Chapter 18 : Storm in the courtyard

The streets of the city were bustling, but Ryo barely noticed. He weaved through the crowd, keeping one hand on his satchel and the other brushing against the edge of the map Lara had handed him.

“I just don’t understand why you insist on wandering the alleys when you could simply go through the official gates,” Lara complained, her voice high-pitched with annoyance. “Back in the castle, they would never have allowed such… reckless behavior. There were proper corridors, servants attending every need, and—”

Ryo groaned inwardly. “Lara, I’m looking for an agency. Not a ballroom dance. You don’t need to tell me about your castle life every five seconds.”

She pouted, her arms crossed. “Well, it’s not just about the castle! I had tutors, libraries, grand halls, and—oh!—the chandeliers alone were magnificent! You simply can’t imagine—”

Ryo pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, I 'can't' imagine. But 'can' we focus on the mission?”

Lara tilted her head and smiled mischievously, “Mission? You make it sound like we’re —” Lara winced and pressed a hand to her back, a small grimace flickering across her usually composed face.

“Are you okay?” Ryo asked, concern breaking through his irritation.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, forcing a bright smile. “Nothing to worry about. Just a little… twinge. Old injury, nothing serious.”

Ryo wasn’t convinced. “That doesn’t sound like nothing serious. You’ve been carrying yourself weirdly for the past ten minutes.”

Lara waved him off, returning to her habitual chatter. “I simply have a delicate back. Castles have soft mattresses and warm baths—life was easier there. I suppose that’s why I never minded the tutors endlessly quizzing me on etiquette…”

Ryo sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get more than a fraction of the truth from her. He tightened the straps on his satchel and started walking again, keeping one eye on the alleyways ahead.

Little did they know, the calm before the fight was already shifting. A sudden ripple of energy in the air made the hairs on Ryo’s neck stand up.

In a bizarre, gymnastic twist, he dodged a blade, then a second one, a third...

By the end, he had dodged twenty blades appearing from nowhere.

“Impressive. You’re the new one, right? I’m Storm. I heard you dealt with a girl… with spiders. I want to know more about her.”

The courtyard had emptied, the sun sinking low and casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Ryo tightened his grip on his satchel, sensing movement before seeing it. A streak of lightning- black hair flashed past him, and Storm was already circling, eyes glinting with challenge.

“Can't we just talk calmly?” Ryo muttered, dropping into a combat stance, using one of the dagger.

Seriously… why does everyone want to fight me?

Storm smirked, cracking his knuckles. “You say that, but you’re already in a fighting stance.”

Without warning, Storm lunged, fast as a striking snake. Ryo barely parried, the clash of metal ringing sharply in the cool air. Storm’s strikes were precise, aggressive, each one aimed to break through Ryo’s defense rather than just test him.

Ryo countered with a series of swings, but Storm ducked, rolled, and kicked off the wall, flipping over Ryo’s head to land behind him. He delivered a brutal elbow to Ryo’s back, sending him stumbling forward. Ryo cursed under his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“You’ve gotten sloppy,” Storm taunted, spinning into a low sweep. Ryo jumped, barely avoiding the kick, but Storm’s follow-up was relentless—a flurry of punches aimed at his ribs and shoulders. Each blow landed with bone-cracking precision.

“Damn, he’s strong…” Ryo grunted, trying to regain his footing. Storm wasn’t just fast—he was calculating, exploiting every opening.

Then, with a roar, Storm delivered a spinning back-fist that connected squarely with Ryo’s jaw. Ryo went down hard, coughing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He struggled to get up, but Storm’s foot pinned him to the ground.

“You really thought you could take me?” Storm sneered.

Before Storm could finish, a sudden gust swept through the courtyard, carrying a sharp whistle of wind. Roseille landed gracefully behind Storm, her eyes blazing with determination.

“Step off,” she commanded. With a flick of her wrist, a shimmering barrier of energy flared around Ryo, knocking Storm back a few steps.

Storm’s eyes narrowed. “alright, now we can talk”

Oh really?

---

Storm was panting, bruised, and beaten. He glared at Ryo, a mixture of respect and frustration in his eyes.

“You… got lucky,” he spat, backing away, nursing a bleeding lip.

Roseille crossed her arms, her eyes softening only slightly as she turned to Ryo. “how did you do that ?”

Ryo smirked, wiping blood from his mouth. “none of your business”

“It's not him” murmured Lara as she watched him, but unlike the other onlookers who saw Ryo as just another person, she saw a dark mass enveloping the young man. His eyes resembled those of a beast, and below his left eye was his number of lives: two.”

The courtyard fell silent. Storm, the giant slayer had been defeated by a newcomer.