Shadow Being System

The red-haired boy's voice cut through the cafeteria like a sharp blade, sending a ripple of tension across the room.

"Who did that?" His tone was low but carried a dangerous edge, silencing the students who had been giggling moments earlier.

He didn't get an answer, so he repeated, louder and more menacingly, "I said, who did that?"

One of Billy's group members, a tall, sneering boy with dark hair, stood up from the table and replied smugly, "So what if I did it? What are you gonna do about it?" He crossed his arms, clearly not intimidated.

The red-haired boy's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "So it's you."

Without warning, he stood up from his seat and grabbed his tray. The cafeteria seemed to hold its breath as everyone watched in anticipation. And then, in a blink, he was gone. There was a loud bang that echoed through the room as the red-haired boy reappeared, slamming the metal tray into the face of the dark-haired student.

The force sent the boy crashing to the floor, blood pouring from his nose, his body limp as he passed out on impact.

The entire cafeteria gasped. Some students even screamed, their chairs scraping back as they instinctively moved away from the unfolding scene.

"Teleportation?" one student whispered.

"No… it's something else," another murmured, clearly confused by the boy's speed.

But William, with the help of his Third Eye, saw it clearly. "He didn't teleport." The red-haired boy had moved so fast that it only seemed like teleportation. The sheer speed at which he ran across the cafeteria was unmatched. One thought occupied William's mind. "He's fast."

Suddenly, a voice came from beside him. "He's fast."

William nearly jumped, startled. He hadn't sensed anyone near him, and he didn't hear anyone approach. He turned and found himself looking at a girl with striking blue hair and matching blue eyes, her innocent face contrasted with the unsettling calm in her voice.

She smiled softly. "Hi, I'm Sofia."

Still recovering from his surprise, William nodded and introduced himself. "William."

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They both turned back to the scene in front of them. "Did you sense her?" William asked the System internally, his tone wary.

"No," the System replied, its voice uncharacteristically serious. "She must be using a high-level artifact to conceal her presence."

William, keeping his expression neutral, glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye. Curious, he activated his Third Eye to scan her, but all that appeared were a series of ???. He couldn't discern anything about her, and the System chimed in again, "She's using a very powerful artifact."

"Well, as long as she doesn't mess with me, it's none of my business," William thought, returning his focus to the cafeteria drama.

Meanwhile, the red-haired boy stood over his fallen opponent, the metal tray now dented from the impact. Blood oozed from the unconscious boy's nose, pooling on the floor.

Another boy from Billy's group, angered by what had just happened to his friend, launched himself at the red-haired boy with a wild punch. The boy's face was twisted with fury, his muscles bulging, but the red-haired boy didn't flinch. He effortlessly dodged the attack, his movements fluid and precise. In a single motion, he struck back with a devastating punch to the student's stomach.

The impact was immediate—the student gasped, his eyes widening as the air was forcibly expelled from his lungs. Saliva sprayed from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his midsection and groaning in pain.

The cafeteria erupted in gasps and murmurs. The red-haired boy had just incapacitated two of Billy's crew with ease, each with a single strike.

The remaining three members of Billy's group hesitated for a moment, unsure whether they wanted to continue. But Billy, seething with rage, shouted, "GET HIM! Teach that piece of shit a lesson!"

The three boys moved in, surrounding the red-haired boy from different angles. One of them, a tall, muscular guy with the power of super strength, cracked his knuckles menacingly. The others prepared their abilities as well, their eyes locked on their target.

But the red-haired boy didn't seem phased. He crouched slightly, adjusting his stance. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes glinted with cold determination.

They attacked at once.

The first boy, the one with super strength, swung his massive fist at the red-haired boy's head. The strike could have crushed stone, but the red-haired boy ducked just in time, the fist whizzing past his head. Using the momentum of the attack, the red-haired boy pivoted, grabbing the outstretched arm and twisting it behind the boy's back.

He slammed the student into one of the cafeteria tables, using the super strength boy's own power against him. The table shattered on impact, leaving the super strength boy dazed and motionless on the floor.

The second attacker tried to kick the red-haired boy, but he was ready. He sidestepped the kick, catching the student's leg mid-air. With a swift motion, he spun the boy around and flung him across the cafeteria, sending him crashing into a row of chairs, the sound of clattering metal filling the room.

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The last student hesitated, panic in his eyes, but he had no chance to retreat. The red-haired boy closed the distance in an instant, delivering a knee to the student's chest. The force sent the boy flying backward, gasping for breath as he slammed into the wall, unconscious before he hit the ground.

It was over. The three boys lay sprawled across the floor, groaning in pain or knocked out completely.

From beside him, Sofia murmured, "He's a battle master."

William nodded in agreement. "A battle master… impressive." He glanced at Sofia. She's no ordinary girl either, he thought. For her to see and understand the intricacies of the fight without any aid like his Third Eye, she had to be exceptionally skilled or well-informed.

The red-haired boy stood amidst the fallen students, his expression unreadable as he scanned the room. He raised his voice, cutting through the shocked silence. "Who else?"

A moment of tense stillness filled the cafeteria before Billy Stark stepped forward, electricity crackling across his body. His face was a mask of fury, and his eyes locked onto the red-haired boy with pure hatred.

"I'll do it myself," Billy snarled, lightning surging from his fingertips.

The red-haired boy turned toward him, his face calm, almost bored. He raised his hands and assumed a traditional Japanese hand-fighting stance, signaling for Billy to make his move. The silent challenge only infuriated Billy further.

Billy's body surged with electrical energy as he infused his legs with lightning, giving him a burst of speed. He dashed forward, lightning flickering across the floor as he charged. The students watched with bated breath, the air in the room humming with static electricity.

But the red-haired boy's eyes followed Billy's movement with ease. "Slow," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the crackling of the lightning.

In a blur, the red-haired boy moved, far faster than Billy. He leaped into the air, soaring above Billy's head. Flames began to gather around his fist, oozing out from the back of his hand. As he descended, his arm exploded downward, flames intensifying as he aimed a fiery blow directly at Billy's head.

BOOM!

The cafeteria was rocked by the impact. The sound of the blow echoed through the room as Billy was sent crashing to the floor with a thud, knocked out cold. The flames from the red-haired boy's hand dissipated as he landed gracefully, exhaling softly.

The cafeteria was dead silent. No one dared to move.

The red-haired boy, now standing near the door, casually turned back to the room, a mischievous smile on his face. "The name's Liam. Nice to meet you all."

With that, he walked out, the students parting in a stunned silence as he passed.

Once Liam had left, the cafeteria exploded into chaos. Students scrambled to talk about what had just happened, voices overlapping as they shared their disbelief and awe. William remained seated, his mind processing the fight.

"So… his ability is fire," William thought to himself, feeling a strange mixture of respect and intrigue. "Nice to meet you too, Liam."