Soon after, at the entrance of Godolkin University, Axel arrived in a loud Hawaiian floral shirt and loose shorts, casually patting the security guard on the shoulder as he walked in.
Behind him, Ashley hurried over, holding an ice cream. She caught up and handed it to him. Axel took it with a nod and began eating as he strolled onto campus, letting out a small chuckle.
It was summer, and Ashley wiped sweat from her forehead while continuing her explanation.
"The closest building is the School of Performing Arts, founded by Crimson Countess. After that is the School of Crime Fighting, founded by Lamplighter."
She continued, trying to stay composed.
"There are also auxiliary programs like the School of Hero Management. If you want, we can start with Performing Arts. The students there might not be strong, but they look good, male and female."
"Bullshit."
Axel took another bite of his ice cream and scoffed.
"What does that have to do with me? I'm here to look around, not admire faces. Lead the way, we'll start there."
Before he could continue, several mocking voices echoed from nearby.
"Why are there Asians here? Do they even have superheroes?"
"Yeah, aside from Blindspot, none of them make it anywhere."
"And even that guy was just blind, useless."
The tone was careless, loud, and meant to provoke.
Unlike adults, students here didn't bother hiding anything. Strength decided everything. If you were strong, you bullied. If not, you endured.
Axel stopped walking.
He smiled, then glanced at Ashley.
"Do I look young to you?"
Ashley nodded slightly. "To most people, yes."
Axel chuckled. "Then I guess I should thank them for thinking I'm a freshman."
He handed the ice cream back to her and lightly tapped her shoulder.
Ashley immediately activated her earpiece.
"Connect me to Godolkin University's internal media team. We have students making racist remarks toward Axel. Clean it up."
"Received."
Within moments, Vought's machinery was already in motion. Clips and narratives would spread quietly online, shaping the story before anyone else could.
Back at the entrance, Axel walked toward the group.
The one who spoke first spread his arms mockingly.
"Look at this guy. Walking right at me. Does he even know who I am? I'm ranked twenty-eighth."
Then one of his friends grabbed him.
"Wait… the woman behind him. I've seen her before."
The student froze, staring at Ashley. Recognition hit him hard.
"That's… that's Vought's senior executive…"
Panic replaced arrogance instantly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. Please, just forget it."
Axel stopped in front of him, his smile fading into something colder.
"If apologies fixed everything, we wouldn't need law enforcement."
Without warning, Axel grabbed both of the student's arms and drove his foot straight into his chest.
The impact sent him flying backward, smashing through the Homelander statue at the entrance before crashing to the ground.
Axel calmly tore the arms free and tossed them aside.
The remaining students didn't even have time to react before he hurled the severed limbs at them, knocking them off their feet.
Silence followed.
Axel brushed his hands together, already bored.
Ashley stepped forward and handed him back the ice cream.
He glanced at it, then shook his head.
"Keep it. I'm done."
He turned and continued walking toward the campus.
Behind him, Ashley hesitated, then carefully licked the spot where Axel had taken a bite. A shiver ran through her body before she quickly composed herself and followed after him.
Meanwhile, inside the principal's office, Indira had just ended a call with Madelyn Stillwell. She immediately contacted the dean of the School of Crime Fighting.
"Rick, listen carefully. Axel is touring the campus with Ashley."
Her tone was tense.
"I want something impressive happening when he arrives at your department. Organize a ranking match if you have to."
She paused, then added sharply.
"And make sure no one says anything stupid. Two students are already dead at the entrance because they couldn't control their mouths. I don't want a third."
The call ended abruptly.
Rick stood up at once.
Across from him, Jordan Li looked up from their work.
"Professor, what's going on?"
"Something big. Someone important is here to evaluate the school."
Rick quickly sent out an emergency notification for a ranking battle, marking it as mandatory for top students.
Jordan leaned forward, excited.
"Is it Homelander?"
Rick shook his head.
"No. It's Axel."
Jordan frowned. "I've never heard of him."
"You will. He's stronger than Homelander, and he's being positioned as the next leader of The Seven."
Jordan's expression shifted to disbelief.
"That's impossible."
Rick gave a thin smile.
"Believe it or don't. But if you impress him today, your future changes immediately."
Jordan clenched their fists, determination replacing doubt.
Across the School of Crime Fighting, invitations spread quickly. Students ranked high enough reacted with excitement, each seeing this as their chance to rise.
As for Axel, after wandering through the School of Performing Arts for a while, he lost interest.
The place felt less like a training ground and more like a chaotic entertainment hub. Everywhere he went, he heard couples sneaking around, indulging themselves without care.
It wasn't that he disliked what he saw.
It just didn't interest him.
He didn't know any of them, and without that, it all felt meaningless.
With that thought, Axel turned and left.
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