After the Student Council members had fled, Fly looked down at the unconscious Marshall on the ground and dialed the school infirmary's number.

  He hadn't intended to kill Marshall; he only needed to establish his dominance in front of the Student Council and scare them off.

  After hanging up, Fly glanced at Marshall again, thinking to himself.

  Then, he quickly left the scene.

  However, what Fly hadn't anticipated was...

  Many of the students watching from the sidelines had secretly taken out their phones and recorded the entire event. Videos of Fly defeating Marshall and intimidating the Student Council were quickly uploaded to various major video platforms.

  Even more people immediately started threads about it on the campus forums.

  A single stone had stirred up a thousand waves.

  Students who had previously been bullied by the Student Council began posting anonymous comments, sparking a heated discussion.

  [@MonkeyInTree:]

  [@RagingTide:]

  [@Arafat:]

  [@Henry:]

  [@Murakami'sCat:]

  [@Brafalgar:]

  [@FlyingPiglet:]

  [@WhitestSky:]

  [@RedPig:]

  [@AzurePeak:]

  [@Admin:]

  Zzz... Zzz...

  [404 Sorry, this reply has been deleted...]

  ...

  On a teaching building balcony, the two teachers, Mr. Carter and Dean Sterling, observed the events unfolding on the sports field from afar.

  "Well done, Fly," Mr. Carter murmured.

  "Heh, you don't seem so nervous this time?" Dean Sterling chuckled.

  When he had first learned that the Student Council had cornered Fly on the field, Mr. Carter, as his homeroom teacher, had been extremely anxious. Having taught at Star City High for many years, he was well aware of the Council's methods. He had been on the verge of rushing down there himself to teach Forrest Banks and the others a harsh lesson.

  It was Dean Sterling who had stopped him.

  "Let's observe first. Fly isn't someone who needs constant protection," the Dean had said. "A young eagle that always stays under its parents' wings will never learn to soar. Besides, the organization backing the Student Council isn't easy to deal with..."

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Although this world was generally governed by law, darkness inevitably existed beneath the light. Allowing students still within the school's walls to encounter this darkness early on could be beneficial for their growth. That was Dean Sterling's perspective.

  And indeed, Fly had handled the situation admirably.

  "You expected this, didn't you?" Mr. Carter retorted. "It looks like the kid has made another breakthrough in his strength."

  "I expected Fly could handle the situation, but I didn't anticipate he would achieve another breakthrough in just one day," said Dean Sterling. "You were right, Carter. Fly truly is a child capable of creating miracles."

  With that, Dean Sterling turned and started walking back towards his office.

  "I should probably go clean up the mess Fly left behind. Although Marshall is from an ordinary family, having a student's spine injured in a public brawl on the sports field... it doesn't look good for public opinion," he said. "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for Fly. In my eyes, reasonable self-defense is not wrong."

  "You should start preparing too, 'Rocket Class Teacher'," Dean Sterling added with a lazy stretch.

  Mr. Carter shook his head helplessly. "You sly dog..."

  ...

  After fermenting for the entire afternoon, the news of Fly repelling the Student Council had spread like wildfire throughout Star City High.

  That evening, when Fly walked into the cafeteria again, the students instantly erupted into thunderous applause.

  Perhaps they had become accustomed to being oppressed by the Student Council, and seeing someone stand up to them so decisively filled them with a vicarious thrill.

  More importantly...

  Anyone could see Fly's potential.

  Getting into a top Martial Academy in the future was practically a certainty.

  Wouldn't it be foolish not to build a connection with him now, while they still had the chance, securing a valuable contact for the future?

  "Uh... alright, alright."

  Fly hadn't expected to be quite so popular. But he couldn't deny that being the center of attention felt rather invigorating.

  He had just gotten his food and found a seat when he was immediately surrounded by students trying to get closer to him.

  Closest to him was Leo, the same student who had approached him in the cafeteria before.

  "Fly, that was totally awesome! You actually beat the Student Council until they couldn't find their teeth!" Leo exclaimed excitedly.

  Fly: "Yeah, yeah."

  Leo: "Fly, how do you train? Can you teach me?"

  Fly: "Sure, sure."

  Leo: "Fly, you..."

  Fly: "..."

  Just as Fly was getting thoroughly annoyed by the incessant chatter, 'Emperor' Valerius, who had been sitting in the distance, suddenly stood up.

  A powerful aura emanated from him, forcibly parting a path through the dense crowd of students. He walked straight towards Fly's table, slammed his tray down, pointed to his original seat, and commanded Leo coldly, "Move."

  "Huh?" Leo was bewildered. He was having such a great chat with his idol, Fly. Who dared to interrupt him?

  But when he turned and saw Valerius, he involuntarily flinched.

  Although Leo was also one of the top thirty students, this was 'Emperor' Valerius they were talking about.

  The absolute genius who had been featured on television programs and in interviews since he was a child.

  Even though his thunder had been somewhat stolen by Fly after enrolling at Star City High, he was still the undisputed number two in their year (excluding the mysterious number one from the entrance exam who hadn't appeared at the Power Assessment Test).

  A guaranteed future student of a top Martial Academy.

  And behind him stood the powerful Tarantino family...

  "You..."

  Leo felt like crying.

  "Fine! You win!" he muttered resentfully.

  He obediently stood up, picked up his tray, and went to sit in Valerius's original seat, burying his head in his food.

  'Emperor' Valerius sat down without a word and began eating his own meal.

  The other students were somewhat intimidated by this cold and arrogant young master. They unconsciously took a few steps back, daring only to watch him and Fly from a distance, not making a sound.

  The once-noisy cafeteria fell quiet again.

  Fly looked at Valerius, completely baffled by his intentions.

  He still vividly remembered the ferocious look on Valerius's face during their match, as if he wanted to kill him.

  What was going on now?

  Had he come over to tell him not to get too cocky?

  To say that beating the Student Council was no big deal, that Marshall was just a nobody?

  Fly snarked internally.

  But Valerius's first words completely stunned him.

  "Well done."

  "However, confronting the Student Council head-on was not a wise move," Valerius said slowly. "Fly, you've gotten yourself into deep trouble."

  "So... are you worried about me?" Fly couldn't help but retort sarcastically.

  "Worried?" Valerius seemed momentarily taken aback. "Don't flatter yourself."

  "I just don't want to see my rival get bogged down by trivial matters and waste his potential," Valerius huffed.

  "Huh?" Fly was even more confused now.

  "Fly, I admit defeat fair and square from our last match," Valerius stated. "However, the number one spot in our year... I will take it back eventually!"

  "No..." He immediately shook his head. "The number one spot was mine to begin with! I'm just letting you borrow it for now."

  "So, Fly, until then, don't you dare lose to anyone else."

  Having finished the last bit of food on his tray, Valerius stood up abruptly, leaned close to Fly's ear, and whispered, "Fly, the Student Council is not easy to deal with. Be very careful."

  Then, he walked away without a backward glance.

  Watching Valerius's departing figure, Fly let out a slow sigh.

  He found himself re-evaluating 'Emperor' Valerius.

  ...

  After dinner, Fly avoided the crowds and walked back to his dormitory, only to find Genevieve waiting for him downstairs.

  In her eyes, Fly could clearly see seven parts concern, two parts anxiety, and one part worry.