Rise of the Chaotic Shadow Emperor

In a corner of the alley, a young man slightly older than Sidius materialized as he lifted the hood of his black cloak, revealing his calming brown eyes. His movements were graceful and barely audible while his expression remained serene as he approached Sidius.

"As expected, you're still great at dodging," he said in a gentle voice.

However, the moment the words left his lips, he dashed towards Sidius without hesitation. His eyes were burning, as if he had been craving this fight in a long time.

Sidius sensed the danger and made a long exhale. His body moved with agility as he skillfully evaded the attack. But he knew he couldn't counterattack. He was still exhausted from the fierce duel with Vince earlier.

The alley was filled with a flurry of motion, and the silence around them intensified.

As the wind howled through the air, Sidius and the man paused with their backs to each other with some distance. Their breaths mingling in the air as they sensed each other's presence, waiting for the other to make a move.

Breaking the tension, the unknown man's voice cut through the silence, "Can you dodge my second attack?"

Sidius did not answer, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Taking the silence response as a challenge, the man dashed again, but this time, Sidius was prepared. He countered with a swift movement. However, his fatigued body betrayed him.

In a brief exchange, the man landed a solid punch on Sidius' stomach, leaving him gasping for breath. Surprisingly, the punch wasn't fatal, and Sidius managed to create distance between them.

"Have you had enough?" Sidius asked before wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He made a tired smile, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

"Not even close!" the man chuckled, still full of excitement. "How about another round?"

Sidius heave a sigh and seriously looked at the man before him.

"Enough with the jokes, Rainer," he finally said. He realized the man's love for combat would not be easily quelled.

"You're still no fun," Rainer replied. Despite his nature for combat, his calming face and friendly demeanor contradicts his craving for exchanging techniques.

As they stood in the quiet alley, Rainer's gaze softened observing Sidius, who looked visibly drained. With a sigh, Rainer removed his cloak and carefully put it in his expansion bag. The academy uniform hidden underneath his cloak was now visible.

"Alright... alright..." Rainer's voice carried a hint of resignation, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

Sidius couldn't help but copy the sigh, feeling a mix of weariness and comfort as he relaxed his tense posture.

"But… I never expected you to be at E rank initial stage after just a month," Rainer mused, his eyebrow arching as he gently tapped his chin.

For a moment, Rainer seemed about to inspect Sidius, but the agile youth evaded his each attempt.

"I'm not wearing that kind of artifact. I'm poor, remember?" Sidius retorted, before continuing to walk. "Also, are you doubting the talent measuring orb in the camp?" he added with a laced of sarcasm.

Rainer, convinced by Sidius's response, nodded thoughtfully. "That's true," he admitted. "Anyway, It's good to see you're okay. Well, even in the camp, despite being bullied, you manage to hold your own."

Then, Rainer quickened his steps to face Sidius.

"That's what I like about you!" he exclaimed with admiration, giving Sidius a warm smile and a thumbs-up.

"You're just sympathizing with me because I'm the only one in the camp who can ignite your will to fight," he scoffed, ignoring his compliment before pushing him off the way.

The camp they referred to was where Sidius used to work as an information broker before receiving the acceptance message from Edrodorth Academy.

Rainer, a disciple assassin in the ranks, found his fights in the camp rather boring, except when sparring with his sister and master. However, when Sidius appeared and managed to lasts and withstand his attacks despite being an F rank, Rainer grew admiration towards him and began bothering him ever since.

"Anyway, so the reason you disappeared from the camp was because you got accepted here, huh?" Rainer changed the topic.

"Yeah, I figured I'd earn much more if I use the identity of an academy student."

"Well… that's bad timing then," Rainer said as they continued to walk to the garden in the academy. "Madam noticed your hard work from working in the camp for a month, so she was about to promote you to a higher rank. But alas, you suddenly disappeared without notice."

"Madam? You really like to joke, Rainer," Sidius responded. "How can Madam notice an F rank like me?"

"You're a capable information broker and diligent in your work, that's why," Rainer shrugged.

"Still, being a student at the academy gives me more leeway in the future."

"That's true," Rainer agreed.

…

The sunset casts a cool glow over the surroundings as the two strolled through the tranquil garden. Some people were there studying or talking to each other while some are even dating.

It was fortunate that the news hadn't spread rapidly, allowing Sidius to remain unrecognized in this secluded part of the academy grounds.

Sidius couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, the tension from before gradually subsided. Still, his mind was suspicious of the earlier events that had unfolded so he decided to change the topic, not wanting to dig into the past.

"Are you the one who inform Vince about me?" Sidius asked.

Rainer's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes twinkled with a hint of playfulness. "You found out, huh?" he replied.

"I knew Vince wouldn't pick a fight with me without any reason. So I figured someone was orchestrating the events."

Rainer chuckled lightly, as if enjoying the game of words. "How do you like my present?"

"As usual, you always manage to ruin my plans," Sidius retorted. "And how did you even pick Vince? He's an E+ rank, you know? If I was still an F rank, I'd surely lose."

"Hmm… aside from Vince being famous, I did that because I'm lazy to look for you, so I figured using him to find you was a smart move," Rainer explained.

"Congrats, you succeeded," Sidius said, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Well, I always knew you'd defeat him or win the match with a miracle somehow," he replied before shrugging, displaying his faith in Sidius.

"You overestimate me too much. I almost died, you know?" Sidius said, the memory of the intense battle with Vince was still fresh in his mind.

"That's ture…" Rainer's expression turned solemn, his thoughts drifting back to the chaotic events. "I did not expect Vince to transform into a demon."

The atmosphere shifted as the seriousness of their conversation settled in, evoking the feeling of comrades in line for a crucial mission.

Sidius gazed at Rainer intently, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"If you're here, then that means—" Before Sidius could finish his sentence, Rainer's usual joyous expression turned serious, and he nodded in confirmation.

"Yes," Rainer whispered in response, making the atmosphere grew heavier.