Rick was an experienced fighter, and Aki had long since proven that she wasn’t the type to let anyone walk over her, but they were both sharply aware of the tactical nightmare they were currently in. Surrounded by a dozen athletes in a public courtyard, with a group of terrified non-combatants in tow, there was no mathematical way to fight their way out without someone getting seriously hurt.
Since the soccer team had approached them so openly in the middle of campus, it didn’t appear they were looking for an immediate brawl. Instead, they were being herded like cattle.
’These guys have no idea we’re from the Billion Bloodline, right?’ Rick thought, his eyes darting between the stone-faced seniors flanking them. ’If they don’t know who we are, then why the hell are they scooping us up? Is it just because we were standing with the business students?’
The group was escorted across the sports department’s territory, eventually reaching a massive, high-ceilinged athletic hall. Inside, the squeak of sneakers on polished wood echoed against the rafters. In the center of the basketball court, a makeshift observation area had been set up—a long table with several seats placed at the back. Sitting in one of those chairs, looking battered and defeated, was Eric. The Wushu fighter’s presence was a grim reminder of what happened to those who resisted.
"Ah, that’s a solid catch you brought in," a voice boomed from the court.
The man who spoke was mid-motion, launching a basketball in a high, perfect arc. It swished through the net with a satisfying snap. As he turned around, the group saw a smooth, chiseled face framed by a sharp buzz cut. It was Donto Stern. He radiated the kind of easy, arrogant confidence that only came with extreme wealth and physical dominance. He was the undisputed king of this campus.
"Please, all of you, take a seat," Donto said, gesturing to the empty chairs as if he were hosting a private gala. "You have front-row tickets to the main event."
"Wait a second," Yovan snapped, jerking her shoulder away as one of the soccer players tried to nudge her forward. "Why does it feel like we’ve been kidnapped? We don’t want to be here. If we say no, are you going to hurt us?"
Donto tilted his head, a cold, mocking smile touching his lips.
"Did the seniors really not teach you anything about what happens when you don’t follow an order?" Donto asked, his voice dropping an octave.
The group looked instinctively at Jono, whose nose was still taped, and then at Eric, whose face was a map of bruises. The warning was loud and clear. Realizing that resistance was futile for the moment, they complied, sinking into the seats with heavy hearts.
"What are you actually planning to do to us?" Aki asked, her voice steady despite the overwhelming presence of the seniors. "This isn’t a private nightclub or a bowling alley. This is on university grounds. You guys could get in serious trouble with the administration for this."
The business students gave Aki horrified looks. They couldn’t believe she was speaking up. Didn’t she realize who she was talking to? Was she not afraid of the consequences?
"Haha, this is why the term ’freshers’ is so suitable for people like you," Donto laughed, leaning against the basketball hoop. "How do you think we’ve been able to operate for years without a single complaint reaching the board? How do you think I was able to book this entire hall for a ’private practice session’ on a weekday?
"I asked the professors, of course. The truth is, money and power are the only two things everyone in this world actually cares about. It allows you to redefine what is right and wrong. And for me, I am a Stern. I belong to one of the most powerful families in the world. I can do exactly what I want, and I will have no trouble at all."
The group gulped nervously, the sheer weight of Donto’s status hitting them like a physical blow. But a deeper question was still nagging at Talia, and she finally found the courage to ask it.
"Why did you gather us all here, then? We haven’t done anything to you, and we’ve already agreed to comply with everything you’ve asked," Talia said.
"Well, not all of you have been so compliant," Donto said, nodding toward Sylan and Sono, who were standing nearby with dark expressions. "That martial artist over there is here because he thought his little ’skills’ made him special enough to go against us.
"And I heard that a certain fresher had the nerve to try and tell us what we should consider ’fair,’" Donto continued, his eyes locking onto Jono.
"As for the rest of you, you are here because there is one person in your class who seems to be causing a significant level of trouble for my organization. We need to teach him a permanent lesson. It seems he only perks up when he thinks his classmates are in danger—like some type of self-appointed hero. So, I brought his ’protected’ group here as witnesses. You’re going to go back and spread the word about exactly what we do to people who play the hero."
"He has to be talking about Max," Steve whispered.
"Right. It’s definitely Max."
"Max... a hero?" Rick mumbled to himself, a wry smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I think ’Billion Bloodline Ranger’ would suit him a lot more. And these idiots... they really did all this just to bring Max here. If they knew who Max Smith really was, they wouldn’t be handing out seats; they’d be shaking in their boots."
Yovan’s first thought was that Rick and Aki were still clinging to their delusional "high school legend" story. But as she watched them, she was struck by a jarring realization: while the rest of them were trembling and pale, Rick and Aki didn’t seem afraid at all. They looked like people waiting for the curtains to rise on a show they already knew the ending to.