Chapter 22: The Power Of B-rank
"Y’know," Arlo said, tapping his spoon against the side of his bowl, "even if you win, you’re not getting promoted to Gold-tier."
Noah didn’t look away from where Ben had gone.
Arlo went on. "I’m just saying. The school doesn’t care about any deal you made for your duels and the outcome. The only one who wins something today is Ben, if he takes your token."
Noah finally turned to him. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "I know."
"But for me, this isn’t just about the bet."
Arlo tilted his head.
Noah’s fingers curled lightly around the edge of his tray. "This is about payback. About every time he pushed me around. Every time he made sure I had no way to fight back. Now, there’s no principal or teacher or camera watching. No rules to protect him."
He looked Arlo in the eye. His voice dropped lower.
"I’m going to humiliate him. Rip every scrap of pride out of him. And when I’m done, Ben Stanley won’t even be able to look himself in the mirror."
Arlo was quiet for a moment. Then he let out a laugh.
"Oh, I like you." He said. "Took you long enough to say it."
He leaned forward on his elbows, tapping the table with one finger. "But... do you even know what you’re holding?"