Chapter 902: The War of Mutual Conquest Begins! Stella's Jealousy and Self-Doubt
"I want you. I don't care what it takes."
Arisa Kuhouin's voice was a breathless whisper. Her eyelashes fluttered shut as she leaned in, parting her burning lips to claim his.
A single, calloused finger pressed gently against her soft lips, halting her advance mere millimeters from her goal.
Arisa's eyes fluttered open, meeting a gaze so deeply calm it made her heart skip a beat.
"Miss Arisa, I believe you have the dynamic backward," Ren murmured, a dry smirk playing on his lips. "You aren't going to obtain me. I am going to conquer you."
Without breaking eye contact with the flushed student council president, Ren tilted his head toward Stella and the other two girls. "Wait here for a second."
The air warped. In the blink of an eye, both Ren and Arisa vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but a faint breeze in their wake.
Stella blinked, her mouth still half-open in a halted protest. Beside her, Shizuku and Ayase froze, completely caught off guard by the sudden disappearance.
Inside the isolated pocket dimension, Arisa let out a startled gasp. The hard ground beneath her had instantly shifted into a sprawling, impossibly soft mattress.
"Where... where are we?" She scrambled up, her eyes darting around the pristine, elegantly furnished room. There were no windows, only warm, ambient lighting casting a soft glow over the silk sheets.
"This, Arisa, is where I intend to break you in."
Ren's voice drifted from the foot of the bed. He casually shrugged off his coat, tossing it over a nearby chair. "You want to claim me? I want to conquer you. Let's see who breaks first. How about a little wager?"
"What are you—" Arisa started to push herself up, indignation flashing across her delicate features. Then, her breath hitched. A sharp gasp escaped her throat as her eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The sheer scale of what he was packing defied all logic.
Ren closed the distance, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked, predatory smile. "Well? Care to make a high-stakes gamble? If you manage to conquer me, you get to keep me, along with everything I own. But we both know the truth, my deeply infatuated Arisa."
Arisa desperately wanted to snap back, to deny the accusation with her usual haughty pride. But the words died in her throat. Her gaze remained glued to his sculpted, flawless physique. From the very first second she laid eyes on him, a primal, uncontrollable urge had taken root in her chest. It wasn't some pure, romantic love. It was a dark, consuming obsession with his overwhelming presence, his absolute confidence, and his striking appearance.
She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. Biting her lower lip, Arisa shifted her weight, sitting up straighter on the silk sheets. The lingering hesitation in her eyes melted away, replaced by a fervent, heavy heat.
Slowly, she extended a trembling hand toward him. "Then... let us put that to the test."
"Where did they go?" Shizuku Kurogane scanned the empty corridor, her brow furrowed. There was no trace of mana, no spatial tears—they were just gone.
Ayase Ayatsuji gently poked Shizuku's shoulder. "Shizuku..."
"What is it?"
"Look. They... they're already back."
Barely three seconds had passed in the real world since their abrupt departure. Yet, the air rippled, and Ren and Arisa materialized right back where they had been standing.
The shift in their appearance, however, was jarringly obvious. For one, their clothes were completely different, freshly changed and slightly rumpled in entirely new places.
More shockingly, Arisa was practically fused to Ren's side. Both of her arms were wrapped tightly around his bicep, her soft curves pressing shamelessly against him. The haughty, untouchable student council president was gone. In her place was a woman looking up at Ren with a gaze so heavy, so dripping with absolute submission and fervent adoration, it made the onlookers blush.
The sheer whiplash from her previously dominant, aristocratic demeanor was staggering.
"Ren, what the hell is going on?" Stella marched forward, her crimson eyes narrowing into a fierce glare.
"Nothing much," Ren replied with a casual shrug. "Let me officially introduce you. This is Arisa Kuhouin. She's my woman now."
"Huh?!" All three girls gaped at him, completely dumbfounded.
They had known each other for less than a minute! How on earth did they skip straight to a relationship in the span of three seconds?
To the observers in the normal time stream, it defied all logic. But within the isolated pocket dimension, thirty-six grueling, intense hours had passed. They had come to know every single inch of each other, inside and out.
In that private space, their wager had played out as a fierce, primal contest of wills, each trying to break the other's restraint. The outcome, of course, was never in doubt. Arisa had been utterly crushed, overwhelmed by Ren's relentless stamina and dominance. By the time he was finished, she had been thoroughly marked as his, completely reshaped from the outside in.
Ren always took absolute pride in his possessions. Breaking down the defenses of a sheltered elite like Arisa was child's play. With just a bit more time and grooming, every single aspect of her existence would revolve entirely around him.
Stella's instincts screamed that some foul play was involved. "Ren, I know you're a shameless pervert, but you can't just throw yourself at the first woman you see!" she snapped, jabbing an indignant finger toward Arisa. "She just met you and she's already rubbing all over you like a cheap escort! Do you have any idea how many guys she's probably seduced to act this practiced?!"
Arisa's hazy, lovestruck expression instantly vanished. Her eyes narrowed into sharp, dangerous slits as she glared at the crimson-haired princess.
"Listen here, little girl. I am the eldest daughter of the Kuhouin family. I have maintained absolute purity my entire life. Until Ren-kun, I have never so much as looked at another man, let alone seduced one."
A smug, highly provocative smile curved her lips as she tightened her grip on Ren's arm. ", I have already given my most precious first time to my Ren-kun. A fact he knows far better than a loudmouth like you ever could. And really, who are you to dare question Ren-kun's choices?"
During their thirty-six-hour marathon, Ren had casually revealed a fraction of his true identity and god-like power. Once the initial, world-shattering shock wore off, Arisa hadn't backed away in fear. Instead, the revelation only fueled her obsessive desire to bind such a supreme existence to herself.
She had tried to take the reins, only to be ruthlessly put back in her place. Yet, she felt zero disappointment. A man of such terrifying caliber was the only one in the multiverse worthy of claiming her. Even knowing he had a growing harem of women, she didn't care. She belonged to the strongest.
"You... I..." Stella choked on her words, her face flushing crimson with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
The haughty heiress had hit a nerve. Stella was just a member of the Chat Group. A friend. A companion. When it came down to it, she had absolutely no authority to dictate who he slept with.
Staring at the way Arisa pressed her chest against Ren's arm, a heavy, suffocating wave of sour jealousy crashed into Stella's chest. It burned the back of her throat.
"Hmph! Like I care what he does!" Stella spun on her heel, her twin tails whipping through the air as she turned her back on them. She crossed her arms tightly, muttering loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Just keep your disgusting, lovey-dovey PDA away from me. It's making me sick. Hurry up and finish whatever business you have here so we can go back."
"I don't even want to stay in this stupid world for another second..." she grumbled, her voice dropping into a petulant mumble.
Ren's enhanced hearing caught every single syllable of her tsundere whining. The heavy scent of vinegar and jealousy was practically suffocating. Yet, he didn't make a single move to comfort her. He knew exactly how to handle a fiery tsundere like Stella. Giving her attention when she threw a tantrum would only validate her stubbornness. Letting her stew in her own feelings was far more effective. Everything was playing out exactly as he intended.
"Since Stella is in such a rush to head home, we should get moving," Ren said smoothly, ignoring the sulking princess entirely. He glanced down at the woman clinging to him. "Arisa, you know which class Inori Yuzuriha is in. Lead the way."
Shizuku and Ayase exchanged a bewildered glance. The entire dynamic of the group had flipped on its head in a matter of seconds. Still, they were stranded in an unknown world and completely reliant on Ren to get them back. Without a word, they fell into step behind him.
Hearing the distinct sound of footsteps walking away, Stella peeked over her shoulder. Seeing Ren actually leaving without trying to coax her, a sharp pang of genuine grievance struck her heart. Hot tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
She just didn't understand.
'Do I really have zero charm? He literally throws himself at every new woman he meets, but he won't even try to make a move on me?!''He's the biggest, most shameless, hateful sadist in the entire Chat Group! He's a total pervert! So why... why doesn't he look at me like that?'
That was the crux of her frustration. It wasn't just that he was with another woman; it was the crushing insecurity that she wasn't enough to capture his attention. If she was attractive, why would Ren instantly claim a girl he had known for less than a minute, while completely ignoring all the subtle openings she had given him?
Stella ground her teeth together, wiping her eyes fiercely. A new, burning resolve ignited in her chest.
'I absolutely refuse to lose to some stuck-up student council president!'
Slapping her cheeks to regain her composure, Stella broke into a jog, chasing after the group with her mind firmly made up.
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