Chapter 30: Shryl
Two streets away, a girl was watching.
Her name was Shryl.
In the past, she had been an assistant to the leader of a gang. She wasn't the strongest, but she was the smartest. Her cheerful face and sharp tongue earned her a rare position among the men. She had lived a life of luxury compared to the rest of the gang… until that day.
The leader decided to target someone rumored to possess a treasure. He had no idea that this would be the tolling of his own death knell.
The target was not as he thought.
After a short but brutal battle, the leader fell.
Everyone scattered.
Since that day, Shryl had been homeless… powerless… and without purpose.
But when she looked up on the street, she saw him.
Akira.
The boy who had changed everything.
Her breath quickened.
"Is he here for me? He doesn't seem to have noticed… Should I run? What should I do, what should I do?"
Before she could decide, he passed right by her as if she didn't exist. He didn't even glance at her.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly. She turned and looked at his back.
"He's alone… maybe this is my chance."
She began following him quietly. Her steps were calculated, but she didn't know if she was chasing him out of revenge… or something else.
Akira entered the alley and disappeared, prompting Shryl to increase her pace.
"Where did he go?" she whispered cautiously.
Then suddenly…
A hand emerged from the shadows and dragged her violently inside.
Her body vanished into the dark alley.
Only sharp breaths… and silence.
His hand gripped her neck tightly, her back pressed against the cold alley wall, and her slender body barely resisted his grasp. She weighed almost nothing compared to his pain-forged strength.
He slowly drew his sword, placing its cold edge against her neck.
"I see now… you were one of those who attacked me that day."
He tightened his grip. His face was calm, but his eyes burned with suspicion.
"What could someone who tried to kill me before want? Are you still after money?"
Shryl felt the thread of her life become thinner than visible. She didn't resist, didn't plead. Tears suddenly streamed silently down her face, quickly followed by a full breakdown.
"Hehehehe!" Alice laughed softly inside Akira's mind, seemingly enjoying the chaos.
"Ah… she's crying," he muttered, loosening his grip. The girl fell to the ground, gasping, her face still soaked in tears.
"I didn't mean to kill her… I just wanted to talk."
"Ah, of course… because placing a sword on someone's neck is a perfect way to start a conversation."
He looked at her. She was still trembling, her eyes avoiding his.
"Sorry… I just wanted you to talk."
But the answer was more crying.
He thought about leaving her, but couldn't ignore the curiosity growing inside him.
"Akira, we're attracting attention," Alice said in a serious tone.
He sighed, then bent down and took Shryl's hand. She didn't resist. Strangely, she followed silently.
Inside the inn room, Shryl sat at the edge of the bed, still sobbing intermittently, while Akira sat at a small table, trying in vain to ignore her presence.
"Alice… do you know what's wrong with her?"
"She's not injured, just… shocked. Let her calm down."
Akira stood, opened the wardrobe, grabbed a clean towel, and approached her.
"How about a bath? It'll help you relax."
He handed her the towel, gently nudged her toward the bathroom, and closed the door. Alice raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing…" she replied, mysteriously.
Inside, Shryl bathed slowly, the steam surrounding her like a temporary refuge.
"How long has it been since I last bathed? I forgot what it feels like to be clean… I really needed this."
Thoughts flooded her confused mind.
"I thought he would kill me in the alley… but he didn't. Maybe I still have a chance."
"And he brought me here? Let me bathe? Don't tell me… he wants that."
"As if I could stop him if he did."
She closed her eyes, pressing her lips together.
"I have to make the most of this. I have no other options."
She began planning, building probabilities, evaluating risks.
When she emerged, she wore the simple pajamas she had left in the bathroom. She had nothing else to wear.
Outside, Akira was eating silently.
The smell of food hit her empty stomach, making it growl audibly.
He looked at her expressionlessly:
"Sit, I got you a meal."
She sat and ate slowly at first, then hunger took over.
He watched her in silence. When she finished, he finally spoke:
"Now that you've calmed down… why were you following me?"
She lifted her head slowly and looked at him.
"I just wanted to talk."
"Talk? About what?"
She began recounting everything. About the gang. The leader. That night which ended with his death. The ruin left in its wake.
And the lands that remained unclaimed.
"Let me get this straight… you want me to take your gang leader's place?"
She nodded.
He turned to the empty space.
"Alice, what do you think?"
"I see no benefit in this. You'll drag yourself into pointless conflicts with other gangs over a handful of land."
"And waste your time. Better to train, grow stronger, then crush them whenever you want without needing alliances."
Akira sighed.
"The answer is no. I see no gain in this."
But before he finished, Shryl spoke softly, stammering, trembling:
"If you do… you can do whatever you want with me."
Upon hearing her words, Akira looked her over from head to toe. She was a beautiful girl, pale skin, long black hair, dark eyes, and she would surely become even more beautiful as she matured.
"Are you awake?"
"No."
"Do you know how to fight with a sword? Or any other weapon?"
She forced herself to admit:
"No."
"Then I see no use in taking you with me."
She realized Akira interpreted her words differently, or he simply only cared about strength.
"You'll bring me nothing but trouble… you'll be a burden."
Suddenly, she knelt, clutching his leg:
"Please… help me. I can't keep living in the poor districts."
Akira looked at her face. Tears were welling up, on the verge of falling.
"Stop. Don't start crying again… let me think. Just calm down a bit."
She struggled to hold back her tears, realizing he was trying to find a solution.
"Alice, is there a way to help her?"
"I don't know… she's far too weak to survive alone in that environment."
"And what if I make her the gang leader?"
"Maybe… but as I said, she depends on others to survive. I'm fairly sure she used to exploit those around her."
Akira engaged in an internal discussion with Alice, searching for a solution, but every idea seemed impractical.
In a moment of silence, Akira pulled out a coin, looked at Shryl, and asked:
"Heads or tails?"
She didn't understand the reason, but answered:
"Heads."
Akira flipped the coin, caught it secretly, and returned it to his pocket without revealing the result.
"Alright… I'll help with your plan, but with a small adjustment. You will lead the gang."
Shryl began to object, but he didn't give her the chance:
"This is your only option. Accept it, or leave."
He added:
"And when I say 'help,' I don't mean I'll run the gang. All I'll do is prevent others from interfering or harming you. I won't fight losing battles. If problems arise, you solve them yourselves. Building and developing the gang is your responsibility."
Shryl realized she was trapped, and this was her only available choice.
"Alright… let's do it."
Akira rose from his seat.
"Let's go."
"To where?"
"The night is about to fall."
Shryl sighed, then headed to the bathroom to change her clothes.