Bully Lord

Part-98

James, caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, stammered a reply. "I wasn't the one who…" he began, his voice drowned out by the young woman's tirade.

Baffled and frustrated, James raised his hands defensively.  "Hey, wait a minute!" he protested. "Those guys were the ones harassing her, I…"

But his explanation fell on deaf ears.  Fueled by a misunderstanding and a fierce protectiveness of her grandmother, the young woman delivered a stinging slap to James' cheek.  The impact sent a jolt of pain through his face, adding to his growing bewilderment.

James, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack, held his cheek, flustered by the massive misunderstanding. He glanced at the old woman, hoping for some clarification.  "Toya," the old woman began, her voice strained but firm, "it wasn't this young man…"

However, her words were cut short as a flicker of movement caught her eye.  The leader boy, fueled by a mix of humiliation and rage, had gotten back on his feet.  He saw his opportunity for revenge, and without a second thought, he launched a flying kick at James' unsuspecting back.

The blow caught James completely by surprise.  He had been focused on the young woman and hadn't noticed the leader's approach.  The force of the kick sent him sprawling onto the ground, the groceries he'd been holding scattering across the cobblestones.  Pain flared through his lower back, momentarily knocking the breath out of him.

The situation had taken a drastic turn. James, the unlikely hero just moments ago, now found himself the victim of a cowardly attack. The market, which had been silent with shock, erupted in a cacophony of gasps and shouts. The young woman, her face contorted with a mixture of fear and fury.

James lay there, momentarily stunned, as the System surged to life within him.  The unexpected attack triggered a series of calculations, analyzing the situation, assessing the threat level.  The leader, fueled by rage and a bruised ego, was a clear danger.  But James also had to consider the safety of the old woman and the young woman, both of whom were caught in the crossfire.

He gritted his teeth, the pain in his back a dull throb.

James, fueled by a surge of adrenaline and the throbbing pain in his back, knew the situation demanded more than just defense.  A cruel smile played on his lips as a familiar phrase echoed in his mind: "Crazy Mode…  aka Semi-Auto Battle Mode."  With a mental command, he activated the System's combat assistance for the first time in a public setting.

The world seemed to slow down as the System analyzed the leader's movements, predicting his next attack.  The boy, emboldened by his sneak attack, launched another flying kick.  But this time, James was ready.  Guided by the System's calculations, he effortlessly caught the kick mid-air, the force momentarily straining his arm muscles.

Without a beat, James capitalized on the opening.  With a powerful twist and a heave, he threw the leader off balance, sending him crashing to the ground with a surprised grunt.  The crowd gasped in unison at the unexpected display of strength and skill.