Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 199: Brewing Storms

Red eyes are the eyes of a King.

It didn't take long for Shinobu to track down Ryota. With the help of her ravens, Shinobu was capable of seeing everything. She found Ryota in his usual spot, a small garden located in the center of the manor.

Ryota came to the garden every day. Sometimes Ryota would train in the garden by swinging his sword at the guards or the clones Shinobu would create from an amalgamation of her birds. Her clones were strong but not strong enough to stand against Ryota for long.

Ryota preferred to fight Shinobu directly so he could test his blades against hers. Unlike the rest of the Fumiko Clan, Shinobu didn't fight using a sword. Instead, she used a pair of bladed fans to punish her opponents.

With a quick swipe, Shinobu conjured gusts of wind that could cut her enemies to ribbons. She and Ryota dueled often. When they were younger, they dueled every time Ryota visited. They used the duels as learning experiences allowing them to grow stronger every time their blades crossed.

Shinobu never managed to defeat Ryota. Among their generation of Fumiko's, he was by far the most skilled. He inherited Sayuri's apathy and comfortability for direct combat. But he managed to improve on her style of sword fighting by adding another blade.

From the perspective of a swordsman, Shinobu did respect Ryota. She wasn't foolish enough to discredit his strength. However, she still hated his way of fighting. Direct combat was not her forte. If possible, Shinobu preferred to stay afar and wither her opponent down with stealthy techniques.

Typically, poison was her go-to. Few people in the world had a resistance to the toxins secreted by the Dragon Lily. When ingested orally or injected into the bloodstream, the poison causes a reaction that makes blood clot and muscles swell. With a small dosage, an ordinary person wouldn't die from the Dragon Lily, but they would be in a constant state of pain until an antidote is administered.

Shinobu thought of Sumire. Throughout the years, Shinobu has been feeding her small quantities of poison. It was never enough to kill Sumire, but more than enough to leave her body in tatters. Even if Ryoichi used his Fumiko blood to create an antidote, the damage the poison had already done was irreversible.

At this rate, she'll die in a matter of days.

Recently, Sumire's condition took a turn for the worst. Ryoichi requested to return to his Mother's side, hoping his presence would be enough to give her strength. Of course, Shinobu rejected his offer, but her father completely overshadowed her opinions.

Good. Shinobu smirked. If that whore dies, then Ryoichi will have no choice but to stay by my side. He has no other family and doesn't have a claim to the Fumiko wealth. If he left, he'd have no other choice but to join the Sasaki Clan, but those oafs would tear him apart. He could also return to the red-light district. But a boy as pretty as Ryoichi would get eaten alive.

Shinobu stopped at the end of the hall. Her ravens were perched along the house walls, standing guard and observing Ryota.

Shinobu always kept an eye on him. For better or for worse. It was because of Shinobu's ravens that Ryota's body was salvaged after encountering Renji Tachibana.

Shinobu found Ryota floating in the ocean. He was close to death. Ren's scorching blast burned Ryota to the bone, leaving him behind as a charred husk waiting to be saved.

Oh no, my sweet Ryo! Shinobu wept. Who did this to you? Was it Suzume or that conniving bastard Itsuki? Initially, Ryota didn't respond. His mind was fading in and out of consciousness. But through Shinobu's rageful tears, he found strength.