The morning air was crisp, tinged with the faint smell of dew and dust. Daniel approached the largest rival middle school, the final fortress standing against the Union's unstoppable expansion. The courtyard was crowded with over a hundred opponents, all male, all ready to defend their turf. Their confidence was visible, but they underestimated the figure approaching them.
Daniel's footsteps were steady, deliberate, echoing faintly on the paved ground. His eyes scanned the crowd, cold and calculating, but behind that icy exterior was the predator instinct honed from years of ruthless training.
"Let's get this over with," Daniel muttered under his breath. His voice carried an edge of deadly calm, causing some of the students to glance nervously at each other.
The first line of attackers charged. Thick, stocky boys swung baseball bats, while slimmer, faster students tried to rush with brute-force tackles. Daniel moved like a shadow.
Jab and cross combinations from boxing met the swinging bats with pinpoint accuracy, snapping wrists and disarming the first line.
Muay Thai elbows and knees struck at torsos and knees, toppling anyone who came too close. A tall student rushed him, swinging both fists—Daniel sidestepped, caught his wrist mid-air, twisted, and sent him sprawling with a perfectly executed Aikido wrist throw.
Another attacker leapt from the side. Daniel pivoted, his body coiling like a spring. A spinning back kick smashed the student's chest, sending him rolling across the courtyard.
Groups tried to swarm him. Daniel dropped into a low stance, wrestling double-leg takedowns flipping two attackers at once, knees ramming into the ground to keep them stunned.
The assault was continuous. Every attack was countered, every charge anticipated. Daniel flowed from boxing to Muay Thai to Kyoushin Karate in seamless combinations, striking, dodging, and throwing. His footwork was flawless; his strikes precise. A flying knee demolished another's defense, followed by a hook to the jaw that knocked the wind out of two attackers at once.
A student charged from behind. Daniel caught him by the shoulder mid-step, swung him like a human club into a group of three rushing from the flank. Bones cracked audibly as they hit the ground. Not a single opponent could land a hit, every attack neutralized, redirected, or destroyed.
By the time the first wave collapsed, the courtyard was a chaotic tableau of sprawled bodies, broken chairs, and scattered school bags. Daniel stood in the center, chest rising and falling calmly, eyes scanning for the next threat. His small, cruel smile hinted at a predator enjoying his hunt.
Another wave surged forward, this time larger, coordinated. Daniel advanced into them, throwing combinations of elbows, knees, spinning back kicks, and shoulder strikes, weaving between opponents with near inhuman agility.
A tall, burly boy attempted a charge. Daniel sidestepped, grabbed his momentum, and performed a harai goshi hip throw, flipping the student over like a ragdoll.
Two attackers tried to tackle him from opposite sides. Daniel pivoted, sweeping one leg to trip one, elbowing the other mid-air, sending him sprawling.
The remaining attackers hesitated for just a fraction of a second—the hesitation that cost them everything. Daniel spun low, delivering a knee to the sternum of one, then a hook punch that fractured another's jaw, before sweeping three more with a combination of karate kicks.
By sunrise, the entire courtyard was subdued. Every student who had dared oppose him lay groaning on the ground. Not a single attacker remained standing. The silence that followed was deafening.
Daniel stood alone, surveying the aftermath. His cold eyes met the scattered faces of those who had thought numbers would save them. His smile widened slightly, merciless, a clear message: This is what happens when you challenge me.
From the shadows, a few surviving students whispered to each other, fear replacing the arrogance they had carried minutes ago. "He's… he's not a kid… he's a monster," one of them muttered.
The conquest was complete. The Union's power over all rival middle schools in the province was now unchallenged. But Daniel's personal demonstration of power sent a singular, terrifying message: cross him, and there will be no mercy, no reprieve, only defeat.