As Fly's gaze swept over them, the members of the Student Council couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath, involuntarily taking a step back.

  Before, they might have fancied their chances in a fight against him. After all, in their eyes, he was just a first-year freshman. How strong could he possibly be?

  But now...

  Marshall, the Student Council's undefeated golden enforcer, had been effortlessly defeated right before their eyes.

  In their minds, Marshall possessed the strength of a peak level-two Beast Warrior (they were, of course, unaware that his true strength was merely that of a quasi-level two). What's more, he had even resorted to a dirty trick like the Paralysis Pellet. Yet even with all that, he hadn't stood a chance against Fly.

  Faced with such a reality, who among them still dared to openly challenge Fly?

  None of them wanted to end up like Marshall.

  "What's wrong? Don't any of you want to test your skills against me?" Seeing their evasive glances, a flicker of contempt crossed Fly's eyes.

  Show a little backbone, and these guys immediately lose their nerve.

  "And what about Senior Forrest Banks?" Fly shifted his gaze to the minister. "As a minister of the Student Council, you must have access to plenty of resources, right?"

  "Your own strength must be quite formidable, wouldn't you say?"

  "Aren't you going to let me witness it?"

  "I can even give you the first move, you know."

  Faced with Fly's relentless pressure, Forrest Banks remained silent, unmoved.

  Who knows what this Fly kid's true strength is? Who knows how many trump cards he's hiding? As the figure who had caused a sensation throughout the school on the very first day, Banks had been secretly investigating Fly for some time now. Every time he thought he had figured him out, Fly would manage to pull another "surprise" out of his hat.

  A strong opponent wasn't scary. What was scary was an opponent you couldn't read at all.

  Furthermore, the giant cockroach mirage behind Fly made his stomach churn...

  However, although his heart was pounding, Forrest Banks maintained a facade of composure.

  He curved his lips into a faint smile. "Mr. Fly, you jest. Our Student Council has always advocated for mutual assistance among students. We are not some violent organization that revels in fighting."

  His tone suddenly shifted, turning accusatory. "On the contrary, Mr. Fly, wasn't your treatment of Mr. Marshall a bit excessive? Marshall is a member of our Student Council. I've witnessed firsthand how much effort he put in, how many resources were utilized to bring him to his current level..."

  "More importantly," Banks continued, his voice dripping with false righteousness, "you injured Marshall's spine. His path as a Beast Warrior is likely cut short because of this. Don't you think it's going too far to cripple a top-ranking student of Star City High over a mere personal grudge? Where you can forgive, you should show mercy."

  He had turned the tables, questioning Fly's morality.

  No matter what, he was a minister of the Student Council, and both Marshall and Vincent were his subordinates. If he showed no reaction and simply abandoned Marshall, it would undoubtedly chill the hearts of others.

  Moreover, Banks didn't want Fly to simply walk away from this incident unscathed. Lacking any other immediate recourse, he resorted to this moral high ground, attempting to pressure Fly into backing down or admitting fault.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  But who would have known...

  Fly's skin was far thicker than Banks could have ever imagined.

  "Minister Banks makes a good point," Fly nodded first, seemingly agreeing, but then his tone shifted sharply. "So if you don't like it, come up here and fight me."

  "Just beat me into submission, won't that solve the problem?" Fly added with a cold smirk. "As for Marshall's martial path being cut short, what does that have to do with me? He lost because his skills were inferior. Everyone here saw it."

  Faced with Banks's moral blackmail, Fly didn't bother defending himself.

  Besides, the school encouraged sparring between students. If you weren't satisfied, then step up and challenge me. Beat me, and your point is made, right?

  Since this was an era where martial prowess reigned supreme, then let's settle it with a fight!

  "You!"

  Forrest Banks's face instantly flushed crimson. He raised a trembling finger and pointed it accusingly at Fly.

  He had never dreamed that Fly could be so shameless! Moral appeals were utterly useless against him.

  What was even more infuriating was...

  Banks completely lacked the courage to actually fight.

  The strength Fly had just displayed was simply too overwhelming!

  That lightning-fast speed, the decisive attacks, and the terrifying, menacing cockroach mirage looming behind him—it all filled Banks with a profound sense of dread.

  What kind of first-year freshman was this "monstrous"?

  He had only been enrolled for a little over a week!

  Forget freshmen, even most second-year students, without significant backing or resources, would find it difficult to reach such a level.

  Forrest Banks couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

  "So, are you really not going to make a move?" Fly smiled faintly. "Because if not, then I will. I'll count down from five."

  He stared intently at Banks, holding up five fingers.

  "Five."

  "Four."

  With each number, Fly folded down a finger.

  The sound of the countdown echoed like a doomsday clock in everyone's heart.

  "Three."

  Forrest Banks, of course, knew exactly what Fly was doing. He gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Fly, looking as though he wanted to tear him limb from limb.

  But...

  Seeing Marshall's miserable state nearby, Banks ultimately chose silence.

  Vincent and the other Student Council members all turned to look at Banks expectantly, as if waiting for him to act.

  "Two."

  The chilling undertone in Fly's voice intensified.

  Forrest Banks still didn't move.

  No.

  To be precise, Forrest Banks simply didn't dare to move.

  Banks quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

  The probability of winning was extremely low. The probability of losing was extremely high. And the consequences of losing were devastating.

  Anyone with a shred of rationality wouldn't gamble on such slim odds.

  As for Marshall...

  He, as the minister, had already spoken up for him. That was doing his duty. The rest was Fly's fault for being too ruthless, completely disregarding the bonds between fellow students, striking too heavily.

  Gradually, Banks completely abandoned the thought of fighting. He began to make excuses in his mind, trying to convince himself that the fault lay entirely with Fly, that he himself bore no responsibility, that it wasn't his fault!

  "One."

  Finally, Fly reached the last second of his countdown. A "wicked" smile slowly spread across his face.

  "RUN!"

  Forrest Banks shouted, completely abandoning his image. He grabbed his jacket, turned, and fled.

  The other Student Council members were clearly startled by this sudden turn of events. They looked around at each other, bewildered. When the reality of the situation finally dawned on them, they too scattered in all directions, disappearing in an instant.

  Watching the retreating figures, Fly sneered, "A bunch of cowards who only know how to bully the weak."

  In truth, he hadn't really intended to fight Banks and the others. He had already seen that they were all spineless fools. This was just a way to scare them off.

  Marshall's injury was already enough trouble for him; he didn't want to get himself into any more messes.

  Fly looked back at the unconscious Marshall lying on the ground and sighed. "Now I have to figure out how to explain this to the school."

  While the school did encourage sparring, that was under the premise of fair and open duels in the virtual arena. Fighting directly on the sports field like this constituted a private brawl. Although he was the victim who had been provoked, Marshall was seriously injured. Faced with potential public opinion pressure, the school administration wouldn't let this go easily.

  "Looks like," Fly muttered to himself, "I'll have to ask Vic for help."

  ...

  Meanwhile, Forrest Banks didn't dare stop running until he reached the base of a teaching building.

  He turned to look back towards the sports field, his face ashen, grinding his teeth in fury.

  His original plan had been to make an example of this freshman, Fly. He had thought that by swiftly subduing the number one student, no one else in the freshman year would dare to oppose the Student Council.

  But who could have known...

  That he would be hoisted by his own petard!

  "Minister, are we... are we really just letting him go like this?" Vincent asked, catching up to him, panting.

  The moment the words left his mouth, Forrest Banks shot him a furious glare.

  "You're so brave, why didn't you fight him back there then?" Banks snapped irritably.

  "Uh..." Vincent scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, then mumbled under his breath, "Clearly, you were the one who ran the fastest..."