*Erwin's P.O.V*

It was as if suddenly, something in my brain shut down, causing the anger inside me to act out out of control.

It was only when my fist was in the vicinity of hitting that idiot Marcus that I regained control of my actions, and although arresting my fist was impossible at that moment, I managed to hold back some of my strength so as to generate too much damage, although now the situation was serious, with Marcus that was knocked out.

In the class, when the idiot fell ruinously to the floor, a "deafening" silence fell, with the stares of my new classmates looking at me in shock, almost as if I had committed the worst of crimes. And I understood them a little, since his father was a senator, and if he wanted to, he could ruin my life for good.

Even though the situation seemed hopeless, I had to at least try to apologize to him, and if necessary, I would kneel down so as not to jeopardize my pernanence at the academy.

"Hey! I-I'm sorry---!"

Suddenly, one of the boys who had come to tease Oscar, attempted to punch me in the direction of my face; that blow, which initially took me by surprise, was slow, however, so I was in time to dodge the boy's attack with ease, with the latter clumsily falling back down the stairs, tumbling ruinously.

"H-Hey...I said that--!!!"

Once again, I had been attacked; this time, it was the other idiot who had come with Marcus. His blow was slow, but I could hear mana coming from the latter, and I'm sure that if that blow had hit me, it wasn't certain that I would have escaped unscathed.

Therefore, out of pure instinct, I deflected the blow with the back of my hand, striking the bastard full in the face, who, after being indeitreated, fell on his knees putting his hands on his bloody nose.

[Again! I'm digging my own grave!] I thought desperately, putting my hands in my hair, after failing to conotroll myself for the umpteenth time.

This time I was in deep shit, since besides knocking out two guys, everyone was now looking at me almost as if I was the crazy one.... They were the crazy ones, for not defending their comrade in the face of such insults!

"Damn it...you shouldn't have done that!" - exclaimed Oscar, whose face was just desperate, then forcefully grabbing my arm - "Let's get out of here, before the situation becomes...N-No!"

Before Oscar could even attempt to get me out of there, Marcus was already on his feet, and judging by his furious look directed at me, it was clear that he was going to attack me shortly thereafter.

"...You ugly bastard! You're going to pay for this! Don't you know who my father is?" yelled Marcus holding his hand to his sore cheek.

Marcus was furious about what had happened, to the point where, for a moment, he wanted to break one of the academy’s rules – namely, not to use elemental magic outside the training room. He wanted to make them pay at all costs, to teach them a lesson they wouldn’t easily forget. In that moment, his name and reputation had been denigrated by what he considered a bunch of garbage, and he couldn’t just sit idly by.

Suddenly, though, a sharp pain struck him in the nose, momentarily stunning him. Still sore from the blow, he touched his nose, realizing only then that, in addition to bleeding profusely from his nostrils, his nose was brutally fractured.

“[W-What?!]” thought the Senator’s son, bewildered that such a simple blow had left him in that condition.

At that moment, he almost calmed down abruptly, and only then, after that sharp pain had “reawakened” his brain, did he finally notice how his two lackeys had been incapacitated by Erwin. Incredulous, he widened his eyes, horrified to see that his “attacker” wasn’t injured at all, not even a scratch.

[No… It can’t be! It was two against one! How can he beat them without getting hurt?!]

That was Marcus’s first thought. After all, his two friends were among the best in their class, and even though they were in Section C, they knew their stuff. The fact that Erwin had disabled them within moments was bad news for Marcus because it meant that he, being almost on par with his two friends, was weaker than Erwin.

[Me? Weaker than him? I won’t accept it! He must have cheated… yes, that’s it!] Marcus thought, forcing a nervous smile and convincing himself that Erwin wasn’t that strong.

But doubt had already gnawed at his brain, and if a few moments ago he was confident he could defeat Erwin, now the Senator’s son, in his subconscious, was utterly terrified of the remote possibility of being humiliated by Erwin again.

[This… This is all Oscar’s fault!]

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Marcus was even angrier with Oscar, shooting him unfriendly glances. He wanted to hit him, but he also knew that if he dared to make any move, Erwin would react accordingly.

[In this case…]

“Sorry for hitting you, really…” Erwin said meanwhile, more scared by Marcus’s reaction than considering him a real threat.

“…Okay.”

Those two words, spoken by that boy, surprised both Erwin and the entire class, including his two friends. Everyone knew Marcus, and everyone knew that once he was annoyed, he would pursue revenge until he exacted a heavy price. He was someone who rarely let go, partly because his father was an important man in Veras.

Everyone in that academy knew who he was, and they also knew that dealing with that boy was best avoided. He was considered a madman, and besides having an influential father, he had “dangerous connections.” So, many of them were taken aback by this behavior that didn’t fit his usual image at all.

Erwin had the same thought, immediately realizing that there was something strange about Marcus’s sudden change in attitude.

“…Really?” Erwin asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes.

“Really!” - replied the Senator’s son, a smile plastered on his lips - “But you have to do something for me.”

Upon hearing those words, Erwin recalled what Elaine had told him during their journey to Veras: “No one does anything for free.” He knew that somehow this bastard would use similar words, and under normal circumstances, he would almost certainly reject any proposal. But as mentioned earlier, the tables were turned – Marcus held the upper hand. So, at that moment, Erwin felt compelled to at least listen to what Marcus had to say.

“…Alright, what do I need to do?” Erwin’s smile faded, sensing that this request wouldn’t be straightforward.

Marcus’s grin grew even wider, signaling trouble. - “See that guy behind you?” he began with a slightly sarcastic tone, referring to Oscar. “Hit him the way you hit me.”

Erwin knew this request wouldn’t be easy, but it exceeded his wildest imagination.

“W-What?..” he stammered.

“I said… you have to break his face, just like you did to me!” Marcus raised his voice, momentarily revealing the frustration he felt toward Erwin before calming down.

[I’m in trouble…] Erwin thought, completely caught off guard. He had no intention of hitting Oscar, especially since Oscar hadn’t done anything to him. It wasn’t fair for Oscar to end up in the infirmary. But at the same time, Erwin knew that if he refused this proposal, things could easily going south.

“What are you waiting for? Hit him, or else… you’re done for! Maybe you don’t know, being new here, but I’m Marcus Redard, the son of a Senator! So, what do you think will happen if you don’t accept my offer…” Marcus chuckled, relishing Erwin’s moment of “crisis” after discovering that the boy in front of him had influential connections.

[Son of a Senator… damn it!] though Erwin, realizing why no one stopped Marcus from bullying others.

Erwin understood that he didn’t have many chances to resolve this situation peacefully. He didn’t want to raise his hand against an innocent guy. So, he searched for a solution that would satisfy everyone.

“Hey, don’t you think you should take it out on me? I’m the one who broke your nose, so you break mine, and we’re even…”

Marcus stared at Erwin for a few seconds, then burst into loud laughter that echoed through the classroom.

“You’re a real idiot, aren’t you? There are no options in this negotiation. Either you accept, or, as I said before, I ruin your life. Choose, you criminal!”

[…What a bastard…] Erwin thought. He couldn’t see any other way out. After hearing Ron and Elaine’s stories, he knew that most high-class district people weren’t magnanimous, but this situation exceeded his imagination, infuriating him.

If he accepted, Marcus would leave him alone, and maybe he’d become friends with everyone. But Erwin wasn’t like that. So, with determination, he decided not to accept Marcus’s deal. If he had to exit the stage, he’d do it on his terms, upholding his values, and not submitting to an idiot like Marcus. And if his student life had to end today, then…

“Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll break the nose of that piace of shit.”

“Have you decided? Good! Then...-?!”

Marcus, who initially thought he had Erwin under control, couldn’t wait to enjoy the spectacle. But when he saw Erwin, with a completely unhinged expression, approaching him menacingly, a shiver ran down his spine. Unconsciously, he began to step back.

“H-Hey, buddy, what are you…” Marcus stammered

“Don’t call me buddy… I’ll never be friends with a bastard like you!” Erwin interrupted sharply.

Marcus wanted to escape, but Erwin, with unwavering determination, closed ithe gapt between the two swiftly, leaving the entire class stunned. They could barely follow Erwin’s lightning-fast movements, which were both terrifying and incredibly fluid.

“Next time, think twice before acting like a fool with a ‘peasant’…” Erwin’s anger surged even stronger this time, and he decided to strike Marcus with all the pent-up rage inside him.

Petrified by fear, Marcus stood frozen, watching Erwin’s fist approach his face at a terrifying speed. The ferocity in Erwin’s eyes and mana made it clear that the blow would leave him worse off than he was at that moment.

The class held its breath, witnessing the tense scene. However, suddenly, a man appeared before Erwin, effortlessly stopping his violent punch with one hand before it could strike on Marcus; the collision between Erwin’s fist and the man’s hand sent shockwaves rippling through the building, nearly shattering the windows.

Erwin didn’t even have time to process who or what had blocked his attack. In a split second, he found himself airborne, with sharp pains spreading across his abdomen. He flew for a few seconds before crashing painfully to the ground.

The boy from Hakvill, consumed by rage, tried to rise again to finish what he’d started. But promptly, the same man who had blocked his punch earlier pressed his foot forcefully against Erwin’s chest, sending him back down.

Finally regaining his senses, Erwin finally noted the man who had prevented him from making a foolish action.

The man wore loose-fitting clothes reminiscent of a kimono, with a black-and-green color scheme. His seemingly slender body was, in truth, finely trained, with every muscle of his body well-defined. His hair, pulled upward with a side-swept tuft, was black, though the base had faded to a grayish hue over time.

The man surveyed the scene, his carotid vein pulsing as he took in the sight of two beaten boys on the ground. His expression turned terrifying, freezing Erwin in place with fear.

“Hey, kid… what the hell do you think you’re doing to my students?”

TO BE CONTINUED…