Chapter 88
"Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"
Hiroto's eyes went wide.
Takeda froze in disbelief.
President Nakamura's jaw literally dropped.
All three men sat speechless the silence in the room so sharp it could cut air.
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!" Renji are you really serious!
Hiroto's voice shattered the quiet like a bomb.
He pointed at the man standing calmly beside Renji, his silverd hair glinting under the holographic light.
"What do you mean he's the creator of the Gate of Gealgilmesh?!"
Renji gave a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck.
"Ahaha… yeah... You see About that "??
Every head turned toward the tall man beside him Dracan Vendova, the so-called Dragon Knight. His golden eyes reflected the light of the screen, calm and ancient.
President Nakamura swallowed hard.
"You're saying… this man created the Gate?"
Renji nodded, still smiling nervously. "Pretty much, yeah."
The room went silent again.
Three hours earlier…
The afternoon sun spilled through the tall glass windows of the Takeda estate.
A light breeze carried the faint scent of pine trees through the open garden.
The front gates swung open.
And then
"RENJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!"
Before Renji could even blink, a tiny missile slammed into his stomach.
"Ugh—! LILY! Not again—ahhhhhh!"
He stumbled back, nearly losing his footing, as Lily clung to him with teary eyes and a trembling smile.
"You idiot!" she shouted, pounding his chest. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
Renji grinned, gently patting her head. "Yeah, sorry about that. I kinda got… lost in another dimension. It was the gate or dimension huhhh or the gate had a dimension I don't really know but I definitely got lost in another dimension ".
"'Lost in another dimension' he says," came a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Renji looked up to see Choji Namikaze, arms crossed, leaning against the wall like a brooding action hero — except for the smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth.
"You look like hell, Renji," Choji said, though his tone carried more relief than mockery.
"Seriously, what the hell happened in there not that I was worried though I...I knew u would make it back bu...but I just wanted to make sure you're okay, but tell me no tell us what happened in there?"
Renji rubbed his neck, looking away. "Heh. Funny story actually…"
The ground suddenly trembled.
A gust of dark wind swirled behind him.
And out of the shadowed archway stepped a tall figure — silver-haired, gold-eyed, armored in obsidian scales that shimmered faintly in the light.
Every aura in the room flared in instinct.
Choji's hand flew to his dagger.
Lily hid behind Renji's cloak.
"Renji…" Choji said slowly, his voice tight. "Who. Is. That."
Renji turned, hands raised in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, he's with me!"
Lily peeked from behind Renji's shoulder.
"H-He's with you?! He looks like the final boss of an RPG!"
The silver-haired man tilted his head, a deep rumbling chuckle escaping his throat.
Dracan: "Final boss? Hah. I like that one."
Choji froze. "He… he talks?!"
Renji groaned. "Of course he talks! He's not a monster—well, not exactly look, long story!"
Lily whispered, "Renji-nii… please tell me you didn't befriend a boss monster."
"Technically he befriended me," Dracan corrected calmly.
Renji slapped his forehead. "You're not helping!"
The air shifted.
Even without a word, the power radiating from Dracan filled the entire hall ancient, suffocating, and yet oddly calm, like the quiet before a storm.
Choji gulped. "Renji… I swear, if this guy sneezes, Tokyo's going to vanish."
Renji raised a hand, smiling nervously. "Relax. He's harmless… kinda."
Dracan glanced down at him. "Kinda?"
Renji froze. "I mean! Totally harmless! Totally!"
Lily looked at him suspiciously. "So who is he?"
Renji sighed, looking between Choji and Lily. "Alright. You're not gonna believe this but… he's the creator of the Gate of Gealgilmesh."
Silence.
Choji blinked once. Twice.
Then
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" he screamed, stumbling backward. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING THE CREATOR?! THAT DEATH GATE?! ?!"
Renji rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Yeah… that one."
Dracan: Are humans always this loud?
Choji's mouth twitched. "Renji. You brought him into Takeda-sama's house."
Renji nodded slowly. "Yup."
"You brought the Gate's goddamn architect into the house."
Renji grinned. "Pretty much."
Choji threw his hands up. "ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Dracan, meanwhile, looked mildly confused. "Was I not supposed to come?"
Lily tried to whisper but accidentally said it loud enough for everyone to hear:
"Renji-nii… he's kinda cool though."
Dracan blinked. "Cool?"
Renji facepalmed. "Please don't encourage him, Lily."
The tension slowly eased as Choji, still breathing heavily, approached Dracan carefully.
"Alright…" Choji said. "If you're really not here to destroy the world , then… nice to meet you. I'm Choji Namikaze."
Dracan straightened, his towering form casting a faint shadow. "I am Dracan Vendova. Prince of the Dragons. Last of the Veltorax line."
"Ehh—ah " Choji froze, nearly biting his tongue. "D-Dracan-san. Nice to meet you."
A soft pause filled the air.
Dracan's expression shifted the cold pride in his eyes melting into something faint, almost human.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "It's been… a long time since have had this feeling, thank you Choji namikaze ."
"Ehh—" Choji rubbed the back of his neck. "You can just call me Choji."
"Choji," Dracan repeated softly, as if testing the word. "Yes. Choji-san."
Renji smiled at the sight — warmth spreading through his chest.
"See, Choji? He just wanted a friend."
Dracan tilted his head. "Friend?"
Renji chuckled. "Yeah. Just like I did when you decided to be mine."
Choji blinked, then smiled faintly. "…Yeah. Guess you're right."
For a brief moment, the room fell quiet not out of fear, but peace.
Then suddenly, Dracan's expression hardened.
His golden eyes glowed faintly as his hand moved instinctively to his sword.
"What's wrong?" Renji asked, immediately on alert.
"Someone's coming," Dracan said. His aura flared — sharp and overwhelming, like the breath of a dragon before a roar.
"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Renji shouted. "Don't vaporize anyone this time!"
"Vaporize..?" Choji yelped.
Before Renji could stop him, the doors burst open.
"Renji!" Takeda's voice filled the room, followed by Hiroto and President Nakamura.
Every head turned.
Every aura froze mid-air.
For one painfully awkward second total silence.
Renji: Ehh takeda-sama with a quirky smile
Then....
Dracan blinked. "Takeda-sama ehh!! You must be Takeda."
Takeda blinked back. "Ahhh Renji are you okay we got a call about your manner readings the gate everything GONE!! Then for a moment he starred at the mysterious knight EH wait who are you "
Renji smiled weakly."Ehh about that..."
Hiroto squinted at Renji. "Don't tell me?"
Renji smiled weakly. "Yup."
RENJIIII!
Renji replied quirky like: ehh yes
"You brought a six-foot glowing dragon man into the house?!"
"He's seven-two actually," Dracan corrected calmly.
Hiroto's face turned white. "SEVEN—?!" but what a strong aura ..
Takeda exhaled, placing a hand on his forehead. "Renji… I swear one day you'll give me a heart attack."
Renji laughed nervously. "Ahaha… yeah, sorry, Takeda-sama."
Then Lily ran up. "Oji-san! Look, this is Dracan! He can shape-shift!"
Dracan smiled proudly. "Indeed I can."
Before anyone could stop him, his form shimmered wings unfurling in an instant, filling the hall with a radiant silver glow.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Hiroto screamed, diving behind the couch. "THE CEILING! YOU'RE BREAKING THE CEILING!"
Renji smacked his forehead. "DRACAN! SMALL FORM! SMALL FORM!"
"Oh, right."
The wings vanished.
Takeda just sighed. "It's official. My life's become an anime."
Renji grinned. "A pretty good one, though."
After a long round of introductions, awkward laughter, and Dracan accidentally breaking a teacup because "human cups are fragile," Renji finally sighed and said:
"I'll explain everything."
Back to the present…
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Hiroto screamed, echoing through the living room
"What are you talking about, Renji?! He's the creator of the Gate of Gealgilmesh?!"
Renji scratched the back of his neck again, his grin half-nervous, half-guilty.
"Yeah. Pretty much."
Dracan stood beside him, calm and unreadable, his golden eyes glinting faintly beneath the light.
Takeda and President Nakamura exchanged silent looks disbelief and awe painted across their faces.
Hiroto threw his hands up. "You've gotta be kidding me You brought the creator of the Gate to Earth?!"
Renji laughed softly. "He's not that bad once you get to know him."
Dracan's mouth curved into the faintest of smiles. "You exaggerate."
Renji shrugged. "Maybe. But hey now they know."
The room fell quiet again.
Every gaze locked on Dracan the Dragon Knight who had once forged a gate between worlds.
The silence felt heavy.
Then, with a calm smile, Renji said softly:
"Yes… he's the one."