Chapter 9: Shadows Beneath the Surface
Tae Tadashi was never the golden boy. Not in the eyes of his family, not in the eyes of the world. As the eldest son, the burden was heavier than he could ever carry, yet his parents only saw his failures.
From a young age, Tae endured harsh words and harsher punishments. His parents demanded perfection — perfection they believed only Kaito, his younger brother, embodied. Tae was meant to be the protector, the example, but to them, he was a disappointment, a constant source of frustration.
Every mistake was met with cold silence or bitter reprimand. Every day, Tae swallowed the pain and hid the bruises — both physical and emotional. In the shadows of the family home in Yokohama, Tae's anger festered. It wasn't hatred for Kaito — no, he loved his brother fiercely — but a deep, gnawing bitterness toward the unfairness of it all.
His parents punished him not for his actions, but for not being enough for Kaito. If Kaito faltered, Tae bore the blame. If Kaito was late, Tae was punished. The burden was cruel and relentless.
School was no refuge. Tae's temper, sharpened by years of pent-up frustration, often erupted. He became feared — a fighter with a fierce reputation, someone no one wanted to cross. But even his classmates didn't see the source of his anger — only the results.
Eventually, the fighting spiraled out of control. The school, unable to contain his destructive potential, sent him away — to Rebal Academy, a place for the lost and the dangerous.
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Before Tae even stepped foot into the tournament at Rebal Academy, something dark unfolded.
Late at night, under the cloak of shadows, Tae found himself facing a man — an adult — whose very presence sent chills through the air. The man's eyes were the rare Ice Eyes — a deep, cold blue that shimmered with power and cruelty.
The man was an outsider, a mysterious figure rumored to be an underground fighter, a merciless enforcer for a hidden world beyond the academy. No one officially knew about him — his existence was whispered only in fearful rumors.
Tae had heard of him. A dangerous opponent, one who had crushed many challengers in secret battles far from the public eye. Tae wasn't sure why the man was here in Tokyo, but he knew what had to be done.
The man's voice was low and mocking. "You're young, but you carry fire in your eyes. Reckless and raw. This city isn't big enough for both of us."
Tae's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly with vermillion fury. "I'm not here to fight words."
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The air grew colder as the Ice Eye user summoned a swirling storm of ice, frost creeping across the ground like spreading shadows. Sharp icicles formed in the air, weapons of frozen death aimed at Tae's heart.
Tae dodged with a predator's grace, the cold biting at his skin but never quite touching him. He charged forward, fueled by years of pain and anger, fists burning with fierce heat.
The clash was brutal. Ice against fire, cold versus burning rage. The man wielded his powers with deadly precision — freezing everything he touched, attempting to trap Tae in an icy prison.
But Tae moved faster. His years of fighting hardened his reflexes, his resolve unbreakable. With a surge of power, Tae shattered the ice barriers, closing the distance between them.
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The battle became a dance of violence and desperation. Tae's fists landed blow after blow, each strike fueled by his pent-up rage and desire to end this threat. The Ice Eye user tried to counter, sending jagged ice spikes flying, but Tae's relentless assault broke through the defenses.
Finally, with a roar born from years of pain, Tae struck a final, devastating blow to the man's chest. The Ice Eye user staggered, frozen eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
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Tae stood over the fallen man, chest heaving, eyes blazing with the darkness now burning inside him. No one must know what had happened here tonight. No one could know the lengths he would go to survive — to protect what little he cared about.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only silence and shattered ice.
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The tournament would begin soon. But Tae was already a man changed — a shadow moving beneath the surface, ready to claim his place by any means necessary.
And when the day came that he faced Kaito, the brothers' fractured pasts would collide with a force neither could ignore.