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

"Wh-at happened"

similarly to before when he was fighting the demon

-Thud

world regained its color, what

pavement as a large thud resounded across the place. The look on her face was

help but

"Y-ou, how?"

his head around and glancing at Kevin, Ren didn't answer. Pointing towards the distance,

and break the

to say something, Kevin pointed towards the

"B-u"

Ren's indifferent voice rang out

care of it,

his head. Since the fight against the demons started, Ren had become a completely different person. He seemed completely emotionless,

stark difference compared to the Ren he had gotten to know these past few days...just what happened during that short period

*Sigh*

extended sigh escaped

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

be equivalent

Pointless.

"...alright"

and prepared to look for the device responsible for creating

time, Kevin's eyes soon paused on the Matriarch on the floor. Deeply staring at Ren for a couple of seconds, he eventually turned

"hm"

the distance, Ren subtly glanced towards the distance where

artifact

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

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

thanks to the book, Ren had

absent when Kevin was fighting was because he was busy setting 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 to devise a plan

exhaust the Matriarch beforehand, Ren took advantage of the time

the book, Ren managed to pinpoint the exact location at

losing, calculating the distance, Ren slowly

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 split second, that was enough

right before the Matriarch froze due to the statues, Ren already

wide open due to her body freezing,

within Ren's calculation. Nothing escaped his

"Stop pretending...wake up"

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

-Spurt!

"Gyyyyaaaa'”!"

white eyes soon

"Yo-u!"

unfazed by the fact that she was still alive despite the hole in her forehead,

that you higher-ranked demons only die when your core is

"Ghh..."

words, the Matriarch glared at him as she tried to

wasn't dead, her

currently pierced by Ren's sword, she could only helplessly lay

do you

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

-Spurt!

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