I sighed.

This was getting really tiring to deal with. I thought he was supposed to be in a correctional facility or something to make amends, but now he's simply out in the open. It doesn’t make any sense.

Is the school justice system this skewed?

“Don’t…” Aurelia said, following my gaze. “Not worth.”

I pushed a stack of books aside and strode toward the back of the library, ignoring Aurelia’s warning behind me.

As I got closer, I heard Gallagher’s voice clearly. “You think you’re too good to hand over your creds? Pathetic. You’re just a measly bug race. Inferior. Just fork them over before I—.”

“Before you what?” I sighed, stepping into his line of sight. “Weren’t you supposed to go to the correctional facility?”

Gallagher turned, his smirk faltering when he saw me. His nose, still slightly bruised from our last encounter, twitched as he glared. “Well, look who it is. The hero of justice. The lowly wannabe. I don’t need to answer to some commoner.”

The smaller student glanced between us, wide-eyed. “Please…help…”

“Hah…just Leave the kid alone,” I said, my voice firm. “We don’t need a repeat of last time. Let’s just call it and go our separate ways.”

“Shut up!” Gallagher said, taking a step forward, sizing me up. “You think you scare me, Crow? That little stunt last time was a fluke.”

“Look,” I said, crossing my arms and tilting my head. “I don’t know how you’re here, but let’s just diffuse this quickly. Leave the gambial alone.”

“Heh. A commoner telling me what to do? Haha! What a joke. You’re not even worth the shoes on my feet.” Gallagher sneered.

The tension crackled in the air. Gallagher’s expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he’d back down. But, of course, his ego wouldn’t let that happen.

Tsk.

“Don’t care,” I sighed again, walking past him and making my way to the gambial. “Hey, go ahead and get out of here.”

I helped him up, straightening his clothes.

“Th-thank you!” the gambial stammered, giving me one last glance before quickly hurrying off.

“Y-you arrogant, lowly peasant!” Gallagher spat, his voice trembling with rage.

The tension hung thick in the air, the kind you could practically feel crawling up your spine. Gallagher’s eyes were practically glowing with rage. He stepped toward me slowly, savoring every second like he was about to unwrap a long-awaited present. Behind him, Brilis, a walking slab of muscle, was cracking his knuckles, waiting for the word to do his part.

"Hold him down!" Gallagher barked, his voice sharp and cutting. “I need to return the favor and ‘fix’ this peasant’s nose.”

I didn’t even need to think. The second Brilis lunged, I was already moving. Instinct took over. I dodged to the side, barely slipping past his huge hands. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my movements fluid, staying light on my feet.

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"You’re quite slow," I mocked, a smirk tugging at my lips as I dodged another clumsy grab.

Brilis growled, his patience faltering. He was all brute force — strong but slow. I was using that to my advantage, staying just out of reach. But Gallagher wasn’t looking too pleased. His smile was gone, replaced with a scowl. I could see it in his eyes — he was getting impatient.

I couldn’t keep this up forever, though. My muscles were burning from the constant dodging, my breathing getting heavier with every move. My body was still in the midst of recovering.

Then it happened. Brilis finally got smart. Instead of going for another head-on grab, he swung wide, a sweeping motion I didn’t see coming. His thick arm slammed into my side, knocking the air right out of my lungs. I stumbled back, gasping, trying to recover.

Before I could fully get my bearings, Brilis was on me. His arms wrapped around me, locking me in place. I struggled, thrashing against him, but he was too damn strong. The more I fought, the tighter his grip became, until I could barely move.

Gallagher’s grin returned, nastier than before. He skipped over, taking his time like he was savoring every second of my helplessness. His hand curled into a fist, and I could see the satisfaction in his eyes. He was going to enjoy this.

"No hard feelings," Gallagher sneered, pulling his arm back for the punch. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

I twisted and pulled, trying to free myself from Brilis’s crushing grip, but it was no use. Gallagher’s fist was coming right for me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I braced myself for the hit.

But then… something happened.

There was this soft rustling sound, like the wind moving through tall grass. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but then the potted plants near the window shifted. Suddenly, thick blades of grass shot out of the pots, coiling around Gallagher’s arm. His punch stopped cold, just inches from my face.

Gallagher froze, eyes wide with confusion. "What the—?"

More vines sprouted up, wrapping around his body, pulling him back before he even had time to react. He thrashed, but the vines tightened around him, pinning his arms and legs in place. Panic set in as he struggled against the grass, but it was no use.

Aurelia. She was standing, hiding off to the side, silent as always, her hands moving just slightly as she controlled the plants with her technomancy. Her face was stoic as usual.

With Gallagher immobilized, the vines shifted to Brilis. They wrapped around his legs, tugging him off balance. His grip on me loosened just enough. I didn’t waste any time. I drove my elbow into his ribs, hard, and twisted free, stumbling forward and finally catching my breath.

Gallagher and Brilis were both tangled in the grass now. For a brief moment, there was only the sound of their frantic movements and the whisper of grass as it swayed around them.

I turned toward Gallagher. His eyes were wide with fear now, his earlier bravado completely gone. He was trapped, helpless, just like I had been a second ago. And he knew exactly what was coming.

“No hard feelings right?” I grinned.

Without hesitating, I clenched my fist, feeling the adrenaline surge through me. I pulled back and swung with everything I had, my knuckles connecting with his nose with a sickening crack.

Gallagher howled in pain, blood streaming from his face as he doubled over. His hands flew to his nose, cradling it, but the vines kept him from collapsing. His nose was definitely broken again.

Aurelia’s vines loosened their grip, slowly sinking back into the pots as she finished her work. She gave me a blank stare, her expression as unreadable as ever. I nodded back, silently thanking her.

Gallagher collapsed to his knees, his hands still cupping his shattered nose, blood dripping onto the ground. Brilis, stunned, didn’t even bother trying to help him.

I shook out my hand, wincing at the sting in my knuckles.

I made my way to Aurelia.

“Thanks,” I said, glancing at Aurelia.

She shifted slightly, her eyes locking onto mine. “You... trouble,” she muttered, her voice soft but laced with disapproval.

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “I mean, it’s fine if we don’t get caught, right?”

She didn’t respond, just stared at me. She wasn’t buying it. Then, just as quickly, she turned her gaze away, staring off into the opposite direction.

Fuck.

It was the Dean, Vernon Law.

“Mr. Lucien Crow. What is the meaning of this?”