"You really shouldn't interfere, Ronali. A delicate flower like you should know her place and be humble, following her husband's orders."
Luke's smug voice oozed with condescension, and Ronali's friends gasped, their eyes wide with shock.
Kaisen, watching from his hidden vantage point, felt a mischievous grin stretch across his face. Normally, he wouldn't stick his nose in; this looked like a typical case of young people being young and dumb.
But this Luke character? Yeah, he was dead serious about marrying Ronali. And Ronali was someone Kaisen had set his own sights on.
Now it all made sense. Kaisen remembered Ronali scolding Rony for trying to outdo Luke in hunting humans during their first meeting.
The boy had vowed not to let Luke marry his sister, and Luke, being the relative of some village elder, seemed to be throwing his weight around. This wasn't just a young punk flexing—this was a power play.
"I don't really want to hurt the guy, but... there's something I can do to make him shut the hell up."
Kaisen thought, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He strolled over to the bamboo wall, his eyes gleaming as he activated one of his skills.
Luke, still full of himself, sneered at Ronali.
"What's the matter? No one's coming to save you? Not even your supposed hero? Pathetic."
He snickered, glancing around as if daring anyone to step forward.
"I don't need any man to save me from a nobody like you, Luke."
Ronali shot back with a smirk. Her confidence was like a slap across Luke's arrogant face, and Rony, standing beside her, finally felt his own panic subside.
His sister was a force of nature, and he admired her for it. But at the same time, he couldn't help feeling a knot of dread twist in his stomach.
Ronali clenched her fists, her face a mask of rage, but before she could react, her brother Rony took matters into his own hands—or rather, his feet.
Seizing the opportunity of Luke's distraction, he swung a solid kick at the back of Luke's leg.
"Ohhh!"
The gathered crowd murmured in surprise. They had trickled in, drawn by the spectacle of morning drama.
Most knew better than to get involved when it came to these kids—Luke had a mean streak, and Ronali had a reputation for being fiery. Still, they hung around, eager for a bit of breakfast entertainment.
Luke's laughter died in his throat, replaced by a cold, steely rage. His eyes narrowed, and before anyone could blink, his hand lashed out.
It was a blur of motion, ending with a resounding crack as his palm collided with Rony's cheek.
The slap was so forceful it sent Rony airborne, his body twisting awkwardly before crashing to the ground three meters away with a painful thud.
The crowd gasped, a few whispers of sympathy escaping as they saw the young boy groan in pain, sprawled out like a broken doll.
Even Ronali, whose anger had been white-hot a moment ago, froze at the sight of her brother sprawled on the ground.
And Luke? Luke just stood there, his hand still raised, a smug grin plastered on his face as if he'd just swatted a pesky fly.
"Guess little bro here isn't as tough as he thought, huh?"
Luke sneered, flexing his fingers as if warming up for round two and he truly was ready for a round two.
The crowd held its breath, waiting to see if Ronali would charge or if this morning's drama had reached its bloody conclusion. On the other hand, Luke was just piling up his sins for the Morning Star to come and collect the debts.