Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 66: Mandy Getting Bullied

Chapter 66: Mandy Getting Bullied

Vivian had been missing from campus for days, but that didn’t stop her from being the center of gossip.

"Wow, I didn’t know she was that wild. Every picture has her with a different guy!" someone exclaimed.

"You guys are ridiculous, acting like she’s some kind of saint. She didn’t even repeat a single guy during that whole pre-training month," another girl laughed.

"Why doesn’t she like me? I’m better-looking and stronger than those guys in the videos," a boy whined.

"Please. Do you have the experience they do? She’s looking for someone who knows how to serve her right, definitely not just another campus boy to fool around with."

These days, people’s views on relationships weren’t as conservative as they were centuries ago. Women weren’t expected to be "pure" anymore, but because this involved a high-profile heiress, which was why it became a hot topic on campus.

Mandy found a seat and listened to the boys’ snickers and crude remarks. She glanced at Lyra sitting by the window. At this point, she didn’t know who was right or wrong.

With everything that had happened, Vivian’s dream of marrying the admiral’s son seemed like a distant fantasy now. Compared to the slap that night, Lyra’s actions had hit Vivian where it really hurt.

What Mandy didn’t see coming was that the mess surrounding Vivian would spill over onto her.

After a big lecture, as Mandy packed up her books, some boys from a nearby class suddenly blocked her way.

"Mandy, I heard you’re friends with Vivian. Is she as wild as they say? Are YOU?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, how about we grab a coffee tonight?" another added, grinning.

Mandy felt a mix of shame and anger rising inside her. Clutching her books, she said firmly, "Get out of my way. I’m not interested."

She tried to walk past them, but one of the boys blocked her path again. "Come on, don’t be so uptight. We’re better than those guys in the videos, aren’t we?"

"I’m not like that..." Mandy’s face flushed red, her discomfort only making her look more vulnerable.

"Not like what? Come on, explain it to us," one of them sneered.

Laughter from nearby made Mandy’s ears ring.

Just then, some students from her class, led by Thierry and Claude, decided enough was enough and stepped in to push the boys away.

"Back off! Stop harassing her," Thierry demanded.

"Harassing? We’re just asking her out. What if she’s just pretending to be all innocent but actually wants to say yes? Don’t ruin our chances," one of the boys shot back, smirking.

The tension was thick in the air. Mandy bit her lip, tears threatening to spill. ’Why is this happening to me?’

Suddenly, a book flew across the room.

Zinnia, who had been keeping her distance because of a past argument, couldn’t stand by and watch the bullying anymore.

"Stop being a pushover. Why don’t you just slap them? Like this!" Zinnia leaped over the desk and slapped one of the grinning boys hard across the face. "How about a fight? You up for it?"

Zinnia’s strength was well-known after the pre-training combat matches. The boy, now holding his stinging cheek, was torn between anger and the fear of being publicly humiliated by losing a fight.

At that tense moment, a young man stepped forward, pushing the other boy aside with ease. A grin spread across his face as he looked at Zinnia. "I want to challenge you. Is that alright?"

It was Helion from Class 2.

With a mischievous smile and narrow eyes that made him look like a fox, Helion had a dangerous edge to him.

The guy who had been slapped sighed in relief, his confidence restored by Helion’s presence.

Some girls from Class 2, however, covered their mouths in disdain, whispering, "That maniac’s looking for another fight."

Zinnia grinned back, not one to back down. "Then let’s go."

What should have been a quiet half-hour break turned into a full-on migration of students from the Department of Strategy and Commanding, all heading toward the combat arena.

Lyra had been trying to read, but the rising noise made it impossible to focus. She closed her book with a sigh and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

As they walked, Thierry leaned close to Zinnia, his voice low with concern. "Be careful. His superpower is special."

"I know," Zinnia replied calmly.

When they reached the combat arena, Zinnia quickly understood what Thierry had meant by "special."

Helion wasn’t just strong; he had dual superpowers. He could fly and transform into a wolf.

Even though his both powers were only ranked B-level, together they made him incredibly formidable.

The arena buzzed with energy, students from both Class 1 and Class 2 cheering for their champions.

On the stage, the sound of clashing blows filled the air.

Helion, true to his wild reputation, fought with unpredictable and unconventional moves. His flight made him fast and hard to track, while his beast transformation gave him brute strength.

Zinnia, clad in her golden armor, stood her ground, studying him closely. She knew better than to strike first, so she waited, ready to counter his move.

But Helion was like smoke—too fast, leaving only blurred afterimages in his wake.

It wasn’t long before Zinnia found herself on the defensive, struggling to keep up.

With a swift motion, one of Helion’s claws slashed across her, drawing blood. The crowd’s cheers fell into a shocked silence.

"Helion, take it easy!" someone from Class 2 shouted, sensing the fight had gone too far.

Helion paused, tapping his foot on the ground, still grinning. "Do you want to give up?" he taunted, eyes full of challenge.

Zinnia wiped the blood from her arm, her voice steady despite the pain. "We’re just getting started."

With a fierce shout, she launched herself at Helion like a cannonball, but he was relentless. Every attack she threw was met with his brutal counterattacks, leaving her body marked with bloody gashes.

Helion’s laughter echoed through the arena as he soared into the air, flipping before slamming down on her with force, pinning Zinnia to the ground.

His sharp teeth gleamed as he grabbed her arm, taking to the sky and swinging her around like she was weightless. At last, he hurled her toward the ground from a terrifying height.

The crowd gasped in unison, the air thick with shock and fear.

No one had expected Helion to be so ruthless. Thierry and the others tried desperately to react, their superpowers ready, but Helion’s speed made it impossible to intervene in time.

Just as Zinnia was about to crash into the mat, two green light bands shot out from the crowd, catching her just inches above the ground.

The impact still sent a powerful gust of wind through the arena, causing Zinnia to retch from the force. Anyone else might have suffered serious internal injuries.

Thierry exhaled in relief. They were lucky she was here. The crowd quickly began whispering among themselves.

"Whoa, green’s for healing energy, right? Can healing energy really do that?"

"Is that Lyra’s superpower?"

"Why didn’t she use it before?"

Thierry caught Claude’s mumbling and thought, ’Her previous opponents were us. We must have been too weak for her to really need it.’

With a quick motion, Lyra healed Zinnia’s wounds and helped her off the mat, ready to leave. But Helion’s voice rang out behind her, "You and Vivian share a dorm, right? I bet all of you are easy. How about you and I get a room tonight?"

His words were so crude that even his own classmates frowned. "Helion, that’s too much," someone muttered.

But Helion didn’t care. His eyes stayed locked on Lyra.

She paused, turning to face him. "You really seem to want a beating," she said coolly. Then, she glanced at the clock on the wall—ten minutes until the next class. Plenty of time.

Without another word, she walked back onto the mat.