Clang!
Accompanied by the sound of rolling wheels, the dragon carriage moved steadily forward. Rem had only superficially submitted. Anastasia only seemed especially lively when she was alone with Ryou; whenever others were present, she remained cold and indifferent. Ryou, meanwhile, was deep in thought, contemplating various matters.
The three of them remained silent throughout the journey, creating a stifling atmosphere at times. Fortunately, the Sanctuary lay within the territory of Mathers, just a few hours' carriage ride from Roswaal's mansion.
Buzz!
At that moment, all three of them simultaneously sensed an invisible ripple passing through them, as if the dragon carriage had crossed a boundary, entering another space entirely. There was no need for anyone to announce it—the Sanctuary had arrived.
The full name of the Sanctuary was Kremaldy Forest, a testing ground created by Echidna, the Witch of Greed. Though known as the Witch of Greed, Echidna's greed manifested as an insatiable curiosity and a boundless desire for knowledge. Thus, the Sanctuary was not only the laboratory of this witch with the traits of a mad scientist but also her final resting place, her tomb.
Though she was said to have died, only her physical body had perished; in truth, Echidna continued to exist in a form akin to a spiritual body. In anime, anyone who has lived long enough becomes formidable. This certainly held for the Witch of Greed.
At that moment, the ground dragon pulling the carriage suddenly stopped. No matter how much Rem coaxed it, the dragon refused to move, lowering its body as if on high alert.
"Master, be careful! Someone's approaching!"
Rem instinctively issued a warning but immediately regretted it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the intruder killed this despicable man?
Ryou chuckled softly, a trace of satisfaction flickering in his eyes. Given the sensory abilities of both him and Anastasia, they had already noticed the approaching enemy and had simply chosen not to mention it, intending to test Rem.
It was clear that Semiramis' training had been successful. Although Rem's will was still resistant, her body and behavioral patterns were gradually adjusting to being subjugated. Habits are a terrifying thing; one might initially resist through sheer willpower, but over time, as the habit fully forms, even the strongest will be forcibly reshaped.
Watching this popular heroine struggle and resist, only to slowly descend into the abyss of corruption—it was truly an exhilarating sight for Ryou. He gave Rem's snowy-white buttocks a light slap as encouragement. Rem's previously expressionless face was immediately tinged with a blush.
Yet despite his teasing, Ryou hadn't taken the sisters' first times. For him, the ultimate form of corruption was not simply to seize their innocence, but to tempt a pure maiden into willingly offering herself. Of course, Ryou would never admit that he had become more depraved; he blamed it all on Semiramis. Her training methods had stirred up his darker desires. Yes, it was all her doing.
At that moment, a blond-haired boy dressed like a delinquent emerged from the fog-covered forest.
"Who would've thought there'd be some brave fools willing to come to this godforsaken place—so dangerous that even the most cunning foxes wouldn't wander here."
The boy's speech was filled with strange and cryptic phrases. Ryou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
The boy had spiky blond hair, green eyes filled with a beast-like ferocity, and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead that added to his menacing appearance. His upper body was clad in a short jacket paired with unusually styled pants, giving him a rebellious, punkish look.
Thud! Thud!
As the blond boy approached, the ground began to tremble beneath his footsteps. At the same time, his aura surged, and by the time he was within ten meters of the dragon carriage, his presence felt like a mountain about to collapse.
"Master, please be cautious!"
Rem was on full alert, pulling a massive morning star from beneath her skirt, ready for battle.
Ryou extended a hand, signaling Anastasia to stand down. Anastasia obediently withdrew the shadows that had been poised behind the blond boy, ready to strike.
Unaware of how close he had come to death, the boy continued his arrogant tirade.
"What's the matter? You're frozen in fear, like you've just seen a dancing lion, huh? Too scared to move?"
Ryou lightly patted Rem on the shoulder, signaling her not to worry, then jumped down from the carriage, walking toward the blond boy.
"Oh~ are you trying to show off in front of your woman? Well, let me show you just how powerful I am!"
The blond boy also advanced, undaunted, toward Ryou. When they were about five meters apart, as if receiving a silent signal, they both moved simultaneously.
"Die like dust swept away by a tsunami!"
The blond boy laughed wildly.
Without any clear movement on his part, the ground beneath him shook, and sharp spikes of rock erupted from the earth, shooting toward Ryou from all directions. In that instant, it seemed as if Ryou would be skewered by countless stone spears.
Rem's face filled with tension as she instinctively opened her mouth to warn Ryou. Then, suddenly, she froze.
"What's wrong with me? Shouldn't I be wishing for this demon to die? Why am I worried about him!?"
Setting aside Rem's chaotic thoughts... Faced with what seemed like a certain death, Ryou's expression didn't change at all, as if the stone spikes hurtling toward him were nothing more than a gentle morning breeze caressing his cheek.
And so, under the bloodthirsty gaze of the blond boy, the complex emotions of Rem, and the calm, indifferent eyes of Anastasia, the stone spikes struck Ryou. More than ten spikes covered every possible angle around his body. But when the dust settled, Ryou stood completely unharmed. He continued walking forward at the same unhurried pace. As he approached, the mana coating the stone spikes dissipated into the air, and the rocks crumbled to dust, falling to the ground.
The blond boy's green eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he watched this scene unfold.
"If magic doesn't work, then I'll fight him up close!"
Like a cornered animal, the blond boy leaped at Ryou like a wild wolf. His claws transformed into razor-sharp blades as he charged like a rabid dog. He could already envision his opponent, this guy, being slashed by his claws, left with deep, bone-exposing wounds, writhing on the ground in agony.
But in the next moment, reality delivered a harsh slap to his face. Just as his claws came within a millimeter of Ryou's nose, Ryou tilted his head slightly, dodging the attack by the narrowest of margins. The blond boy's expression shifted, his green eyes flashing with a beast-like ferocity as he twisted his claws, changing his attack from a thrust to a sweeping slash.
But it was all in vain. Ryou, as if he could read the boy's mind, dropped into a horse stance, lowering his body just as the claws swept past. The blond boy hadn't managed to graze a single hair on Ryou's head.
"Damn it...!"
The blond boy's heart sank, and in the next second, he felt the world spin. Ryou had grabbed his wrist and, using his momentum, executed a perfect shoulder throw, slamming him hard into the ground. The blond boy's head was smashed so forcefully into the earth that it was buried, leaving his body sticking out like an upside-down plant.
This blond boy was nothing more than a street thug relying on his physical strength. How could he possibly win in close combat against Ryou, who had mastered Advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat?
Though the cocky blond boy had been planted into the ground, Ryou's assault didn't stop. He knew the boy possessed the Blessing of Earth, allowing him not only to use earth-element mana for attacks but also to continuously heal as long as he touched the ground.
This was just a greeting—a way to put him in his place.
"Ugh, ugh!"
The blond boy struggled, his head still stuck in the dirt, making incomprehensible sounds as he tried to push himself out of the ground.
Before he could free himself, Ryou smirked and assumed a soccer-kicking stance. A brilliant glow of mana enveloped his leg, forming circuit-like patterns along its surface.
Boom!
With a loud bang, Ryou unleashed a ferocious kick, striking the boy squarely in the stomach. The blond boy folded in half, his body spinning rapidly through the air like a massive, golden football.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The boy, now resembling a cannonball, hurtled deep into the forest, smashing through over a dozen trees along the way. From above, the once fog-covered forest now had a long, clear path cut through it.
Lying on the ground, the blond boy's body was twisted grotesquely. He coughed violently, spitting out large clumps of blood mixed with bits of internal organs.
"D-damn it, you're as terrifying as a whale in lava," he muttered weakly. He felt like his spine had shattered, leaving him unable to move, with his internal organs wrecked. Without the Blessing of Earth, Ryou's kick would have sent him straight to hell. Indeed, blessings were the most unreasonable cheats in this world. Despite his severe injuries, the boy's life was sustained by the blessing, and his wounds slowly healed. Given a few hours, he might recover.
Unfortunately for him, Ryou wasn't foolish enough to give an enemy that much time. He calmly walked over and looked down at the boy.
"Why did you attack us?"
"Hah~ isn't it obvious? I, Garfiel Tinsel, am the guardian of the Sanctuary. You guys barged in here like you were crossing an empty street in the morning, so of course I had to stop you!"
Garfiel looked at Ryou with a condescending expression, as if he were dealing with an idiot.
Ryou nodded without emotion. His next words sent Garfiel into a rage.
"So, you're the guardian'? You're weak."
Weak. Weak. Weak.
The word echoed over and over. Garfiel was at a loss for words. To someone like Subaru, Garfiel might have been a troublesome mini-boss. But to Ryou, only enemies on the level of the Sword Saint, the Dragon, and the Witches were worthy of attention. Not even Garfiel or the Sin Archbishops posed much of a threat.
While Garfiel possessed great strength, at his core, he was just a 14-year-old boy in the throes of rebellion. After being so thoroughly belittled, he refused to accept it.
"Shut up! I was just going easy on you! If I get serious, like a raging zebra, you won't stand a chance!"
Ryou chuckled and reached out, lifting Garfiel with one hand. Garfiel's face changed drastically as he realized his feet had left the ground, severing his connection to the earth and halting his blessing's power. His injuries flared up painfully.
Pfft!
Garfiel coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood as blood also began to trickle from his nose, ears, and eyes, his damaged organs exerting pressure.
"Sp-spare me…"
Just moments ago, he had been full of energy; now, his voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
"Sorry, but you were eyeing my woman," Ryou leaned in and whispered coldly into his ear.
Crack!
With a sharp snap, Ryou crushed Garfiel's neck, leaving his head lolling to one side. Then, without even a glance back, he tossed Garfiel aside like trash and walked back toward the dragon carriage.
From a practical standpoint, Garfiel might've made a decent subordinate. But unfortunately, he had a thing for Ram, persistently pursuing her whenever she visited the Sanctuary. That was unacceptable.
Ryou had claimed Ram and Rem, the exquisite twin sisters, as his own. There was no way he would tolerate another man's interest in them. This fool had only himself to blame. Of all the women he could've liked, he had chosen Ram.
"Master, thank you for your hard work."
Rem's eyes were filled with respect, and she bowed deeply to Ryou, expressing her gratitude. In the moment she lowered her head, a fleeting blush appeared on her face.
Rem had a strong impression of this blond delinquent, who had persistently harassed her sister. Unfortunately, his strength had been too much for her to handle. Yet today, this former foe had been crushed as easily as a chick by Ryou.
Adding to the fact that both her former master Roswaal and Beatrice had been defeated by him, Ryou's image in her heart had instantly become towering and awe-inspiring.