Chapter 77
Morning broke gently over Tokyo.
The city stirred to life under a golden sunrise a soft haze hanging above the skyline as the chorus of birds mingled with the hum of traffic.
Cars rolled down crowded streets, their horns echoing faintly through the busy roads.
Office workers rushed past street vendors shouting the day's prices, and the smell of freshly baked bread and roasted soy drifted through the cool autumn air.
It was just another day for Tokyo .. but for Renji, it was the day.
He lay awake for a moment, staring at the ceiling of his small guest room inside Takeda's residence. The sound of sparrows perched near the window greeted him alongside the faint clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen.
"Today is the day…" he muttered quietly to himself.
His voice was steady, but a strange pressure sat in his chest ... excitement, fear, purpose, all tangled into one.
He got up from the bed, stretched, and headed for the shower.
The cold water washed away the last traces of sleep, and by the time he stepped out and dressed, his mind had cleared.
He slipped into a simple black shirt and dark pants, tied his hair loosely, and walked toward the living room.
There, standing by the counter, was Takeda — wearing a white apron and humming softly as he cooked. The man's usual stern face was oddly peaceful this morning.
The smell of grilled fish, rice, and miso soup filled the room.
"Takeda-sama," Renji greeted respectfully.
Takeda turned, surprised. "Oh—! Good morning, Renji-kun."
Renji smiled faintly. "You're up early."
"I could say the same to you," Takeda replied, flipping the fish deftly with chopsticks. "You slept like a rock yesterday. I came home late from the Bureau — you didn't even notice."
Renji blinked. "You… came back last night?"
"Yes. Around midnight."
Renji rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I see. Sorry, I was exhausted."
Takeda chuckled. "No apologies needed. You earned your rest."
For a moment, silence settled between them — not cold, but heavy. There was something in the air that neither quite knew how to touch.
Both men wanted to speak, yet both hesitated.
Finally, Takeda broke the stillness.
"…Today is the day, huh?"
Renji froze. Then, quietly, he nodded. "Yes. It is."
Takeda turned off the stove, exhaled deeply, and leaned against the counter.
His eyes softened, and his voice grew quieter.
"Will you… be okay, Renji?"
Renji blinked in surprise. "Takeda-san?"
Takeda rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, looking away. "It's not that I don't believe in you. You're strong ... stronger than most hunters I've ever met. But still..."
He stopped mid-sentence, and Renji's eyes widened as he saw something he had never seen before.
Tears.
Takeda's shoulders trembled slightly, his usual composed expression faltering.
"Takeda-sama…" Renji said softly.
Takeda took a deep breath and continued, his voice breaking.
"You're… my precious student, Renji. And to me… you're like the son I never had."
Those words struck deep.
Renji felt his chest tighten ..every memory from the past year flashing before him: the harsh training, the shared meals, the quiet advice in the evenings.
"…Takeda-sama…" he whispered.
The older man's eyes glistened, but he managed a small smile.
"Promise me you'll come back alive."
Renji lowered his head. His voice was steady, but trembling.
"Ever since the day we started training… you took care of me when I was lost, when I was powerless. You made me stronger. You gave me a home."
He lifted his gaze, meeting Takeda's teary eyes.
"I also… see you as a father figure, Takeda-sama."
Takeda froze. For a moment, neither moved. Then, without meaning to, he started crying harder — a raw, unguarded sound that filled the quiet kitchen.
"Y-you idiot…" Takeda muttered, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "You're gonna make this old man cry before breakfast."
Renji chuckled softly. "You already are, Takeda-sama."
Before Takeda could respond, a loud voice echoed from the hallway.
"Oooo Takeda-sannnn!"
Both men turned — Hiroto stepped into the room, yawning, half-dressed, holding a cup of coffee.
Then he blinked, seeing the scene before him.
"Wait ehhh are you crying?!"
Takeda's eyes snapped open. "What? N-no I'm not!"
Hiroto grinned like a devil. "Awww, look at you! Crying because Renji's leaving already? How touching!"
"Shut up or I'll kill you," Takeda growled, face turning red.
"Ehhh?! Hey, come on, I was just kidding!" Hiroto held his hands up defensively, taking a step back. "No need to unleash 'Steel Fist Mode' this early in the morning!"
Takeda glared at him. "I will unleash it."
"Wait— no! Takeda-san, I'm sorry! I went too far!"
Hiroto ducked as a wooden spoon flew past his head, embedding itself into the wall.
"Geez! You almost took my eye out!"
"Next time, I won't miss."
The tension of a moment ago dissolved into chaos as Takeda chased Hiroto around the table, shouting threats.
Renji couldn't help but laugh .. really laugh.
That was when Lily and Choji walked in, both still in their pajamas, rubbing their eyes.
"Oni-chan, what's going on?" Lily asked, yawning.
"Takeda-sama and Hiroto are fighting again," Renji said with a grin.
Choji blinked at the spoon sticking out of the wall. "That looks dangerous."
Lily giggled. "Did Takeda-sama throw that?"
"Yes," Renji said.
"Then it's fine," Lily said, smiling innocently. "He never misses."
Hiroto froze mid-run, pale as a sheet. "Wait— never misses?!"
"TAKEDA-SAMAAAA!" he yelped as the old man lunged again.
Laughter filled the room ..real, bright laughter that bounced off the wooden beams and flooded every corner of the house.
Even Takeda, after a while, stopped pretending to be angry and laughed too, shaking his head.
The rest of the morning passed in quiet warmth.
After breakfast, they all gathered in the courtyard. The autumn breeze rustled through the garden, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and grilled fish.
Renji stood for a moment, watching everyone — Takeda and Hiroto bickering, Lily chasing Choji around, the sky stretching endlessly above them.
He closed his eyes and thought to himself, I've really come a long way.
He remembered the boy he once was ..powerless, hungry, treated like trash by the very hunters he admired.
The memory of that dark dungeon returned — his first, when he was just a miner scraping for crumbs of mana stone.
The terror, the pain, the screams.
The first time he died.
The visions.
The endless nightmares that followed.
And then the chaos that engulfed Tokyo — the city burning under the roar of monsters, the air thick with despair.
Through all of it, he had crawled forward.
He had survived.
Mama… Papa… he whispered in his heart. I'm still here. I didn't give up.
Now, everything led to this .... the Gate of Gealgilmesh.
The one that would decide everything.
He clenched his fists, his eyes hardening with resolve.
He needed to conquer it.
To become stronger.
To end it all.
"...Oni-chan?"
Renji blinked and turned. Lily was standing beside him, her head tilted slightly.
"You're spacing out again," she said softly.
He smiled faintly. "Sorry, Lily. Just… thinking."
She pouted playfully. "You think too much."
Renji chuckled. "Maybe."
Then, with a smile that reached her eyes, she said, "Let's make today special, okay?"
He blinked. "Special?"
"Yeah!" Choji appeared beside her, grinning. "A farewell party! You're heading into a gate that might kill you, so we might as well celebrate before you go!"
"Don't say it like that!" Lily snapped, bonking Choji on the head.
"Ow! Hey, I was just being honest!"
Takeda, who had been listening nearby, folded his arms and smirked. "Hmm… not a bad idea."
Hiroto nodded enthusiastically. "I'll handle the drinks!"
"No alcohol," Takeda barked.
"Aww, come on!"
Lily giggled. "Then I'll handle the food!"
"And I'll make sure you don't burn the kitchen again," Choji teased.
Lily turned red. "That was one time!"
The courtyard filled with laughter again — the kind that carried no weight, no fear. For that one afternoon, the world outside didn't exist.
They cooked, joked, told stories, and ate until the sun began to set.
Renji sat back, watching them all his mismatched, makeshift family laughing under the orange glow of the evening sky.
For a fleeting moment, he wished this day could last forever.
But deep inside, he knew at dawn everything would change.