Ash takes another bite out of his orange, peel and all. The Sar brothers mock him alongside their goons. Baro is so strange though, he went and took a bite out of the orange peel too. Based on all the mockery coming his way, it's fair to assume eating orange peels isn't a common act in this world. Yet Baro... without hesitation he took a bite of his orange, peel and all. What a bro. Ash can handle the mockery coming his way. It's no different than from his old world, where the jealous and the noble would berate him for overstepping his boundaries. Latching onto any opening to bring him down, to mock and laugh and humiliate him. What choice was he given in all of it? None, he was merely left somewhere as a baby and followed in the footsteps of someone wise and respected. Sometimes going through existence is enough to cause you suffering, and it looks like the same applies in this world. Besides Baro, he's only said one sentence to one other person, and that was enough to make him an outcast. Baro doesn't seem to have the best reputation either, even still, he doesn't deserve to have it fall even lower. Baro faces dishonor for just associating with Ash. Maybe it's better if Ash stops associating with him.

"Oh man, delicious," Baro said, eating the orange hole. Ash chuckles as he finishes and grabs another.

"And here I thought this takes getting used to." Ash said.

"It does," Baro said with another bite. Is he already used to it? Or is he just that tough? Ash can't quite figure him out.

The table shakes and breaks as Bou Sar's fist crashes down on it. Ash and Baro looks up in horror. The fruits fall as the table breaks.

"Stop ignoring my brother!" Bou yells. The fruits roll across the floor as everyone quiets down. Ash trembles, eyes hidden in shadows as he clenches his fist.

"Look, he's shaking in fear, he's going to pee himself," a random in the crowd said.

"What the hell man, those were perfectly good fruits," Baro said with a frown, to the satisfaction of Ash's ears. This person understands, he can be a real friend in this world. Ash smiles as he joins Baro in picking up the fruits.

"Oh? You like dirty foods you lazy trash bumpkins?" Lou said, grabbing the massive plate of chicken strips. The belevere daughter's teary eyes flow out her mushroom cap as she grabs him by the arm, crying "no" as he pushes her away.

"Stay out of this No-ana, they need to be taught a lesson," Lou said bringing over the plate of chicken strips. Baro smiles wide, the chicken strips! Those delectable chicken strips, marinated in seventeen different herbs and spices, fried to perfection in a light yet rich crispy crunchy batter. He can practically taste it. In fact, he does taste it. Lou chucked the entire plate at him and Ash, scattering dozens of chicken strips across the area. Some of the kids boo and groan. They ran out of chicken strips because some greedy noble went and bought all of them, just for this. They were furious, especially at the lazy trash bumpkins who made this scene to begin with. They were fine knowing there was no chicken strips left, but seeing it get wasted because they angered the nobles, it's their fault the food is wasted. Thanks lazy trash, thanks for wasting all that food.

"Boo-------------------!" the crowd screams.

"You suck lazy trash," they yell.

"Get lost bumpkins."

"You belong with the alley filth."

That last one stung. The attitudes these people have towards someone they know nothing about sucks. In fact, everything here sucks. Ash clenches his fist as the Sar brothers hurl insult after insult. The crowd joining and yelling along. The food sucks, the people suck, the insults suck. His fist shakes as he clenches harder. And the wasted food. Silver lights flicker.

It's unforgiveable!

Baro puts a hand on Ash's shoulder, pulling him back moments before he could release a Qi pulse. What's Baro planning?

"How about we take this outside, somewhere more private," Baro said low and calm.

Lou laughs, pulling his brother Bou back. What a couple of fools! This time there won't be any teachers to break it up. It's better this way too, they can kill these trash off in secret and act like nothing happened. Lou nods.

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"Follow me, I know the perfect spot," Lou said, leading the way with Bou behind. Ash and Baro follow, with Lou and Bou's entourage following, pulling a reluctant Noana along. They linger far behind as Ash and Baro follow Lou and Bou down the cramped halls. The entourage thinks they're sneaky, but their every footsteps ring loud in Ash and Baro's ears. As long as it's just people like this, there is nothing to fear.

In his old world, it was a known statistic that if there was no food waste, as in every ingredient was used to it's utmost potential, world hunger would end. Yet every day, the number one producer of foul odors and biochemical toxins were wasted food, left to fester and rot. Such wastes would be harvested for whatever compost it can produce, while the rest of the toxins would be incinerated. A necessary harm to the ozone, done as a last resort when there is no other means left for dealing with the trash. There are so many people out there, even in this city, who would be happy to eat some of the food these fools so readily and pettily waste. Ash can barely contain his anger, feet damn near stomping on every step as the Qi coursing within begs to be released.

It's a good thing Baro stopped Ash when he did. He was ready to snap in the cafeteria. Causing such a disturbance, towards nobles, in front all those people would be a recipe for disaster. He'd be lynched by the other nobles, and dead within days. Now, they have left the public eye. It's a good thing they agreed to take the fight somewhere private. No matter what happens from this point on, he and Baro can just act like they don't know any better. The Sars and Beleveres are nobility afterall, maybe someone kidnapped them for ransom after they and their friends gave Baro and Ash a beating. It'd be hard to sell that story without at least looking like they were beaten up.

If they play their cards right, Ash can get revenge without having to reveal his power to the whole academy.

They walk out the back of the school, down a long dirt trail, towards a dirty dimly lit space. Amongst the scent of sewer filth, the distinct scent of urine. Rats scurry in the shadows below walls full of strange signs and art. It's bold and colorful, yet the forms and their meaning unrecognizable to Ash. This sewer is dirty, smelly, and most likely where the school drains most their liquid waste. Look at all the trash and debris strewn about on the ground, would it kill this school to teach the kids a thing or two about trash disposal. Why is there so much physical waste clogging up where the liquid waste is supposed to wash down. Not to mention there is a massive pond on the other side of this sewer, just where exactly is this liquid waste washing into?

Trash management in this city is in desperate need of an overhaul. Ash's first order of business, taking out these two pieces of trash and their entourage of goons.

"Tell you what," Lou Sar said, pointing to the ground. "Lick the ground like the trash eating worm you are and I'll tell Madam Belevere that the score is settled."

Boro's fists shake, this time it was Ash putting his hand on an angry shoulder. Boro releases the tension in his fist as he looks into Ash's eyes. He's calm and confident, Boro thinks, relaxing completely. He and Ash both understand their situation.

"I'll tell you what. You get thirty seconds and I can only defend myself." Ash said. Junk-fu is not a fighting art, it is however an expansion of a legendary defensive martial art form. By taking away the energetic elements of the form, and the trash disposal and management functions, you revert junk-fu to it's pure combat form, Wushu, the art of Kung-fu.

Ash need not even go that far. The other kid's lack the Qi power needed to strike through the thick thunderhoof hide beneath his clothes. All he needs to do is protect his head.

"His blubber protects him from our fists, but it won't last forever!" Lou said, assaulting Ash alongside his goons again.

Again with the fatty comments. Isn't he supposed to be extra muscular with all these tight clothes? Unless... Oh no. The thick hide underneath... it's bulky and studded, it looks like he's got fat folds all over his body. How could he have not noticed the nature of his own appearance before this point. Dammit Janne, now everyone thinks I'm fat.

Noana watches on from the back, looking at Baro with confusion, hesitation, and depression. Baro smiles and gives her a thumbs up. What? Noana thinks. She's brought them so much trouble and hardship, too weak to voice her own thoughts against this lynching. Her inaction the cause of all the disaster befalling this poor innocent fat kid. So why? Why does his friend smile like it'll all be okay?

"Agh!-------" voices in pain wring out from around Ash. The Lou brother's and their goons fall back, grabbing their red throbbing fists in frustration. Why are we the ones getting hurt.

"You think such paltry strikes could pierce through my blubber!? Ash roars.

"Ha, only if the sun rises west and sets east." Baro said, laughing menacingly. The kids around cower back as Ash drools.

"This blubber has been passed from father to son for a hundred generations, getting stronger and sturdier with each pass."

"They passed their fatness onto you, so what!" Lou sar yells, regaining the moral of his men. Yeah, so what if it's passed on. Ash smiles, exactly what he was waiting for.

"He didn't pass it to me, oh no, I took it" Ash said, wiping the drool from his lip, gnawing air with his razor sharp teeth. "he kept pushing and pushing, crying and screaming, begging for life. I told him, dad you had your turn."

Bou Sar trips as Ash gets close, saliva falling on his pristine noble shirt as trash stains his pants. Ash roars, spitting and drooling like a rabid beast.

"Now I want mine!" Ash said with a bite at the air. Lou Sar rushes away with his near unconscious brother in his hands, pee shooting out their pants as though they're pissing off like rockets.

Noana Belevere looking on in horror. They forgot her.

"You," Ash growls.