Babaru, the former labor leader of the Red Maple Factory, the young leader of the Lumina, and the chairman of the Work-Study Association, could play a major villain in an A-grade movie without even putting on makeup. Yet among the Nefi student community, he was known as "Big Brother Babaru, the Timely Rain." He stood in the shadows, arms crossed over his four thick limbs, his face concealed by the haze beneath the dim streetlamp. Of course, that also hid the hatred in his eyes.
Even so, Polder felt the immense pressure bearing down on him, as if a razor-sharp blade were pressed against his throat.
He stammered for a moment, then finally spoke in a trembling voice, his tone miserable and almost pleading. "B-Big Brother Ba, I'm not Polder. I'm Polly, a third-year student at Morton University, an exchange student from the Riat Federation. I—I only met you at the Work-Study Association's mobilization meeting last time. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
Babaru said nothing. The upper half of his body remained hidden in the dark shadows, and no one could make out his expression.
Polder finally panicked and raised his voice. "B-But this is Sea City! Big Brother Babaru, you—you..."
You're still under surveillance at your residence. You have to report to the police station twice a week, and it's not even certain whether some agent is watching you around the clock. And now you dare come to East Gate Station to pull something like this? Aren't you worried the Alliance will seize you?
Before he could finish, the person holding his right side drove an elbow into his kidney. The person on his left even followed up with a vicious knee to the back of his leg. Their precise, agile movements made it clear they