The silence following my declaration stretched like a taut wire ready to snap. Wendy Lowe stood frozen, her face drained of color as the reality of what I'd just said sank in.
"Seven more schools," she whispered, then her voice rose to a shout. "You're planning to terrorize innocent martial artists across the entire city!"
"Innocent?" I asked, letting disbelief color my tone. "Is that what you call the people who've been systematically destroying Chinese martial arts schools for weeks?"
"They were proving their superiority through legitimate challenges," she shot back, but the conviction was bleeding out of her voice.
"Legitimate?" Julian Cross stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "Was it legitimate when they broke my ribs after I'd already surrendered? Was it legitimate when they filmed my humiliation for their entertainment?"
"You lost fairly," Wendy insisted, though she couldn't meet his gaze. "That's how martial arts works. The stronger fighter wins."
