He swung his fist while everybody’s attention was brought elsewhere.

...Almost everybody, that is. There were a few spectators watching the scene below unfold.

Up above, Principal Leyman and the announcer were discussing what to do with ‘Harvey’. He DID ‘lose’ the match, but his rules had little to be desired as far as entertaining matches were concerned. One knockdown and it’s over? Was he an idiot? This is going to completely ruin the matches! Who wants to see him punching people to the floor and then claiming he’s superior?

Who’s going to accept a King that only surprise attacks them first in order to gain victory?

They tested Harvey against other strength users, but that was only in straight combat, not in speed punches!

What’s he going to do if his punches are stronger, but NOT faster than theirs?

He’ll lose! Because of his own silly rules!

.

.

.

Principal Leyman was regretting his decision of fully agreeing to The Atmara woman’s proposal, and FURTHER agreeing to her suggested changes. Letting the 10 hold surprise matches against any willing Freshman of their school? Fine. It was both a good publicity stunt for the school to gain an even greater standing within this hero nation that loved to harass potential candidates for ‘not being up to par’ when compared to all of veterans in the profession, while also serving to help quiet down the disagreeable students that thought those 10 were only being used to garner attention, and weren’t actually that powerful in a real fight.

...Letting them create there own rules?

...STUPID! Look at this fiasco on the monitor: these students may be the strongest, but it doesn’t mean they understand why that’s the case! Harvey’s rules were just dumb!

Principal Leyman: “...Sigh, how troublesome. Bringing me more work to complain over: I suddenly feel like I’ve been put on the same wavelength as that lazy Abrams…”

Announcer: “Should we… cancel the match? If he loses, then this whole thing is meaningless, right?”

Principal Leyman: “We can’t cancel it. That woma—er, AHEM! That reporter from this morning, along with a few others probably scavenging around here or there for a scoop, are all watching. If we try to cancel this match just because he ‘lost’ then we’ll look like big babies. Sore losers that had their own athlete beaten in a race he himself asked for, we’ll be a laughing stock!”

Announcer: “Then, should we...just accept his loss and move on?”

Principal Leyman: “No, we can’t!”

Announcer: “Why not? If we can’t cancel it-”

Principal Leyman: “We’ll STILL be a laughingstock for letting our King lose in such an embarrassing manner! Haah, I knew I would be in trouble when the Referee volunteering to replace Dome turned out to be that… ticking time bomb. How did the Rune Security System NOT stop her from breaking so many wall---Oh. Right. Her outfit. The uniforms for non-combatants are based on our referee outfits – meaning they would be capable of using their ‘powers’ here, since they’re being recognized as referees. And referees are among the personnel allowed to use their powers here. Dammit that’s going to—Oh, right. Let’s bring the original topic back now, shall we?”

Announcer: “Then… what are we supposed to do principal? I feel like all our options are tied—Oh! What if… we come up with a good enough reason to hand him the win?”

Principal Leyman: “And what reason would that be?”.

Announcer: “…”

Principal Leyman: “...Right. As such, I have a better proposal--”

Principal Leyman never got to finish his words, because the uproar spreading throughout the stands around the announcer’s booth dragged both of their attention back to the battle.

...Where Harvey was blowing his fuse. He violently charged at Huroznik, triggering the powerful one- hitter to return into his defensive posture.

.

.

.

then he proceeded to blow him away.

Principal Leyman: “DAMMIT! *BANG!* That IDIOT!! If he had just been patient then I could have covered for him by changing the RULES of the match under a pretense! I had a good excuse come to me just now too!”

Announcer: “Try and be calm, Principal Leyman. Just calm down for the moment. Breathe~ Good. Not all is lost! He only hit his opponent. It’s grounds for detention, certainly, but we could also argue that he thought the match was called prematurely since he wasn’t prepared before she announced the start of the match.”

Principal Leyman: “...They won’t buy it. He clearly nodded, back there. Maybe if it was just a head-cock, but it wasn’t so we’d be fighting a futile battle...”

Announcer: “But we could claim it as a topic of controversy, whether he was actually performing a nod, or-”

Once again, a roar erupted through the crowd: however THIS time it was followed by gasps and shrieks of fear. Both Principal Leyman and his trusty announcer aide were genuinely afraid to look below.

.

.

.

...But they had to.

So look they did. And what they saw, astounded them. The violent act of Harvey brutally smashing his fist into Referee Ophelia’s face was plainly visible to all.

Announcer: “What in the hell is that monster thinking?!”

The announcer stared at Principal Leyman, clearly still reeling from what he had just witnessed.

Somebody touted by the Hero Society as a Leader for the next Generation and future Top 100 Hero Rankers… brutally punched a referee?! And he KNEW she was a non-combatant, unlike Dome? Is this child insane?

Principal Leyman: “Disqualify him. And Quickly call for a medic.”

Announcer: That’s ALL?! You aren’t going to stop him or anything?! Harvey might have just KILLED that powerless girl!! Principal--”

It was then he actually witnessed something out of character for the sly and scheming Principal of Hero High. Without his prior awareness, true fear erupted from the principal’s old and worn face.

This wasn’t a fear generated from seeing a couple of tykes duking it out with their undeveloped powers. No, no – that would be absolutely pathetic coming from a veteran of ‘That Day’. This… it was a fear born from worry. Worry for a person of interest possibly committing a mistake they would regret in the near future.

Fear that he wouldn’t be capable of reacting fast enough to suspend the fight, to apprehend his target before the worst comes to past or even to do what a Hero’s job requires of them most, to protect a single life.

Fear that it was already too late to prevent another death. Another preventable casualty that could have been prevented...

But he had to move.

He flew out of his seat and spoke one single sentence, before crashing through the bullet – proof glass both protecting him, and his barring exit.

Principal Leyman: “Harvey? Stop him? It’s too late for that. What I really wish to prevent now, is something of MUCH greater magnitude: Harvey’s death.”

…

She felt it again.

.

.

Blood…

She hated that feeling. She direly wished to escape from it.

While she was with her friends, she put up a brave face. In fact, just like Ian, she also hated blood.

Blood reminded her of fear. It forced her to recall those timid and frightful emotions she once exuded.

Blood reminded her of her memories – the very same she always runs away from.

Blood taught her despair: it brought to her life an assault, a corpse: and then the title of ‘killer’.

And most importantly, blood reminded her of her rage. The pure injustice she felt because of that turn of events.

Harvey was enraged, but secretly gleeful. He exploded with absolute madness once again by slamming the same punch which crippled Huroznik and sent him sailing through the air, at a non-combatant! This little show brought him an opportunity to enact his revenge against the non-combatants for humiliating him not just once - but TWICE! He allowed it to slide due to that Rage Queen he couldn’t defeat, not wanting to waste precious time on the matter. But Now… again… again those powerless fools were trying to mess with him! Again they were attempting to make him look bad in front of everyone! Well, in actuality – it wound up working in his favor. He knew that he was known for his short temper – and that the refs were often attacked by students who just ‘couldn’t control their mood swings’.

His theory was thus – ‘I couldn’t help myself, I’m sorry! An apology and most likely suspension would be in store for him – but she wouldn’t be able to forget his face. His strength. And most important: her fear.

The Realist Heroes and teachers in the school would surely support him, right? They could even argue that THIS was the exact fear they had for including powerless non-combatants in a school for training heroes.

But this feeling of bliss, this elation didn’t last long.

Because a sharp, staggering pain invaded his right arm – dragging him back to reality.

When Harvey looked – he noticed his right arm had bent into an abnormal 90 degree angle pointing the opposite direction…

Yet before he could register exactly where this painful sensation he never experienced before originated from, a long haired titan in a referee-looking uniform stood up. Her bloodied face entirely fixated on the scarlet droplets falling from the ends of her hair strands. Her...precious hair…

dyed by this...evil blood.

The last thing he saw before everything went to black, was a referee’s fist, filled with all her wrath.

And the last thing he heard? Well…

Ophelia: “H...Hitting a referee for losing...the match...and tainting my hair with...bl-blood…

...You’re…….YOU’RE DISQUALIFIED!!”

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