Part-98

  James, caught off guard by this ued turn of events, stammered a reply. "I wasn't the one who…" he began, his voice drowned out by the young woman's tirade.

  Baffled and frustrated, James raised his hands defensively. "Hey, wait a minute!" he protested. "Those guys were the ones harassing her, I…"

  But his expnation fell on deaf ears. Fueled by a misuanding and a fierce protectiveness of her grandmother, the young woman delivered a stinging sp to James' cheek. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his face, adding to his growing bewilderment.

  James, momentarily stunned by the ued attack, held his cheek, flustered by the massive misuanding. He g the old woman, hoping for some crification. "Toya," the old woman began, her voice strained but firm, "it wasn't this young man…"

  However, her words were cut short as a flicker of movement caught her eye. The leader boy, fueled by a mix of humiliation and rage, had gotten ba his feet. He saw his opportunity for revenge, and without a sed thought, he unched a flying kick at James' unsuspeg back.

  The blow caught James pletely by surprise. He had been focused on the young woman and hadn't noticed the leader's approabsp; The force of the kick sent him sprawling onto the ground, the groceries he'd been holding scattering across the cobblestones. Paihrough his lower back, momentarily knog the breath out of him.

  The situation had taken a drastic turn. James, the unlikely hero just moments ago, now found himself the victim of a cowardly attack. The market, which had been silent with shock, erupted in a cacophony of gasps and shouts. The young woman, her face torted with a mixture of fear and fury.

  James y there, momentarily stunned, as the System surged to life within him. The ued attack triggered a series of calcutions, analyzing the situation, assessing the threat level. The leader, fueled by rage and a bruised ego, was a clear danger. But James also had to sider the safety of the old woman and the young woman, both of whom were caught in the crossfire.

  He gritted his teeth, the pain in his back a dull throb.

  James, fueled by a surge of adrenaline and the throbbing pain in his back, khe situation demanded more than just defense. A cruel smile pyed on his lips as a familiar phrase echoed in his mind: "Crazy Mode… aka Semi-Auto Battle Mode." With a mental and, he activated the System's bat assistance for the first time in a public setting.

  The world seemed to slow down as the System analyzed the leader's movements, predig his attabsp; The boy, emboldened by his sneak attack, unched another flying kibsp; But this time, James was ready. Guided by the System's calcutions, he effortlessly caught the kick mid-air, the forentarily straining his arm muscles.

  Without a beat, James capitalized on the opening. With a powerful twist and a heave, he threw the leader off bance, sending him crashing to the ground with a surprised grunt. The croed in unison at the ued dispy of strength and skill.