The jungle of Shinsenkyō wasn't just a forest. It was a playground for demons disguised as paradise.
The trees had bark that felt disturbing like human skin. Brightly colored flowers swayed in the wind, releasing pollen that could blister lungs. Butterflies with human faces fluttered low, giggling with high pitched, piercing voices.
For a normal person, this place was a psychological nightmare.
But for Ren, it was just... an afternoon walk.
He strolled casually through the thick undergrowth, carrying the rusty iron bar on his shoulder as if it were a mere twig.
Yuzuriha walked behind him, keeping a safe distance of about two meters. Her eyes darted left and right, constantly alert. She was used to the dirty underworld of criminals, but this place gave her the creeps.
"Ren-kun," Yuzuriha called out, her voice trembling slightly despite her attempt to sound playful. "You're walking like you know the way. Do you have a map in your head?"
"No," Ren answered without looking back. "I'm just following the smell."
"Smell?" Yuzuriha frowned. "Smell of what? Rotten flowers?"
"The smell of the strong," Ren smirked. "The deeper we go, the stronger the 'energy' feels. And that's where the fun begins."
Suddenly, Ren stopped walking.
[Mission Reward Received: Enhanced Vision.]
[Skill Unlocked: Fiery Golden Eyes (Stage 1).]
[Effect: See energy flow (Tao), see through low level illusions, and night vision.]
A sensation of heat rushed into Ren's eyes. The world around him changed drastically.
The painful, vibrant colors of the forest faded, replaced by glowing threads of energy. He could see the "Tao" the life force flowing through the trees, the ground, and the air.
He turned to look at Yuzuriha.
In Ren's eyes, Yuzuriha's ninja outfit became transparent, revealing the flow of energy within her body, concentrated in her hands and legs. Ren could see her vital points clearly. One strike there, and she would be paralyzed.
"What is it?" Yuzuriha stepped back instinctively, covering her chest. Ren's gaze felt even more penetrating than before. "Why are your eyes... glowing?"
Ren's irises were now burning with liquid gold light, shining in the dim jungle.
"Just a small upgrade," Ren replied casually. He shifted his gaze to a bush on the left. "And it looks like we have a neighbor in trouble."
Ren could see the aura of battle not far away. There was one steady but hesitant flame of energy, surrounded by five chaotic, savage flames.
"Let's go," Ren commanded. "Time to say hello."
In a small clearing surrounded by mossy Buddha statues, a young woman was fighting for her life.
She wore a red hakama and wielded a long katana. Her long black hair was messy, and her beautiful, usually stoic face was now covered in cold sweat.
Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. The female executioner of the Yamada clan.
Clang! Clang!
Sagiri parried claw attacks from strange creatures. They were insect type Soshin humanoid bodies with praying mantis heads and sharp scythes for hands.
"Focus... I must focus..." Sagiri thought, her breath ragged.
She was strong. Her swordsmanship was perfect. But her mind was a mess. Doubts about her duty as an executioner, fear of death all of it dulled her blade.
One mantis monster jumped from her blind spot behind her. Sagiri reacted too late.
"I'm going to die," she thought.
But death didn't come.
WHOOSH!
A long iron bar flew from the trees like a javelin, piercing the chest of the jumping mantis monster with a sickening CRUNCH.
The monster was pinned to a large tree trunk, killed instantly with a gaping hole in its chest.
Sagiri's eyes went wide. She turned toward the source of the attack.
From the shadows of the forest, Ren stepped out. He walked calmly, followed by Yuzuriha, who was smiling with amusement at the situation.
"Nice sword technique, Miss Executioner," Ren said, his voice echoing calmly amidst the chaos. "But your soul is too noisy. No wonder you almost died."
"Who...?" Sagiri was confused. She saw the prisoner uniform Ren was wearing. "You... a criminal?"
The four remaining monsters surrounding Sagiri turned their attention. They roared in anger seeing their friend skewered on a tree, then simultaneously charged at Ren.
"Ren-kun! Four at once!" Yuzuriha shouted, feigning worry, though she really just wanted to see how strong Ren actually was.
Ren didn't retrieve his iron bar from the tree. He stood there empty handed.
"Four bugs," Ren scoffed.
His golden eyes flickered. Fiery Golden Eyes dissected their movements.
The first monster swung its right scythe. Ren ducked slightly, letting the blade pass a centimeter above his hair.
While the monster was wide open, Ren delivered a vicious uppercut to its chin.
CRACK!
The monster's jaw shattered, its head snapping back so hard its neck broke.
The second and third monsters attacked together from the left and right. Ren spread his arms, catching their wrists in mid air.
His iron grip activated.
"Break."
Ren squeezed. The arm bones of the two monsters crumbled like dry crackers. Before they could scream, Ren pulled them close and slammed their heads together.
THUD!
The sound of cracking skulls echoed. The two monsters collapsed like broken dolls.
The last monster, the largest one, hesitated. Its animal instincts screamed danger. But hunger won out. It jumped high, intending to crush Ren from above.
Ren snorted. He jumped up to meet the monster in the air.
His movement was acrobatic and wild, exactly like a monkey. He spun in the air, his feet landing squarely on the monster's chest.
"Down!"
With a stomp carrying supernatural weight, Ren slammed the monster into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth cracked. The monster lay in a small crater with a caved in chest, pinned under Ren's foot. Dead.
Silence fell over the clearing.
Ten seconds. Five monsters that gave Sagiri hell were slaughtered with bare hands. No sword techniques, no ninjutsu. Just absolute brute force.
Ren stepped off the monster's corpse and walked over to pull his iron bar from the tree.
He spun the bar once, then rested it on his shoulder as he looked at Sagiri.
"You're from the Yamada clan, right?" Ren asked.
Sagiri was still frozen, gripping her katana with trembling hands. She had never seen a fighting style so wild yet so beautiful. Brutal, but precise.
"Y-yes," Sagiri stammered, trying to regain her dignity. "I am Yamada Asaemon Sagiri. My duty is to monitor..."
Ren cut her off with a short laugh. He walked closer, dominating Sagiri's view with his tall posture.
"Monitor? You can't even protect your own head," Ren mocked, but there was no malice in his voice, only facts.
Ren leaned in, staring deep into Sagiri's eyes. Golden eyes met black eyes.
"Listen, pretty Executioner. On this island, your status, your clan, your rules... they're all trash. Only one rule applies here: The strong eat. The weak become fertilizer."
Ren straightened up and turned around, signaling Yuzuriha to keep moving.
"If you want to live, stop hesitating when you swing that sword. Or if not..." Ren turned his head slightly, offering a thin smirk. "...you can hide behind my back. I don't mind adding to my collection of followers."
Sagiri's face turned bright red. Half from anger at the insult, half from shame at being saved so easily.
"Wait!" Sagiri shouted. "What is your name?!"
Ren didn't stop walking.
"Ren. Remember that name, because it's the name that will shake the heavens above your head."
[Sub Mission Complete: Save the Executioner.] [Sagiri's Status: Confused / Intimidated.] [Synchronization Increased: 1.3% -> 1.5%]
Yuzuriha walked beside Ren, nudging his arm while giggling.
"Ara ara... you move fast, Ren-kun. We just met, and you're already flirting with another woman in front of me?"
Ren glanced at Yuzuriha. "Jealous?"
"Maybe," Yuzuriha winked. "But you'll have to prove a lot more if you want to make me truly fall for you."
"We'll see," Ren replied flatly.
Behind them, Sagiri stared at Ren's retreating back. Her hand gripped her sword handle tightly. The fear in her heart was slowly being replaced by a burning curiosity.
She had to know who that man really was.