"So, I'll be leaving now," said Ren, rising and heading toward the door of the student council room, holding Sona's chess set in his hand.
As he left, he caught a glimpse of shock on Sona's face, but he didn't pay it much attention; it was natural for her to be stunned after losing to him. He didn't know the full truth, but he was in a good mood, holding the chess set that had captured his heart.
After he departed, silence filled the student council room. Neither Sona nor Tsubaki spoke for a while.
"I… lost…" Sona murmured in a low voice, a mixture of disbelief and astonishment in her tone. It was the first time she had ever lost a chess game to someone her age—or rather, younger than her—since Ren was a second-year student while she was in the third year.
"Sona-sama, would you like to keep this matter private?" Tsubaki asked, her eyes knowing. Unlike Ren, who saw no significance in Sona's defeat, it was entirely different for the girls in the student council room.
Sona paused for a moment, her hand going to her temple as she thought deeply.
"No, I made a promise, and I won't break it, even if the other party is unaware," she finally said firmly. "I will tell him, for I will marry no one else. I promised I would marry the man who defeats me in a chess game—and that has happened, even if he doesn't know about the promise."
"But… will he accept it?" Tsubaki asked, a hint of concern in her voice. "And more importantly, Serafall-sama won't accept it either."
Sona stood silently, contemplative, realizing the truth in Tsubaki's words.
"I will speak to Onee-sama myself. This is my life and my decision," she replied firmly. "As for him, the matter will be arranged between the Sitri and Beal clans. That way, it will be best for everyone."
Tsubaki remained silent, standing behind her mistress, observing every movement, every change of expression. The outcome wasn't a disaster for her; as Sona's Queen, she knew that being close to Sona's husband was inevitable. And Ren was not only powerful and of high status, but he also matched her personal tastes in a frustratingly alluring way.
With this realization, Tsubaki's mind overflowed with conflicting images: absolute loyalty to her mistress, clashing desires she could not deny, and embarrassing fantasies invading her thoughts. Her face flushed vividly, her body tense, as if every part of her was torn between loyalty and attraction, between duty and desire she could not control.
Unbeknownst to Ren, while he was enjoying looking at the chess set, he had effectively gained a fiancée and a set of lovers with her, as if they all came in one package.
But even if he discovered it, he would have accepted it graciously; Ren was a true womanizer, never refusing any beautiful woman who threw herself in his path.
_
Outside, Ren headed toward the classroom but stopped upon seeing some familiar faces.
"Yo," he greeted casually, raising his hand as he looked at three girls standing together, chatting happily.
"Kurosaki-san/Ren/Ren-kun!" the three spoke at once, staring at him in astonishment as if they hadn't expected to see him here.
"It's been a while, Amano-san, Xenovia, Irina," Ren smiled at the three beautiful girls, who seemed to share a friendly bond despite their different races.
Irina and Xenovia were humans serving the Church, while Yūma was a fallen angel. Yet their relationship had improved significantly since the peace treaty between the four factions.
"Haven't you returned to Karakura Town?" Xenovia asked, as she had been intending to submit a transfer request back to Karakura Town, still regretting leaving Ren without fighting alongside him to satisfy her heart.
"Indeed. I even heard you became Captain of the 5th Division in Gotei 13, and responsible for communication with other factions," Irina added, as her father held a high position in the Church, giving her more information than the others.
"Several things happened, but I am not here representing the Shinigami faction," Ren lightly shook his head at their questions. "I am here representing the Beal Clan, as my new name is Kurosaki Beal Ren."
"It seems my mother descended from the Beal Clan, and I inherited the Power of Destruction from her, so I am recognized as the new heir of the Beal Clan."
Ren had no intention of hiding this fact; he had enrolled in this academy under the name Kurosaki Beal Ren, so everyone would eventually learn about it. There was no point in concealing it.
"Beal Clan? Weren't you Shinigami? How did you become a Devil?" Xenovia asked, clearly puzzled, as she wasn't the type to overthink things, preferring to swing her sword and destroy rather than ponder over matters unimportant in battle.
"It's complicated. No need to think about it too much," Ren said casually, waving it off. "What about you? How have things been in my absence?"
The three girls smiled, curiosity and surprise evident on their faces, but Ren didn't give them much time to dwell on complicated matters.
"Things… were mostly fine," Amano answered, trying to appear calm, though she couldn't hide her astonishment at his sudden return. "The Church and other factions maintained contact, and we tried to keep the peace…"
"All without you, Ren?" Xenovia added, half reproachful, half playful, waving her light sword in front of her to ease her curiosity and embarrassment.
Ren chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Yes, but it wasn't as difficult as you think. Most of the time, I observed from afar, letting events take their course."
He looked at Irina with a calm smile, as if anticipating her next question. "And for you, everything went smoothly, right?"
Irina nodded, trying to appear knowledgeable, but she couldn't hide her surprise at his new identity. "Yes… but I didn't expect to see you here, with a new title and name."
"Much has changed since we last met," Ren said calmly, running his fingers over the chess set he carried. "Even I have changed, but some things remain the same… our friends, our struggles, and the path we walk."
A moment of silence fell as everyone exchanged glances, each trying to understand what had happened during his absence.
Then Ren cast a quick glance behind him, as if inspecting the classroom before entering. "Well, now that I'm here, it seems class has begun, right?"
The girls smiled, knowing his presence would shift the classroom dynamics, yet they couldn't deny the comfort of seeing an old friend return, even stronger and more mysterious than they had expected.
...
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