Chapter 348: New Kengan Match Rules, Ren's Arrival
Within a quiet, private room, two venerable old men sat across from each other. Behind one of them, two men in immaculate black suits stood as still as statues.
"Tch! Where did that little brat run off to now!?" Kure Erioh grumbled, his voice a low growl.
Katahara Metsudo simply chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Heh heh heh... Erioh, my friend, you know how much that boy spoils his women. He's probably out having a nice dinner with one of them."
"Hmph!" Erioh's scowl deepened. "Karura is still in her room reading, and that brat dares to go out with other women?!"
"Careful now, Erioh," Katahara teased, his grin widening. "You wouldn't want to snap your own chains, would you?"
"On this point, I must agree with Chairman Katahara."
The sudden, elegant voice startled both old men. They, along with the two bodyguards, turned their heads towards the door. Momobami Kirari stood there, her arm linked possessively with Ren's as he walked in beside her. Katahara Metsudo's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he burst into a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! See, Erioh? I told you so! Though I must admit, I didn't expect it to be young Kirari."
"You three may chat," Kirari said, her smile serene as she guided Ren to a seat. "I am merely here to observe."
True to her word, she said nothing more for the rest of the meeting. She simply sat by Ren's side, a placid, unreadable smile gracing her lips as she watched the proceedings. The two old masters, however, fell into a lively conversation with Ren.
One might be fooled by Kure Erioh's constant, simmering anger towards Ren, but in his heart, he had long considered the young man one of his own. If he hadn't, assassins from the Kure clan would have been dispatched long ago. In truth, Erioh quite enjoyed their verbal sparring. No one else in his family dared to argue with him so brazenly, and the spirited back-and-forth made him feel a spark of his youth again.
The three of them could talk about anything, their conversation flowing effortlessly from the conspiracies underpinning the upcoming tournament to the specific details of Ren's mission and the unique privileges he would be granted. Then, inevitably, the topic shifted. The three men actually started discussing women.
It wasn't a lewd conversation, of course. It was simply the two grandfathers shamelessly bragging about their own—Kure Karura and Katahara Sayaka. After listening for a while, Ren calmly interjected, "Which one of mine would you like me to talk about?"
The serene smile on Kirari's face froze for a split second. The corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. A subtle, sharp pinch found its way to Ren's side before her smile returned, wider and brighter than before. "Oh my," she purred, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I wonder who Ren thinks is truly worthy of praise?"
The brief, charged scene made both old men smirk. That boy's luck with the ladies was getting out of hand; it was high time someone reined him in.
The two patriarchs shared a complicated relationship, with Ren at its very center. Kure Erioh had tacitly approved of Ren's relationships with both his great-granddaughter, Karura, and Kure Fusui. On the other side of the equation, Katahara Metsudo had always been a staunch supporter of his own secretary, Katahara Sayaka.
This had led to a jest from Erioh just the other day. "If Sayaka joins the fold, I won't have anything to say about it," he had grumbled. "But... Metsudo, in that case, what would you call me? Let me remind you, the youngest, Karura, is my great-granddaughter."
The ensuing argument had been a sight to behold. A man's friendship is a resilient thing, and a man's happiness is often found in the simplest of squabbles.
"Ren," Kirari whispered as they left the room later. "Were you deliberately teasing me just now? That was quite mean of you."
"Let's not dwell on that," Ren replied, deftly changing the subject. "What time is it?"
"You three can really talk," she said, glancing at her phone. "It's already four-thirty in the afternoon."
"Hmm?" Ren's own phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. "A message from Sora... Eh? She and Jinx went to find Karura? Well, that's fine. It'll save Karura from being bored, but... Jinx plus Karura... I have a bad feeling about that combination."
"I agree," Kirari chuckled. "Let's head back and change. The welcome banquet is about to start."
Ren looked at her, puzzled. "Change? Why would I need to change? And you're going to the banquet? To play mind games with a bunch of old foxes? How very like you."
"I'd rather be playing a few games of chance, but duty calls," she said with a theatrical sigh. "And of course we're changing into something more formal. Your identity is rather special this time around. I know you don't plan to attend the banquet itself, but you'll probably go see Shion and Kirukiru, won't you? After all, a certain special guest is being introduced tonight."
Ren nodded. Kirari was right. According to the two old masters' scheme, he was meant to make an appearance. The exact execution was up to them, but his main goal was to check on those two.
Half an hour later, Kirari burst out laughing at the sight of Ren in a crisp, tailored black suit. She patted his arm, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Haha! This outfit really does suit you best, Mr. White Butler."
"You people will never let that go, will you?" Ren sighed, adjusting his tie.
"How could I? It's your official title, after all," she giggled. "Alright, alright, no more laughing. I'm going to take a shower. We can talk later. Lucifer and the others don't seem to be around, so you're free to do as you please."
Without another word, Ren turned and left, still clad in the formal suit. The moment he was gone, Kirari flopped onto the bed, hugged a pillow to her chest, and let her laughter bubble over freely. Anyone who knew the origin of the "White Butler" nickname knew it was a rather interesting story.
"Well," she murmured into the pillow, a fond smile on her face. "He truly is my man. So cute."
Lucifer and the others were indeed nowhere to be found, having vanished to parts unknown. They weren't permitted to appear in this venue anyway, so they were likely enjoying their downtime, as leisurely as if they were strolling on their own ship.
By six in the evening, doors all over the vessel began to open. A motley crew of individuals emerged—some with the predatory gait of beasts, others looking as if they had just been roused from a deep slumber. Kobayashi Rindou and her friends had long since found a deserted deck to continue their explorations, content to order dinner whenever the mood struck them.
At that same moment, Ren materialized, as if from nowhere, inside a grand hall filled with tables groaning under the weight of exquisite food. The room was already packed with powerful entrepreneurs and their designated fighters.
Chairman Katahara Metsudo soon appeared on a small stage, delivered a short speech filled with his usual cryptic wordplay, and then promptly turned and left. The gist of his message was this: the ship would not arrive at the tournament venue for another twenty-seven hours. Until they reached the island and the fighters were officially registered, fighters were forbidden from challenging each other to one-on-one duels. However, they could be challenged by non-combatants.
But it was his final, most significant announcement that silenced the room. "For this Kengan Annihilation Tournament," he declared, his voice booming through the hall, "I have brought you all a special challenger. He holds the right to intervene in any match he chooses. If he wins, he will advance directly to the finals. The loser of that match may challenge him for a chance at revival, but only if he finds them interesting. And he will only fight a maximum of five times!"
The words sent a shockwave through the crowd. Most were stunned into silence, but those who were privy to the inside information simply shook their heads. Somewhere in the throng, Kaolan Wongsawat let out a lazy sigh. "Hmm? Beat that guy... I think I'd rather not."
Just as Sōryūin Shion was about to start looking for Ren, a man named Nogi Hideki approached her group. After a few brief sentences, a sarcastic voice cut through the air. Shion, Amou Kirukiru, and Matsuda Tomoko all turned their heads in unison.
A wry smile played on Sōryūin Shion's lips. "Tokita... Ohma," she purred, her eyes raking over him. "While not quite as interesting as my man, you are quite a striking specimen up close. No wonder that Kiryu fellow loves chasing you around so much."
At the mention of that name, Tokita Ohma's pupils constricted into pinpricks. With a guttural snarl, he lunged forward, his hand shooting out to grab Shion's collar. Amou Kirukiru's body tensed, ready to intervene, but a slender hand moved faster. It casually batted Ohma's hand away as if swatting a fly.
"You!?" Ohma growled, recognizing the newcomer.
"Good evening, everyone," Ren said, his voice calm and even. "And to you, sir... you seem a bit agitated."
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