As the night deepened and midnight approached, the park—once lively in the morning—had long fallen into an unnatural silence.
Then, without warning, a crimson magic circle appeared near the spot where Ren and the others had previously encountered the stray devil, its faint hum echoing softly through the empty surroundings.
Moments later, the circle faded, and two figures stepped out.
They were dressed in black robes, each bearing an inverted cross-like symbol—clearly not ordinary priests.
The two of them paused briefly, scanning the area with cautious expressions.
"…Where is it?" one of them muttered, his tone laced with confusion.
The other remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the park as if trying to piece something together.
They had come here to retrieve a corrupted devil—one that their boss had personally released and experimented on.
By all logic, this place should have been filled with signs of destruction, perhaps even bodies.
And yet—
There was nothing.
No damage, no traces of battle, and not even a single victim in sight.
"…This is strange," the first one said under his breath.
What they didn't realize, however, was that a third presence had already appeared nearby, standing close enough to hear everything while remaining completely undetected.
Ren.
After escorting Marin and Megumi home, he had returned to the park upon sensing a reaction from the rune he had left behind earlier.
(Note: SCP-2030 one of the traits is teleportation)
What appeared to be a simple concealment rune that he used before, in reality, something more—it also functioned as a trigger, allowing him to monitor any unusual activity within the park.
And just as he had anticipated, something had finally appeared.
The two figures in front of him had not entered normally, but instead manifested out of nowhere.
"…From the other side," Ren murmured quietly, confirming his suspicion.
So the ones responsible for the corrupted devil had finally shown themselves.
"Good evening, gentlemen," Ren said casually, his voice breaking the silence. "Looking for something?"
Hearing a voice suddenly appear out of nowhere, both priests flinched instinctively, though the shock on their faces only lasted for a brief moment before being replaced by hostility.
One of them reacted immediately, forming a blade of light in his hand before swinging it straight toward Ren with precise and practiced speed.
However, the moment the blade reached him, it stopped completely.
Not slowed, not deflected—
Stopped, as if something invisible had seized it mid-motion.
The priest's expression changed as he tried to push forward, pouring more strength into the strike, but the blade refused to move even an inch.
There was no magic, no aura, and no detectable supernatural presence surrounding Ren.
It felt as though the space itself rejected the attack.
"…How rude," Ren said calmly, his tone carrying a faint trace of annoyance. "I just wanted to talk."
That small flicker of irritation was enough.
In the next instant, a streak of red shot through the air at a speed too fast to follow, heading straight toward the priest.
SPLAT.
Something burst against his face, scattering red liquid everywhere.
For a brief second, it almost resembled blood—
Until the truth became clear.
"…A tomato?" the other priest muttered in disbelief.
(Note: SCP-504 Critical Tomatoes triggered when someone or something annoyed Ren)
Ren covered his mouth as his shoulders began to shake.
"…Pfft—"
Then he burst out laughing.
"Ahahahaha! As expected… this is way too unreasonable." ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
The priest stood frozen in place, tomato pulp slowly sliding down his face, his expression twisting between anger and disbelief.
"…You—!"
"Ah, sorry," Ren said, wiping the corner of his eye, though his grin made it clear he wasn't sorry at all. "Are you trying to make me laugh to death so you can inherit my money?" (•̀⤙•́ )
"Bastard—! Who the hell are you?!" the priest shouted, his patience finally snapping. "Was it you who dealt with the devil here?!"
At this point, there was no need to guess any further.
The man standing in front of them was clearly the culprit.
"Well, yeah," Ren replied casually, as if admitting something trivial. "That was me."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening just a little.
"Since you've asked your question, it's only fair that it's my turn," he continued. "Why did you release that stray devil, and how exactly did you manage to corrupt it?"
"…What makes you think we would answer you?" the higher-ranking priest responded coldly.
Ren simply shrugged, completely unfazed.
"…I didn't."
Without wasting another moment, he took out a rune paper and flicked it forward in a casual motion.
The priest reacted instantly, his blade flashing as he split the paper cleanly in half before it could reach them.
However, the moment it left Ren's hand, the rune had already activated.
In the next instant, both priests froze completely, their bodies locking in place as if time itself had come to a halt.
No matter how much strength they tried to exert, not a single muscle responded.
"Mm," Ren hummed softly, as if confirming the result.
Then, without hesitation, two dark portals opened behind them, their interiors silent and unfathomable, leading to a place far removed from the normal world.
With a simple wave of his hand, Ren sent both of them into the portals.
(Note: the portal lead to SCP-001 Keter Duty)
Their figures disappeared instantly, and moments later, the portals closed without leaving a trace behind.
Silence once again returned to the park.
Ren stood there for a moment, his gaze lingering on the empty space before letting out a quiet breath.
"…That should be enough."
===The Next Day====
Ren woke up to the sound of his alarm.
Without even opening his eyes, he muttered,
"System, sign-in."
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for signing in! You have received: SCP-690 — Joke Bandages]
[Please choose whether to summon the SCP or receive its traits.]
"…Huh?"
Ren opened his eyes slightly, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.
Even though he was familiar with many SCPs, that didn't mean he knew every single one—especially not this one.
"…System, explain."
[SCP-690 — Joke Bandages] [Anomalous Rank: Hazard-Class]
[Description: SCP-690 consists of bandages that never run out when removed from their container.]
[Anomalous Effect: When a wounded individual is near SCP-690, they will develop a strong urge to apply the bandages to their injury.]
[Once applied, the bandages do not heal the wound. Instead, they amplify the pain and gradually worsen the condition of the injury.]
[Despite the increasing pain, the affected individual will have no intention of removing the bandages.]
Ren stared at the description in silence for a moment.
"…Anti-healing bandages?"
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Hiss… As expected. Even as a joke, an SCP is still an SCP…"
A brief pause.
"…So scary." (ᵕó_ò)
Ren checked his phone.
It was still 7 AM.
He had promised Marin that he would come over to her apartment at 10 to help her with cosplay outfits.
(Author's Note: In this setting, the weekend refers to both Saturday and Sunday.)
Letting out a small breath, Ren got up and headed to the bathroom to prepare for the day.
After taking a shower and finishing a simple breakfast, he got dressed nicely and stepped out of his house while holding a black tote bag.
He decided to leave a bit earlier than planned.
Before that, however, he took out his phone and sent Marin a quick message—not to say he was coming immediately, but simply to remind her that he would be heading to her place later.
Walking along the quiet morning streets, Ren took a deep breath, enjoying the calm atmosphere as he made his way toward a café near the train station.
Marin's house wasn't far anyway—just one stop by train and he would arrive.
As for why he didn't simply teleport using his ability?
Well—
He didn't want to become that lazy just yet.
His shortcuts were reserved for special occasions.
…Like yesterday.
Before long, he arrived at the café.
After ordering a cappuccino, he took a seat by the window.
The soft morning light filtered through the glass, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Taking out a piece of paper along with his trusty pen from the Tote bag, Ren decided to spend the remaining time writing his novel.
He had already prepared more than enough rune papers, so there was no need to make more for now.
Even after giving a large number to Marin and Megumi, he still had plenty left.
What?
Did you really think he only gave them one of each?
Don't be ridiculous.
As humans, what we fear most is not having enough firepower. (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
If something happens, they could practically stand there, unharmed for days.
…Probably.
Anyway—
Sipping cappuccino while writing?
Not a bad way to spend the morning.
Ding ding.
The café door opened as another customer stepped inside.
She was tall, with a slender figure and mid-back-length dark hair, held neatly in place by a white headband.
Ren glanced up—
And paused slightly.
Because he recognized her.
She was none other than-
==============================
(Author's Note: If you're confused about Ren's personality, just imagine Stelle from Honkai: Star Rail—looks cool and quiet, but mentally? Absolute chaos. The kind of chaos that would make Aha proud.)