Chapter 1:
Human Combustion
KILLKARMA
Harrows—monsters born without warning.
They emerge from within human bodies, growing violently and unnaturally. No one knows why it happens. No one knows how to stop it.
The government gave it a name to calm the public:
Human Combustion.
But there was nothing calm about it.
Fortunately, a small number of humans are born with a rare energy known as Karma. This power manifests as a natural defense against Harrow growth.
Those who possess it… fight.
Not just to protect others—but to uncover the truth behind Human Combustion.
The city buzzed with life.
Highways stretched above towering buildings. Cars filled the streets below. Sunlight poured between structures, lighting everything in a warm glow.
In a parking lot, a group of teenagers laughed and talked among themselves.
Nearby, a man in a suit stood still.
Too still.
His expression was blank. Veins bulged along his neck, twitching violently.
Then—
His skin began to change.
A sickly blue spread across his body. His bones cracked, bending unnaturally as his form shrank and compacted. His weight shifted, distorting grotesquely.
His clothes slipped off as his body twisted into something else entirely.
Something inhuman.
A grotesque, frog-like creature emerged—saliva dripping from its maw.
A Harrow.
Screams filled the air.
The creature leapt forward instantly, jaws wide—tearing into the shoulder of one of the teens.
Blood splattered.
Chaos erupted.
Inside a nearby shop, a man slammed his hand against a red button on the wall.
A loud siren blared throughout the district.
On top of a nearby building—
A young man jumped idly, waiting.
He wore a black combat T-shirt, grey cargo pants, and black boots. A grey coat rested nearby. His black hair swayed with the wind.
His phone rang.
He turned.
Reaching into his coat, he answered.
“Hello?”
A calm, emotionless voice responded:
“In your area, a Harrow has been born. Head southwest—front of your district.”
The young man smiled.
He grabbed his coat, throwing it over his shoulders as he stepped to the edge of the building.
“Leave it to me! It’s time for the star to shine!”
His red eyes gleamed in the sunlight.
Back below, the Harrow rampaged.
It slammed itself against a shop window, over and over.
Inside, the shopkeeper screamed in terror.
The glass began to crack.
Then—
BAM!
A flying kick slammed into the Harrow, launching it across the street.
It crashed into a light pole, bouncing off into a wall.
The young man landed smoothly.
“No one fear—‘cause the badass is here!”
He paused.
“…Hmm. That didn’t sound cool enough. If anything, it was kind of lame…”
The Harrow burst from the rubble and charged.
“Maybe I could’ve said ‘hero’? Nah… too basic—”
It lunged.
Claws aimed straight for his face.
CLANG!
A chained scythe blocked the attack.
A second blade swung upward—
SLICE!
Purple blood sprayed into the air.
“Gross… can’t let any of that touch me.”
He flipped backward into the street, landing lightly.
“Wow. I thought you’d be stronger than this, dude.”
The Harrow roared and attacked again.
He moved effortlessly—dodging, weaving.
He smacked it with the metal of his scythe, sending it reeling.
He grinned—
Then—
A TRUCK ROARED PAST.
“—WOAH!”
He barely dodged.
Another car came straight at him.
“ARE YOU SERIOUS—?!”
He spread his limbs, squeezing through the gap between vehicles.
The Harrow lunged again.
“Uh oh—”
CRASH!
They slammed into the side of a speeding truck.
Now both clung to it as it barreled down the road.
“This was NOT part of the plan!”
He kicked the Harrow, stunning it.
“Gimme a minute, damn it!”
He looked ahead.
Traffic.
Lots of it.
“…Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
He climbed to the top of the truck.
Swinging his chained scythe, he hooked it onto a pole from the elevated highway.
Bracing himself, he twisted the truck’s direction with all his strength.
The driver screamed.
The truck drifted wildly—smashing into hydrants and poles.
The Harrow crawled back into view.
“You kidding me?!”
It slashed—cutting deep marks into nearby buildings.
“…Did you just learn something new?”
Then—
He froze.
Ahead—
A woman.
A child.
“Oh no…”
He climbed fully onto the truck.
The Harrow joined him.
They stood face-to-face.
“Alright… time for the climax of this show!”
The fight exploded.
Kicks. Punches. Blows exchanged at high speed.
He struck first—spinning kick to the head.
The Harrow retaliated—grazing his cheek.
They clashed again.
And again.
“Now THIS is a real show!”
The Harrow threw another punch—
He vanished.
Reappearing behind it.
His veins glowed orange.
He slammed his elbow down.
“Karma Wave!”
A magnetic burst erupted—
BOOM!
The Harrow exploded into purple blood.
He exhaled.
“You were amazing… may your soul pass on gracefully…”
He leapt from the truck—grabbing the woman and child, pulling them to safety.
The truck crashed into a building behind him.
The child stared at him—terrified, his face covered in blood.
“Oh, don’t worry. This stuff dissolves in ten minutes.”
They ran.
He sighed.
“…Guess my awesomeness was too much for her to handle.”
Then—
He felt it.
Something behind him.
He turned.
The blood… was moving.
Reforming.
Twisting.
Becoming something worse.
A new Harrow emerged.
Larger.
More grotesque.
Horns where eyes should be. Rows of jagged teeth. A long, writhing tongue.
“…Oh no… I’m too late…”
A rare phenomenon.
When a fully formed Harrow suffers extreme blood loss, there is a slim chance…
It evolves.
Retaining fragments of human cells.
Generating positive Karma energy.
Healing itself.
Gaining intelligence.
And power.
A 4-Star Harrow.
The highest class.
The monster raised its palm.
Ryn froze.
His heart pounded.
Sweat dripped down his face.
“Move… MOVE…”
His body wouldn’t respond.
“I’ll use Karma Wave again—I just need to—”
Something appeared behind it.
A mass.
A wall of mutated creatures.
Seconds away from firing.
“…I’m about to die…”
“MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!”
SLASH!
The attack was cut apart instantly.
A man with yellow hair stood in front of him—katana drawn, furious.
“RYN! YOU IDIOT!”
Before anything else could happen—
White silk wrapped around them.
They were pulled away.
A girl stood nearby—wearing the same uniform, but with a dress variation.
Her voice was soft… but sharp.
“I swear this is the last time you run off without saying anything.”
Ryn sat there, stunned.
“Look, Ren, Eric—it’s not my fault! He cheated! That was pure nonsense!”
Ren facepalmed.
Eric sighed, staring at the Harrow.
“A 4-Star… you’ve got to be kidding me…”
Ryn frowned.
“You’re way too calm about this…”
Eric glanced behind them.
A car had arrived.
“That’s because… he’s here.”
They turned.
A man stepped out.
Black suit.
Afro.
Relaxed smile.
Ryn’s face lit up.
“Sensei!”
The man waved casually.
“Well, hello, guys! I figured you wouldn’t need me… but looks like things changed.”
He looked at the Harrow.
“…Guess I’ll wrap this up.”
Ryn watched carefully.
The Harrow didn’t move.
“Why… isn’t it attacking?”
The monster raised its hand—
“MR. HAJIME—WATCH OUT!”
Hajime didn’t move.
He chuckled.
Raised a finger.
Instantly—
Everyone’s Karma shut off.
“…Star Gun.”
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Three holes tore through the Harrow.
It exploded instantly.
Silence.
Hajime dusted his hand.
Everyone felt their Karma return.
Ryn laughed awkwardly.
“…Right. Almost forgot…”
He looked at him in awe.
The man who could shut down the entire organization with a single move.
They emerge from within human bodies, growing violently and unnaturally. No one knows why it happens. No one knows how to stop it.
The government gave it a name to calm the public:
Human Combustion.
But there was nothing calm about it.
Fortunately, a small number of humans are born with a rare energy known as Karma. This power manifests as a natural defense against Harrow growth.
Those who possess it… fight.
Not just to protect others—but to uncover the truth behind Human Combustion.
The city buzzed with life.
Highways stretched above towering buildings. Cars filled the streets below. Sunlight poured between structures, lighting everything in a warm glow.
In a parking lot, a group of teenagers laughed and talked among themselves.
Nearby, a man in a suit stood still.
Too still.
His expression was blank. Veins bulged along his neck, twitching violently.
Then—
His skin began to change.
A sickly blue spread across his body. His bones cracked, bending unnaturally as his form shrank and compacted. His weight shifted, distorting grotesquely.
His clothes slipped off as his body twisted into something else entirely.
Something inhuman.
A grotesque, frog-like creature emerged—saliva dripping from its maw.
A Harrow.
Screams filled the air.
The creature leapt forward instantly, jaws wide—tearing into the shoulder of one of the teens.
Blood splattered.
Chaos erupted.
Inside a nearby shop, a man slammed his hand against a red button on the wall.
A loud siren blared throughout the district.
On top of a nearby building—
A young man jumped idly, waiting.
He wore a black combat T-shirt, grey cargo pants, and black boots. A grey coat rested nearby. His black hair swayed with the wind.
His phone rang.
He turned.
Reaching into his coat, he answered.
“Hello?”
A calm, emotionless voice responded:
“In your area, a Harrow has been born. Head southwest—front of your district.”
The young man smiled.
He grabbed his coat, throwing it over his shoulders as he stepped to the edge of the building.
“Leave it to me! It’s time for the star to shine!”
His red eyes gleamed in the sunlight.
Back below, the Harrow rampaged.
It slammed itself against a shop window, over and over.
Inside, the shopkeeper screamed in terror.
The glass began to crack.
Then—
BAM!
A flying kick slammed into the Harrow, launching it across the street.
It crashed into a light pole, bouncing off into a wall.
The young man landed smoothly.
“No one fear—‘cause the badass is here!”
He paused.
“…Hmm. That didn’t sound cool enough. If anything, it was kind of lame…”
The Harrow burst from the rubble and charged.
“Maybe I could’ve said ‘hero’? Nah… too basic—”
It lunged.
Claws aimed straight for his face.
CLANG!
A chained scythe blocked the attack.
A second blade swung upward—
SLICE!
Purple blood sprayed into the air.
“Gross… can’t let any of that touch me.”
He flipped backward into the street, landing lightly.
“Wow. I thought you’d be stronger than this, dude.”
The Harrow roared and attacked again.
He moved effortlessly—dodging, weaving.
He smacked it with the metal of his scythe, sending it reeling.
He grinned—
Then—
A TRUCK ROARED PAST.
“—WOAH!”
He barely dodged.
Another car came straight at him.
“ARE YOU SERIOUS—?!”
He spread his limbs, squeezing through the gap between vehicles.
The Harrow lunged again.
“Uh oh—”
CRASH!
They slammed into the side of a speeding truck.
Now both clung to it as it barreled down the road.
“This was NOT part of the plan!”
He kicked the Harrow, stunning it.
“Gimme a minute, damn it!”
He looked ahead.
Traffic.
Lots of it.
“…Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
He climbed to the top of the truck.
Swinging his chained scythe, he hooked it onto a pole from the elevated highway.
Bracing himself, he twisted the truck’s direction with all his strength.
The driver screamed.
The truck drifted wildly—smashing into hydrants and poles.
The Harrow crawled back into view.
“You kidding me?!”
It slashed—cutting deep marks into nearby buildings.
“…Did you just learn something new?”
Then—
He froze.
Ahead—
A woman.
A child.
“Oh no…”
He climbed fully onto the truck.
The Harrow joined him.
They stood face-to-face.
“Alright… time for the climax of this show!”
The fight exploded.
Kicks. Punches. Blows exchanged at high speed.
He struck first—spinning kick to the head.
The Harrow retaliated—grazing his cheek.
They clashed again.
And again.
“Now THIS is a real show!”
The Harrow threw another punch—
He vanished.
Reappearing behind it.
His veins glowed orange.
He slammed his elbow down.
“Karma Wave!”
A magnetic burst erupted—
BOOM!
The Harrow exploded into purple blood.
He exhaled.
“You were amazing… may your soul pass on gracefully…”
He leapt from the truck—grabbing the woman and child, pulling them to safety.
The truck crashed into a building behind him.
The child stared at him—terrified, his face covered in blood.
“Oh, don’t worry. This stuff dissolves in ten minutes.”
They ran.
He sighed.
“…Guess my awesomeness was too much for her to handle.”
Then—
He felt it.
Something behind him.
He turned.
The blood… was moving.
Reforming.
Twisting.
Becoming something worse.
A new Harrow emerged.
Larger.
More grotesque.
Horns where eyes should be. Rows of jagged teeth. A long, writhing tongue.
“…Oh no… I’m too late…”
A rare phenomenon.
When a fully formed Harrow suffers extreme blood loss, there is a slim chance…
It evolves.
Retaining fragments of human cells.
Generating positive Karma energy.
Healing itself.
Gaining intelligence.
And power.
A 4-Star Harrow.
The highest class.
The monster raised its palm.
Ryn froze.
His heart pounded.
Sweat dripped down his face.
“Move… MOVE…”
His body wouldn’t respond.
“I’ll use Karma Wave again—I just need to—”
Something appeared behind it.
A mass.
A wall of mutated creatures.
Seconds away from firing.
“…I’m about to die…”
“MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!”
SLASH!
The attack was cut apart instantly.
A man with yellow hair stood in front of him—katana drawn, furious.
“RYN! YOU IDIOT!”
Before anything else could happen—
White silk wrapped around them.
They were pulled away.
A girl stood nearby—wearing the same uniform, but with a dress variation.
Her voice was soft… but sharp.
“I swear this is the last time you run off without saying anything.”
Ryn sat there, stunned.
“Look, Ren, Eric—it’s not my fault! He cheated! That was pure nonsense!”
Ren facepalmed.
Eric sighed, staring at the Harrow.
“A 4-Star… you’ve got to be kidding me…”
Ryn frowned.
“You’re way too calm about this…”
Eric glanced behind them.
A car had arrived.
“That’s because… he’s here.”
They turned.
A man stepped out.
Black suit.
Afro.
Relaxed smile.
Ryn’s face lit up.
“Sensei!”
The man waved casually.
“Well, hello, guys! I figured you wouldn’t need me… but looks like things changed.”
He looked at the Harrow.
“…Guess I’ll wrap this up.”
Ryn watched carefully.
The Harrow didn’t move.
“Why… isn’t it attacking?”
The monster raised its hand—
“MR. HAJIME—WATCH OUT!”
Hajime didn’t move.
He chuckled.
Raised a finger.
Instantly—
Everyone’s Karma shut off.
“…Star Gun.”
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Three holes tore through the Harrow.
It exploded instantly.
Silence.
Hajime dusted his hand.
Everyone felt their Karma return.
Ryn laughed awkwardly.
“…Right. Almost forgot…”
He looked at him in awe.
The man who could shut down the entire organization with a single move.
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