Chereads / THE REINCARNATOR / Chapter 21 - chapter 21: The Uninvited Visitors

Chapter 21 - chapter 21: The Uninvited Visitors

Snowy stirred in his sleep, deep in the comfort of his dreams, when a voice whispered through the darkness.

"So, you must be Snowy, right?"

His eyes snapped open, scanning the room, but found no one. Puzzled, Snowy rubbed his eyes and lay back down. Had it been part of a dream, or was someone really there?

Just as he was about to drift back to sleep, the voice returned, calm yet mocking. "Hmm, so you're the tough guy she always talks about."

This time, Snowy jolted awake, his heart racing. The voice was unmistakably in the room, but no one appeared to be there. He strained his heightened senses, but all he could pick up were the distant sounds of the trainees groaning in pain outside, enduring Kenshi's brutal training. Aurora hummed softly from the kitchen upstairs as she washed dishes. Nothing unusual.

Snowy threw off his blanket and got out of bed, scanning the room again. His eyes landed on Ignis, sprawled out on her back in her dragon form, snoring softly. Paranoia gnawed at him, but before he could investigate further, the voice came again, closer now.

"Snowy… Snowy…" A sharp gasp followed.

Without hesitation, Snowy's hand shot out, grabbing at what felt like a throat – invisible but tangible. Whoever it was, they had slipped past his senses.

"Whoever you are, I'll crush your throat if you don't start talking," Snowy growled, his grip tightening.

As the invisibility spell began to flicker and fade, a figure emerged – a woman, her features sharp, her presence commanding. Snowy had never seen her before, but she smiled, entirely unfazed by his threat.

"So… the rumors are true," she said, her voice smooth. "Snowy, the almighty. Capable of detecting an A3-level cloaking spell. Impressive."

Snowy's expression remained cold. "Talk, or I'll bury you ten feet underground."

"Oh my," she purred, flicking her wrist with a sudden, sharp motion. Snowy's hand dislocated, forcing him to release her. He stumbled back, cradling his injured wrist, shocked by her speed and strength.

"What the—" Snowy glared at her as she stared down at him, her presence filling the room with an oppressive weight.

"I apologize for the intrusion," she said, her tone casual as if she hadn't just overpowered him. "My daughter speaks so fondly of you, but I didn't think much of it. Now that I see you in person, I understand." She giggled, the sound light, yet it grated on Snowy's nerves.

"Who the hell are you?" Snowy demanded, regaining his composure.

The woman smiled. "You've probably already met my daughter. I'm Stella Luminae."

Snowy's blood ran cold. Aurora's mother? He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Why would you visit someone like me?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

Stella's smile widened. "Oh, I just wanted to meet the person who's caught my daughter's interest." Before she could continue, Aurora barged into the room, her face flushed with embarrassment. She immediately covered her mother's mouth.

"Mom! Stop!" Aurora begged, trying to pull her mother away. "Please, don't embarrass me!"

Stella, amused, winked at Snowy. "There's no shame in revealing your feelings, dear."

Aurora's face burned bright red. "Mom, please! Just go!" She turned to Snowy, looking mortified. "I'm so sorry for this! Just… just forget everything she said! I swear, none of it means anything!"

Snowy, still processing the bizarre encounter, nodded. He hadn't actually heard what Stella had said, as Aurora had somehow managed to block his heightened hearing during their exchange.

"Right…" Snowy muttered, unsure of how to react. Aurora, too embarrassed to stay, stomped out of the room, muttering angrily under her breath.

Snowy sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was too early for this. Just as he thought the chaos had settled, Ignis woke up, yawning and pointing to her mouth, signaling that she was hungry.

Snowy groaned. "You're insatiable," he muttered, but headed to the kitchen to cook her some fish.

By the time morning rolled around, Snowy was sitting at the table, sipping coffee, his eyes half-closed from lack of sleep. Ignis had kept him up all night with her demands for food.

Emily, now with her own room, barged in without knocking, bursting into laughter at the sight of him. "Pfft, you look like a zombie!"

Snowy shot her a cold stare but didn't bother responding, taking another sip of his coffee.

Emily snickered. "Oh, come on! How can I not laugh at you right now? I'm seriously considering taking a picture and setting it as my wallpaper!"

Snowy ignored her, too exhausted to care. But before Emily could taunt him further, a loud bang echoed from outside his room. Snowy was instantly alert, bolting out the door to see what was happening.

Kenshi, the rank 1 fighter of the Luminae clan, was lying on the ground, a massive red handprint glowing on his cheek. A tall figure, cloaked in black, loomed over him.

Snowy's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the trouble this stranger had caused, but Kenshi deserved some punishment for how brutally he trained the students. Still, Snowy wasn't about to let things escalate.

The figure raised a hand to strike Kenshi again, but Snowy acted swiftly, pointing a needle at the attacker's neck.

"Clan rules are clear. No fights that cause severe harm," Snowy said in a calm, yet imposing voice. "Leave now, or I'll make you."

The stranger didn't budge. Instead, he smirked. "You must be some guard or something. I'm not here for long. Just taking Miss Aurora with me and landing one more blow on this cripple, then I'll be out of your hair."

Snowy glanced up at Aurora's balcony, where she watched the scene unfold with fear in her eyes. He asked her directly, "Is he your relative?"

Aurora shook her head, trembling.

Snowy turned back to the stranger. "She doesn't know you, and Kenshi is in no state to fight. Leave."

The man grinned, his gaze locking onto Aurora. "Oh, really, Aurora? You forgot your fiancé already? We're engaged! Come down now, or—"

Before he could finish, Snowy pressed the needle against his neck, cutting him off. "Ten seconds to leave, or this goes through your throat."

The man's smirk widened. "You don't know who I am, do you? I'm Raven Darkshade, son of Grimveil Darkshade. You're nothing compared to me."

Snowy rolled his eyes. "Do I look like i care?."

Raven's grin faltered. "You should. You'll regret it when I land this punch."

Before Snowy could react, Raven swung his fist, and the force shattered Snowy's arm bones. Snowy staggered back, pain searing through his body. How is he this strong?

Raven grabbed Snowy by the leg and slammed him into the ground, but Snowy quickly broke free after a few slams, coughing up blood. He barely had time to think before Raven lunged again, but Snowy managed to kick him away.

"Not bad, kid," Raven sneered. He gestured to his underlings, and they scattered, moving toward the dormitories.

Snowy staggered to his feet, his eyes narrowing at the chaos unfolding around him. With a roar, he shouted, "Emily! Draken! They're burning down the dormitory!"

Emily and Draken, frozen by the suddenness of it all, glanced toward the dormitory, now engulfed in flickering flames. Snowy dodged another of Raven's vicious attacks, but managed to see Emily spring into action, rushing toward the burning building with Draken hot on her heels. Good, they got it, Snowy thought. His attention snapped back to Raven, now lunging toward him again.

But then, a question gnawed at him: Where was Stella? She hadn't moved an inch since the fight started. Shouldn't she be stepping in to stop this?

Snowy's mind raced. Raven's forcing Aurora to go with him... she's not approving of this. And then the realization hit him like a blow to the chest. Raven mentioned an engagement. Which means... both the Luminae and Necroshade clans approved of this. Stella's not interfering because she's in favor of it.

His blood boiled at the thought. Aurora doesn't want this! And Stella... Snowy's gaze darted toward Stella, who watched the fight unfold with a pleased smile on her lips. She doesn't care what Aurora wants!

That was why Aurora had been arguing with her. That was why there had been tension in the air between mother and daughter. Stella's not just indifferent, she's complicit.

His furious thoughts were interrupted when Raven's fist slammed into his face, sending him reeling backward. But this time, Snowy was ready. Fueled by anger, he countered with a sharp side punch to Raven's abdomen, landing the blow with enough force to stagger him. Though Snowy was knocked back, he gritted his teeth, knowing he'd left a mark.

"Bastard!" Snowy spat, his voice filled with rage. His body surged with adrenaline as he and Raven clashed again, exchanging blows with brutal speed and strength. Each punch echoed through the air, the fight intensifying as they danced between attack and defense.

From her hiding place, Aurora watched the battle unfold, fear gripping her heart. She worried for Snowy, knowing the extent of Raven's power. Yet, Stella—who wasn't the heartless figure Snowy imagined—watched with calculating eyes. She had her own reasons, her own hopes. Raven is a heartless person, and in actual her hopes were for snowy to win, she thought silently, her smile fading as the fight raged on.

Meanwhile, outside the battle, Raven's underlings were wreaking havoc. Flames licked the walls of the dormitory, the fire spreading with terrifying speed. Emily, Draken, and Kael—who had returned from visiting his family just in time—fought valiantly against the intruders. They were joined by Kenshi and the other trainees, but the battle wasn't going in their favor. The heat was overwhelming, the flames too intense.

Despite their combined efforts, the underlings continued setting the place ablaze, their power over fire making them almost unstoppable.

Back in the courtyard, Snowy's fight with Raven was only escalating. Snowy landed a hard punch to Raven's face, but the impact barely phased him. Raven had reinforced his body with mana, his defense nearly impenetrable. He grinned, mocking Snowy as he swung his fist again.

"You're outmatched, Snowy. Just give up."

Snowy dodged the punch, his anger rising with each of Raven's taunts. The fact that Raven wasn't even using his full strength—while Snowy fought without any reinforcement—made the insults burn deeper.

But Snowy wouldn't let it go on like this. No more holding back.

With a deep breath, Snowy gave in to his frustration and unleashed his full power. He combined Emily's lightning-fast technique with Kael's void step, moving with blinding speed and striking with enhanced force. His movements became unpredictable, each attack flowing into the next.

Then, with a surge of strength, Snowy landed a devastating punch squarely on Raven's face. The blow connected with a sickening crack, and Raven was sent flying across the courtyard.

Snowy straightened, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. His eyes were sharp, focused. He entered into a combat stance, summoning his next technique: Inferno Breath—Draken's signature move.

With a deadly calm, Snowy beckoned Raven.

"Come at me with everything you've got."