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VIKTOR TAKES A DEEP breath, and then another, and then another. Hundred of students were cheering outside the barracks, waiting for the true king to appear before them.
The battle between Clint Buffett of Cigarettes and Peter Uccello of Crazy 8 finished a few minutes ago, with Crazy 8 advancing to the next round. After their battle, Clint Buffett, the member of the losing team, battled Vanich Choen of Jokers. Though the battle showed a remarkable display of both brotherhood's strengths, a winner was eventually announced.
"And the winner, and still your Counts, rank 5, Cigarettes!" Professor Gale announces, instantly making the crown turn wild.
All the members of Cigarettes ran out of the barracks to grab Clint to congratulate him for taking their victory for them. While Van, who had a black eye, took a deep breath before smiling and clapping his hands to congratulate the winner. He really did want to win and rank up for his team, but of course, losing didn't mean he failed.
"You did amazing, Van!" Someone then shouted, and Van turned around and saw the rest of the jesters running towards him to give him a tight hug as well. The rest of the members of Cigarettes also congratulated Van and the rest of the jesters, glad they were able to finish their battle with ease.
"And still your Barons, rank 6, Jokers!"
The rest of the black uniforms cheered as the members of Jokers lifted Van up so the others could see him better.
Now that Barons and Counts have officially been announced, the battle resumed for the titles of Marquis and Duke. Peter Uccello of Crazy 8 battled with BND's Khian Augusto Zóbel de Ayala III. And despite the strength of both contenders, Khian won with both speed and strategy, advancing them to the next round.
"BND will be advancing to the next round for the title of prince and king, while Crazy 8 will battle with the losing team later, so stay tuned."
Before proceeding to the next battle between Crazy 8 and the team who will lose during the Revels' and Busters' round, Viktor prepared himself for their round first.
A bunch of weapons was laid down for him, weapons that were from Busters' personal weapon stash. Viktor was given the chance to choose only one weapon, so knowing his capabilities, others assumed that he'd bring his gun. But while Viktor was staring at the table, he grabbed a different item instead. It was a silver dagger that had a blue gem in the middle. It was a dagger that was owned by Kim Hee-Joon himself. Before he left for the House of Kings yesterday, Joon left this behind at the stadium for Viktor, hoping Viktor would use this during his battle with the Revels.
"Blood for blood," Viktor says as he gently kisses the dagger.
"Now for the most awaited battle! Are you guys ready!?" Viktor hears from outside the dark barracks.
"First, let us welcome the dark horses of this brotherhood reranking, the Pawn's pride, the Revels!" Gale then introduces, making Viktor clench his fist in anger.
As the crowd cheered outside, Viktor adjusted his leather gloves before moving his head to crack his neck. He was ready for this battle. He was more ready here than in the battles he previously had in the past. And the way Viktor has been preparing for this specific battle has definitely made everyone anxious.
"Now I know everyone has been dying to see this brotherhood battle live, so without further ado, let us give a warm welcome to the group who proposed the Brotherhood Customs, the brotherhood who held the king title for a total of three years, the conquerer of all...Busters!"
The door to the barracks opened, the bright light almost making Viktor cover his eyes. When he walked out and made his appearance, the crowd went wild, and you could even feel the ground shaking because the students were stomping their feet. It excited Viktor, but the anticipation made all the members of Revels even more terrified.
Viktor walked towards their base and faced his opponent. Meirion was expecting to battle a Viktor who was angry and serious, but when Viktor faced him, all the hair on his skin immediately stood up when he saw a sadistic grin on Viktor's face instead.
The battle hadn't even begun, but he knew at that moment that he was definitely going to fail.
"Hop away now, little bunny. I'm giving you ten seconds," Viktor says before licking his lips, making Meirion swallow the lump in his throat in complete terror.
"The battle will begin in 5...4...3...2..."
As soon as Meirion heard the signal, he immediately started running away. Everyone was surprised because they were expecting Meirion to run towards Viktor's base so he could put his flag down, but to their surprise, Meirion ran away from Viktor instead, instantly making the black uniforms start laughing.
"We got a runner!" A student amongst the crowd shouted, making the rest laugh even louder.
Meirion, who was running away like a coward, was counting to ten like what Viktor told him earlier. His heart was beating fast, and for a second, tears almost appeared in his eyes, and he was instantly reminded of why he was even in this situation in the first place.
"You're in your third year, yet your brotherhood is the lowest rank among the House of Pawns, making you a mockery in your school. Do you want me to help you? Do you want me to change your fate and make your brotherhood the greatest?" Someone asked Meirion and his brotherhood a few months ago.
"How?"
"There is a certain task that I want you to do. Fulfill it, and you and your brotherhood will achieve everything that your hearts desire."
"This sounds too good to be true."
"Well, I guess the rumors about your pathetic group are true. I can always ask someone else to do it. Someone who has guts."
"W-Wait..." Meirion called out, reaching out to the person wearing a mask. "You'll swear that my brotherhood will be able to climb the ranks once we fulfill your task? You swear that we won't get in any trouble?"
The stranger in the mask looked at Meirion and then smirked before showing their hand to him. "Don't worry. I'm good at keeping secrets. Just fulfill my task, and I'll handle everything else."
A tear streamed down Meirion's face as he continued running away from Viktor. He should have never accepted that task. He shouldn't have gambled and just stayed in his place. But he didn't because he knew that he was never going to be able to help his brotherhood rank up, and that guilt made him bite on the forbidden fruit. He was easily manipulated into accepting a suicide mission, and here he is now, running in fear. He now made his brotherhood a bigger mockery than they were before.
He was just a pawn in a game where the real players were winning. He should have never thought that they could be a player too.
"I'm sorry...Revels...I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath as he stopped right at the edge of the battle grounds. He then turned around and saw Viktor now walking towards him. Meirion gulped and dropped to his knees, Viktor's intimidating aura almost suffocating him. He waited for the terrifying leader to finish him off, so when Viktor got close, he closed his eyes and anticipated the blow.
But as Meirion waited, he realized that nothing happened. He thought Viktor must have just placed his flag down and spared him, but when he felt a cold object touch his neck, more tears immediately streamed down his eyes.
"Little bunny..." Viktor whispered, and Meirion slowly opened his eyes, revealing Viktor, who was now standing in front of him, pressing a dagger against his neck.
"You're a fool to think you're one of us now, and you're an even greater fool to allow yourselves to fall this deep over an ambition you cannot even reach with your own strength," Viktor says, pressing the dagger even harder that blood started to appear on Meirion's neck.
"Weak brotherhoods are mocked in J.S High. From the Barons to the Kings, each title...each brotherhood who holds such titles...they have faced every obstacle and won their battles with great pride. Those who can't even rank fairly do not deserve a rank here!" Viktor then shouts right in front of his face, instantly making Meirion flinch.
"I-I'm sorry..." Meirion starts begging. "I...I forfeit. We'll head back to the House of Pawns. Please...this isn't what I thought it would go."
"No," Viktor immediately answers. "You don't just walk away now that you've failed. I'm going to make you realize what it means to be used as a pawn in someone else's game. I'm going to make you realize why you never stood a chance against us."
Meirion takes a deep breath and continues to stare at Viktor's terrifying grey eyes. He could tell that Viktor was mad at him, but for some reason, as he stared into the leader's eyes, he saw Viktor looking at him with pity, almost like he didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.
"I'm going to make you regret...ever hurting him."
The crowd gasps as Viktor kicks Meirion away. Right after that, he grips the dagger and swings it toward Meirion. The black uniforms who were cursing and mocking the Revels earlier were now covering their eyes in fear of what Viktor was about to do. But just as Viktor was about to stab him, he turned the dagger away and punched Meirion instead.
He punched him in his jaw, instantly making Meirion stumble back. Before he could even stand straight, Viktor punched him again and again and again until blood was now oozing out of his nose.
Meirion's vision starts to blur, and soon after, he feels his body falling. He could hear the black uniforms shouting at him, some even laughing while watching him become Viktor's punching bag. But as Meirion was moments away from getting knocked out, Viktor grabbed him and forced him to stand again.
"A brotherhood from the house of kings does not fall just after a few blows," Viktor says, punching him again. "Hit me back, Revel! Show your old house that you deserve to be in J.S High! Show them how far your resolve can go!" Viktor then shouts.
Meirion was starting to feel dizzy, but after hearing Viktor's words, he clenched his fist and slowly lifted both his hands up in a boxing position, instantly making Viktor grin.
"That's right, little bunny. Just like that! Fight back! Prove to those bastards that you're worth more than being a punching bag!" Viktor continues to shout.
Meirion tries to swing, but Viktor easily dodges it and punches him back with little effort.
"Is this all the resolve you have, Revel?! Is this how low your ambition can go?! Huh?! After everything you've done to get here, this is the only thing you can do?! Are you really as pathetic as everyone says?!"
"No! I'm a proud leader of Revels! And I will prove to you that we're not pathetic at all!" Meirion finally shouts back, swinging his arms again and successfully landing a blow on Viktor's cheek.
Viktor laughs and wipes the blood on the side of my mouth before looking back at Meirion again. "Oh, the little bunny can actually throw a punch! That's it, Revel! Show me what you can do! Show me that you're actually worth something!"
"AHH!" Meirion shouts with all his might as he tries to throw another punch at Viktor, but once again, Viktor dodges. Soon after, Viktor grabs him by the shoulder before punching him in the stomach. Saliva oozes out of Meirion's mouth in an instant. The air got knocked out of him, and he couldn't even stand straight anymore. But as Meirion was about to fall, Viktor grabbed him and pulled him close to whisper something to his ear.
"Looks like you're worth something after all, Revel. Now, I'm gonna give you a choice. Serve under me...and I'll show you how much of a merciful king I can be," Viktor suddenly offers, instantly making Meirion's eyes widen in shock.
"Don't get me wrong. I don't like you one bit. But I hate someone more, so I won't waste my time on a pawn. If you prove your usefulness to me, I will spare you. What do you say?" Viktor then asks.
Meirion couldn't believe what he had heard. He swore that Viktor would have killed him after what happened, but hearing him say this suddenly flipped a switch, and Meirion immediately started crying again.
"So this is what a king should be," is what Meirion thought. So when Viktor finally lets go of him, Meirion immediately falls to the ground and kneels in front of Viktor, leaving everyone who is watching speechless.
The students of the lower houses were all quiet. For some reason, that battle felt more than just a display of who was stronger. It felt like both brotherhoods were proving a point, and it left everyone completely silent.
But while the others were silent, the students of J.S High couldn't help but watch with great pride. This was their king. If someone else did this, they would have mercilessly beaten Meirion up and left him for dead. But not Viktor. Viktor knew who the real enemy was. And the greatest revenge is acquiring the respect of the very brotherhood that the real enemies used to go against them. Like a chess game, he was taking the enemy's chess pieces one by one so they could be left with nothing.
"I will serve you," Meirion declared, leaving everyone in shock. "I will serve the great brotherhoods in the House of Kings and make up for the sin that I have committed."
Viktor smirked as he looked down at Meirion, who was now pressing his head to the ground.
"Blood for blood," Viktor then said before looking straight at the camera. He didn't say anything else, but he knew someone out there was watching him. He knew that the person who made the Revels do their dirty work for them was watching him, and this was Viktor's declaration that he accepted the challenge and that he won't back down no matter what.
If they thought Viktor would start losing his focus and become a terrible king just because Joon left, then they're definitely wrong. Viktor is a smart man and a smarter leader. He knows what must be done for the betterment of his house, and that's what makes him an impeccable king.
He knows that PHD will come back, so for now, he'll have to do everything he can to make sure PHD returns to the same J.S High he left behind.
"The real games have just begun," Viktor says as he starts walking toward the Revels' base. With Meirion still bowing to him, Viktor finally placed his flag down with ease. Soon after, siren sounds were heard, and all the houses erupted with cheers.
"The winner for this round is...Busters! Busters will now move on to the next round and battle BND for the title of king."
As the crowd cheered, the members of both Busters and Revels went out of the barracks to head to where Viktor and Meirion were.
The members of Busters looked at Viktor and nodded their heads. Like the others, they didn't really know what Viktor was going to do during his battle with Meirion. But they knew that whatever Viktor decided to do, they'll support him no matter what. So seeing as this is how their leader wanted things to go, the members of Busters couldn't help but be relieved.
"Viktor really has changed," Tanis whispered under his breath before grabbing Viktor and giving him a hug. "Good job," he said.
While the others were congratulating Viktor, the members of Revels went to Meirion and helped him up. Meirion was ashamed to look at them, but when he saw his members' faces, he was surprised to see that they were crying too.
"I'm sorry for always letting you guys down," Meirion said, but his members immediately grabbed him for a tight hug.
"We're Revels, remember? You formed this brotherhood, and you chose us because we were outcasts. You're the only one who believed in us, so we will follow you no matter what," his right-hand man reassures him.
When they broke free from the hug, the rest of the four members of Revels suddenly walked to where Busters were. The members of Busters looked at them with serious expressions, but then the Revels started bowing at them one by one, holding onto their chests to give them their utmost respect.
"We know that we don't belong here," the right-hand man stated. "And we know our leader made the wrong choices because he only wanted to help us rank up. We'll return to our rightful place eventually, but for now...we will tell you everything we know and serve you well."
Busters didn't really react, but when they looked at Viktor, Viktor walked to the middle and faced the members of Revels with a much more serious expression now compared to earlier.
"You'll have your chance to prove yourselves, Revels, but don't disappoint me. Because my mercy today...might become the very thing you'll regret the most."
And so, the 5th day of the Annual Brotherhood Reranking came to an end. After three more battles, the Revels claimed the Marquis title, while Crazy 8 became the new Dukes. As for BND and Buster's battle, the winner won by a landslide, finishing the battle with a record of 50 seconds.
"Let us welcome your new princes, Boys Next Door!" The host, Professor Gale, announced while the members of BND celebrated their victory.
"And still, the kings of the brotherhoods, let's give it up to the impeccable...Busters!"
...
"They're here!" A student shouts, instantly making all the white uniforms head out of their dining hall so they can run to the main entrance of the cathedral.
As the white uniforms gathered at the entrance, a bus finally arrived and parked right in front of them. Yesterday, this brotherhood wasn't able to visit the campus because they still had to settle at their new dormitories. But now, they can finally greet the students in their new house.
"Looks like they arrived on time," Justice Thorndyke, the president of the student Council, the Saints, says with a smile as he stands in front of the bus with the rest of the Saints.
The door to the bus then opens, and the members of a very strong brotherhood walk out one by one, instantly making the white uniforms start whispering at each other. As the members walked out, they immediately moved aside and made way for their leader, who faced President Justice with his infamous cold expression.
"Welcome to the House of Bishops...PHD," Justice finally greets with a respectful bow, making the rest of the council bow as well.
"The battle earlier just ended. Congratulations on Busters, by the way. It seems like they're still the kings. You must be proud," Justice then says.
"Proud? What am I, their mother?" Kim Hee-Joon, the leader of the new Lords of Gluttony, PHD, asks with a bored expression, instantly making Justice start laughing.
"Well, that wasn't what I meant," he says. "But please, follow me inside. The other brotherhoods and white uniforms are...dying...to meet you."
- END -