BAM!
A student with a buzzcut flew backward, spitting blood. After rolling twice on the ground, he failed to get up. Only the slight heaving of his chest proved he was still alive.
The student council member responsible for recording marked a score in her notebook, then notified the logistics team to send the person to the infirmary.
"Not bad. Good control of power." Withdrawing his gaze, Caleb clenched his fist and said indifferently, "Next."
As soon as the practical combat test began, he was targeted. He guessed that if the rules didn't limit it to one-on-one, a group of people would have simultaneously swarmed him. This was the fifth opponent he had dispatched. Initially, he was cautious and observed his opponent, but he later realized they were all weaklings. Those who were reasonably strong could clearly tell Caleb hadn't cheated and naturally wouldn't seek trouble.
"Is there no one else?" Caleb raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Weren't a lot of people saying they were going to teach me a lesson earlier? Are you all scared?"
The boys Caleb's gaze swept over lowered their heads, some even hiding behind the girls.
"Since you won't come forward, I'll have to choose myself." Setting aside everyone else, he certainly wasn't going to let off the few who had just flirted with Yukina Sasaki and the others. If others could challenge him in the practical combat test, he could naturally challenge others.
"You, yes, you." Caleb pointed at a green-haired guy with a center part and shouted, "Stop looking around, I'm talking about you, you Green-Haired Turtle (绿毛龟)."
The face of the boy who was called out cycled through red and white. He hated being called a Green-Haired Turtle the most. Normally, he would have charged forward to teach the person a lesson. The green-haired guy walked forward stiffly. "U-Uesugi, I'm very weak. I hope you'll go easy on me."
"Don't worry, you won't die." Caleb didn't care if he was truly weak or trying to set him up for a sneak attack. He immediately initiated his attack. A punch, a kick, a left hook, a knee strike... The green-haired guy couldn't withstand a few minutes even with Caleb using only fifty percent of his strength and was helplessly beaten down onto the ground. Under Caleb's deliberate attention, his face was bruised and swollen like a pig's head. He also took many punches and kicks to other parts of his body. Without healing magic, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a month or two.
"Alright, the Green-Haired Turtle is taken care of." Caleb clapped his hands and looked at a burly boy. "You, yes, that's right, you, Big Guy. Come on, let me test if you're good enough for Yukina first."
The burly boy's face turned pale, and his legs began to tremble. "T-That... I surrender..."
"Surrender is invalid. Do you think this is a competition? Surrender?" Caleb said impatiently. "Hurry up, there are others waiting." Despite his fear, the burly boy could only grit his teeth and engage Caleb in the practical test. As for his fate... it was tragic, even worse than the green-haired guy. When the combat ended, the burly boy couldn't move any part of his body except his eyes.
"I can tell you're not good enough." Kicking the unconscious burly boy away, Caleb looked at his next target.
"Uesugi..." The student council member responsible for recording hesitated and warned him, "Be careful. Too many severely injured people will be difficult for the academy to handle." Killing opponents was prohibited in the practical training and ranking battle, and there was a quota for severe injuries. After all, this was an academy, and some matters differed from the cruel reality of the outside world.
"Got it, senpai." Caleb nodded. "Just one more left."
"Mhm..." The last one was a Blonde. Needless to say, his fate was the most tragic. Caleb practically disabled his lower body.
"Uesugi, are you participating in the ranking battle later?" Looking at the disfigured Blonde, Rina Hamazaki asked in a strange tone, "It seems there are a few Blondes in the upper grades too..."
"I'll participate. I'm already here." Caleb shrugged. "Besides, I want to see how strong the senpai are."
The commotion here was significant, and many upper-grade students noticed Caleb's heavy-handedness. Some upper-grade students who were already envious and jealous of him immediately grinned maniacally when they heard his words.
"A mere first-year student, solving a few weaklings. Does he really think that's impressive?"
"Heh heh, kid! Don't think I won't lay a finger on you just because you have the Gremory family backing you."
"You're just a pretty boy. Don't be too arrogant. I'll teach you how to respect your senpai later."
Caleb glanced at the few who made sarcastic remarks. Unfortunately, the ranking battle was conducted by drawing lots, so he might not encounter them. The ranking battle would have many groups fighting simultaneously, with the winners advancing to the next round until the strongest one was decided.
Caleb gave them an international gesture, provoking them. "It's not that I'm arrogant; it's that you guys are trash. I hope you won't be too scared to get on stage later." After trash-talking, he casually flirted, with his left arm around Yukina Sasaki and his right arm around Yuuki Shinamura, then kissing Rina Hamazaki and Ruri Kurumizaka, being affectionate in front of everyone.
This behavior was far more effective than trash talk. The upper-grade students who had been disdainful of Caleb now had bloodshot eyes but could only mutter and curse, saying things like, Don't let me meet you later. In short, they were powerless in their rage.
"Uesugi-kun, I'm Hitomi Morita from First Year Class C." A cute, large-breasted girl with a ponytail approached Caleb. She blushed as she looked at the intimate four. "I wonder if Uesugi-kun has time tonight. I can also be like Rina and the others..."
Caleb looked her over. She was decent-looking, a Baby Face, Big Breasts type. At this moment, Rina Hamazaki whispered in his ear, "Uesugi, this woman has a boyfriend, but he seems to be just an ordinary person."
"Is that so..." Caleb pondered. "Leave your contact information. After you break up with your boyfriend, I'll contact you when I have time." Cucking someone did indeed offer a different kind of pleasure. He had watched plenty of such works before, which was why he was familiar with various Blondes and Cuckolds. However, Caleb currently preferred to be a good person. Except for married women, there was no need to deliberately create another Cuckold in this world. Unless... that Cuckold provoked him. Then he wouldn't be a Cuckold but an enemy. Imagining the scene of turning his enemy's beloved woman into his shape right in front of him made the Little Caleb perk up.
"Okay, Uesugi-kun." The Baby Face, Big Breasts Hitomi Morita, blushing, left her phone number and Line account. She reluctantly gazed at Caleb with moist eyes before slowly departing.
Hitomi Morita's action seemed to flip a switch. More and more girls actively gathered around. Ignoring the disgusted looks from other boys and girls, and the whispers of 'Bitch' and 'Slut', they actively left their contact information with Caleb. Caleb accepted them all. The opportunity to gain talents being delivered to his doorstep was too good to pass up.
Rina Hamazaki and the others' gazes grew more resentful. Although they already knew Caleb's nature as a Steamroller, being 'cuckolded' right in front of them still made them unhappy.
"Those participating in the ranking battle, gather here." Hearing the call for assembly, Caleb let go of the girls and said to the newcomers, "Alright, I'm going to participate in the ranking battle. If anyone else needs to, you can give your contact information to Rina and the others." He didn't care at all whether Rina Hamazaki and the others would pass the contact information to him afterward, as he didn't have high hopes of gaining a talent anyway.
Caleb was the only first-year student participating in the ranking battle. Compared to the upper-grade students, the freshmen were at a significant disadvantage. New students who reached C-rank were considered excellent, but the average level of upper-grade students was C-rank after one or two years of training. There were many B-rank, and even A-rank, students in the third year. If he hadn't been certain that A-rank students wouldn't appear here, Caleb wouldn't have been so reckless earlier.
The ranking battle officially began. Caleb's first opponent was an Upperclassman, also B-rank strength. After a few rounds of fighting, Caleb easily defeated her. Then came the second round, the third round... until the final. He did encounter one or two of the guys who had mocked him earlier. They were indeed somewhat skilled. Consequently, under Caleb's special attention, their injuries were more severe than those before them.
B-rank Peak was the strongest here. Even his opponent in the final was slightly weaker. It was only natural. Students at that level were busy breaking through and had no time to participate in such tests. If Caleb hadn't missed the test before, Rias wouldn't have bothered to make him attend. Rules were rigid, but people were flexible. After breaking through to A-rank, even if he missed ten tests, he would still be a star student at Kuoh Academy.
The final began. Caleb faced off against a cold, blue-haired Milf (referring to a mature and attractive woman). The blue-haired Milf had a pair of smooth, long, straight beautiful legs and a graceful figure.