Chapter 29: The Engagement Ring

**The Engagement Ring**

[The Devotion of an Atheist]

The echoes of the past unraveled like a tattered tapestry, fading into the abyss of memory as magic surged between them, weaving their fates together. Kai cast one final glance at his adversaries, lips curling into a satisfied, almost serene smile.

"Everyone, let's all die together!"

A brilliant light erupted from the two of them, illuminating the battlefield in an unnatural glow, devouring the surroundings with a blinding radiance. Then—

BOOM!

But before the explosion could consume them, Viren stood his ground, unfazed, alongside Suigetsu. The two channeled their remaining strength into their wands, weaving a protective barrier around the others. The sheer force of the detonation sent tremors through the air, yet the shield held—barely.

"This is much stronger than what that girl did before," Suigetsu muttered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The strain of maintaining the barrier was immense, each pulse of energy threatening to tear through his very being. Though he could bear the weight of it for now, he knew the toll it would take. The old man's magic, however, was dangerously close to depletion. If this continued—he would die.

"Old man, leave the magic consumption to me!" Suigetsu commanded, his voice firm, yet edged with urgency.

But Viren merely offered him a knowing smile—one not of resignation, but of acceptance. "Young lad, this is my duty… Besides, my time in this world is short. I must make full use of what remains—not just for you, but for everyone else."

Though he smiled, his eyes bore the weight of a sorrow too deep for words. Suigetsu swallowed hard but said nothing, merely pouring his remaining energy into the shield. He watched as Viren's magic dwindled alongside the raging explosion, his life force ebbing away like a candle's dying flame.

Then, at last, the detonation subsided. What was once a battlefield now lay in ruins, reduced to smoldering ash. The acrid scent of burnt earth and charred corpses clung to the air. Wail Nyx was likely dead, but that mattered little now.

Suigetsu barely spared a glance at the destruction before kneeling beside Viren, who lay collapsed upon the ground, gazing at the stars. The celestial bodies above shimmered like distant memories, unreachable yet ever-watching.

This was it.

"Old man… You've been living on borrowed time, haven't you?" Suigetsu murmured. "Waiting for someone—someone like me—to fulfill your wish."

A heavy silence settled between them. Not because Viren refused to answer, but because he couldn't. His energy was gone, his body slowly turning to ash, fading like the embers of a dying fire.

Much like Might Guy after opening the Eighth Gate against Madara, Suigetsu thought grimly.

"I'm a man of my word," he continued. "And I'll honor our deal… even if you're no longer here." His voice carried no false sentimentality, only sincerity. In his past life, he had been a scumbag, but for a man like Viren—one worthy of respect—he would keep his promise.

"Although we didn't spend much time together… teaming up with you to take them down was one hell of an adventure. You can rest now… Leave the rest to me."

As Suigetsu spoke, Viren's body crumbled, the ash rising and dancing upon the night wind. Despite the darkness, it glowed faintly, shining brighter than the stars above.

He was ascending—not into oblivion, but into the true heavens, where gods truly resided.

A strangled sound came from nearby. Suigetsu turned.

"G-Grandpa…"

Cassian stood there, frozen, his gaze locked onto the fading remnants of his grandfather. Tears streamed down his face, his hands trembling. But it was too late—Viren was beyond saving.

Suigetsu deactivated Kyoka Suigetsu, his void-black mask dissipating into nothingness. He had no intention of comforting Cassian. This moment wasn't for him.

No, he merely wanted to witness Viren's departure.

"Once my journey is over, old man," Suigetsu whispered, "I'll write a book about my adventures. I'll make sure the world never forgets your legend."

He watched as the last of the ashes disappeared, leaving only silence in its wake.

Then—

"Grandpa!"

Cassian collapsed, hands clutching his head as he screamed.

"ARGHHH! It hurts, it hurts… Why!?? Argh!"

A violent surge of magic erupted from his body, raw and uncontrolled.

Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. As I suspected… something is wrong with him.

Cassian's presence felt hollow—not in the way that one exhausted their magic reserves and risked death, but as though something had been sealed away. A void that had been forcefully contained. And now, with Viren gone, that seal was breaking.

Viren had known this would happen. That's why he had said Cassian would be Suigetsu's "future wife." At first, Suigetsu had dismissed it as a joke, but now he understood—Viren hadn't been speaking from experience, but from foresight.

The old man had entrusted him with this burden.

How troublesome.

But how exactly was he supposed to deal with this? Cassian's magic far exceeded his own—it had to be at least 10 stars, perhaps beyond.

All Suigetsu could do now was watch. He wasn't in any condition to fight. His body was barely holding together as it was.

Cassian's cries gradually subside, but something shifts in the air. The sorrow on his face, raw and overwhelming just moments ago, morphs—twisting into something dark, something unsettling.

His lips curve into a slow, deliberate smile.

A chill runs through me.

His gaze—no, her gaze—locks onto mine with a hunger that makes my skin prickle. It's the look of a predator who has just discovered its favorite prey.

Then—

She licks her lips. Slowly.

"So that's what's going on?" Her voice drips with amusement, smooth and teasing. "Fufufu… My magic was sealed all this time? How crafty of that old man."

Despite her words, her eyes remain fixed on me.

More precisely—on my face.

A white aura flares around her, the sheer force of it distorting the air. Her small frame stretches, shifts, reshaping before my very eyes.

The ten-year-old boy vanishes.

In his place stands a fully grown woman—a twenty-one-year-old beauty, her figure so dangerously alluring that even the most virtuous man would falter. Her presence alone is a temptation, a force of nature demanding attention.

She tilts her head, letting her long hair cascade over her shoulders as she runs a hand down her curves, savoring the movement.

Then, she speaks—her voice sultry, dripping with confidence.

"Fufufu... My future husband, what do you think of my real body?" Her smirk widens. "I'm quite confident in my figure. Are you... aroused?"

A strange, tingling sensation flickers through me, crawling up my spine like a whisper of temptation. But I remain honest.

"Yes," I answer bluntly. "It's quite attractive—for a futanari. But I'm neither a fan of women with male genitals nor interested in traps."

I expect an insult to land but she doesn't flinch.

A shiver runs down my spine.

Instead—

She licks her lips, slow and deliberate, her tongue swirling around them with an almost obscene laziness.

A smirk plays on her face, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Fufufu... It seems you misunderstand. I am fully female."

"Female, huh?" I raise an eyebrow, feigning disinterest. "Anyone can say that. Can you prove it?"

Her eyes glint—sharp, playful, dangerous.

A slow, satisfied smirk tugs at her lips.

"Shall I show you what's hidden inside?"

Her fingers trace a path down her waist, her movements unhurried, teasingly slow, like a predator savoring the anticipation before the kill.

A chuckle escapes me.

"Heh." I lean back slightly, my posture relaxed, yet my senses are sharp—watching, waiting. "Even if what you claim is true... I bet your hair down there is as thick as your face. If not, it's probably a dangerous dark forest." I shrug. "Who knows if you're hiding some kind of warcraft in there?"

Silence.

Then—

Laughter.

She throws her head back, clutching her stomach as a wicked, melodic giggle spills from her lips.

"Hehehe… Hehehehehe!"

And then—

She looks at me.

Her gaze pierces through me, deep and hungry, like a beast sizing up its prey.

"I'd truly love that..." Her voice drops into something darker, more intimate. "It makes me wet just talking to you..."

I smirk, tilting my head. "Oh really? No wonder you can attract the smell of summer season..."

Her eyes narrow slightly, intrigued. "Hoh? Is that because I'm hot?"

"Nah," I shrug. "It's because I smell a beach nearby."

Her grin widens.

"Fufufu... You are definitely my future husband." She takes a slow step closer, the heat of her presence pressing against my skin like a phantom touch. "I'd love to slit your throat and lick the blood as it flows... I'd love to torment you in bed... to drive my knife into your flesh—"

I see.

No wonder I feel excited.

Not because I've found a wife, but because I've found the perfect target.

In my previous life, after discovering the concept of yanderes, I always thought it would be impossible to find one in real life. But now—I've finally met one.

The reason I'm thrilled isn't because of love.

It's because I've found the ultimate challenge.

"Although you're not quite a yandere, you're close enough." A wicked grin spreads across my face. "I'll accept this engagement ring. One day, when you've reached your goal and become immortal—"

My eyes gleam.

"—let's kill each other. No—let's torture each other in the most brutal way possible."

Her breath hitches.

Then, a slow, shuddering sigh escapes her lips—as if she's been waiting to hear those words her entire life.

"Fufufu…" Her voice is thick with amusement, with desire, with madness. "You're going to propose? Well, I'll accept... However—"

She disappears.

In an instant, she's in front of me.

Close. Too close.

I didn't even see her move.

Her presence smothers me, the scent of her breath brushing against my skin. Her fingers trace the edge of my jaw, light as a feather, yet brimming with deadly intent.

"Since you are engaged to me..." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but it wraps around me like silk.

"You are mine alone. My fruit to harvest. My child to groom."

Her lips curve, and her voice drops into something dark, sinister.

"And if someone tries to take you from me..."

She leans in.

"...I'll kill them."

Her breath is warm against my skin, but her words are ice cold.

"Even if it's your family."

With that, she steps away, turning her back to me, leaving me standing in stunned silence.

The night air feels different now.

The weight of her words lingers, heavy, binding.

I exhale, watching as she walks away.

'Old man… you were truly cunning. You killed multiple birds with a single stone.'

I reach down and pick up what remains of Viren—his magic wand—tucking it into my personal space inventory.

"I'll keep this safe from now on, old man. No—my comrade, Viren."

I turn on my heel and walk away.

After all—

I am no longer welcome here.