The safehouse was quiet after the battle with Shiba Reiji. Aya sat at the table, staring at the faint glow of a lantern, her mind heavy. Akari lounged casually on the windowsill, legs crossed, watching Ren with that same sly smirk she always wore.
Ren stood in the center of the room, cleaning Mukuro no Tsurugi with slow, deliberate movements. The blade pulsed faintly, whispering secrets only he could hear.
But the silence didn't last.
"Ren," Aya finally said, her voice soft but edged with tension. "You need to understand something. The Empire won't hesitate now. Killing Reiji was a declaration of war."
Ren didn't look up. "And?"
Aya's brow furrowed. "…And they'll send someone far worse. You can't do this alone. Even if you can erase anyone, the Empire's power isn't just strength—it's numbers, fear, control."
Ren finally lifted his gaze, mismatched eyes locking with hers. Aya felt her breath hitch involuntarily. Why… why does he look at me like that?
Her heart skipped. Heat crawled up her neck. She quickly turned away—only to catch her reflection in the lantern glass.
Her own chest rose and fell, the tight kimono straining slightly with each nervous breath.
Focus, Aya. Don't get distracted. He's just a weapon. A means to an end.
But the image of him standing in the flames, calm and unshaken, burned in her mind.
"Awfully serious tonight," Akari purred. She hopped down from the window in one graceful motion, landing lightly. Her assassin's outfit clung tightly to her curves, every step deliberate.
She walked toward Ren, stopping just close enough that her body nearly brushed his. "You're really something, you know that?" she murmured, tilting her head.
Ren didn't move.
Akari smirked. "Most men can't even look me in the eye. But you…" She leaned in closer, her ample chest pressing slightly against his arm, soft yet teasing. "You're different. Strong. Cold. It's… exciting."
Aya's hand clenched under the table. "Akari… stop playing games."
"Oh?" Akari's violet eyes flicked toward her, amused. "You jealous already? How cute."
Aya stood abruptly, her kimono shifting just enough that the soft bounce of her breasts was impossible to miss. Ren's gaze didn't linger, but he noticed.
A faint heat stirred in his chest. The blade at his side pulsed faintly, whispering in amusement.
"You feel it, don't you? Desire is another kind of power…"
Ren shut the voice out.
Before the tension could snap, the trapdoor creaked open.
"Ren, we have company," Riku called down.
A soft figure descended the steps—a girl draped in a shrine maiden's robes of pure white and crimson. Her long black hair flowed like silk, her pale skin glowing faintly in the lantern light.
Her eyes were gentle, yet deep with something hidden.
Kagami Himari.
She stepped forward, bowing gracefully. The movement made her robes slip just slightly, revealing the curve of her shoulders, the faint sway of her full chest beneath the fabric as she straightened.
Ren's eyes flickered, just for a second.
Aya stiffened. Akari smirked.
"I… came because I felt the blade awaken," Himari said softly. Her voice was calm, melodic, but carried an undertone of sadness. "Mukuro no Tsurugi should not exist in this world."
Aya narrowed her eyes. "And you are?"
"I am a keeper of the old shrines," Himari replied. "I tend to the relics that remain sealed. I… know what he is." Her gaze met Ren's, and for a moment it felt like she was seeing straight through him.
Ren stepped closer. "…What am I, then?"
Himari hesitated. "…Someone walking a path that cannot end well."
The room went silent.
Akari broke it first, laughing softly. "Oh, this is rich. Another mysterious beauty shows up, warning the big bad boy about his destiny. Let me guess—" she stepped closer to Himari, leaning in with a teasing smile—"you're going to try to 'save' him, aren't you?"
Himari's eyes didn't waver. "…If I can."
Aya folded her arms, voice sharp. "She's wasting her time. He doesn't need saving. He needs focus."
Akari tilted her head, smirking. "So you do care."
Aya's face flushed faintly. "Tch…"
Ren said nothing. But his mind was turning.
Aya, cold and calculating yet unable to look away from him.Akari, teasing and dangerous, drawn to his strength.And now Himari—calm, mysterious, radiating a strange purity that felt almost forbidden.
The blade pulsed faintly, almost as if mocking him.
"They're all drawn to you. Power calls to power… and desire."
Before more could be said, the ground shook.
A low, rumbling growl rolled through the air like a beast awakening.
Riku burst back into the room. "Bad news. The Empire didn't just send one relic wielder this time. They're sending two—and one of them is a Beast Relic user."
Aya stiffened. "Which one?"
Riku's face was pale. "…The Chimera Fang. The man who controls monsters."
Akari's smirk faded slightly. "Oh, him. Things are about to get messy."
Himari looked toward Ren, her voice quiet but certain. "…You can't keep walking this path without losing yourself."
Ren picked up Mukuro no Tsurugi, its black surface rippling with faint crimson light.
"…Then I'll lose what I need to."
He turned toward the door.
"Let's see how strong they really are."