Thursday – 4:41 PM
Daejin High Main Courtyard
The afternoon air was heavy—too quiet, too still. Students milled around like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
The Grey List had spent the last 48 hours preparing for war: printing leaked files, hacking internal comms, programming the AV servers to run a synchronized school-wide broadcast.
Tomorrow, during the morning assembly, their bomb would drop.
Min-ji handled the upload drives.
Tae-yul built remote triggers.
Sun-woo distributed fake test papers with encrypted QR codes.
Chan-mi infiltrated the teachers' lounge using Ji-woo's stolen ID.
And Dae-hyun?
He waited.
Because his job wasn't technical.
It was to stand at the front when the gates blew open.
---
Scene 1: The Final Briefing
They gathered on the rooftop—their unofficial war room.
Ji-woo hadn't returned, but she sent a single message:
> "If he shows up before the broadcast, run."
Sun-woo scoffed when he read it.
> "Run? After all this?"
> "She doesn't scare easily," Chan-mi said. "If she's saying it…"
> "Then he's worse than a fighter," Dae-hyun finished. "He's a weapon."
Min-ji leaned forward.
> "So we stick to the plan. Even if he appears, the broadcast goes live."
Tae-yul nodded.
> "Tomorrow, 8:50 AM. Morning assembly. Files hit every screen, every phone, every admin inbox."
> "And if the Kraken tries to stop it?" Sun-woo asked.
Dae-hyun looked out over the school.
> "Then I stop him."
---
Scene 2: Friday – 8:02 AM
The sun rose blood-orange behind the old gym.
Students gathered in the open courtyard for the assembly. The principal, Vice Principal Kim, and several teachers took their places on stage.
But among the crowd… a new figure stood.
Not wearing a uniform.
Black hoodie. Combat boots. Hands in pockets. Head down.
No one noticed him.
Except Dae-hyun.
---
Scene 3: The Trigger
Tae-yul sat in the AV booth, fingers on the tablet.
> "Ten minutes to launch."
The files were ready. The audio narration had been pre-recorded by Chan-mi. The footage would show every piece of Division Zero's manipulation.
> "Final check?" he asked.
> "Drive A synced," Min-ji replied through earpiece.
> "Drive B synced," Chan-mi added.
> "All set," Dae-hyun said.
Then—
Static.
Tae-yul's tablet glitched.
Drive A: offline.
Drive B: corrupted.
Central server: unresponsive.
A new message appeared on every terminal:
> "YOU DO NOT EXPOSE THE DEEP SEA. THE DEEP SEA EXPOSES YOU."
Tae-yul's eyes widened.
> "He's here."
---
Scene 4: The Kraken Emerges
The figure in the crowd moved.
Not fast. Not slow. Just steady—like a predator with no need to rush.
Students parted around him unconsciously. Even those who didn't know his name felt something.
He stepped into the front aisle, in full view of the stage.
Dae-hyun was already moving.
> "Sun-woo. You stay back."
> "Like hell."
> "I'm serious. This isn't a fair fight."
Sun-woo clenched his jaw.
> "Then I'll fight dirty."
---
Scene 5: Chaos Unleashed
Kraken looked up at the stage.
The Vice Principal saw him. Stiffened.
But said nothing.
Then the man in black turned—eyes locking with Dae-hyun's.
And smiled.
> "I was wondering when you'd come out from behind your files."
His voice was soft. Clear. Calm.
He didn't raise it.
He didn't have to.
Every student nearby stopped talking.
> "You're Ryu Ha-jin," Dae-hyun said. "Phase Omega."
> "Call me Kraken. They all do, eventually."
He stepped forward.
> "You're the virus in their system."
> "And you're the firewall," Dae-hyun replied. "Built to erase people like me."
> "Not erase," Kraken said. "Cleanse."
And he moved.
---
Scene 6: The First Strike
Kraken covered five meters in two seconds.
His foot landed in Dae-hyun's chest like a truck.
The air left his lungs as he was launched backward into the courtyard tiles.
Sun-woo lunged forward—but Kraken grabbed a trash bin, twisted, and hurled it into his path with crushing force.
> "One at a time," Kraken said softly. "You'll all get your turn."
Min-ji bolted from the crowd. Chan-mi wasn't far behind.
> "We need the broadcast back up!" Chan-mi shouted to Tae-yul.
> "Trying! He's wiping our backup drives remotely!"
---
Scene 7: The Grey List vs The Kraken
Dae-hyun struggled to his feet.
Kraken didn't attack again.
He waited.
Min-ji struck first—low kick, feint jab, then shock-dagger to the side.
Kraken twisted his body like it was liquid—dodging with uncanny precision.
He caught her wrist.
Twisted.
Dropped her.
> "You telegraph your aggression."
Sun-woo charged next. This time with a steel baton.
He landed the first hit—across Kraken's shoulder.
But the second swing was caught.
With a single motion, Kraken disarmed him and headbutted him in the face.
Blood sprayed.
> "You rely on anger."
---
Scene 8: The Hidden Weapon
Dae-hyun stepped forward again, slower this time.
> "You analyze patterns."
> "Correct," Kraken said.
> "Then try this."
He pulled a small penlight from his pocket and clicked it toward the sky.
Kraken frowned.
> "What is that—"
BLAM!
The stadium speakers blared a high-frequency screech.
Everyone else winced.
Except Kraken.
He dropped to one knee.
> "Sonar disruptor," Dae-hyun said. "Custom-built. Courtesy of Tae-yul."
He launched forward with a rising knee.
Hit.
Kraken's head snapped back.
Dae-hyun pressed the advantage—left hook, elbow, spinning kick.
Kraken tried to counter but staggered.
> "That's your flaw," Dae-hyun growled. "You're used to reading people."
> "But I don't fight fair."
---
Scene 9: Broadcast Restored
Tae-yul finally shouted over comms:
> "We're back online!"
The files began auto-distributing through the school system.
All phones buzzed.
Screens lit up across the courtyard.
Division Zero.
Teacher bribes.
Bishop dossiers.
Everything.
The crowd murmured.
Some screamed.
Some laughed in disbelief.
> "It's all true…" someone whispered.
> "They lied to us…" another said.
---
Scene 10: Final Blow
Kraken rose again.
Bleeding.
Shaking.
> "Even if they believe you," he hissed, "even if they revolt… the system will rebuild."
> "Then we tear it down again," Dae-hyun said.
They clashed one final time.
No weapons.
No tricks.
Just will.
Dae-hyun took three hits to land one. But it was the right one.
A knee to the chin.
Kraken dropped.
Unconscious.
---
Scene 11: Aftermath
The Vice Principal tried to flee.
He didn't get far.
The crowd blocked him.
By noon, the Education Office had arrived. The Principal resigned. The Crimson Division was suspended.
Every student in the courtyard wore a different expression.
But for once—no one looked afraid.
---
Scene 12: Quiet Victory
Back on the rooftop, Dae-hyun sat with the rest of the Grey List.
No speeches.
Just silence.
Then:
> "We did it," Min-ji said.
> "Not yet," Dae-hyun replied.
> "What's left?"
> "We survived the flood," he said. "Now we clean the shore."
---
End of Chapter 15