Chapter 16: Shadows of Resolve
Victor joined our squadron. The moment he stepped over the threshold, Sane jumped back and armed himself—as if he could sense the strongest presence in the room. But he didn't attack Victor. Yet I still couldn’t fathom why he had been attacking me at night.
Victor was a quiet enigma. After arriving, he said nothing to anyone; he simply stared blankly at everyone before retreating to his bed. I longed to gauge his power—to understand just how much stronger he was than the other fighters I had faced. But I couldn’t challenge him; my body was still recovering from Gwendowson’s brutal attacks.
After dinner, we turned in to sleep. I was in the main sleeping quater chatting with Yukio and Zack, when Suddenly, William addressed Victor.
“I heard you’re the general’s son. Connections might have gotten you here, but they won’t help you survive this place!”
William’s remark was sudden, unrestrained and delivered without fear. And Loid Anderson wasn’t far behind.
“In our time, connections are the only way to survive. They can even make the vilest criminals appear angelic.”
“So that’s why the crime rate is so high,” Zack interjected dryly. “Everyone’s booking flights these days.”
Victor’s eyes turned sharp on William. “Your theories on how I got here are irrelevant. I read the files on every one of you before I arrived—the hotheaded detective who assaults civilians, the two knuckleheads who can’t even keep still long enough to cause trouble.”
He then swept his disdainful glare toward Diego. “And you—the puffed-up mathematician. All of you are either pushovers or rejected fools. Puppets masquerading as heroes! Perhaps you should focus on strengthening your own connections instead of questioning mine. Special class X—what a ridiculous joke!”