Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

“Ou! Wake up, Ou! Hey!”

He felt a strong smack on his forehead. “What?”

“You little shit! We need to run!”

It was a man just a few years older than him. But he looked older because of his bleached white hair, and he always creased eyebrows that brought wrinkles.

He shook Ou awake from that suffocating little space with that thin bed.

“What’s the point, Old Xiao? We’ll die even when we run.” Ou grumbled. “Besides, don’t you hate my guts?”

“Look at this little turd….. We’re bailing you out before you die tomorrow, and you’re going to bitch and whine like that!?”

Gunshots can suddenly be heard, fully jolting Ou awake.

“Come on, then!” Old Xiao grabbed him and forced him out of the bed.

Ou blinked in disbelief. “You’re really….. You’re really risking your life for me?”

After all, Old Xiao was his biggest bully here. He had made Ou bleed several times, and Old Xiao loved calling him names like ‘little shit’ and ‘black dog’ because of his appearance.

And yet the moment a man in uniform came towards Ou, bedroom, carrying a gun—

Old Xiao did not hesitate to punch him in the face and knock him out in one go, his fist sinking deep into the man’s nose!

“You listen here carefully, black dog.” He went to take the gun from the uniformed man. “The Boss took you in as part of the family whether I like it or not. We all share the same block.”

He pointed to the symbol that was carved with a knife on Ou’s skin. It was a phoenix.

“Nobody messes with my family, only I can! Anyone who tries will be a dead man!”

Ou was moved by this, and ran following Old Xiao who shot the gun towards anyone in uniform that they pass by. He blocked Ou with his body like a shield, and made sure every turn they make was safe for the younger boy.

“Go now! Jump on this window, he’ll be waiting for you!”

Ou frowned. “Who? You should come too, they will sentence you with death too because of what you did!”

Old Xiao just took more guns with him. “Hah! Not until we keep this riot running and break out everyone! You worry about yourself, your time is up by dawn!”

As Ou made the jump…

Ronin’s mind returned to the present, with this close-to-death Zeuxis in front of him.

“Family.” He mumbled to himself.

Like Old Xiao was to Ou, Zeuxis was also not his ‘real family’. He was only related to his character, and not his real brother. But…..

It’s not really blood that makes someone family, wasn’t it?

It wasn’t simple liking and befriending either. What separates family from friend was this unbreakable bond that differences and in-fighting could not destroy.

“Ronin!”

Zeriav shouted and descended from the bell tower by scaling the walls and roof, sliding down with scythe in hand.

He landed in front of the brothers, the rain and thunderclouds following him.

“Where is Cermin!? Tell me right now or perish like your brother!”

Ronin looked at Zeuxis once again, and saw the electric sparks dancing on his body. He smiled.

“No one from my family has perished from you. Not today, nor any time soon.”

He drew a closed eye on the air, and casted Blinding Darkness over Zeriav.

The priest was immediately enraged once he was surrounded by the darkness, unable to see anything and could only strike blindly in the air.

While he was busy swinging and missing Ronin completely, the Coal commoner took out his rune stone, and drew a symbol over Zeuxis’s Obsidian shoulder.

It was a new one that he had found out from the Royal Library of Scirocco while studying phoenixes.

A rune only successfully used by gods. This rune was used every time their familiar animals have perished. The symbol of a phoenix.

‘Revive’.

Ronin was only half-certain of the results, but he have a strong will and resisted any thought of it not working. Eventually…..

The sparks went stronger, and spread throughout Zeuxis’ body.

Just like his elder brother Maellan’s invention, the lightning had resurrected him and mended his wounds. And the rune had made it faster too, bringing him back his consciousness.

Soon, Zeuxis’ eyes open, and he wore a wide grin flashing his bloodied teeth.

“Oh, Brother~” He said in a singsongy, eerie voice as he rose from the ground.

Ronin ordered him. “Finish him for me. I have to go somewhere and take care of something.”

Zeuxis nodded, cracking his bones and stretching. “Won’t take long. Just run.”

Ronin went back in the inn, letting Zeuxis continue this fight. He could have fought Zeriav himself and won…..

But in perfect timing, Cermin had woken up and Ronin manage to hear his thoughts.

(Where’s Ronin? Was that Zeriav I heard just now….)

Sure enough, Cermin had indeed rushed out of bed in worry. (I need to get to Romin fast!)

But upon the doorstep, Ronin had caught up to him. “Don’t go out, Your Highness! It’s too dangerous! Zeriav is fighting a daemon!”

Cermin immediately grabbed Ronin’s shoulders. “I heard him shout your name! Are you alright!?”

“Yes. I will be alright, he’s currently distracted.” Ronin said.

“A daemon…..” Cermin peered on the window outside as Zeuxis and Zeriav begun fighting again. “That explains the lightning earlier… He looks terrifying, and Zeriav seems to be having difficulty with him.”

He narrowed his eyes, and observed the battle from the distance.

“I will keep on destroying evil even if it rises again and again!” Zeriav yelled, as he swung wildly, and broke a brick wall from it.

Zeuxis easily dodged him, and sent electricity after him again. “Not if I destroy you first before you destroy me for the second time!”

He struck Zeriav’s leg, causing him to fall to one knee and groan. “Ack!”

He laughed. “Hahahaha! Oh, my poor Brother. That must be painful.”

He continued to strike, and with his affected leg, Zeriav was having difficulty to dodge more than ever.

Zeuxis continued to jeer at the priest. “But that blow from your water scythe really hurt, you know. I’m just returning the favor.”

He struck again, and Zeriav’s hair has been singed despite sidestepping it. The lightning bolt struck a house and it collapsed from it, causing debris to fall over Zeriav’s shoulder.

“Hngh!” He bit his lip and did his best to not give Zeuxis the pleasure of seeing him in pain, even to the end.

Not being able to see his enemy was already a great disadvantage, along with having injuries in both his upper and lower limbs.

Cermin gritted his teeth. “He won’t survive this fight at this rate. I need to help him before the daemon cost more damage.”

Ronin grabbed his wrist. “But you would also get hurt, Your Highness. I worry about you, this daemon is powerful and the power of the sun would not defeat lightning.”

This wasn’t really a lie, as Ronin would rather have Cermin intact so he can keep levelling up and be ripe enough to harvest the Flame from at Level 100. Besides being his nemesis, Cermin was also Ronin’s little sheep to fatten until it was time to shed its wool and eat it for dinner.

Cermin beamed at his concern, and smiled to reassure him “I have other tricks up my sleeve besides Sunburst.”

Ronin frowned, but it does make sense. Cermin may also have other skills every time he reaches 10 levels. He just didn’t see it much in action because Cermin had not fought much yet.

His curiosity made him want to see what else Cermin was capable of, and so he let go with the empty phrase “Be careful.”

“I will. I’ll kill that daemon, save Zeriav, then we run away while he get some medical attention.” Cermin said, and dashed off with sword in hand.

Ronin reached out to his connection to the Core, which spread to his connection to the Baptismal Grounds, and all the way to…..

“Espinella. Send Zeuxis these instructions as he fights Cermin.”

He heard on his voice. “Whatever pleases you, Dark Lord. I am at your service.”

He looked outside, as Cermin went over to Zeriav’s side, his hair getting soaked by rainwater too.

“Daemon! You have done enough damage to my friend and these innocent people! I will make you pay!”

Ronin cringed at this common hero dialogue, but stayed invested because it was Cermin after all.

Zeuxis sneered after he paused to listen to something in his head.

“I see….. So you are a friend of dear Brother here. Must be nice to have friends.” He smiled at his own double entendre, as it could be both the priest and his own brother.

He summoned more lightning to set a wooden house on fire. “My only friend was lightning, thunder, and electricity. Shall I introduce you to them?”

He collected all the sparks flouncing around from the rain onto his shoulder, and conjured a bigger Dagger Bolt.

Meanwhile, Cermin raised his sword high in the air, and summoned.

“Shield of Solace, protect me and Zeriav!”

Two golden globes surrounded him and Zeriav, who beamed at the direction of his voice.

“Cermin….. You came to help me…..”

Ronin did not hesitate to use One-Word-Command to him:

“Silence.”

This caused the already blind Zeriav to be mute as well, as the fight between Cermin and Zeuxis began in this small town amidst a storm.