It had started as a two-on-two, with Lucius and Mors holding the clear advantage.
Venti was no threat, so they could both focus entirely on Sam Li. With such overwhelming odds, it seemed like they'd end him in seconds—revenge served for the Sons of Calydon and Caesar.
However...
The moment they flanked Sam Li and swung their weapons—
They were the ones hit instead.
Two heavy thuds rang out.
Lucius and Mors were sent flying in opposite directions, slammed by an unseen force. They crashed to the ground hard at the same time.
What just happened?
Lucius was stunned. He glared at Sam Li, who had barely moved, then glanced at Venti, still playing and singing as if nothing had happened. His eyes burned with confusion and fury.
They hadn't seen a thing.
No idea what hit them—just that they were suddenly thrown through the air like ragdolls.
"Who did that?! Damn it, using a sneak attack? Fight fair if you've got the guts!"
Fight fair?
Coming from Lucius, that line was laughable. A schemer and backstabber talking about fairness?
Venti chuckled. "Zhongli—no, Sam Li, they say they want a fair fight."
Sam Li's voice was calm. "Fair? When have I ever used underhanded tricks?"
All he did was strike a bit faster.
Now that's considered a sneak attack?
He turned to glance behind him. The sound of approaching motorcycles was getting louder—Caesar and the others were almost here.
Time to wrap things up.
Sam Li didn't even need to draw a weapon for these two.
He raised a hand.
Rocks all around him lifted into the air. Under Lucius and Mors's shocked gaze, dozens of massive stones surged forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The barrage was too fast, too dense.
Before they could even react, the boulders struck them down and buried them in an instant.
A massive mound of stone quickly formed—like two graves piled high, swallowing them whole.
Just as the dust settled...
The roar of engines approached from behind.
Caesar, Clorinde, and Billy arrived on their motorcycles.
As they pulled up, they saw Sam Li and Venti standing there, and nearby—a car marked with the Vanquishers' insignia.
Billy blinked. "Sam Li? What are you doing here?"
Sam Li looked at him, then at Venti, and said evenly, "Just out for a walk with a friend."
Clorinde: "..."
Beside them, Caesar smiled warmly at the sight of Sam Li.
She didn't seem the least bit surprised to find him there.
As soon as they met, Caesar gave a sincere thanks. "Thank you, Mr. Sam Li. If it weren't for your help, I would've died back at the Cinder Lake."
There was no time for more pleasantries.
She quickly asked, "Lucius and Mors ran this way. Did you see them?"
Sam Li nodded. "I did."
Caesar brightened. "Where?"
He raised a hand and pointed toward a pile of stones. "There."
Caesar blinked. "...The rock pile?"
Clorinde's eyes narrowed. "You mean they're under there, Mr. Sam Li?"
He nodded. "If you dig them out now, they should still be alive."
Clorinde: "..."
They'd wanted those two dead since their ambush in the Hollows.
But justice still needed to be served.
They had to be judged in front of the Motorcycle Clan—publicly sentenced, with all eyes watching.
Caesar and Billy got to work, clearing the stones one by one until Lucius's head finally emerged.
He was barely conscious. "Help... me..."
Caesar grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out. "Lucius. Got you at last."
They had just pulled the two of them out when Piper and Lucy arrived in the truck.
As soon as they jumped out, they saw Sam Li, Caesar, and the others, plus Lucius and Mors—freshly unearthed.
Piper was stunned. "You caught them already?"
Caesar beamed. "It was Sam Li. He just happened to be walking by, ran into these traitors, and caught them."
Piper: "..."
Just happened to be walking by?
No way.
He had to have predicted where they'd flee and waited here on purpose—like a hunter at a rabbit hole.
That had to be it.
At that moment—
Lucy stomped over, mace in hand, eyes blazing. "Don't stop me, Piper. I'm gonna teach them a lesson."
Caesar stopped her firmly. "They're not just enemies of the Sons of Calydon—they're the murderers of Uncle Pompey. They need to be judged before everyone—before all the spectators and every member of the Motorcycle Clan."
Lucy shot back, "This is the outer ring, not the city. You planning to bring in a professional judge from the city?"
Caesar hesitated—she had a point.
Then she turned to the group. "Does anyone here have trial experience?"
Lucy nearly exploded. This was the outer ring—who out here would have courtroom experience?
Then—
Furina, who had been standing off to the side, perked up. "Me! Over the past five hundred years, I've been part of countless trials. When it comes to judging people, no one's more qualified than me—aside from Neuvillette, maybe."
Lucy frowned. "Five hundred years?"
Great—another musclehead like Caesar, all brawn, no brain. No human could live five hundred years.
Not even with lost tech from the old world.
She looked Furina up and down and sighed. This pop star wasn't even strong like Caesar—just naive.
How could they hand over something as serious as a trial to a singing celebrity?
What kind of outer ring joke was this?
And yet—
Caesar laughed. "That's perfect! Miss Furina, I'm leaving the trial of Lucius and Mors to you."
Furina nodded confidently. "No problem! I'm a professional."
Billy cracked up. "Talk about luck—who'd have thought we'd actually find someone with trial experience in the outer ring?"
Lucy let out a long, deep sigh. "..."
She wanted to argue...
But gave up.
Lucius and Mors were already in custody. The trial was just a formality now anyway.