Bully Lord

Part-106

James smirked.  "We'll see about that," he countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  He turned to walk away, but not before adding one final warning.  "Don't overestimate yourself, Roman.  And next time, think twice before picking a fight."

He turned to leave, but a final thought lingered.  "And tell Alex," he added, "I'll get back to him.  But not now, not when you're sending your lackeys to deliver messages."

With that, James walked away, leaving Roman to process the unexpected turn of events.  As he disappeared into the crowd of students, he couldn't help but feel a surge of confidence.  He'd faced a challenge, overcome it, and emerged victorious. 

"Whoa, did you see that?" a boy with bright bleached hair whispered to his friend.  "James just took down Roman in like two seconds!"

"No way!" his friend gasped, eyes wide with surprise.  "I thought Roman was the tough guy."

Another student, a lanky boy with glasses, chimed in, "Wow, James must be really good at Judo.  He didn't even break a sweat."

Unbeknownst to James, a pair of eyes had observed the entire encounter. Hidden in the shadows of a nearby building, two figures watched the unfolding drama. One was Alex, the same boy who had sought out James after his victory over Sourov. Beside him stood a boy of similar age, his imposing stature and cold demeanor marking him as the leader of a group known as the Southern Bully Emperors.

"I wasn't mistaken," Alex murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "This kid James has what it takes to join our crew."

The leader, a boy with a good physics and a piercing gaze, remained silent for a moment, his eyes scanning James with a predatory gleam. "He does have potential," he finally acknowledged, his voice low and menacing. "Strong reflexes, good instincts. He could be a valuable asset."

However, a hint of doubt crept into his voice. "But he seems too hard to control," he added, his gaze lingering on James' retreating figure. "We'll need to break him down before we can mold him into one of us."

Alex nodded in agreement. "We'll need a plan," he said, his voice filled with a calculated coldness. "Something that will test his loyalty and obedience."

As James disappeared from sight, the two boys exchanged a silent, menacing glance.

James slid into his seat, the lingering adrenaline from the encounter with Roman slowly subsiding. The classroom buzzed with the usual pre-lesson chatter, a stark contrast to the tense drama he had just escaped.

Suddenly, a notification from the System appeared before his eyes, interrupting his thoughts. It was the final chain mission, the culmination of his Judo training.

Mission 18: (Final Chain Mission) Ask Coach Gin for some pointers and survive against him for 2 minutes.

Seeing the situation, James muttered to himself, "So, I have to spar with Coach Gin, huh?"

He crossed his arms and pondered the upcoming challenge.

"This should be easy, right?" he mused, trying to convince himself.