Chapter 235: Fiery kittens

"You bastard!"

Ronali's voice rang out like a war cry, filled with a mix of fury and fear as she watched her brother tumble through the air. She bolted towards Rony, but Luke's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back.

"Let me go, you bastard!"

She spat, thrashing against his iron grip. But it was like trying to wrestle with a tree.

Luke was the village's golden boy, pampered and trained with the best resources the tribe could offer. In terms of strength, he was leagues ahead of her.

After all, it was common knowledge that Luke was next in line to be a village elder—a position reserved for someone stronger, louder, and more obnoxious than anyone else in the tribe.

"Come on, this is a fight between men."

Luke said, smirking as he tightened his grip.

"What's a woman like you doing butting in, huh? Or wait, maybe you know something we don't. Maybe your 'brother' isn't much of a man after all. Is that it?

Do you keep his balls in your purse? Ha, ha, ha, ha!"Why would a woman want to interfere, huh? Or maybe Big Sis knows that her little brother isn't a man at all. Ha, ha, ha!

Admit it, Ronali. You've got his balls hidden somewhere, don't you?"

Luke's cronies cackled like hyenas, their laughter echoing around the courtyard, feeding Luke's ego. Each snicker and jeer made the knot in Ronali's stomach tighten.

She knew this wasn't just about winning a fight anymore. Luke was out to crush Rony's spirit, to emasculate him in front of the whole tribe, reducing him to nothing more than a joke.

And she knew Luke well enough to realize that breaking Rony's spirit wasn't just a side effect—it was the goal. If Rony crumbled, Luke would have him right where he wanted him: defenseless, defeated, and easy to control.

She couldn't even reach Rony, whose face was smeared with blood, crimson rivulets streaming from a gash above his eye.

But despite the pounding he'd taken, there was fire in his gaze, smoldering embers locked onto Luke with a murderous intensity. Everyone knew it was a hopeless look, the glare of a cornered kitten hissing at a lion.

Rony wasn't strong or influential enough to take on Luke and his powerful family. One wrong move, and he'd jeopardize not just his life but the safety of his entire family.

But Luke had gone too far, questioning his manhood, his honor. If Rony backed down now, he'd be proving Luke right, and that was a fate worse than any beating.

"Krggg..."

Rony bit down so hard he could taste the metallic tang of blood on his tongue.

His left eye was ballooning up like a cartoon character who'd taken an anvil to the face, and the pain was throbbing in time with his heartbeat, each pulse a sledgehammer to his skull.

But pain was what made you a man. Pain was the teacher, the one who taught you just how brutal the world could be. And there was no way in hell he was letting his sister fall into the hands of a bastard like Luke.

"Rony, no..."

Ronali's voice was a mix of fear and desperation, cutting through the air like a blade.

He could hear the mocking laughter of Luke and his gang behind her, the sound echoing in his ears, fueling the fire in his gut. They were laughing at him, at his pride, his manhood.

He couldn't give up now. With every ounce of willpower he had, Rony pushed himself to his feet, swaying like a sapling in a storm.

A seven-year-old standing up after getting a full-grown man's slap? That was something.

But for Rony, standing wasn't enough. He wasn't going to stop until Luke's smug grin was wiped clean off his face.

Luke's face was a mask of rage, his curses low and venomous as he glared daggers at Ronali and Rony. The storm was about to hit, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"He?" Ronali scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You mean that pervert? What's he gonna do, huh? Run his mouth until Luke begs for mercy?

You think he's stronger than your oneechan, huh?"

She grinned and flexed her arm, showcasing the least intimidating bicep in history. She knew it wouldn't scare anyone, but it was enough to coax a small, nervous smile from Rony.

She knew what was coming. She'd be dragged to the Elder Hall, the same place where her father had been mocked and humiliated. Then the Elders would sit in judgment, and her parents would have to beg for mercy, grovel on their knees.

And as compensation, Luke would demand her hand in marriage, and her father, with no other choice, would have to agree. The script was already written, and they were all just actors in a cruel play.

"Oneechan, he's strong. Really strong."

"Yeah, strong for a pervert, that is."

Ronali chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Listen, you need to run. I'll handle this."

"No, oneechan—"

Rony started, but Ronali cut him off with a firm shove, sending him stumbling back.

"Run, Rony!"

She shouted, her voice urgent.

But before Rony could take a single step, Luke and his cronies closed in, forming a tight circle around them like wolves cornering their prey.

"No, no, no, honey. He's not running away now."

Luke sneered, a smug grin stretching across his face.

"He's going to learn what it means to be in a position of power. He'll understand what it's like to wield it."

He gripped Ronali's hands tighter, his fingers digging into her skin. Roni tried to pull the bastard away, muscles straining with effort, but it was like trying to move a mountain.

"Let her go."

Roni snarled, eyes burning holes through the young man's skull.

Luke just chuckled.

"Look at your sister, boy. She's accepted her fate. She knows what's coming, what's unavoidable. You should give up, too.

She'll answer to the elders for her crime soon enough."

'So it really is as I though.'

Ronali fumed, catching Luke's words. Marriage—she'd known this day was coming, but she hadn't accounted for one unpredictable variable, one wild card who was about to make his presence known and remind everyone why he was the top contender.

"Come on, tea time's over. Let's go discuss adult matters."

Luke said, turning back as he began to walk.

But before he could take even a single step, something unexpected happened—something that made the entire crowd forget their fear and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Something so humiliating that Luke wished the ground would swallow him whole.