Chapter 349: Ohma's Challenge, The Assassins Come Alive
At that moment, every eye in the vicinity subtly shifted. A warm smile bloomed on Sōryūin Shion's face, mirrored by Amou Kirukiru. Nearby, Matsuda Tomoko let out a quiet sigh of relief, the tension draining from her shoulders.
Yamashita Kazuo swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the man in the immaculate suit. He hadn't seen Ren arrive at all; one moment there was a confrontation brewing, the next, Ren was simply there, having effortlessly swatted Tokita Ohma's hand away. This man… he was a true fighter.
Tokita Ohma's voice was a low growl. "You seem to be meddling a bit too much."
Under the disbelieving stares of Yamashita Kazuo and the others, Ren casually reached out and pinched Sōryūin Shion's cheek. "I think it's quite reasonable to look after my own," he said with an easy smile. "However, this little silly girl did seem to be having some mischievous fun just now. My apologies."
Sōryūin Shion's face flushed a delicate pink, but she didn't struggle or pull away. She simply stood there obediently under his touch. Amou Kirukiru opened her mouth to speak, but Ren turned his head toward her first.
"Kirukiru, you tacitly approved of her little game just now, didn't you?"
Tokita Ohma's gaze swept over Ren, his eyes narrowing into predatory slits. "Hey… you. Are you a fighter?"
Ren considered the question for a moment. "I suppose I could be considered a fighter. But in a certain sense, I'm not really one at all."
"Oh? So you're a special case?" Ohma pressed, his interest piqued.
"I suppose so."
Tokita Ohma gave a slow, deliberate nod. His voice dropped, thick with anticipation. "You. I look forward to facing you."
Ren merely smiled, offering no reply. After watching Ohma turn and walk away, Sōryūin Shion spoke up, her voice a soft pout. "Hey, Ren. You really didn't come find us all day."
"I was busy chatting. Oh? President Nogi, long time no see."
Nogi Hideki, who had been observing from a short distance, approached with a polite smile. "Mr. Ren, as refined as ever. Well then, I won't be a third wheel here. You two chat. I'll go discuss some business with the others."
Once Nogi Hideki had departed, Ren finally released Sōryūin Shion's face. She rubbed her cheek, a playful smile returning to her lips. "You really came just in time. What, did you finally remember us two poor, forgotten women?"
"Are you three eating here, or would you rather find Yuko and the others? They're having drinks at the cruise ship's bar."
"Let's go," Shion said immediately, her eyes lighting up.
Yamashita Kazuo watched them leave, Sōryūin Shion's arm linked naturally with Ren's and Amou Kirukiru following a step behind. He swallowed again, a sense of awe washing over him. "That man… he's truly an amazing guy."
"Kazzy! What are you talking about? If you can help it, it's best never to confront him!" a voice suddenly interjected.
"Eh?! Rihito! When did you get here?" Yamashita exclaimed, startled. "What do you mean by that?"
"Kazzy, you're new to all this, so you don't know," Rihito said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "That man, in a way, is one of the most dangerous people involved in the Kengan matches. Ren, known as the White Butler… he's a true monster."
"Mon… monster?!"
"Mm. Let's not talk about it," Rihito said, shaking his head as if to clear the thought. "Come on, Kazzy! Let's find a place to get a drink!"
Meanwhile, at the ship's bar, Ichihara Yuko could have sworn she had found a kindred spirit. This woman, Sōryūin Shion, was a perfect match. She had actually found a smoking buddy! Of course, Yuko hadn't revealed her own habit just yet—or so she thought.
But even without that shared vice, Sōryūin Shion and Ichihara Yuko hit it off instantly, falling into an easy conversation over their drinks. Ren sat nearby, chatting with Sonoko Suzuki and the others. Mouri Ran was still expressing her sheer astonishment at the opulence of the cruise ship.
Suddenly, a sickeningly loud CRACK echoed from somewhere outside, followed by a dull, heavy thud.
The sound startled Mouri Ran, who had never experienced the brutal reality of the Kengan world. Sonoko also looked around in confusion. "That sound… Brother Ren, no one's fighting, are they?"
Mouri Ran stared blankly into the distance. "I've practiced karate my whole life… what kind of fight could possibly make a sound like that?"
Ichihara Yuko and the others nodded in agreement, their faces tense.
Amou Kirukiru, however, took a casual sip of her drink. "That's the sound of a human head hitting a marble floor," she stated calmly. "If I'm not mistaken, things should be getting lively outside now."
"But… Sister Kirukiru!" Mouri Ran said, her voice trembling slightly. "No matter how you look at it, a head hitting marble… that would cause serious problems! Doesn't anyone stop it?"
"This is a normal occurrence," Ren said with an air of nonchalance. "If these assassins don't establish a pecking order, those two old masters would get bored. Speaking of which, how did Sora and the others manage to get Jinx to sit down and watch a movie with them?"
"Don't know," came the chorused reply from several people at once.
Indeed, Kasugano Sora and her companions had found Jinx and Kure Karura, and the group had quite naturally settled in to watch a movie. It was a gritty police thriller, and Jinx was completely engrossed, her eyes glued to the screen.
Watching from a distance, Kure Erioh wore an expression of deep relief. "That's right, that's right," he murmured to himself. "Girls should play with other girls. Those two are with that brat Ren, aren't they? They really get along well with Karura. My Karura has friends like this now… That's a very good thing."
He had already done his due diligence and acquired information on Kasugano Sora and Jinx. Of course, all he could find on Jinx was her name, but from her words and actions, she seemed to be a vibrant, pure-hearted child—at most a bit of a chuunibyou who was fond of pranks.
And so, twenty-seven long hours passed. In that time, several of the registered corporate fighters were quietly replaced by victorious assassins. When the cruise ship finally docked, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the passengers.
Yamashita Kazuo had thought the ordeal was over, but when he learned there was still a drawing of lots to determine the tournament bracket, his nerves flared up all over again. Tokita Ohma and the others had already been escorted to their arranged rooms at the hotel on Ganryu Island.
Now, however, Yamashita stood in the drawing hall with a terrified expression. All around him, the corporate magnates were whispering amongst themselves, their eyes darting toward him. Nearby, Rihito had gotten into a heated argument with his former boss.
Sōryūin Shion stood off to the side, taking advantage of the commotion to quickly light a cigarette. Deeper in the crowd, a beautiful woman with a sharp gaze watched Shion, her teeth gritted. She was about to step forward when she suddenly froze.
Chairman Katahara Metsudo had appeared. Flanking him was a line of imposing bodyguards. Even more crucially, Nogi Hideki was at his side. But most of all, Ren and Momobami Kirari were with them.
Ren's voice, though gentle, cut through the murmuring hall. "Gentlemen over there, the next segment is quite important for all of you. So… how about you stop?"
Rihito looked on, puzzled, as his former boss immediately went silent and bowed his head obediently. The very instant Sōryūin Shion heard the approaching footsteps, she extinguished her cigarette and disposed of it in a single, fluid, practiced motion. The woman who had been watching her now stared, unblinking, at Ren.
With the assembly called to order, Chairman Katahara directed the proceedings, and the tournament rankings were finalized without any further issues. Afterward, Ren left directly with Kirari and the old chairman.
Sōryūin Shion immediately lit another cigarette, taking a long, satisfying drag. "Phew, that was close. But I wonder who the five unlucky ones are this time? I'm really looking forward to it. Now, where did that White Butler go?"
The entrepreneurs began to file out one by one, leaving only the beautiful woman from before. She stood rooted to the spot, biting her finger as she stared at the place where Sōryūin Shion had been standing.
"Sōryūin Shion…" she whispered, her voice a low, venomous promise. "I won't let you have Ren."
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