"What is it?" Aaron, the rep of the third-ranked school said, he was currently on a call.
"Amroh has attacked Aurelian Academy," Lila said.
After a moment of silence, Aaron replied, "And?"
"What do you mean? With Amroh on our side, it's the perfect time for me to-"
"Don't. Give it some time. Do you honestly believe Cyrille wouldn't have taken any caution, any measure? And Amroh? That scoundrel is worse at taking revenge than you could imagine. He probably entered Aurelian territory with all his forces leaving his domain undefended. This flame will likely extinguish soon."
"Exactly that's why we should enter!"
"You could, but I won't entertain your foolish desires. Also, the biggest wildcard would be the new rep of Aurelian Academy. I haven't met him yet, but from what I have heard, he is crazy in his mind." Aaron said before abruptly ending the call.
"The problem isn't the new rep, but the other two schools. They are cooking something, and it ain't good for either of us." Aaron murmured to himself while looking at the city from his balcony. The sun was setting and the flocks of birds were heading back, just like the people who were heading back to their homes.
***
[The day Zenil told his plan to Cyrille]
"So you think, after attacking us, Amroh will contact Lila?" Cyrille asked.
"Yup, he will do his best to exploit her, using the bad blood between you and Lila," Zenil said.
"What measures should we take then?" Audrey asked.
"None. Aaron wouldn't let her attack us." Zenil said.
"What do you mean?"
"We will confuse him by using Mount Bay and Riverside." Zenil said with a smirk, "If I act all messed up in the head, it might intimidate him a bit more."
***
Amroh was currently standing on the terrace of Bastille, looking at the setting sun through the metallic safety railings.
Suddenly his phone rang.
"What is it?" He asked in an irritated tone after picking up the call.
At the same time, a few knocks were heard on the door to the terrace.
"It must be the dude we sent to get some food." One of Amroh's lackeys told his friend who was standing beside him. Both of them were standing near the entrance.
Hearing his friend, the other person opened the door.
As soon as he saw the people on the other side of the door, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened to shout something, but before he could do so, a fist landed on his face, staggering him a few steps and making him fall.
After this, a group of students wearing red blazers entered the terrace.
On the other side of the terrace, Amroh was still on the call.
"What do you mean!" He shouted in anger.
"Sir, some kids are standing outside the place with bats in their hands." The person on the other side, his voice was filled with fear. "They are threatening me to call you."
Amroh sighed. "Let them destroy the place. Your spot isn't the main one anyway. I am not coming."
"Are you sure?" The person on the other side asked but was left on read as Amroh ended the call abruptly.
Amroh had turned around from the setting sun to look at the source of the noises.
All that met his eyes was chaos.
***
"I have confirmed with Cyrille, let's go," Zenil told Dexter before the group headed for the terrace.
"What's the plan?" Dexter asked Zenil.
"What do you mean?"
"How are we going to attack them? Any concrete plan?"
"We have already neutralized so many of them." Zenil asked, the group had started to climb the stairs by now, "Don't tell me your group can't take down twenty-thirty bastards?"
After hearing this, everyone in the group except for Dexter started opposing Zenil,
"We can!"
"What do you mean?"
"We took down fifty students, what are these thirty then?"
"Let's go then!" Zenil said while looking at the group with a friendly smile on his face.
"So, are we rushing in? Or are we going sneaky-beaky like?" Dexter asked.
"Let's do it like Russians, I guess?" Zenil replied as he knocked on the door to the terrace.
As soon as the door opened, Dexter then punched the face of the person who opened the door, and the group rushed in.
***
The terrace was engulfed in chaos as Zenil and his group stormed in, dispersing Amroh's lackeys. Shouts, clashes, and the occasional thud echoed against the metallic railings. Zenil emerged from the tumult, his disheveled appearance only adding to the disarray surrounding him. His eyes, however, remained sharp and focused.
Amroh, standing near the terrace's edge, turned his attention from the setting sun to the sudden intrusion. His gaze met Zenil's, and a brief moment of silence settled between the two.
Zenil stood there with the violent chaos in his backdrop, his eyes locked in with Amroh's eyes.
With a confident grin, Zenil walked forward, leaving the chaos behind him. The background noise seemed to fade as he approached Amroh, creating an unsettling calm in their immediate vicinity.
Amroh, unfazed by the mayhem, studied Zenil with a raised eyebrow. "You must be the new rep?" he said, his tone a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
Zenil stopped a few feet away, his smirk widening. "Indeed, Amroh. I am Zenil. The new rep of Aurelian Academy." he said, his voice carrying a hint of madness. "Now why don't you tell me why you have given us such a… umm surprise visit?"
Amroh's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting from irritation to intrigue. "Just settling a score. I know what you did to my men."
Zenil chuckled, "Oh, but I remember apologizing back then."
"What can a single sorry do?"
"Nothing. I guess?"
"You know it well."
"Indeed, I do." Zenil sighed. "You know, I am not here to fight."
"I don't care," Amroh said as he rushed towards Zenil with his fist ready to strike.
Amroh's fist surged forward, aimed at Zenil's face, but with a quick sidestep, Zenil avoided the blow.
"Now that it has come to this, why don't we exchange greetings in earnest," Zenil said as he took the familiar stance. His body started surging with marma.
Zenil lunged at his opponent and soon the two of them found themselves entwined in a sporadic dance of strikes and evasions amid the clamor enveloping the terrace.
Zenil launched a kick aimed at Amroh's midsection, which met with a sturdy block from Amroh's forearm. In return, Amroh unleashed a forceful elbow strike, but Zenil smoothly ducked beneath it.
With a sudden burst of speed, Zenil lunged forward, executing a spinning backkick that caught Amroh off guard. Amroh staggered backward, momentarily disoriented. Seizing the opportunity, Zenil landed an uppercut at Amroh, sending him backward several meters and crashing into the terrace railing. His punch was filled with controlled marma.
"Now why don't we stop this meaningless brawl, and actually get some business done," Zenil said as he stretched his hands.
Amroh slowly sat up, and spat some blood, "What are you babbling about?" he said with irritation in his words.
"Let's just say, I'm not here to fight. I'm here to play a different game," Zenil replied cryptically.
The tension between them escalated as the chaotic scene on the terrace continued to unfold. Zenil and Amroh locked eyes, each sizing up the other in the midst of the chaos. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the confrontation.