Solflare: The Painter's Secret-Chapter 115: He’s Joining

The world outside the small viewport became a chaotic blur of lights and darkness. The craft shuddered as it punched through the sky.

Leon’s knuckles turned white as he clung to the hook.

Time lost meaning in the belly of the craft when the violent vibrations eased into a powerful hum.

A deep, metallic thump signaled as the craft settled on hard ground with a hiss. After five minutes, the pressure in the craft decreased, and the ramps descended once more.

Leon’s eyes widened when a new taste of air waved into the craft and washed over him. He remained frozen in shock, watching the elevated landing pad.

On the ground around the craft, dozens of vehicles, all painted in military colors, were parked in orderly formation.

Beside the vehicles, soldiers ranked in uniform stood there, staring at the craft with one motive in mind. Welcoming the son of Andrew Storm.

As Leon’s gaze swept over the soldiers, the panel in his skull flickered to life after a soft chime rang inside his head.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Presence Detected.

Scanning...

Names and ranks flickered at the edge of his vision as he shifted his gaze from face to face. C-ranks streaked beside their names and titles. Corporals, Sergeants, and Junior Sergeants.

"Come on, they are waiting for you," Hei Luo said, already moving forward.

Leon hurried to follow, his boots echoing on the dark polymer of the landing pad.

From behind the military-dressed men, a storm of camera flashes ignited in a staccato burst of light.

Reporters behind the barriers shouted in a tangled roar.

Hei Yung and Lu Wang moved forward, creating an intimidating buffer against the crowded reporters and cameramen.

"Move aside!" Lu Wang barked, his voice cracking like ice as bold journalists tried to breach the barrier created by the military personnel.

Leon kept his head down, his hands raised to cheek level as he trod forward. Ice ran down his spine when he locked eyes with one of the reporters.

The jawline, the blue-colored eyes, and the grim grin all resembled Tiger Kang. Although the man had grey hair and looked older, the resemblance was flawless.

A black Lamborghini came into view as the crowd parted like waves. "Get in, Mr. Storm," Lu Wang instructed after swinging the door open.

Just as Leon moved to duck inside, one of the news reporters lunged from the crowd and shouldered past a distracted guard. He slammed hard into Leon, knocking him off balance.

Leon’s left shoulder crunched against the metal frame of the car door.

"Hey!" Hei Yung shouted, his voice making the air stiffen.

The crowd of reporters recoiled and stumbled a step backward, their faces turning pale in an instant.

Hei Yung scanned them. "Who pushed him?" His heart hammered hard against his chest as his eyes paused on those with criminal looks.

Each reporter and cameraman stood unmoving, tilting shocked expressions at one another. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

And among the front row, Leon’s eyes flickered past the same man he had seen earlier. This time, the man’s smile had hardened, his eyes blazing like blue flames.

Leon’s heart hammered as he tore his gaze away and slid into the car through the open door.

The door thudded shut, sealing him inside. The roar of the crowd, the shouted questions, and the storm of camera flashes muffled, becoming a distant rumble.

Hei Luo, Lu Wang, and Hei Yung settled into the seats opposite Leon in synchronized movement.

Leon stared straight at the darkened privacy glass separating them from the driver.

The crowd parted like a dark sea as the vehicle glided forward. Through the tinted window, Leon saw reporters straining, pressing themselves against the barrier.

He forced himself to look away, but the face of the man with blue eyes resurfaced in his mind like a plague.

Slowly, the vehicle exited the Northern Airline Station of the Country of Agatha. The building, walkways, landing spot, and lights gave the station the appearance of a fortified machine.

Leon leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.

As soon as the blue-eyed face of the man and Tiger vanished, the lizard lady and the old woman’s voice echoed in his mind.

’Fight them all.’

...

Hundreds of miles to the north, inside one of the buildings of the Kang Clan, Tiger Kang stood before a massive mirror stretching from floor to ceiling.

He wore simple blue boxers, the muscles of his back and shoulders looking like carved marble.

On a wide bed heaped with furs behind him lay a lady with blue hair, watching him. She idly traced the index finger of her left hand along the edge of a black envelope lying beside her.

"Are you really accepting the offer from the Agathan Special Forces?" she asked in a low voice as she picked it up.

She tore it open and scanned the contents. "I thought you said you’d never bend your neck to any military drill after that incident."

Tiger chuckled, his reflection grinning. "I wasn’t going to." He paused, clenched his fist, and fixed his gaze on the reflection of his blue-glowing eye. "But the plans have changed."

"Oh?" The lady placed the letter down. "What could possibly make the Son of the Blue-Flamed Dragon reconsider his lofty principles?"

Tiger’s blazing eyes narrowed, his temperature dropping low. In a blink, the mirror before him began to warp as a single drop of molten silver welled at the center of the glass.

"He’s joining," Tiger said, his voice dropping like stones.

The lady sat up, the furs pooling around her waist. "Who? That Dusthollow rat? Leon Storm?" She let out a disbelieving laugh.

"But he’s a nobody. He’s not even close to a Tier 2 C-rank like you. Why would his path dictate yours?"

Tiger turned abruptly, his burning blue eyes locking onto her green ones. He looked past her, through the tall window, and stared at the snow-locked forest.

’Fuck their rules. Fuck their protocols,’ Tiger’s thoughts blazed. ’The Special Forces officials won’t be able to protect him when we meet face to face...’