While Ayato clashed with the giant called Troll, somewhere else, inside another chamber, Kaito was already on his knees—bruised, bleeding, and gasping for air.
"What happened, student? Tired already?"
The metal man mocked, its heavy voice echoing through the cold chamber.
"Tch…" Kaito wiped the blood from his lips.
He could barely stand, but his eyes didn't show fear. There was something deeper behind them—pain, anger, and the weight of old memories.
Let's go back…
Before all of this, Kaito lived a life that could be called hell.
His parents had once been lovers who ran away from their families just to be together. Their parents never approved of the relationship, so they eloped.
His father was already a skilled martial artist—someone who could fight anyone and win. Eventually, his name became famous, a legend in the fighting world.
Thirty KOs. Three unanimous wins. Zero losses.
He was unstoppable.
When fame came, the families tried to reach out again, offering money and support, pretending to accept them now. But Kaito's parents refused. They didn't need pity from those who once turned their backs.
Then Kaito was born, followed by his little sister—six years younger than him.
At first, the family seemed happy… until an incident changed everything. Kaito didn't remember exactly what happened, but after that day, his father suddenly retired. And that was where everything began to fall apart.
The once-great fighter became violent. He shouted, he broke things, and soon, his fists turned toward his wife.
At first, Kaito didn't understand. He admired his father so much. The man who once stood strong before millions now couldn't even stand against his own demons.
As the years passed, the beatings got worse. His mother tried to protect him and his sister, taking all the pain herself.
Kaito wanted to learn martial arts—to protect them. But when his father found out, it only made things worse. The more he trained, the harder his father hit.
His mother begged him to stop, and eventually, he did. For her.
But the violence didn't stop.
---
One day, his mother collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. She tried to reach out to their relatives, but no one opened their doors.
"You ran away. Now deal with it," they said.
And so, she endured everything alone.
Then, during Kaito's middle school years… she died.
That day broke something inside him.
He blamed his father. Every scar, every scream—it was all his fault.
He wanted to kill him. But he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough.
When he returned to school, his mind was empty. He couldn't focus. He couldn't think straight.
Until one day, a student accidentally bumped into him who was being bullied. Kaito saw the fear in the boy's eyes. He saw himself.
Something inside him snapped.
He released everything—his anger, grief, all the pain he had buried for years—and fought the bullies.
It was his first real fight. And he won.
The next day, they came back for revenge, but again, Kaito fought—and won again.
From that day, he learned something: he could copy.
He could watch, learn, and adapt any move he saw. Punches, kicks, blocks—it didn't matter. His body remembered.
That was how "The Emulator" was born.
---
Even when he became strong, his heart never changed.
At home, his father had gone silent after his mother's death. No shouting. No hitting.
But Kaito knew… that silence was worse.
He knew it could happen again.
So every day, he checked on his sister before sleeping—just to make sure their father hadn't hurt her.
And when it did happen again, when his father raised his hand, Kaito stood in the way.
He could finally fight back.
But every time he was about to strike, he remembered his mother's words:
"Don't hate your father. He still loves us… he just doesn't know how to show it."
Those words kept him from crossing that line.
That was Kaito's curse.
He could defeat anyone—but not his own past.
---
Outside the house, life seemed better for a while.
After defeating the bullies, students admired him. Some called him a hero. Others wanted to be his friend.
And Kaito—desperate for connection—welcomed them. He laughed, trained with them, finally feeling accepted.
But slowly, things changed.
Those same friends began picking on weaker students, using Kaito's name. And without realizing it, Kaito became part of it.
He thought they were joking around. He didn't know he was being seen as a bully now.
He didn't know he had become the very thing he swore to fight against.
---
Back in the chamber
Kaito took a deep breath. His body ached all over, but he clenched the bat tighter.
He looked at the metal man in front of him, the mocking smile reminding him of his father.
"Don't underestimate me," Kaito muttered.
The metal man tilted its head. "Then show me."
Kaito smirked slightly. "Fine then… let's begin round two."
And this time, he charged forward—not to run from his past, but to face it head-on.
The metal bat thudded against the floor as Kaito swung at the armored figure. Sparks flew where metal met metal, echoing through the chamber. Every strike carried force, yet each was either blocked or narrowly avoided.
Every time Kaito aimed at an apparent opening, a piece of metal suddenly extended from that spot—an unexpected spike, shifting plate, or blade—negating his Trigger's effect.
"Tch—!" Kaito growled, twisting to dodge a steel appendage that shot from the side. The impact rattled his shoulders, but his grip on the bat didn't falter.
As I thought… he's showing openings on purpose. Let's see how far this goes.
Kaito lunged again, swinging rapidly, testing the armored man's defenses. Then, an opening—just enough for him to target it—but as he approached, he subtly changed the trajectory of his swing.
"What?!" the metal man hissed, surprised.
Kaito's Trigger activated at that precise moment. The invisible force wrapped around his bat, amplifying the swing, and the armored man was hurled backward across the chamber.
The metal man reverted to a physical, human form, spitting out a cracked tooth, then shifted back into metal.
"Not bad, student," it scowled.
Kaito's face hardened, eyes sharp. He could feel the fight evolving—the armored man was adaptive, unpredictable. Unlike normal humans he had fought before, every move was unexpected, and every strike required constant analysis.
This isn't over yet, Kaito thought. And neither am I.
Kaito adjusted his grip on the bat, blood dripping down his arms, his Trigger flickering faintly around him. The armored figure shifted its stance, and a long, razor-sharp metal appendage shot toward him faster than his eyes could follow.
Kaito tensed, calculating. This time… I won't miss.
---End of Chapter 19---