Henry snarled. "You got a death wish or something?" With that thug-like attitude, he looked nothing like a student from Governance University. Arthur didn’t hesitate for a second. The moment he saw what was happening, he took off—rushing straight toward the boy lying on the ground. Right as Henry drew back his foot for another kick, Arthur closed in and swung hard, driving a kick straight at him. But Henry was ready this time. He dodged to the side, and Arthur’s strike missed. Before Arthur could steady himself, Henry barked out an order—and the rest of his crew swarmed. Ashley had moved the second Arthur did. She was right behind him. The moment she saw them coming for Arthur, she forgot all about her injury and threw herself into the fight. She’d spent the past two years training with Arthur. Her skills had improved a lot. As she fought, swift and sharp, she shouted in anger, "You just got out of the police station, and you're already jumping people again? Not scared of getting locked up twice?" Henry’s crew might not have been trained, but they were all grown men— strong, reckless, and full of brute force. Worse, they’d somehow gotten their hands on wooden clubs—each one of them holding one. Arthur and Ashley were struggling to hold their ground. On top of being outnumbered, they were both injured. The moment Arthur started moving, his wounds began tearing open again. If he weren’t hurt, these guys wouldn’t have been a problem—even with weapons. But the worst part? Henry and his crew had seen Arthur getting patched up. They knew exactly where the worst injuries were. And now—they were going for those spots on purpose. Henry sneered. "The cops? You should worry about yourselves first." Before anyone realized what was happening, he yanked out a wooden club and swung it hard—aimed straight at Arthur’s back. “Look out!” Two voices shouted at once. Ashley turned and saw the attack coming. Without thinking, she threw herself toward Arthur. But someone beat her to it. The boy who’d been lying on the ground—he was right next to Arthur. The moment Henry raised the club, he scrambled up and moved. He got there just before the blow landed. The club hit his back hard—one clean, brutal shot. The boy dropped instantly, curling up in pain. Arthur’s eyes widened in shock. He spun around and, without hesitation, drove a powerful kick straight into Henry’s chest, sending him stumbling. Arthur immediately dropped beside the boy, scanning their surroundings while leaning in. "Hey! Are you okay?" The kid winced, pain etched across his face, but forced the words out. "I’m fine—don’t worry about me. Just watch your back!" Hearing that gave Arthur a moment of relief. At least the kid was conscious. He nodded once, pushed himself up, and threw himself back into the fight. The sound of police sirens cut through the air, sharp and getting closer by the second. Henry froze. "Cops! What the h*ll—how’d the cops find us?" He didn’t waste time thinking it through. He shot Arthur a hard glare and shouted, "Fall back! Move, now!" His crew looked rattled, but with the sirens getting louder by the second, they dropped their bats and took off in all directions. Once the chaos settled, Arthur staggered, nearly losing his footing. His leg was still injured, and the fight had torn open most of his wounds all over again. Ashley rushed in and caught Arthur before he could fall. "Arthur! Are you okay?"She didn’t even think about the pain in her arm—her focus was all on him. The boy who had taken the blow struggled to his feet and stumbled over. "Hang in there, Arthur. The cops are almost here!" Arthur turned to him. "You called them?" The boy nodded. "Yeah. While you were fighting them, I found my phone and called it in." Arthur gave a tired nod. "You did the right thing." But before he could say anything else, the boy suddenly stepped in front of him—and dropped to his knees without warning. Arthur and Ashley both froze. "What are you doing?" In a time like this—peaceful, modern, civilized—no one dropped to their knees unless it meant something serious. Arthur stumbled forward, trying to help him up, but the boy stayed firmly where he was, refusing to budge. "Arthur, thank you—thank you both for stepping in. If it weren’t for you, I honestly think they would’ve beaten me to death." Henry went after him viciously—and with the whole group backing him up, if the kid hadn’t given in, they really might’ve beaten him to death.