"Cough, cough!"
"Takajō! Don't hit that hard!"
Nao waved away the thick dust cloud, looking genuinely annoyed.
"What if you smashed my DV cam in the process?!"
That guy's ability…
It really had zero brakes.
"S-Sumimasen, President… That's not something I can control-"
Takajō hadn't even finished speaking when,
"Ugh !"
A strangled cry escaped his throat, like something had suddenly seized him in place.
Nao's expression changed instantly.
"Hey, are you okay?!"
But instead of Takajō answering…
A low, amused voice drifted through the dust.
"So it's instantaneous movement… That's actually kind of interesting."
It was a whisper straight out of hell.
And then,
From within the thick haze, Ren slowly emerged.
One hand remained casually tucked in his pocket.
The other was gripping Takajō by the throat, dragging him across the ground like luggage.
Cold. Effortless. Cruel.
Nao's eye twitched.
"What are you made of, concrete?! Why are you that hard to put down?!"
She couldn't help complaining.
Takajō had protective gear under his uniform. At that speed, a normal person would've died instantly.
Even strength-enhancers would've been hospitalized.
And yet this man…
He'd handled Takajō like he was strolling through an amusement park.
Completely absurd.
Ren chuckled faintly.
"A pathetic, incomplete ability like yours.
Being hurt by you at all would be my greatest humiliation."
Nao frowned.
"Don't act so superior. Your ability has flaws too."
Ren's smile sharpened.
"No. It doesn't."
"It does," Nao insisted seriously.
"Our powers are like poison. They fade over time… and they come with hidden side effects."
Her own ability, and Takajō's, both had made them suffer plenty.
Ren scoffed.
"Weak? Then train harder.
You are you. I am me.
Don't put me in the same category as amateurs like you."
Side effects?
Please.
He was wielding the technique of the King of Curses.
As if it would sabotage itself.
Nao exhaled sharply.
"You're impossible."
Ren grinned wider.
"Sorry. I just love watching people bark passionately at me…
and then rejecting them anyway."
He looked at her with shameless arrogance.
He was one gesture away from outright flipping her off.
Nao's forehead pulsed with a vein. Her fists clenched.
This guy…
Was beyond punchable.
"Oh?" Ren tilted his head. "Angry?"
Nao took a deep breath.
"No. I just want to smash your face into pulp."
"That's called being angry~"
"Not at all~" Nao smiled sweetly.
"This is simply the Student Council President of Hoshinoumi Academy giving a polite warning before disciplining a troublesome student."
Ren snorted.
"Tch. You talk like you're something special."
"Special or not… you'll find out."
Nao shrugged.
And then,
Her figure vanished from Ren's vision.
"Seriously?" Ren laughed.
"Sneak attacks? That's your big plan?"
Childish.
Like playground brawling.
With a bored motion, Ren lifted his arm,
And tossed Takajō Jōjirō forward like a sack of potatoes.
"WAAAAH!!"
The blue-haired boy screamed midair.
This man was more brute-force than actual strength-types!
Whoosh!
A sharp gust exploded.
The instant Ren threw Takajō,
Nao had already looped around behind him.
Her fist flew straight for the back of his skull.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out,
But before her punch could land,
Ren turned, flashing a devilish smile over his shoulder.
And caught her wrist effortlessly.
Locked her in place.
"You!"
Nao stared in disbelief.
He… could see her?
Ren scoffed.
"What? You think invisibility is impressive?"
To someone who mastered cutting techniques…
Reading airflow was child's play.
Of course…
There was an even easier method.
Just open a Domain Expansion and shred everything within two hundred meters.
But that was far too draining at his current level.
Right now, adaptation came first.
Whoosh!
Nao struck again.
Useless.
Ren caught her second wrist just as easily.
Absolute power made resistance meaningless.
"Damn it!"
Nao struggled desperately.
"Why the hell does 'Cleave' also buff your physical body?!"
His strength was ridiculous.
Ren's eyes gleamed.
"Like I said. We're not the same."
Nao groaned.
"You're not 'different', you're basically a separate species!"
Ren ignored the personal attack.
Instead…
He leaned forward slightly.
Quietly staring into her eyes.
Those vivid blue irises,
Like lakes reflecting the entire world.
Nao's voice sharpened.
"What are you looking at?!"
Was he about to mock her again?
Ren spoke softly.
"I've decided… I don't want to slice you anymore."
Nao froze.
"What?"
Ren's voice lowered, almost tender,
Like a demon murmuring in the dark.
"I want to collect your eyes~"
Silence.
Then,
"HUH?! Collect my eyes?!"
"Correct."
Nao recoiled.
"What kind of disgusting hobby is that?!
You seriously came up with that?!"
She had never heard something so deranged.
Ren's interest only deepened.
"You really are special. Most girls would've pissed themselves hearing that."
Nao rolled her eyes.
"Of course not.
Coming from a handsome high school guy, that threat just sounds stupid.
There's zero intimidation."
Ren blinked.
"So… you're saying I need to be scarier?"
Nao nodded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely! I think if you carved a nice scar across your face, you'd look way more threatening."
Ren: "..."
His mouth twitched.
In a month of being a villain…
This was the first time his aura had been so insulted.
This girl's brain was genuinely broken.
Nao squinted.
"Hey. Why aren't you talking?"
Ren exhaled.
"Don't speak. I'm thinking."
"Thinking about where to cut your face for maximum coolness?"
"No."
Ren's grin returned.
Slow.
Dark.
"I'm thinking about whether you can survive the little game I'm about to play."
His smile sharpened.
A game…
One that would make people feel blissfully weightless.
A game…
That would send someone straight to heaven.
Add to Collection!
200 P.S / 1 Extra Chapter