"Urgh...!"
Burn’s face twisted into a mocking sneer as he looked down at Marcos. He wasn't finished. Even as Marcos groaned under the weight of his contempt, the villain continued to hurl cruel, jagged words at him.
"You’ve got some nerve, talking big like that. If you’re really his rival, maybe you should try actually doing something useful. Ryuga managed it, didn't he?"
"...!!"
"Hahaha! What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue now that I’ve landed a direct thrust? Can’t say I blame you. It’s gotta be pathetic, right? Seeing the gap between you and guys like Yugo and Ryuga laid out this clearly... it’s enough to make anyone realize just how much of a bottom-feeder they really are!"
Yugo was out there right now. Even though he’d fallen into a predicament because of them, he was surely still fighting, refusing to give up on rescuing his younger brother and his companions.
And then there was Ryuga. He hadn’t just navigated the enemy’s traps to assist in Yugo's Escape; he was continuing to fight by his side, serving as his pillar of support.
Compared to them, Marcos was just a hostage locked in a cage. He couldn't offer any resistance. He was just waiting to be rescued—a burden dragging his friends down.
He had called himself a rival. He had truly believed he was fighting alongside them. But in the face of this Emergency Situation, the gulf between his abilities and theirs had become undeniable.
"Deep down, you already get it, don't you? You aren't Yugo's rival. You aren't anything. You’re just a mob character—a pathetic, unsightly small-fry who can’t do a damn thing but crawl through the mud."
"Ugh... gah...!!"
Marcos clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, a low growl escaping his throat. The insults were like blades, and the humiliation was carving his heart out from the inside.
But he reached his limit there. He couldn't find the strength to fire back. Facing the reality of the gap between him and Yugo—a truth he had sensed for a long time—Marcos could do nothing but let the weight of it crush him.
"Haha! Looks like you finally know your place. I guess that makes you a slightly higher-class mob than the rest."
Burn cackled, his tone flippant and cruel.
Suddenly, a voice of protest rang out from across the room.
"Don't you talk about Marcos like that! He isn't weak!!"
"Hah...?"
Burn turned his head, his expression souring as he spotted Elena glaring at him. Undeterred by his gaze, she shouted again.
"Marcos isn't weak! He’s much, much stronger than a creep like you! Because—kyah!?"
"Elena!?"
"Haha...! Looks like the real brainless idiot was over here. You’re so dim-witted you can’t even grasp the situation you’re in. There’s a limit to how stupid you can be."
Burn let out a ferocious laugh as he fired an Intimidation Flame Bullet right at Elena’s feet. She shrieked and fell silent as he turned a hand wreathed in roaring, hungry flames toward her. Marcos cried out in desperation.
"Stop! Don't you dare touch her!!"
"Hey, she’s the one who did something stupid, right? Dogma told me not to lay a hand on anyone... but maybe it’s a good idea to burn at least one of you as an example."
"Stop it...! If you have to do it, do it to me! Please!"
Marcos pleaded with the monster, his voice cracking. Burn watched him, his eyes shimmering with sadistic pleasure—but then, another voice cut through the air.
"Don't you lay a finger on my students! If you have to hurt someone, let it be me!"
"P-Professor...!?"
The shout had come from Uno, who was also being held hostage. Burn’s eyes flicked from Marcos to the teacher. He let out a sharp snort.
"Heh...! Well, aren't you a Good Teacher Who Cares for Students. I love it. I love it from the bottom of my heart...!!"
A fearless, jagged smile spread across Burn’s face as he slowly lowered his hand. The roaring flames vanished, and for a moment, the captives felt a wave of relief, thinking the danger had passed.
"—As you wish. I'll start with you."
"Ugh!? Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
"Pr-Professor!! Nooooooo!!"
The moment Burn spoke, Uno's body erupted into flames.
Misery screamed as she watched her teacher burn. The cries of the Elementary Division students, trembling in Fear, echoed through the Gymnasium. Marcos and the others could only watch in frozen horror.
"Gah...! A-Aguh..."
"Professor Castle...! You... you monster!!"
"Relax, I’m not gonna kill him. But do you get it now? Even while your precious teacher is being scorched black, all you can do is scream. That’s the definition of your own pathetic helplessness. You can't protect a single thing!"
If Burn felt like it, anyone else could be next.
They couldn't stop him. They couldn't even treat the man currently being incinerated. They were utterly powerless.
As Marcos sank into a deep, wordless despair, the doors to the Gymnasium swung open. Dogma's Group stepped inside, followed by a band of defected Reincarnators.