"Rowe, what's your game here, you bastard? If the High Clans find out about this, they'll kill you."
The brown-haired student's voice was laced with fury as he glared at the unconscious black-haired student sprawled on the floor.
"Justin, take your loser ass back to your clan."
The red-haired figure stood defiantly before five students, nonchalantly flipping a fork in his hand.
Without another word, four students hastily scooped up the black-haired student and made a swift exit from the dining hall.
As the quintet retreated, Archie decided it was his cue to leave as well. With the noodles all but gone and the potential for more trouble brewing, he grabbed his skateboard and prepared to make a swift exit.
"What you did was extremely stupid."
The fork-juggler advanced towards Archie, backed by five other students. They quickly encircled Archie and claimed the table where he had been sitting.
Archie, maintaining his silence, rose from the table, intending to leave. But before he could make his move...
"WOOSH!" Archie's left leg was suddenly encased in ice, anchoring him to the spot. Strangely, he felt no cold or freezing sensation.
Archie swiveled to face the fork-wielding boy, his expression icy.
"What do you want?"
The fork boy launched the fork into the air, catching it with a cocky grin. Without warning, he launched it at Archie's face. Archie instinctively raised his hands to shield himself.
But before the fork could reach him, it veered off course mid-air, striking his frozen leg instead. The impact shattered the ice, freeing his leg. Then, like a boomerang, the fork returned to the hand of its thrower.
The fork boy set the fork down and, with a stern expression, casually answered Archie's question,
"I want a 'thanks for saving your skin' and an apology for your rudeness."
"I'm sorry!" Archie found himself apologizing, adding, "Thanks, I guess."
The fork boy's lips curled into a faint smile as he responded in a friendly tone,
"Now that we've become friends, let's introduce ourselves."
"What!" Archie was taken aback, his face a blend of confusion and annoyance. Suddenly, one of the students seated next to Archie yanked him back into his chair.
'Who are these weirdos? Are they here to intimidate me or are they spies from the high clans?'
Archie was baffled by the sudden proclamation of friendship, which only stoked his ire.
"I'm not your friend. Who do you think you are?"
"Your friend, of course. I thought the exchange of 'sorry' and 'thanks' was the universal code for friendship. Look at us—we all did the same to become friends."
The fork boy replied with a serious tone, a smile spreading across his face. Not just his face, but all the others were smiling broadly too.
Archie could tell that their smiles and gazes were genuine, devoid of the usual mocking undertone.
Archie sighed. These interactions were giving him a headache, and he exhaled heavily to calm himself, which only seemed to fan the flames of his frustration.
Meanwhile, everyone began introducing themselves in a congenial tone.
"I'm Rowe Annam." The fork boy introduced himself, extending his hand.
Rowe had clear brown eyes and dark red hair with a button nose. He wore a black t-shirt and cargo pants over his muscular body. His tall figure stood nearly 6 feet. He looked more like a man than a 15-year-old boy, with signs of a small beard already visible.
Archie met Rowe's handshake with a blank stare, but they were the type that didn't take no for an answer.
The brown-haired student sitting next to Archie seized his hand forcefully and shook Rowe's hand. Archie struggled but couldn't escape the brown-haired student's grip.
Archie shot a glare at the brown-haired student, thinking,
'Just wait, once I learn how to handle rifts, I will throw your bodies in pieces inside different rifts.'
However, the brown-haired student mistook Archie's glare for interest in his introduction, so he flashed a huge smile and introduced himself,
"I'm Shawn McKay."
Shawn McKay didn't have a striking or distinguished face. He looked like an average 15-year-old boy, except for his large body, tipping the scales at over 100 kg, with a height nearing 6 feet. His medium face and huge body were a mismatch.
Shawn rubbed his chin and apologized,
"Sorry for the rough handling. I don't like it when someone disrespects the leader."
'Leader! Is Rowe from a high clan?'
Archie zoned out, his gaze fixed on Rowe. He clenched his fist at the thought of high-clan students throwing money at him.
Archie's anger reached a boiling point where, even if his legs were frozen again when he tried to leave, he would have severed them just to escape. He quickly rose from the table, set down his skateboard, and skated out of there.
This time, nobody stopped Archie. As he left, everyone's gaze turned to Rowe, who maintained his smile while the others awaited his orders.
"Don't worry, guys. He'll come around. He has to. We need him for my mission."
Rowe clasped his hands behind his back, rose from the chair, and the others fell in line behind him, following him like disciples trailing their master.
As Archie made his way to his building, he skated along the sidewalk, his gaze fixed on the pavement, oblivious to his surroundings.
"Hey, think fast."
A masculine voice reverberated from behind Archie. Before he could swivel around...
"CRASH!" A massive stone collided with Archie's body, sending him tumbling off his skateboard and rolling down the sidewalk. Archie was enveloped in dust, his pants ripped and knees bleeding.
Archie groaned as he attempted to rise, a sharp pain radiating from his back. He glanced at the object that had struck him—a boulder the size of a football. His gaze shifted to the thrower and he recognized the students who had previously antagonized him, now joined by a sixth member.
It was Ron J. Dale, a slender boy with raven hair and azure eyes. A gun was slung on his waist and a rifle strapped to his back. Dressed in a sleek black suit, he strutted towards Archie with an air of arrogance.
"Hey, dog. I've got your leash."
Ron taunted as he towered over Archie. Archie lifted his gaze slightly to meet Ron's haughty face looking down at him.
Ron swiftly drew his gun and pressed it against Archie's temple, threatening,
"Here's your leash. Fancy a bullet for lunch instead?"
"HA…" Archie chuckled, despite the pain. This baffled Ron, who asked, "What's so funny, dog?"
"I watched a movie last month. The villain's henchman spoke the exact same words."
Archie smirked and whispered into Ron's ear,
"Did you see that movie before coming here to the Academy?"
"HA… HA…" Ron forced a laugh and grinned, "You are funny, dog."
Ron slung his arm around Archie's shoulder and paraded him in front of the other students, declaring,
"Fools, look! My dog's got jokes. Ha..."
"THUD!" Before Ron's grin could fade, he landed a punch in Archie's gut, sending him sprawling to the ground. But he didn't stop there.
Ron continued to rain kicks on Archie for several minutes. With his ribs bruised and blood trickling from his lips as he bit them to suppress his rage, Archie refrained from retaliating.
Archie might not have been physically robust or skilled in combat, but he despised being a sitting duck when clearly wronged. He wrapped his arms around Ron's kicks to shield his stomach.
Ron ceased his assault after a few minutes. He gestured to his men to hoist Archie up.
Ron slapped Archie on the left cheek and laid down the law,
"Never speak with those Round of Six maggots and never mess with my men."
Ron seized Archie's bleeding face and forced him to meet his gaze, threatening,
"If you ever speak to me again, I won't hesitate to put down a disobedient dog."