"Against the Heavens: The Villain's Return"

The afternoon sun bathed the courtyard in a mellow gold, warming the polished stone tiles and glinting faintly off the delicate carvings of the wooden parasol that shaded Leo's recliner.

Lounging lazily beneath its shadow, Leo Aetherwind looked every bit the noble young lord. Draped in a loose silk robe, his toned chest half-exposed, he reclined on the ornately crafted wooden chair like a monarch in his prime, sipping idly from a chilled glass of fruit nectar.

Beside him stood a small maid, her presence subtle but flustered.

"More grapes, Anne," he said, his voice rich with idle amusement.

"Y-Yes, Master Leo," she stammered.

The girl—Anne—moved with awkward grace. Dressed in a crisp black-and-white maid uniform, she looked almost unreal in her delicate proportions. Her lime-green hair, braided into twin tails, bobbed gently as she stepped closer. Reaching barely to Leo's chest in height, her stature was that of a petite doll, her every gesture nervous yet genuine.

Her large blue eyes, rimmed with long lashes, flicked up toward Leo's face, then quickly back down to the bowl of grapes, as if afraid to meet his gaze for too long. She plucked a single peeled grape with trembling fingers and held it up to his lips.

Leo smirked. There was a devilish glint in his golden eyes as he leaned forward and took the grape into his mouth, deliberately locking eyes with the blushing maid.

Anne's entire face flushed crimson. Even the tips of her ears turned red.

"You're really adorable, you know," Leo murmured, drawing a single finger along her cheek in a slow stroke.

Anne let out a tiny squeak, her hands clenching tightly as she tried to keep still.

Leo let out a short chuckle, clearly amused. He leaned further back into the recliner, his posture oozing casual dominance. The scent of fresh herbs wafted in from the nearby flower beds, mingling with the faint aroma of fruit and sweat in the warm courtyard air.

Truly, life was good.

Then it hit him.

Like a bolt of lightning lashing through the clear sky, a memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind.

Leo's eyes widened.

He jerked forward suddenly, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"Damn it! How could I forget that?!"

Anne let out a startled squeal, nearly dropping the silver tray in her hands.

"M-Master? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No, Anne. It's not you," Leo muttered.

His gaze had sharpened into a deadly glint. The comfortable ease from moments before had vanished. Sitting upright now, Leo's entire posture shifted—shoulders squared, back straight, aura flickering with suppressed emotion.

That battle. That moment in his past life.

The Twin Blades.

They weren't just names. They were legends.

A pair of unmatched warriors, one male and one female. Their mirrored twin swords were fabled throughout the continent—each blade infused with distinct energies. One channeled protective force; the other, pure destructive might.

Together, they were a nightmare.

Synchronized in movement, they were a living rhythm of war. Attack and defense rotated between them seamlessly, as if their very breaths were choreographed. Their teamwork was a spectacle of deadliness and beauty.

Leo remembered watching old memory crystals of their battles, mesmerized by the perfection of their coordination.

And then Alex happened.

That name alone was enough to sour Leo's mood.

Alex. The so-called hero. The bastard who had somehow defeated the Twin Blades and stolen all the recognition. The man who rose to prominence on a false foundation.

Leo clenched his jaw.

That fight had changed everything.

It wasn't just a battle. It was a moment that shifted fate itself. Alex's victory had earned him prestige, allies, clan resources, and even the title of "Chosen Successor" by the High Council. All while Leo—the one labeled the villain—was cast into obscurity.

But Leo remembered now.

That victory was a lie.

Yes, the Twin Blades were invincible when united. Their coordination left no weakness. They covered for each other's flaws, always moving as one. Their flow in battle was so refined that even cultivators above their level struggled to outmaneuver them.

Unless—unless—they were separated.

That was their sole weakness.

And Alex had exploited it.

Leo's eyes narrowed. The details came back like floodwaters breaking a dam.

The Twin Blades had descended upon a sacred village, one plagued by a corrupted beast—an abomination born of spirit rot and negative Qi. Their duty had been to protect and cleanse.

Alex had arrived late to the battle. He pretended to lend his strength.

But he had ulterior motives.

He'd used Purification Blast—a technique known only to the Aetherwind Clan. A technique that didn't just purge negative energy; it disrupted spiritual senses for a short duration.

Even the Twin Blades hadn't anticipated it.

In that brief moment of chaos, Alex had lured one away under the pretense of covering a flank. Then, using a cloaked strike, he ambushed the isolated twin—wounding them critically.

When the other rushed in to defend, Alex used their concern against them, landing a second devastating blow. One from behind.

A betrayal veiled as teamwork.

Leo's knuckles turned white as he clenched the wooden armrest of his chair.

"That technique... only someone from the Aetherwind Clan would know. But Alex—he wasn't one of us. So how the hell did he learn it?!"

There were only two people who could've shared that secret.

Sophia. Or Zoe.

Both had once been close to Leo. One was the woman he treated like a sister. The other… a love twisted by time and regret.

"Maybe out of pity. Maybe out of love…" Leo murmured, his voice cold.

"But it doesn't matter now. I'll make them regret it. All of them."

His aura flared for a moment—barely visible, but potent enough to startle the birds from the courtyard trees.

Anne, who had frozen in place this entire time, was trembling. The tray in her hands rattled slightly, grapes rolling across the silver surface.

Leo blinked, then looked down at her.

His expression softened, the fire in his eyes retreating behind a mask of calm. He raised a hand and gently tucked one of her braids behind her ear.

"Relax, Anne," he said, voice returning to that warm, lazy tone from before. "Now… go get me the maid outfit I prepared for you."

Anne's face turned a deep crimson.

She bowed her head quickly and rushed off, twin braids bouncing behind her like startled grasshoppers.

From high above the courtyard, hidden behind an illusionary barrier, several figures watched the entire exchange unfold.

Clad in black armor, faces obscured by fox-masked helms, the Shadow Force members remained silent for a beat.

"…Our master is terrifying," one of them muttered finally.

"Yeah," said another. "But at least he's efficient."

A third one sighed, watching Anne flee the scene. "I kinda feel bad for that maid."

Far across the city, buried beneath the jagged cliffs of the northern ridge, a dimly lit cavern pulsed faintly with warmth.

A small fire crackled near the center, the flames casting shadows that danced along the uneven stone walls. The scent of burnt wood and damp minerals filled the tight space.

There, crouched near the fire like a hermit guarding treasure, was Alex.

His tousled brown hair stuck out in all directions, a combination of sweat, ash, and complete disregard for grooming. His eyes, however—those wild, golden orbs—gleamed with something intense.

Not ambition.

Not hatred.

Obsession.

Alex cradled something in his arms as if it were more precious than life itself—a green-scaled egg wrapped carefully in layers of warm cloth and tucked beneath his cloak.

He rocked gently back and forth on his heels, whispering.

"My precious egg…" he murmured, voice soft and saccharine. "So warm today… You'll hatch soon, won't you?"

The egg showed no reaction. Silent. Motionless.

But Alex smiled like it had whispered back.

He leaned closer, adjusting the cloth with slow, careful fingers, then nestled it against his chest.

"You'll be glorious when you're born," he cooed, chuckling under his breath. "A true dragon of legend. They'll all bow when they see you. They'll know who the real hero is…"

In his mind's eye, Alex saw it—himself, riding a colossal dragon wreathed in golden flames, soaring over the capital as crowds chanted his name.

Women from every noble house would kneel before him. Sophia and Selena would flank him like loyal priestesses, hanging on his every word.

And Leo—Leo would be nothing more than dust under his boots.

He grinned to himself. "Leo... You thought you could look down on me. But look at me now…"

From the ceiling of the cavern, cloaked deep in the shadows above, several members of Leo's Shadow Force remained still as statues, observing.

"…This guy," one of them whispered under his breath. "Is he even mentally stable?"

"I think he's bonding with the egg again," another muttered.

"He's talking to it like it's his child."

A third sighed, adjusting their mask slightly. "Master Leo was right. This man's a damn clown."

None of them moved. None interfered. Observation only.

And in this moment, what they saw was not a fearsome threat—but a delusional fool.

---

Back at Leo's estate, dusk had begun to settle.

Golden light faded into softer tones of orange and pink, casting long shadows across the garden paths and courtyard statues.

Inside the estate's grand bathing chamber, built with black stone and polished jade, warm mist curled above a large, herb-infused bath. The scent of spiritual herbs, mixed with sandalwood, filled the air.

Leo lay reclined in the water, his arms resting along the smooth edge, eyes closed.

The surface of the water rippled gently around him, soaking away the tension in his limbs.

Everything was calm now.

But beneath that stillness, his mind was sharper than ever.

Today's revelation had changed things.

The Twin Blades—he finally remembered the full picture. That battle had been more than a footnote in his past life. It was a turning point, one that altered the trajectory of power across the continent.

Alex had seized that opportunity.

And now Leo understood why it had felt so unfair. Because it was unfair.

Alex hadn't bested the Twin Blades through valor or strength.

He'd used trickery.

And stolen a technique that should've been secret—should've belonged only to the Aetherwind Clan.

Leo clenched his fist beneath the water.

Purification Blast. That move didn't just remove dark energy—it blinded the spirit-sense of anyone caught within its radius for a brief but critical moment.

Perfect for backstabbing.

Alex had used it to scatter the synchronization of the Twin Blades, splitting their formation.

And then… he struck them down one by one.

Leo let out a slow breath.

There was no doubt now—Alex had help.

Someone had given him that technique. Someone from the inside.

Only two names came to mind: Sophia or Zoe.

Leo didn't know which one yet. Maybe both.

But whichever it was, the betrayal cut deep.

They had helped Leo rise in his past life. But they'd also helped him fall.

"Why?" The question lingered, unanswered. Was it pity? Was it love? Or just naivety?

Leo opened his eyes.

A quiet resolve settled in his gaze.

It didn't matter.

Whether it was pity or betrayal—he'd no longer be bound by the choices of the past.

This time, he'd rewrite everything.

This time, he'd find the Twin Blades first.

He wouldn't let them fall. Not to Alex. Not to fate.

And when the time came—when the pieces were all in place—he'd confront Sophia and Zoe, and they would answer for what they did.

No more pretending.

No more masks.

"The Twin Blades… they were a key piece in Alex's rise. If I remove that piece from the board..."

His eyes gleamed with purpose.

"Then I control the outcome. I control the story."

The water around him rippled slightly as he sat up straighter in the bath, steam curling over his bare shoulders.

His mind raced through possible locations—rumors, ancient maps, timelines from his past life. If he acted soon, he could intercept the siblings before they crossed paths with Alex.

He'd save them.

Not because he cared.

But because keeping them alive—and on his side—meant changing everything.

Leo stood slowly, water cascading down his torso, his body sculpted from years of training and honed survival.

He stepped from the bath, grabbing a towel from the nearby rack. The mist clung to him like a second skin, but his eyes were clear.

He'd gained something important today.

Not a technique. Not a treasure.

But a memory.

A fragment of his past life that shifted the entire gameboard.

He now knew when and how Alex's rise truly began.

And he knew how to end it.

From the shadows just outside the chamber, a masked Shadow Force agent gave a silent bow before vanishing into the corridor.

Orders would be dispatched tonight.

Leo's next move had already begun.

---

[Chapter End]

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