"What did Lysander Thorne do to you?"

  Seeing the redness rimming Genevieve's eyes, Fly couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.

  In his eyes, Genevieve was practically the definition of a winner in life. Born into a wealthy family, incredibly gifted academically, she had achieved the top scores in all general knowledge courses across Star City for all three years of middle school. She was also strikingly beautiful, a frequent guest on television interviews and in advertisement shoots.

  If it hadn't been for the sudden transfer of 'Emperor' Valerius and his own unexpected emergence, Genevieve should rightfully have been the number one student in this year's freshman class at Star City High.

  Yet, when Lysander Thorne's name was mentioned, her anger and hatred were almost entirely unconcealed.

  No...

  To be precise, the hatred ran so deep, so heavy, that Genevieve was completely unable to hide it.

  What history is there between these two? Fly wondered.

  Ten-odd years ago, Genevieve would have probably just been learning to walk, right? With such a vast time gap, what kind of grudge could possibly exist between them? Could it be a family feud?

  As Fly was speculating, Genevieve suddenly spoke.

  "Fly, I apologize. I lost my composure for a moment." She gently dabbed at the tears threatening to spill with the back of her delicate hand. "It's just that whenever I think of Lysander Thorne, I find it hard to control myself."

  She paused for a moment, then continued, "I have an older sister. She used to attend Star City High as well. She was exceptionally talented, eloquent, and articulate. Ever since we were young, she was my role model."

  "But shortly after entering Star City High, she was threatened by the Student Council. At first, my sister tried to resist. She was indeed incredibly strong, and she managed to neutralize several of the Student Council's threats, probes, and attacks. Coupled with our family's influence, they didn't dare to push her too hard for a while."

  "Just when she thought she had completely foiled their schemes and could finally focus on her studies and training in peace, that man—Lysander Thorne—returned!"

  "He asked my sister to meet him privately. They talked for an entire night. The next day, without saying a word to anyone, my sister completed the procedures to withdraw from school and vanished without a trace. My parents tried everything to find her, using all their connections, but came up empty-handed. Then, one day, suddenly, my father and mother stopped mentioning her altogether. Even when I asked, they remained silent. It was then I understood: they had been threatened, and it was likely a threat concerning me, concerning our entire family."

  "The one who disappeared was gone without a trace, but life had to go on. For my sake, for the future of our family, my parents had to endure this in silence, swallowing the broken teeth down their stomachs. But I couldn't!"

  "I couldn't just lose my sister without knowing why! From that moment on, I decided: if my sister is alive, I will overcome any obstacle to find her; if she is dead, I will stop at nothing to avenge her. That is the purpose behind my relentless effort to become stronger."

  Fly let out a soft sigh, studying the resilient girl before him. Outsiders only saw her dazzling appearance, only knew of her genius reputation, but only she understood the obsession and persistence that drove her. No, perhaps from now on, a second person knew as well—Fly himself.

  "Do you know, Fly?" Genevieve seemed to muster a faint smile. "My family's reputation and interests bring me convenience, but they also bind my hands and feet. From the first time I saw you, I envied you greatly. You don't have an illustrious background, yet you have your own unwavering pursuits. You carry no baggage, able to advance lightly, without too many attachments."

  "You possess exceptional talent, yet you haven't lost your kindness. Perhaps... you are exactly the ally I have been searching for all this time."

  Hearing this, realization dawned on Fly. So that was why this girl had sought him out. He had initially thought that, like Jett and 'Emperor' Valerius, she disliked him and wanted to challenge him.

  But... should he really get involved in this mess? He had only known Genevieve for a few days, but according to her story, this matter was incredibly thorny. Lysander Thorne himself was already immensely powerful, not to mention the intricate web of influence he had cultivated over the years...

  However, he had already made an enemy of the Student Council, and in a way, that meant he had already made an enemy of Lysander Thorne. Looked at that way, he wasn't exactly an outsider anymore.

  Fly thought, rubbing his temples.

  ...

  Meanwhile, in Mr. Carter's office.

  BAM!

  With a loud crash, the office door was suddenly thrown open, and Mr. Ironside stormed in like a whirlwind.

  Mr. Carter jumped in fright, the ceramic coffee mug in his hand slipping and shattering a corner as it hit the floor.

  "Ironside?"

  When he looked up and saw the man barging in without knocking, a surge of nameless anger flared within him.

  "What's gotten into you? Can't you knock before entering? Are you here looking for another fight?" Mr. Carter practically roared.

  But Mr. Ironside completely ignored his outburst. He marched straight to the desk, pulled up a chair haphazardly, and plopped down.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "What kind of homeroom teacher are you?! Fly gets tangled up with those thugs from the Student Council, and you don't even step in to mediate? Such an outstanding student is going to be ruined right under your nose!" Mr. Ironside's voice was just as loud, his presence no less imposing.

  He then pulled out his phone, opened the TT app, and played a video.

  Mr. Carter looked closer and saw it was the footage from the fight between Fly and Marshall at noon. Apparently, it had been filmed and uploaded by one of the students watching from the sidelines.

  In just one afternoon, the video had already surpassed a hundred thousand views, becoming a minor viral hit on TT.

  The comments section below was a chaotic mix:

  [What's this? A Beast Warrior fight?]

  [That looks like the Star City High sports field. Looks like both are students there.]

  [Who's the guy with the cockroach mirage behind him? Looks kinda weird, but also super strong.]

  [Tch! You don't know? That's Fly, the super dark horse rookie from this year's freshman class at Star City High. His performance in the Power Assessment Test broke a record that stood for over a decade. He's a shoo-in for one of The Tulip League's Eight Elite Universities.]

  Given Fly's elegant and handsome appearance, there were also some rather over-the-top comments...

  [So handsome! Isn't that my future husband, Fly? Someone get me his contact info!]

  [Get lost, that's clearly my husband...]

  ...

  Mr. Carter's expression shifted from calm to surprised, then finally to resignation... The speed at which short videos spread nowadays was just too fast. Such a messy incident, and in just a short time, the whole world seemed to know about it. He shook his head helplessly.

  "See!" Mr. Ironside stood up, his voice booming. "And this isn't the only video like this! This one actually has fewer views than some others."

  "Fly beat up someone from the Student Council!"

  "Do you realize what that means?"

  "He's in deep trouble!"

  "And with videos like this spreading so widely, it's a direct slap in the face to the Student Council!"

  "Do you think they'll just let this go?"

  "What kind of homeroom teacher are you? How can you just sit here leisurely drinking coffee when something this big has happened?" Here, Mr. Ironside glanced pointedly at the broken mug on the floor.

  "Tell me, what should we do now?!"

  Mr. Ironside fired off the questions like a machine gun, then finally sat back down. Perhaps tired from talking, he grabbed one of the guest cups from Mr. Carter's desk, poured himself coffee from the pot, and began gulping it down like liquor, occasionally shooting glances at Mr. Carter as if expressing his dissatisfaction.

  Not to be outdone, Mr. Carter glared back. "What do you expect me to do? Go argue with the Student Council directly? Will they listen to me? It's not like I haven't considered using force to resolve this, but what good would that do? Can I stay by Fly's side every single moment? And if the powers behind the Student Council make a move, I might even lose my job as a teacher. How could I protect Fly then?"

  "Some things have to be handled by the student himself. All we can do is offer some help from the shadows," Mr. Carter added.

  Hearing this, Mr. Ironside had to admit it made sense. Finding no grounds for rebuttal, he resorted to being stubborn. "I don't care! Fly is your student! If you can't protect him properly, then hand him over to me! I'll teach him well and keep him safe!" With that, he finished another cup of coffee in one gulp.

  Mr. Carter couldn't help but let out a frustrated laugh.

  He immediately snatched the coffee pot away. "Not another drop! I just bought these beans, barely had any myself, and you, a guy with no taste, have already wasted half of it!"

  After carefully placing the coffee pot aside, Mr. Carter turned back to Mr. Ironside. "You're so capable, then tell me, if you were Fly's homeroom teacher, how would you handle this situation?"

  "If the government puts pressure on you, can you withstand it? If higher-ups intervene, what will you do? If Lysander Thorne himself takes action, can you beat him?"

  Mr. Carter's rapid-fire questions made Mr. Ironside's face flush red. He slammed the cup down on the desk and roared, "Damn it! Fine! Worst comes to worst, I'll just go all out against them!"

  Mr. Carter sneered. "And you think you can take on Lysander Thorne?"

  "Uh..."

  After his outburst, Mr. Ironside seemed to regain some clarity. His earlier, death-defying demeanor instantly froze upon hearing Mr. Carter's words.

  Mr. Carter smiled faintly and continued, "Over the years, how many parents, how many students, how many teachers have tried to dismantle the Student Council? Have any succeeded? Not a single one. Not even close."

  "What makes you think you can defeat the Student Council single-handedly now?"

  Some things couldn't be changed just by passion alone.

  Although this world was, overall, a society governed by law, there were shadows where the light of the law did not reach. Or rather, shadows deliberately created by men. This was an era where martial prowess was paramount; powerful Beast Warriors were sought after by all factions. And to court their favor, it was inevitable that certain special conveniences—or rather, privileges—would be granted. The law could only restrain ordinary people. As for powerful Beast Warriors? Sorry, they simply didn't break the law in ways that could be prosecuted.

  So, on one hand, it was a lawful society. On the other, it was a society where the strong reigned supreme. The two were not mutually exclusive.

  "Are you saying... we should just abandon Fly?" Mr. Ironside asked tentatively. Clearly, his earlier outburst had been impulsive; Mr. Carter's words had sobered him considerably.

  "How could we possibly abandon him?" Mr. Carter sighed. Honestly, he didn't want to offend Lysander Thorne either, but when it came to his beloved student, Fly, he truly couldn't bring himself to give up.

  He had been teaching for many years. A student like Fly—exceptionally talented, defying all conventional understanding—was someone he had encountered for the first time. What teacher wouldn't cherish an outstanding student? What teacher wouldn't try every possible means to protect their favorite pupil?

  Mr. Carter closed his eyes, recalling the various incidents involving Fly.

  On the first day, unexpectedly choosing the neglected cockroach Beast Totem.

  Also on the first day, using an ingenious tactic to defeat Jett who possessed a Primal Species Beast Totem.

  After that, successfully passing Dean Sterling's test.

  Then came the Perfect Affinity and the transformation of his Beast Totem from Common Species to Mythical Species.

  His dazzling performance in the Power Assessment Test, breaking the school's freshman record held for over a decade.

  Defeating the super-genius of the Tarantino family, 'Emperor' Valerius, in the Martial Trials...

  ...

  After a long moment, Mr. Carter slowly opened his eyes. A resolute light gleamed within them. "If there is truly one person," he said slowly, his voice firm, "who can dismantle the Student Council and take down Lysander Thorne and the organization behind him, then that person can only be, and will only be, Fly!"

  In Fly, Mr. Carter saw a possibility. The possibility of dismantling the Student Council and restoring Star City High to what it once was.

  "Huh?" This time, it was Mr. Ironside's turn to be stunned. He had only ever thought about how to protect Fly; he had never considered placing the hope of taking down the Student Council onto Fly's shoulders.

  However, Mr. Ironside was stunned only for a brief moment. He too began to reflect on the Fly he had come to know over these past few days, the miracles that had unfolded around him...

  The kid had talent, he had perseverance, and most importantly, he came from an ordinary background, unburdened by the reputation and interests that tied the hands of the great families.

  Mr. Ironside turned his head and looked at the image of Fly on his phone screen.

  Perhaps, as Carter said, the one who could truly accomplish this feat was indeed Fly.

  Mr. Carter's words echoed once more in Mr. Ironside's mind.