A sudden, sharp shout shattered the air and froze the crowd that had been watching with morbid curiosity. Everyone turned toward the source of the noise — a short-haired blonde girl pointing directly at the group of attackers, her face twisted in fury.
Sarah hadn't come here intending to intervene. She was just feeling a bit tired from reading, and Alan had dragged her out under the guise of "taking a break." But as soon as she pushed through the crowd, what she saw made her stomach churn.
There on the ground lay Amir, bloodied and bruised, being beaten without mercy by a group of students. This kind of bullying felt utterly intolerable.
She couldn't understand why humans still hurt each other like this even after the world had already collapsed. She didn't understand adults, nor did she have the power to change them. But seeing people her own age behave this way? That she simply couldn't accept.
Her eyes swept over the onlookers. Not a single person tried to stop it — they were all watching like it was some kind deplorable entertainment. Her expression hardened. She clenched her fists tightly.
If no one else would act… then she would.
Seeing that the voice came from a girl, one of the bullies — a white-haired boy — sneered mockingly:
"Listen, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. I'll be nice since you're a girl — but if you know what's good for you, you'll leave now before getting yourself into trouble."
"And what if I say no?"
Looking at the arrogant smirk on the boy's face, Sarah shot him a cold glare, refusing to back down.
Her immediate defiance darkened his mood instantly. He thought intimidation would make her run away in fear, but instead, she stood her ground, openly challenging his authority.
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, the boy's pride flared. His face flushed red with anger as he stomped forward, shouting:
"You've got guts! Let me teach you a lesson!"
He raised both hands, ready to shove her to the ground.
Dick and Alan, standing behind Sarah, had already prepared themselves. As soon as they saw the boy charging, they instinctively moved to protect her.
But before they could react, Sarah acted first.
Her eyes flashed with icy determination. With a quick movement, she caught the boy's wrist mid-air, gripping it firmly.
Unlike the usual bullies who only waited until training time ended before running off, Sarah had spent months enduring harsh survival conditions outside the quarantine zone. Every day had been a test of endurance, and she was no longer the fragile girl she used to be.
The boy instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but to his shock, her grip held strong — like iron clamping around his bones.
Before he could react further, Sarah twisted her body swiftly, using his arm to spin him around and lock it behind his back. Then, with her free hand, she grabbed his hair and yanked it in a full 180-degree turn.
The pain was unbearable. The boy screamed loudly, his face twisting in agony. Never before had he faced such resistance — he was always the one overpowering the weak.
With a final push, Sarah released him and kicked hard at his lower back, sending him stumbling forward like a ragdoll straight into his friends.
Alan and Dick, watching from behind, stared wide-eyed. They never imagined sweet, cheerful Sarah capable of such brutality.
And they weren't the only ones stunned. Even the spectators looked on in disbelief. At first, they thought the older bully would easily scare the girl into crying — but now, he was the one groaning on the floor.
The atmosphere changed in an instant. Eyes turned to the group of aggressors, wondering how they'd respond.
Seeing their friend fall so easily, the boys exchanged furious glances. They were used to having things go their way — this kind of challenge was completely unexpected.
They silently communicated through looks, their tension rising. The entire crowd held its breath, watching the situation escalate with excitement.
Tru led the charge. Just moments ago, he had been beaten by a black kid, and now a girl dared to interfere. No matter what, he was going to teach her a lesson she'd never forget.
"Ahhh!"
With a roar, he lunged forward, fist raised high. After a brief hesitation, the others followed.
Sarah showed no fear. Instead of retreating, she rushed forward with surprising speed.
Alan and Dick followed close behind. Though they were only ten years old, small and seemingly powerless, they couldn't let her face this alone.
Alan, accustomed to daily physical training and filled with fighting spirit, wasn't afraid at all. For him, this was just another game — except more intense.
Dick, however, wasn't built for violence. He preferred studying to fighting, and his performance in physical training ranked near the bottom. Although his body had grown stronger, the idea of real combat still unnerved him.
But he had no choice. He couldn't stand aside while Sarah faced them alone.
Rushing forward, Sarah dodged the first punch with incredible agility. As the fist whistled past her head, she darted to the side and slammed a solid punch into Tru's ribs, making him cry out in pain.
Then another attacker appeared from her flank, throwing a wild punch without warning.
But Sarah was ready. She yanked Tru's shirt and pulled him violently forward, using him as a human shield.
The second attacker hesitated in shock. He barely managed to pull back his punch, but his feet stumbled trying to stop. Without control, his left foot tripped over his right, and his upper body toppled forward from momentum.
These kids had no real combat experience — they relied purely on brute force and blind aggression. During training, most of them were too busy playing to learn anything seriously. Their reflexes and body control were terrible.
In the chaos, they stopped their punches but lost balance entirely. Legs tangled, bodies crashed forward helplessly.
Sarah, sensing the moment, immediately let go of Tru and shoved him aside, slipping out of the danger zone just in time.
The attacker who had tried to hit her tumbled forward and slammed into Tru, the two crashing together in a heap before falling heavily to the ground, looking absolutely pathetic.
Without wasting a second, Sarah danced between the rest of the gang like a nimble monkey. She targeted soft spots — throat, kidneys, thighs — avoiding direct confrontations. Each strike landed precisely, drawing pained cries from the bullies.
Alan, initially thrown around a few times himself, finally figured out his limits. He quickly adopted Sarah's strategy — no head-on fights, just fast movements and smart strikes.
His small frame made him harder to catch, and though he occasionally took hits, he kept moving. He wasn't strong enough to do much damage, but he knew how to stay annoyingly unpredictable.
Dick, on the other hand, understood his weaknesses well. He knew better than to fight directly, so instead, he ran out of the fray and started tossing small stones like improvised shurikens.
Though the rocks lacked killing power, they stung when they hit. One of the bullies, enraged after getting struck, tried to chase him down — only for Dick to vanish into the crowd the moment he approached, leaving the bully frustrated and empty-handed.
Within minutes, the tide had turned completely. Two figures weaved effortlessly through the attackers, striking critical points with precision. Meanwhile, the once-arrogant bullies were now cowering, unable to fight back.
Just as the momentum reached its peak, two of the older boys suddenly broke formation. As if receiving some silent signal, they ignored the pain of their current beating and charged directly toward Sarah.
Not missing a beat, Sarah stepped back swiftly, skillfully evading their attempt to surround her. She backed toward the edge of the crowd.
As she retreated, a short-haired girl wearing a nose ring quietly positioned herself exactly where Sarah would step back next. Slowly raising her hand, she locked eyes on Sarah's back — clearly waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
She shared a knowing look with the two approaching boys — allies in secret.
Just as Sarah's back entered her attack range, the girl's eyes lit up with cruel intent. A satisfied smile curled on her lips. She leaned forward slightly, preparing to deliver a surprise blow.
But before her hands could complete the motion, another hand suddenly appeared from her side — grasping her arm with firm strength.
From beside her came a calm, clear voice:
"That's not fair play. Attacking someone from behind is wrong."