Hudson and the others flinched instinctively at Finley’s obvious threat. They knew exactly what that tone meant. Standing up for Taylor meant standing against Finley. And the Tremo family’s power… wasn’t something ordinary students from poor backgrounds could even begin to match. They had already paid the price for defending Taylor once—Finley and his goons had beaten them to a pulp. The bruises still hadn’t faded. Worse, Finley had forced the school to confiscate their phones, making it impossible for them to call the police—even when he was openly bullying Taylor right on campus. He had warned them then: if they dared stand up for Taylor again, next time wouldn’t just be a beating. But Taylor was Arthur’s best friend. And after everything Arthur had done for them, how could they just stand by and watch Taylor get beaten into the ground? Hide like cowards? They couldn’t. Even though they were scared, not one of them moved. They held their ground, shielding Taylor with their bodies. Hudson stepped forward and shouted, “Finley! Heaven sees everything! You’ll pay for what you’ve done!” The others raised their voices in unison, full of rage. “You’ll never touch Taylor!” Their cries echoed through the sky. Finley jolted back, stunned for a moment by their sheer defiance. But the shock quickly turned into rage. Face contorted with fury, he pointed at them. “You little punks—you’re dead!”Then he shouted to Henry and the others, “Get them!” Henry’s crew had been itching for a fight. At Finley’s command, they tightened their grip on their bats and pipes and charged at Taylor and his friends like a pack of wolves. Their eyes gleamed with violence. They didn’t look like they were just picking a fight—they looked like they were out for blood. Taylor and Hudson stared helplessly as the gang came swinging at them. There were too many. And they had weapons. There was no escape. Clenching their fists, they braced for impact. Even if they were going to get beaten to a pulp—then dammit, they’d at least take a few of those bastards down with them. But just as the bats were about to land— A voice roared through the chaos. “I’d like to see who dares!” In that instant, a figure burst from the crowd, heading straight for Finley like a thunderbolt. Before anyone could react, Finley—who’d just been grinning at Taylor—suddenly felt a shadow fall over him. Arthur’s boot came crashing into his face. “Pft!!!” Blood sprayed like a fountain. Finley flew sideways from the sheer force of the blow, teeth and blood flying from his mouth. With a sickening smack, he slammed against the school’s outer wall and crumpled to the ground. That one furious kick from Arthur had nearly sent him to the afterlife. It all happened so fast. By the time anyone processed what had happened, Finley was already down. Everyone turned, stunned, to stare at the newcomer.Arthur. He stood like a god descending from the heavens. Taylor. Hudson. The others—every single one of them stared, wide-eyed and speechless. That kick—goddamn, that was cool. But more than anything—it was familiar. That voice. That silhouette. It was him. The Arthur they had worried about, missed, and longed for over two months—he was back. Taylor and Hudson blinked in disbelief, rubbing their eyes as if afraid they were dreaming. They had imagined this moment so many times before. But every time—it had only been a fantasy. Now? Now it was real. Arthur was really here. Taylor shakily got to his feet. He didn’t even glance at his books scattered on the ground. Pushing past the wall of bodies shielding him, he stumbled forward. Tears welled up in his eyes. With trembling hands, he reached out and grabbed Arthur’s arm. “Arthur… bro… it’s really you.” Arthur’s heart twisted at the sight. His cheerful, sunshine-hearted bro—how had he ended up like this?