After finishing the meeting with Irina and Xenovia, Ren left the shop, his face a mask of absolute indifference, as he walked toward Seijo High School to meet Mahiru. She had planned to buy ingredients for dinner, and so he intended to help her carry the bags and pay for them.
To him, that was simply the natural thing to do — something he should do. He couldn't cook or clean, and Mahiru had taken those roles upon herself, so he helped however he could — from cutting ingredients to buying them.
As for the Church's response regarding the Holy Swords, he wasn't particularly worried. He was certain they wouldn't allow such an important artifact to fall into another faction's hands, especially before the Peace Treaty Conference — that would only give the opposing side a huge bargaining chip against them.
Seijo High School wasn't far from Kuoh Academy, and in less than five minutes Ren arrived. He had been meeting with Irina and Xenovia at a popular café located midway between the two schools.
When Ren arrived, a large crowd had gathered in front of the main gate. With his sharp senses, he spotted Mahiru at the center of it all, clearly having trouble dealing with the number of students surrounding her.
Snap!
Ren snapped his fingers lightly — yet the sound that followed was deep and resonant, like a stone dropped into still water.
The moment that sound reached the students around Mahiru, their eyes went blank and unfocused, as if they had fallen into a trance.
"Oh! I just remembered—I left my computer running. I should go turn it off," one student muttered absentmindedly, eyes glazed, before walking away.
He wasn't the only one. Soon, several others began mumbling similar excuses — saying they'd forgotten something — and left the area in a daze.
Within half a minute, the crowd surrounding Mahiru had completely dispersed, leaving behind an unnaturally quiet space.
Mahiru still stood there, holding her school bag in both hands, glancing around in mild confusion before noticing Ren approaching quietly from the shadows.
"…Ren-kun?" she said softly, tilting her head slightly as her surprised eyes met his.
"You handled all of them by yourself?" he asked in a low tone, as if making a simple remark — though there was a faint trace of concern hidden beneath his calm voice.
Mahiru raised an eyebrow in surprise, then smiled faintly, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"I could've handled it… but I guess the crowd was bigger than I expected."
"I see. In that case, I'll teach you some Kidō like the one I used just now — it's useful in situations like this," Ren said quietly.
Although Mahiru only possessed slightly stronger spiritual power than an ordinary human — barely enough to perceive evil spirits — it was sufficient for her to learn low-level Kidō like the one Ren had just used.
She could only see Ren clearly when her life was in danger — when she had been on the verge of death. Now, she shouldn't be able to sense him as before.
Bakudō #2: Kinkyū Jōtai.
That was the name of the Kidō Ren had used on the people surrounding Mahiru. It was practically useless against a real Shinigami, so few bothered to learn it. But thanks to his Spell Record, Ren didn't need to waste time learning Kidō or magic the normal way. He only had to see a technique once for it to be recorded — or write it down if he found a record of it elsewhere.
Given Mahiru's current spiritual level, she wouldn't have trouble using it on a handful of ordinary humans — though she could only cast it once or twice, and on no more than 10 to 12 people at a time.
But now wasn't the time for that — they still had to buy the ingredients for dinner first.
"Let's go. After dinner, I'll teach you the little trick I showed you earlier," Ren said, starting to walk toward the shopping district. As a representative of the Shinigami, he had memorized the city's layout by heart — along with the territories of the other three factions.
Mahiru took a deep breath, tightening her grip on her bag before following him. Her steps were hesitant but steady. The air around them felt calm — eerily calm — as if the crowd from moments ago had been nothing more than an illusion.
"Don't you think the street feels… strangely empty?" Mahiru whispered, glancing around.
"…" Ren didn't answer, but his eyes narrowed behind his Blindfold, and his expression darkened slightly.
"It seems we've got company. This barrier is meant to keep ordinary humans away," he said, extending a hand toward Mahiru. An invisible field formed around her.
Kidō #∞: Mugen Kekkai.
This Kidō was Ren's own creation — not something taught among the Shinigami. It was built around his personal Infinity, making it nearly impossible for anyone else to use.
A faint smile curved Ren's lips beneath the Blindfold as he gestured upward, tracing invisible lines in the air.
"Look, Mahiru… this is Mugen Kekkai — my Infinite Barrier," he said in a calm yet firm tone, his fingers weaving precise patterns as if spinning threads of reishi into a protective web.
Mahiru suddenly felt a strange current closing in from all sides, as though the air itself had thickened around her. When she looked around, everything beyond a few steps appeared blurred — the distance between her and the outside world stretching endlessly.
"What… is this feeling?" she whispered, sensing that anything approaching her slowed down — as if time itself resisted contact.
Ren spoke louder, with a tone of quiet explanation:
"The barrier slows anything that tries to approach you… until it nearly stops. You can't touch it, and no one can break through it — except me."
Mahiru looked around in awe, trying to touch the invisible wall. Yet the moment she reached out, the space between her and it seemed to stretch infinitely. The world itself refused to let anything near her.
"This is… incredible…" she murmured, feeling the reishi energy gently wrapping around her body.
"With this, you should be safe," Ren said with a faint smile before turning his gaze skyward. "Now, why don't you show yourself — since you've already come to greet me? Or are you the shy type who hesitates at the last second?"
His tone dripped with disdain and mockery — clearly, he had no fondness for whoever tried to isolate him from the outside world.
The barrier the enemy had created blocked the flow of reishi but was rich with natural mana — meaning the other party wasn't from a spirit-based faction like the Shinigami. Combined with the sinister, nauseating aura he sensed, Ren could already guess who it was.
Swish!
From among the trees along the road, a shadow rose — and stopped high above, suspended in the sky.
The figure was tall, his skin pale like moonlight cast upon a starless night. Long strands of black hair cascaded down his shoulders like a curtain of darkness. His narrow crimson eyes glimmered faintly — two drops of blood set upon a lifeless face. Pointed ears gave him an otherworldly presence, more akin to a being of myth than a mortal man.
From his back stretched five pairs of black wings, vast and silent. He wore a long black robe adorned with intricate markings, with elegant purple shoulder guards streaked with gold. Each movement carried a solemn, almost regal grace — as though the darkness itself bowed before his fallen majesty.
"Fallen Angel? And with that many wings… are you one of the Grigori's Cadres?" Ren said coldly, his voice tinged with quiet contempt — yet his body radiated readiness for battle.
A low, dark chuckle escaped the man's lips — a sound like the fluttering of night's wings.
His laughter carried both amusement and scorn, as though Ren's presence was nothing more than a fleeting distraction in his dull evening.
"Cadre… yes," the Fallen Angel murmured, his deep voice flowing like black dust through the air. "I am Kokabiel, one of the Grigori's Cadres — and one of its founders."
...
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