The Author's POV

-Tap!

Ren's footsteps halted as he stood ten meters away from the Matriarch. He indifferently gazed at her who coldly stared back at him. A stifling atmosphere prevailed in the sorroundings. Breaking the silence, the Matriarch spoke

"So you're him..."

...the youth from the picture.

Staring at Ren standing on the opposite side of her, the Matriarch frowned. According to the report she got, her target was only an ranked kid.

Someone that was far beneath her notice.

...in fact, she didn't believe that it was him that killed Elijah. How could an rank kill a rank? that was impossible. But, even if he didn't kill Elijah, he at least must know something. After all, what would Everblood gain from giving her such information?

The only reason why she didn't attack Ren already was because of her wariness towards Kevin who was slowly recovering. Moreover, she wanted answers...

Staring at Ren, the Matriarch coldly said

"Tell me, are you responsible for killing Elijah"

"..."

Staring at the Matriarch before him, Ren didn't respond. He just stood there looking at her with no emotions.

"Answer me!"

Seeing Ren being unresponsive, the Matriarch screamed in anger as a red hue expanded out of her body creating a gust of wind that swept everything near her away.

...even so, Ren stood rooted where he was. Completely unfazed by the Matriarch's outburst.

Seeing that Ren remained unfazed despite her show of might, the Matriarch venomously spat

"...if you refuse to speak, then I'll make you speak!"

"Ren watch out!"

Noticing that the Matriarch was about to move, Kevin couldn't help shout as he tried to warn Ren about the incoming danger.

Having gone against her before, Kevin knew how fast and powerful she was...she was on another level compared to the people he had fought before.

Although he didn't believe Ren was any weaker than him, if caught off-guard, the situation could get serious. Moreover, even if she was injured, he didn't see any possibility of Ren being able to beat her.

"Answer me!"

Appearing right before Ren, the Matriarch extended her hand forward and reached for his neck.

"Ren!"

However, contrary to Kevin's expectations, Ren didn't show any apprehension towards the Matriarch and merely raised his left hand in the air. Thereafter, with his right hand on the grip of his sword, Ren snapped his fingers.

-Snap!

"khhh'”!"

Just as the Matriarch's hand was about to reach for his neck, her hand suddenly froze. In fact, not just her hand froze, but her whole body.

The first movement of the [Keiki style] : Quick flash

Thereafter, the world around the Matriarch turned white as the last thing she heard what a subtle clicking sensation before she felt something pierce the scalp of her head.

-Click!

silence prevailed in the

"Wh-at happened"

similarly to before when he was fighting the demon

-Thud

its color, what

her forehead, the Matriarch's body slowly fell onto the pavement as a large thud resounded across the place. The look on her face was that

at Ren who remained indifferent, Kevin couldn't help but point

"Y-ou, how?"

glancing at Kevin, Ren didn't answer. Pointing towards

break

something, Kevin

"B-u"

indifferent voice rang out

it, I'll deal

the demons started, Ren had become a completely different person. He

compared to the Ren he had gotten to know these past few days...just what happened

*Sigh*

an extended sigh escaped from

many things to ask, he knew that any type of conversation

would be

Pointless.

"...alright"

Kevin eventually nodded his head and prepared to look for the device responsible for creating the dimensional

soon paused on the Matriarch on the floor. Deeply staring at Ren for a couple of seconds, he eventually turned his head and went to look

"hm"

towards the distance where

ranked artifact

below, Ren knew that the reason he managed to win was because of the artifact that he

the statue's eyes were staring right where the Matriarch's body was

caught a glimpse of the future thanks to the book, Ren

he knew that he couldn't beat the Matriarch one on one even

advantage of the time Kevin bought him to

book, Ren managed to pinpoint the exact location at which the Matriarch would move and carefully

Kevin was on the verge of losing, calculating the distance, Ren slowly approached the Matriarch and stopped right before the

set up to lure the Matriarch to him. Like this, when the Matriarch attacked, all Ren did was snap his

only stopped the Matriarch for a

froze due to the statues, Ren already activated

due to her body freezing,

within Ren's

"Stop pretending...wake up"

Ren's indifferent voice rang out. Raising his sword in the air, he

-Spurt!

"Gyyyyaaaa'”!"

out a pained scream, the Matriarch's white eyes soon regained some clarity as she

"Yo-u!"

at the Matriarch, unfazed by the fact that she was still alive despite the hole in

forgot about the fact that you higher-ranked demons only die

"Ghh..."

Ren's words, the Matriarch glared at him as she tried to retaliate. However, her body refused to

wasn't dead, her injuries were

sword, she could only helplessly lay down

do you want

ground, with his sword imbued on her stomach, Ren slowly extended

-Spurt!

out with his hand, to the Matriarch's horror, his hand pierced her right where her heart