(Rodova Military Academy, The Mess Hall – Present Time)

    After Yu Shen and the other circuit team members exited the mess hall, a heavy silence hung in the air.

    All eyes shifted toward Leo and Su Yang, the two first-years who had just been publicly humiliated and overpowered—and the gazes that fell upon them today were not something they were accustomed to.

    They were used to admiration. Fear. Respect.

    But today?

    The stares directed at them carried none of those things.

    Instead, they were filled with pity. Mockery. Satisfaction at their downfall—the same kind of looks that had been cast upon the unfortunate first-year Su Yang had crushed on the very first day.

    But now, it was their turn.

    Leo could feel the weight of those stares pressing down on him, his male pride burning from within as he winced at the bitter taste of helplessness.

    He had faced many things since arriving at this academy.

    Fights. Threats. Insults.

    But never had he experienced such complete and utter powerlessness.

    It gnawed at his insides, twisting his stomach into knots.

    Yet, as much as it stung for him—he could tell that for Su Yang, it was so much worse.

    The prideful golden boy of the first-years, always so composed, always carrying himself like a king among men—now stood unnaturally stiff, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might shatter.

    His hands were trembling, his entire body tense with barely contained fury.

    And then—

    "Fuck this–" Su Yang hissed through gritted teeth, his voice laced with seething rage.

    Without another word, he stormed out of the mess hall, leaving behind his half-eaten plate of food, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone.

    *Giggles*

    *Chuckles*

    The moment he left, a ripple of muffled laughter followed.

    Soft at first.

    Then, louder.

    The quiet snickers turned into whispers. Then murmurs. Then outright chuckles of amusement.

    It was like watching the mighty fall.

    And as Leo followed after him—he heard it.

    The hushed voices, the barely restrained snickers, the amused smirks forming in his peripheral vision.

    It burned.

    It burned so fucking much.

    But he didn’t react.

    But none of it mattered.

    Because him cooking those scenarios was not going to change what had already occured in reality.

    And it wasn’t until half an hour later, when his rage had simmered just enough for his mind to regain some semblance of clarity, and when he looked at his own crazed reflection in the bathroom mirror, that the weight of it all truly hit him.

    This was pointless.

    It didn’t matter how many ways he reimagined the scenario, for it was not going to change what had already happened.

    No.

    It would only make him weak.

    As instead, what he needed to do wasn’t to stew in useless what-ifs, but rather accept it and move-on.

    What he needed to do now was to plan, to figure out exactly what it would take to ensure that this never fucking happened again.

    Because whether he liked it or not—

    Yu Shen and the entire second-year circuits team were stronger than him.

    And that?

    That was an undeniable fact.

    ’Freaks.... They’re freaks—’ Leo thought, as he recalled the gaze of the members standing behind Yu Shen....

    Those who had not even acted today, as he recalled how even they exuded a power that Leo couldn’t hope to easily match.

    "They want to face me this Sunday.... The whole academy will be watching.

    That’s my chance to fight back—

    If I can show a strong performance there, then I can send a message that I’m not to be trifled with," Leo mused, as he began psyching himself up for the fight to come.

    "I need to re-practice my skills.... all of them! I need to get back to my peak.

    I need to become ’TheBoss’ yet again.

    If I wish to have any hope of defeating them, then I need to get back to my martial peak!" Leo mused, as grabbing a couple of daggers from his storage space, he rushed out of his dorm room, headed straight for the practical combat training field.

    **********

    (Meanwhile Su Yang)

    Unlike Leo who managed to regain his calm after a few minutes, Su Yang failed to do the same, as the destroyed furniture in his room served as a proof of his bubbling anger.

    "Who the fuck does he think he is? That fucking second year cunt! I’m the Su Family Blood Descendent.

    Someday I will be the Su Family Patriarch.

    Yet he dares lay a hand on me?" Su Yang spat, as he lifted his half broken bed and smashed it to the ground yet again.

    "To suffer such humiliation publicly.... They must pay a price.... This Sunday, I must reclaim my honor, or what good is the Su Family blood flowing through my veins?" Su Yang muttered, as looking towards the ceiling, he let his rage dry out the tear forming in his eyes, preventing it from falling down anyhow.

    "I swear I will make it to the Rodova circuits team.... I swear I’ll prove to everyone that had laughed at me today that the Su family is not to be disrespected.

    I may not be able to touch Yu Shen today, or anytime in the near future.

    But I swear I will return the humiliation I faced today, in this life or the next—" Su Yang said, as he too rushed out of his room.

    His destination, the swordsmanship training ground, specially created for swordsmen to test their power.