[Attention everybody! Today we all witnessed a plethora of flashy battles and Courageous competitors taking part in all sorts of sports, obstacle course races, Quiz shows and Battles! Before we continue, I would like to end this first half off with a very special treat: We have suddenly made a special change in the scheduled events!! Up next - you are going to have a chance to CHALLENGE one of our school’s top 10 freshman! The Leaders of your Freshman Generation themselves… The 10 Kings of Hero High! Everybody will get to challenge them in a match with rules of their choosing, so hurry and sign up now!]

…

Crowd member #1: “What..?

...I heard wrong, right? Heheh, I must have: there’s no way whatsoever, that they would let us continuously challenge them in back to back matches, I mean, it’s impossible.... right?”

Crowd member #2: “….Heh.

Heheh.

He… He said we could *Gulp* could go for the crowns.”

Crowd member #3: “Hah! Yeah, have fun trying to win: because you gotta beat them first to get their title! If you can’t even manage something like that, then forget dreaming about the crown. It’s hopeless, completely hopeless!”

Crowd member #4: “Actually, you’re wrong. It may be difficult but it is certainly not impossible to win against them. If you can capitalize on their weakness: maybe study them for a few rounds even – they’re bound to reveal something by slipping up! They’re only human, after all!”

Crowd member #5: “Then – my chance at winning, is only after they tire themselves out! I have to wait until they play in a few matches first in order to find my chance to win!”

Unfortunately… Everybody had this very same thought process. Because of that, in regards to student interest...a grand spectacle achieved superiority over the announced event. A comical scene occurred where everyone in the stands remained seated and only eyed each other, merely to ‘test the waters’ and see if they can get someone else to go before them. That way, they’d help increase their own odds by so much more, depending on if these first sacrificial pawns could waste a fair amount of stamina from the respective ‘King’ they’d be targeting.

Of course, this didn’t last long.

100…

no, 200…

...soon, more than 300 contestants applied for a single bout against the 10 Kings.

Spectators within the stands were nervous.

Students awaiting the damage results were nervous.

But more so than them were a few of those contestants who only signed up at the start due to adrenaline or peer pressure. They were by far the most nervous of all: even going so far as to cower or buckle their knees together the very moment they either realized what they were doing or their own adrenaline wore out

This was bound to be a wonderfully awe inspiring set of matches! The Hero Society and Principal Leyman were practically announcing their full support of these 10 young students with promising abilities by backing them and stating that they’re the ‘Top students’.

...Sure they were getting some ire. That was bound to happen the moment they announced a percentage of top students to begin with. Sure most were only interested in the details of ‘how much damage can so – and – so, deal to Gravity Queen, Cubic Queen, Biceps King or the Painter before I sign myself up!’…

...But that wasn’t a sentiment shared by everybody.

Some students felt humiliated by by this blatant disrespect from the Hero Society!

‘Who decided they were the top?’

‘Just because you went and introduced them to some punching bags DOESN’T mean you’ve met the real deal’

or...

‘That Speedy guy lost to three people. THREE! All no – names too! If they can do it, then…’

or even...

What makes them think those people are the best our school has to offer? Are they trying to pick a fight with this school’s other factions? MY faction?’

All kinds of rumors were beginning to stir.

.

.

...But so what?

Does the Hero Society regret their decision to back these 10?

No!

If anybody wants the school to change their minds, then they need to prove themselves!!

Battle the 10! All students have to PROVE that each of them deserve better credit then they’re getting at the moment!

And right now: The very first match was about to begin!

…

[First match, Battle between Biceps King Harvey vs Ryder Caber! First to down their opponent wins!]

Ryder Caber: “Hey: I heard you’re pretty popular, but deep down, you’re only an asshole who believes in his strength too much.”

King Harvey: “Yeah, so?”

Ryder Caber: “You fool! A hero should be loyal to the people he’s sworn to protect! How can the people put their trust in you if-”

*BOOM!*

The entire arena shook. Without giving Ryder the opportunity to finish his sentence, Harvey smashed his fist directly into the somewhat larger, dark skinned boy’s neck.

For just a moment, he was winded and collapsed – but according to the rules...

There was no crack sound emitted, showcasing that either Harvey had held back with his strike, or that Ryder was too durable to have his neck broken by somebody at King Harvey’s level.

The truth in fact, was the latter, but everyone in the stands believed in the former. They were conditioned thanks to propaganda and news broadcasted by stations supporting Hero Society that the Kings were all admirable in some way.

Thus, they had absolute confidence in the King, despite the nasty rumors about what he’d done while saving a woman from a mugger. Despite just watching him aim for his opponent’s neck.

In their honest eyes, Ryder shouldn’t have stood there talking, and THAT’S why he lost.

King Harvey: “Haha! Babbling like a fool. If you can get to where I am now, then maybe I’ll listen to what you have to say. Until then, you’re just fodder to fuel my growth! Next!”

[...Well, a knockdown is a knockdown, and those were Harvey’s rules! The winner is King Harvey! Next challenger, please step forward!]

Ryder Caber: “...Don’t think this is over Harvey. You just proved to me that you ain’t hero material. I’ll have my revenge match wit’ you: a REAL match an’ not these flimsy one-punch ground pounds you call a fight!”

King Harvey: “Hahaha! Keep barking like a dog and get lost loser. Fight me when you can handle one of my real punches first!”

Forced to contain his resentment – Ryder Caber walked off the stage amidst laughter and jeers.

Random student #1: “Hahaha what was that? He only lasted like, 2 seconds!”

Random student #2: “Pfffft... bahahahaha!! Way to go loser! You were absolutely the WORST performance today! Just do yourself a favor and don’t come back!”

Random student #3: “Hey! Leave him alone! He… He was trying to talk some sense into Harvey first-”

Random student #4: “You stop tryna protect him! He was tryna talk some smack talk and ended up gettin’ straight smacked!”

He immediately buried his head in shame, the moment he was out of view. That was too humiliating!! He clenched his fist and teeth in hidden, seething anger. Anger at both himself and his adversary on stage.

He would never make such a fool of himself again. This was truly, one of the biggest turning points of young Ryder Caber’s life.

…

[ Alright 30 minutes have passed, sorry for the delay! Next match! Huroznik vs King Harvey – However this time we will be introducing a referee! Please welcome our surprising noncombatant Division student volunteer!]

Once more, the stands were all rendered silent. A jumbled collage of ramdom emotions and opinions started to take form within the spectating masses, but one thing everybody simultaneously agreed on was this:

‘...Are they crazy?’

Harvey was known as admirable but ‘clumsy’.

Yes. It was only clumsiness that made him go too far against his opponents.

It was only clumsiness when he would ‘accidentally’ hurt others that addressed him wrongly or rebuked his actions.

And it would only be ‘clumsiness’ to blame once King Harvey gets his revenge for the humiliation Noel showed him, by ‘accidentally’ breaking every bone in that referee’s body!

Harvey: “I still remember what that piece of shit told me back at the assembly.

So...you all think you’re impossibly protected by the Hero Society, huh? Well I don’t buy it! A hero could get away with just about anything! Anything they want to do...Murder, rape… with enough status and connections everything can, and will get covered up for you!!

...Heh..heheh, a Hero is practically God to the people he saves! This is going to be wonderful~ Maybe the ‘Realist’ faction teachers will all support me after this! Hahaha! Hurry up and come out here Ref!! I’m tired of waiting!”

…

Oliviera: “*Munches* Catchring pictwers uf him dweeping made mah popularity skahrocket to *Gulp* Oh, excuse me. Skyrocket to 4 million! He’s just soo dreamy~ Ahh both of my favorite Generation Leaders are RIGHT here! EEEEEK!”

Elijah: “Harvey… what an asshole. I hope somebody teaches him a lesson someday.”

Oliviera: “Mmm..still. A noncombatant referee huh? Aaah *munches*

.

.

I wonder what cocky fool would actually sign up to be a referee. Haha! Ha...ha...ha.

…”

Elijah: “...Umm. Well, there’s Rise, Alyandrea and Noel--”

And it was at that very moment when he remembered his teacher’s words: Freshman wouldn’t know where the bathroom was! So then...exactly where did Noel go?

His suspicions were hastily dashed by Oliviera’s phone flashing in front of his face.

Oliviera: “Look – look! See? I knew he wasn’t lying! Mr. Abrams just texted me! He said Noel got… got – hehehehe – los- lost trying to find the bathroom! He’s waiting on him now – and he found Rise wandering the halls too! It looks like they’ll be coming back over here once Noel’s ‘business’ is...settled.”

Elijah: “Hmm? Wait, even Rise?! Then – could it be Alyandrea?

...No, she barely even wants to be here. She would never degrade herself by refereeing a hero’s match.

...Just who could it be...?”

Oliviera: “*Munches* You know: I th*munch* - think it could probably be another class’s students. Aftwer all...*munch...gulp* We’re not the only class full of noncombatants.”

Elijah: “...You may be right… but still...why do I get this nagging feeling deep in my gut that it is…? But if nnot Rise – and the suspicious Noel is now acquitted of all suspicions because he really just went to look for a bathroom…

…

…

...could I just be paranoid? Yeah… probably.”

Oliviera: ”Hahaha, think about it. Why would somebody from our class be foolish enough to stand in front of that questionable King Harvey especially after what he said at the assembly? Haha: WHO would be foolish enough to –”

*Boom!*

Elijah: “Huh? Wh-what’s going on?!”

Oliviera: “What the leechums? Why are the walls shaking – *Gasps* are we under attack?! YAAAAHH nooo! I don’t wanna die!!”

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