The next day, the school was closed for students participating in the tournament.

  Like any average student, I planned to sleep in. But at precisely 3:59 a.m., I heard a knock on my door. The one responsible was none other than my big sister, Yui.

  A moment later, she literally broke through the door like a wild animal.

  “It’s training time, lazy,” she said with an intensity that immediately irritated me.

  I begged for just five more minutes of sleep, but I forgot—she was Yui. When she decides to train me, she doesn’t back down. Not even if the world were ending.

  Without warning, she threw me out of bed, sending me flying across the room and slamming into the wall.

  “Under two minutes. Get ready and come downstairs. I’ll be waiting.”

  Then she left.

  I fought the urge to groan. She looked innocent enough, but I knew better. The last time she “trained” me was during the school physical examination. It was less training and more like a near-death experience. She left me on a mountain filled with carnivorous animals. Somehow, I escaped. She casually told me, “That wasn’t even a warm-up.”

  From that day on, I vowed never to train with her again.

  And yet, here I was.

  I quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs. Yui stood by the door, checking her watch. She looked up at me.

  “You’re five seconds late… Now it’s time for punishment.”

  Fear was clearly written on my face as I silently prayed for the day to end quickly.

  But not everyone trained the same way.

  In the western district, Neel was doing one-finger push-ups. His grunts echoed as he counted, “99,472,974… 99,472,975…”

  He paused for a moment, then pushed himself back up.

  “I guess that’s enough warm-up, right, buddy?”

  Bouny, who was eating nearby, answered in a heavy voice, “Yes, buddy. Let’s get to the real training.”

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the capital, inside a large mansion—

  In the outdoor training arena, Sophia practiced with her sword.

  Covi lazily opened one eye. “You should take a break… yawn.”

  Sophia stopped and wiped the sweat from her brow. “It’s not enough…”

  Covi flew to her shoulder, settling there with another sleepy yawn. “Take it easy… You should rest a bit.”

  Sophia snapped back to reality and smiled faintly. “You’re right. Maybe I need a little break.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Later, she sat with a cup of tea, Covi resting on her lap. She absentmindedly played with Covi’s cheeks.

  “I wonder how the others are doing with their training for the tournament,” she thought.

  She pressed her hand to her chest. It felt heavy, almost dark.

  Memories surfaced in her mind—of me, of Gru.

  This time, I will prove it to you, she thought.

  Meanwhile, I was on the ground, completely exhausted.

  Yui stood over me, looking furious.

  “Get up! You’ve only completed 5 km! You still have 20 km left to finish the warm-up!”

  I begged for a little rest. She sighed, clearly annoyed.

  “Fine… five minutes.”

  Man… is this my end? I thought. My shoes felt like they weighed five kilograms each. It was a miracle I could still walk—or even breathe.

  Then an idea suddenly came to me.

  I noticed Yui was holding my bag, so I asked for it. She handed it over without hesitation.

  I walked a little farther while she sat under a tree on an empty box, watching the clouds drift by.

  “I’m ready to continue,” I called out.

  She looked at me suspiciously. “Is that battle gear?”

  I hesitated. “Y-yes… It’s battle gear. I’m wearing it because it increases the difficulty… and I’ve gotten used to it.”

  She studied me for a moment. To my surprise, she simply nodded.

  “Okay. If it helps, wear it.”

  I almost laughed.

  She had no idea I was holding a cheat code in my hands—Ken’s coat.

  .

  Elsewhere, the scene shifted to an old, wet alley. Neon lights reflected in the puddles on the ground.

  Gru emerged from a game center, beaming with pride after winning every single game.

  As he turned a corner, he collided with someone—a boy from school.

  “Hey, you alright?” the boy asked.

  Gru steadied himself, somehow still holding all his prizes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  The boy smiled. “I’m Alex. And you?”

  “I’m Gru. Nice to meet you.”

  They began walking together, chatting casually. Alex even offered to help carry Gru’s items.

  “You’re a nice guy,” Gru said.

  For a split second, Alex’s expression shifted—something like disappointment or sadness—but Gru didn’t notice.

  Later, as the sun began to set, I lay on a bench in the park, enjoying the quiet.

  Yui approached and let out a deep sigh before turning to me with a serious expression.

  At the same time, in another part of the park, an office worker was buying a drink from a vending machine.

  As he reached for it, something strange happened.

  Energy surged from his body, overwhelming him.

  His skin turned red, as if burning. His muscles began to expand unnaturally.

  His body grew larger—too large, almost unreal.

  Bones cracked.

  His frame twisted.

  A single tear fell to the ground.

  He was no longer fully human. Half-beast. Still transforming.

  Then his attention shifted.

  Toward me.

  A small, defenseless teenage boy lying on a park bench.

  Sleeping.

  .

  I suddenly awaken, finding myself back in my room. My head aches, and my entire body feels sore. Somehow, I manage to drag myself downstairs and collapse onto the couch. I grab the remote and begin flipping through TV channels. I accidentally stop on a news channel where the anchor is reporting a strange incident.

  “Breaking news: An inner demon lost control near Gobi Public Park,” the news anchor says.

  My heart skips a beat.

  That was the same park where I had been resting earlier.

  A chill runs through my whole body.

  My hands begin to sweat.

  “Yui,” I call out quickly, “what happened after I fell asleep?”

  She brushes it off casually. “The inner demon losing control probably happened after we left.”

  I get the feeling she’s hiding something, but I don’t press the issue. Instead, I say, “Could you take it easy with the training? If you keep pushing me like this before the school tournament, you’ll kill me.”

  To my surprise, Yui agrees without hesitation.

  Then she walks toward her room, closes the door from the inside—

  and collapses onto her bed.

  There’s a medical box on her table.

  She removes her sweater.

  A large mark stretches from her right shoulder down her arm.

  The injury looks old, but a thin line of blood flows from it.

  As she applies the medicine, she mutters,

  “You’re the only one I have.”

  Her grip tightens.

  “I can’t lose you… not now. Not ever. Sorry, Mom… I almost lost…”

  The clock ticks.

  Time waits for no one.

  For the festival, there are only five days left

  stay healthy and safe.