From Bullets To Billions

Gi's large frame lay sprawled across the cold, unforgiving surface of the floor. He was completely knocked out, and by the looks of it, he wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon.

There was no denying it now, everyone knew who the clear victor was. And it had happened in such a decisive way that no one could even begin to dispute the outcome.

"Haha!" Print chuckled, arms folded, clearly impressed. "Now that wasn't something I expected. I thought this guy was all flash, just some punk with a loud entrance, but he took out a school leader in just a few hits…"

"Right," Erik said with a nervous smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Even if Gi isn't the strongest school leader, he's still a leader. I'm not even sure I could manage that myself."

Around them, the students broke into hushed murmurs and wide-eyed chatter. They were all stunned, marveling at what they'd just witnessed. A guy in a flashy uniform, who'd made a flashy entrance, had just sealed a flashy victory.

"Hey, this Max guy... he kinda seems like the real deal," one of the Clapton High students said, his tone half-wary, half-impressed.

"No kidding. I never thought Gi would lose, especially not like that," another student chimed in. "I mean, Max walked in like he owned the place, and I still thought Gi would put up more of a fight. At least force him to show more of his strength. But this? I didn't expect Max to actually be this strong."

But while most of the attention was on Max, something more dangerous was beginning to unfold, and Rick saw it. The tides were turning. Because of how easily Max had dismantled one of their top fighters, momentum was now fully on Max's side. And Rick could feel it, their own team was starting to waver, uncertainty creeping into their expressions like cracks in armor.

"Is it just me, Steven," Joe asked, voice low as he leaned in, "or has Max gotten stronger?"

Steven didn't answer immediately. Joe went on before he could. "I really thought he'd struggle. Especially with how much those two were hyping Gi up like he was the next big thing. Guess they were just blowing smoke."

Meanwhile, both Mayson and Crondo stood silently off to the side, their eyes still locked on Gi's motionless body. They didn't say a word, but it was written all over their faces. They were impressed. Genuinely.

They knew exactly how strong Gi was.

They had gone head-to-head with him before, felt his strength firsthand. And to see Max bring him down like that… well, it wasn't just unexpected.

It was shocking.

Some of the students were beginning to realize something strange… maybe they'd accidentally joined the right side. At first, their allegiance had been born out of pure desperation. But now? Now it was starting to feel like fate.

"You're right… Max has definitely gotten stronger. A lot stronger," Steven muttered, eyes fixed on the spot where Gi had fallen. "Feels like he might've actually taken what I said to heart."

There was one thing Steven had always known about Max, something unique. It wasn't just strength or charisma. It was his uncanny ability to copy.

After watching a move just a handful of times, Max could replicate it almost perfectly. Nearly identical in form and speed. It was a skill that had served him well against most students, giving him the upper hand when it mattered.

But even that special trait came with a major flaw.

Max could only perform a move as well as his body would physically allow. That meant, no matter how well he understood the technique, if the original user was stronger, faster, or more experienced, he'd hit a wall.

If he ever found himself fighting someone whose body and raw strength far surpassed his own, then using their moves would be useless. A losing battle.

That was the core weakness Steven had always seen in Max, a flaw he thought the guy would never be able to overcome.

A copier could only be as good as what they copied.

But now… something had changed.

Max's body had clearly reached new heights, pushing beyond anything they'd seen before. His strength had evolved. Which meant the moves he mimicked? They weren't just copied anymore.

They were amplified.

The weaving footwork, that was from Steven and Joe.

The airborne spin-kick, that came straight from Dipter.

But now, in Max's hands, they weren't just flashy pieces of other people's techniques. Combined, they formed a devastating, fluid combo, one uniquely his.

What Steven didn't know was that everything had changed after Max's meeting with Hercules.

Thanks to that deal, Max's body no longer had a limit.

As long as he stuck to his vow, to grow his empire and earn more money, his physical strength would keep evolving. There was no ceiling, no cap. Just potential… waiting to be paid for.

That's why his strikes now were even more powerful than when he'd faced off against Wolf in that earlier trial.

And there was a specific reason he'd chosen today of all days to fight.

Because it was the start of a brand-new month.

Payday.

The money had started rolling in, final tallies from gym memberships, the sale of branded shirts, ad revenue from the website, and the fees collected from every Konsoon student who had signed up.

Every cent mattered.

Because to Max… strength had a price. And today, he had more power than ever before.

All of the net profit had just landed in Max's account, and the moment he saw the numbers, it fired him up more than ever.

With his new Vow in place, Max had been thinking nonstop about different ways to grow stronger. If he could have, he would've placed a bet on himself to win these fights, he had that much confidence.

But the underground betting ring that was circulating among the students was nothing more than pocket change. The amounts were small, the stakes barely worth it. Compared to what Max could wager, or earn elsewhere, it would've made almost no difference at all.

Still, he made a mental note: Next time, if I'm ever at an event where bigger bets are allowed... I should definitely take advantage.

"Payday Kick." Max grinned to himself as he walked out of the cage, stretching his arms lazily. "That's a good name for a move, right?"

When he returned to his group, they all gave him subtle nods of acknowledgment. No fanfare. Just quiet respect.

"You did a good job, Max," Jay said, his tone neutral but honest. "Now no matter what we do, it's going to look like we're trying to follow that up."

Max gave a faint shrug, his smirk still lingering. "Don't get too relaxed. We're not out of the woods yet."

His eyes drifted across the field until they landed on Rick, the one person who still made him uneasy. Depending on just how strong Rick truly was, it could change everything about how the rest of this played out.

Rick hadn't moved. He was standing calmly with his arms crossed, analyzing every little moment.

"Since you already took out Gi," Mayson said, stepping forward, "I guess it's my turn now. Honestly, I wanted to go up against Gi myself… but I'll do what I can with whoever they send out."

The others exchanged glances. None of them had a strong read on Mayson's abilities. His reputation wasn't built like Max's or Jay's, and no one expected him to carry the team. But that also made him the perfect candidate to go next. A low-risk pick.

And so, Mayson entered the cage.

All eyes turned toward Clapton High, waiting to see who would step up next. The crowd held their breath.

That's when Rick finally moved.

He stepped through the gate casually, his expression unreadable. But every step he took carried weight. Purpose.

"It's time for me," Rick said, cracking his knuckles, "to swing the momentum back in our favor."