The man tilted his head slightly, his half-closed eyes carrying a cruel disdain. "Uncle? Hahahah..." He let out a dry laugh, full of mockery. "Too bad, kid, but I don't have a nephew, no... And if I did, I wouldn't bother to remember."
Ryan remained silent, his gaze fixed on that face. His eyes scanned every detail, every scar, every expression line, while his hearing focused on the man's voice timbre, seeking confirmation. The shock made his heart pound against his chest, but his expression remained hardened.
Still in disbelief, he mentally exclaimed, "Arona! Explain this shit to me NOW!"
Arona's voice sounded, hesitant, almost rushed. "N-Now, sensei? I don't think you'll have much time to pay attention-"
Ryan felt a surge of rage rising up his spine. In a single fluid motion, he pulled the sword from his bracelet, feeling the familiar weight of the metal in his hand. The presence of that weapon gave him focus, an anchor point in the growing confusion. "I won't have TIME? Arona, is this some kind of joke?" His mind was seething, but his voice remained firm.
While he dealt with his internal storm, Geto raised his voice, addressing the man before them. "How are you here? Where's Satoru?"
The man tossed the pistol from one hand to the other, as if it were a toy, his tone dripping with indifference and sarcasm. "Satoru?" He frowned as if trying to remember something irrelevant, before clicking his tongue. "Ah! The Six Eyes guy, right? Heh... I killed him."
Geto froze. His body tensed immediately, his eyes widening in pure shock. The words seemed like a bad joke, but the casual way they were spoken made them even more brutal.
Before he could react, Riko screamed from behind him, her voice trembling and choked with despair. "And Kuroi!? What did you do to Kuroi?!"
The man just laughed, cruelly, before raising the gun and pointing it directly at her. "That doesn't matter to you anyway... I'm here to kill you."
As the tension in the air increased, Ryan continued his mental dialogue, his tone becoming sharper. "Talk at once, Arona... I don't want to have to raise my voice at you."
Arona's voice wavered, as if searching for a way to soften the truth, but she ended up blurting out the words in a broken manner. "W-Well, sensei... Um... He is, but he's not your uncle..."
Ryan's eyebrow furrowed tightly. "Great. To be or not to be, that is the question? Be direct, Arona, or I'll take it out on you every time I lose my 50/50."
She sighed, resigned, and her answer came at the same time as Ryan jumped to Geto's side, positioning himself strategically. "Everyone who died before you and Yuno in that world... They were reincarnated, in this or other worlds."
Ryan placed himself between Riko and the man, preventing the pistol's aim from fixing on her. His gaze locked onto his opponent, charged with intensity. An instant of silence followed, heavy and loaded, before Ryan spoke, his voice deep and drawn out. "Hey... Before we start trying to kill each other..."
His eyes narrowed slightly, assessing every detail of his opponent's expression. "Your name is... Toji?"
The man tilted his head to the side, a wry smile appearing on his lips. His contempt was as palpable as the sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Didn't imagine my name was so well-known... I'd even ask yours..." He let out a short laugh before finishing, with an air of pure disdain. "But I don't remember guys' names."
Ryan mirrored Toji's smile, loaded with the same acid sarcasm, as if that moment were just another cruel game of fate. His eyes narrowed, and his voice came out drawn out, almost like a veiled provocation.
"So... History is going to repeat itself."
Toji tilted his head slightly, studying Ryan for an instant before laughing wryly, a dry, almost disdainful sound.
"History repeat itself?" He clicked his tongue, as if the idea were absurd. "Kid, I think I just realized that talking to you is a waste of time..."
Without further ado, Toji slid the gun back into its holster and, unhurriedly, spat something strange into his hand.
Geto frowned, and Ryan raised an eyebrow, both keeping their eyes fixed on whatever that thing was. The object writhed in a bizarre way before revealing its true form – a grotesque curse, with misshapen limbs that wrapped around Toji's shoulder like a natural extension of his body.
Before they could fully process the scene, Toji stuck his fingers into the creature's mouth and pulled something out of it.
A blade.
The metallic sound resonated in the humid air of the cave as the cursed weapon was wrenched from that hideous being.
Ryan contorted his face into an expression of pure disgust, his mouth curving into a grimace.
"What a disgusting piece of shit..."
As soon as Ryan finished speaking, Geto didn't hesitate. His face contorted in pure fury as he raised his hand, unleashing his curse.
"DIE!" He roared, his voice filled with hatred.
The serpentine creature of the Rainbow Dragon tore through the air, its colorful body twisting in an overwhelming rush. It lunged at Toji like a sure predator, engulfing the man and dragging him at high speed towards the ancient buildings near the large tree in the center of the cave.
The impact made the ground tremble, debris and dust rising into the air. But that wasn't enough.
In the middle of the confusion, a shot.
The dry crack of a bullet cut through the sound of the ruins collapsing.
Ryan's eyes narrowed. His body reacted even before his mind processed it. In a swift and precise movement, he raised his sword, deflecting the bullets before they reached Riko. Sparks flashed in the dark air of the cave, and the shards ricocheted to the sides.
Before Geto tried to advance, Ryan placed his hand on his chest, stopping him. His eyes burned with a murderous intensity.
"His objective is to kill Riko." His voice was firm, charged with undeniable authority. "Stay here and protect her... WITH YOUR LIFE!"
Geto gritted his teeth, his fists trembling with the rage burning in his chest. His eyes were fixed on Toji's figure, who was already calmly getting up from the rubble.
"Calm down, boys..." Toji adjusted the curved sword over his shoulder, the tone of his voice overflowing with disdain. "It's better not to get flustered..."
Geto couldn't contain his fury. His muscles were tense, about to explode. "I'm going to kill that bastard."
Ryan slowly turned his face to him. His voice came out deeper, hoarser, loaded with a dark warning.
"Shut up and do what I said, Geto." His eyes met Geto's for an instant – icy, deadly. "Protect my Riko while I beat the crap out of this scumbag."
Riko was lying on the ground, her body trembling as tears ran down her face. Her chest rose and fell irregularly.
"Ryan..." Her voice failed between sobs. "I think he... killed Kuroi!"
Ryan didn't take his eyes off Toji, his tone becoming sharper.
"I'll make him pay, Riko."
Without hesitation, Ryan jumped, landing on the roof of one of the ancient buildings. The cave wind blew against him, making his clothes flutter. His eyes locked onto Toji like a blade about to pierce.
"Did you hear?" His voice carried an implicit threat. "You're going to pay for making Riko cry..."
Ryan raised his sword, pointing it directly at Toji. "And for sending those assholes after Alya."
Toji laughed with disdain, tilting his head slightly.
"Alya? Ah... I know." He ran his hand over his face, as if pulling up an insignificant memory. "That little silver-haired girl?"
A cruel smile appeared on his lips as he mocked.
"When I heard about a supposed unknown sorcerer, I thought it best to see for myself. So, when you rescued that maid from the kidnapping... I followed you."
He started walking, Ryan's eyes following him attentively. His mind was seething in a storm of thoughts.
"Arona..." He spoke mentally. "You said that he... is my reincarnated uncle in this world, didn't you?"
The answer came low, hesitant.
"Yes, sensei... but he doesn't remember anything from his past life..."
Ryan gritted his teeth, refocusing on the man before him.
Toji gestured as he spoke, his voice full of boredom.
"I confess I didn't find out much about you. So, I decided to disappear with the silver-haired girl to keep you out of my work..."
He clicked his tongue, a flash of frustration passing across his face. "Those incompetents couldn't hold you for even half an hour..."
But then, his smile widened, loaded with pure provocation.
"On the other hand... it might be a good thing. Who knows, you might be good warm-up to keep me in shape."
The two moved across the rooftops at a calculated pace, like predators sizing each other up before the attack.
Ryan broke the silence first. His voice was cold and inquisitive.
"How did you get in here?..." His gaze was piercing. "I may not know this place perfectly, but I'm sure they have ways to prevent... unwanted visits like you."
Toji shrugged, his voice coming out casual, as if they were talking about the weather.
"Oh, about that?" He pointed at himself with his thumb. "I don't have cursed energy. So, to these idiots, I'm invisible."
Ryan smiled wryly, humorlessly, before pointing with his sword at the grotesque curse on Toji's shoulder.
"And this ugly little thing here? I bet it has cursed energy, doesn't it?"
Toji stroked the creature as if it were a pet.
"It does..." He replied, unhurriedly. "That's why I spat it out at the beginning."
He then raised his eyebrow, letting a wry smile form.
"An invisible man's organs are invisible too, don't you think?"
Ryan tightened his fist around the sword hilt, feeling the rage seethe under his skin.
"I see..." He murmured, his voice loaded with sarcasm. "You're quite the nice guy, explaining your plans so willingly, you know?"
The glint in Ryan's eyes made it clear. He wasn't there to chat.
_______________
Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing well! ^^
Things are certainly heating up for Ryan – feels like a big confrontation is just around the corner, doesn't it?
I wanted to reach out with an honest update about the story and its future. As you know, writing this is a labor of love for me. It began as a passion, but also with the hope that it could eventually help support me financially, allowing me to dedicate more time to bringing you new chapters. Unfortunately, the support through Patreon, while deeply appreciated, hasn't yet grown enough to make that sustainable. Coupled with increasing demands from my primary job, I'm finding it harder to keep up the current pace, and I might even need to seek out extra work soon.
Because of this, I'll have to adjust our posting frequency and slow things down a bit. I know this might be disappointing, and I truly wish things were different.
However, I want to make one thing crystal clear: My promise to you is that this story will be completed. Finishing Ryan's adventure and sharing it with you remains incredibly important to me. Even if it takes longer, transitioning back into more of a beloved hobby than a source of income, I am dedicated to seeing it through. Your readership and encouragement have been the fuel keeping me going, and I can't thank you enough for being part of this journey!
If you'd like to help me bridge the gap and potentially allow me to keep dedicating more consistent time to writing, visiting my Patreon would mean so much. Your support, no matter the size, directly helps sustain this creative endeavor. <3
Find me here:
patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph