Chapter 184: What’s My Rank?
Clapton High had made their choice. The first student to represent them stepped forward, a tall, athletic figure known simply as Gi. He was from Bekert School, and the moment he entered the cage, a wave of unease washed over the others.
"Crap, we’re screwed!" Mayson blurted out the instant Gi appeared.
"Screwed? Why?" Joe asked, eyeing the guy curiously. "I mean, yeah, he’s tall and his limbs look like they could reach across the arena, but is he really that strong?"
Mayson and Crondo both nodded in unison, their faces pale. Around them, several students from Konsoon stood frozen, mouths agape in shock.
"You don’t get it," Mayson said, rubbing the underside of his nose, trying to sound composed. "We could’ve handled Bekert a long time ago. I’m not bragging or anything, but I’m a decent fighter. Still, it’s because of Gi that Bekert’s always been a pain to deal with."
He pointed toward the cage.
"Those long arms of his? The reach is worse than you think. And the guy isn’t just lanky, he’s fast. Real fast. He plays basketball every chance he gets."
"So he’s got speed, awareness, and reach," Joe muttered, thinking aloud. "That’s basically everything you don’t want to deal with in a fight."
"Exactly," Mayson said, eyes narrowed. "Before you can even close the gap, he’s already knocked you flat."
Aki and the others were listening intently now. Their eyes shifted to Gi, and they noticed it, his limbs looked like they belonged to a different species altogether. Freakishly long, but packed with power.
"So... who do we send in first?" Aki asked, glancing between them. "What should we do?"
Mayson hesitated. His hands trembled slightly, and he let out a heavy sigh before answering.
"I’ll do it," he said finally, voice firm but low. "Look, the reason we even teamed up with you guys in the first place was because Bekert joined the Clapton alliance. That wasn’t random, it meant something."
His fists clenched at his sides.
"Win or lose, I want to be the one to face him. I’ll go up against Gi and do everything I can to wear him down. If nothing else, it might give us a shot later. Honestly, he could be the toughest one out of their whole group."
He turned to the others, his tone more serious than before.
"So watch carefully. Learn from the fight. Analyze everything."
Mayson took a few determined steps forward, but just before he could reach the cage, a hand grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him gently but firmly.
"Hold on," Max said, his voice calm yet unshakable. "I’ve already decided. I’m going in."
Before anyone could protest, Max was already moving toward the cage, his footsteps steady, unwavering.
"No... you can’t go!" Mayson shouted, eyes wide. "If you’re the first one in and you lose, our morale’s going to take a huge hit. We should keep you for the final fight!"
"Hey!" Joe chimed in from the sidelines. "Why would you say something like that? Do you really think Max would lose?"
He spoke with conviction, but deep down, even Joe wasn’t entirely sure. Max had beaten Dipter and Ko before, but those fights had been close, too close. It felt like Max could’ve lost at any moment if things had gone even slightly differently.
And this time, there were no tricks. No school supplies to throw. No distractions or makeshift weapons. Just fists, strength, and skill, this was a real fight.
Before anyone could stop him, Max had already stepped through the cage door.
"Yo! We’re actually getting to see the leader of the Billion Group fight first!"
"I figured they’d save him for the final round... but nope, guess not. Now we’ll see just how strong he really is."
Inside the cage, the crowd buzzed with excitement as Max stood in the center, staring up at Gi. The height difference was no joke, Gi towered over him, a lean giant of a fighter.
"I thought I’d be fighting Mayson," Gi said, rolling his shoulders casually. "Was kinda hoping to finally settle things between us."
"Oh, don’t worry about that," Max replied coolly. "Because after today, everything will be settled. There won’t be any need for the two of you to fight again."
His words hung in the air, thick with meaning. The atmosphere between the two shifted. The crowd quieted. And then, it began.
Gi’s fist clenched as he raised it, eyes locked on Max.
Max didn’t hesitate.
He launched forward at full speed, channeling his Qi like second nature. Gi, timing the movement with precision, swung his long arm in a wide arc, his reach something few could match.
But this wasn’t a normal exchange.
The strike missed. Completely.
Gi’s punch sliced through nothing but air.
Max was already past it, already inside Gi’s range, having read the attack perfectly.
"Oh! That was our duck and weave!" Joe shouted excitedly, nudging Steven in the side as his eyes lit up with adrenaline.
Right then, Max stepped in with no hesitation. He threw a punch, clean, sharp, and slammed it straight into Gi’s stomach.
Gi had never been hit like that in his life.
Even as the blow landed, he hadn’t expected much. Max was smaller. Lighter. It didn’t matter if he took a hit, he figured he could absorb it and control the rest of the fight from there.
But this... this was something else.
Pain exploded through Gi’s core. Max’s fist didn’t just land, it dug in, stealing the breath from his lungs and forcing him to hunch forward, eyes wide in shock.
’That punch... That’s the punch of someone who’s at least B-rank!’ Max thought to himself, heart pounding.
He remembered the evaluation with Wolf after one of their training sessions. Wolf had told him straight: his body had reached B-rank levels. Not A, not enough to fight the monsters in the Rejected Corps, and not quite at Dipter’s tier, but still a leap forward. A massive improvement. And more than enough to take out the leader of a school that wasn’t even controlling the alliance.
But as Max saw Gi’s body fold and his face twist in pain, a new thought crept into his mind.
’That rank... it’s not even accurate anymore. I’m stronger than that.’
Without warning, Max sprang up from his position.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Everyone watched in awe as he launched himself into the air, soaring high, almost level with Gi’s face despite the height difference. Gi was leaning forward, sure, but the height Max reached was still unreal.
And then, bam .
Max’s leg swung like a hammer, smashing into the side of Gi’s head. The impact snapped his head to the side, and his entire body followed, crashing to the ground with a loud thud . He skidded across the floor, tumbling before finally coming to a stop, motionless.
The cage fell silent.
When Max landed, he wore a wide grin, his chest rising and falling with exhilaration.
’I can feel it... I’m stronger than ever. And there’s another reason why I picked today of all days for this bout.’
He looked over at Gi, who still wasn’t getting up. The fight was over. Max had won.
"This..." Max said, turning to the crowd, voice ringing with confidence, "this is the power... of the first of the month ."
He clenched his fist and smiled wider.
"It’s Pay Day ."
Max’s Current Rank: B ++
Strength: B+
Agility: B+
Endurance B+
Experience: S