Chapter-89: A Clue...

Chapter-89: A Clue...

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"Huh..."

He exhaled, pumping out his breath that turned into steam.

His hair fluttered in the wind as the moonlight shone it's silvery brilliance across the world.

A fluctuation of space caught Ren's attention. A large hole in space opened, leading to another place that seem extradimensional. An additional space or time dimensions beyond the typical of observed spacetime.

He caught a sliver of clue trying to track where it lead. The location of the clue based from what he estimated was 15 miles away from where he was currently.

"Better get Sasumaru first, I kinda left her back on the Demon Slayer HQ and she was supposed to be my bodyguard.." Ren turned his attention back to what he was doing.

He was taking a bath on an onsen. The warm steam billowing around him as he felt his body in bliss.

His body was akin to an ice sculpture created by the Moonlit Sculptor — sought after for it's impeccable and sterling quality.

Just like how an ice block is chipped and shaped to be the priceless treasure it becomes, his mind and skills were shaped by the way he was raised by his parents and also his journey.

Some may say that he was undeserving of his power; yet, he was forced into grueling training from his mothers in the name of protecting himself due to them having large amounts of enemies from all corners of the world, and he also was in a war against beings that threaten and back humanity into extinction just recently.

Enough to say that Ren has a firm will to be able to mentally take it. From the first time he was in the Black Bullet world, he was stressing to keep as many Cursed Children in the front lines alive.

Though he hid it under a facade, a mask of calmness — he was a human after all.

Yet despite being thrown haymakers in his way by fate left and right, he still managed to keep it together and his will unshaken. He did his duty and tried his best.

Ren raised his hand, scooping some of the warm water in his palm. He watched as the water came cascading out from the gaps between his fingers and splash back into the onsen.

The clear water rippled and the warm steam billowed continuously around him. Ren lowered his head down and took a dip to clear his thoughts. Once he stood up, remnants of the warm bath still clung to his body, the water dripping down like a small waterfall.

Ren shook his head to clear the water drops in his hair. He ran his hand through and slicking his hair back.

The glistening water drops fell like a waterfall from his body, the moment they touched the onsen, they dissipated like a fire being put out. The steam billowed and circled around him.

He raised his legs and started stepping out of the warm pool of water. Step, step, Ren lifted his leg out into the stone floor of the onsen.

With one motion, he pulled the towel into his lower half, tying it to his waist. He opened the sliding door and entered into the place where he put his things.

"There it is." Ren said as he bent down and grabbed his haori from the basket. His clothes was neatly folded within a straw basket placed near the linen entrance to the male side of the onsen.

Ren slid into the loose sleeves smoothly. His haori this time was comfy but loose, as such, the middle split section showed his chest and his upper abdomen.

Ren looked down at his body and traced a few scars marring his skin, like trophies of a great battle. Some of those scars seemed to have followed him in this other life of him because they were the wounds he received while training and field missions.

Ren reminisced his childhood and his past training in his youth. Though he tried to conceal his flaws and excel to the utmost capacity to keep up with his parents —

—Beneath the facade of perfection, the scars lay there to remind him the undeniable truth that he was human. It is a testament to his humanity, no matter what physique he has, he was still human in mind.

Amid the constant swirling vortex of memories popping up in his head, a voice spoke up from outside of the men's room.

"Ren are you there?!" It was a female voice with a boyish tone. The person speaking sounded angry and disappointed.

"Yes, yes I am here...Sasumaru." Ren knew who it was — the demon girl bodyguard who was supposed to protect him and that he left back in the town near the Demon Slayer HQ.

Ren swept the blue linen cloth hanging over the entrance to the side. The first thing that Ren noticed was that she looked like an abandoned puppy. He smiled awkwardly as he saw the anger, disappointment, and frustration in her eyes.

"You damn bastard boss! You left me!" She shouted harshly but had a tiny squeak in her voice.

"What about your promise of not abandoning me?! Was that all a lie?! You liar! Deceiver! Bastard! You're just like him!" Ren let her cuss at him because it was fully his fault. He didn't inform her that he was going to another village and left her back in the town.

He was so used to going only with Lucien that he completely forgot about Sasumaru. He also knew about her abandonment issues and a myriad more trust issues.

"You big liar!! Hah..hah..hah..!" Sasumaru ran out of breath as tears welled up in her eyes. Ren only looked down and stared into her eyes.

"Forgive me.." He uttered his apology with absolute sincerity. "I truly am sorry."

"Bastard..!" Sasumaru only let out a curse before she sprinted away. Ren didn't try to stop her, he knew it would only make things a lot worse. He watched as she disappeared in the next corner and her heavy footsteps going farther and farther away.

—(End)—

Word Count: 1020

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