Chapter 438: A Lesson in Human Horrors
Perhaps it was the decision to stay, but Aoandon seemed exceptionally relaxed. Curled up on the sofa, her usual loathing for the encroaching daylight had softened into a quiet tolerance, her gaze fixed on the flickering screen of the television where a horror movie played out.
Ren watched her for a moment, a faint sigh escaping him.
"Hey," Lucifer began, a playful glint in her eyes as she leaned on the counter. "What do you think? If you actually managed to collect all the contracts, would you become ridiculously powerful?"
Ren considered it. "I imagine I would be," he said thoughtfully. "Generally speaking, those who can form such contracts aren't weak."
Lucifer tapped a finger to her chin, her expression one of deep, serious contemplation. "Is that so? I feel like there might be exceptions, but I can't think of any right now. How troublesome... But it doesn't matter, anyway. You'll definitely never collect them all!"
Ren tilted his head, a silent invitation for her to continue.
"You'll never get all of Hell's contracts," she declared with an exasperated wave of her hand. "Do you really think Beelzebub can get out of the Abyss? You're dreaming. She absolutely cannot escape."
Ren hesitated for a beat before speaking, his tone soft. "Lucifer..."
"Everything you usually say has a way of coming true," he continued, a wry edge to his voice. "So I can't help but feel like you're just asking for trouble. What will you do if Beelzebub really does get out?"
A muscle in Lucifer's cheek twitched. "If that giant fly actually escapes," she huffed, puffing out her chest, "then I'll let her know what it means to face the cruelty of the Queen of Hell's man!"
Pandemonica and the others turned to look at Lucifer, their expressions a mixture of deadpan curiosity and disbelief. Such a powerful declaration, only to immediately push the problem onto her man. Truly, a pillar of reliability.
Feeling their collective gaze, Lucifer's bravado wavered. "Ren is invincible, alright!" she said, her voice rising defensively. "Maybe he can just eliminate Beelzebub directly… you never know."
At the word 'invincible', Yukari, who had been observing the exchange with quiet amusement, felt her smile falter. The term connected with her, sparking a cascade of possibilities in her mind. 'Invincible' was a word with far too many interpretations.
It could mean one's strength had reached a level that was simply unsolvable for most, though greater powers certainly existed. It could mean one's attack or defense was maximized to an absolute extreme—either unable to withstand a single blow or completely impervious to all harm. Or perhaps it was a matter of simple immortality, an indestructible existence. And then, there was true invincibility in the most literal sense.
Unaffected by any means, with attack and defense beyond measure, coupled with true immortality. Yukari had no way of knowing which category Ren fell into, but her intuition leaned heavily toward the last one. After all, she, a master of boundaries, had been unable to extinguish a simple fire he had created. Her physical strength was no match for his, either. A flicker of conflict stirred within her, a dissonance between her understanding of the world and the man before her, but it didn't last long.
The bell above the door chimed, announcing the arrival of a new guest. This one, however, was not from another world, but an ordinary human. It was fortunate that everyone currently in the shop appeared human; otherwise, complications could have easily arisen.
Ren's eyes widened slightly in recognition. After a long moment, a helpless expression settled on his face. "Well now, Dr. Ying. What brings you here at this hour?"
Dr. Ying beamed, his smile warm and utterly disarming. "Don't be so nervous. While I'm always eager to study you, I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd drop in. Oh! You've redecorated again."
Ren sighed. "I rarely have customers like you who come in just to sit."
"It's well past dinner time," the doctor noted cheerfully. "Hmm? Sayaka isn't here."
This caught Ren by surprise. "Hmm? Why would Sayaka be here?"
"Oh, it's just that after I finished my surgeries, I saw her at the docks with a suitcase," Dr. Ying explained casually. "I asked, and she said she had nothing left to do over there, so she was heading home. Mentioned she was coming to see you, and that she was bringing her younger brother along."
Ren nodded slowly. "It seems you travel faster than she does. She should be here in about two days. Retsudo isn't exactly free to rush, after all."
"That's true," Dr. Ying agreed. Then his smile widened. "Say, how about we discuss something?"
"If you can beat me," Ren replied without missing a beat, "then you can do as you please."
Dr. Ying's expression didn't change, but in the next instant, Yukari's world tilted on its axis. Her fan snapped shut, her eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated disbelief. What was that? Is this a human? Is this truly a human? The humans of these other worlds are all this terrifying? A sudden, intense longing for the familiar warmth of her own futon washed over her.
She had just seen it. With a faint, wet schlick, Dr. Ying had pulled a sword directly from his wrist. Her sharp eyes could tell instantly that it was bone—a long, slender blade of polished bone, extended from his own arm. Was he serious?
Before the weapon could even be fully brandished, Ren's fingers closed around it. He pinched the bone blade between his thumb and forefinger, stopping it dead. He sighed, a sound of mild disappointment. "Dr. Ying, I think your plan to dissect me has been shattered once again. It seems you still need to work harder."
Dr. Ying let out a sigh of his own. As Yukari's mouth twitched in a rictus of shock, the bone blade smoothly retracted back into his arm, leaving no trace. "It seems it needs another modification," he lamented, sounding genuinely dejected.
"Haven't you already sliced off two pieces of your thigh bone and fashioned them into swords?" Ren asked, his tone conversational. "What else is there to modify?"
"I don't know," the doctor mused. "The human body is a marvelous thing. Well, I'm leaving now. I really thought I might succeed this time."
"Take care," Ren called after him. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Just as Ren had said, Dr. Ying never ate anything when he visited. He would simply sit, chat for a while, and then leave, always alone.
Yukari stared at the door the doctor had just exited, her mind struggling to process what she had witnessed. "Mr. Shopkeeper," she began, her voice a little strained, "did I hear you correctly? That doctor… sliced off two pieces of his own thigh bone, made them into swords, and implanted them into his arms?"
Aoandon, too, looked shaken. 'So, this is the state of medical science in this world... Are all humans this frightening?'
Ren nodded calmly. "He's modified many parts of himself. He's living proof of the saying that the human body is a marvelous thing. His hobby, however, is a bit too outlandish."
"I feel like him modifying his own body is already outlandish enough…" Yukari murmured. "What is his hobby?"
"Dissection," Ren said plainly. "Of living people."
A long silence descended.
Yukari sighed, a weary sound. "I'm beginning to feel like you summoned that Dr. Ying, Mr. Shopkeeper."
Ren blinked.
"The horror movie we were just watching had a dissection scene," she stated, her gaze pointed. "I feel that you, Mr. Shopkeeper, simply wanted to call that doctor over to frighten a delicate girl like myself."
"It's not that serious," Ren replied with a small smile. "Because there's no need to scare you… However, Miss Yakumo, didn't you notice there's been someone under your chair this whole time?"
Just as Yukari had said, some things aren't powerful, but they are scary. The mere thought, the mere sight, can trigger a primal, instinctive fear.
Slowly, she lowered her gaze.
Her eye twitched.
Ren's smile widened. "So, you see, to scare Miss Yakumo, there's no need to call anyone at all."
Yukari snapped open her fan, her movements a little stiff as she shielded her face. A forced, rigid smile was all she could manage. "Now I understand," she said, her voice tight, "why Yuuka has changed so much…"
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