The air in the Yuragi inn's yard was thick with spiritual energy, but Ren, Hibari, and Sagiri were just getting started. Hibari's graceful, flowing movements with her kusarigama were a blur of motion, while Sagiri's swift and precise strikes with her blade were like the sharp crack of a whip. They were a formidable duo, a testament to their years of rigorous training. Ren, meanwhile, was doing his best to keep up, his own movements still a little clumsy and unpracticed.
"Ren, you have to be faster!" Sagiri called out, her katana flashing past his ear, cutting through the spiritual energy he had projected. "You're supposed to be training with us, not just spectating!"
Hibari, for her part, simply laughed. "Don't be so hard on him, Sagiri-chan. He's just a beginner, after all."
But as the training continued, the two girls began to notice something strange. Ren wasn't just a beginner. His movements, while unrefined, were becoming stronger, more deliberate. He was picking up on their techniques with alarming speed, and the spiritual energy he was wielding felt denser, more potent than their own.
Sagiri, her brow furrowed in concentration, finally stopped. "Wait a minute," she said, her voice laced with confusion. "How did you get so strong? You're supposed to be a beginner. You haven't even been training for that long."
Hibari, who was just as surprised, nodded in agreement. She had a keen instinct for detecting power, and Ren's was growing at an exponential rate.
Ren simply smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. He didn't want to reveal the truth about his abilities just yet. He needed a distraction.
"You want to see how strong I am?" he asked, a playful challenge in his voice.
Before they could respond, Ren activated his Real Illusion. Spiritual energy swirled around him, and in an instant, a dozen perfect clones of himself materialized. Each one held a shimmering, illusory sword, their eyes glowing with a menacing light. The girls were taken aback, their mouths agape. They had heard that Ren could create illusions, but they hadn't expected them to be so real, so powerful.
"An illusionist's power is in their numbers," Ren said, his voice echoing from the many clones.
The clones surged forward, a whirlwind of spiritual blades. Hibari and Sagiri fought back, their practiced movements a beautiful but ultimately futile dance against the overwhelming numbers. They were good, very good, but a dozen of Ren's clones were more than they could handle. They were eventually disarmed and defeated, pinned to the ground by a multitude of illusory swords.
"So, how was it?" Ren asked, his clones vanishing in a puff of spiritual energy.
Hibari, her hair a mess and her breathing heavy, looked up at him with a wide, dazed smile. "My instincts are always right," she thought to herself. She knew from the moment she met him that he was the one.
Sagiri, meanwhile, was completely flustered. She had forgotten her question entirely, her mind consumed by the sheer power Ren had just displayed. She felt a strange mixture of awe and determination. She wanted to be stronger, not just for herself, but to protect the people she loved—including Ren. The thought made her blush fiercely, a crimson flush spreading across her cheeks.
Ren, seeing her sudden change in demeanor, tilted his head. "Hey, why are you blushing, Sagiri?"
"I-it's nothing!" she stammered, turning her head away in a classic tsundere fashion. "Just… just get off me!"
Ren chuckled. He thought she was incredibly cute when she was flustered. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug. Sagiri tensed at first, ready to push him away, but as she breathed in his scent, a sense of comfort and calm washed over her. She unconsciously leaned her head against his chest, her heart fluttering.
A loud cough from Hibari broke the spell. Sagiri immediately jumped out of Ren's arms, her face burning. Hibari, with a mischievous grin, gave him a pointed look, gesturing for a hug of her own. Ren complied, pulling her into a warm embrace. As he hugged her, he leaned in and kissed her. Hibari was surprised, but she didn't pull away. She was in a daze, lost in the moment.
Before things could go any further, a chilling, deadly gaze from Sagiri brought them back to reality. Hibari quickly retreated, and Ren, feigning innocence, asked Sagiri if she wanted something. Sagiri's mind screamed with a desire to be kissed, too, but her pride wouldn't let her beg.
Ren, ever the clever protagonist, didn't give her a chance to protest. He simply closed the distance between them and kissed her. The training session had officially devolved into a full-blown flirting session.
Later, Ren, now feeling an insatiable desire to be with one of his lovers, found himself in the living room, scrolling through his phone. He knew that from the anime he used to watch, girls in a harem often wanted to be alone with the guy they loved when they took their relationship to the next level. Ren decided to have his way with Hibari or Sagiri later. For now, there was someone else on his mind.
Nonko was in her room, hunched over her drawing table, a faint light illuminating her work. She was in the zone, completely focused on her manga. She didn't hear Ren enter, nor did she hear his gentle knocks.
"Nonko-san?" he asked softly, appearing behind her.
Nonko jumped, startled. "R-ren-kun! I didn't hear you knock!"
"I did," he said with a smile. "You were just too focused."
Nonko, feeling a blush creep up her neck, quickly began to clean her room. Since Ren had arrived at Yuragi-sou, she had made an effort to keep her room tidy. Now, she could clean it in under a minute.
Once her room was spotless, Ren approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. Nonko knew exactly what he wanted.
"I… I haven't taken a bath yet," she said, her voice a soft whisper.
"That's okay," Ren said, his lips brushing against her ear. "We'll take one together."
Nonko's entire body flushed a deep red. She nodded, and they made their way to the bathroom. In the warm, steamy confines of the bath, their passion erupted, a fiery dance of love and lust.
Ren was back in the living room, a content smile on his face, scrolling through his phone. The door to the inn slid open, and Chitose walked in, her face pale. Ren looked up, confused. There were no groceries in her hands.
"Chitose-san?" he asked, a knot of unease forming in his stomach. "Where are the groceries for this week?"
Chitose shook her head, her eyes wide with a profound, unspoken terror. "Ren-kun… Yuuna got kidnapped."