don''t worry, it probably won''t take as long. He should have a kick-in soon.


    "I''ll wait a little more then if you are so sure," the Boss said, eyes again focused on the fight.


    *Fuck...! How am I getting so screwed up?*


    Paul was exhausted from just that few minutes of fighting. The androids weren''t letting up. They were really in it to kill him.


    Paul didn''t have time to plan as the two androids charged at him again, this time with seemingly greater speed.


    Paul jumped back, but the androids got to him as he was about to land. As soon as Paul hit the ground, the two androids attacked. One punched him in the face and the other kicked him in the groin. The pain was so severe it made Paul throw up.


    *Shit...! I have been embarrassing myself for the whole time. These two robots are fucking strong... Fuck!* he thought.


    As Paul was cursing in his mind, he took a look at the glass screen and saw the disappointment in the Boss'' face. Paul mind started to race with nervousness and tension.


    Then, Dr. Morel''s voice came again.


    "I see you have some trouble there. Do you want to stop?"


    "No! I can still do this!" Paul shouted.


    "Well...If you are that determined, let me give you a word of advice." Dr. Morel replied. "Make an image in your head, bring that image with you here, summon your resolve and strike."


    "What does that mean?!" Paul asked.


    "Well...that''s for you to find out," Dr. Morel said and the speaker broke off.


    "Wai-!" Paul started, but the androids started moving again.


    *What the hell does that even mean???!* Paul thought. *Bring an image to life? That''s imposs-*


    Paul didn''t have time to finish that thought as another barrage of attacks started. His reflexes are getting better since he has gotten used to their attacks, but there was no sign of the injections working.


    Then, as he was fighting, he noticed something flashing on the lower back of the androids. It was small, but Paul could make it out to be a small button blinking red. Without hesitation, he aimed for that spot on one of the androids.


    -WHAM-


    The android fell and its movement ceased. The blinking had stopped as well. Paul huffed in exhaustion. He didn''t know what he did, but at least one of them was down.


    Then something strange happened. The other robot started to act weird. They were strange, to begin with, but it seemed as though it was REACTING to the fallen android.


    Through the glass, out of Paul''s knowledge, was the shining of Dr. Morel''s glasses and a smile.


    Then all hell broke loose.


    The other android disappeared, only to reappear behind Paul.


    *Shi-!*


    Paul was kicked and flung meters away. The strength of the android had gotten much stronger. Just when Paul started to get up, the android was already next to him. It kicked him in the jugular and roundhouse kicked him in the face at high speed.


    Paul felt his bone break. It wasn''t just a feeling. His bone actually cracked from the impact.


    *Fuck...! It broke my fucking bones! How the hell did it get so damn tough in just a few minutes?!*


    Paul was struggling, harder than ever. He could not land a hit on the robot. It seemed to be able to move in a certain way that avoided all of Paul''s attempts to get a strike in. Even though its button was blinking as well, Paul could not get within enough distance to do any damage.


    It felt...animalistic. It didn''t feel like it was programmed. It seemed to have a soul of its own and its acting upon its live characteristics with unbelievable instincts.


    Just like him.


    *That brat...! He''s...he''s there? How? Argh..! It doesn''t matter! I am not losing this fight again!*


    And with that, his body exploded with anger, which triggered the drugs that dwell within him.


    Paul disappeared for a split moment and from above kick the android''s head off. The head flew and hit the wall.


    -CRASH-


    "Seems like he got the jest of what I said," Dr. Morel said, smiling.


    The Boss just stood there quietly, focused on Paul''s transformation.


    "Do you think you can beat me again?!" Paul shouted at the robot, who is now Karma to him.


    The robot, despite losing its head, still charged at Paul. It disappeared and tried to attack Paul from behind, only to be done in by its own trick.


    The android fell down, it''s insides making a slight engine noise. There was a sign of blood on the floor, but Paul didn''t notice. He took this chance to jump on it and smash the robot''s button.


    -SMASH-


    Paul''s strength made his fist completely penetrate the robot''s body. The robot stopped moving and Paul got up, exhausted.


    "AGHHHHHH!" Paul shouted from the top of his lungs. It was a scream of victory. Of Revenge. Of pride.


    But the Boss and Dr. Morel heard it with a slightly different undertone. It was the awakening of something great.


    It was the rise of a new beast.

 17 The Begining of a Storm

    After a long fight, Paul screamed in victory. His powers have finally surfaced and now he can carry on with his revenge.


    As Paul let out the last of his energy, he fell to the ground. Using all that power for the first time outside his mind left quite an impact on his body. He couldn''t move nor speak.


    Above behind the glass screen, a delightful smile appeared on the Boss'' face.


    "That was brilliant. The effectiveness of those enhancers and to see it in action, it''s marvelous." The Boss said, impressed by the whole ordeal.


    "Of course. These were the prototypes that had the lowest percentage of error," Dr. Morel said with delight. ," And those hu- ahem, I mean ANDROIDS, were created to push subjects like Paul to the limit so they can open therselves to the powers."


    Then he turned to this subordinates.


    "Alright. Go on down and carry our subject to the Data Analysis Room. We got a lot of data to collect from all that."


    "Yes, Sir!" the men said. They all went to go grab some equipment to get Paul to the Data Analysis Room safely. After a few minutes, they arrived in the resting area through another part, which had a ramp, as they had brought a bed with wheels with them.


    They worked swiftly to get the job done. The enhancers were put to great use and the data would only be traceable for a few more hours.


    "A man that could wield four of them, you have found a great one, haven''t you," Dr. Morel said to the Boss.


    "It was a just a choice made at a specific time and place," the Boss replied.


    "Well, it was a choice well made, " Dr. Morel said, as he followed his subordinates to the study room. Paul was laid on top of the examination table.


    A scanner like machine lowered and a red light turned on. It was a light and warm light that made Paul fall asleep. The surbordinates worked quickly and efficiently to gather the data in the current status of Paul. His mental and physical attributes were carefully scoped to the last detail.


    "This is truly a wonder!" Dr. Morel said with excitement. "With him, I can achieve my long time dream!"


    The current condition of Paul''s body showed quite a lot of interesting factors. Although he was incapacitated, Paul''s body worked 10 times above what an average human can achieve in a lifetime. It was as if he transcended humanity and it''s limits.


    After a few more hours of analyzing, Paul was carried to the resting room for recovery.


    "How long will it be until he regains consciousness?" the Boss asked, after everything was done.


    "Should take about 1-2 days, depending on his mental strength," Dr. Morel replied. " By the way, what happened in that task that was assigned to Paul? I heard he got sent to prison?"


    "He appearently lost in a fight against his target, who was a high school student. He had a reason though, which further convinced me to test out your creations," the Boss replied. He went on and told Dr. Morel about Karma, how a sudden change in personality affected his ability to fight. Dr. Morel listened with curiousity. He had never heard of a personality disorder that causes one''s combat capabilities to increase.


    "That is quite interesting..." Dr. Morel said, scratching his chin. "Are you sure it isn''t just because Paul isn''t as strong as he seems?"


    "From what I have heard from the manager of of my company in Downtown Tren, Paul is the best one there is. He still can''t match my number one assassin, but he''s got skill."


    "I should look into this, " Dr. Morel said. " Yes...I should."


    And with that he walked away, lost in his thoughts. This happens whenever he doesn''t quite understand something, but is determined to find out by any means.


    The next morning...


    "Yawn..."


    Paul had woken up from his deep slumber. He felt quite alive after being able to rest for a day. He felt his body bustling with power. His thoughts were a humble of calculations and strategies that he thought of while he was asleep.


    He got up from the bed and looked around. It was pretty dark aside from a small light glimmering from the corner that seemed to be coming from a machine.


    He searched the wall from a light and found one by the door. He opened the light and saw that he was in some sort of resting area, as there were a couple of beds there. He opened the door and saw the scientists he met working on something. He approached one that was by a large machine with tubes.


    "Excuse me, but where is the Boss?" Paul asked.


    The scientist turned to Paul.


    "Oh! You are awake. I don''t exactly know, but Dr. Morel should know. He''s in the Field Experimentation Room. Just get someone to scan their eyes for you," he said.


    "Alright, thanks," Paul replied and headed to the FieldExperimentation Room. As he was near it, the door opened and Dr. Morel came out. He seemed to be thinking about something and didn''t notice Paul standing there.


    "Um...Dr. Morel?" Paul called to Dr. Morel. But he just kept on being in his little world, unable to be perceptive of the outside world.


    "Dr. Morel!" Paul called again, this time louder.


    Dr. Morel broke out of his trance.


    "Oh! Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Dr. Morel said to Paul. "Do you need something?"


    "Yes. One of the scientists said you know where the Boss is?" Paul asked.


    "Oh right. He told me to tell you to go to his office. Dr. Morel replied. " Take this card totge platform where you entered here and say ''Scan''. The platform will bring you up to the elevator. Do the same for the elevator. The door will open and send you straight to his floor.


    "Okay. Thanks," Paul said as he headed to the platform elevator. He headed to the platform and held the card in front of him.


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    "Scan," Paul said. A red beam of light shine from the platform to the card. The light turned green and a robotic voice came out.


    "Please proceed onto the platform"


    Paul complied and walked onto the platform. The platform began to ascend and about a few moments later, Paul arrived at the top. The bar opened and he walked to the wall where the elevator was. He held up the card in front of the wall and said ''Scan''. A robotic voice came from the wall.


    "Permission Granted. Heading to top floor of main building."


    The wall lifted and Paul stepped in. He was anxious to get his revenge and satisfy his desires. The elevator ascended and moved forward when it was at the top. The front doors opened and he was back in the hallway that lead straight to the Boss'' office.


    He slowly advanced toward the door. The intensity was still very strong, even though he had been here before.


    When he got to the door, he knocked.


    "Come in, " a familiar scratchy voice came from the door. Paul opened the door to see the Boss doing something on his computer. He looked up from his desktop.


    "You''re awake. How do you feel?" the Boss asked.


    "I-I feeling great, sir! Paul replied nervously. No matter how strong he gets, the aura of the Boss is one a whole another level.


    "Good. Are you ready for your task?" the Boss asked.


    " Y-yes I am," Paul replied.


    "Good. Here take this, a gift," the Boss said, taking out quite an expensive watch. Paul was delighted and took it.


    "I will protect this with my life, " Paul said, excited.


    "Alright then," the Boss replied. "Carry out the operation with speed and precision!"


    "Y-Yes!" Paul replied and left the room. As he closed the door, a smile appeared on the Boss'' face.


    As Paul entered the elevator, he contacted one of his surbordinates.


    "Trail the target," Paul said. " We are going for


    round two.


    And with that, the elevator descended.

 18 Round Two: Start of the Second Bou

    *Hopefully she gets better...*


    Karma thought of Shirohana as he walked. She had jumped in front of that gun without any hesitation, even though they have only met a few days ago.


    He wouldn''t have done it, even if it was for a friend or loved one. He would just be frozen in place, unable to save anyone.


    As he walked past a park, he saw something lying on one of the benches. Out of curiosity, Karma went toward the benches.


    What he saw made him gag and almost throw up.


    It was a dead cat. A deep cut was in the middle of its stomach. Its blood was dripping down the bench. It seemed like the car had just been murdered.


    *Who the hell did this..?! What kind of sick person would murder a poor stray animal?*


    Then, a black bag came onto his head.


    "What the hell?" Karma yelled. "What are you doing to me?"


    There was no answer. The person tied Karma hands together and threw him over his shoulder. Karma struggled with all his might, but he could not break free. Whoever it was, they were really strong.


    As he struggled, Karma heard the sound of a car engine starting. It got louder and louder as he got closer. The person that captured Karma opened the trunk and threw Karma in there. Then the trunk closed and the car started moving.


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    It was a long ride. Karma tried to find some way to escape, but there was nothing to use in the trunk. After about 30 minutes or so, the car stopped. The trunk opened and karma was again being carried over the shoulder. After a few minutes, the person threw Karma onto the floor and lifted the bag.


    He was in some kind of abandoned warehouse. The person who kidnapped him was well-built man, with a mohawk and wore only shorts.


    "Who are you? Why have you take me here?!" Karma demanded. But the person ignored him.


    "Remember me?"


    A man''s voice came from the balcony above. Karma looked to where the voice came from and he was in shock.


    It was the person that Josh hired to rid of him.


    "A-Are you here to kill me?" Karma said, afraid.


    "Man...I liked it better when you were in your other state. I can''t get motivated from a sissy like you," the man said. "What do I have to do to get him out?"


    "H-He''s not coming out," Karma said, putting on a deceptive brave front. "I have decided to hold it in. I don''t want anyone to get hurt anymore."


    Karma was mostly directing that to Shirohana and saying it because he really doesn''t want to hurt anyone again. But the man took it differently. He thought Karma was calling him weak for having trouble in the fight with Karma. His face was full of anger.


    "Oh..So you don''t think I can handle you, huh?" the man said, cracking his knuckles. "You are about to regret everything."


    "Why are you doing this to me?" Karma said. "I, as I am right now,have done nothing wrong!"


    "You want to know why you are here?" the man said, even angrier. "I''ll tell you why. You fucked with us, that''s why. I don''t give a shit if it was your other-self. It doesn''t change the fact that you are that brat that got the upper hand on me and my men. I''m glad that butler stopped me. Now I can really get some hard payback."


    He jumped down from the balcony. Karma stared in awe. The man did not seem fazed from jumping down almost 10 foot high. He walked toward Karma.


    "You are going to fight me in your other form," the man said. Then he turned to the man who kidnapped Karma."Yo, untie him."


    The man complied. He took off the ropes off Karma''s hands and legs.


    As soon as the ropes were off, Karma tried to make a dash for it. But it was to no avail. The man that jumped down from the balcony caught him and threw him down. Karma screamed in pain. The injuries that he had from the fight a week ago still have not fully recovered.


    "Come on," the man said. " Bring him out already. I don''t feel fired up enough to use my full strength."


    "I-I don''t want to," Karma said, clutching his head in pain. "I promised myself I would stay in control."


    "Brat... I don''t think you can afford to choose here," the man said. "I, Paul, the man who has been entrusted with this task, want my revenge and I will beat you down until you turn."


    And with that, the beating started. Karma couldn''t defend himself. Each strike was like being crushed by a boulder.


    -Let me out-


    A voice echoed from within Karma. Karma held his head.


    "No, I don''t want to hurt anyone!" Karma said.


    "Stop belittling me, you piece of shit," Paul said and kicked Karma in the head. He was sent crashing into the wall.


    -You can''t win this. Let me out so I can fuck this fool up-


    "S-shut up! I am not letting you out. Not after everything that has happened!" Karma screamed.


    "Who are you talking to, you little fucker?" Paul said and charged at Karma. He kicked him in the gut and ax kicked his back. Karma felt his conscious fading away. The pain had reached a level that made him numb and partially paralyzed. He could not fight back nor run.


    -Let me fight, you wimp!-


    *N-No!*


    Karma tried to hold it back, but his control was already slipping.


    "Get out your other self, you punk!" Paul said, grabbing Karma up and kicking him towards the entrance. Karma felt his bones crack. It was such a one-sided ordeal.


    Just then...


    "Karma!"


    A girl''s voice came from the entrance. Karma looked to where the voice came from. Who he saw made him afraid.


    It was Shirohana. Beside her was Frank, who was pushing her on a wheelchair.


    "W-What are you doing here?!" Karma asked, trying to get up.


    "Young miss had a bad feeling," Frank answered. "Looks like she was right."


    "You-!" Paul said, looking at Frank. "You are that damn butler that interrupted my fight!"


    "I see you are back for another round," Frank said, pushing up his glasses. "You really should act your age, and not getting mad because a kid beat you in a fight."


    "Shut up!" Paul said, clenching his fists. "Since you ready want to die, I''ll deal with you first!"


    "Laughable," Frank said. "You could not beat a child. How could you possibly beat me?"


    "We''ll see!" Paul said, readying his stance.


    "M''lady, it would be wise for you to stay back," Frank said to Shirohana. Shirohana complied and wheeled herself to where Karma was laying. She got from her wheelchair and sat beside Karma, who was barely conscious. She put his head on her legs.


    "Karma... Don''t worry, we''ll get you all better again," Shirohana said. "Get some rest, okay?"


    The soothing voice of Shirohana made Karma relax. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    In front of them, the two men got into a fighting stance. Shirohana did not know who would win but prayed that everything would be fine and this fight would turn out in her favor.


    Needless to say, this fight might just have the opposite turnabout.

 19 Round Two: One-Sided Ordeal

    The two men stared each other down, studying one another for any openings.


    "You won''t be able to get me off guard this time, you damn butler," Paul said.


    "We''ll see," Frank replied, still focused on Paul. He had a unique ability to not get distracted by anything, especially when what he is doing concerns his mistress.


    "This fight won''t turn out like last time!" Paul said, proudly. "I have gotten stronger over the week and I will fulfill my revenge."


    Then Paul dashed at Frank, aiming for first blood.


    *This is just a simple head-on charge. I''ll just dodge it...* Frank thought to himself while preparing the motion he just thought in his head.


    But it didn''t go according to plan.


    As soon as Frank dodged, a punch was right up to his face. He was thrown a couple of feet away. His glasses were punched off of his face and landed a few feet further.The sheer power of that simple punch was unbelievable. Frank had to gather his thoughts again before he was able to assess the situation.


    *W-What just happened? I know I avoided his attack, but then that punch just appeared out of nowhere...?*


    Frank could not figure out what had happened. Paul just stood there, smiling a conceited smile.


    "How did you like that, you damn butler?" Paul said, smirking.


    *I got hurt from a fool like him? What the hell is going on?* Frank thought. His brain was in a complete mess, but he maintained a calm exterior.


    "You are capable, I''ll at least give you that," Frank said, picking up his cracked glasses. He went to a box and laid his glasses on top. Then he took off his suit and tie.


    "Are you finally going to get serious?" Paul said excitedly.


    "I will get you this time," Frank said, stepping forward. Then, without warning, Frank disappeared.


    "Huh?" Paul said in confusion. Then, from behind, Frank threw a punch aimed at Paul''s head. Paul, with his heightened senses, managed to dodge his attack.


    *Tsk...He can avoid this level of attack too?* Frank thought in frustration. *He is not what he used to be...How can one person change in just a week?"


    "Woah...That was close," Paul said, seemingly in surprise. But Frank knew Paul was just saying that. Paul''s movements were very abnormal. His abilities to think and react accordingly are much faster than a normal human.


    Frank dashed in again, attempting to try a different approach. Paul readied a stance to avoid whatever Frank was pulling. Frank threw a punch and Paul started to duck.


    But it was a feint.


    Frank quickly pulled back his fist and used his knee to hit Paul''s chin. It was a fast move that only a few can avoid it at best.


    But Paul blocked the knee. Somehow, he was able to predict Frank''s every movement and succeed in not getting hit. Paul then grabbed Frank''s knee and threw him back. Frank crashed into the wall, which made a huge dent in the thick material of the warehouse.


    "Man, you aren''t very strong, are you?" Paul said with an undermining tone. "I can''t get fired up like this..."


    Frank slowly got up, his eyes filled with anger. But, he doesn''t let it show.


    "Don''t...get cocky," Frank said. Still managing to not give in, Frank charged in again with all of his strength. Paul dodged his every move and then with a swift movement, picked Frank up by the leg and spun threw him into a pillar of the warehouse.


    "Frank!" Shirohana yelled. She couldn''t follow the fast-paced fight, but she knew this Paul person was trouble and that Frank would not keep up much longer. She didn''t expect Frank to be beaten to this degree.


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    *Is there anything I can do? I''m so useless in these situations...* Shirohana thought to herself. She was frustrated at her powerlessness. She had to be constantly protected and could do nothing for others.


    As Shirohana drowned in her distress, Karma opened his eyes. He felt that he had been asleep for a long time, even though it was only a few minutes. He looked up to see Shirohana, her face filled with regret and frustration. Then he turned to where Shirohana was looking. His eyes widened.


    Frank, the butler, was facing off against Paul, one of the leaders that were part of an organization hired to get rid of Karma. What scared him was the fact that Frank was being overtaken by Paul''s pace.


    *Fuck...! This is all my fault! It''s me they are after, but now I''ve dragged in Shirohana and Frank into this mess...!* Karma thought to himself, ashamed that he had pushed his problems onto others.


    -Then how about letting me out so I can save the day?-


    The sudden voice from his head startled Karma.


    *No! I won''t let you out! You would cause a bigger mess than it already is now!*


    -Then what are you gonna do? Just rest there and look on with hopelessness? That guy is getting fucked up.-


    Karma hated to admit it, but the voice was right. Somehow the leader had gotten way beyond what is normal and is just overwhelming Frank, who seemed to be quite capable.


    *What am I supposed to do...?! Dammit!*


    -Like I said, let me out. I''ve been thirsting for a chance like this!-


    As Karma was deciding what to do, Frank was getting more and more tired and overwhelmed.


    "Huff, huff," Frank panted. He had never been pushed this far in a fight. And on top of that, Paul did not look the slightest bit tired.


    "Man, I''m getting bored," Paul said arrogantly. "I think I got a bit too strong. Man, I was really hoping for a decent fight to get me at least slightly fired up. But I guess you aren''t up to par."


    "You...brat..." Frank said angrily, still panting. He tried to get up, but his body was telling him no to.


    "Guess it''s his turn now," Paul said, walking toward Shirohana and Karma.


    "No...!" Frank yelled weakly.


    "Hey," Paul said to Shirohana. "Move aside."


    "No, I won''t!" Shirohana said firmly. "He''s already beaten. Can''t you leave it at that?"


    "Leave it at that? Leave it at that?!" Paul yelled in anger. "This brat literally beat me down even when I was clearly already beat! You think he''s gonna just get away with that?"


    "You were going to kill him!" Shirohana retorted. "What gives you the right to say that?!"


    "I don''t think you are in any position to lecture me," Paul said. "Now move, before you get hurt."


    "No I will not!," Shirohana said, clutching to Karma. "I''ve been saved my entire life, never once been able to repay those who have protected me. Now it''s my turn. Even at the cost of my life, I will do whatever I can to protect the people dearest to me!"


    "Fine then. It''s your funeral!" Paul said, throwing a punch. Shirohana closed her eyes and prepared for the impact.


    But it never came.


    "Heh. Finally let me out, huh?"


    Shirohana opened her eyes to see Karma. But at the same time, it wasn''t Karma. He blocked the punch with his elbow.


    "Karma?" Shirohana asked in wonder.


    "I''m him, but not," Karma said. "After hearing your words, the Karma you know decided to let me out."


    "You finally showed up!" Paul said with excitement. "Now I can really beat you to my heart''s content!"


    "I was just thinking the exact same thing!" Karma said with excitement, and threw a punch. Paul dodged by jumping backward.


    The two looked at each other, each with a smile on their face.


    Then, a piece of the roof fell and another round began.

 20 Round Two: A Cruel Interrupter

    Karma and Paul dashed at each other at full force, each wanting to deal the first strike.


    Karma swung a left jab, but Paul managed to avoid it and did a low sweeping kick. Karma got hit but was able to keep his balance.


    Karma went in for a retry, going for a mixture of punches and kicks to heighten the chances of landing a hit.


    Paul, with his inhuman speed and reflex, managed to dodge every one of his attacks. He then leaned in and did a roundhouse kick to Karma''s face. Karma stumbled back, but instead of being pissed off, he was smiling.


    "You have gotten much stronger! I am more hyped than ever!" Karma said, with a devilish smile on his face.


    "I got strong so I can beat you to a pulp," Paul replied. "But now you''re not really up to par. I still can''t feel fired up and just killing you isn''t going to satisfy my desire."


    Karma''s smile faded.


    *Did...did he just call me weak? Me? WEAK?*


    "Hehe," Karma laughed, darkly. "You think I can''t match you? Well, I''m going toshow you just how wrong you are."


    Paul backed off a little. Even though Paul knew he was far out of Karma''s league, something still terrified him.


    *This brat is making me shiver? What the hell? I''ll teach him to taunt me like this!*


    Paul angrily charged forward, aiming to land a critical hit on Karma. Karma, as if he saw that attack coming, moved to the side in a fluid motion. Paul predicted this dodge and tried to counter it by attempting to kick with his knee. Karma managed to duck and avoid the impact. His reflexes were much faster than before.


    *What the hell? How is he just getting faster?* Paul thought to himself. *Well, he is getting better. All the more satisfaction to beat him down.*


    "You got way better at dodging," Paul said in a condescending voice. "But if all you are doing is dodging, you won''t be able to hit me. Not that you will ever be able to though."


    Karma was ticked at that comment but became more determined to prove Paul wrong.


    "You won''t be saying that when I kick your ass, literally," Karma replied with a smirk and jumped right back into action.


    From the sidelines, Shirohana looked on with a mixture of anxiety and awe. The two were in a fight, each intending to possibly end the other one''s life. Yet, they seem to be having fun. She didn''t get why such a vulgar thing as inflicting pain upon others is a joyous thing, but she can''t help but be amazed. Perhaps her desire to be of use is kicking in, or just simple admiration.


    She got up on her wheelchair and wheeled herself to Frank, who was badly injured, but still conscious.


    "M-M''lady," Frank said weakly as he saw Shirohana approaching. "I''m sorry, I wasn''t strong enough to put down that barbarian of a man."


    "It''s ok, " Shirohana said sweetly. "Take a good rest. I have a feeling that Karma can put through."


    *She has so much trust in him, I''m quite envious.* Frank thought, a smile forming on his face. Then he closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.


    "Huff, huff. You are pretty tough," Karma said, wiping the blood from his mouth.


    "Y-Yeah, you are too," Paul replied. But deep inside, he wasn''t happy.


    *How am I being almost overwhelmed? I took all four drugs. I went through tests to be able to fully use these new powers. Yet, somehow, this kid is starting to gain on me?*


    "C''mon! Let''s continue!" Karma said, charging in again. Paul responded in kind. He tried to exert more of his power, but unbeknownst to him, his power had a side effect when being used for too long. It''s especially disadvantageous when one is fighting someone like Inner Karma, who just doesn''t back down.


    Karma threw a fast jab, followed by a kick to the hip. Paul dodged all those and countered with an elbow hit. Karma managed to duck and attempted a punch to Paul''s gut, which Paul responded by quickly stepping back.


    Then Karma disappeared.


    "What the-" Paul started to wonder, but was hit with a strong impact from behind. Paul was thrown a few feet away.


    "I finally got a clean hit on you!" Karma said happily, in content.


    "How the fuck- How did I not predict that?" Paul yelled in frustration. "That was just a lucky hit. Let''s see you try that again!"


    "Is that a challenge?" Karma asked, this time with a bigger smile. "I accept!"


    They both charged in again, with Paul instigating the first move. He lowered himself to ready a sweeping kick, followed by a sidekick to the face.


    Karma, as he knew what Paul was going to do, jumped and did a spinning kick in midair. Paul barely managed to block the attack before Karma swiftly alerted the course of his kick and hit the other side of Paul''s face. Blood dripped out from Paul''s mouth. A few teeth fell to the ground.


    "You kinda slowing down," Karma said with a chuckle. "You already tired?"


    "Don''t you dare mock me, boy," Paul retorted angrily. He wiped away the blood, but the blood keeps gushing out.


    "I''m just saying," Karma said with a smile on his face. "You were much faster and stronger before. You kind of flopped a little."


    "Don''t get cocky just because you were able to hit me like twice," Paul said, his face fuming with anger. "I''m going to put you in your place!"


    Paul dashed forward again. Karma readied his stance and tried to anticipate Paul''s attack.


    Then Paul disappeared.


    "Wha-" Karma started but was hit from behind, just like he did to Paul. He was thrown a couple of feet away. His bones made a cracking noise at the impact.


    "How do you like that, being fucked by your own move?" Paul said, sneering.


    "Hehe," Karma chuckled as he got up. "That was an awesome tactic. I am more pumped than ever!"


    *What the fuck...! This kid does not let up. He just keeps coming with that stupid grin on his face*


    "You won''t be saying that when I''m done with you," Paul replied. He then did the vanishing attack again, this time to strike even harder.


    But Karma saw it coming.


    As soon as Paul appeared behind Karma, Karma cartwheeled back, kicking Paul in the chin with the back of his shoes. Paul started to feel dizzy. Karma grabbed this chance and threw an uppercut, adding insult to injury.


    *Fuck! My vision is getting blurry.* Paul thought, holding his head.


    Then Karma took this chance to charge in for a second attack. He rushed into Paul''s space and punched him once in the gut and once in the face. Paul was sent flying to the wall.


    "Ack," Paul coughed. His rib cage was partially broken from the impact. Karma''s attacks kept getting faster and harder. And Paul is running out of juice.


    "Pathetic."


    A man''s voice echoed through the warehouse.


    "The Boss invested all this on a weak ass punk like you?"


    "Who''s there?" Karma said, looking around.


    Then out of nowhere.


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    -SMASH-


    Karma was met with a fist, straight in this face. He went flying back, crashing into several boxes.Blood dripped and he felt drowsy. He had lost too much blood.


    A young man, about Paul''s age, was standing there. He wore all black, with some stylish sunglasses and a black hat.


    "W-who the hell are you," Paul said angrily. "Don''t fucking get in between our fight!"


    The man then, out of nowhere, appeared right before Paul. He grabbed Paul''s face and smashed it in the ground.


    "ARGH!" Paul screamed in pain.


    "I suggest you stand down, Paul," the man said.


    Then, in a swift movement.


    -SLAM-


    The man was thrown into the wall. Karma had regained consciousness and dashed at the man.


    The man got up without making a sound. He spat out some blood.


    "You little shit...!" the man said. "I guess I have to teach you a lesson. The Boss did say I can fuck you up a little before I take you in."


    "You are the one who got into our heated fight," Karma said, with a pissed-off expression on his face. "You should wait for your fucking turn."


    "I don''t ''wait''" the man said. "I take what I desire."


    "Well, I guess that''s the same with me too," Karma said, reading his stance. The man responded in kind.


    "Wait! Karma!"


    Karma turned to the voice. Shirohana had cried out from where she was.


    "You are too hurt for another fight!" she said, worried. "We should run."


    "We''ll never get away from this guy," Karma replied. "Don''t worry. I got this."


    "Karma..." Shirohana replied softly.


    "Being tough in front of your girl, huh?" the man said. "Think you can beat me? If you think that you can just because you landed a hit on me, well, you are in for a treat."


    "Well? What are you waiting for?! Let''s fucking do this!" Karma said, charging in.


    And with that, an unexpected round began.

 21 Round Two: Overwhelming Skill

    The two walked in a circle, keeping an eye on one another. They seem to be looking for openings, any weaknesses that can determine the flow of the fight.


    "You better be prepared to lose horribly, kid. ''Cause you ain''t getting it easy," the man said.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way," Karma replied, smiling.


    "Then prepare to say your prayers," the man said, ticked at Karma''s smile.


    And with that, the two ran towards each other. Karma swung first, but the man dodged it and threw an uppercut. Karma felt dizzy from the impact but maintained his composure.


    The man charged in to give Karma little time to strike back. Karma was caught in the man''s pace and all he could do was to avoid being hit.


    But then he couldn''t move back anymore. Without realizing it, Karma had been pushed to the wall.


    "Now you can''t run away anymore," the man said, grinning. "I got you right where I want you."


    Then the man started his barrage of attacks. He attacked in a way to not leave any obvious openings that might help Karma escape.


    *Shit...this guy is good. How the hell am I going to get out of this?*


    "Where''s your punk ass attitude, huh?" the man said as he continued to beat Karma. The harder Karma tried to escape and envelop the fight in his own pace, the more the man pressured him and made it hard to get out of the situation.


    Then, Karma had a plan. It was a risky plan, but if it succeeds, then Karma might have a chance of turning the tides. He lowered his guard and leaned towards the side.


    Surely enough, the man, blinded by his advantage, took the bait and punched karma with a left punch to Karma''s side. Karma was thrown to the side, hitting the hard concrete floor.


    *Shit! He got out!* the man thought angrily and ran to Karma to get the advantage again.


    Karma managed to get up just and time and moved to the side, just as the man got to where he was. Karma took this chance to kick the man in the side, which launched him away.


    "Ack!"


    The man was holding his side, as Karma had put all his force into kicking him.


    "You little shit...!" the man said in anger. "You''ll pay for that!"


    "Dude...I just kicked you once," Karma said, fed up with the man''s constant whining. "You hit me like a million times."


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    "Ugh...why the hell am I getting so worked up? He''s just a kid," the man said, regaining his composure. "You won''t get me like that again."


    Heh," Karma chuckled, and then the two resumed their fight. The man tried his method again, but this time, Karma knew what was coming, so he kept maintaining a distance where he could move away from the man''s onslaught that aimed at trapping him.


    Realizing his strategy was broken into, the man stopped his barrage.


    "Guess I should step it up a notch," the man said softly and took a deep breath.


    Then, the room was silent.


    "What''s up?" Karma asked with confusion. "Why have you stopped your attacks?"


    The man took another breath and then disappeared from Karma''s view, only to reappear as a blur.


    "What the hell?" Karma asked, startled. He had encountered the quick disappear and attack pattern, but he had never seen a method like this. The man was running with abnormal speed around him, creating blur images of him around Karma. Karma rotated himself around to not get caught off guard.


    But all Karma could see was the blur of a man once in a while.


    Suddenly, he felt a jolt of pain rush down his spine. The man, without any warning, kicked Karma in the neck and continued his rapid circulation around Karma. Karma held his neck in pain. His nerves felt like they were about to burst.


    The man did this several times. Once to his gut and once to his head. Needless to say, Karma was being thrown around in an inescapable circular trap.


    "How do you like this?" the man said with a confident tone. "That you will be beaten down and you won''t know when it will come."


    "That''s a pretty amazing move," Karma said, genuinely amazed. "I kinda wanna try that."


    "Heh," the man mocked Karma. " If you were at least a fourth as competent as me, you probably can pull it off."


    This kind of pissed Karma off, but he loved a challenge.


    "So if I can pull it off better than you, will you admit I''m stronger?" Karma said with a defiant smirk.


    The man was ticked off and remained in silence. He continued his circular rush, getting faster and faster. Karma studied the man''s movements as he gets thrashed from every corner.


    *Looks like he''s just running fast in a circle and moving in and out of the damage zone.* Karma thought after much speculation.


    Then, Karma started to imitate the man.


    "You are going to take my move?" the man said, laughing. "I''ll like to see you try."


    "Oh, I will try," Karma said with a smirk.


    Karma''s speed was not on par with the man at the start. He was making blurs of himself, but it was not enough to match that of the man, let alone surpass it.


    However, the man got a bit scared.


    *What''s this feeling? Why do I feel he actually can pull this off?" the man thought with worry. *I better end this before he can progress.*


    The man took a deep breath and raised his speed to the max. He attacked with high speed with hard impacts. Karma was being thrown from one side to the next. He could feel his bones cracking as he gets tossed around but kept at his circulation technique when he had the chance. Each time Karma gets knocked down, he gets up, more determined to show this son of a bitch who''s boss.


    "Why the fuck won''t you stay down?" the man asked.


    "Why the fuck would I stay down when my strength has been questioned?" Karma replied, smiling, even though his clothes were a mess and he had bruises on his body.


    The man was taken aback. He had never seen someone so willful and determined. Usually, his opponent gives up after having been overpowered once. They lose hope in any possible potential they have of winning. Call it a tunnel vision of the weak.


    But Karma sought at all possibilities, no matter how slim they may be. His sheer will is making him continue this fight even when it seems that there is no chance of winning.


    The man was amazed at Karma''s stubbornness but also was scared.


    *If this kid gets any stronger, we will all be fucked!* the man thought worryingly.


    The man stops running in circles and attempted to end his with dealing damage to Karma''s brain in an attempt to cut off the circulation of Karma''s blood, rendering him unconscious.


    But he failed.


    As soon as he stopped, Karma began running in circles around the man, each time getting faster and faster.


    "What the hell?" the man said in shock. Because he had used that technique for too long, he could not perform it again. Meanwhile, Karma was just getting started.


    "How do you like the taste of your own medicine?" Karma said, laughing. Then, Karma does the same thing at the man, attacking him from all corners.


    Since the man exerted most of his strength in keeping his circulation at the proper speed and attacking with precision, he could not handle being smacked from one side to the other by Karma. By this point, Karma had the whole fight at his pace.


    After much struggling, the man fell to the ground in exhaustion. He was breathing at an abnormal rate.


    Karma stopped, seeing that the man was not able to entice him anymore.


    "That was it?" Karma said with a sneer. "And here I was, mastering the move you showed me and thrashed me with."


    Karma walked back to Shirohana and Frank. Shirodhara looked at Karma with a smile. Normally, Karma would keep on beating his opponent until he was satisfied. As soon as Karma turned back to his normal self, he fell, since the strain caught up to him. Frank who had been able to relax all this time, caught Karma just in time.


    "Good job," Frank said. "Get some rest."


    "How is he?" Shirohara said with worry.


    "He''s fine, M''lady," Frank said. "We''ll get him nursed in no time."


    Shirohana was relived. After a long flight, it was finally over. Frank laid Karma on the ground and helped Shirohana back on the wheelchair. Then, he picked up Karma and carried him on his back and the three of them exited the warehouse. They got into Frank''s car and drived back to Shirohan''s mansion.


    After the three had left, a man strolled into the warehouse. He took one look at the two fallen men and had an angry look on his face.


    "Useless. Just useless," the man said.


    Then he walked out, thinking of his next plan for Karma.

 22 A Chance for Change

    "Who''s there?"


    Karma, in the midst of darkness, see a figure in front of him. As he approached, he gasped.


    It was a distorted figure, proportions out of scale. It was a monster, standing there, piercing Karma with its red eyes.


    Karma''s legs gave in from the fear and he fell. He tried scurrying back, but he was eventually stopped by an invisible force from behind.


    The figure crawled towards him. It was an abomination, a creature of darkness and evil, ready to destroy those in its way.


    Then, a light shone from the darkness above onto the figure. As the creature was exposed to the light, it slowly went through a metamorphosis.


    As Karma watched, he could see it turn more and more into a human. Then, when it was over, Karma stared in disbelief.


    It was himself, standing there. The vile monster from before turned into a exact replica of Karma.


    "W-what?" Karma blurted out. "Who are you?! Why do you look like me?!"


    The copy of himself did not respond. Instead it smiled and approached Karma.


    It was a sinister smile. Karma was frozen, staring at the evil expression on the copy''s face. His eyes was wide with fear. He wanted to get out.


    "Please! Whoever is doing this, let me out!" Karma begged.


    Upon hearing this, the smile on the copy faded. It was a blank expression now. The copy looked at Karma one last time before walking away. The light disappeared and shoned on Karma. The next moment, Karma found himself looking at a white ceiling.


    *W-Where am I? *


    Karma sat up. He was in a bed. The light was beaming at him through the bedside window. He looked around. There was a nightstand by his bed. Across from him stood a big dresser. To the side, a closet.


    Karma got up from the bed, but a sharp pain ran through his body and he fell.


    "Ow...," Karma said in pain. "Guess my injuries haven''t fully healed."


    Then the door opened. It was the head maid, Maria.


    "My goodness!" she said in shock. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah... I''m fine," Karma replied. "My body just aches a little."


    "Stay here," Maria said. "I will get you a wheelchair. It won''t do to have Miss Shirohana''s friend get hurt again after all he has done."


    "Thank you," Karma said. Maria smiled in reply and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with several maids. The maids pushed the wheelchair in. They helped Karma get on the wheelchair. It felt really comfortable.


    "Do you feel alright sitting in the wheelchair?" Maria asked.


    "Yes," Karma replied. "This wheelchair is very comfortable."


    "I''m glad," Maria said, smiling. "Would you like me to move you to Lady Shirohana''s room?


    Karma, frightened by his dream and distracted by his injuries, had forgotten that Shirohana and Frank were also there at the fight.


    "Are Mr. Frank and Shirohana alright?" Karma asked worryingly.


    "Frank might be a little on the worse side, but they are alright, don''t worry," Maria replied. "I heard from Frank that you fought off the threat and helped them avoid any serious consequences. I''m glad Lady Shirohana met someone like you."


    "I-I''m not really that great...," Karma said, embrassed. "Can I visit them? It''s my fault that they were involved in any of this."


    "Yes, we''ll escort you to their rooms," Maria replied. She grabbed the handles of Karma''s wheelchair and exited the guestroom. Next to the room was the room he had stayed in earlier. It was still under renovations and the damage was still there.


    Maria first wheeled Karma to the butler quarters, located in the far east of the mansion. It was separate wing from the house that was connected with a bridge. Karma could see the beautiful greenery of the mansion. The sweet scent filled the air.


    Maria pushed Karma to a large fancy door. Despite it being the butler''s quarters, it was well decorated and furnished.


    The maids that followed opened the door and on the bed laid Frank. He had bandages on most of his body.


    "Who''s there?" Frank asked as he heard his door open.


    "It''s me, Maria," Maria replied. "I have brought Mister Karma with me. He wanted to see if you were okay."


    "Oh," Frank replied. "Come on in."


    The room was lit up with fancy looking lights. There was an adequate amount of furniture in the room to complement the room.


    "Are you alright," Karma asked with a regretful tone.


    "I''m alright," Frank replied, though he did flinch when small shocks of pain went through his body when he moved. "Though, I would appreciate not being so constricted."


    "You have to keep these on!" Maria said in a commanding yet worrying tone. "They will help you get better. Now, I''ll take my leave so you can have a nice chat. Mister Karma, there will a maid outside if you need anything."


    "Thank you, Miss Maria," Karma replied with gratitude.


    Maria looked back one last time with a smile on her face before leaving. Her maids followed her, with the last one closing the door behind her.


    "I''m sorry... I dragged you into this. I dragged all of you into this," Karma said to Frank, looking down. If it weren''t for him, Frank would not be this beat up and Shirohana would have lived a normal life.


    "I only did what my mistress requested of me, because she is unable to do it herself," Frank replied, looking at the ceiling. "You should apologize to her, not me. But let me tell you something. My lady really thinks you are a good person and from what I have seen, I do agree. She would only go out of her way for someone she truly trusts and care about. This was all what she wanted. She wanted to be involved in your struggles. She wanted to help you."


    "But I don''t get it," Karma said. "Why would she help someone like me? I''m a nobody. I have no friends. My grades are just around average and I have no good traits whatsoever."


    "My lady does not care for all those," Frank replied. "She saw something in you and have grown to like you despite all of your shortcomings. You saved her many times, right? That proves you are more than what you say you are."


    "But I could easily hurt her with my current condition," Karma retorted. "What if I get out of control and hurt her? I even had a dream where she got badly hurt because of me."


    "That is true," Frank replied. "The side of you that enjoys combat is very dangerous. But, even though you were in that state, you protected her. When that brute tried to hurt her, you stopped him. When my lady got shot, you snapped and wanted to avenge her. I see potential in you to be able to overcome that savage side of you."


    "But what if I revert?" Karma said. "All my life I have been in that state and had to face countless unconscious bodies once I regained control. I can''t bear to see Shirohana be part of the many bodies laid before me."


    "Then, would you like for a chance to change yourself?" Frank replied, turning his head to face Karma.


    "What do you mean?" Karma asked, confused.


    "I know a professor, who had gone through something similar to your condition and who had gained help from another professor. He had gained the knowledge from the one that helped him so that he can help others who are suffering just like he was," Frank replied.


    "Someone else had the same disorder as me?" Karma asked in disbelief.


    "Yes. He still has that condition, but he is able to control it and use it when he needs it," Frank replied. "If you like, I can have him help you. He''s a good friend of mine and he would most likely be welling."


    "Y-Yes. I will! I have to!" Karma blurted out. "I can''t stand it, knowing that my disorder can ruin lives. I want to be able to keep it under control!"


    *He may be cowardly, but he has a good heart,* Frank thought, a smile forming on his face.


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    "Then I will inform him as soon as I can... get out of these constrains." Frank sighed, staring at his bandages. He still couldn''t believe he was beaten to this degree. He felt ashamed of not being able to protect his youbd mistress by himself and had to enlist the help of a child the same age as the young mistress.


    After a few more moments of chatter, Karma said goodbye. A maid that was standing stationery outside came in and pushed Karma out and to the main mansion to Shirohana''s room.


    As he was pushed, he thought about what Frank had said.


    *Is there really a professor that can help me? This seems too good to be true, but if I am going to have any chance of control the demon inside of me, it''s the professor.*


    This thought lingered in him all the way to Shirohana''s room.

 23 Rehabilitation: Meeting the Professor

    "Karma! You are alright!" Shirohana said excitedly when Karma entered.


    "Yeah. Sorry for worrying you," Karma replied, smiling.


    Shirohana got up from her bed and went to Karma.


    "Wait, Shirohana," Karma said. "Are you sure you should be walking?"


    "You sure are kind," Shirohana said with a smile. "Even though you are more injured than I am, you still worry about me. After resting for a long time, the doctor said I was allowed to walk around to work my walking muscles."


    "That''s good," Karma said, relieved.


    "Are you feeling better?" Shirohana asked.


    "Aside from small shocks of pain and not really being able to walk, I''m feeling alright," Karma replied.


    "I''m glad," Shirohana said. "I was so worried. You were injured badly and I was scared you would not wake up again."


    Then Shirohana turned to the maid.


    "Could you please bring some tea for us? Rosemary Tea, if you can," Shirohana said to the maid. The maid obliged and bowed before leaving the room.


    "I''m sorry, Shirohana," Karma said after the maid had left.


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    "For what?" Shirohana asked, confused.


    "Well, about last week''s incident and also the many incidents before," Karma replied. " If it weren''t for me, you would have lived a normal life, away from all the danger."


    Shirohana, upon hearing this, grew a little mad.


    "Don''t blame yourself for all those incidents!" Shirohana shouted.


    "Shirohana...?" Karma asked, taken aback by Shirohana''s outburst. Shirohana then held Karma''s hands together.


    "It isn''t your fault. It isn''t anyone''s fault except the ones that did this to you," Shirohana said with a kind voice. "Besides, I wanted to help you. You saved me several times and I haven''t been able to repay you. I''m weak. I can''t do anything but watch and hope that you or anyone else I care about will be okay. So let me do what I can to help you."


    "You''re not weak!" Karma said. "Even though you aren''t able to help directly, you still try to help in your way. I''m a coward. If I see someone get hurt, I just walk away, only trying to keep myself safe."


    "That''s not true. You could have left me on the ground after that incident with the men hitting on me. You could have left me to get hit by a car when I fell on the crosswalk and sprained my ankle. You could have let that killer that Josh hired hit me. But you didn''t. You saved me from each of these situations, " Shirohana said.


    "I...," Karma began. But he stopped. He didn''t know why he was doing this much for a girl he had only met. He had saved her despite the danger to his own life. It was if like he had to save her even if it meant he might get hurt, a feeling that he had not felt before meeting Shirohana.


    "I... I just felt I needed to. I don''t really know myself," Karma said. "Still, I did try to hurt you in that small warehouse in the park when you tried to stop me from stabbing a man in the eyes. What if that happened again?"


    "Then I will do what I can so that you can stay as who you are now," Shirohana said, smiling.


    Karma could feel the warmth in her voice. She was serious. He realized he was no longer alone. After long years of suffering, he finally had someone that cared about him. Someone who wanted to help him and be by his side.


    The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was the maid that went to get tea for Karma and Shirohana.


    "Excuse me, Young Mistress and Mister Karma. Your Rosemary tea is ready," the maid said.Then she chuckled when she saw Shirohana holding Karma''s hands. "I hope I''m not interrupting anything."


    Shirohana blushed and quickly let go of Karma''s hands. Karma also was embrassed. He looked down to avoid eye contact with Shirohana or the maid.


    The maid laid the teapot, two teacups, and a plate of cookies on the table. She wheeled Karma to the table, then pulled out the chair for Shirohana. She then poured the tea in the cups. The amora filled the air and made Karma and Shirohana forget about that little incident.


    "This tea smells so good," Karma said, carefully taking in the smell.


    "And it''s quite delicious," Shirohana added. "No matter how many times I drink this, I can never get bored of it."


    "I''ll leave you two to enjoy the tea," the maid said. She bowed and left the room.


    Karma and Shirohana both took a sip of the tea. It was very calming. All the negative feelings that dwelled from within Karma was quelled by the tea''s magnificent scent and taste.


    The small meal helped them stay away from the incidents. They started talking about school, about their plans, and all the things they wanted to do.


    Karma rested in the Kamayama house for roughly 3 more weeks. Surprisingly, nothing really dangerous happened. However, Karma can''t shake the feeling that this moment of peace is a sign of a larger threat.


    After Karma was fully healed, a man arrived. He was tall and slim. He wore a white lab coat accompanied with a pair of round glasses.


    "As promised, here is is the professor who I have asked on your behalf to help you, Mister Karma," Frank said.


    "H-Hello," Karma said nervously. The professor had a sort of scary demenor to him.


    The professor approached Karma and answered.


    "Nice to meet you, young man. My name is Hoshi Katz."


    His voice gave off this welcoming aura all of a sudden. The professor smiled a warm and genuine smile.


    "Y-Yes, it''s nice to meet you too," Karma replied, relived it was a kind man.


    "I hear from Frank that you have a disorder that causes you to switch personalities?" Katz asked.


    "Yes, I have had this since middle school. I don''t quite remember how it happened since a lot has happened from then," Karma replied.


    "Interesting..." Katz said quietly. He was curious at the specifics of the condition this high school student had. A little smile appeared on his face. "Well, I hope we get along, since we will be staying together for a long time for your rehabilitation."


    "Tell me, professor," Karma said, his eyes gleaming. "Can you really help me with my problem?"


    "Yes, but most of the process of getting there will be up to you," Katz replied. "Are you willing to go through anything to gain control of your body?"


    "Y-Yes I am!" Karma said, satisfied of the answer he was given. After eating dinner, Karma was to leave for Katz''s laboratory. As they were starting to leave, Karma heard a voice calling for him.


    "Wait!"


    Karma turned around to see Shirohana running towards him.


    "I''ll be in the car," Katz said smiling. "Take your time saying goodbye."


    Karma nodded and Katz left.


    "Are you really going to go through this?" Shirohana asked, though she already knew what Karma''s response was.


    "Yes. I have to. If I am to have you by my side, I need to be able to stop myself from going on a rampage and possibly hurting you in the process. And to do that, I need to surpress my inner demon," Karma replied.


    "I knew you would say that," Shirohana said, smiling. "Here, I have something for you."


    Shirohana pulled out a bracelet from her pocket.


    "This is a good luck charm," Shirohana said. "Look, I have one to. This way, we can be connected even if you are going to be far away."


    Karma smiled and put it on. It had a simple floral design that felt calming.


    Then, Shirohana hugged Karma. Karma was taken aback and blushed.


    "S-Shirohana...? Karma asked, surprised.


    "Please make it back safe," Shirohana said. "I want you to come back as the Karma that you are right now. The kind and caring Karma."


    "I will," Karma replied, gaining the courage to hug back. "I will return to you as myself."


    After a long embrace, they separated. They waved one last time and Karma headed for the car.


    As Katz and Karma drove off, Shirohana held her hands together.


    *God, please protect Karma. Make sure he makes it back. * she prayed with all her heart.


    Her bracelet gleamed in the setting sun.

 24 Rehabilitation: Hazy Memories Part 1

    "So, Karma," Katz suddenly said while they were in the car. "Can you give me the specific details of your condition while we are on our way?


    Karma was startled by Katz''s sudden question, as he was thinking about Shirohana and admiring the beautiful bracelet that she had given him.


    "Wha-? Oh. Um... I don''t know much about my condition." Karma replied. As I said before, it started happening while I was in middle school."


    Karma proceeded to give details of how he came to have this condition.


    ~7 Years Ago~


    "Karma! It''s time to get up!" Karma''s mom shouted from outside Karma''s bedroom while knocking on the door.


    "Ugh..." Karma groaned in annoyance. It was the first day of school and he was tired since he was playing video games a bit too much last night. "... Coming!"


    Karma slowly got up. A ray of sunlight shone from the window next to his bed.


    He opened the door and entered the bathroom that was across from him. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he went back to his bedroom to get dressed. He put on his uniform, grabbed his bag, and went downstairs to the kitchen.


    As he entered the kitchen, a sweet amora filled the air.


    "Mom, that smells so good," Karma said. "What are you making?"


    "Oh good, you''re up," she replied. "Since it''s the first day of school, I thought we should celebrate a bit. So I made pancakes, eggs, bacon, and French toast."


    Karma was delighted. He quickly sat down at the table. His mom set out the pancakes and flourished them with golden brown syrup. Then came the eggs, the bacon, and French toast. The eggs were cooked sunny side up, just the way Karma liked it, and the bacon looked crispy and delicious.


    Karma quickly digged in. The taste was so addicting that Karma finished a bit too quickly. His smotach kind of hurt, but he was happy he got to eat all the food.


    When he was done, his mom and him walked to the door. Karma put on his shoes and opened the door.


    "Here''s your lunch, honey. I made something special for you for your first day," Karma''s mom said, handing Karma a small lunch box.


    "Thanks, mom," Karma said, taking the lunch box.


    "Have a nice day at school and stay out of trouble, alright?" Karma''s mom said.


    "I will!" Karma replied. "See you latter, mom!" And with that, he was off.


    The middle school he is going to is StainFord Middle School. It was just a 15 minute walk from his house.


    As he walked, he felt a tap on his left shoulder. He turned around, but saw no one. As he turned back, a face popped into view.


    "Boo!"


    "Ahh!" Karma blurted, jumping back.


    "Haha. Got you, Karma!"


    In front of Karma was a young boy the same age as Karma. He had spiky black hair and had a piercing on his left ear. He was grinning at Karma''s reaction.


    "Oh, Jizu," Karma said. "Should have known you would pull something like that."


    "Hehe," Jizu laughed. Jizu was Karma''s best friend since third grade. Although their interests don''t quite match, they still got along pretty well.


    They chatted as they walked to school. As they neared the school, there was a bunch of students walking, talking amongst each other.


    After putting on indoor shoes, Karma and Jizu rushed to where everyone was gathered. There was a big bulletin board with the assignments of classrooms for each student on it.


    Karma and Jizu scanned for their name and high fived.


    "Yes!" Jizu said, excitedly. "We are in the same class."


    "That makes it 4 years in a row," Karma said happily. "We sure are inseparable."


    "You got that right," Jizu said. "Come on, let''s go to our class."


    The two walked to classroom 1-C. It was on third classroom on the left hallway of the lockers.


    When they entered the classroom, it was already bustling with students.


    "Hey, over here!"


    Karma and Jizu turned towards the voice.


    "Oh! It''s Kizuna and Kiki," Karma said. Kizuna and Kiki are best friends and also were Karma''s and Jizu''s friends from StainFord Elementary.


    "You girls got into the same class too?" Jizu asked as Karma and he walked toward the girls.


    "Yep," Kizuna said proudly. "We have been together since we were little. It''s only natural we got to be in the same class."


    "We can never be separated," Kiki said, smiling at Kizuna.


    The four chatted until the bell signaled the start of class. It was a normal first day of introductions and discussions of the curriculum.


    At lunch, the four grabbed their lunch and went to the rooftop. The fresh air greeted them gently.


    "I''m so glad that students are allowed on the rooftop at this school," Kizuna said, taking in a deep breath.


    "Yeah," Jizu agreed. "I have a older friend who got into another middle school where the only place you can eat lunch is in the classroom. They don''t even have a cafeteria."


    Karma also took in a deep breath. The cool breeze felt good on his body. It was a moment of tranquility from being in class all day.


    The four found a place where they can sit down.


    "Wow, you got a cute lunch, Karma," Kiki said, when Karma opened his lunch box.


    "Yeah," Karma replied. "My mom wanted to do something special for my first day. She went a little overboard though."


    After they finished their lunch, it was almost time for their next class.


    "Do you guys want to meet up to check out clubs?" Kizuna said as they were walking to their classroom.


    "Sounds good," Jizu replied.


    "Yeah, I got time," Kiki agreed happily.


    "No problem here," Karma replied.


    "Great! It''s a plan then," Kizuna said happily.


    The rest of school proceeded as normal. When the last bell rang, Karma, Jizu, Kizuna and Kiki gathered up and walked out of the classroom.


    While they were walking to look at a bulletin of some clubs that the upperclassmen have posted, they heard gossip about a beautiful, white-haired girl that just transferred in.


    "What are they on about?" Jizu asked when he heard the gossiping.


    "Appearently there was a girl who transferred in and she became the talk on the school," Kiki replied.


    "Wow," Jizu said. "She must be pretty good looking to gain this much popularity. I kinda wanna meet and talk to her."


    "Ha, if you would have any chance," Kizuna said. "You were so shy when you first met me."


    "Hey!"Jizu said, annoyed." That was back then. I''m a man now. "


    "You sure? You still look the same to me, "Karma said jokingly.


    "Not you too! "Jizu said. The other three laughed.


    When they made it to the bulletin with all the clubs, there was already a couple of people there. The four tried to find a nice place to view all of the clubs. After deciding what clubs they wanted, they started to leave the school as it was already quite late.


    "Oh no!" Karma said suddenly. "I forgot my textbook. Sorry guys. Go home without me."


    "Man, you''re so forgetful sometimes," Kizuna said.


    "Sorry, haha," Karma said apologetically. After saying goodbyes, Karma rushed to the classroom to grab his book.


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    "Ah," Karma said in relief as he walked to his desk "There it is."


    After grabbing the textbook, he exited the classroom. Just when he was about to make it to the lockers, he heard screaming from above. There was a sudden THUD and he could hear the sobs of a girl.


    Worried, Karma rushed upstairs to find the source of the crying. When he got to the 3rd floor, he could hear the sobbing getting louder. He ran and soon found the room where the source was coming. The cries before were now whimpers of sadness.


    "Is anyone in there," Karma asked while knocking on the door.


    The person on the other side seem to be rushing to the door.


    "Yes! I''m here. Please...Help me!" the person shouted. It was a girl''s voice.


    "Hold on, I''ll go get a teacher!" Karma said and ran off to find someone.


    *Please let there be a teacher or staff. Anyone of them will do!* Karma thought as he ran.


    This was the beginning of many tragedies to come.

 25 Rehabilitation: Hazy Memories Part 2

    Karma ran through the school trying to find someone that can help him. After about a few minutes of searching, he saw the Janitor cleaning the 1st floor bathrooms.


    Relieved, he ran towards the Janitor. The Janitor noticed and stopped his work.


    "Woah, hey there," the Janitor said. "You need something?"


    "I... need help," Karma said, exhausted from running. "T-There''s a... girl..."


    "Alright, young man," the Janitor said. "Calm down and take a deep breath. What do you help with?"


    Karma took a few deep breaths to stabilize his breathing and heartbeat.


    "There''s a girl stuck in a room with a large lock on it," Karma finally said. "Please, I need your help."


    "That''s horrible," the Janitor said. "Let me go get my toolbox in my closet. You wait here."


    The janitor leaned his mop on the wall of the boy''s bathroom and walked rapidly to his closet.


    Karma took another breath to calm down further. After a while, he could see the janitor come back. He was holding a large box in his right hand.


    "Alright, " the Janitor said. "Lead the way, young man."


    Karma and the Janitor rushed to where the room where the girl was trapped in. When they neared the room, Karma could hear the girl rush to the door.


    "I brought the Janitor. Thankfully he was still working." Karma said to the girl.


    "Are you okay, child? Don''t worry, I''ll get you out," the Janitor said, half gasping for air.


    "Thank you!" the girl said, relieved.


    The Janitor clipped the lock on the door and the girl slowly walked out. Karma was mesmerized by her beauty. Her smooth white hair flowed as she stepped out.


    "You okay?" Karma asked with a concerned look.


    "Yeah! I''m fine, thanks to you," the girl said cheerfully. Karma blushed a bright red.


    "Well, I have to go back to work. Boy, take the young lady home, okay?" The Janitor said as he walked off.


    "So...uh...what were you doing there in the first place?" Karma asked her as they went down the stairs.


    "It''s nothing," Shirohana replied after a short while. "I just wanted some peace and quiet and someone locked the door from the outside, that''s all."


    "Oh...okay," Karma replied, though he knew there was something more to her situation than what she said. But he didn''t want to pressure her, so he just accepted the answer.


    After a few minutes of walking, the girl suddenly dashed down the current flight of stairs.


    "I have to go. Thanks!" the girl said to Karma, waving.


    Karma waved back with a smile on his face, though he wished she would have stayed a little longer.


    Karma, after reaching the lockers, changed to his shoes and started to walk out. As he neared the entrance, a figure suddenly appeared and bumped into him.


    "Ouch..." the figure said. It was the white haired girl from before.


    "S-Sorry! Are you alright?" Karma asked.


    "Yeah... Sorry for bumping into you. I''m in a hurry. J...Josh is..." the girl replied. Suddenly, tears dripped down her eyes. She quickly tried to wipe them away. Karma handed her some tissues.


    "T-Thank you..." the girl said, still weeping.


    "Why are you crying? What''s wrong?" Karma asked, concerned.


    "Please...help me...My friend...he''s hurt...he...he, " the girl started before bursting into tears again.


    "Don''t cry, I''ll help. You go back to him. I''ll get the first aid kit and other things," Karma said, before running off and turning left on the hallway.


    *If my memory is correct, the nurses office is just around here... Ah there it is* Karma thought.


    Luckily, the nurse room was still open. Karma rushed in and scrambled for any everything he thought would be helpful. Antibiotics, bandages, all of the like.


    *I might need some more. My mom some medical things in her bedroom. * Karma thought as he ran out of the school and dashed home.


    When he got there, his mom was waiting, arms crossed. She had a stern look on her face.


    "Why are you so late," his mom asked. "And why are you running?"


    "I... I," Karma began, but was unable to continue because of exhaustion. He took some breaths before he started to explain what was happening.


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    "My... That''s horrible!" Karma''s mom said, her stern look turned into a look of worry. "Come with me to get some medical supplies."


    Karma smiled. His mom was always willing to help when the situation called for it.


    Karma followed his mom to her bedroom. His mom opened several drawers and took out some useful items.


    "Do you know how the boy is," Karma''s mom asked while she was looking at the medical supplies she had.


    "Oh uh...," Karma said nervously, realizing he had not actually seen the condition of the boy that was hurt. "I kinda didn''t check. I just ran to the nurse room to get items and ran here to get more."


    Karma''s mom sighed. Karma had a habit of forgetting the important details in any situation. Karma''s mom judged that it involved some serious bruises and injuries from what Karma had told her. She gathered some alcohol wipes for disinfection and some oilments.


    "Here you go sweetie," Karma''s mom said as she put everything in the bag. "You know how to apply these, right?"


    "Yeah. Thanks mom," Karma replied, taking the medical supplies. He put on his shoes and ran back to the school.


    When he got to the school, he ran in the direction he had seen the white haired girl run. As Karma turned the building, he saw the girl kneeling beside an injured boy about his age. He had bruises all over his body and there was blood dripping.


    "I...huff..I...I''m sorry. I went home to grab more stuff, just in case." Karma said, clearly tired from the long run.


    The girl smiled in relief.


    They treated the injured boy''s wounds. Luckily there weren''t any severe injuries. After that, the boy carried Josh and walked to Josh''s house with Shirohana.


    "Thank you," the girl said. "I don''t know how to repay you, but if you need anything just ask."


    "It''s no problem," Karma said. "I''ll be heading off now."


    "Wait!" the girl said. "My name is Shirohana. What is your name?"


    "Just call me Karma," Karma said as he ran off.


    When Karma arrived home, his mother was waiting for him, welcoming him back.


    "Is the boy okay?" his mom asked.


    "Aside from needing to rest a while and a lot of bruises, he should be more or less fine," Karma replied.


    "That''s good. I do wonder how did that boy got into this mess," Karma''s mom said. "If you have time, could you ask the girl that you helped to take us to see the injured boy?"


    "Sure, I''ll ask her," Karma agreed. The two then walked into the house and Karma ate the leftovers from the dinner that his mom and dad had hours before.


    After eating, he took a shower and went into his bedroom. He laid on the bed thinking about that beautiful girl and if he is going to see her again. He also thought about the boy. His injuries did not seem to be a simple fall and he didn''t seem to be like the type of person to hurt himself.


    *Someone must have done that to him. Who the hell would do something like that?*


    And with that last thought, Karma tucked himself in and fell asleep.

 24 Rehabilitation: Recollection Part 1

    "So, Karma," Katz suddenly said while they were in the car. "Can you give me the specific details of your condition while we are on our way?


    Karma was startled by Katz''s sudden question, as he was thinking about Shirohana and admiring the beautiful bracelet that she had given him.


    "Wha-? Oh. Um... I don''t know much about my condition." Karma replied. As I said before, it started happening while I was in middle school."


    Karma proceeded to give details of how he came to have this condition.


    ~7 Years Ago~


    "Karma! It''s time to get up!" Karma''s mom shouted from outside Karma''s bedroom while knocking on the door.


    "Ugh..." Karma groaned in annoyance. It was the first day of school and he was tired since he was playing video games a bit too much last night. "... Coming!"


    Karma slowly got up. A ray of sunlight shone from the window next to his bed.


    He opened the door and entered the bathroom that was across from him. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he went back to his bedroom to get dressed. He put on his uniform, grabbed his bag, and went downstairs to the kitchen.


    As he entered the kitchen, a sweet amora filled the air.


    "Mom, that smells so good," Karma said. "What are you making?"


    "Oh good, you''re up," she replied. "Since it''s the first day of school, I thought we should celebrate a bit. So I made pancakes, eggs, bacon, and French toast."


    Karma was delighted. He quickly sat down at the table. His mom set out the pancakes and flourished them with golden brown syrup. Then came the eggs, the bacon, and French toast. The eggs were cooked sunny side up, just the way Karma liked it, and the bacon looked crispy and delicious.


    Karma quickly digged in. The taste was so addicting that Karma finished a bit too quickly. His smotach kind of hurt, but he was happy he got to eat all the food.


    When he was done, his mom and him walked to the door. Karma put on his shoes and opened the door.


    "Here''s your lunch, honey. I made something special for you for your first day," Karma''s mom said, handing Karma a small lunch box.


    "Thanks, mom," Karma said, taking the lunch box.


    "Have a nice day at school and stay out of trouble, alright?" Karma''s mom said.


    "I will!" Karma replied. "See you latter, mom!" And with that, he was off.


    The middle school he is going to is StainFord Middle School. It was just a 15 minute walk from his house.


    As he walked, he felt a tap on his left shoulder. He turned around, but saw no one. As he turned back, a face popped into view.


    "Boo!"


    "Ahh!" Karma blurted, jumping back.


    "Haha. Got you, Karma!"


    In front of Karma was a young boy the same age as Karma. He had spiky black hair and had a piercing on his left ear. He was grinning at Karma''s reaction.


    "Oh, Jizu," Karma said. "Should have known you would pull something like that."


    "Hehe," Jizu laughed. Jizu was Karma''s best friend since third grade. Although their interests don''t quite match, they still got along pretty well.


    They chatted as they walked to school. As they neared the school, there was a bunch of students walking, talking amongst each other.


    After putting on indoor shoes, Karma and Jizu rushed to where everyone was gathered. There was a big bulletin board with the assignments of classrooms for each student on it.


    Karma and Jizu scanned for their name and high fived.


    "Yes!" Jizu said, excitedly. "We are in the same class."


    "That makes it 4 years in a row," Karma said happily. "We sure are inseparable."


    "You got that right," Jizu said. "Come on, let''s go to our class."


    The two walked to classroom 1-C. It was on third classroom on the left hallway of the lockers.


    When they entered the classroom, it was already bustling with students.


    "Hey, over here!"


    Karma and Jizu turned towards the voice.


    "Oh! It''s Kizuna and Kiki," Karma said. Kizuna and Kiki are best friends and also were Karma''s and Jizu''s friends from StainFord Elementary.


    "You girls got into the same class too?" Jizu asked as Karma and he walked toward the girls.


    "Yep," Kizuna said proudly. "We have been together since we were little. It''s only natural we got to be in the same class."


    "We can never be separated," Kiki said, smiling at Kizuna.


    The four chatted until the bell signaled the start of class. It was a normal first day of introductions and discussions of the curriculum.


    At lunch, the four grabbed their lunch and went to the rooftop. The fresh air greeted them gently.


    "I''m so glad that students are allowed on the rooftop at this school," Kizuna said, taking in a deep breath.


    "Yeah," Jizu agreed. "I have a older friend who got into another middle school where the only place you can eat lunch is in the classroom. They don''t even have a cafeteria."


    Karma also took in a deep breath. The cool breeze felt good on his body. It was a moment of tranquility from being in class all day.


    The four found a place where they can sit down.


    "Wow, you got a cute lunch, Karma," Kiki said, when Karma opened his lunch box.


    "Yeah," Karma replied. "My mom wanted to do something special for my first day. She went a little overboard though."


    After they finished their lunch, it was almost time for their next class.


    "Do you guys want to meet up to check out clubs?" Kizuna said as they were walking to their classroom.


    "Sounds good," Jizu replied.


    "Yeah, I got time," Kiki agreed happily.


    "No problem here," Karma replied.


    "Great! It''s a plan then," Kizuna said happily.


    The rest of school proceeded as normal. When the last bell rang, Karma, Jizu, Kizuna and Kiki gathered up and walked out of the classroom.


    While they were walking to look at a bulletin of some clubs that the upperclassmen have posted, they heard gossip about a beautiful, white-haired girl that just transferred in.


    "What are they on about?" Jizu asked when he heard the gossiping.


    "Appearently there was a girl who transferred in and she became the talk on the school," Kiki replied.


    "Wow," Jizu said. "She must be pretty good looking to gain this much popularity. I kinda wanna meet and talk to her."


    "Ha, if you would have any chance," Kizuna said. "You were so shy when you first met me."


    "Hey!"Jizu said, annoyed." That was back then. I''m a man now. "


    "You sure? You still look the same to me, "Karma said jokingly.


    "Not you too! "Jizu said. The other three laughed.


    When they made it to the bulletin with all the clubs, there was already a couple of people there. The four tried to find a nice place to view all of the clubs. After deciding what clubs they wanted, they started to leave the school as it was already quite late.


    "Oh no!" Karma said suddenly. "I forgot my textbook. Sorry guys. Go home without me."


    "Man, you''re so forgetful sometimes," Kizuna said.


    "Sorry, haha," Karma said apologetically. After saying goodbyes, Karma rushed to the classroom to grab his book.


    "Ah," Karma said in relief as he walked to his desk "There it is."


    After grabbing the textbook, he exited the classroom. Just when he was about to make it to the lockers, he heard screaming from above. There was a sudden THUD and he could hear the sobs of a girl.


    Worried, Karma rushed upstairs to find the source of the crying. When he got to the 3rd floor, he could hear the sobbing getting louder. He ran and soon found the room where the source was coming. The cries before were now whimpers of sadness.


    "Is anyone in there," Karma asked while knocking on the door.


    The person on the other side seem to be rushing to the door.


    "Yes! I''m here. Please...Help me!" the person shouted. It was a girl''s voice.


    "Hold on, I''ll go get a teacher!" Karma said and ran off to find someone.


    *Please let there be a teacher or staff. Anyone of them will do!* Karma thought as he ran.


    This was the beginning of many tragedies to come.

 25 Rehabilitation: Recollection Part 2

    Karma ran through the school trying to find someone that can help him. After about a few minutes of searching, he saw the Janitor cleaning the 1st floor bathrooms.


    Relieved, he ran towards the Janitor. The Janitor noticed and stopped his work.


    "Woah, hey there," the Janitor said. "You need something?"


    "I... need help," Karma said, exhausted from running. "T-There''s a... girl..."


    "Alright, young man," the Janitor said. "Calm down and take a deep breath. What do you need help with?"


    Karma took a few deep breaths to stabilize his breathing and heartbeat.


    "There''s a girl stuck in a room with a large lock on it," Karma finally said. "Please, I need your help."


    "That''s horrible," the Janitor said. "Let me go get my toolbox in my closet. You wait here."


    The janitor leaned his mop on the wall of the boy''s bathroom and walked rapidly to his closet.


    Karma took another breath to calm down further. After a while, he could see the janitor come back. He was holding a large box in his right hand.


    "Alright, " the Janitor said. "Lead the way, young man."


    Karma and the Janitor rushed to where the room where the girl was trapped in. When they neared the room, Karma could hear the girl rush to the door.


    "I brought the Janitor. Thankfully he was still working." Karma said to the girl.


    "Are you okay, child? Don''t worry, I''ll get you out," the Janitor said, half gasping for air.


    "Thank you!" the girl said, relieved.


    The Janitor clipped the lock on the door and the girl slowly walked out. Karma was mesmerized by her beauty. Her smooth white hair flowed as she stepped out.


    "You okay?" Karma asked with a concerned look.


    "Yeah! I''m fine, thanks to you," the girl said cheerfully. Karma blushed a bright red.


    "Well, I have to go back to work. Boy, take the young lady home, okay?" The Janitor said as he walked off.


    "So...uh...what were you doing there in the first place?" Karma asked her as they went down the stairs.


    "It''s nothing," Shirohana replied after a short while. "I just wanted some peace and quiet and someone locked the door from the outside, that''s all."


    "Oh...okay," Karma replied, though he knew there was something more to her situation than what she said. But he didn''t want to pressure her, so he just accepted the answer.


    After a few minutes of walking, the girl suddenly dashed down the current flight of stairs.


    "I have to go. Thanks!" the girl said to Karma, waving.


    Karma waved back with a smile on his face, though he wished she would have stayed a little longer.


    Karma, after reaching the lockers, changed to his shoes and started to walk out. As he neared the entrance, a figure suddenly appeared and bumped into him.


    "Ouch..." the figure said. It was the white haired girl from before.


    "S-Sorry! Are you alright?" Karma asked.


    "Yeah... Sorry for bumping into you. I''m in a hurry. J...Josh is..." the girl replied. Suddenly, tears dripped down her eyes. She quickly tried to wipe them away. Karma handed her some tissues.


    "T-Thank you..." the girl said, still weeping.


    "Why are you crying? What''s wrong?" Karma asked, concerned.


    "Please...help me...My friend...he''s hurt...he...he, " the girl started before bursting into tears again.


    "Don''t cry, I''ll help. Take me to him," Karma said.


    The girl gathered herself and led Karma to her injured friend. When they arrived, her friend was sleeping soundly.


    Karma carefully examined the boy''s injuries to make a mental list of medical supplies he needed. He had been getting some lessons in medicine from his mother, who is a pharmacist.


    "I''ll go get some medical supplies," Karma said and dashed off to the school doors.


    *If my memory is correct, the nurse''s office is just around here... Ah there it is* Karma thought.


    Luckily, the nurse room was still open. Karma rushed in and scrambled for any everything he thought would be helpful. Antibiotics, bandages, all of the like.


    *I might need some more. My mom some medical things in her bedroom. * Karma thought as he ran out of the school and dashed home.


    When he got there, his mom was waiting, arms crossed. She had a stern look on her face.


    "Why are you so late," his mom asked. "And why are you running?"


    "I... I," Karma began, but was unable to continue because of exhaustion. He took some breaths before he started to explain what was happening.


    "My... That''s horrible!" Karma''s mom said, her stern look turned into a look of worry. "Come with me to get some medical supplies."


    Karma smiled. His mom was always willing to help when the situation called for it.


    Karma followed his mom to her bedroom. His mom opened several drawers and took out some useful items.


    "Do you know how the boy is," Karma''s mom asked while she was looking at the medical supplies she had.


    Karma told his mom the specifics of his findings. After he finished, his mother searched her cabinets for some medicine.


    "Here you go sweetie," Karma''s mom said as she put everything in the bag. "You know how to apply these, right?"


    "Yeah. Thanks mom," Karma replied, taking the medical supplies. He put on his shoes and ran back to the school.


    When he got to the school, he ran to the place where the girl and boy were.


    "I...huff..I...I''m sorry. I went home to grab more stuff, just in case." Karma said, clearly tired from the long run.


    The girl smiled in relief.


    They treated the injured boy''s wounds. After that, Karma carried the injured boy home, with the girl leading the way. They made it to the boy''s house a few moments later.


    "Thank you," the girl said. "I don''t know how to repay you, but if you need anything just ask."


    "It''s no problem," Karma said. "I''ll be heading off now."


    "Wait!" the girl said. "My name is Shirohana. What is your name?"


    "Just call me Karma," Karma said as he ran off.


    When Karma arrived home, his mother was waiting for him, welcoming him back.


    "Is the boy okay?" his mom asked.


    "He''s in good hands. He just needs to rest," Karma replied.


    "That''s good. I do wonder how did that boy got into this mess," Karma''s mom said. "If you have time, could you ask the girl that you helped to take us to see the injured boy?"


    "Sure, I''ll ask her," Karma agreed. The two then walked into the house and Karma ate the leftovers from the dinner that his mom and dad had hours before.


    After eating, he took a shower and went into his bedroom. He laid on the bed thinking about that beautiful girl and if he is going to see her again. He also thought about the boy. His injuries did not seem to be a simple fall and he didn''t seem to be like the type of person to hurt himself.


    *Someone must have done that to him. Who the hell would do something like that?*


    And with that last thought, Karma tucked himself in and fell asleep.

 26 Rehabilitation: Recollection Part 3

    *Please read Author''s Thoughts after this chapter*


    "Yawn..."


    Karma yawned in exhaustion. He didn''t really get that much sleep after what happened yesterday.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t get enough sleep?" a voice said from beside him. It was Jizu.


    "Yeah...yawn...," Karma replied.


    "Were you watching those mystery films you loved so much again?" Jizu said with a smirk.


    "No... Yawn... A lot of things happened yesterday." Karma said.


    "From just getting a textbook? Jizu asked in confusion.


    "I''ll fill you on it later," Karma replied.


    The walk to school was normal. Karma looked around to see if he could find Shirohana, but she wasn''t anywhere among the students.


    After they changed into their indoor shoes, Karma and Jizu headed to their classroom. As they turned the corner, they heard a loud crash. Startled, they tried to find the source. It came from classroom 1-A. What Karma saw shocked him to the core.


    Shirohana was being beaten by three girls with nasty smirks on their faces. They were laughing at Shirohana when she barfed from being kicked around. No one helped her. They just stood there, watching a fellow classmate get beaten.


    Stop!" Karma shouted. Everyone turned to the door. "Stop hurting her! What is wrong with you?!"


    He rushed over to Shirohana.


    "Are you alright?" Karma asked with worry.


    "Y-Yes..." Shirohana mumbled through her pain.


    Karma turned to the girls.


    "What is wrong with you people?" Karma said. "You think picking on the weak is fun? You three are fucked up to the core."


    "Wha-!" one of the girls said, taken back. "Who do you think you are? You think you can get away with insulting us like that?" She seemed to the leader of the three.


    "I don''t give a shit," Karma said, picking up Shirohana. "I am going to take her to the nurse''s office."


    "You put her down!" the same girl said, grabbing Karma''s shoulder. "We aren''t done with her yet!"


    Karma glared at her. The girl pulled her hand away in fear. Karma walked out of the classroom, carrying Shirohana.


    "Jizu, head to the classroom without me," Karma said, as he ran off.


    When they arrived at the nurse''s office, the school nurse was sitting in her chair, doing some paperwork. She looked up when they came in.


    "Oh my god!" the nurse gasped in horror. "What happened to her?!"


    "Please help her!" Karma said. "Some mean girls were beating her."


    "This is terrible!" the nurse said. "Quickly, lay her on the bed. I''ll treat her injuries."


    Both of them worked to treat Shirohana. Then, at last, they bandaged her up. Shirohana fell asleep during the process. Her face was in tranquility.


    Karma sighed in relief. His heart that was beating the whole time had finally calmed down. However, his anger towards those girls still lingered.


    "I''ll watch over her," the nurse said. "You go to class."


    "Alright," Karma replied, heading out the door.


    Karma walked to his classroom. As he walked, he was thinking of the incident that occurred.


    *Why are those girls bullying a sweet and caring girl like her?* Karma thought to himself. As he entered his classroom, the students turned to look at him. Even though Karma was in a different class, the word about the incident traveled fast.


    "What?" Karma asked, annoyed. He sat down at his desk and laid his head down. Then class started. Karma looked out the window, wondering if Shirohana was better.


    Then lunch break came. That''s when everyone exploded. People were whispering while giving quick glances toward Karma. Karma was annoyed, so he stood up and started to walk out of the classroom.


    "Wait!" three voices shouted. Karma turned and saw his friends running towards him.


    "We heard you stood up against those girls who were bullying that white haired girl," Kizuna said, patting Karma''s shoulder. "I can''t believe students of this school would do this."


    "How is she?" Kiki said, worryingly.


    "She''s resting in the nurse''s office," Karma said. "I''m going to check on her now."


    And with that, he ran off.


    As he neared Shirohana''s classroom, he decided to grab Shirohana''s bento. When he walked into the classroom, the students'' attention became directed at him.


    Then, the three girls approached him.


    "What the hell are you doing here," one of the girls asked. It was the same girl that had tried to stop Karma from carrying Shirohana to the nurse''s office.


    "I don''t have anything to say to you," Karma replied with a glare. "Fuck off."


    The girl backed away and Karma went to Shirohana''s desk. Sure enough, a bento box was neatly placed inside her desk along with several books. Karma carefully took out the bentobox and walked straight out of the classroom, not bothering to see what the mean girls were up to.


    Karma quickly made his way to the nurse''s office. As he neared the office, the nurse came out.


    "Oh, you''re back," the nurse said upon seeing Karma.


    "Yes. I came to check on Shirohana. How is she doing?" Karma asked.


    "She''s not in any serious condition, but she needs to rest," the nurse replied. "I have to go somewhere now. Don''t make her do anything that would make her use energy."


    "I won''t," Karma replied and proceeded to enter the office. He approached Shirohana''s bed and opened the curtains to see Shirohana awake.


    You''re awake, " Karma said.


    ''Oh, Karma!" Shirohana said in surprise. " I-I heard you carried me here. Thank you again."


    "No problem," Karma replied, smiling. "I did what I had to do. How are you now?"


    "I''m better now. My body still aches, but I think I can at least stand ," Shirohana replied.


    "That''s great," Karma said. "I brought your lunch. Mind if I sit next to you?"


    "Oh! Thank you!" Not at all, " Shirohana replied.


    Karma pulled a chair next to the bed Shirohana was on and sat down. The two ate lunch and chatted. It was a peaceful time for them both.


    Then chaos struck.


    After they finished their lunch and talked for a while longer, the bell rang. Both bid each other farewell and Karma left the nurse''s office.


    *Glad to see that she''s fine* Karma thought as he headed back to his classroom.


    Class proceeded as normal, though there was still constant gossip about that incident in the morning.


    Soon, the bell ran, signaling tye end of the day. As Karma was packing up his things, his friends approached him.


    "Man, people just don''t know how insensitive it is to talk behind people''s backs," Jizu said with a sigh.


    "Are you going to visit the girl again, Karma?" Kizuna asked.


    "Ya...She is recovering, but I am still worried," Karma replied.


    "Well, run along now," Kizuna said. "You don''t want to keep a girl waiting."


    "Introduce us next time, alright?" Kiki said, smiling.


    "I will," Karma replied and rushed off. When he arrived at the nurse''s office, he saw that Shirohana was no longer there.


    *Did she leave? But she still hasn''t fully recovered... * Karma thought, worryingly.


    Karma tried looking for the nurse, but she was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and walked out of the school. Just as he made his way out the gates, he felt a strong impact on his head. He fell forward, his vision slowly fading.


    Then everything went black.


    When he awoke, he saw the sky between two buildings. He was still dizzy from the impact and took a while to collect his thoughts.


    "So, you are awake," a boy said. Karma tried to sit up and see who said that, but his hands and legs were tied up.


    The boy was really tall. He wore a high school uniform with a black opened coat. His hair was black and spiky. He wore a gold chain on his belt.


    "Who are you?!" Karma asked. "What do you want with me?!"


    "I''m sure you know the reason, " a girl''s voice answered him. It was one of the mean girls that bullied Shirohana. She walked over to Karma, snickering.


    "I heard you insulted my little sister, " the high schooler said. "You humiliated her in front of the whole class."


    "That''s only because she was hurting someone!" Karma objected angrily.


    "My sister only did that because that bitch probably deserved it," the boy said, pointing to a girl lying unconscious.


    "Shirohana!" Karma shouted. "Leave her alone! She already suffered enough!"


    "So she means that much to you, huh?" the boy said, with an evil smile.


    "What are you going to d- NO STOP," Karma shouted in horror.


    "She is gonna be punished, and you are going to watch, " the boy said, ripping Shirohana''s clothes.


    "No! You piece of shit! I will murder you!" Karma shouted, struggling to take off his restrains.


    "AHHH!" a sudden scream sounded. It was Josh, charging at the high schooler.


    "Wha-" the high schooler started but got slammed.


    "Let go of her, you fucking bastard!" Josh screamed, pushing the boy down.


    "You little fucker!" the boy shouted, kicking Josh in the stomach. Josh screamed in pain. He had only healed enough to walk, so the pain he had inflicted on him was crushingly painful.


    "I''ll take care of him, " the mean girl said. "Make sure you fuck them up, big brother. Come on, Rize and Mary." She and her two companions carried Josh away.


    "You got it, Hanna, " the high schooler said, going back to strip Shirohana.


    "No...Shirohana..." Josh said weakly.


    "No! You scum!" Karma shouted, tears forming. The high schooler just laughed and continued defiling Shirohana.


    "Wha..." Shirohana said slowly as she opened her eyes. It took a while for her to realize what was happening.


    "What are you doing?!" Shirohana shouted. "Let me go!" She tried to push the high schooler away, but her hands and legs were tied up.


    "Stop struggling, bitch," the high schooler shouted. "You are going to pay for what you have done."


    "What did I do?!" Shirohana asked, tears dripping. "Why are you doing this?


    "You should know why," the high schooler said. "Embarrassing my precious sister and trying to ruin our family name."


    "I never did that!" Shirohana screamed, still struggling.


    "It doesn''t matter what you say," the high schooler said. "I only trust my sister. Now your life will be ruined."


    "No!" Shirohana screamed. "Help!"


    "Shirohana!" Karma screamed. He slammed his head on the ground.


    *Can''t I do anything?!*


    Then, a strange voice spoke to him.


    -Do you want power?-


    -Do you want to kill the bastard?-


    -Do you want to hurt the ones that have committed sin?-


    "Who is that? Who are you?!" Karma shouted in confusion.


    -If you want...-


    -If you wish...-


    -You can gain great power.-


    Karma thought of Shirohana, how she was a nice and caring girl, who put her loved ones in front of her.


    "Yes. Give it to me! I want to murder him and that bitch sister!" Karma shouted. As soon as he said that, his body heated up. Pain went through his body.


    "AHHHH," Karma screamed in pain.


    "Man, would you be quiet?" the high schooler said after taking off Shirohana''s bra. "He got up and walked over to Karma.


    Then he fell over.


    "Huh?" the high schooler said before slamming onto the ground. Karma had landed a fist into his face.


    "AHH!" the high schooler screamed in pain, blooding dripping from his nose. "You fucker!"


    "Heh," Karma laughed. "HAHAHA."


    "How fucking dare you! Why the fuck are you laughing?!" the high schooler asked angrily. He got up and threw a punch. Karma caught it fairly easily.


    "Why am I laughing?" Karma said, snickering. "I''m laughing because I am going to kill you." And with that, hell broke loose. Karma destroyed the high schooler. Each punch was like having a hammer smash your face. The high schooler could not do anything. His sister, Hanna, just stood in horror. After beating up the high schooler into a bloody pulp, Karma smiled evilly and turned to Hanna.


    "No...Don''t... STAY AWAY!" Hanna screamed, trying to run away. But Karma, in his current state, caught up to her and grabbed her hair. He pulled her down and punch her in the gut.


    "Ack!" the girl screamed. That impact so strong it made her barf.


    "HAHAHA!" Karma laughed. "Now who''s barfing? Huh, bitch?!"


    "You piece of shit! How dare you hurt my sister!" the high schooler got up and charged at Karma. He punched Karma in the face. Karma smiled.


    "You still have some fight left in you! Good! GOOD!" Karma said, laughing. Blood ran down his chin. Instead of feeling pain, Karma felt excited. He punches the high schooler back, sending him crashing into a wall. The high schooler screamed.


    "Yes! Yes!" Karma said excitedly. "Scream more! That''s what I want to hear. Your suffering, your pain, let me hear all of it!" Karma then proceeded to punch the living hell out of the high schooler. By the time Karma was done, the high schooler''s face was a bloody mess.


    But Karma wasn''t done.


    From the corner of his eye, he spotted two girls trying to slowly carry Hanna away. They were Rise and Mary.


    *It''s those bitches* Karma thought, smiling viciously. He dashes at them and grabbed them. Without a moment of hesitation, he threw them down to the ground, face first.


    "AHHH! It hurts!" the girls screamed, holding their face.


    "Yes! Cry more! There''s more to come!" Karma shouted.


    "No...Please! We won''t hurt her anymore. We will leave Shirohana, her friend, and you alone. Please spare us!" the girls said, trembling.


    "You think you deserve mercy?" Karma said. "Laughable! Pathetic! Others might be lenient with you, but you won''t get any mercy from me!" Karma started to throw a punch but stopped when he heard Shirohana.


    "That''s enough! They have learned their lesson... please stop..." Shirohana said. Karma walked over to Shirohana and smacked her. He grabbed her face.


    "I don''t think you have any say in this," Karma said smiling. "I feel really fucking good. When I''m done with them, you''re next."


    "Please stop! You were such a nice boy. You helped Josh and me. I don''t want you to ruin your life like this!" Shirohana said, weeping. "Please... "


    "You don''t know me," Karma said. "I love this kind of stuff. It''s exhilarating!


    "No! This isn''t who you are! Please, I know you are trying to help me, but please turn back!" Shirohana screamed.


    "I don''t like that tone..." Karma said. "You ought to be taught a lesson..." He raised a fist, beginning to throw a full power punch.


    *Stop! What am I doing?!*


    Karma''s left hand stopped his punch.


    *This wasn''t what I was meant to do!*


    "Don''t interfere! You are mine now!" Karma shouted, struggling to free his right hand.


    *No! I don''t want to hurt her!*


    Then, in a swift movement, Karma''s left hand punched him in the face. He fell back, blood spurting out his nose.


    "AHH!" Karma screamed in pain.


    *You did your job. Now...G-Get back*


    Then, the evil was gone.


    Karma was breathing hard. It took all his strength to surpass the thing that had now awoken.


    "Karma? Are you alright?" Shirohana asked worryingly.


    "I''m sorry," Karma said, after gathering his breath. "I wasn''t sane. All I was thinking about was getting revenge."


    "It''s alright," Shirohana said, weeping tears of joy. "You are back now, that''s all that matters."


    Karma untied Shirohana''s ropes and she slowly got up.


    "Oh no! Josh!" Shirohana said, worryingly, realizing Josh had taken a beating. She rushed over and felt his chest.


    "Thank god. He''s breathing," Shirohana said with relief. "Josh...thank you."


    She hugged Josh, crying.


    "S-Shiro..." Josh said weakly, with a small smile on his face.


    "Don''t talk," Shirohana said. "We''ll get you fixed up. Just rest, alright?"


    Josh nodded and dozed off. Shirohana tried to carry Josh but she was very tired. Karma swooped in and put his jacket on Shirohana.


    "You will catch a cold," Karma said. "I''ll help you. "You can hold on to me if you need to balance." Karma put Josh on his back and stood up.


    "Thank you again," Shirohana said, smiling warmly.


    Karma blushed.


    "I-It''s nothing," Karma replied. "I''m just glad this ordeal is over."


    "Let me call for help," Shirohana said. "As bad as they were, they deserve help."


    *You''re way too kind, Shirohana.* Karma thought.


    After Shirohana made the call, they walked off, looking back every few moments to make sure help arrived. When they saw some police cars, they quickly walked to be out of sight.


    ~Back to the present~


    "So that was the first time you turned?" Katz asked. "Interesting..."


    "Yeah, I just couldn''t let that high schooler do that to that girl. When that voice appeared in my head, I willingly gave in. Now it has been haunting me for many years now." Karma replied, looking down.


    "Do you remember anything after you helped the girl and her friend?" Katz asked.


    "Not particularly. My memories are all very blurry and I don''t know why," Karma replied. Then his head started hurting.


    "Shit! My head!" Karma winced in pain.


    "Whats wrong?" Katz said, stopping the car on the side of the road.


    "M-My head...It hurts..." Karma said weakly. Then he fainted.


    *Hmm... This happened with another patient I had. Once they told me how their condition came to be, they started to experience head pain. Is it his repressed memories resurfacing and affecting his consciousness? His mind seems to be unstable because of his other side, after all.* Katz thought.


    He got out of the car and opened the trunk. After grabbing a blanket from the trunk, he placed it on Karma. Then he got into his car again. He picked up his phone and dialed. After a few rings, Katz gave the following command.


    "Prepare for Experiment Alter-Ego," Katz said. Then a smile appeared on his mouth.


    *This will be an interesting ordeal* he thought as he drove into the distance.

 27 Rehabilitation: Memory Extraction AI

    After about an hour or so, they finally arrived at Katz''s research center, the Mental and Physical Anomaly Research Center. As Katz neared the entrance, a tall slender woman with curly black hair in a white lab coat was there, accompanied by two men in black suits.


    "Is that the boy with the double personality?" the woman asked when she saw Karma lying down in the back seat.


    "Yes. His condition is very unstable," Katz replied. Is Laboratory A ready for experimention, Shirley?"


    "Yes. The other doctor are just double checking a few things," the woman called Shirley replied.


    "Alright," Katz replied. "Guards, please carry this boy to Resting Area A."


    "Yes, Sir!" the two men in black suits replied. They carefully carried Karma out of the car and headed inside the lab building.


    "You seem to be very excited about this test," Shirley said when she noticed a small smile on Katz''s face.


    "Oh, how can I not be?" Katz replied. "His condition provides a chance for new information to be revealed. It is truly marvelous."


    The two headed into the lab, where they were greeted by two men in the same lab coats as the one Shirley was wearing.


    "Was that the boy whom we will be working with?" one of the men asked.


    "Yes," Katz replied. "Dr. Shirley here told me that there was a need to double check the equipment and procedures to make sure everything would go smoothly. How is that coming along?


    "We''re almost ready," the other man replied. "We just need to run a confirmation test and we should be able to proceed with the experiment."


    "Perfect," Katz said. "Let''s do that then."


    The four then proceeded to head to Laboratory A.


    Meanwhile...


    Karma was walking alongside his mom. They were having the time of their lives, going to the mall, eating at restaurants, and just having an overall great mother and son moment.


    And then, to make a better day for the both of them, Karma''s dad, who was always busy with work greeted them when they were on their way to the supermarket and they spent a lot of quality time together.


    *I wish this moment would last forever* Karma thought happily.


    But it didn''t.


    Karma suddenly seemed to be pulled away from his parents. In fact, he seemed to be pulled from the world he was in by an invisible force.


    "What?!" Karma exclaimed in surprise. "Mom! Dad! Help!"


    But his parents smiled at him and turned away. Karma tried to cry out again, but no sound came out. Then there was screaming. Shirlls. Laughther.


    "No! I didn''t do it! I swear!" Karma screamed.


    "Mr. Karma!" a voice shouted. A light appeared in front of Karma and he awoke.


    "Wha-?" Karma started, but his head immediately started to hurt. He held his head in agony.


    "Here, take these," the voice from before said. Karma turned to the voice to find a lady in a nurse outfit. She had short black hair. In her hands laid two small blue pills and a cup of water.


    "Who are you? Where am I?" Karma asked in a panic.


    "Calm down," the lady replied. "You are here in Dr. Katz''s Research Center. You suddenly passed out in his car and the guards carried you here per Dr. Katz''s request."


    "I-I see," Karma said as he tried to control his breathing. "What are those pills?"


    "They will help your mind stabilize, so the pain would be eased," the lady replied.


    Karma took the pill and the effects worked like a miracle. His head no longer ached. In fact, he felt in tip top condition.


    "I feel great!" Karma exclaimed. Thank you... Uh...?"


    "You cn call me Amy," the lady replied, smiling.


    Then, Katz came in.


    "Oh!" Katz said upon seeing Karma. "You''re awake! How are you feeling?"


    "After taking the pills that Ms. Amy gave me, I feel much better," Karma replied.


    "That is good," Katz said, smiling. "Are you ready for your rehabilitation to control your other side?"


    "Y-Yes!" Karma replied excitedly.


    "Well then, follow me," Katz said.


    The two exited the resting area and headed to Laboratory A.


    When they entered Laboratory A, Karma was in awe. There were a lot of high end technology that Karma did not even know existed. Big monitors with complex controls. Robots moving from place to place, doing their assigned tasks. It was a sight for sure.


    "This is amazing!" Karma exclaimed.


    "We have some of the latest technologies to aid in our research," Katz said, smiling. "All of this has been prepared for your rehabilitation."


    "All this...for me?" Karma asked.


    "Yes," Katz replied. "Should we get started?"


    Katz led Karma to a big operating bed. Many other doctors were sitting at computers near the bed.


    "I would like you to lie here for me, Karma," Katz said. "We need to run some tests before we can really help stabilize your condition."


    "A-Alright," Karma said, getting onto the bed.


    Karma felt a little nervous laying on the bed. He has seen a lot of films where mad scientists did horrible experiments to subjects to achieve their desires. It was quite unsettling to find himself as a subject of a similar situation. But, he trusted Katz and was determined to do anything to control his other side.


    "What will happen in these tests?" Karma asked.


    "We will just be analyzing your brain for the parts that trigger the onset of your other side," Katz replied. "Don''t worry, it won''t hurt."


    "O-Okay," Karma said.


    "I am going to inject some special anesthetics. We can only access the other side when your current self is in a unconscious state," Katz said.


    One of the scientists rolled over a table that had the sterilizing wipes and the needle. Katz sterilized the area of injection, the arm. Then, came the needle.


    "This might sting a little, but this will be the first and last experience of pain for this test," Katz said.


    Karma nodded and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the needle impale his skin. Katz injected the needle into Karma''s arm. The drug entered Karma''s body and within minutes, Karma was feeling tired.


    "I feel sleepy..." Karma said slowly, his consciousness slowly drifting away.


    "Relax. Let the feeling take over. You''ll be alright," Katz said with a gentle voice. With that comfoting voice, Karma dozed off.


    "Bring me the Technical Analytical Helmet," Katz said to one of the other scientists.


    The scientist nodded and walked to a large machine that held many types of other smaller machines. He pressed a button near a certain container and the container opened, revealing an item. He grabbed the helmet and handed it to Katz. Katz slowly put it on Kama and attached the many pads attached to the helmet to Karma''s spine, near the his eyes, on his chest and on his arms and legs.


    "Check his current status," Katz said to the scietists at the various computers in the laboratory.


    "Brain activity is stable. Ready to proceed with the test," one of the scientists said.


    "Good. Go ahead and input the stimulation into his brain," Katz said. "After that, make a copy of the processes in his mind and upload that to our Memory Extraction AI, MEA."


    The scientists complied and soon, an AI in the form of a young girl appeared on the big monitior in the center of the room. She had long silky black hair and wore a simple yet stylish red dress, accompanied by a pair of black shoes. She slowly opened her eyes.


    "Katz! I missed you!," she exclaimed happliy. "Why haven''t you talked to me in such a long time?"


    "I was busy, Mea," Katz replied. "But enough about that. Mea, can you unlock the contents of this young''s man brain to access his hidden memories?"


    "The one time you actually talk to me in a long while is because you need my help in your little experiment!" Mea said angirily.


    "Mea, calm down," Katz said gently. "I''m sorry for leaving you alone for so long, but I promise to make it up to you. After you help me with this, you can request anything you want, alright?"


    "You promise?" Mea asked softly.


    "Yes," Katz replied. "I promise."


    "Alright then," Mea said.


    She proceeded to scan Karma''s brain processes. After a long while. the scanning was complete.


    "Alright, I got your data," Mea said. "I will upload them to this monitior."


    Mea''s eyes then glowed and then she disappeared in a flash of light. Then, a series of text appeared on the screen. It was the moments after Karma''s experience with his other side.


    A dark secret was about to unfold.

 28 Rehabilitation: Hidden Past Part 1

    *There are quite a lot of events that have occurred after that first incident with his strange yet fascinating state of violent behavior that has been deeply repressed.* Katz thought as many lines of text appeared on the monitor.


    "Mea, is this everything?" Katz asked once the lines of text stopped.


    "Yeah, that''s all," Mea replied, her disembodied voice echoed from the monitor. "I do have to say, this boy has some interesting memories locked away in that mind of his."


    "Send it to my computer, Mea," Katz said, seating himself at a nearby chair with a big yet smaller monitor than the center monitor, accompanied with complex keys and switches.


    "Are you going to hear my requests, as you promised?" Mea asked.


    "Yes, I will," Katz replied. "After I help this boy, I will grant you your wish. You can ask for whatever you want."


    "You better," Mea said. She then appeared on the screen again. Her eyes glowed once again and the text was replaced by a loading bar with the text: Uploading Data To Monitor 2.


    Then in quick succession, the series of text appeared on Katz''s monitor. Katz caught several interesting words as the text was being uploaded.


    Bloodlust. Insanity. Demon.


    Murder.


    *This is getting quite interesting.* Katz thought, smiling.


    ~7 years ago; After First Awakening~


    Karma, carrying Josh, walked with Shirohana toward Josh''s house.


    "I''m so sorry you had to go through all that for me," Shirohana said. "Thank you so much, Karma,"


    "It''s no problem," Karma replied, smiling. "I did what I had to do. They were really stepping out of their boundaries."


    The afternoon was cool. A light breeze blew through them. Shirohana''s white silky hair fluttered in the wind. Everything seemed fine after that incident.


    Or so Karma thought.


    "Thank you so much again," Shirohana said when they arrived at Josh''s house.


    "No problem," Karma said. "As I said, I did what I felt I needed to do at the time. Are you sure you are going to be okay from here?"


    "Yes. I can''t trouble you any further," Shirohana replied. "Ms. Somen will take care of us."


    "Alright then," Karma said. "I''m going to head home now."


    "Alright, see you tomorrow," Shirohana said, smiling.


    Karma blushed and walked away. He was both tired and happy. He just wanted to go home and sleep the night away.


    Suddenly...


    "Argh!" Karma exclaimed, clutching his head. It started to hurt all of a sudden. It felt like his brain was about to burst.


    Then a voice came. It was the same voice that Karma heard that offered him power to fight that high schooler.


    - Do you think you can restrain me? -


    "Who are you?!" Karma exclaimed, holding his head tighter.


    - I am you. The deepest part of you. The you that holds all of your darkest desires. -


    "No! You are not!" Karma screamed. "I don''t desire to hurt anyone! "


    - Are you sure? If that was so, why didn''t you try and stop me when I was beating them up? You stopped me from hurting that weak white-haired girl, but you made no effort to stop me when I was beating up the high schooler and his sister. In fact, you seemed to enjoy it if I recalled. -


    "No! I was not sane!" Karma exclaimed. "I just wanted to teach them a lesson! You are the one who took it too far!"


    - You had the ability to stop me. But you didn''t. You are also guilty. -


    "I am not!" Karma exclaimed, his head pounding. "Just... Get out of my head! I don''t want anything to do with you anymore!"


    The voice did not reply and Karma''s head pains slowly started to lessen.


    *W... What the hell was that?* Karma thought, breathing heavily.


    After resting and thinking for a few minutes, he started to walk home.


    When he neared his house, his mother was there, waiting for him with a stern face. When she saw him up close, she was horrified.


    "Karma! What happened to you?!" she exclaimed. "Why do you have bruises on you face?!"


    "I..." Karma began, but he did not want to worry her. So he lied. "I... fell down the stairs."


    But she was very intuitive, especially when it came to her son and knew that wasn''t the case.


    "Don''t lie to me," she said sternly. "Tell me exactly what happened."


    Karma gave in and told her what happened. But he twisted the occurrences a bit. He didn''t mention the voice in his head, his headaches and how he wasn''t sane when he was fighting.


    Karma''s mom let out a sigh and smiled.


    "Though I don''t really approve of you getting into fights, you did the right thing," she said. "You defended a girl when she was being violated. Come, let''s treat those wounds of yours."


    Karma nodded and followed his mother into the house. They went upstairs to her room and he sat down on a chair. His mom applied some medicinal cream to Karma''s bruises and the pain slowly started to fade.


    But as she was treating his wounds, his head began hurting. It was pounding heavily.


    "Argh!" he screamed as he fell from the chair. The pain was stronger and he felt he would lose consciousness any minute.


    "Karma!" his mom exclaimed in worry. "Sweetie, what''s wrong?!"


    "M... My head," Karma replied. "It hurts... Argh!"


    "I''m going to call for help," his mom said. "Here, lie down on my bed."


    His mom reached to help Karma get up, but Karma suddenly grabbed her arm with tremendous force.


    "Ow!" his mom exclaimed in pain. "Karma?"


    In a swift motion, Karma pushed her down, each hand grasping her arms with force.


    "Karma?" his mom asked in surprise. "Karma, let go of me. What are you doing?"


    Then she froze. When she saw her son''s face, she was terrified. It was an expression of murderous intent.


    Then he started to choke her. She tried to take his hands off of her and also tried to push him away, but he would not even budge.


    "Kar-ma..." she said weakly. "Pl...ease...let go."


    At those words, Karma suddenly let go. His face was full of fear and guilt. His mom coughed and tried to gather her breath.


    "Kar-ma...?" his mom asked, still shaken up. "Why did you do that?"


    "I..." Karma began. "I''m sorry!"


    And with that, he ran to his room and locked the door.


    *What the hell did I just do?!" Karma screamed in his head. *I just tried to kill my mom! What the fuck is wrong with me?! *


    Then, for the first time in a long while, he began to cry. His anger at himself turned into sadness and depression.


    Then he heard a knock on his door.


    "Karma?" his mom called. "Karma, please open the door."


    "I-I can''t," Karma said through tears. "I can''t risk the possibility I will go mad and try to attack you again."


    "Let me help," his mom said. "We can work through this."


    "Please... Please just go away!" Karma shouted. "I.. I just want to be alone right now."


    His mom did not reply and the knocking stopped. A few seconds later, she spoke.


    "... Let me know if you need anything."


    Karma then heard her walking off. He put his face into his arms.


    It was a long night for the both of them.