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!

prevailed

"Wh-at happened"

for his neck, opening his eyes wide, similarly to before when he was fighting

-Thud

regained its color, what Kevin saw next made

the pavement as a large thud resounded across

remained indifferent, Kevin couldn't help

"Y-ou, how?"

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

and break the dimensional

Kevin

"B-u"

Kevin midsentence, Ren's indifferent voice rang out

care of it, I'll

fight against the demons started, Ren had become a completely different

past few days...just what happened during

*Sigh*

an extended sigh escaped from

he knew that any type of conversation at

to him now would be equivalent to talking to

Pointless.

"...alright"

look for

where it was located, it shouldn't be hidden too far from them. Thus, glancing at Ren one more time, Kevin's eyes soon paused on the Matriarch on the floor. Deeply staring at

"hm"

disappear in the distance, Ren subtly glanced towards the distance where a statue with two ruby-red eyes quietly sat on top of

artifact

reason he managed to win was because

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

future thanks to

the pieces in motion...Because he knew that he couldn't beat the Matriarch one on one even if Kevin went all out or worked together with him, using the book, Ren managed

the Matriarch beforehand, Ren took advantage of the time Kevin bought him to set

the exact location at which the Matriarch would move and carefully placed the artifact

after Kevin was on the verge of losing, calculating the distance, Ren

was also perfectly set up to lure the Matriarch to him. Like this, when the Matriarch attacked,

a split second, that

due to the statues,

wide open due to her body freezing, Ren's sword directly pierced

happened was within Ren's calculation. Nothing escaped his

"Stop pretending...wake up"

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

-Spurt!

"Gyyyyaaaa'”!"

white eyes soon regained some clarity as she glared

"Yo-u!"

was still alive despite the hole

the fact that you higher-ranked demons

"Ghh..."

him as she tried to

wasn't dead, her injuries

Ren's sword, she could only

do you want from

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

-Spurt!

the Matriarch's horror, his hand pierced her right