The gang leader leaned in close, his voice sharp.
Gang Leader:"Are
you the one who beat all of them at school?"
Veera straightened, his tone firm but not arrogant.
Veera:"Yes… but
there was a reason for it."
Richard, watching nervously from the side, whispered to
himself.
Richard
(thinking):"What's going on? Who are these guys? This looks like a
feud… Karikala, how are you going to manage this?"
The boss narrowed his eyes.
Gang Leader:"What's
the reason?"
Veera's voice carried conviction.
Veera:"They tried
to abuse her in front of everyone in class because she took a photo of your
boys using illegal drugs inside the school."
The boss scoffed, dismissive.
Gang Leader:"What's
the issue with that? Everyone takes these kinds of drugs illegally in school.
Is it right for her to enter their privacy without permission?"
Veera's tone sharpened, his words cutting through the
tension.
Veera:"Maybe
you can justify your actions however you want. But taking drugs in front of
students in class — despite warnings from the staff — is not good. It's
dangerous, irresponsible, and humiliating for the school itself."
The gang leader leaned back after Veera's explanation, his
tone dripping with arrogance.
Gang Leader:"Oh! So
this is the reason you fought and beat my guys, huh?"
He turned his gaze toward Maya, his words sharp and
mocking.
Gang Leader:"Listen,
girl. You think one photo will make them take action? Hmm… you moron. Even if
we're caught, they won't punish us. We're minors — under 18. There's no
punishment for us."
The restaurant grew colder as his voice carried. Diners
listened in silence, afraid to move.
Gang Leader (continuing):"And
another thing… do you think they'll let us leave from that place? No, they
won't. You know why? Because we're the ones funding the school. They won't act
against us because of money. Money is like lust — once they sink into it, they
can't climb out of the abyss."
He smirked, his arrogance filling the room.
Gang Leader:"Anyway…
I forgive you."
The gang's tension boiled over when one of the members
spoke out.
Gang Member (angrily):"What?
Are you serious? Why are you forgiving them? They insulted us in front of
everyone at school. I condemn this!"
The boss shot him a glare, his voice sharp.
Gang Leader:"Pipe
down. Don't you see I'm speaking to them, ah?"
But Karikalan's mind was elsewhere. His calm face betrayed
a storm inside.
Karikalan
(thinking):"I've felt this situation before… five years ago. This
bad feeling is back. I have to do something."
Richard, watching from a distance, froze as he caught sight
of Karikalan's expression.
Richard (thinking):"Finally…
the negotiation came, huh? What? Why does his face look so serious? Is
something about to happen?"
The restaurant's atmosphere grew heavier. Diners whispered
nervously, sensing the fragile balance between words and violence. Veera sat
stiffly, Maya's hand trembling beside him, and Karikalan's silence felt like
the calm before a storm.
The restaurant froze in silence as the gang leader extended
his hand.
Gang Leader:"Ok,
Veera. From now on, we'll become friends."
Veera hesitated, then reached out. The handshake was about
to seal the truce — but betrayal struck.
Suddenly, one of the gang members hurled acid toward Maya.
Gasps erupted across the room. In a split‑second, Karikalan snatched a plate
and flung it, shielding her from the deadly attack. The acid splattered
harmlessly against the metal, sizzling as it dripped to the floor.
Everyone was stunned. Diners screamed, the gang members
froze, and Maya clutched her chest in shock.
But the betrayal didn't end there. The boss, smiling
coldly, launched a punch straight at Veera. Veera's instincts kicked in — he
dodged by the skin of his teeth, the fist grazing past his cheek. The fragile
truce shattered instantly.
Maya trembled, her voice breaking.
Maya:"Why… why are
they doing this? They tried to kill me. If Karikalan hadn't thrown that plate,
my life would've been over."
Veera's eyes widened, rage boiling inside him.
Veera (snapping):"They
tried to throw acid on her face? How dare they… this is all your fault!"
In a flash, Veera launched a devastating punch at the gang
boss's cheek. The impact was brutal — the boss's jaw shattered instantly. The
restaurant erupted in gasps, everyone frozen in disbelief. Even Karikalan and
Richard were stunned.
Karikalan (thinking):"This
is bad. The situation is slipping out of my hands. Do I let him fight the rest,
or do I stop this before it gets worse?"
The gang members roared in fury, swinging bats and wooden
sticks at Veera. But Veera's instincts took over — he dodged every strike with
uncanny precision, his movements fluid and terrifying.
Richard's eyes widened, whispering to himself.
Richard (thinking):"How?
Is this really possible for someone like him? He has so much potential… he
could become a true monster."
Karikalan's gaze hardened, his voice low but proud.
Karikalan:"This
wasn't in my list… but he's using offense and defense in a single second.
Pragyan, if you're watching… you should be proud of him."
The restaurant had turned into a battlefield. Veera,
consumed by rage, moved like a storm.
One gang member swung a bat — Veera leaned down, dodging
with instinct, and drove a crushing punch into his liver. The man collapsed to
the floor, screaming in pain. Another rushed in, but Veera spun from the
ground, launching a brutal kick that sent him sprawling.
Then the rest attacked together, bats and sticks raining
down. Veera's body moved like lightning , the same scorpion kick unleashed in
rapid succession, knocking each of them down one by one. The gang fell in
heaps, groaning, injured, unable to rise.
But Veera's fury didn't calm. His eyes burned as he grabbed
one of the fallen members, lifted him, and slammed him onto a table.
Veera (screaming):"How
dare you? How could you do this to her? What has she done to you? Why did you
throw that stuff on her? Tell meeee…!"
His fists rained down, bruising the man's face with each
blow. The restaurant echoed with Veera's rage.
Suddenly, Karikalan stepped in, grabbing Veera's arm mid‑strike.
Karikalan:"What are
you doing? Leave him! You'll kill him right now. Stop!"
Veera snarled, struggling against Karikalan's grip.
Veera:"Leave me! I
won't stop until ecstasy!"
Karikalan's voice cut through the chaos, firm and
commanding.
Karikalan:"Calm
down. Turn your head — look around. They're filming your fight. Stop this now.
They're already injured. It's useless to attack when they can't fight back.
Stop now…"The restaurant was still echoing with Veera's rampage when
suddenly his fury turned toward Karikalan.
Veera (snapping):"Why are you getting in my way? You jerk…"
Maya froze, her heart pounding. She grabbed Veera's hand,
pleading.
Maya: "Please
stop it. Don't speak to him like that. He's the one who saved me from the
attack."
Richard rushed forward, his voice trembling but firm.
Richard:
"She's right! Stop it! You have to respect him."
But Veera's rage didn't cool.
Veera: "So
what? Yeah, he protected you from the attack. But now he's trying to prevent me
from finishing those bastards."
Karikalan's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp.
Karikalan:
"Watch your mouth, you punk."
Veera's anger flared hotter.
Veera: "Are
you calling me a punk? You jerk… you couldn't even fulfill the promise you made
to me. You didn't fight Elara, you spoiled my reputation by not killing him.
I'm not like you — always ruining others' names."