Chapter 4: Shadows in the Alley and the Path to Glory
The streets of New Brawl City pulsed with restless energy, every corner alive with voices, footsteps, and anticipation. Near the grand plaza, where the Bright Blade Sub-Sect Tournament would soon be held, the excitement reached its peak. Martial artists of every background paraded through the crowd, some brimming with pride and confidence while others silently measured their rivals with calculating eyes.
Elton blended into the chaos like a shadow. His aura was tightly suppressed, making him appear no stronger than a Bronze-Tier Fifth Rank when, in truth, he had already reached the Silver-Tier First Rank. Hardship had taught him that true survival required not only strength but wisdom. Those who flaunted their power recklessly were often the first to fall.
While weaving through the sea of vendors and shouting spectators, Elton's instincts stirred. His eyes narrowed toward a narrow alley where a solitary figure leaned against the wall, watching the crowd with the patience of a hunter. He looked about Elton's age, but the two blades he carried spoke of countless hours of battle. One katana rested at his back, the other at his hip, and his posture radiated stillness edged with danger.
This was no ordinary fighter.
The boy's gaze sharpened, catching Elton's eyes. His tone was cold and steady. "You are watching me too closely."
Elton offered the faintest smirk. "And you are watching the streets too carefully. Who exactly are you waiting for?"
The boy's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing like polished blades. "No one. But if you are seeking trouble, you have certainly found it."
Before Elton could respond, steel erupted. The boy lunged with twin flashes of silver, his blades aiming straight for Elton's vitals. Elton moved with a sudden step, his body twisting away as the first strike carved through empty air. His palm lashed out toward the boy's chest, but the strike was instantly parried as the second katana curved upward in a sweeping arc.
Fast. Precise. Deadly.
The narrow alley became a storm of motion. Sparks leapt as metal kissed flesh and bone. Elton's strikes probed with sharp accuracy, yet each was met by deflections from the boy's blades. Zoro's dual-wielding style forced Elton onto constant defense, its unpredictability leaving no space for hesitation.
Yet the exchange carried restraint. Neither sought to kill; each was testing, measuring, pressing against the limits of the other. It was a dance of steel and instinct, dangerous yet unfinished.
Then, a heavier presence descended like a suffocating wave.
From the shadows stepped a cloaked assassin, his aura spilling bloodlust into the air. The sheer force of Silver-Tier Third Rank cultivation pressed against them both, turning the atmosphere dense and suffocating. His eyes locked onto the dual-wielding boy with the hunger of a predator.
"You are quick," the assassin sneered, his voice filled with venom. "But not quick enough to escape death."
He struck without hesitation.
The assassin's dagger blurred forward, aiming to end Zoro's life in a single thrust. Zoro's blades intercepted with a violent clash, sparks showering the alley. Elton swept in from the side, his palms striking at exposed joints and pressure points with ruthless precision.
The assassin moved like a veteran killer, countering both boys with deadly calm. His dagger carved arcs of silver light, each one carrying the weight of years of bloodshed. Elton blocked a strike but was forced backward by the sheer force of the blow.
The assassin pivoted sharply and kicked, his heel crashing into Elton's chest. Elton's body slammed against the wall before sliding across the cobblestones, pain rattling through his ribs.
Zoro's eyes sharpened with fury. With a roar, he surged forward, his blades weaving like a storm. One strike slipped past the assassin's guard, slicing a deep gash across his ribs. The assassin snarled, blood staining his cloak, but instead of faltering he unleashed a flurry of dagger thrusts, each faster and more violent than before.
Elton forced himself to rise, his breathing steady despite the pain. His mind sharpened into steel. We cannot drag this out. He will overwhelm us if we hesitate.
He rushed back into the fray. Zoro pressed the assassin with relentless precision, forcing him to commit to parries. Elton slipped into the gaps, striking pressure points with pinpoint accuracy. Together, their movements overlapped, blades and palms weaving into a deadly rhythm.
The assassin roared with frustration. His dagger lashed toward Zoro's throat, but Elton intercepted with a sudden strike that deflected the attack. Zoro capitalized instantly, his right blade carving toward the man's chest.
Still, the assassin endured. He spun, his cloak whipping through the air as he tried to retreat, but Elton was already gathering Ki Essence into his palm. The energy surged with blinding force as he closed the distance.
—White Lightning Palm—
Elton's strike slammed into the assassin's chest, cracking bone and flooding his body with stunning force. The assassin staggered back, his defenses crumbling.
Zoro's eyes flashed with cold finality. Both katanas crossed in a lethal arc before one blade swept across the assassin's throat, slicing it open in a single clean stroke.
Silence fell.
The body crumpled, blood pooling into the cracks of the cobblestones. Zoro stood tall, wiping his blade with calm precision despite the ferocity of the battle. His breathing remained steady, his expression unshaken.
His gaze cut toward Elton. "You held back."
Elton shrugged lightly, pain still simmering in his chest. "So did you."
A faint smirk cracked Zoro's cold expression, his demeanor softening for the first time.
But their satisfaction was brief. A corpse meant evidence, and evidence meant danger. Without hesitation, they set the body aflame. Fire devoured the flesh and filled the alley with the stench of smoke and burning blood. If an assassin had been sent, then someone of influence had issued the order. Best to erase every trace before questions could be asked.
As the flames consumed the last of the body, the boy finally spoke. "Zoro Tatsumaki. And you?"
"Elton Solman."
Zoro gave a curt nod, committing the name to memory. "You will be at the tournament?"
Elton's eyes burned with quiet resolve. "Yeah."
A pause stretched between them, then Zoro smirked. "Good. I will see you in the finals."
In that moment, amid the fire and shadows, a strange and dangerous bond was forged.
The next morning dawned with fire in the air. The tournament grounds roared with anticipation as the Bright Blade Sub-Sect Tournament commenced. To the spectators, it was a festival of violence and glory. To the fighters, it was a battlefield promising either honor or humiliation.
Young cultivators from every direction gathered in the arena. Most were Bronze-Tier Fourth and Fifth Ranks, yet rumors whispered of hidden Silver-Tier geniuses who cloaked themselves in obscurity, waiting for the moment to strike.
Elton studied the competitor board with a calm gaze. Zoro's name stood proudly near the top, already carrying the whispers of a prodigy. Elton's name, however, was buried deep among the unknowns, overlooked and disregarded.
Perfect.
The early matches unfolded with chaos. Some ended within seconds, devastating attacks dropping opponents like leaves in a storm. Others stretched into grueling struggles of endurance, every exchange drawing cheers from the ravenous crowd.
Then silence swept the arena.
A girl no older than ten walked into the ring with unshakable grace. Her aura carried nobility, and her eyes burned with an unnatural glow.
"They say that's her," someone whispered in awe. "The prodigy of the Aka Boshi Tengan Clan."
"The what clan?" another asked, baffled.
"A thousand-year lineage," the first explained quickly. "Their bloodline grants vision beyond mortal limits. Those red starry eyes can see the very flow of energy itself."
Her opponent, a towering Bronze-Tier Fifth Rank, charged with brute force.
The battle ended instantly.
With the slightest flick of her wrist, she redirected his strike with effortless ease. He sprawled helplessly on the ground, stunned and humiliated. Before he could even blink, her fingers hovered over his heart, the silent declaration of certain death.
Victory.
The crowd exploded with thunderous cheers, the girl's red starry eyes gleaming beneath the sun.
Elton narrowed his gaze, interest sparking within him. Very interesting.
As the tournament raged forward, Elton readied himself for his own match. He had walked the shadows long enough. Now it was time to step forward.
His eyes shifted—first to Zoro, who watched quietly from the arena's edge, then to the girl with red starry eyes that glimmered like distant constellations.
The road ahead was unclear, but one truth was certain.
The path to power had only just begun.