Seliux dashed forward.
His fist erupted with a dense black aura, tearing through reality itself. A fracture of black space opened in midair around his punch.
"Boom."
The word left Seliux's mouth with absolute confidence.
Rien simply watched him approach.
Then, at the final instant, Rien caught his fist.
His grip tightened.
With a single, effortless twist, Seliux's arm was wrenched from its socket before Rien threw him violently into the ground.
"Such a fragile body," Rien said calmly.
He released the severed arm and let it fall beside him.
Seliux vanished from the ground.
In the next instant, he appeared directly before Rien.
His arm had already regenerated.
"You can't kill me."
Rien looked at him.
No anger. No surprise.
Just silence.
Then he moved.
His fist struck Seliux directly in the face.
The impact launched him through the city, pulverizing building after building as his body tore through the ruins.
Before Seliux could recover, Rien appeared above him.
Seliux was still flying through the air.
Rien placed one foot against his chest.
Then—
He pressed down.
BOOM.
An overwhelming force crashed into Seliux, driving him into the earth with such pressure that the entire road beneath him shattered.
The ground broke apart.
The city disintegrated.
Stone, metal, and dust were erased into fragments.
And then—
Everything disappeared.
The ruins.
The sky.
The earth.
Even sound itself.
What remained was a boundless white void.
There was nothing.
Not existence.
Not even non-existence.
Only an absolute emptiness beyond both.
Seliux looked around.
Confusion clouded his eyes as he slowly pushed himself upright. Even his movements were hesitant, as though something unseen was restraining him.
"Where am I… and what did you do?"
His voice cracked.
Rien simply watched him.
He took a slow, measured breath before calmly gesturing toward the endless white void surrounding them.
"I broke the narrative."
His voice was quiet.
"There is nothing here being created. Nothing is happening unless I allow it to happen."
Seliux's expression changed.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Rien tilted his head slightly.
"You need words to move."
He took a step forward.
"But I broke the medium."
Another step.
"And with it, I took away your authority to move through the words written by the author."
Seliux tried to move.
Nothing happened.
His legs refused to respond.
He tried to speak.
His mouth remained still.
His eyes widened.
Rien continued walking toward him, his expression remaining completely calm.
"You need the writer to describe your movements…"
He stopped directly in front of Seliux.
"Don't you?"
Silence.
Rien raised his hand and placed it against Seliux's head.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the space around them trembled.
Seliux's form abruptly shattered, dissolving into the empty white void as though the narrative itself had rejected his existence.
Rien lowered his hand and looked at it for a moment.
"Such a fragile body…"
His voice remained completely emotionless.
He slowly lowered his gaze.
The white void stretched endlessly in every direction.
There was no world left.
No battlefield.
No rules.
Only Rien.
After a while...
Inside the car, however, everything felt quieter.
The gentle vibration of the engine, the muted sound of tires against the asphalt, and the occasional movement of the passengers created a strangely peaceful atmosphere as the car continued deeper into the city.
His father's foot slammed the brake without warning. The sudden deceleration hit like an invisible wall.
Yumiko's body was thrown forward with sharp force, her seatbelt snapping taut across her chest a half-second too late.
She lunged between the front seats, both hands flying out to brace against the headrests, fingers digging into the leather as the momentum carried her.
The sea-blue bodycon maxi stretched violently over her curves.
The fabric pulled tight across the full swell of her hips and the deep arch of her lower back, clinging so closely it outlined every soft shift of flesh beneath.
Her heavy breasts surged forward inside the tight neckline, bouncing hard once, then again, the weight of them swaying and settling with a slow, heavy ripple that the thin material did nothing to hide. A soft, startled breath left her lips.
"Woah… why the hell did you brake like that?"
She stayed braced for a moment longer, chest rising and falling, the dress still drawn tight across her body as the car finally rolled to a complete stop.
Ren's father glanced back at the two of them with an apologetic smile.
"We should buy something for Mom."
His voice was calm.
He opened the car door and stepped outside, closing it gently behind him before walking toward the mall, disappearing into the crowd.
Yumiko watched him leave and let out a soft sigh.
"That man is complicated."
There was a playful note in her voice.
She turned toward Rien, who was sitting beside her.
"What happened to you?"
Rien looked at her with a calm smile and nodded slightly.
"It's quite sweaty."
Yumiko blinked, then nodded.
"Alright."
She opened the car door and stepped outside. Before closing it, she looked back at him.
"I'm going to buy something for us to eat. Turn on the AC and wait here."
She gave him a confident wink before walking toward the mall.
Rien watched her leave with a faint smile.
Then his gaze shifted toward the people passing by.
Strangers walking beside one another.
Families talking.
Children running ahead of their parents.
For a moment, Rien simply watched them.
A genuine smile slowly appeared on his face.
There was no battle.
No power.
No grand purpose.
Just ordinary people living ordinary lives.
And somehow, that was enough.
After a while, Yumiko returned, carrying several bags filled with fast food and other things to eat.
She opened the car door and climbed inside before handing all the bags to Rien with a confident smile.
"Here. Carry these."
Rien accepted the bags without complaint.
Ren's father soon returned as well. He placed his bag on the seat beside him, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine.
He glanced at the two of them with an energetic smile.
"Let's start our adventure!"
Yumiko's eyes lit up.
"Ohh… yeah!"
Her voice echoed through the car with excitement.
Rien sat quietly in his seat, surrounded by bags of food, wearing a calm smile.
The engine roared to life.
And their journey began.