Part-53

  The remaining bully, a sy boy with nervous eyes, hesitated, the fight clearly draining out of him. He cast a fearful g his fallen rades and then back at James, who stood panting but resolute. "We were just messing around," he mumbled, his voice barely a whisper.

  The leader, still clutg his jaw where James had spped him, gred at James with a mixture of hatred and anger. "Yeah, right," he snarled. "Let's go."

  Without another word, the leader turned and walked away, the other two limping after him, casting angry gnces over their shoulders. The clearing fell silent once again, the tension dissipating like a defted balloon.

  James stood there, chest heaving, his body buzzing with adrenaline. He had never imagined himself in such a situatio he had emerged victorious. He looked over at the girl, who was staring at him with wide eyes filled with awe and gratitude.

  "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  James offered her a shaky smile. "No problem," he managed.

  The sileretched, thick with the aftermath of the fight. James watched the retreating figures of the bullies, a wave of relief washing over him. He wasn't sure what the future held, but for now, he had mao stand his ground. A triumphant grin tugged at his lips, but it was short-lived.

  A primal instinct, honed by years of navigating the schoolyard's treacherous waters(He meant that he had seen how bullies operate many times before.), sent a jolt of uhrough him. The System notification hadn't appeared yet, a gring absen the wake of a pleted mission. Just as suspi began to bloom in his gut, the feigned retreat shattered.

  With a battle cry that echoed through the clearing, the bully leader lunged. It wasn't a frontal attack this time, but a treacherous kick aimed at James' unsuspeg babsp; The betrayal was swift and brutal, a calcuted move desigo catch him off guard.

  But James, fueled by a surge of adrenaline and the lingering suspi, was ready. He twisted on his heel just as the bully's foot came flying towards him. The impact ected with a siing thud on his right hand, a jolt of pain shooting up his arm. Ign the fre of agony, James used the momentum of the attack to his advantage. He spun further, pivoting on the balls of his feet, his core twisting in a practiced motion.

  "I've seen scum like you many times, so I was just waiting for you to attack me from behind, you coward bastards!" James screamed.

  This was no time for fancy footwork or eborate teiques. He needed a quick, decisive response. The memory of the "Kangaroo Cut" fshed in his mind, the powerful uppercut practiced diligently in the park. With a surge of adrenaline and a primal roar that surprised even himself, James unleashed the move. His core twisted, his right leg pivoting as his fist shot upwards in a powerful arc.

  The impact was siingly satisfying. The bully leader's smug expression vanished, repced by a mask of pain as James' fist, propelled by the bined force of his twist and the bully's momentum, ected squarely with the leader's jaw. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he was sent reeling backwards, colpsing onto the ground in a heap. His friends, who had paused to withe ued turn of events, could only stare in stunned silence.