Chapter 260 — Fuck All Of You

Multiple times throughout the battle, they’d witnessed Nobles grabbing commoners and literally throwing them at creatures to buy themselves seconds of survival.

The girl who’d screamed for her mother while being eaten alive.

The boy who’d tried to help someone and been sacrificed for his kindness.

The students who’d trusted their fellow humans and been betrayed in the cruelest possible way.

"There."

William’s voice came out low and dangerous, his eyes locked on a cluster of eight Noble students who were trying to blend into the crowd, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"Those fucking cowards. I saw them. We all saw them."

The commoners around him turned, their attention focusing on the eight Nobles who’d used their fellow students as shields.

One of them – a boy maybe seventeen, expensive combat uniform torn and muddy – noticed the attention and went pale.

"W-wait, I can explain–"

"EXPLAIN?!"

William’s roar cut through the aftermath silence, making everyone jump, drawing attention from across the entire formation.

"You grabbed Sarah and threw her at those monsters! I watched you do it! She was begging for help and you used her as BAIT!"

The Noble boy’s face went from pale to red, defensive anger replacing fear.

"I was trying to survive! That’s what anyone would–"

"THAT’S WHAT A COWARD DOES!"

A commoner girl lunged forward, her fist connecting with the Noble’s jaw before anyone could react, the impact sending him sprawling into mud.

"My friend died because of you! She was my BEST FRIEND since we were children and you KILLED her to save your worthless life!"

The other seven Nobles tried to back away, but more commoners were surrounding them now, faces showing fury that had been building throughout the entire battle.

"You all did it!"

"I saw you throw Harry!"

"You grabbed that girl’s arm and–"

"YOU’RE ALL MURDERERS!"

The accusations came from multiple directions, commoners who’d survived because of luck rather than Noble protection, students who’d watched their friends die to Noble cowardice.

One of the eight Nobles – a girl with blonde hair and expensive jewelry still somehow intact – tried to defend herself.

"We were all going to die anyway! What difference does it make who–"

CRACK!

A commoner boy’s fist broke her nose, blood spraying, her words cutting off in a shriek of pain.

Then chaos erupted.

Commoners rushed the eight Nobles, fists flying, kicks landing, all of them too exhausted to use Aura techniques but finding plenty of strength for physical violence.

The Nobles tried to fight back, but they were outnumbered and just as exhausted, their superior training meaning nothing when they could barely stand.

THUD! CRACK! SMACK!

The sounds of flesh hitting flesh, bones breaking, screams of pain mixing with roars of rage.

"You deserve this!"

"How does it feel?!"

"This is for everyone you killed!"

The brawl spread outward as other students took sides – some commoners joining the attack, some Nobles trying to defend their fellows, the defensive circle that had barely survived dissolving into internal violence.

****

"ENOUGH!"

Cassius Eckhart’s voice cracked like thunder, his Imperial authority making everyone pause instinctively even in the midst of their rage.

He stepped forward, his black hair still wet from rain, his grey eyes showing exhaustion but also iron determination.

Jonathan Thorne moved to his right, golden features grim.

Ben Royce to his left, orange hair no longer blazing but his presence still commanding.

The other Imperial heirs formed a line between the fighting students, their combined presence enough to make even the angriest commoners hesitate.

"Stop this immediately," Cassius continued, his voice carrying absolute authority despite his obvious exhaustion. "We don’t have the strength or resources for internal conflict. This accomplishes nothing."

William Greene pushed through the crowd, his face showing rage that hadn’t diminished despite the Imperial intervention.

"They murdered our people! Used them as shields! You expect us to just–"

"I expect you to think," Cassius interrupted, his tone becoming more reasonable and less commanding. "We’re all exhausted. Aura reserves are empty. More creatures could attack at any moment. Fighting among ourselves only ensures more deaths."

His grey eyes scanned the crowd, making contact with both Nobles and commoners.

"What happened was wrong. Using fellow students as shields is cowardice of the worst kind. But killing each other now won’t bring back the dead. It will only add to the body count."

William’s fists clenched harder, knuckles white, his entire body trembling with suppressed fury.

"So they just get away with it? They murdered people and we’re supposed to forget–"

"I didn’t say forget," Cassius cut in again, his voice becoming colder. "I said we need to survive first. Once we’re out of this portal, once we’re safe, then justice can be properly addressed. But not here. Not when we’re all one attack away from death."

Jonathan Thorne stepped forward, his golden eyes showing genuine sympathy despite his Noble birth.

"I understand your anger. What they did was inexcusable. But Cassius is right – we can’t afford division right now. We need every person capable of fighting if we want to survive whatever comes next."

Ben Royce nodded, his exhausted face showing agreement.

"The real enemies are the monsters trying to eat us. Not each other. Let’s remember that."

But William wasn’t backing down, refusing to accept Noble authority even from reasonable Imperials.

"Easy for you to say! None of you were the ones being thrown to the monsters! None of you had to watch your friends die to Noble cowardice!"

His voice was rising again, other commoners gathering behind him, their anger finding a leader.

"You Imperials talk about unity and survival, but where was that unity when Nobles were sacrificing us? Where was your intervention then?!"

Cassius’s jaw clenched, recognizing valid points but knowing the practical reality.

"We were fighting for our lives. All of us were. I can’t control what everyone–"

"Then you can’t control this either," William interrupted, his voice becoming dangerous. "You want us to just accept what happened? To stand down and pretend everything is fine? Fuck that! Fuck all of you!"