Before Sono could even formulate a verbal retort, Max turned on his heel and strode out of the lecture hall. The move was a calculated gamble, a tactical withdrawal designed to force the senior’s hand. Max knew that if he remained in the classroom, Sono might be tempted to decline the invitation and simply continue the public spectacle of violence, using the presence of the cowering freshmen as fuel for his ego.
By exiting, Max shifted the dynamic. He transformed himself from a stationary target into a fleeing taunt. To a man like Sono, who prided himself on his dominance and his ability to hunt, there was only one possible response. A predator cannot ignore a challenge that walks away with its head held high.
"I’ll kill him!" Sono roared, his face contorting with a sudden, violent rage. He moved to rush forward, his heavy boots thudding against the floor, but he was momentarily checked by a hand on his shoulder. Sylan had reached out, his expression a mask of conflict.
"Wait, Sono. What about the others in the class?" Sylan urged, his voice tight. "We should deal with them first, finish what we started to make sure the message sticks. We can go after that brat whenever we want. He’s got nowhere to run."
"You think we should just let him walk out like that?" Sono snapped, shaking off Sylan’s grip. "Taking him down right now, in front of everyone, or chasing him down like the dog he is, will send a much louder message to these idiots. It’ll show them that they can’t just do what they want and expect to walk away. Move!"
Sono burst through the doorway, his single-minded focus locked on the red-haired student disappearing around the corner. Sylan stood in the front of the classroom for a heartbeat, glancing back at the terrified freshmen who were watching him with wide, trembling eyes. He looked toward the door where Sono had vanished, then back at the room, weighing his options. In the end, the fear of being seen as weak or disloyal to the senior hierarchy won out. He decided to follow and support Sono.
While Sylan wasn’t a match for Max on his own, a fact his bruised ribs reminded him of with every breath, Sono was a different breed of fighter. He was stronger, more durable, and possessed a raw, animalistic aggression that Sylan lacked. With the two of them working together, Sylan convinced himself they could finally put Max in his place. Yet, a nagging worry clawed at the back of his mind. He recognized the pattern. Max was leading them away from witnesses, creating the exact same private environment he had used to dismantle Sylan the day before. He was leading them into a trap where he wouldn’t have to hold back.
When Sono reached the hallway, he saw Max heading toward the main exit of the business department building. Max didn’t run; he maintained a steady, casual pace until he reached the open air of the campus grounds. He stopped near a cluster of trees and turned to face his pursuers.
"Is there anywhere specific you want to do this?" Max asked, his tone as flat and professional as if he were asking for directions to the library. "I’d prefer somewhere private. That way, you won’t have to hide in shame when you eventually get beaten."
The veins on Sono’s forehead bulged, pulsing with a dark, rhythmic intensity. His breath came in heavy, jagged bursts.
"Oh, I have a few places in mind, you arrogant little shit," Sono growled, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. "Come on, then. If you’re really so eager for a hospital bed, follow me."
Max followed without a word. He knew it was better to escalate this situation and resolve it now before the "Bloodline" group’s territory was further encroached upon. This wasn’t just a schoolyard squabble anymore; it was a challenge to his authority.
Back in the classroom, the silence was broken by a wave of frantic mumbling. However, the sentiment among the students wasn’t one of gratitude. Instead, a toxic resentment was beginning to boil over, directed squarely at Max.
"That idiot... what was the point of him doing that?" one student muttered, his voice shaking with anger. "Coming in here, acting like he’s some kind of hero, saying all those things just to run away and lead them off. He’s just made it worse."
"Exactly," another chimed in, nodding feverishly. "The seniors are going to be seriously annoyed now. They’re going to keep visiting this room every day until they get what they want. They’re going to take it out on us because of him!"
As the complaints grew louder, the door to the lecture hall swung open once more. The students flinched as one, expecting another senior enforcer, but the person who entered left them stunned.
"Jono!" Steve called out, jumping to his feet. "I thought the doctors said you wouldn’t be discharged until tomorrow? What are you doing here?"
"Turns out my injuries aren’t quite as bad as they looked," Jono said, though his face was still heavily bruised and one arm was in a light sling. He looked around the room, noting the pale faces and the heavy atmosphere. "But what’s going on in here? Why does everyone look like they’ve seen a ghost? It feels incredibly tense."
Steve quickly moved to Jono’s side, explaining the entire sequence of events, the mandatory party, the blue pills, Sono’s arrival in the classroom, and Max’s intervention.
"He’s a complete idiot, right?" a student said, leaning over toward Jono. "I can’t believe he did that. It’s going to get us into even deeper trouble with the soccer and rugby guys. You of all people should get that, right? Since they hit you the hardest?"
Jono paused, turning slowly to look at the rest of his classmates. He understood why they expected him to agree. He had been the primary victim of the seniors’ violence, the one who had felt the full weight of their boots and fists.
"Did any of you actually stop to think for a second?" Jono asked, his voice low and cutting. "Did it ever occur to you that the reason he did all of that, the reason he taunted them and walked out, was so you guys wouldn’t get hurt? He put the entire target on his own back. He drew all the danger away from this room so the seniors wouldn’t take their frustration out on you. Even I can see that, and I can barely see out of my left eye."
The other students stared at him, unable to find a response. The concept of self-sacrifice was alien to them in this environment. In their minds, if they were in Max’s position, they would have kept their heads down and hoped the violence landed on someone else. They couldn’t imagine anyone choosing to be the target.
Meanwhile, Max, Sono, and Sylan had reached their destination: the far end of the rugby pitch. The area was deserted; there were no training sessions scheduled, and most of the student body was still indoors or attending lectures. The vast green field felt like an arena.
"Alright, let’s see just how tough you really are without a classroom of witnesses to protect you!" Sono shouted.
He didn’t wait for a signal. He sprinted from his position, lowering his center of gravity as he gained speed. He expected Max to dodge, to try and use some of that flashy movement he’d heard about to stay out of reach. Sono was ready for it, his eyes tracking Max’s hips for the slightest shift. The only problem was that Max didn’t move.
Instead, Max stood his ground, his feet planted firmly in the grass. Sono crashed into him like a freight train, driving his shoulder into Max’s waist. He managed to push Max back a few inches, his cleats digging into the sod, but then he hit a sudden, immovable wall.
"I heard you gave quite the beating to someone I was interested in," Max said, his voice dropping an octave as he reached down. His hands moved with a blur of speed, grabbing Sono by the waist and hoisting him upward.
Sono’s eyes widened in shock. He was a rugby player; he was the one who did the tackling, not the one who got lifted.
"I don’t know what kind of wrestling moves or tackling techniques you think you’re using," Max continued, his grip tightening like bands of steel. "But I knew someone who was a lot better at tackling and wrestling than you’ll ever be!"
As Max lifted the heavy senior into the air, the image of Jay, the former Ranger and wrestling expert, flashed in his mind. Utilizing the raw strength of his Bloodline, Max slammed Sono vertically into the ground. The impact was thunderous, a sickening thud that echoed across the empty field. Sono’s body went instantly limp, his consciousness extinguished before he even realized he had lost.