All the students present in the dormitory courtyard especially the upperclassn the second and third-year students were utterly stunned by Adam’s audacious declaration.
They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. He had not only rejected their offers their invitations to join their powerful groups.
He had also exposed the predatory nature the ugly truth of their established system to the entire incoming class of first-years. It was an unprecedented act of defiance an unbelievable challenge to their authority.
Then from the crowd of nervous first-years the boy with the slightly brown-tinted skin stepped forward. He had a look of intrigued amusent on his face.
He was clearly enjoying the chaos.
This of course was the powerful demon who had disguised himself as a human to infiltrate the Academy. He had his own secret plans.
"So," he asked his voice carrying an almost playful curiosity as he looked at Adam "what exactly are you trying to say to all of us? What is your point?"
Adam’s gaze shifted to the demon boy.
A faint knowing smile touched Adam’s lips. He recognized the subtle non-human energy that was emanating from the boy. He knew this was not a normal human.
"My purpose in sharing this information with all of you is singular," Adam replied his voice calm and clear. He was not fooled by the demon’s disguise.
He then turned his attention back to the rest of the first-year students.
They were now watching him with a mixture of fear confusion and a dawning nascent hope. He had given them a warning now he would give them an alternative.
"Why," Adam proposed his voice resonating with a confident authority that was impossible to ignore a power that made everyone listen "don’t you all join a new group? A group that I will lead. My group."
He paused for a mont letting the radical shocking idea sink in. "Its na will be... The New Warriors."
The reaction to his announcent was imdiate and profound.
A collective gasp went through the entire crowd of first-years.
Their mouths hung open in sheer disbelief. It was a crazy idea.
The four upperclassn representatives and all the mbers of their factions standing behind them were equally if not more astonished. They were completely flabbergasted.
Such a thing had never been done before in the entire history of the United Academy. Never.
The four established groups the Red Fla the Golden Group the Blue Wave and the Black Sword were as old as the Academy itself.
For generations for hundreds of years they had been the only student factions in existence. Their power and their influence within the student body were absolute.
No one had ever dared to challenge their authority. Let alone attempt to create a new rival group right in front of them on the very first day.
The upperclassn stared at Eric—or rather the powerful being they thought was Eric—with a mixture of disbelief and a simring furious rage.
They were completely flabbergasted by his audacity his sheer nerve.
They were amazed by the pure courage or perhaps the suicidal foolishness it took to stand before them all and openly declare the formation of a new faction without a single trace of fear in his eyes.
From the yellow-banded group the tall fair-haired student who had tried to de-escalate the situation with Kado earlier now stepped forward again.
His na was Killua and his earlier relaxed reasonable deanor had completely vanished. It was replaced by a cold nacing anger.
He glared at Adam his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Don’t push your luck Eric," Killua warned his voice low and dangerous a clear threat.
"The only reason we are holding back right now the only reason you are still standing is because your... potential has been recognized by the Emperor himself. That does not an we cannot take action against you. It does not an you are untouchable."
The threat was clear. The Emperor’s favor was a shield but it was not unbreakable. It could be pierced.
Adam simply looked back at Killua.
His unnerving smile was unwavering. It did not falter.
"Oh?" he replied his tone one of light almost bored amusent as if he found Killua’s threat funny.
"And what exactly will you do to stop from forming my group?"
The sheer unadulterated arrogance of his response of his question left the upperclassn speechless once again. They couldn’t comprehend it.
They couldn’t understand his confidence. Hadn’t this boy just seen what they had done to Kado for a far lesser transgression a much smaller act of defiance? Most of the upperclassn ca to a quick conclusion.
They concluded that the Emperor’s praise had gone to Eric’s head.
It had filled him with a foolish unwarranted arrogance a stupid pride.
They thought he was drunk on his newfound fa completely oblivious to the dangerous reality of the Academy’s social structure to the true power dynamics at play here.
The four representatives—Samba from the Red Fla Tuck from the Golden Group Shin from the Black Sword and the student from the blue-banded group—exchanged a quick aningful glance.
They looked at each other and a silent consensus a silent agreent was reached between them. They all gave a subtle almost imperceptible nod to one another.
This "Eric" this arrogant upstart this foolish first-year needed to be put in his place. His open defiance his challenge to their authority could not be allowed to stand.
If they let him get away with this it would undermine their power completely.
They would have to correct his attitude.
They would have to remind him of the true hierarchy of power within the Academy. And they would have to do it even if it ant using force. The Emperor’s favor be damned.
This was a matter of student pride of maintaining their control.
They would deal with the consequences later. Their imdiate goal was to crush this new rebellion before it could even begin. They had to make an example of Eric just as they had made an example of Kado.
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