Chapter 788: W: Old Kaltsit, You Have Your Day Too, Hahaha
"Fubuki, I won!"
"Heh heh, it was me!"
Ren had already left the room.
Tatsumaki and Fubuki lay completely bare and limp against the plush leather of the sofa. Their chests heaved, skin flushed with a deep, lingering pink. Even though their stamina was utterly spent, their voices still clashed in the quiet room, refusing to yield the title of victor.
The dynamic between the two sisters was endlessly amusing. In their desperate bid to secure more power than the other, their rivalry had escalated into a fierce, unyielding battlefield.
To resolve this, Ren had devised a brilliantly simple method. He applied the exact same principle he had used with Alaya and Gaia: he bound the bestowal of power directly to his essence. Whoever managed to draw out and claim more of his essence would receive a greater share of power.
Driven by the intoxicating allure of absolute strength, Tatsumaki and Fubuki had taken turns pushing themselves far beyond their physical limits.
Tatsumaki, fueled by her sheer, stubborn willpower, had been especially relentless. Even when her emerald eyes brimmed with tears that spilled down her cheeks, she had gritted her teeth and refused to surrender. She had kept going until her consciousness practically faded, her body entirely giving out.
Only after Ren had bestowed a deep, lingering farewell kiss upon both of them did he finally depart.
And the moment the door clicked shut, the arguing resumed.
Just moments ago, the clash of their raw psychokinetic auras had pierced through the atmosphere, stirring the distant sea of stars. Yet, the final verdict of their power struggle was a dead heat. A perfect draw.
Tatsumaki crossed her arms as best she could with her exhausted muscles, her chin tilted up. She insisted she was the stronger one.
Fubuki argued back for a moment before her sharp eyes suddenly sparkled with a cunning light. A victorious smile curved her lips. "Big sister, in terms of raw strength, we might be tied... but I still won."
"Huh? Why?!" Tatsumaki's eyes widened, absolutely unconvinced.
Fubuki reached out and gently pinched Tatsumaki's chest. The older sister's petite frame trembled slightly at the sudden contact.
Her face burning crimson, Tatsumaki swatted the hand away and glared. "What exactly do you think you're doing?!"
"Hahaha, can't you tell, big sister?" Fubuki giggled, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "Ren likes me more. Oh, it's simply because I actually have a chest, and you are completely flat."
Tatsumaki stared blankly.
Her gaze slowly drifted downward. Only then did she notice that Fubuki's ample curves were entirely covered in the dark, bruising marks Ren had left behind. So many of them, overlapping in a messy display of affection.
Then, she looked down at herself.
Nothing. Just a smooth, unblemished expanse.
She had lost.
Tatsumaki slumped back against the cushions, looking as though she had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Rhodes Island.
"Has Ren not returned yet?"
Kaltsit's cool, measured voice broke the silence as she approached Skadi and the others who had last seen him.
It wasn't that the stoic Feline was personally eager to see the man. Rather, following an emergency meeting, the select few on Rhodes Island who had been briefed on Specter's miraculous condition were practically vibrating with anticipation. They all demanded an audience with Ren.
How could they not be? This was a man who had effortlessly cured Specter, an Operator whose mind and body had been ravaged by severe, late-stage Oripathy.
"I apologize, Doctor Kaltsit. The Lord left suddenly, and we do not know when he will return."
Specter offered a gentle, polite smile. Her posture was immaculate, her tone as refined as a well-bred noble lady. Looking at her now, one could not find a single trace of the violent madness and fractured schizophrenia that had plagued her for so long.
Those who had been secretly observing Specter from the shadows exchanged looks of absolute shock.
Gladiia stood nearby, her posture rigid and silent. Lacking the full context of what had transpired, the Aegirian hunter chose to keep her opinions to herself.
It was Skadi whose gaze suddenly shifted toward the empty space in the center of the room.
"He's back."
The very next moment, the air rippled.
"It seems all five of you are waiting for me here."
Ren materialized in the room, his hands resting casually in his pockets. However, a quick headcount revealed only five people present, including him.
Just as his words settled into the quiet room, a figure shrouded in a dark hood melted out of the shadows in the corner. Despite the heavy cloak, the distinct horns and the slender, spade-tipped black tail betrayed her Sarkaz lineage.
The Sarkaz woman locked her sharp, deadly gaze onto Ren.
"How... did you find me?"
Ren didn't bother answering. He merely shifted his eyes, giving her a single, indifferent look.
The Sarkaz woman's breath hitched. Her entire body began to tremble violently.
It was pure, unadulterated fear.
She had never, in all her years of walking the line between life and death, imagined that a person could make her lose control of her own muscles with just a passing glance.
Ascalon.
Rhodes Island Operator.
Female Sarkaz.
Administrator of S.W.E.E.P., and Kaltsit's most loyal shadow.
She was the undisputed strongest assassin on Rhodes Island.
Kaltsit did not show a shred of surprise at Ascalon being instantly discovered and completely intimidated. She had understood the great depths of Ren's power for a long time now.
She stepped forward, her tone respectful. "Lord Ren, may I ask if you would be willing to relocate? Rhodes Island wishes to establish formal cooperation with you."
"Heh heh. If anyone else said that, I definitely wouldn't agree, but..."
Ren vanished.
Before Kaltsit could even blink, he was standing directly beside her. Every hair on her Feline tail stood on end.
His fingers were already brushing against her sensitive animal ear, gently stroking the soft fur.
"If my little cat asks so nicely, I don't mind listening."
Kaltsit's shoulders trembled slightly under his touch. She pressed her lips into a thin line, suppressing her natural instincts, and gave a stiff nod.
Ascalon watched the exchange, utterly stunned. That strict, unyielding old woman who always wore a face carved from ice could actually be so... well-behaved?
"Lead the way," Ren said, dropping his hand.
Inside the main conference room.
"Doctor, do you think Oripathy can really be cured?"
Amiya sat at the table, her rabbit ears drooping slightly. She was still in a daze, struggling to process the reports. She had walked this barren land, listening to the wails of those infected by Originium. She knew better than anyone that merely suppressing Oripathy was a monumental, agonizing task. Rhodes Island had bled for years just to buy the Infected a little more time.
But now, she was being told that Oripathy could be completely eradicated?
And it wasn't an isolated miracle. There were three confirmed cases. FrostNova, Patriot, and Specter—all pulled back from the brink of death by Ren's hand.
The white-haired Doctor leaned back in his chair and shook his head slowly. "I don't know the mechanics behind it. But if it's him... then it is possible."
"Amiya, has Ren really arrived at Rhodes Island?"
FrostNova pushed through the doors, her icy aura barely contained by her excitement. She and Patriot had rushed over the moment they heard the rumors.
"Heh. You're certainly paying a lot of attention to that man. Aren't you just trying to drag him into your bed?"
W sat perched on the edge of the table, casually tossing a miniature explosive in the air and catching it. Her taunt was sharp, accompanied by a wicked grin.
FrostNova glared at the mercenary, a dusting of red appearing on her pale cheeks. Their relationship had always been volatile at best.
"Yelena. Calm yourself."
The towering, armored figure of Patriot stepped into the room, his deep, steady voice instantly halting the bickering. He was well aware of his daughter's affections. But considering the sheer magnitude of that Lord's power, he had no objections. If there was a single safe haven left on this cursed land, Patriot firmly believed it was by that man's side.
Skadi and Gravel, who were already seated, could barely hide the anticipation in their eyes. They understood the true horror of Oripathy. If this cure could be mass-produced and popularized, it would genuinely save every Infected soul in the world.
Of course, such a thought was painfully naive.
Oripathy was merely a convenient excuse for the powerful to oppress the weak. Even if the disease vanished tomorrow, the world would not suddenly embrace peace. The suffering of the marginalized would simply take a new form.
The heavy doors of the conference room slid open.
Every single person in the room stood up in unison. Their expressions shifted dramatically as the newcomers entered.
FrostNova's gaze locked onto Ren instantly, her eyes softening, unable to look away.
Patriot straightened his massive frame, offering Ren a gaze of absolute, solemn respect.
W, however, zeroed in on the sight of the old Feline she despised. Seeing Kaltsit having her ear casually played with, acting like an obedient, domesticated pet, made W's crimson eyes light up with malicious glee.
She reached into her jacket and whipped out her phone.
Click! Flash!
Under Kaltsit's intensely murderous glare, W pressed the shutter button, deliberately leaving the flash on to capture the humiliating moment in high definition.
Skadi and the others broke out in a cold sweat. Provoking Doctor Kaltsit like that... did W truly have a death wish?
[Chat Group]
Ais: "Ren, do you know how he got so strong?"
Erza: "What a persistent girl."
Ren: "I do know his method."
Ais: "Can you tell me?"
Ren: "Of course."
Ren: "100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every single day. And never turn on the air conditioner, no matter how hot it gets in the summer."
Sylvia: "Eh???"
Saeko Busujima: "This... will a routine like that really work?"
Kiana: "Hahaha, how is that even possible? My basic Valkyrie training courses back in the day were way more intense than that, and even then, I wasn't a fraction as strong as him!"
Durandal: "If such a mundane training method could forge a human into someone like him... humanity might have defeated the Honkai long ago."
Durandal possessed a deep understanding of physical limits. She could confidently state that her daily regimen was dozens of times more brutal than the one Ren just described. Yet, even with all her effort, she still relied on Stigmata and Valkyrie Armor to wield true power.
But Saitama, currently displayed in the live broadcast, was outputting world-breaking strength with nothing but his bare flesh.
Kiana: "Ren, you're not lying to us, are you?"
Ren: "Heh heh, I'm not lying. That is genuinely his training method. But I never said it was suitable for anyone else."
Ren: "Saitama merely used this repetitive routine to break a specific, inherent limiter within his own body. By shattering that limit, he gained a power that continuously and passively improves his physical form."
Nami: "Wait, continuously growing? You mean he has no upper limit?"
Ren: "In his specific world, you could say he doesn't. But the growth isn't instantaneous; the accumulation process is very slow."
Ren: "And he also paid a small price for it."
Tsunade: "A price... as expected. Power of that magnitude always demands a toll."
Even the overwhelming power Ren bestowed upon them required a price. That price, naturally, was offering themselves to him, spending time pulling weeds in Egypt, and wandering through the chaotic white expanse of his domain. Thinking of those intense sessions, Tsunade couldn't help but cross her legs, a strange heat pooling in her lower abdomen.
Kiana: "So, what was the price he paid to get that strong?"
Esdeath: "I am quite curious myself."
Ren: "Can't you tell by looking at him?"
Ren: "[Image Attached]"
Ren sent a close-up photo to the chat. It was Saitama's face—completely expressionless, sporting those iconic, vacant dead-fish eyes.
Misaka Mikoto: "This... why are you showing us his face?"
Erza: "Aside from getting the distinct impression that his soul is a bit empty, I don't see anything physically wrong with him."
Ren: "Don't you think his head is a little too shiny? By the way, he's only in his twenties."
March 7th: "Eh??? No way, could it be..."
Exusiai: "The price is baldness?!"
Ren: "That's right. Complete and total baldness."
Seitenshi: "Wh-what a bizarre price to pay."
Shiroyasha: "Hahaha! How utterly fascinating."
Tushan Honghong: "What a terrifying demonic art! This must absolutely never be attempted!"
The Chat Group was entirely composed of women. Naturally, the very concept of losing their beautiful hair was a horror worse than death.
Ais: "..."
Ais, who had been genuinely considering adopting the routine, reached up and touched her long, flowing golden hair. Deep hesitation clouded her features. She realized that perhaps she wasn't quite willing to sacrifice everything for revenge after all.
Her hesitation was all the proof she needed. But Ren's next message completely shattered any lingering temptation.
Ren: "Of course, losing his hair is just the physical toll. The most severe price is that his emotions have become increasingly indifferent. That is the 'emptiness' Erza picked up on."
Tingyun: "It seems this gentleman's eyes are indeed hollow. But right now, in the heat of battle, his spirit seems uplifted."
Ren: "That's only because he has finally encountered an opponent formidable enough to let him exert his full strength."
March 7th: "Oh right, what exactly is that one-eyed guy? He looks super weird, but his energy is off the charts."
Ren: "An alien from his universe. A space pirate who goes by the title 'Cosmic Overlord'."
Bronya: "Cosmic Overlord?! Then his power must be incomprehensibly vast?"
Ren: "The title is heavily watered down. At most, he's just conquered numerous weaker life forms across the galaxy. His warship couldn't even explore the entirety of his universe before it met its end."
Watered down was an understatement. In that specific universe, aside from the bizarre anomalies concentrated on Earth, there truly were no other life forms capable of challenging Boros.
Tatsumaki: "You... how do you know absolutely everything?"
Ren smiled at her through the screen. "Is there a problem with me knowing?"
Tatsumaki bit her lip, unsure of how to retort. The sheer frustration of knowing less about the threats in her own world than an outsider made her chest tight with annoyance. And worse... the enemy currently fighting on the screen was not someone the Hero Association could handle.
Vivian, who had been floating nearby, her magical energy thrumming just beneath her skin, asked softly, "Ren, should we wait until they finish their bout?"
"It's about to end."
Ren looked out toward the distant horizon. In his eyes, Saitama's defeat was already a foregone conclusion.
This Boros was fundamentally different from the one in the original timeline. After being irradiated and mutated by the Light of Destruction, the alien warlord wasn't even properly warmed up yet.
But Saitama had truly pushed his current limits.
"Serious... Consecutive Punches!!!"
Saitama's voice roared over the wasteland as he unleashed his ultimate technique. A wall of devastating, vacuum-shredding fists surged forward. But even now, his power was subconsciously restrained by the fragile Earth beneath his feet. He couldn't risk his punches shattering the planet.
Boros, hovering in the air, looked genuinely bored.
"If this is the extent of your power, then... you can die."
For the first time since the clash began, Boros got slightly serious.
His speed broke the boundaries of physical reality. Saitama was too stunned to predict the trajectory, his eyes unable to even track the alien's presence.
It was a simple, unadorned punching motion.
Yet, facing that incoming fist, Saitama felt as though he was watching the heat death of the universe. The sheer density of the kinetic force promised absolute erasure. Would he die here?
Saitama felt the sensation of mortal peril for the first time in years. After a brief flash of strangeness and shock, an incredibly calm acceptance washed over him.
'Ah, I'm going to die. So let me die.'
He closed his eyes, completely at peace with the end.
At that exact microsecond, a single finger slid into the space between them.
The finger lightly tapped against Boros's apocalyptic punch. The kinetic energy, enough to vaporize Saitama and crack the continent, was effortlessly absorbed and erased.
Not a single shockwave rippled through the air. The atmosphere remained perfectly still.
Boros's single, massive eye widened in absolute astonishment.
Ren stood there, his posture relaxed, his voice calm. "I am giving you a chance to unleash your true, unbridled power. I hope you have the sense to seize it."
As his words faded, reality itself warped.
The ruined landscape of Z-City melted away, replaced instantly by the cold, boundless expanse of the starry cosmos. They were now floating in deep space.
Boros paid no attention to the sudden shift in environment. His single eye was locked entirely onto Ren.
"You... are very strong."
Boros had crossed the galaxy believing the bald human was his prophesied rival. However, due to the unexpected mutation in his own body, he had become far too powerful. The fated opponent of prophecy couldn't even scratch his armor.
He had already succumbed to the familiar, gnawing boredom.
He never expected a third party to casually intercept his strike.
What a pity. The dynamic had completely reversed. It wasn't that Boros looked down on Ren; it was that Ren was looking down on him.
"Your opponent is her."
Ren vanished, reappearing instantly by Tatsumaki's side.
Receiving his cue, Vivian floated forward, her elegant dress drifting in the vacuum of space.
"I will be your opponent," she declared, her voice echoing through telepathy.
Boros remained silent, but the ambient energy around him began to boil with sheer, unadulterated rage. That dismissive attitude—treating him like a dog in a pet show—deeply provoked his warrior's pride.
"Very well. I will slaughter her, then the rest of them, and finally... I will kill you!"
Boros's fury detonated.
Boom!
Blinding lightning and auroras of raw plasma bloomed in the void. Endless, catastrophic energy erupted from his core. The alien's previously white armor and skin darkened, filled with pulsing, pitch-black patterns.
When he opened his eye, he clenched his fist.
A massive asteroid, floating leagues away, violently shifted its trajectory and hurtled toward him.
"This is my new power." Boros grinned savagely.
With a sweeping punch, he seized control of the celestial body and hurled the entire miniature planet directly at Vivian.
This was merely him testing the waters, adapting to the current limits of his Meteoric Burst state. His racial ability allowed for total energy liberation—converting his immense internal reserves directly into physical propulsion, granting him speed and destructive force that shattered biological logic.
And now, mutated by the Light of Destruction, that power had undergone a terrifying qualitative evolution. With a single thought, he could manipulate the gravity of the cosmos. Tossing a planet was just an appetizer.
He stretched his arms wide.
Several massive stars from neighboring systems were violently ripped from their orbits. They converged toward Boros's location, their gravitational fields screaming. The stellar energy merged between his hands, emitting a blinding light that dwarfed the sun.
Seeing Vivian casually hold back the first asteroid with a barrier, Boros narrowed his eye. The woman was much stronger than he anticipated.
His blood boiled with excitement.
"Human! Let's see if you can survive this! I'll be watching your ashes scatter!"
He threw the punch.
The compressed, merged power of multiple stars fired forward like a blazing cosmic cannon. The beam struck the asteroid Vivian was holding, vaporizing it instantly like a fragile eggshell.
The blinding energy cannon swallowed Vivian entirely.
[Chat Group]
Misaka Mikoto: "Hiss... Can battles actually reach this level of destruction?"
Watching the live broadcast, Misaka Mikoto sat frozen in her dorm room. She had always believed her Level 5 Railgun was the pinnacle of power. Later, she watched Ren casually toy with espers, completely redefining her worldview. And after she had spent time pulling weeds in Egypt, the power Ren gifted her made her feel like she could split the earth.
But she had never actually tested it. She couldn't exactly blow up her own planet just to check her stats.
Shokuhou Misaki: "Is this kind of collateral damage really okay? So many stars were just casually destroyed."
Ren: "Don't worry about it. This specific pocket universe was created by me just now. It's completely devoid of life."
Shokuhou Misaki: "...As expected of you."
Aqua: "So the enemy doesn't seem very strong after all."
Ren: "He isn't. This Doomsday Companion is just so-so. Barely a seven-star threat."
Not strong?!
Tatsumaki stood beside Ren, her jaw slightly slack. Was this exaggerated, galaxy-destroying battle just a fever dream?
She looked up at Ren, her voice trembling slightly. "Vivi... Is she alright?"
That was the concentrated explosion of multiple stars!
"Heh heh. Vivi is much stronger than you can possibly imagine." Ren chuckled, gesturing toward the void. "See for yourself."
Tatsumaki followed his gaze, her confusion deepening.
As the blinding light of the energy cannon faded, Vivian floated in the exact same spot. Her dress wasn't even singed. She stood completely unharmed within the residual heat of an attack that had pierced through solar systems.
"Is it over already?" Vivian patted a speck of cosmic dust off her sleeve, her expression the picture of boredom.
Boros froze. The triumphant grin slid off his face.
An attack of that magnitude would have instantly vaporized his past self. Yet this woman took it head-on without a single scratch? Did such an absurd entity truly exist in this universe? Was Earth really hiding monsters of this caliber?
He had believed the prophecy spoke of an equal. Not long ago, he thought it was the bald human.
But now... he realized he was the underdog.
Vivian tilted her head, her tone laced with genuine curiosity. "If that was your absolute limit, we could have ended this charade minutes ago."
Boros's teeth bared in a feral, desperate snarl.
"My limit?! I'll show you my absolute limit!"
His aura exploded outward, a shockwave that rippled through the fabric of space. This time, every celestial body within lightyears began to tremble and drift toward him.
Boros's body swelled, the dark patterns glowing with chaotic, multi-colored light. He was burning his life force, drawing out his ultimate technique: the Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon.
A massive, swirling vortex of energy gathered in his maw, compressing every drop of latent power in his mutated cells. In the past, this attack could shave off the Earth's crust. Now, it possessed the density to wipe out the entire star system.
"Crack!"
Boros unhinged his jaw, and the energy erupted.
A beam of pure, annihilating light surged forward, tearing through the vacuum. He swore on his pride as a warrior to make this dismissive human take him seriously. He refused to let his final battle be a one-sided execution.
The cosmos screamed. Space itself splintered and shattered like fragile glass under the sheer pressure of the beam.
Ren, Mumei, and Tatsumaki stood perfectly safe behind a casual barrier Ren had erected.
Vivian, facing the apocalyptic Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon directly, didn't even blink.
"It really is over."
She raised a single, elegant hand.
Behind her, the starry sky tore open. Massive, jagged fissures ripped through the void, large enough to swallow entire planets. From the deep, abyssal darkness of the rifts, colossal blue roses bloomed.
Their thorny vines and luminous azure leaves lashed out. Any stray asteroid or star they brushed against was instantly drained of its energy and erased from existence.
The target of these cosmic flora was the incoming energy wave—and Boros himself.
Boros watched in absolute horror as his ultimate, life-burning attack was caught by a blue rose larger than the sun. The flower's petals closed around the beam, absorbing the star-shattering energy without shedding a single leaf.
Before he could react, the surrounding space was entirely engulfed by a thicket of massive blue roses. The thorny vines coiled around his limbs, locking him in place. He couldn't twitch a muscle. It felt as though the very throat of his destiny had been crushed.
Boros's single eye darted frantically from Vivian to Ren, who was watching with mild amusement.
A bitter, self-deprecating smile touched the alien's lips. "Heh... I was naive enough to think I could actually fight you monsters..."
The moment the words left his mouth, his physical form disintegrated. The blue roses drained his mutated life force, absorbing him indiscriminately into the void.
[Ding! Detected that Boros has been eliminated by Chat Group member Vivian. Doomsday Companion has ended!]
"Is it really over?" Tatsumaki asked, her voice hollow. Today, her entire understanding of the universe's hierarchy had been violently rewritten. There was always a higher mountain.
"Not quite yet."
Ren stepped forward. Boros was merely a symptom, mutated by the true threat. To properly end this Doomsday, he needed to address the root cause.
He casually hooked his index finger.
A wisp of pure, blinding white light was dragged out of the collapsing void, swirling obediently around his fingertip. This was the Light of Destruction.
Ren didn't immediately crush it. He narrowed his eyes, his divine perception tracing the light's origin. His gaze pierced through the fabric of time, space, and the boundaries of the multiverse.
He intended to find the source. But halfway through the cosmic tether, Ren abruptly severed his connection.
A deep, chilling sensation warned him to pull back.
With a single thought, he crushed the wisp of light between his fingers, erasing it completely. His usually relaxed expression hardened into something exceptionally solemn.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Mumei asked, her sharp instincts picking up on his shift in mood.
"...It's nothing."
Ren replied smoothly, though his eyes lingered on the spot where the light had vanished. He could have forced his way through the connection, but his premonition screamed that doing so would trigger a catastrophic incident prematurely.
Behind that Light of Destruction lurked a terrifying entity. The sheer scale of its presence reminded him of the Lord of Myriad Worlds candidates. He trusted his instincts.
[Ding! Detected Ren has eliminated the Light of Destruction. Doomsday ended!]
[Ding! Ren obtained 50 million Doomsday points. Vivian obtained 15 million Doomsday points. Mumei and Tatsumaki obtained 1 million Doomsday points!]
Hearing the system notification, Ren's focus returned to the present.
"Let's head back."
Instead of returning to his personal domain, he casually waved his hand, erasing the pocket dimension he had created.
The group materialized back in the familiar, rubble-strewn ruins of Z-City.
Saitama was still standing exactly where they had left him, scratching his bald head with a look of utter confusion.
Seeing Ren reappear, Saitama blinked. "Ah, you're back." He walked over, his cape fluttering in the dusty wind. "Thanks for saving me back there."
Ren gave a slight nod. Pulling him out of the way had been a trivial effort.
"Where did that monster go?" Saitama looked left and right, scanning the empty sky. The overwhelming presence of the alien was completely gone.
"He's already dead," Ren said, patting the hero's shoulder. "It's safe now."
Ren snapped his fingers.
An invisible, restorative wave washed over the landscape. The shattered concrete, the leveled skyscrapers, the burning craters—everything in Z-City instantly reversed in time, returning to its pristine state before Boros's warship had descended.
The S-Class Heroes who had been brutally maimed or killed in the crossfire were fully healed and resurrected, gasping for air as they found themselves whole again.
But Ren's restoration caught someone else in its net. Someone he found quite interesting.
"Tatsumaki," Ren said casually, not looking at her. "Did you know that someone you care about very deeply died in Z-City just a few minutes ago?"
"Someone I care about?" Tatsumaki blinked, her brow furrowing. The only person in the world she truly cared about was...
"Fubuki?!"
Tatsumaki's emerald eyes shrank to pinpricks. Was Fubuki in Z-City during the attack?!
"I'll take you to see her."
Ren smiled faintly. He placed a hand on Tatsumaki's shoulder, and the group vanished once more.
"Ah, they disappeared again," Saitama muttered. He was genuinely shocked by the reality-bending display, but his paralyzed facial muscles refused to show it.
"Teacher, did you defeat the enemy?"
Genos, his cybernetic body completely restored by Ren's snap, jogged over. His mechanical eyes burned with absolute reverence as he stared at Saitama. In his mind, it was an obvious fact that his master had vanquished the alien threat.
"It wasn't me, Genos," Saitama replied honestly, picking his nose.
Not far away, a loud, scoffing voice echoed over the restored plaza. "How could a B-Class nobody have defeated the enemy? It was obviously King!"
A crowd of resurrected S-Class Heroes and Association staff had formed a tight circle around King. The tall, scarred man stood with his arms crossed, his expression a mask of terrifying solemnity.
"King! As expected of the Strongest Man on Earth! Not only did you obliterate the alien vanguard, but you also used some hidden, god-like ability to restore the entire city and bring us back to life!"
"King, what kind of secret technique was that?!"
The heroes chattered incessantly, their awe evident. They firmly believed King had soloed the apocalypse.
King, standing at the epicenter of their worship, said absolutely nothing.
It wasn't that he was trying to play cool. It was because his heart was beating so violently—the infamous King Engine roaring in his chest—that his vocal cords had locked up. He was so terrified he couldn't even open his jaw. He had genuinely thought he was going to die.
Once again, a massive, spiraling misunderstanding cemented King's status as humanity's greatest savior.
"Did I... just die?"
On a quiet, perfectly intact street in Z-City, a woman stared at her trembling hands in absolute bewilderment.
She had sleek, chin-length black hair, fair skin, and a tall, striking figure. Her sharp, beautiful eyes were wide with confusion. She wore an elegant, form-fitting green dress draped with a white fur coat, perfectly accentuating her slender waist and heavy breasts.
She was Hellish Blizzard, the Rank 1 hero of the B-Class, and the ambitious leader of the Blizzard Group.
She was also Tatsumaki's younger sister.
Living her entire life suffocated by the shadow of her sister's god-like talent, Fubuki had developed a deep-seated inferiority complex. Unlike Tatsumaki's solitary, arrogant approach, Fubuki desperately gathered weaker heroes to form her faction, ruthlessly crushing anyone who refused to submit to her rule.
She had traveled to Z-City today to recruit a rising B-Class rookie.
But out of nowhere, a cataclysmic shockwave had swept through the city. She remembered screaming, throwing up her strongest psychokinetic barrier, only to watch it shatter like wet paper. The irresistible force had crushed her, and her consciousness had plunged into the cold abyss of nothingness.
"Am I dead?"
Fubuki touched her face, feeling the warmth of her own skin. She wasn't entirely sure if she was a ghost.
"Fubuki!!!"
A frantic, tear-filled voice shattered her daze. It sounded exactly like her sister, but Tatsumaki never sounded this panicked.
"Sister?"
Fubuki turned around just as Tatsumaki descended from the sky like a green meteor. The older sister slammed into the pavement, grabbing Fubuki's arms and frantically checking her body for injuries.
"Sister, what are you doing? You're hurting me," Fubuki complained, trying to pull back.
"You don't need to check her. My resurrection process is flawless," Ren's voice drifted over. He stood a few paces away, flanked by Vivian and Mumei.
That casual reassurance caused Tatsumaki to freeze completely.
Resurrection?
That meant Fubuki had genuinely died in Z-City. And the only attack that had indiscriminately swept through the entire metropolitan area before Boros's ship fired... was hers.
She had done it.
Her own psychokinetic outburst had crushed Fubuki.
"I... I killed Fubuki..."
For Tatsumaki, whose entire worldview revolved around protecting her younger sister, the realization hit like a physical blow to the chest. Extreme, suffocating guilt gripped her heart.
Fubuki looked utterly bewildered. What did Tatsumaki mean she killed her? The massive gap in information left her staring blankly at her sister's trembling form.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Ren chuckled. "Tsk tsk. You two really need to sit down and have a proper talk."
Fubuki's Apartment.
Ren had taken the liberty of teleporting the entire group directly into Fubuki's spacious living room. He tactfully gave the sisters the master bedroom to sort out their trauma.
Inside the room, Fubuki finally understood the full picture. During the chaotic battle, her sister's unrestrained power had accidentally caught her in the crossfire. That unstoppable, crushing force she felt before dying had been Tatsumaki's.
Strangely, she didn't feel angry about her death. Instead, her primary emotion was deep awe. Experiencing that chasm-like gap in power firsthand truly induced despair.
"I'm so sorry, Fubuki... I didn't know you were in the city..."
Tatsumaki sat on the edge of the bed, her head bowed. Her voice was thick with unshed tears, sounding exactly like a small child who had made a terrible, irreversible mistake.
Looking at her usually arrogant, untouchable sister reduced to such a vulnerable state, all the bitter jealousy Fubuki had harbored for years evaporated into thin air. She suddenly felt ridiculous. She had a sister with the power of a god who cared for her this deeply, yet she had wasted her life resenting her.
"Sister."
Fubuki stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tatsumaki's petite frame, pulling her into a warm hug. She gently patted her back. "It's not your fault. You didn't know. And look, I'm perfectly fine now. I'm alive."
"Fubuki... Wuwu..."
Tatsumaki's emotional dam broke. She buried her face in Fubuki's chest and sobbed openly. As proud and abrasive as she was to the world, the sheer terror of losing her only family had broken her.
After a long while, the tears finally stopped.
The two sisters walked out of the bedroom, their eyes slightly red but their bond stronger than ever.
In the living room, Ren was lounging comfortably on the sofa, enjoying a careful shoulder massage from Vivian and Mumei.
Tatsumaki and Fubuki walked up to him and bowed deeply in perfect synchronization.
"Ren, thank you for saving Fubuki," Tatsumaki said, her tone completely devoid of its usual bite.
"Ren-kun, thank you for granting me a second life," Fubuki added softly.
"I accept your gratitude. Do you two have anything else on your minds?" Ren asked, his eyes curving into a lazy smile as he looked directly at Fubuki.
He addressed them both, but the weight of his gaze was entirely focused on the younger sister.
Fubuki's heart skipped a beat. Under those dark, knowing eyes, she felt as though her clothes had turned to glass. Every secret, every hidden desire was laid bare before him.
"There's nothing else." Tatsumaki quickly regained her usual haughty demeanor, crossing her arms. "I'll handle the cleanup. Fubuki, you stay here. The city is in absolute chaos right now, so don't go running around."
After delivering her bossy, sisterly warning, Tatsumaki enveloped herself in a green aura and flew straight out the window, heading for the Hero Association headquarters.
Ren shrugged lazily. "Well, I suppose we should be going too."
He made a show of standing up.
"Wait!" Fubuki called out, her voice slightly desperate.
Ren turned back, his expression suggesting he had expected this all along. "Miss Fubuki seems to have something she wants to say."
Fubuki bit her lower lip, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. She gathered her courage and asked, "Ren-kun... you must be even stronger than my sister, right?"
Between the casual resurrection and Tatsumaki's uncharacteristic submissiveness around him, Fubuki wasn't blind. She recognized a true apex predator when she saw one.
"Of course." Ren held her gaze. "You want to gain power stronger than your sister's, don't you?"
He casually voiced her deepest, darkest ambition in a single breath.
"You... how did you know?!" Fubuki gasped, her eyes widening in shock and uncertainty.
"I merely read your inner thoughts."
"Mind reading?!"
No wonder she felt so exposed. He literally possessed the ability to hear her soul.
"Not just mind reading. I also have X-ray vision," Ren added with a wicked smirk.
Startled, Fubuki let out a small yelp and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover her curves. X-ray vision?! Then didn't that mean she was currently standing completely naked in his eyes?!
Instantly, the security her elegant dress provided vanished. Fubuki felt a hot flush spread from her neck to her ears, her skin tingling as if ants were crawling over it.
"Haha, relax. I wouldn't stoop so low as to use X-ray vision on you," Ren chuckled, waving a hand dismissively.
Despite his words, Fubuki didn't believe him for a second.
Vivian covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. "Miss Fubuki, you can trust Ren-kun. He disdains using cheap tricks or lies to communicate with women."
It was the truth. Across the multiverse, countess extraordinary women actively sought Ren's favor. With so many beauties willing to bare themselves to him at a moment's notice, he had absolutely no need to play the peeping tom.
Hearing this, Fubuki slowly lowered her arms, though she still felt incredibly awkward.
She took a deep breath, forcing her racing heart to steady. She looked Ren in the eye and spoke the words she desired most. "Ren-kun, the voice you heard in my heart was correct. I want to become stronger than my sister."
Even though the toxic jealousy had faded, the core desire remained. Fubuki refused to be the weak link. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life hiding behind Tatsumaki like a useless burden. She wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her, fighting off invaders as equals. She wanted to earn her sister's genuine pride and praise.
Fubuki took a step forward, her tone earnest. "Ren-kun, since you possess such unfathomable power... do you have a way for someone to improve their strength rapidly?"
She had originally planned to climb the ranks by expanding the Blizzard Group. But after directly experiencing the impossible chasm of Tatsumaki's power, Fubuki realized that numbers meant nothing. Only absolute, personal strength mattered.
"Become as strong as your sister, right?"
Ren snapped his fingers.
"How about right now? Are you satisfied with this?" he asked casually.
Fubuki froze.
A terrifying, oceanic wave of power suddenly detonated within her core. The sheer density of the psychokinetic energy coursing through her veins made her gasp.
With a mere thought, her dark hair and green dress defied gravity, fluttering wildly. Her feet left the floor as she effortlessly levitated. She felt an intoxicating sense of omnipotence—as if she could casually pluck the moon from the sky.
"Go outside and test your new limits first." Ren waved his hand, teleporting her out of the apartment and high into the sky above the city.
As Fubuki vanished, Vivian leaned closer to Ren, her slender fingers tracing the hard lines of his chest. "Ren-kun, are you planning to take her into the fold?"
Mumei was even bolder. The young Kabaneri straddled his lap, her hands initiating a much deeper, more intimate massage. Both girls had been enduring their desires for far too long.
Ren captured Vivian's red lips in a bruising kiss before pulling her flush against his side. He smiled faintly. "I just want to let her experience her lifelong dream."
He looked down at Mumei's eager expression. "Vivian, Mumei... before Fubuki gets back, we shouldn't waste any time."
High above the clouds.
"Am I really this strong?!"
Fubuki was completely ecstatic, her laughter echoing in the wind. The sensation of absolute power was intoxicating.
She tested her limits, replicating the catastrophic feats she had watched Tatsumaki perform on the news. She casually lifted a mountain peak, parted the clouds for miles, and summoned a localized meteor shower of debris. She could do it all effortlessly!
She truly possessed power equal to—or perhaps even surpassing—her sister's!
With her greatest childhood dream finally realized, she spent a long time flying through the sky, burning off her adrenaline. Eventually, her racing heart calmed down, and rationality returned.
She remembered that this god-like ability was a gift from Ren. She had no idea how he had bypassed the laws of reality to grant it, but the results were obvious.
"I have to thank him properly!"
Fubuki spun around and shot back toward her apartment like a green comet.
Instead of using the front door, she phased directly through the open balcony window, eager to show off her control.
But the moment her feet touched the living room floor, Fubuki froze like a statue.
"What... what are you doing?!"
Her jaw dropped in absolute astonishment. She stared wide-eyed at the intense, tangled battle currently taking place on her living room rug.
Fubuki's brain short-circuited. She had lived a relatively sheltered life regarding such matters; she had never witnessed a scene this explicit in person.
She had only been gone for an hour! How did Ren end up in such a fierce, breathless physical struggle with Vivian and Mumei?! And more, they were doing it right in the middle of her home!
Ren didn't even bother to pause his rhythmic assault. Without looking up from Vivian's flushed neck, he asked smoothly, "Is that power what you want?"
"Ah... uh... mm..."
Fubuki's eyes darted wildly, not knowing where to look. The wet, slapping sounds echoing in the room made her mind go blank. Her reply was a disjointed stutter.
"Cough... is it... is it a bad time for me to be back?"
Fubuki violently spun around, presenting her back to them. Her face was burning so hot it felt like it might melt off. She couldn't bring herself to yell at her savior, but she certainly hadn't expected his relationships to be this... complicated.
And the sheer size of the weapon he was wielding... it was terrifying. She had never seen anything like it.
"Heh heh. You've returned at the perfect time."
Ren smirked wickedly.
He raised a hand and snapped his fingers again. The crisp sound cut sharply through the heavy, lust-filled air.
Fubuki suddenly gasped, her knees buckling as an intense wave of weakness washed over her.
The god-like power that had been surging through her veins vanished instantly. It was violently ripped away, leaving behind a hollow, agonizing emptiness.
"My power?!"
Her eyes widened in horror. The psychokinesis was gone. She had reverted completely to her original, mediocre state.
She remembered the snap that had granted her the power, and the snap that had just taken it away.
She whipped around, ignoring the explicit scene on the floor.
Ren was watching her with a dark, predatory smile.
"That was merely a free trial. Just to dispel your doubts and let you taste the peak." Ren's voice was low, thrumming with authority. "If you truly wish to possess that power permanently... you can join us."
Fubuki stared at Vivian and Mumei. Both girls were flushed, their eyes hazy with pleasure as Ren held them firmly. Her expression twisted into a complicated knot.
Didn't that mean she had to pay the price?
And that price...
Just glancing at the sheer intensity of the act made Fubuki's heart pound against her ribs. Would her body even survive being added to that chaotic pile?
"Sorry... I... I can't do this."
Fubuki decisively turned on her heel and practically fled down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door shut behind her. She would leave the living room to them.
"Ren-kun... it... ah... it seems you didn't succeed..." Vivian stammered, her voice trembling as Ren hit a particularly deep spot.
Mumei looked up, her cheeks flushed. "Brother, I can go persuade her."
"Heh heh."
Ren reached down and ruffled Mumei's soft hair, his tone calm and brimming with absolute confidence. "No need. She will come to me on her own."
"Because she craves the power."
Inside the bedroom.
Fubuki lay face down on her bed, a pillow pressed tightly over her head. She desperately wanted to block out the sounds filtering through the walls.
But the wet, penetrating noises and the high-pitched moans were impossible to ignore.
"How did it come to this..."
She tossed the pillow aside, her face a mask of utter despair. Her own home had been conquered and turned into a den of debauchery. It was an indescribably frustrating feeling.
Helpless to stop them, she forced herself to focus on her own abilities.
The power to become stronger...
Fubuki raised her hand, trying to summon the emerald aura. A pathetic, weak flicker of psychokinesis answered her call.
She fell silent. That intoxicating sensation of omnipotence was gone forever. She was back to being the weak B-Class hero who needed to huddle with lackeys just to feel secure.
Staring at her trembling palms, a suffocating sense of loss welled up in her chest.
As the old proverb went: it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but agonizing to go from extravagance to frugality.
Having tasted the peak of the mountain, the valley now felt like a prison. Her entire body ached with the phantom memory of that power. It felt as though a vital organ had been ripped from her chest.
"How can I ever become that strong on my own?"
Deep confusion clouded her mind. She possessed the exact same psychic mutation as her sister! Yet Tatsumaki was a god, and she was an insect. Especially after Ren had temporarily bridged the gap, she understood the sheer, mathematical impossibility of catching up through normal training.
The withdrawal symptoms of losing the power made her restless. The rhythmic thumping against the living room wall only added to her agitation.
"Hoo..."
Exhaling a long breath, Fubuki decided to take a cold shower to clear her head.
Standing under the spray, she let the freezing water cascade over her ample curves, but her mind continued to spiral around the problem.
Half an hour later, she twisted the valve shut.
Fubuki stood motionless in the dripping silence of the stall.
"Talent."
The word echoed in her mind like a death sentence.
Was the impossible gap between her and Tatsumaki simply a matter of genetic lottery?
If that was the truth, then she fundamentally lacked the biological hardware to ever reach her sister's level. No amount of training or willpower could bridge a gap written into her DNA.
Her mind fell into turmoil. If it was just a matter of effort, she could lie to herself and say she just hadn't worked hard enough yet. But if the answer was talent... she was doomed to be the weaker sister forever.
Wrapping a white towel tightly around her body, Fubuki stepped out of the bathroom.
She stood in the hallway, completely distracted.
She looked to her left. The bedroom door stood open, offering a quiet, lonely sanctuary.
She looked to her right. The corner led to the living room, where the chaotic, primal sounds of pleasure were still echoing.
Silence reigned in her heart for a long, agonizing minute.
Fubuki pressed her lips together so tightly they turned white. She took a step forward.
She didn't walk toward the bedroom.
Instead, she walked down the corridor, turning the corner and stepping into the living room.
Ren, who was currently tasting the sweet nectar of Vivian's chest, heard the soft patter of bare feet. He didn't even need to look up. The corners of his mouth curved into a victorious smile.
Vivian actively shifted her body to the side, clearing his line of sight.
"It seems you've made up your mind," Ren said, his voice husky.
Fubuki's eyes darted nervously around the room, her face burning so hot it rivaled a furnace. She clutched the knot of the towel at her chest, her knuckles white. Biting her silver teeth, she forced the words out.
"You... you'll truly give me that power permanently, right?"
She refused to accept a temporary loan again.
"Heh heh."
Ren chuckled softly. After ensuring that Mumei—who had been diligently pulling weeds—was completely exhausted and satisfied, he vanished from the floor.
He reappeared instantly, standing mere inches in front of Fubuki.
Fubuki didn't dare lower her head. Just catching a glimpse of his imposing physique from the corner of her eye made her heart hammer wildly against her ribs. She was genuinely a little scared.
Ren reached out, his warm fingers hooking under her chin and tilting her face up to meet his gaze.
"If you are willing to be mine forever... I can give you more power than you could ever dream of."
It sounded exactly like a devil's bargain.
But Fubuki didn't pull away. Instead, she feigned a sliver of her usual bossy assertiveness, her voice trembling slightly. "There can only be one man in my life. And that is the one to whom I am willing to give my purity."
Despite her modern, ruthless exterior, she was incredibly traditional at heart. also, her impression of the man who had resurrected her wasn't bad—aside from the glaring fact that he was an insatiable lecher.
"Then it seems it can only be me."
Ren grinned, leaning down and capturing her lips in a deep, claiming kiss.
Fubuki slowly closed her eyes, her grip on the towel loosening.
The moment their lips met, that terrifying, oceanic wave of psychokinetic power surged back into her body, anchoring itself deep within her soul. She had once again become the Fubuki capable of contending with the Tornado of Terror.
This was the path she had chosen.
[Terrifying! A powerful and invincible cosmic alien monster descends upon Z-City!!!]
[Holy crap! The world's first God-level disaster appears in Z-City!!!]
[Shocking! More than a dozen S-Class Heroes were actually defeated by aliens!!!]
[Astonishing! The strongest man on Earth, King, saves the world once again!!!]
The next day, the entire world entered an era of unmatched shock.
The news networks aggressively publicized the catastrophic events involving Boros's invasion and King's miraculous victory.
Regarding the media's obvious tactic of elevating King to godhood by disparaging the other S-Class Heroes, the heroes themselves had no particular reaction. In their minds, they had literally been killed and subsequently resurrected by King's unfathomable secret ability. Many of them had developed a deep, borderline religious worship of the man. Even those who didn't worship him were too humbled by their own deaths to care about the media's slander.
Only two people refused to buy into the narrative.
One was Genos. Compared to King, the cyborg believed entirely in his teacher. He was absolutely certain that Saitama had defeated the alien overlord. As for the mass resurrection... he wasn't sure how that happened, but he assumed his teacher was just that awesome.
The other dissenter was Tatsumaki.
"Tsk. This is so annoying."
Tatsumaki, who actually knew the truth behind the resurrection, floated in the Hero Association lobby, glaring at the sycophantic expressions of the executives praising King.
Finally, unable to bear the sheer stupidity of the room any longer, she scoffed loudly and used her psychokinesis to blast through the ceiling, leaving the Association headquarters behind.
The executives, entirely accustomed to Tatsumaki's volatile temper, merely sighed and ignored the property damage.
Tatsumaki didn't care about the meeting. She just wanted to go home and check on her sister. Ever since the horrifying realization that she had accidentally killed Fubuki, her heart was filled with lingering anxiety.
She wrapped herself in a green torpedo of energy and flew rapidly across the city, heading straight for Fubuki's apartment.
"Fubuki, I'm back!"
She phased directly through the balcony window she had left from yesterday.
And then... Tatsumaki froze.
Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening to comical proportions.
Her precious, innocent younger sister was currently bent over the sofa in an extremely embarrassing, compromising posture. And the man standing behind her, driving her to tears of pleasure, was Ren.
"Fubuki... Ren... what the hell is going on?!"
Tatsumaki's mind went entirely blank. The world seemed to stop spinning.
Fubuki bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She squeezed her eyes shut, absolutely mortified. She didn't dare speak a word, terrified of losing whatever dignity she had left in front of her sister.
Ren, however, didn't miss a beat. He looked over his shoulder and smiled casually. "Oh, nothing much. This is just a friendly exchange of bodily fluids between us. And, of course, the fulfillment of a small agreement."
"An agreement?!"
Tatsumaki's petite body began to tremble violently. "What kind of agreement requires you to do that to my sister?!"
She demanded an explanation, her aura beginning to flare dangerously.
"Fubuki, should I tell her?" Ren asked, his hands gripping her hips firmly.
"W-woo... I... I'll say it!"
Pushed to the brink, Fubuki decided to rip the band-aid off. Between breathless gasps, she confessed her complex, years-long feelings of toxic jealousy towards Tatsumaki, and how she had traded herself to Ren to bridge the gap.
Tatsumaki stood there, struggling to piece together Fubuki's disjointed, moaning confession.
She really wanted to punch someone in the face. Mostly because the two of them refused to stop their rhythmic movements for even a single second while having this deeply emotional conversation with her!
But what made Tatsumaki's fists clench hard enough to draw blood was the core of the confession. Fubuki actually envied her? Fubuki was jealous of her power? And she had sold her body to a man just to get strong?!
"Fubuki... you really are an idiot..."
Tatsumaki trembled with a mix of rage and heartbreak.
But then, Fubuki placed her left hand flat against the sofa cushions and clenched her right hand into a fist.
Tatsumaki's face instantly morphed into an expression of absolute shock.
A massive, invisible pressure suddenly slammed down on Tatsumaki's shoulders, locking her in place. The sheer density of the psychokinetic aura was suffocating.
This was Fubuki's power!
"Fubuki! You dare use your power against your older sister?! Now I'm actually angry!"
Her green hair floated wildly as Tatsumaki's emerald aura erupted. She fully expected to effortlessly shatter Fubuki's hold, just as she had done a thousand times before.
But reality delivered a brutal slap to the face.
Tatsumaki pushed back with all her might, but the invisible vice gripping her didn't budge an inch.
She couldn't break through Fubuki's psychokinesis!
How was this mathematically possible?!
"Do you see it now, ha... Sister? I'm... I'm even stronger than you now!!!"
Seeing Tatsumaki's bewildered, helpless expression, Fubuki's already flushed cheeks burned even redder with a twisted sense of triumph.
She had actually done it! She had overpowered the Tornado of Terror! Caught in the overwhelming ecstasy of both the physical pleasure and her long-awaited victory, Fubuki completely unleashed her inhibitions, arching her back into Ren's embrace.
Tatsumaki looked at Ren, her voice trembling with disbelief. "You... you actually gave Fubuki that much power?"
Ren nodded calmly, not breaking his rhythm. "That's right. After all, she gave herself to me completely. It was a fair trade."
Tatsumaki felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
She didn't feel angry anymore. The trembling in her small frame escalated, surpassing even Fubuki's shivering form.
Her lower lip quivered. Her emerald eyes welled up with massive, heavy tears.
And then...
"Waaah!!!"
Tatsumaki broke down and cried.
"Sis... Sister?!"
W: Old Kaltsit, old Kaltsit, you have your day too, hahaha
Fubuki, whose eyes had been rolling back in pleasure, instantly sobered up at the sound of the wailing.
She lifted her weary, sweat-drenched head and looked over her shoulder. Tatsumaki was standing in the middle of the living room, rubbing her eyes with her fists and crying loudly like a lost toddler.
In Fubuki's memory, her sister had always been an immovable mountain—strong, proud, and aggressively dominant. This was the very first time she had ever seen Tatsumaki look so incredibly fragile.
Even Ren hadn't expected the usually abrasive esper to break down quite like this.
As for the reason she was crying... it was painfully childish.
"Waaah... why?! Ren... Ren is my friend! I'm the one who brought him here! But... but why are you two teaming up to bully me?! Waaah..."
Tatsumaki bawled, her voice cracking with genuine betrayal.
Fubuki's mind was a muddled mess. Was this crying child really the terrifying sister she had spent her entire life envying and fearing? This display was even more impactful than when Tatsumaki had apologized to her earlier.
"Fubuki, I think you need to go comfort your sister," Ren said softly. He pulled back, severing their connection and granting Fubuki her freedom.
Ignoring the deep soreness in her thighs and the mess dripping down her legs, Fubuki scrambled off the sofa. She stumbled forward, standing awkwardly in front of the weeping Tatsumaki.
"Waaah... waaah..."
Facing her fragile, crying sister, Fubuki's mind blanked. She had no idea how to comfort the Tornado of Terror.
Pursing her lips, she did the only thing she could think of. She opened her arms and pulled Tatsumaki into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Sister," Fubuki whispered apologetically, stroking the green hair. "I shouldn't have done that to you."
Tatsumaki's loud wailing lessened significantly, reducing to pathetic hiccups. But she still sobbed against Fubuki's shoulder. "Fubuki... why do you hate me so much? Did I... did I do something wrong?"
Tatsumaki genuinely didn't understand why she was being treated as the enemy.
Fubuki's expression dimmed. Hearing the raw pain in her sister's voice, she realized she no longer had the right to harbor any ill feelings.
"Ren-kun, will they end up fighting?" Vivian asked from the sidelines, looking a little worried.
"Leave it to me."
Ren walked over to the embracing sisters. He placed a gentle hand on Tatsumaki's head. "What's happening between you two isn't a tragedy. It's just a severe lack of communication."
He looked down at the older sister. "Tatsumaki, you want to protect Fubuki. So you refuse to let her handle anything dangerous. You take all the burdens upon yourself, believing that keeping her in a gilded cage is the best way to protect her. Right?"
Tatsumaki sniffled, wiping her tear-stained cheeks, and nodded slowly.
"Fubuki just needs to stay under my protection. She doesn't need to encounter the ugly, dangerous things in this world." Tatsumaki stubbornly clung to her ideology. She believed that as the older sister, only she needed to experience the pain.
"Your intentions aren't wrong. You love and care for your sister deeply," Ren said, validating her feelings. "It's similar to how overprotective parents spoil their children."
"But," Ren continued, his tone turning serious, "Fubuki is an independent woman. She has her own thoughts, her own ambitions. She wants to grow and face the storm, not remain a helpless fledgling hiding under your wings forever."
Ren reached out and gently stroked Fubuki's flushed cheek. "Fubuki, why don't you tell her exactly what you want?"
Encouraged by his touch, Fubuki pulled back slightly and looked earnestly into Tatsumaki's teary eyes.
"He's right, Sister. I want to become stronger. I want to face the horrors of this world standing right beside you, not cowering behind your back and living in your shadow."
Fubuki's voice grew firm. "I want to be known as Fubuki, the hero. Not just Tatsumaki's weak little sister!"
That determined gaze and unwavering tone made Tatsumaki freeze. She felt as though she were looking at a stranger. She had never communicated with Fubuki so openly before. Every time trouble arose, Tatsumaki would simply swoop in, violently obliterate the threat, and arrogantly fly away, leaving Fubuki in the dust.
For the very first time, Tatsumaki realized that Fubuki was not the fragile glass doll she had imagined. She had her own scars, her own pride, and her own desperate need to grow.
A long silence settled over the living room.
Slowly, Tatsumaki loosened her clenched fists.
She looked down, her voice bitter. "I'm sorry, Fubuki. I... I never considered your feelings. I was wrong."
"Sister..."
Fubuki's eyes welled up with fresh tears. For the first time in her life, she felt truly recognized by her idol. She hugged Tatsumaki tighter, burying her face in the green hair.
"I was wrong too, Sister. I shouldn't have unilaterally envied you and pushed you away." Fubuki smiled brightly through her tears. "But now, I have the power to protect you too! From now on, you can leave the heavy lifting to me!"
Fubuki envisioned a glorious future. She would rise to the S-Class and fight back-to-back with her sister against the monsters of the world.
But Tatsumaki suddenly planted her hands on Fubuki's chest and pushed her away.
Under Fubuki's astonished gaze, Tatsumaki put her hands on her hips, her tears instantly drying up as her trademark arrogance returned. She lifted her chin high.
"Absolutely not! I am the older sister, which means I must be the one to protect you!"
Fubuki raised an eyebrow, a smug smirk playing on her lips. "Huh? But I'm stronger than you now."
It was an obvious fact.
Tatsumaki couldn't refute it, and her face instantly flushed with indignant rage. "You... you cheated!"
"Heh. I gained this power through my own blood, sweat, and hard work," Fubuki chuckled shamelessly.
She wasn't entirely lying. She was currently completely exhausted. Pulling weeds in Ren's domain was incredibly taxing physical labor!
The fiercely proud Tatsumaki absolutely refused to accept being weaker than her little sister.
She spun around and glared fiercely at Ren. Pointing a trembling finger right at his nose, she demanded, "I want to become stronger too!!!"
Fubuki froze, her smug smile shattering.
Ren beamed, his eyes flashing with predatory delight. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"
Tatsumaki's peripheral vision caught the sheer size of the evidence still glistening on Fubuki's thighs. She swallowed hard, realizing her petite frame would likely have a very difficult time coping with the 'training'.
But her pride refused to let her back down. She puffed out her small chest and said stubbornly, "Yes! I must be stronger than Fubuki!"
"Then I will gladly satisfy your request."
Before Tatsumaki could brace herself, Ren scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight toward the sofa.
Leaving Fubuki standing in the middle of the room, emitting a series of beyond understanding, flustered squeaks.
"Fubuki, I won!"
"Heh heh, it was me!"
Ren had already left the room.
Tatsumaki and Fubuki lay completely bare and limp against the plush leather of the sofa. Their chests heaved, skin flushed with a deep, lingering pink. Even though their stamina was utterly spent, their voices still clashed in the quiet room, refusing to yield the title of victor.
The dynamic between the two sisters was endlessly amusing. In their desperate bid to secure more power than the other, their rivalry had escalated into a fierce, unyielding battlefield.
To resolve this, Ren had devised a brilliantly simple method. He applied the exact same principle he had used with Alaya and Gaia: he bound the bestowal of power directly to his essence. Whoever managed to draw out and claim more of his essence would receive a greater share of power.
Driven by the intoxicating allure of absolute strength, Tatsumaki and Fubuki had taken turns pushing themselves far beyond their physical limits.
Tatsumaki, fueled by her sheer, stubborn willpower, had been especially relentless. Even when her emerald eyes brimmed with tears that spilled down her cheeks, she had gritted her teeth and refused to surrender. She had kept going until her consciousness practically faded, her body entirely giving out.
Only after Ren had bestowed a deep, lingering farewell kiss upon both of them did he finally depart.
And the moment the door clicked shut, the arguing resumed.
Just moments ago, the clash of their raw psychokinetic auras had pierced through the atmosphere, stirring the distant sea of stars. Yet, the final verdict of their power struggle was a dead heat. A perfect draw.
Tatsumaki crossed her arms as best she could with her exhausted muscles, her chin tilted up. She insisted she was the stronger one.
Fubuki argued back for a moment before her sharp eyes suddenly sparkled with a cunning light. A victorious smile curved her lips. "Sister, in terms of raw strength, we might be tied... but I still won."
"Huh? Why?!" Tatsumaki's eyes widened, absolutely unconvinced.
Fubuki reached out and lightly squeezed Tatsumaki's chest. The older sister's petite frame trembled slightly at the sudden contact.
Her face burning crimson, Tatsumaki swatted the hand away and glared. "What exactly do you think you're doing?!"
"Hahaha, can't you tell, Sister?" Fubuki giggled, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "Ren likes me more. It's simply because I actually have a chest, and you are completely ordinary."
Tatsumaki stared blankly.
Her gaze slowly drifted downward. Only then did she notice that Fubuki's ample curves were entirely covered in the dark, bruising marks Ren had left behind. So many of them, overlapping in a messy display of affection.
Then, she looked down at herself.
Nothing. Just a smooth, unblemished expanse.
Tatsumaki slumped back against the cushions, looking as though she had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Rhodes Island.
"Has Ren not returned yet?"
Kaltsit's cool, measured voice broke the silence as she approached Skadi and the others who had last seen him.
It wasn't that the stoic Feline was personally eager to see the man. Rather, following an emergency meeting, the select few on Rhodes Island who had been briefed on Specter's miraculous condition were practically vibrating with anticipation. They all demanded an audience with Ren.
How could they not be? This was a man who had effortlessly cured Specter, an Operator whose mind and body had been ravaged by severe, late-stage Oripathy.
"I apologize, Doctor Kaltsit. The Master left suddenly, and we do not know when he will return."
Specter offered a gentle, polite smile. Her posture was immaculate, her tone as refined as a well-bred noble lady. Looking at her now, one could not find a single trace of the violent madness and fractured schizophrenia that had plagued her for so long.
Those who had been secretly observing Specter from the shadows exchanged looks of absolute shock.
Gladiia stood nearby, her posture rigid and silent. Lacking the full context of what had transpired, the Aegirian hunter chose to keep her opinions to herself.
It was Skadi whose eyes suddenly flickered toward the empty space in the center of the room.
"He's back."
The very next moment, the air rippled.
"It seems all five of you are waiting for me here."
Ren materialized in the room, his hands resting casually in his pockets. However, a quick headcount revealed only five people present, including him.
Just as his words settled into the quiet room, a figure shrouded in a dark hood melted out of the shadows in the corner. Despite the heavy cloak, the distinct horns and the slender, spade-tipped black tail betrayed her Sarkaz lineage.
The Sarkaz woman locked her sharp, deadly gaze onto Ren.
"How... how did you find me?"
Ren didn't bother answering. He merely shifted his eyes, giving her a single, indifferent look.
The Sarkaz woman's breath hitched. Her entire body began to tremble violently.
It was pure, unadulterated fear.
She had never, in all her years of walking the line between life and death, imagined that a person could make her lose control of her own muscles with just a passing glance.
Ascalon.
Rhodes Island Operator.
Female Sarkaz.
Administrator of S.W.E.E.P., and Kaltsit's most loyal shadow.
She was the undisputed strongest assassin on Rhodes Island.
Kaltsit did not show a shred of surprise at Ascalon being instantly discovered and completely intimidated. She had understood the great depths of Ren's power for a long time now.
She stepped forward, her tone respectful. "Lord Ren, would you mind relocating? Rhodes Island wishes to establish formal cooperation with you."
"Heh heh. If anyone else said that, I definitely wouldn't agree, but..."
Ren vanished.
Before Kaltsit could even blink, he was standing directly beside her. Every hair on her Feline tail stood on end.
His fingers were already brushing against her sensitive animal ear, gently stroking the soft fur.
"If my little cat asks so nicely, I don't mind listening."
Kaltsit's shoulders trembled slightly under his touch. She pressed her lips into a thin line, suppressing her natural instincts, and gave a stiff nod.
Ascalon watched the exchange, utterly stunned. That strict, unyielding old woman who always wore a face carved from ice could actually be so... obedient?
"Lead the way," Ren said, dropping his hand.
Inside the main conference room.
"Doctor, do you think Oripathy can really be cured?"
Amiya sat at the table, her rabbit ears drooping slightly. She was still in a daze, struggling to process the reports. She had walked this barren land, listening to the wails of those infected by Originium. She knew better than anyone that merely suppressing Oripathy was a monumental, agonizing task. Rhodes Island had bled for years just to buy the Infected a little more time.
But now, she was being told that Oripathy could be completely eradicated?
And it wasn't an isolated miracle. There were three confirmed cases. FrostNova, Patriot, and Specter—all pulled back from the brink of death by Ren's hand.
The white-haired Doctor leaned back in his chair and shook his head slowly. "I don't know the mechanics behind it. But if it's him... then it is possible."
"Amiya, has Ren really arrived at Rhodes Island?"
FrostNova pushed through the doors, her icy aura barely contained by her excitement. She and Patriot had rushed over the moment they heard the rumors.
"Heh. You really are focused on that man. Aren't you just trying to drag him into your bed?"
W sat perched on the edge of the table, casually tossing a miniature explosive in the air and catching it. Her taunt was sharp, accompanied by a wicked grin.
FrostNova glared at the mercenary, a dusting of red appearing on her pale cheeks. Their relationship had always been volatile at best.
"Yelena. Calm yourself."
The towering, armored figure of Patriot stepped into the room, his deep, steady voice instantly halting the bickering. He was well aware of his daughter's affections. But considering the sheer magnitude of that Lord's power, he had no objections. If there was a single safe haven left on this cursed land, Patriot firmly believed it was by that man's side.
Blaze and Gravel, who were already seated, could barely contain the anticipation in their eyes. They understood the true horror of Oripathy. If this cure could be mass-produced and popularized, it would genuinely save every Infected soul in the world.
Of course, such a thought was painfully naive.
Oripathy was merely a convenient excuse for the powerful to oppress the weak. Even if the disease vanished tomorrow, the world would not suddenly embrace peace. The suffering of the marginalized would simply take a new form.
The heavy doors of the conference room slid open.
Every single person in the room stood up in unison. Their expressions shifted dramatically as the newcomers entered.
FrostNova's gaze locked onto Ren instantly, her eyes softening, unable to look away.
Patriot straightened his massive frame, offering Ren a gaze of absolute, solemn respect.
W, however, zeroed in on the sight of the old Feline she despised. Seeing Kaltsit having her ear casually played with, acting like an obedient, domesticated pet, made W's crimson eyes light up with malicious glee.
She reached into her jacket and whipped out her phone.
Click!! Flash!
Under Kaltsit's intensely murderous glare, W pressed the shutter button, deliberately leaving the flash on to capture the humiliating moment in high definition.
Blaze and the others broke out in a cold sweat. Provoking Doctor Kaltsit like that... did W truly have a death wish?
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