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THE STUDENTS GO WILD as they stare at the fallen banner that's on the floor. Max couldn't grasp the situation, but for the students of the House of Kings, a fallen banner only means one thing, and that's a Brotherhood Battle.

     A Brotherhood Battle is a common practice done by elite prisoners. It is similar to a typical prison riot, but the difference is that it is a lot more organized. A brotherhood can challenge another brotherhood that is higher in rank. Originally, the goal is to make the opponent surrender, but the easier way to win it is by killing the head or leader of the brotherhood. Of course, this is changed in order to suit the systems of the Houses.

To start a brotherhood battle, a brotherhood must pull down the banner of its chosen opponent. Siren sounds will be heard throughout the campus, signaling everyone that a battle has been declared. A brotherhood can decline the challenge but it has never been done before since brotherhoods see it as something worse than losing.

Mechanics:

     The goal is simple. Two brotherhoods have their own base and flag. The first brotherhood to put its flag on the enemy's base will win. This must be accomplished within 12 minutes. If none of the brotherhoods are able to achieve the goal in 12 minutes, then the battle is forced to a draw.

     When all the members of the opponent are down and unable to battle, there will be a 10-second countdown. If they still do not respond, the other team will automatically win.

     A brotherhood can also forfeit. If the brotherhood who pulled the flag forfeits, the challenged will win, and vice versa.

     The challenger must also adjust to the number of members that they will be up against. If the brotherhood that they challenged only has five members, and they have seven, then the challengers must remove two members for the battle to make the members equal. But this only applies if the challenger is challenging a brotherhood that is lower in rank. If they are challenging a higher-ranked brotherhood, they can keep a maximum of three more members in total, which means that if the challenger has ten members, and the challenged only has five, then the challenger can battle with eight members.

Battle Rules:

     To make this battle less violent than the original, the Association made certain rules that will not greatly harm the students.

     One rule is regarding the use of weapons. Some of the association members discouraged Janus to use actual weapons, but Janus decided on himself to still use them because this will minimize the times' Brotherhoods will battle each other since they have to recover from their last battle.

Weapons:

     Students are legally allowed to use weapons, but there are restrictions. For example, knives are allowed, but a student cannot stab the opponent 2 or more inches deep. There are also certain body parts that cannot be targeted. Ignoring these rules can mean the expulsion of the student.

      Guns are also allowed, but guns with bullets that exceed the 9 mm caliber or 0.356 inches in bullet diameter are not permitted. Like the rules with the knives, there are also body parts that cannot be targeted. That is why students have to get an official school permit to be able to use guns or any long-range weapons. This certificate measures the accuracy of the student. Students who have an accuracy lower than 87% cannot be permitted to use long-range weapons.

     Even with the permit, the brotherhoods are still required to wear bulletproof vests for safety precautions.

     Other weapons that are permitted are baseball bats, smoke bombs - or any other types of bombs that aren't too explosive - nunchucks, hand clasps, low-level taser guns, and so on.

     Janus clarified that weapons are only for support because one's physical strength and the brotherhood's overall strategy is the most important aspect in winning battles.

Recovery Time:

     Recovery time occurs after the Brotherhood Battle. The brotherhoods who battled together cannot challenge or be challenged by other brotherhoods for one week. After the one-week recovery time, they will be inspected at the clinic. (The clinics are fully equipped to treat simple injuries to major surgeries). If the brotherhood is clear in inspection then they are allowed to battle again, but if not, their recovery time will be extended.

"You got that down?" Ari asks as he and Felix watch Max write all of it down in his notebook.

     Students were cheering as they shout names of different brotherhoods from the House of Kings. Busters pulled down their banner as a battle declaration. The banner that will fall next will be the brotherhood that they will be challenging.

     "Battle with BND!" Someone sitting at the back shouts, startling Max because his brother is on that brotherhood. He does not want to see his brother battle on his first day.

     "How did they allow something like this to happen? Something this dangerous?" Max asks, and Felix and Ari look at him like he's an idiot.

     "You act as if you're not from a rich family. People like you could watch people die if you wanted to. Power and money can open different possibilities that others find unimaginable. And kids like us who are placed in a den like this make our oh-so-perfect lives even better. Who doesn't like that kind of rush?" Ari asks with a sarcastic tone

     "And besides, we signed a waiver." Felix then adds in a 'duh' kind of way.

     "For the first battle of the year, the brotherhood that the kings have challenged is..." Mr. Coleman finally announces. Everyone starts stomping their feet, waiting for the challenged to be announced. It doesn't take long for another banner to fall. "Jokers!"

     The crowd goes wild, and Krist Hyusen and the rest of his brothers immediately stand from their seats in excitement.

     "Is this a joke? They challenged the lowest ranking brotherhood here. It's a sure win." Max tells Felix and Ari, and all the two could do was shrug their shoulders as an answer.

     Max thought that if Viktor simply wanted to show the strength and power of his brotherhood, then he should have challenged a brotherhood in a higher rank instead. Challenging Jokers is almost like an insult. It's obvious Viktor isn't doing this to battle, or to even boast their strength. He's doing this for mere entertainment, especially when all the leaders from the other houses are there.

     "To the brotherhoods who aren't challenged, please step out of the grounds." Mr. Coleman tells everyone who is in the middle of the stadium.

     The brotherhoods leave the grounds and walk straight to the bleachers like they were told, while PHD joins their obviously unimpressed leader who is sitting at his throne, yawning because of complete boredom.

     White uniforms run towards the center and start taking the plastic chairs away as the others rolled the red carpet back. When the middle area of the stadium was cleared, the entire floor suddenly opens up, surprising not only Max but all the freshmen students who are there.

     As the floor pulls apart, another floor gets lifted up, revealing a maze made of clear glass that has 2 separate bases, each with a flag holder. The large LED screens at the front that only showed the house's logo before now became live footage of what was taking fold inside the stadium. This was done so that the students can watch the battle better.

     "I won't lie, that's impressive," Max says as he watches white uniforms inspect the grounds to see if something was out of place.

     "That's what we call Battle Grounds. Each ground is designed by the brotherhoods who pull the flag. They have the freedom to create three different grounds for the entire school year. The skeletal blueprint is then submitted to the other brotherhoods so they could study them, but of course, they don't know who designed the grounds, and they don't know the hidden functions either, so the advantage is still with the brotherhood who designed it," Ari explains, and Felix joins in and adds, "I remember last year Busters challenged BND and the grounds was completely empty, but they still managed to win it."

     "It's all in the strategy. From how you battle, the grounds you design, and the weapons you use, everything is a factor in one's success. That's why brains are just as important as brawn." Ari explains further.

     While everyone watched the white uniforms run through the Battle Grounds, Jokers and Busters made their way to the armory to get their weapons. Another set of white uniforms will inspect each weapon and check for permits if the member is eligible to use them. Bulletproof vests must also be worn at all times.

     The two brotherhoods were getting ready for the fight, discussing strategies while they waited for the actual battle to begin. The other brotherhoods from the other houses couldn't help but feel excited. They were about to witness the kings' battle. And regardless if Busters chose to battle BND or Jokers, Jokers is still a brotherhood that these lower brotherhoods look up to. They ranked high, so it is only expected that they're good.

     "Good morning students. Before we begin the battle, the Elites will be going around and collecting your bets. So Elites, let the bets rolling." A jolly voice from the stereos announces as Elites' members appear around the stadium holding tablets and card scanners.

     Max doesn't even have to say anything. He takes out his notebook and pen and looks at Ari and Felix who were ready to explain to him the new concept that was once again introduced.

     "Seriously, you should have attended the freshmen seminar," Ari complains first before explaining the Betting System.

BETTING SYSTEM

     Because of the MP (Merit Points) System, students can now bet actual money on their chosen brotherhood during a Brotherhood Battle using their student card. If they bet on the winning team, they will receive a certain amount of points according to the winner's rank.

     The number of points differs because of the winning probability of the brotherhoods. But regardless of the results, all the money from the bets will be given to the brotherhoods who participated in the battle. The reason is because the money they receive in battle is the only money that they are allowed to use for their brotherhood's resources.

     The brotherhood with the highest bets will have a ten-second advantage during their battle.

"So betting on a brotherhood who is ranked high has a higher chance of winning, but the points you get are low. But if that brotherhood loses, you get an insane amount of points lost." Max summarises as he closes his notebook.

     "It's better to gain 50 points than lose 50 points. Especially when you're a freshman." Felix honestly tells him, and Max couldn't help but agree.

     Members of the Elites approach the students to get their bets, and the officer who went to Max and the others was one of the Griffiths twins, Justin, who is ranked 5th. Justin is a school representative, and compared to his twin brother who's always serious, Justin has a cheerful personality, so you'd know who's who without looking at their brooches.

     "Mr. Sinclaire! It's an honor to meet you!" Justin greets when he approaches Max and his newfound friends.

     "Would you like to place your bets?" He immediately asks with a smile when he realizes that Max wasn't going to greet him back any time soon.

     "Can I scan it first?" Max asks as he takes his student card out from his pocket before handing it to Justin. The school's representative takes the card and scans it on his scanner, showing Max's student data on the screen of the tablet that he's holding.

     "Mr. Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire. You are currently at rank #568 with a total of 100 merit points." Justin informs him, his voice sounding more and more like a robot each time they listen to him.

     Max wasn't surprised by the results. He's a new student and it's only natural that he'll rank low. Whats he's more surprised about is the fact that he even has 100 points.

     "I'm pretty sure it's because you're in Class A. Being a student in Class A also adds up merit points," Felix explains when he saw Max staring at the 100 points that are on the tablet.

     "Are you ready to place your bets now?" Justin asks, handing back Max's student card and removing the student data on the screen of his tablet.

     "I'm ready," Felix replies as he takes out his student card.

     "Remember gentlemen, you may gain or lose points regardless of how much money you donate. The amount of money is not important here, but who you will bet on is, so choose wisely." The school's representative explains.

     This was another thing about the betting system. White Uniforms aren't required to bet, and the minimum money you can bet on is fifty dollars. But students never bet that low because it's a form of insult in their family's name even though that doesn't have merit in the school anymore. This is why most of the time, bets are referred to as donations because whatever the outcome may be, your money will still go to the brotherhood you betted on. While 10 % of the total bets will be given to the Elites' office.

     Ari goes first and gives his bet, followed by Felix who did the same. While the two were putting their bets down, Max looks back at the large screen that showed the current amount of donations that the brotherhoods received.

Busters (Kings) - $ 102,700.

Jokers (Barons) - $ 23,200.

     Max knew what the outcome was. It's obvious that Busters would win against this battle. He hasn't seen them battle yet but they're kings for a reason, and he knew that Viktor wouldn't challenge anyone just to show them a king's defeat.

     "The brotherhoods. They're the only ones here who have the power to give insane amounts of merit points." Max remembers what Ari said earlier.

     Just in time, Busters and Jokers came back from the armory. They were finished getting ready for the battle, causing the students to erupt once again.

     "Time is ticking Mr. Sinclaire. Your bet please." Justin calls out for him, instantly making Max look back at Justin who was showing him the scanner that has a number pad.

     Max was weighing down the options. If he bets on Busters, it would be a sure win and he'll have 150 points. And if he bets on Jokers, he'll be down to 50 points. But if given the chance, Max might be able to get more from them after this.

     His day hasn't been so well, and people here see him as a joke. Ari and Felix were right. If he wants to make everyone see his worth, it's best if he goes big.

     "There's no maximum amount of bets, am I correct?" Max asks, and the question alone catches the attention of the students who are sitting around them.

     Felix and Ari look at each other with furrowed brows. They didn't have to say anything to know what Max was thinking.

     "Of course! You can donate as much as you want." Justin exclaims with a large grin on his face.

     Everyone is already looking at Max, waiting for how much money he's willing to donate to whoever he's going to choose. Because of the commotion that was happening in their area, the other students were already looking at him, and that eventually caught the brotherhood's attention.

     "What's going on there?" One of the leaders of the House of Bishops asks. Sitting right above them on the bleachers was none other than Marcus Thompson of BND, also known as Maximilian's brother.

     "Max. What the hell are you planning?" Marcus asks as he sees his brother staring at the tablet that Justin was holding.

     Max takes a deep breath and finally makes a decision. "I'll bet on...Jokers." He reveals, shocking everyone. He clicks on Jokers' logo on the tablet and takes out his student card again.

     The cameraman directs his camera towards the crowd, showing Max's face on the big screen. Not a lot of people knew that he was here, but thanks to the sudden publicity, everyone finally sees him.

     Students were talking and whispering to each other. Max looks at his face on the big screen before looking back at the other screen that shows the number of bets the two brotherhoods have already received. He then looks down at the battle grounds and sees Jokers looking at the screen that showed his face.

     Max searches for the camera that was shooting him. When he spots it, he smirks and says, "I do hope you return the favor very soon."

    Right after that, he scans his card and presses the amount of money that he will be donating. When he was done, everyone immediately looks at the screen where the number of bets can be seen.

Busters (Kings) - $ 102,700.

Jokers (Barons) - $ 123,200.

     Win or lose. There's no other way to go but up.

     And that he was certain of.

- END -