"Tsk! ..." – Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance, already in a foul mood. Mikazuki's laziness and Rias's arrogance had only worsened it, and so he ended up snapping at Kiba, who had been nothing more than a simple messenger.
Ren walked out of the school while his senses monitored every supernatural being within a ten-kilometer radius.
Fortunately, he had requested a way to control the level of the seal his Blindfold placed on his senses. By releasing just 10% of his sealed perception, he could maintain this surveillance field. Even so, it would be far more difficult to sustain such a wide range at just 30% of his original sensory power.
Ren had to admit—this city was just as troublesome as Karakura Town, if not more. At least in Karakura Town, there was a branch of Soul Society stationed there. But in Kuoh Town? Only two weak heirs of noble households and their even weaker servants.
"But the treasure chests they hold are of high quality..." – Ren muttered as his eyes skimmed over the mission he had received concerning Sona and Rias's treasure chests.
[ Name: Rescuing ]
[ Type: Character Quest ]
[ Rank: None ]
[ Description: Save Sona and Rias from the attack of Kokabiel, who wants to destroy Kuoh Town to ignite a war between the various factions due to his thirst for war, as it is the only way for him to prove himself since he is less powerful and intelligent than the other leaders.. ]
[ Reward: SS+ Rank Treasure Chest, S Rank Treasure Chest ]
"It seems the system favors women. Even Ichigo, a character with a grand destiny, only granted me a single S+ Rank Treasure Chest." – Ren muttered while staring at the reward list.
"As for Kokabiel... I doubt there's much to worry about. At best, he's at Peak High-Class. That's nothing outside my ability to handle. And even if his power exceeded expectations, it wouldn't be a real problem—I could always call for backup." – he added as he stepped through the academy's main gate, planning to dispatch members of the Second Division to gather intel on Kokabiel.
But he was stopped by someone with long black hair and a pure, innocent smile.
"Excuse me, Kurosaki-kun, may I have a moment of your time?" – a sweet, beautiful voice rang in Ren's ears as a pair of lovely amethyst eyes stared at him. – "There is something I need to discuss with you, if you don't mind."
The words were polite and sincere. Unlike Rias, who had been arrogant enough to send a subordinate, this person had come herself, and her approach felt genuine.
"Would it be more suitable to talk in a family restaurant, Amano-san?" – Ren raised an eyebrow, eyeing Amano Yuma. She was clearly nervous, and it wasn't just an act. Whatever she wanted to say was important enough to shake her composure.
For the Fallen Angels to approach him at this timing made Ren very curious. After all, the system quest had confirmed Kokabiel's intention to attack Kuoh Town, a testing ground for the factions preparing to hold their peace conference.
"Of course, I don't mind." – Yuma nodded eagerly, following after Ren as he started walking in a random direction. His senses were already scanning the area for a quiet restaurant. It had been over two hours since lunch, and with dinner still far away, he was already hungry.
Yuma hurried to keep up, almost afraid he might change his mind. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her chest, betraying her tension.
Neither spoke during the short walk. Ren used the silence to read her energy and analyze her intentions, while she focused on steadying her heartbeat.
After five minutes, they reached a small, quiet restaurant at the edge of Kuoh Town. Ren took a seat by the window, with Yuma settling across from him.
"Welcome, dear customers." – the waitress greeted them politely as they entered. – "Table for two?"
"Hm." – Ren nodded slightly. He had replaced his Blindfold with pitch-black sunglasses and swapped his formal attire for more comfortable clothing—he had never been fond of stiff uniforms.
"This way, please." – the waitress guided them to a window-side table, somewhat separated from the other patrons, providing privacy that Ren silently appreciated.
He sat with calm composure, resting one arm on the table as he removed his sunglasses and placed them aside. His crystal-blue eyes gleamed faintly, carrying a cold indifference yet preemptive insight into the situation.
Yuma sat carefully, avoiding his gaze, as though afraid he would read every secret in her heart.
"You may begin now, Amano-san." – Ren's voice was even, neither mocking nor gentle, but perfectly neutral—forcing honesty.
"I'll get straight to the point, Kurosaki-kun." – Yuma drew a deep breath to steady herself. – "The truth is... it has been confirmed that Kokabiel, a cadre of Grigori, intends to attack Kuoh Town and kill all faction representatives to spark another great war."
"... " – Ren stared at the nervous girl before him, momentarily speechless at the bluntness of her revelation, followed by sudden silence.
"Then tell me, why would the Fallen Angels share this information with a Shinigami alone, and not the other factions as well?" – Ren asked, though his carefully constructed composure had slipped somewhat thanks to Yuma's unexpected candor.
"In truth... I don't know either. But I was ordered by Azazel-sama to leak this information to you specifically." – Yuma admitted, blinking innocently as she inadvertently betrayed Azazel.
'Is she air-headed?' – Ren thought, his mind nearly freezing at the stark contrast between this Yuma and the one from his past-life memories. Despite his vow not to rely too much on those memories, their influence was undeniable. The discrepancy was too great. And she wasn't acting—his eyes made deception impossible.
"It seems Azazel hopes the Shinigami will quietly clean up this mess. After all, given their strict protection of humans, they won't allow Kokabiel to destroy Kuoh Town." – Ren said as he lightly pressed the bell to summon the waitress. – "But unfortunately, I don't plan on sharing this information with the others in the Shinigami faction."
"Upon your return, tell Azazel that I will handle Kokabiel myself. However, he must provide me with every detail he possesses—strengths, weaknesses, everything. And he will owe me a great debt. After all, I'll be safeguarding the peace among the three factions, along with the Shinigami, which he has long sought to achieve." – Ren's voice was calm as he sipped from his glass of water.
"O-okay... I'll tell him exactly as you said." – Yuma nodded quickly, clutching her own glass with both hands to hide the tremor in her grip.
The situation was far beyond what she had expected. She had only been tasked with delivering a message, but now she sat across from a Shinigami who could read her intentions like an open book, dissecting every flicker of hesitation.
"Ren Kurosaki..." – she whispered softly after a short silence, meeting his eyes directly for the first time. – "You're different from anyone I've ever met. That's why Azazel-sama chose you specifically."
Ren raised an eyebrow as he set his glass down.
"Are you trying to flatter me now? Or just ease the tension with empty words?"
Yuma shook her head quickly.
"No, I didn't mean it that way. I just... wanted to say that I feel at ease, despite knowing you could end me in an instant."
A quiet pause lingered between them until the waitress returned to take their order, then left discreetly.
"Ease, huh? That's not a flavor I often taste these days." – Ren said, closing his eyes for a brief moment to savor the tranquility of the place.
When he opened them again, his gaze carried more weight.
"By the way, Amano-san... I didn't hear you lie when you claimed not to know the real reason I alone was told. That's good... because I despise lies."
Yuma swallowed hard, but nodded silently.
"But if you intend to keep acting as a mediator between me and Azazel, I suggest you prepare yourself. Next time, I may not be in the mood for a civil talk over dinner."
Yuma lowered her head respectfully.
"Understood... Kurosaki-kun."
Another moment of silence passed before Ren added quietly, without looking at her:
"Expect chaos in the days ahead, Amano-san. Kokabiel is only the beginning."
...
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