Chapter 76: Stupid Cousin

Reo's head fell deeply in a bow, his plea resounding solely in the alley.

"Please let go of my stupid cousin!"

The words hung in the confused air as bemused expressions unraveled among the faces of those present, even Lana.

The sizzling of her neck forced Lana to be the first to break out of her stupor.

"Wh-wha-?! Who are you calling stupid, you little piece of— aaarrgh!!" Her protest ended in cries of burning pain.

Mark's voice coldly resounded.

"Silence." He ordered cooly, the temperature of the alley instantly increasing in a blazing heat forcing even Reo to raise his already high guard once more. The air burned and became suffocating, the heat almost immolating, began scorching his throat as he breathed in.

'Mmh?' a quick silent glance at Mark's face and he could see the traces of strain lining his expression. A single trail of sweat rolled down the side of his face, and Reo was sure it wasn't because of the sudden increase in heat.

"He's struggling to maintain this amount of power," Reo instantly realized.

Soon the flames around Mark died down after the display.

"You." He said at Reo. "I've seen you hanging around Lana all day today, who are you to her?" His eyes narrowed —" Her boyfriend-"

"Let's not joke around." Reo instantly denied before he could finish.

If Lana wasn't in so much pain at the moment, it would have most definitely resulted in a sniping remark from the spoiled little girl.

"I already told you. We're relatives," then Reo shifted his unassuming gaze towards the groaning girl in Mark's hand —"Right, you stupid cousin?"

Reo could instantly tell underneath all of the apparent pain on Lana's face that she was pissed. A lot.

Then he turned back to Mark.

"That's why I ask of you to please forgive whatever idiotic thing my stupid cousin did to you and let her go. Please, Big bro, I ask of you." Reo emphasized once more with a bow.

"...I didn't know Lana had a cousin." Mark's expression still remained stern as he warily observed Reo from his bowed position.

'Well technically, we are 'closer' to being cousins if we take into consideration the 'brotherly' friendship between Cliff and Mr. Justin.' but of course he said all of this in his head.

Lana had similar thoughts at that moment and decided to play along. For now.

"Well I'm sorry, little boy. But me and your big sister here have some small issue to settle. And now that you've seen us, I can't just let you casually stroll out of here. Don't move or I'll snap her neck." Mark's eyes glowed the color of flames.

'Well, shit.' Reo silently cursed. 'i was really hoping they'd let go of her and we could all walk out of this like nothing ever happened, but I guess that was too much.' his thoughts raced, his expression was still and solemn. If any among those present were detailed oriented, they would observe Reo's eyes were 'calculating' the easiest ways of getting 'rid' of those who didn't run.

He sighed.

"It can't be helped then." He took resigned steps forward and muttered.

His black eyes reverted to becoming two swirling pools of cold darkness, his demean was surrounded by a cold and chilling Aura. His expression was still, his eyes were cloudy. A slight chill ran through the bodies of everyone who looked into them and they felt as if the heated temperature shifted to an embracing coldness.

Some among the boys could swear they saw the darkness shift and wiggle around them.

Those weren't the eyes of a five year old, Lana thought as the back of her neck felt cold despite the burning sensation.

Ever since the 'incident', Reo had under gone far more changes than he had been able to realize. Outward changes, inside changes. Behavioral changes, subtle personality shifts.

If before he was 'Trevor' reincarnated as Reo,

Now, Trevor was Reo.

Someone with an 'ambition'.

"There are five people, the red head at the center inclusive. Ever since I arrived they've been slowly trying to circle around me. Judging from their physique I'm guessing they're in the early stages of puberty. 12 to 14 years of age, perhaps," Reo cooly observed, slowly reaching his hand into his clothes from behind.

"Well that's not good. The red haired already has a magic talent, although he seems to be struggling and barely on his feet." — he looked at Mark who began to fuel his flames once more — "That means, it might be a little safe to judge he has no true experience in magic. But getting past those flames still will prove to be a serious problem."

Then he slowly spread his consciousness outward.

"The other boys slowly surrounding me, chances are they also can use magic. Five against one ..two. And the probability of all five possessing magic. This is really a severe situation, even for me." He concluded internally.

Then Reo stopped. At this point he was only a few feet away from Mark. His small fingers grew cold as they continuously tightened around the hilt of his hidden dagger.

Of course Reo wasn't going to kill them. He just had to get Lana, and make a break for Cliff or Justin at the gate.

Easier said than done.

"What's with that look in —" Mark began but Reo's nonchalant voice cut through.

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid cousin? You really expect a brat like me to come save you? What? Now you're a damsel in distress? After all of the shitty bravado you've pulled? That's a joke, right? You're a joke. In the end all you're capable of doing is mouthing off, that's lame. I didn't have a favorable impression of you before, but now I've got even less an impression." He paused and looked straight into Lana's cloudy eyes.

"—You stupid, cousin."

Lana's grey eyes instantly glassed over with hot rage surpassing even the limits of hell. Her paling face grew white in seething anger. There was irritation, embarrassment, rage. Pure bloodlust. And in the next second, Lana forgot all of her pain

Lana cried wrathfully 

"You fucking little -!!" Then her figure flashed in a golden hue, sparks of electricity burst from her body as a crackling cloud taking Mark by suprise and scalding the hand that held her up.

Immediately Mark let go and backed off, cradling his maimed right hand and growled venomously:

"You little bitch!! You're just a fucking little kid! So what, you awakened a little earlier than everyone else, you think you're better? You think you're greater, huh?! How...how dare you do this to my arm?! I'll fucking kill you, you fucking bitch!! I swear it, I'll pull out your limbs! I'll boil your insides, I'll skin your flesh and feed it to the hounds!! I'll — I'll ——!!" Mark's rant abruptly ended, when came a foreign knee crashed into the side of Mark's face during his wrathful outburst.

The joints in his jaw shifted, his teeth shredded his tongue and the area below his neck caved in from impact. A disturbing crushing sound echoed in the alley, then came Reo's cold voice like a hollow whisper 

"You talk too much, big bro." Mark's neck jerked to the side, his body spiralled and twisted in the air, leaving rotating trails of blood and pieces of shattered teeth. Then his body crashed like a rag doll Into the alley's floor, dislocating his right shoulder in the process.

Then he remained still.

"..."

Mark was passed out from a single blow.

Regaining his footing, Reo breathed out a sigh then wiped the blood off his knee.

'Shit, I got carried away!!' his thoughts screamed internally. 'I wasn't meant to hit him that hard! It was supposed to be a gentle knee kick to his face to get him to pass out, not a finishing blow that took his jaw!! And the way he spun and fell, the way he spun and fell!! Aaarrgh, what do I do if he broke more bones?!!" 

Despite the tremors rocking his thoughts internally, Reo maintained a casual expression as he continued to wipe the blood. If one looked closely, they'd notice his fingers shivered slightly however.

Then Reo let out another unassuming sigh and looked at the floored body of the red haired a few feet away and continued to suppress his inner turmoil behind his casual mask.

Reo turned to look at Lana of to the side. 

The girl was on one knee with a hand to her burned neck. Her grey eyes stared widely with loose jaw at the five year old kid in front of her.

For a few short seconds they held each other's gaze. Then Reo flashed a thumbs up from his position.

Initially, Reo only angered the girl to startle and throw off guard Mark. It was already clear the red haired already had enough trouble just maintaining the flames around his body, and if he could get Lana, who was closest to him to break his concentration, then Reo would quickly use the chance to knock him out in a single blow.

For as far as he knew, Mark was the most dangerous fellow among the group of boys. And if he continued to spread his flames like before, Reo was going to get severely hurt. 

'So he had to go first.' Lana wasn't dumb, and now realized this after trying to make meaning behind Reo's casual thumbs up.

But she still didn't like it.

'That little brat used me!' if it weren't for her injuries, Lana would have loved to chew him out.

Reo assumed his cold expression then turned around to the remaining boys. Each and every one of them held their breath.

"Pick him up and get out." Reo cooly demanded and his voice forced the boys to shudder vividly before scurrying around Reo to get the body of Mark.

Then they bolted out the alley.

With the boys all gone now, Reo's cold expression melted off and then came a tired sigh. He already had a head ache now.

"You okay?" He turned to Lana and asked casually.

Lana glared from her one knee position but momentarily swallowed down the course that threatened to burst from her mouth. 

She limited herself to a sassy comment and glared. Her voice shriveled and husky.

"Do...I look okay?"

Reo observed her slightly then shrugged.

"Fair enough." He helped her up and out of the alley.

By then, it was almost sunset.