Chapter 194: At Least I'll Be Fine in Heaven
Ren shook his head.
"Sick means sick. And your condition is actually quite serious."
Shinobu didn't believe him at first, but Ren's massage techniques immediately focused on the acupoints on her feet.
Then—
A wave of intense pain erupted throughout Shinobu's entire body.
It felt as though she were being cut apart by blades, torn to pieces, or pierced by a thousand arrows.
Fortunately, the pain began to subside quickly.
Shinobu looked at Ren with a trace of fear.
Only then did she understand what Ren meant when he said she was "sick."
Ren's expression suddenly became serious.
"Shinobu, do you know that if you continue like this, your body will collapse prematurely?"
Shinobu fell silent.
Her gaze quickly became calm again.
The earlier pain had soaked her entire body in sweat. In the blink of an eye, even the clothes lying on the bed had become damp.
Shinobu smiled bitterly.
"Ren, I seem to be feeling a little uncomfortable."
"Do you regret it?"
"I don't regret it."
Then Shinobu raised her head and looked at Ren.
"Actually... I regret it a little now."
"What if there's no cure?"
Ren's words were like an icy blade, piercing deeply into Shinobu's heart.
For a moment, Shinobu froze.
What if it can't be cured?
The girl almost instinctively looked at Ren again.
Her gaze moved toward the young man's face, greedily trying to memorize every detail of his features.
What if it really can't be cured?
A trace of confusion filled Shinobu's heart.
She had never considered such a question before.
Yet her subconscious actions had already given her the answer.
It was Ren.
Ren's appearance had added something new to her usually calm acceptance of death.
Fear.
That fear grew stronger and stronger until it became overwhelming.
Now, Shinobu could no longer accept death as easily as she once had.
"I have no choice."
Shinobu's gaze dimmed.
"I have to avenge my sister."
Shinobu finally revealed her innermost thoughts to Ren.
It was the first time she had ever confessed her secret to another person.
This wasn't merely about the wisteria poison coursing through her body. It was also about all the worries that had tormented her for half her life.
Ren silently looked at her.
Then he saw the girl raise her head, tears blurring her vision.
"Ren, I have nothing left."
"I have nothing at all."
"My parents and my sister... they all left me."
"I'm too weak. I can't drive them back."
"They bared their fangs and cruelly took my sister away from me."
As she spoke, Shinobu tightly gripped the haori beside her.
Her eyes were bloodshot.
"I miss her every moment."
"Every moment, I want to kill it."
"It's all right."
Ren gently stroked Shinobu's back.
His voice was soft.
"I've already killed four Upper Ranks."
"That one will be my next target. It won't escape."
The mist in Shinobu's eyes grew thicker.
So everything Ren had done was for her?
"Why would you do that? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Ren suddenly smiled.
"Death? Of course I'm afraid. But why should I die because of them?"
Ren's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"I've already met Douma."
Shinobu froze.
Then her expression became extremely fierce.
Through the Transparent World, Ren could clearly see Shinobu's blood circulation accelerating.
The girl remained silent, burning with rage.
Her silence was deafening.
"I'll kill him."
After a long while, the girl finally forced those words out.
Ren comforted her from the side.
"So you're planning to use your life to drag him down with you?"
Shinobu was silent for a moment before answering,
"Yes."
"Is it worth it?"
"It's worth it. At least I'll be fine in heaven."
Ren shook his head.
"But have you ever thought about what will happen to everyone left at the Butterfly Mansion if you die? You're only eighteen. They're even younger than you."
Shinobu fell silent.
The Butterfly Mansion had been the only thing she had been unable to let go of before.
Oh, no.
Now there was at least one more.
Ren.
Shinobu raised her head and looked at him, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
To be honest, she didn't know what she should do either.
Ren met Shinobu's pleading gaze and analyzed the situation rationally.
"There is no heaven in this world. If we have a good way to solve the problem, why insist on choosing mutual destruction?"
Shinobu blinked.
She was an extremely intelligent girl.
The moment she heard Ren say this, she knew that he must have a solution.
"Ren, help me."
Shinobu brought her legs together and hugged her knees tightly.
Her eyes were filled with pleading.
Ren calmly said,
"I've already fought Douma. To be honest, his strength exceeded my expectations somewhat. But after fighting him once, I already have a general understanding of him."
[What?]
Shinobu was startled.
Ren thought Shinobu was surprised that he already had a rough understanding of Douma's strength.
But then he saw Shinobu suddenly leap up from the bed in panic.
She immediately began examining Ren for injuries.
Her voice was filled with deep concern.
"You fought Douma? Were you injured? Are you hiding something else from me?!"
The smile disappeared from Shinobu's face.
In its place was profound worry.
And mixed within that worry was a trace of anger.
Ren smiled.
"Shinobu, are you worried about me?"
Shinobu froze.
Only then did she realize that her reaction had probably been a little excessive.
But she stubbornly said,
"Hmph. Worried about you? I'm worried that the Butterfly Mansion will have one less doctor and that the workload won't get done!"
Unexpectedly, Ren shook his head again.
"That's even worse. You've been confined to bed these past two days, while I've been going from room to room throughout the Butterfly Mansion treating patients. The work really isn't getting done."
Shinobu's petite body trembled.
Then she asked with concern,
"Then... are you all right?"
[I'm fine.]
Ren waved his hand.
"Let's start today's treatment first. After all, you need to recover before you can take revenge."
The moment revenge was mentioned, Shinobu's gaze became serious again.
Then she decisively extended her little foot.
Her movement was much more natural than yesterday.
Seeing this, Ren didn't bother with unnecessary formalities.
Shinobu's willingness to undergo treatment meant that she had taken his words to heart.
That way, once Douma was dead, Shinobu wouldn't be dragged into the battle as well.
So the next step was to control Shinobu's condition first.
Ren took a deep breath.
The massage techniques he had learned yesterday came effortlessly to mind.
You have entered the Transparent World!
A transparent world unfolds before you!
You observe the blood vessels and meridians in your target's foot, gaining a clearer understanding of the vascular network and the flow of blood!