The hall was frozen.
No one moved. No one breathed.
The word still hung in the air. Bastard.
Juli's entire body trembled. His red eyes burned with something beyond anger.
"What the FUCK did you just call him?"
His voice cracked. Raw. Like a child hearing someone insult their father.
The captain's black eyes remained cold. "You heard me."
"TAKE IT BACK!"
"No."
Whispers erupted around them.
"This is insane..."
"Is he really going to—"
"Someone stop them!"
But no one moved. The tension was too thick. Too heavy.
The captain's expression hardened. "Despite being my powerful older brother, he's nothing more than a piece of shit scumbag in my eyes."
Juli lunged forward and grabbed the team captain by the collar. His hands shook. Tears streamed down his face.
"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The captain didn't resist. Just stared.
Team 9 stood paralyzed. Kade's mouth hung open. Tessa's hands covered her face. Pam stepped forward but stopped, unsure what to do.
C'luppo's skin had gone pale white. "This is..."
"Mental," McGee finished quietly.
Javar's wings drooped. "Dis bad, mon. Real bad."
Nara's playful expression was completely gone. She looked genuinely concerned.
The captain's voice dropped lower, colder. "Instead of caring for his own family, he neglected us. Went fooling around in every sector. Even in that dump called the Outer Rim."
Juli's grip tightened. "Don't—"
"I even heard," the captain continued, his tone almost casual, "he did the deed with some Outer Rim colony whore."
The hall gasped.
"Pathetic, really."
"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" Juli screamed, spit flying. "DON'T YOU DARE INCLUDE MY MOTHER IN THIS BULLSHIT!"
The captain's eyes flickered. Recognition dawned. Then he chuckled.
Actually chuckled.
"Oh. So YOUR mother was that whore."
The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs.
"No way..."
"He didn't just—"
"That's too far!"
Then the captain's face changed. The cold mask cracked. Real emotion bled through. Anger. Pain. Hatred.
"Your beloved 'step-father' was too busy with women like her. Too busy playing hero in worthless colonies. Too busy neglecting his responsibilities to his ACTUAL family."
Juli's hands shook violently. "You don't know what you're—"
"HE'S THE REASON SOMEONE DEAR TO ME DIED!" The captain's voice exploded through the hall. Raw. Broken. "Your FUCKING piece of shit step-father killed my only light in the sky! YOU HEAR ME?!"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Juli's rage reached a point beyond words. Beyond thought. His red aura flared wildly around him. Uncontrolled. Chaotic.
"He would NEVER kill an innocent person!" Juli's voice was hoarse from screaming. "He would NEVER abandon the weak! YOU'RE LYING!"
"Am I?" The captain's black eyes were like ice. "Or are you just too blind to see what your precious hero really is?"
They stared at each other. Pure hatred versus desperate denial.
The captain yanked himself free from Juli's grip. Straightened his uniform. Put his cap back on, covering the red hair.
He looked at Juli one last time. Complete disgust in his expression.
"You make me sick, peasant."
Then he turned and walked away.
Juli took a step forward, his voice a guttural roar. "NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, I WON'T JUST KICK YOUR HEAD IN! I'LL PUT YOU IN THE FUCKING GRAVE!"
The captain didn't look back.
Just kept walking.
The crowd parted silently.
Juli stood there, chest heaving, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
His hands were still shaking. His red aura flickered and died.
Then his legs gave out.
Pam caught him before he hit the ground.
"I've got you," she said softly. "I've got you."
Juli collapsed against her, and the tears came harder. Uncontrollable. He buried his face in her shoulder, body wracking with sobs.
"He... he called him..."
"I know." Pam's arms wrapped around him, warm and steady. "It's over now. It's over."
Team 9 rushed over. Tessa was crying too. Kade looked lost, unsure what to do.
Other cadets approached slowly. Offering words. Gestures of support.
"That was brutal..."
"Are you okay?"
"We're here if you need anything."
Nara pushed through the crowd, her usual playfulness gone. "Juli..." Her voice was gentle. "I am... I am sorry. That vas too much."
Javar landed nearby, his usual grin replaced with genuine concern. "Yuh alright, mon? Dat was... dat was heavy."
Juli couldn't respond. Just kept crying into Pam's shoulder.
Despite all his strength. Despite fighting Ragnar. Despite five weeks of brutal training.
He was still just a kid.
Vulnerable. Hurting. Human.
Pam held him tighter. "Let it out. Just let it out."
Javar looked around at the scene, then his eyes landed on Pam. His head tilted.
"Ey, wait..." His voice was confused. "Her profile say she blind, right? But how she catchin' him so perfect-like? How she seein' all dis?"
Pam glanced at Javar, a small tired smile on her face despite the situation. "The glasses help. And my training started when I was very young. Very grueling. I learned to sense movements, predict actions."
"Damn," Javar muttered. "Dat's impressive, gyal."
The proctors finally moved in. But not to discipline. Not to threaten.
They floated closer to Juli, their mechanical faces somehow softer.
"Cadet Weiper," one proctor said, its synthesized voice gentler than before. "What occurred here was... unfortunate."
Another proctor hovered closer. "We have recorded the incident. It will be reviewed. But for now, you should rest."
"Examination results will be sent to your holographic wrist devices tomorrow morning," a third added.
One proctor floated directly in front of Juli. He looked up through tear-blurred eyes.
"Cadet," it said. "You have demonstrated remarkable resilience over these seven days. Do not let this moment define you."
Another proctor chimed in. "You are stronger than you know."
"Keep moving forward."
Despite being machines, androids with no emotion coded into their circuits, they were trying to comfort him.
Juli wiped his face with his sleeve, sniffling. "Thanks..."
The proctors nodded in unison. "We will see you at the next challenge. Good luck, Cadet Weiper."
They floated away, returning to their posts.
The crowd slowly dispersed. Whispers filled the hall. The confrontation would be the talk of every sector by morning.
But for now, Juli just stayed there in Pam's arms.
Team 9 surrounded him. A protective circle.
"We're here," Kade said quietly. "Whatever happens next. We're here."
Tessa nodded, wiping her own tears.
Nara stayed close too, her usual theatrics gone.
Javar gave a thumbs up. "Yuh strong, blonde yout'. Don't forget dat."
Juli nodded weakly.
The exam hall, once filled with laughter at his dancing, now felt heavy with something darker.
Tomorrow, results would come.
Tomorrow, the tournament would continue.
But tonight, Juli just needed to breathe.
And maybe, just maybe, start to process what the hell just happened.