Leo sat upon a velvet-cushioned throne, legs lazily crossed and one arm resting on the intricately carved lion-head armrest.
The echoes of his memory regarding the Twin Blades still danced in his mind.
His eyes narrowed as he whispered, almost to himself, "So... it was Rio and Roxanne Bladecrest.
The legends themselves."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Leo raised his voice. "Butler Wang."
The old man appeared instantly, as though summoned by instinct alone. "Yes, Young Master?"
"I want information. Full background, present situation, and everything in between about the Bladecrest Clan.
Especially Rio and Roxanne. Bring it to me."
With a polite bow, Butler Wang nodded. "Consider it done."
Hours later, in the quiet of his study, Leo leaned forward as Butler Wang returned, a scroll in hand and a troubled expression on his face.
"Report," Leo ordered.
"The current head of the Bladecrest Clan is Alexander Bladecrest Sr., father of Alex Bladecrest.
His younger brother, Lord Darius Bladecrest, was the original heir to the clan but stepped down due to a sudden, mysterious deterioration in health."
Leo's gaze sharpened.
"Lord Darius is the father of Rio and Roxanne."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "Go on."
"It appears that Alexander Sr. manipulated events after Darius's illness.
He became patriarch and began to assert complete control over the clan.
Behind the scenes, he started orchestrating his son's rise, aiming to hand over the family throne to Alex in the future.
But there was a complication."
"Let me guess," Leo interrupted coldly, "Rio and Roxanne."
"Yes, Young Master.
The Twin Blades' talent far outstripped Alex's at the time.
With their combined strength and perfect synchronization in battle, the council feared that they could challenge Alex's position.
So Alexander Sr. spread rumors of Alex's abandonment, making him the orphaned hero of the clan—while plotting to eliminate Rio and Roxanne slowly."
Leo frowned. "And their mother?"
Butler Wang's face was grim. "Lady Elaine's health began to fail shortly after Darius's illness.
Many suspect it was not natural."
Leo leaned back, expression calm but his aura crackling with restrained fury.
"Poison.
All of it.
Alexander poisoned his own brother, then the wife too, to weaken the branch family.
Slowly crushed their power, all to make his pathetic son look like some chosen messiah.
And I bet Alex had no clue."
Butler Wang nodded. "According to the hidden records we intercepted, that is correct.
Alex only began to rise as a 'genius' after the elimination of internal rivals."
Leo chuckled darkly. "How poetic.
The self-proclaimed hero raised on the corpses of his kin."
A sharp glint passed through Leo's eyes.
"I'll drag that 'genius' down from his throne with the very hands he left behind.
Rio and Roxanne will become my swords."
He tapped his fingers on the table. "Do we know where the Twin Blades are now?"
"They are still within the Bladecrest territory, mostly secluded due to their mother's condition.
However, they train relentlessly in secret.
They've grown even stronger, but with little political support."
Leo smiled. "Good. Time to pay them a visit."
As he leaned back, images of Roxanne Bladecrest came flooding into his mind.
Her golden blonde hair shimmered like sunlight woven into silk, cascading down her back in elegant waves.
Her emerald-green eyes, sharp yet gentle, gleamed with determination and defiance.
Her figure was lithe yet curvaceous, with each movement carrying the grace of a dancer and the discipline of a warrior.
Clad often in light battle gear, her toned arms and agile legs hinted at the sheer physical prowess she possessed.
Her expression always bore an air of confidence, like a lioness protecting her pride.
"Tch. Even her beauty is dangerous," Leo muttered. "But every rose has thorns. I'll make sure those thorns pierce Alex's heart."
Meanwhile, in a distant valley...
Alex was skipping along a grassy field, oblivious to the dark plans forming against him.
He cradled the large dragon egg like a treasure, speaking to it in an exaggerated tone.
"Don't worry, little one. Daddy Alex will protect you from all the bad people.
We'll fly together and burn them all!"
He clutched the egg to his chest, looking up at the sky with dreamy eyes. "Sophia and Selena will be my queens.
They'll feed you dragon milk and polish your scales while I sit on a throne made of our enemies' bones. Ah, and Leo... that bastard will kneel before me!"
The Shadow Force members secretly monitoring Alex from the forest cringed.
"Captain, are we sure he's mentally stable?"
"No," came the dull reply. "We've marked him as Code: Delusional Phoenix."
Another operative muttered, "Did he just try to swaddle the egg in his shirt?"
"He's doing it again," the captain sighed.
"We've got twenty minutes of footage of him rocking it like a baby."
A long silence followed.
Then one whispered, "Permission to stop monitoring this lunatic?"
"Denied. We're under orders to record everything."
Back in Leo's estate, the youth stood up, his aura crackling faintly around him.
"Butler Wang. Prepare a diplomatic request to the Bladecrest Clan.
I wish to pay respects to Lord Darius and his family."
"Shall I prepare gifts?"
"Yes. Send a healing elixir for Lady Elaine. One that can delay the poison's effects. It will show our sincerity."
He grinned.
"Let's see if the Twin Blades are willing to serve the villain in this story."
Far away, in the training grounds of the Bladecrest Clan, two silhouettes moved like flashes of lightning—Rio's blade slicing through the air with surgical precision, Roxanne's twin saber spinning in an elegant arc. They struck together, their movements flawless.
The storm was brewing.
And Leo Aetherwind was ready to ride the winds of chaos.
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[ To Be Continued ]
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Author's Note:
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– azuredragonx
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