Rush lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes rolled back in his head.
As the students watched Hugo thrust his left fist into the air with the unconscious boy lying behind him, they were left utterly speechless by the unexpected turn of events.
Hugo rolled his neck and shrugged his shoulders to loosen them. He turned his gaze toward Rush's lackeys—seated in what might be called the seconds' area—and addressed them with casual indifference.
"So, what’s next? Anyone else want a round with me?"
He didn't mean it as a taunt or a way to mock them; it was a genuine question. He figured someone might want to avenge Rush, and since there was a chance they’d harass him later anyway, he preferred to deal with them all while he was still in the zone.
However, despite Hugo’s practical intent, the lackeys’ reaction was far from what he expected.
"Eek!? No, well... um..."
"U-Umm..."
They recoiled, trembling, and exchanged glances before hanging their heads in awkward silence.
Only a few minutes ago, they had been jeering and belittling him. Their current spinelessness was so jarring it felt like a lie. Hugo sighed, deactivated Blaster, and pressed them for a clear answer.
"I take it no one else is stepping up? Then we’re clear on the agreement: no more picking fights with us. Right?"
Silence. Not a single "yes" or "no" came from the group; they simply stared at the ground, refusing to speak.
This was awkward. It almost felt like he was the villain here. Despite having won a fair fight, Hugo felt a twinge of guilt. Shaking it off, he pointed at the downed Rush.
"Hey, someone should take care of him. It’s pathetic to just leave him lying there like that."
He might be a jerk, but he was still a fellow student. Hugo didn't want to see a guy he’d just traded blows with left sprawled out in front of a crowd like a piece of garbage. He genuinely wanted someone to help the guy.
But as the lackeys reacted to his words with more trembling and scurried over to help Rush like frightened animals, Hugo felt a small pang of pity.
(They were all for him until he lost. Talk about fair-weather friends...)
How many of the students who had been screaming for his head or placing their hopes on Rush actually cared about the guy? Even the lackeys who’d helped him bully others were keeping their distance now. What a heartless bunch, Hugo thought with a sigh.
Fee and Melt ran up to him.
"Brother! I knew you were strong!"
"That was incredible! And what was that move?! You went whoosh, then bam with your knee, and then at the end it was like boom-boom! It was seriously amazing!"
"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without your support. I might have gone a little overboard, though. It leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth."
Hugo smiled, thanking the two who had stood by him from the very beginning. Although the ending hadn't been perfectly satisfying, he believed the matter was finally settled. However, a sharp voice pierced the air behind him.
"Hold it right there, Hugo Clay!"
"Hm...?"
Hugo turned to see a young man approaching. He had striking grey hair and golden eyes, but his face was twisted with pure rage and hatred as he stomped toward Hugo.
"You coward! You cheated, didn't you?! To think you'd stoop so low just to steal a win... You really are an irredeemable piece of scum!"
He bellowed his accusation loud enough for every student in the arena to hear, his face flushed crimson and his breath coming in ragged, angry snorts.
Hugo grimaced. Was this another one of Rush's friends? He was certainly putting on quite a show. His attitude, however, only seemed to further incense the newcomer.
"There's no way you're this strong! Someone like Scum Yugo shouldn't be able to do any of this!"
"...Look, you can keep yelling all you want, but could you at least tell me your name first? It's hard to have a conversation otherwise."
"You...! Are you saying you forgot me?! The man who crushed you in a duel and forced you to crawl in humiliation?!"
The more Hugo spoke, the more the stranger seemed to lose it. Paradoxically, Hugo found himself growing calmer as the other boy's blood pressure skyrocketed. The furious youth then screamed his name at the top of his lungs.
"My name is Zenon! Zenon Ash! Don't you dare pretend you've forgotten, you Scum Yugo!"