GTS Bully Ch 20: Welcome To Uni-High (Patreon)

Axel held onto the strands of hair tightly, feeling them like thick ropes in his grasp.

He planted his feet firmly on the fabric of Kendra's clothes, hoping not to be thrown from her shoulder.

With fear, he watched as Kendra raised her right hand, feeling her muscles tense and expand beneath his feet. He saw her fingers close into a fist as she faced her opponent, Jazmin, who had her hands raised in defense.

Time seemed to slow down as everything went still, with only Axel's heartbeat echoing in his ears.

In an instant, Axel's face was slapped by a burst of wind as Kendra brought her fist forward. He struggled to breathe against the blast pressing on his face, hearing thunder-like noise in his ears as Kendra's fist broke the sound barrier.

"Boom!"

With the sound of a loud explosion, Axel was blown away, hurricane-force winds lifting him off his perch on Kendra's shoulder. He yelled as the world blurred around him, tumbling through the air.

"I'm going to die," Axel thought, arms flailing in desperation for something to grab onto.

After a few tense seconds, Axel's wild tumbling came to an end as he crashed into a sturdy yet soft cushion, halting his descent to the ground.

"What happened?" Axel muttered, rubbing his head and slowly opening his eyes to survey his surroundings.

Before him were skin-colored pillars, towering over him, while below lay a floor with thin etched lines crisscrossing in every direction.

Having been in enough hands to recognize the feeling, Axel realized he was in one right now. Sitting down, he gazed up to see a massive face he didn't recognize.

It was a Titan woman with short brown hair and brown eyes, her face youthful and beautiful, yet almost emotionless as she peered down at him.

Wide-eyed, Axel looked up at the towering figure, then quickly shifted his gaze back towards Kendra and Jazmin, hoping to avoid witnessing the wrath of enraged Titans.

"What the?" Axel exclaimed in shock as he saw a woman wearing a black suit and tie, her silver hair shimmering, standing between Jazmin and Kendra. With both hands, she stopped their punches, preventing them from colliding.

"Starting a fight on your first day," the woman, presumably Principal Marcella, said with a small smirk. Her grip tightened on Jazmin's and Kendra's hands, creating a small burst of wind from the sudden force, enough to make both Titans wince in pain. "Not a great start."

"Principal Marcella," Jazmin said, her voice tinged with unexpected fear.

"So this is the principal," I thought to myself, peering out from between the large fingers enclosing me.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice came from behind. I turned my head to see the gentle, kind face of the Titan holding me.

"Uh, yes," I replied, realizing I was blushing furiously.

"You both are in a lot of trouble for starting this commotion," Principal Marcella declared, releasing Jazmin's and Kendra's hands. "My office now!" she yelled.

"Oh boy," I thought, hoping this ordeal would end soon.

***

Ryan sat in the corner of his cell, surrounded by darkness and dampness, lost in thoughts of his older sister, unsure if she was alive or dead.

Since the day his city was ravaged and he was captured along with his people, he had been transported in a dark iron box to an unknown destination. Upon arrival, he was confined to a tiny cell where he spent three long days.

In that moment, he wished for death, consumed by despair. "Sister," he whispered to himself, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Suddenly, the echoing of footsteps reverberated through the prison. Ryan's eyes widened as he turned towards the closed door of his cell, spotting a tall shadow standing before him.

"You..." Ryan's voice was laced with anger as he looked up at the familiar face before him.

***

Axel stood on the desk of the living mountain that was Principal Marcella, who focused her attention on the two Titans glaring at each other with anger.

"It seems the two of you just refuse to get along," Principal Marcella remarked, resting both elbows on her desk and obscuring her mouth with her hands. "Titan Blood, it's just too wild at your age," she sighed. "Tell me," her tone grew more serious, "do you both know why you're in trouble?"

For a moment, Jazmin and Kendra ceased their glaring and turned their gaze towards Axel, surprising him.

"Indeed," Principal Marcella continued. "Titans have always been and will always be bloodthirsty warriors who thrive on combat. That's just how things are," she said with a smile. "That's why this school is well-prepared and equipped for Titans who love to roughhouse."

Axel gulped nervously, having already witnessed the consequences of Titan roughhousing.

"But involving a small in your little tussle is against the school rules, is that clear?" Principal Marcella's eyes were sharp and serious.

"Yes, ma'am," both girls replied, their voices trembling slightly under the weight of the principal's unseen aura.

"Good, very good," Principal Marcella said with a smile. "Well then, Titans and small," she addressed them before finally turning her gaze downwards towards Axel. "Welcome to Uni-High."

***

end of Vol 1