— — — — — —
"WTF"
"She just went off with some random stranger? That girl seriously never lets us catch a break!"
Kanzaki Kaori frowned as she watched Renzo walk off with Index slung over his shoulder. Given that they were in a busy shopping district, she was clearly frustrated, but she didn't rush after them.
"Boss, what now? Do you think Index'll be okay with that guy?" Stiyl Magnus had a stormy look on his face as he glared at Renzo's retreating figure.
"That guy reeks of bad news. It looked like he deliberately bumped into her earlier just to get close!"
Honestly, from the look on Stiyl's face, he looked ready to rush in and light the guy up.
---
"Heh…"
Renzo, already a distance away, could feel the sharp gazes on his back. He may have been far, but his hearing easily picked up on Kanzaki and Stiyl's not-so-subtle conversation.
He simply chuckled and ignored it—for now.
---
"… Something's off about that guy," Kanzaki said, expression dark.
Then she shook her head and added, "Anyway, now's not the time to make a move. Let's just keep an eye on them and stay low."
"Got it."
With that, the two trailed Renzo at a casual pace, keeping a safe distance.
Over the next few hours, Renzo dragged Index from one restaurant to another, sampling dish after dish.
And Index? That girl was a bottomless pit.
A true, unrepentant glutton.
Grrrgle!
After hours of tailing them, Stiyl's stomach finally betrayed him with a loud growl, instantly drawing Kanzaki's attention.
His face flushed red with embarrassment. "Damn it! How can they eat that much?!"
"Quit whining and keep waiting. If you can't handle this much, since when did you become so—grrrgle—"
Before Kanzaki could even finish lecturing, her own stomach rumbled just as loudly.
"…"
"…"
Stiyl raised an eyebrow like, 'Seriously?'
Kanzaki's face instantly turned bright red. She shot him a deadly glare, a silent warning written all over it: 'Forget what you just heard—or say one word and I'll make sure you never see the sun again.'
Seeing her expression, Stiyl wisely swallowed the smart remark that was on the tip of his tongue.
He knew better than to mess with a Saint.
"That bastard… I swear I'll get him for this!"
Kanzaki was pleased with Stiyl's silence but redirected all her embarrassment and frustration onto Renzo, who was still happily eating in a nearby shop.
This was all his fault. If not for him, she wouldn't have ended up making a fool of herself.
...
About half an hour later, Renzo finally started heading home—with Index happily in tow, her belly finally full.
That's right. She was now sticking to him like glue. And there was no shaking her off.
"Hey, you two have been following me this whole time," Renzo suddenly said as he walked through a quiet side street. "Don't you think it's about time you showed yourselves? We're practically at my front door already. Don't tell me you plan on following me home?"
He gently nudged Index behind him and turned to face a shadowy corner nearby.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Kanzaki and Stiyl leapt out of hiding, landing about ten meters in front of him.
They both stared Renzo down, cold and unamused.
"You knew we were following you from the start, didn't you?" Stiyl snapped, his voice tight with annoyance.
"Well, duh." Renzo grinned and spread his hands casually. "You two aren't exactly the stealthiest people around. But I'll give you credit for holding out this long."
The smug look on his face was infuriating. Kanzaki and Stiyl were both grinding their teeth—if looks could kill, Renzo would've been six feet under by now. They both looked like they were seconds away from punching that cocky smile right off his face.
"So… you were just stringing us along on purpose, huh?" Kanzaki asked coldly, unsheathing her sword with a chillingly smooth motion. Her eyes locked onto him with lethal intent.
"Yup," Renzo answered, completely relaxed, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And honestly? From his perspective, it was natural. He could do whatever he wanted—he didn't need permission from a couple of stalkers, right?
Unfortunately, Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl Magnus didn't quite share that sentiment.
"Die!!"
With a sudden burst of rage, Kanzaki exploded forward, her sword slicing through the air as she lunged straight at Renzo.
"Yuisen!" (Single Glint)
Maybe it was because she was so pissed that the moment she attacked, she went straight for a lethal strike. She didn't even hesitate, despite Index standing right behind Renzo.
Or maybe she just had that much faith in her precision.
"Oh, good move."
Seeing the incoming attack, Renzo just smiled and casually waved his hand behind him.
Index, who had been standing there blankly, suddenly felt her body go light—then floated effortlessly into the air. Within seconds, she was hovering over twenty meters away, suspended like gravity no longer applied to her.
"Whoa~! This is so cool!" Index laughed as she playfully swam through the air like a curious child, delighted by the strange sensation.
CLANG!!
Back on the ground, Renzo calmly lifted a single finger—and blocked Kanzaki's full-powered strike like it was nothing.
Her blade slammed against his fingertip, but instead of slicing through, it stopped cold. Not a scratch. Not a crack. It was like trying to cut a mountain with a butter knife.
It didn't even leave a mark.
"How…" Kanzaki's eyes went wide, pupils contracting in shock. Without thinking, she immediately flashed backward—once, twice, three times—retreating more than thirty meters before she finally stopped, her entire body tensed in alarm.
She stared at Renzo, voice sharp with disbelief.
"Just what the hell are you? Why did you approach Index?"
She knew now—she had severely underestimated him.
And judging by the look on Stiyl's face, he had come to the same horrifying realization.
"Oi Oi Oi, now that's just mean!" Renzo spread his arms in mock offense, sounding more amused than anything. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of villain! Index is the one who bumped into me, remember? Then I generously treated her to some great food, and now we're friends!"
He tilted his head toward the girl still floating in the air.
"Right, Index?"
"Huh?" Index blinked, then quickly nodded. "Mm! Yep! We're best friends!"
Kanzaki and Stiyl could only stare in stunned silence, black lines practically forming on their foreheads.
'This girl… there's no saving her, is there?'
She actually bought that crap? Seriously?
Kanzaki's eyes narrowed as Renzo turned his head. That tiny opening… it was the perfect chance to strike again.
But the moment she moved even slightly, her instincts screamed at her to stop. Her sixth sense went into full-blown alert mode.
Danger. Life-threatening danger.
And then—
"Innocentius!"
Stiyl acted first.
He didn't hesitate. He immediately activated his magic and summoned a massive, blazing fire giant. With a roar, the burning behemoth charged at Renzo with devastating force.
Stiyl's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Renzo hadn't moved yet—maybe this would finally hit!
BOOM!!
In the next instant, Renzo lazily lifted his hand… and slapped.
Just one casual slap.
The fire giant exploded like a popped balloon. Flames dispersed in every direction, vanishing into thin air—completely annihilated.
Stiyl: "…"
Kanzaki: "…"
What the hell kind of monster is this guy?!
Panic and disbelief flooded their minds.
"Geez, you two really don't learn, huh?" Renzo sighed and turned back to face them, looking almost disappointed.
"I mean, come on. It's obvious you can't beat me. Why keep trying?"
He paused, smiling faintly.
"So, should I just kill you both?"
That last line wasn't said with menace. It wasn't a threat.
It was a genuine, almost casual question.
But the moment he said it, a wave of murderous intent rolled off him like a tsunami. Kanzaki and Stiyl both froze in place, every hair on their body standing on end.
That killing aura… it was overwhelming. Oppressive. Terrifying.
Just how many people has this guy killed to generate bloodlust like that?
Neither of them said it aloud, but the same terrifying thought echoed in both their minds.
They had messed with the wrong person.
.
.
.