Early in the morning, Ren looked at Misaki resting on his arm and smiled. Her chest had grown, completely different from the flatness it once had.
With his other hand, he took out his phone and frowned. The "Level 6 Shift" had been restarted. That old man just wouldn't give up. But finding the exact location of the person behind it was still extremely difficult.
Especially after he had defeated Number Two, the target was naturally more cautious. Should he check on Number Two again?
After a moment's thought, Ren sent a message to someone to see if they had time. Once he got a reply, he set the phone down.
Seeing that Misaki was still sleeping in, Ren got up to wash, made breakfast for the four girls, and then headed out to the dessert shop they had agreed on.
Even during summer vacation, Academy City was lively, filled with students and the occasional patrols of the disciplinary committee. Ren went straight to the agreed spot.
The blonde girl was already sitting there. Her appearance was outstanding, yet no one approached her. In fact, people didn't even look at her. That was her ability: Measure Heart, which set the psychological distance between herself and others—friends, lovers, even family.
In a way, her power was extremely strong. Anyone who couldn't defend against mental abilities would inevitably lose if they confronted her.
Ren sat directly across from her. "So, any news from the dark side? About the restart of the Level 6 Shift?"
"Well, first, have a drink. Poor girl's been waiting so long." Kaibi tested her ability, defining their relationship as friends. But seeing that Ren's expression didn't change at all, she realized she had failed again.
"Just give me the conclusion. Since I know about this, I obviously have a source. If I find out you're lying, the consequences won't be pleasant." Ren's tone was friendly, but it did nothing to cheer Kaibi.
After a moment, prioritizing her own life, Kaibi told him everything. Kakine Teitoku and some researchers were colluding to restart the project.
Ren already knew that Number Two had ways to counter Misaki's powers. That was why he had used a double layer back then: one layer was surface-level obedience, and the other was psychological suggestion.
It amplified the fear people felt toward him, a subconscious effect. No one could detect it, but when they faced Ren again, the emotion would surface naturally.
Kaibi felt it immediately. When Ren's gaze landed on her, she instinctively recalled that day. She realized her ability might still be active, a sharp instinct unique to espers of the same type.
"I see. Where's Number Two? Take me there."
"I'll get killed." Gokusai Kaibi's face turned pale.
"Don't worry. From now on, you're mine." Ren sat beside the girl and patted her stiff shoulder.
"I'm not happy about that." Kaibi picked up her dessert and stood, leading Ren in a certain direction.
Their old base had naturally been abandoned. Now they were taking orders frantically, as the Level 6 Shift Project had run out of funding.
" Why are you so obsessed with tall buildings?" Ren muttered, finding it a bit ridiculous, yet here they were again.
When they reached the top floor, Kakine Teitoku hadn't returned yet. Yobou Banka had been investigating orders but paused when he saw Kaibi returning with Ren.
" You betrayed us?" Yobou Banka immediately activated his ability, intending to finish her off.
Kaibi didn't have time to use her own powers. She could only hope Ren would save her. As expected, Ren shattered Yobou Banka's ability in an instant. The next moment, he picked Kaibi up as if she were a small chick.
He brought her in front of Yobou Banka and unleashed a brutal beating. This time, he didn't hold back. Last time he had spared them, and now they still dared to cause trouble? Did they think he was easy to intimidate?
Watching Yobou Banka reduced to a barely human state, Kaibi finally exhaled in relief. Luckily, she had surrendered quickly. Otherwise, even if she survived, her remaining days would probably be spent in bed.
" Kaibi, you understand your situation now, right?" Ren stroked her hair. This young girl had likely seen her fair share of death by now, which explained her calm demeanor.
" Damn you, Ren! You ruined the experiment by cutting off its funding!" Kakine Teitoku had just returned from a mission. He froze at the sight of Ren on the sofa, Kaibi at his side, and Yobou Banka lying on the ground, bloodied and broken.
" You betrayed us!" Teitoku's teeth clenched. He had never been this angry before. This was worse than any insult Ren could have thrown at him.
His wings spread. Every piece of furniture, every wall, everything he touched was destroyed, the room instantly transforming into a war-torn ruin. Kaibi closed her eyes. Her powers were useless against him. Under this attack, survival was impossible.
But once again, Ren treated him like a small chick. He teleported in front of Teitoku and kicked him in the head, twisting him a full 360 degrees, nearly detaching him entirely.
Teitoku collapsed instantly. Whether he would survive, Ren couldn't guarantee. After all, with the unreality of the matter combined with Academy City technology, things were always unpredictable.
" He's Number Two. Academy City won't just let him die like this."
" That's why I didn't finish him off. But next time, I might not be so merciful." Ren gave him a warning. If Number Two provoked him again, there would be no holding back.
" Next, we deal with those researchers." Ren signaled for her to follow.
Gokusai Kaibi sighed. As expected, Ren had intelligence sources. Kihara Gensei completely ignored this, like a butterfly falling into a spider's trap.
Following Ren, they set off toward Kiyama Harumi's location. She was a top talent, and after agreeing to participate in this project again, she had been assigned a new position.
Ren had no intention of killing these people. After all, cutting down one group only meant another would come. It was endless. It was far simpler to take their hands and remove future trouble once and for all.
Beep—beep—
After entering a building with Ren, the alarm sounded. The researchers on the top floor didn't panic. This time, the security included robots, which were completely immune to Gokusai Kaibi's abilities.
Anyone who had investigated Ren knew he was close to Number Five, so they were prepared for any situation.
"I can't handle these things," Gokusai Kaibi said, her face pale. The robots started firing, and soon she felt herself being carried. The next moment, she appeared directly in front of one of the machines.
"Target lost. Attack canceled." The robot couldn't detect Ren's presence.
Ren held Gokusai Kaibi with one hand and punched the robot squarely with the other.
To everyone's shock, Ren crushed the metal machine, denting it and causing smoke to rise. It looked like it couldn't withstand much longer—explosion imminent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As one robot exploded, the others followed in rapid succession. The intervals were so short that the researchers couldn't believe it. It was happening so easily; they couldn't comprehend it.
Soon, all the robots were destroyed. Gokusai Kaibi, ignoring her dignity, vomited. Being carried by Ren was like a punishment—it was too overwhelming.
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