The entire school had descended into chaos.
On the ground floors, students struggled desperately against waves of bullies.
Cries echoed.
Fists clashed.
Meanwhile, students on the upper floors crowded near their windows, watching the violence below with fear and disbelief.
"Yeah!" a bully shouted. "It's finally time to take revenge on you!"
"Come at me, you bastard!" a student yelled back.
The conflict wasn't completely one-sided.
While many girls hid in classrooms, boys fought back wherever they could.
Some girls, fueled by jealousy and resentment, even joined the bullies to settle their own grudges.
---
Daniel clenched his fists.
"That bastard Jack…" he muttered. "He started it again."
Before leaving the classroom, he turned to Daisy.
"Go to Alan's class," Daniel said firmly. "You'll be safer there."
Daisy nodded without hesitation and hurried away.
Daniel turned and rushed downstairs toward the ground floor, where the chaos was worst.
---
A student lunged at Andrew.
Andrew blocked the punch effortlessly.
"Tch," he sneered. "Weakling. You really think you can mess with a D-rank?"
He slammed his fist into the student's face, sending him crashing to the floor.
Nearby, Coner laughed.
"How'd someone like that get down here?" he said. "Aren't our bullies doing their job properly?"
Bob's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe someone's dealing with them inside," he said.
His lips curled.
"Daniel… or that new bastard."
---
Inside a classroom.
Several bullies rushed a blonde-haired girl.
A boy stepped in front of her, blocking the attack and striking back.
"Are you okay, Kasey?" he asked urgently.
"Y-Yeah…" she replied, trembling.
"I'm fine."
"What's going on?" the boy demanded. "A sudden attack? And they're from our own school?"
"Max!" a girl shouted. "Behind you!"
Ellie stood near the door, eyes wide with fear.
Max turned.
A tall, muscular, bald man stood at the entrance, wearing a loose shirt.
Jack.
Max instinctively stepped back, positioning himself in front of Kasey.
"Stay behind me," he said. "I'll handle this."
Jack tilted his head.
"Hm?" "Who's this kid?"
"One of them beat the bullies who came here," an underling replied.
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"You don't look like much," Jack said. "What's your rank?"
Max swallowed hard.
"E-rank…"
Jack laughed.
"An E-rank?"
He glanced at his underling.
"How many came in here?"
"Six," the man replied.
Jack smirked.
"So the class fought together. Makes sense."
Jack's gaze dropped.
"What are you hiding back there?"
He stepped forward effortlessly, peering past Max.
"A girl?"
Kasey shrank back.
Max moved to shield her.
But Jack grabbed him—
—and hurled him across the room.
Max crashed into desks.
"MAX!" Kasey screamed.
Ellie bolted out of the classroom.
Jack approached slowly.
"An E-rank trying to stop me," he scoffed. "You're far below my level, kid."
He grabbed Kasey by the face.
"Stop screaming," Jack said coldly. "Or you're next."
"And stop crying."
Bloodied, Max forced himself to stand and attacked from behind.
Jack punched him without even turning.
Max collapsed again, blood spilling from his nose.
Kasey whimpered, but Jack didn't loosen his grip.
"Today," Jack declared, "I conquer this school."
"No one can stop me."
Kasey sobbed.
Max lay motionless.
Then—
Jack felt something.
A strange pressure.
He turned.
Max was standing again.
But this time, something was different.
An unfamiliar aura surrounded him.
"…He's standing?" Jack muttered.
Kasey shook her head desperately.
"No… please don't."
Jack sneered.
"I'll crush him."
"No!" Kasey cried. "Don't make Max angry by hurting me!"
Jack raised his fist to strike Max's head.
But before the blow landed—
A fist smashed into Jack's nose.
The impact sent him flying to the floor.
Max collapsed immediately after.
Kasey grabbed him and ran.
Jack groaned, barely conscious.
"W-What… was that…?"
He pressed his hand to his face.
"How did an E-rank…"
"…produce that kind of force?"
Jack forced himself upright, fury burning in his eyes.
"I'll wait a few minutes," he snarled. "Then I'll hunt everyone."
With an enraged glare, Jack stood.
To be continued.