After struggling for a while, Otto gradually regained consciousness. Since he'd fallen face-first, he had lost his front teeth, contributing even further to his disheveled appearance.

"What happened?" He shook his head, confusion lining his features.

He remembered the surge of power he felt as he reveled in his mastery barely seconds ago before weakness seized him, and he found himself lying on the floor.

"Otto, you were knocked out by that guy just now!" Julie told him, her expression strange. She'd initially thought Otto would be able to defend her—contrary to her beliefs, the first punch found him sprawled on the floor, unconscious the next instant.

"Knocked out?" Otto was slightly taken aback. He touched his throbbing face, an argument bursting forth. "Fuck that! I must have slipped and lost my balance. That brat would never have been able to hurt me otherwise!"

His declaration elicited a flurry of nods through the crowd.

"That's right! With Otto's strength, it would've