Chapter 221: Akemi's Shock, Kirari Arrives
The rhythmic, heavy clanking of iron plates and the thumping bass of Silverman Gym's sound system suddenly felt a million miles away.
Uehara Ayaka and Gina Boyd were already completely paralyzed by the sheer, overwhelming visual impact of Ren's arrival. His sculpted, glistening physique radiating intense heat under the fluorescent lights was enough to short-circuit their brains.
However, it was Sōryūin Akemi's cheerful, bombshell declaration that truly shattered their reality.
Sakura Hibiki stood frozen, her eyes darting between the impossibly massive, intimidating man and the usually elegant Student Council President. Her jaw practically unhinged.
Good heavens, Hibiki screamed internally, her mind reeling in utter disbelief. After all this time, she actually knows him?!
Sōryūin Akemi completely ignored the short-circuiting brains of her friends. She bounced on her heels, her face flushed with genuine excitement as she leaned in close to the imposing man.
"It really is Ren-nii!" Akemi cheered, her eyes sparkling like polished gemstones.
"Wow! I never expected to see Ren-nii working out here! This is absolutely fantastic!"
Hibiki blinked rapidly, trying to process the sheer absurdity of the situation. She raised a trembling finger, pointing between the two.
"Eh? Akemi, wait a second," Hibiki stammered, her voice laced with profound confusion. "You actually know... Ren-san?"
This was the exact burning question echoing in the minds of both Ayaka and Gina. The two fitness enthusiasts leaned in closer, desperate for an explanation.
Akemi puffed out her chest with immense, overwhelming pride. She placed her hands on her hips, a triumphant smile spreading across her lips.
"Of course I do!" Akemi declared loudly. "This is the future brother-in-law I've been telling you all about!"
Three distinct, perfectly synchronized gasps of pure disbelief echoed over the rhythmic thumping of the gym's background music. Ayaka, Gina, and Hibiki's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as their jaws hit the rubberized floor in perfect unison.
[Akarin's Note: Sōryūin Akemi's older sister is Sōryūin Shion, the chairwoman of Kōyō Women's Academy, where the girls attend.]
Ren let out a long, heavy sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive headache already beginning to form behind his eyes.
"Did that idiot Shion specifically instruct you to say that?" Ren asked, his voice dripping with helpless exasperation.
Akemi didn't hesitate for a single second. She nodded her head repeatedly, her silver hair bouncing with every enthusiastic motion, completely throwing her older sister under the bus.
Ren could only shake his head, a faint, wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He could vividly imagine Shion sitting in her lavish office, scheming up ways to mark her territory.
"I really can't deal with her sometimes," Ren muttered affectionately, the deep resonance of his voice sending a subtle shiver down Akemi's spine. "She talks a big game, but she's actually so timid when it comes down to it."
He shifted his stance, his towering frame casting a long shadow over the group of girls. The ambient heat radiating from his freshly exercised muscles was palpable.
"But never mind that idiot for a moment," Ren said, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "Akemi, why exactly are you here in the middle of the day?"
Akemi smiled brightly, completely unfazed by his imposing aura. "Because Shion-nee-sama is currently handling some very important business! The school was put on a free study period, so I decided to come to the gym and get a workout in!"
Ren arched a skeptical eyebrow. He knew exactly what kind of "business" Shion was dealing with, considering the chaotic events of the past few days.
"I am well aware that your school has a free study period right now," Ren countered smoothly. "And I definitely know exactly what that idiot Shion is currently busy doing behind the scenes."
He leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer to Akemi's. "What I mean is, why are you specifically here?"
"Logically speaking, aren't you the Student Council President? Is it really okay for the president to completely ditch her duties and not attend classes?"
Akemi giggled, waving her hand dismissively as if the massive bureaucratic responsibilities of her school were nothing more than a minor nuisance.
"Oh, how could that be the case?" Akemi said smoothly. "Shion-nee-sama explicitly told me two days ago that I should just relax and have fun during this period. After that, she handled the rest."
She placed a finger against her chin, feigning innocence. "It seems Shion-nee-sama found someone highly capable to temporarily take over my duties and help me handle the mountain of student council paperwork."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly. "Found someone? Who exactly did she find to do your job?"
"I honestly have no idea~" Akemi sang out cheerfully, swaying on her feet. "Shion-nee-sama just smiled and said she was going to give you a massive surprise later..."
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose, the headache intensifying into a dull throb. It was glaringly obvious that Sōryūin Shion was currently plotting something utterly ridiculous to vent her pent-up jealousy.
She was definitely acting out because he had given a massive, lucrative opportunity to Momobami Kirari instead of her.
As his mind raced through the possibilities of who Shion could have possibly roped into doing high school paperwork, a specific image flashed in his mind. He suddenly thought of a particular girl with a fierce, terrifying aura—a person named Amou Kirukiru.
Ever since that fateful day when he spotted the Emperor of Swords, Amou Kirukiru, hanging out with Lucifer in the dimly lit alley outside the bookstore, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her.
Kirukiru had mentioned in passing that she was going somewhere with a wealthy acquaintance. Putting the pieces together, it seemed that "acquaintance" was undoubtedly Sōryūin Shion.
(Meanwhile, in an extravagant office miles away, Sōryūin Shion suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose, muttering to herself: "Wait... was I just backstabbed by my own teammate, or by my beloved little sister?")
Just as Ren was deeply engrossed in his thoughts, deducing whether the fearsome Kirukiru was currently trapped behind a desk stamping student council forms, his sharp peripheral vision caught movement.
He noticed Sōryūin Akemi slowly, subtly trying to inch her way backward toward the exit of the free-weight area.
Without even looking, Ren's arm shot out with the speed of a striking viper. His large, heavily calloused hand clamped down firmly onto Akemi's delicate shoulder, instantly halting her escape.
The physical difference was staggering; his hand practically engulfed her shoulder. The sheer density of his grip sent a jolt of nervous electricity straight down Akemi's spine.
"And just what exactly do you think you're trying to do, little girl?" Ren asked, his voice dropping an octave into a low, rumbling warning.
Akemi froze stiff, a nervous bead of sweat forming on her temple. She slowly turned her head, offering him a highly exaggerated, innocent smile.
"N-Nothing much!" Akemi whispered rapidly, her eyes darting away from his piercing gaze. "It's just that I haven't seen Ren-nii in such a long time, and I was just so surprised!"
She tried to gently pry his iron-like fingers off her shoulder, but it was like trying to bend solid steel. "I saw Ren-nii working out so incredibly hard just now, and I just wanted to go get you a nice, cold bottle of water! Truly!"
"I already have water right here, completely unopened," Ren stated flatly, gesturing with his free hand to the pristine sports bottle resting on the nearby bench.
He tightened his grip just a fraction, pulling her slightly closer. He could smell the faint, expensive floral perfume she wore, mixing with the sharp, metallic scent of the gym.
"Besides, do you honestly think I don't know exactly what's going on inside that head of yours?" Ren smirked, leaning down to whisper near her ear. "If you try to text Shion and tattle on me today, you'll be the one who ends up in deep trouble."
Akemi's cheeks flared a brilliant shade of crimson at the sudden proximity. She nervously twiddled her thumbs, finally giving up her escape attempt.
"Oh, that's really not important right now~" Akemi deflected quickly, trying to change the subject.
"But Ren-nii, let me tell you, Shion-nee-sama has been mentioning you non-stop lately. She talks about you every single day!"
She looked up at his massive, sculpted chest, her eyes tracing the thick veins running down his arms. "But Ren-nii, considering you're already at this terrifying level of muscular perfection... why do you still need to work out so intensely?"
Akemi tilted her head, her curiosity genuine. "Is Ren-nii also the type of person who considers hardcore fitness to be a lifelong, dedicated hobby?!"
Ren paused, slowly releasing his grip on her shoulder. He stood back up to his full height, rolling his massive shoulders as he considered his answer.
"No, not exactly," Ren replied, his tone shifting into something far more serious. "I'm probably just preparing for an upcoming fight. Consider it forced, highly necessary preparation."
"Eh?!!!" Akemi shrieked, her eyes widening in absolute horror. "Ren-nii, are you getting involved in dangerous underground fighting again?!"
Akemi immediately slapped both hands over her mouth, realizing she had yelled the last part out loud. Unfortunately, Sakura Hibiki, Ayaka, and Gina heard every single word crystal clear.
Uehara Ayaka stepped forward, her brow furrowed in deep confusion. "Eh? Fighting, do you mean professional boxing?"
Hearing Ayaka's innocent question, the heavy tension in Ren's demeanor instantly vanished. He let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, waving his hand dismissively.
"Something along those lines," Ren smiled smoothly, his eyes flashing with a hidden, dangerous light. "But it's definitely not pure, regulated boxing~"
Upon hearing the word 'fighting', Gina Boyd's ears practically perked up like a hunting dog. The Russian girl's eyes lit up with the blinding intensity of a thousand supernovas.
"In that case!" Gina shouted, thrusting her fist into the air with explosive otaku energy. "Isn't your situation exactly the same as the legendary Thai God of War, Kaolan?!"
Gina closed the distance in a flash, looking up at Ren with an expression of pure, unadulterated fanaticism. "Ren-nii! If you're in the underground fighting scene, you absolutely must know the great Kaolan Wongsawat!"
[Akarin's Note: Kaolan Wongsawat is a major character from the Kengan Ashura and Kengan Omega series. He is the Thai God of War, an undisputed heavyweight boxing champion, and a master of Muay Thai.]
Ren didn't show much of a reaction to the sudden name-drop. His expression remained incredibly calm, almost entirely unfazed by the mention of one of the deadliest strikers on the planet.
However, right next to him, Sōryūin Akemi suddenly looked like she was fighting the hardest battle of her life to hold back a massive fit of laughter. Her shoulders trembled violently.
Gina blinked, her fanatical rant completely derailed. She looked at the silver-haired girl in deep confusion.
"Eh? Akemi, what's wrong with you? Why are you shaking?"
Ren shot Akemi a profoundly annoyed, sidelong glare that promised utter retribution if she dared to laugh. He then turned his attention back to the starry-eyed Russian girl.
"We are actually quite good friends," Ren nodded casually, shoving his massive hands into his pockets. "Whenever we happen to meet up, we usually spend a few hours sparring with each other in the ring~"
Gina gasped so hard she nearly choked on her own saliva. She grabbed the fabric of Ren's shirt, her eyes practically turning into glowing stars.
"Really?! You're not joking, Ren-nii?!" Gina squealed, bouncing up and down.
"Can you please, please get me an autograph from Kaolan?! I admire his striking technique more than anyone else in the world!"
Ren smiled warmly at her pure, martial-arts-obsessed innocence. He gently patted Gina on the head, causing the Russian girl to flush deeply.
"Sure, I can make that happen," Ren chuckled softly. "But it seems Kaolan has quite a massive army of fan-girls these days. I suppose it's entirely expected, considering he's a world-class Combatant who possesses both lethal skill and incredibly good looks~"
Sōryūin Akemi finally couldn't hold it in any longer. She covered her mouth, her voice muffled as she snickered uncontrollably.
"Ren-nii..." Akemi wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. "You do realize that you have a completely terrifying amount of fan-girls yourself, right...?"
Ren simply rolled his eyes at her teasing. He offered the group a charming, dismissive smile and waved his hand gracefully.
"I just happen to have a little bit of minor fame, that's all," Ren stated humbly, completely downplaying his legendary status. "Anyway, why don't you girls go start your training? If you just stand around gossiping with me, you'll have come all the way to this expensive gym for absolutely nothing."
Sakura Hibiki hesitated, nervously twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. She looked at Ren's incredibly sculpted, intimidating physique.
"Um... Ren-san," Hibiki asked timidly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Could you possibly train with us today? You clearly seem like a high-level professional, and we could really use the guidance."
Ren let out a boisterous laugh, the deep sound vibrating pleasantly through the air.
"Eh? Trust me, little one," Ren grinned, his eyes gleaming with a predatory, athletic light. "You girls wouldn't be able to keep up with even ten percent of my training intensity~"
Gina nodded repeatedly, completely agreeing with his assessment. She knew the gap between high school girls and an underground monster was wider than an ocean.
"We definitely won't be able to keep up!" Gina shouted proudly. "But I really, really want to know exactly how the close friend and sparring partner of the Thai God of War trains his muscles!"
Uehara Ayaka crossed her arms, nodding in solemn agreement. Her competitive tomboy spirit was thoroughly ignited.
"That's exactly right," Ayaka said firmly, her eyes locked onto Ren. "I also really want to witness a professional fighter's training methods firsthand."
"Maybe I'll see some revolutionary techniques I haven't seen before, and I can tell Shion-nee-sama all about them! Maybe we can even add some brand-new, hardcore courses to my family's curriculum!"
Ren paused mid-stretch, blinking in genuine confusion. He looked at the short-haired girl with a raised eyebrow.
"Eh? Wait a second," Ren tilted his head. "Does your family happen to run a boxing gym?"
Ayaka grinned proudly, puffing out her chest. She pointed a thumb at herself with supreme confidence.
"That's right!" Ayaka beamed. "Our family runs a very highly respected establishment. It's called the Glory Boxing Gym!"
A look of profound realization washed over Ren's face. He let out a low whistle, a genuine smile breaking across his features.
"Glory Boxing Gym, huh?" Ren mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "If my memory isn't mistaken, Kaolan Wongsawat is actually a fully registered member of your family's gym, isn't he~"
The entire free-weight area suddenly went dead silent.
Gina slowly turned her head, her neck cracking like a rusty door hinge. She stared at Ayaka with a look of absolute, unbridled disbelief.
"Really?!" Gina shrieked, her voice echoing off the high ceilings. "Ayaka, are you serious?! The legendary Kaolan is actually a member of your family's gym this whole time?!"
Ayaka physically recoiled from the sheer volume of Gina's voice. A thick bead of nervous sweat rolled down the back of her neck as she frantically waved her hands in denial.
"I don't know!" Ayaka panicked, taking a step back. "I'm not sure, I don't recognize the name at all! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!"
Gina was completely stunned into silence by Ayaka's rapid-fire, four-combo denial. The Russian girl's brain seemingly short-circuited before rebooting with singular, hyper-focused intent.
Without another word, Gina spun around and violently sprinted toward the women's changing room, absolutely desperate to grab her smartphone and shove photographic evidence of the Thai God of War directly into Ayaka's oblivious face.
Before she could take more than three steps, Ren's massive arm effortlessly shot out, grabbing the back of Gina's collar and lifting her off the ground like a misbehaving kitten.
"There's absolutely no need for you to run off and do that," Ren chuckled smoothly, setting the pouting Russian girl back down onto her feet.
With his free hand, Ren casually reached into his gym bag and pulled out his sleek smartphone. He quickly navigated to his contacts list.
"I'll just ask the man himself right now," Ren said casually, pressing the call button and putting the phone on maximum speaker volume. "Ah... it's already connected~"
The line clicked. For a terrifying second, there was only the sound of heavy, rhythmic breathing echoing from the speaker, carrying the oppressive, suffocating aura of a true apex predator.
"Are you currently registered as a member at the Glory Boxing Gym?" Ren asked casually, completely unaffected by the heavy atmosphere bleeding through the phone.
A deep, stoic, and incredibly resonant voice replied from the other end. The sheer gravity in the man's tone commanded absolute, unquestionable respect.
"Do you honestly think a man of my caliber needs to specifically travel to a public gym just to practice my boxing strikes?" Kaolan's voice rumbled deeply through the speaker.
Ren smirked, leaning against the weight rack. "Fair point. So, where are you right now?"
"I am currently at the gym," Kaolan replied coolly. "Silverman Gym, to be exact."
[Akarin's Note: Silverman Gym is the main fitness center from the anime 'Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?' (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?). It is an elite, world-renowned gym chain famous for its state-of-the-art equipment, hardcore bodybuilding culture, and its overwhelmingly muscular personal trainers.]
Ren let out a knowing chuckle. "I knew you were going to say something entirely predictable like that. Alright then, I'll see you in the match soon enough."
His tone darkened slightly, carrying a heavy, terrifying weight of its own. "I truly hope I don't happen to run into you in the first five matches I play. Because if I do... I absolutely won't hold back against you."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," Kaolan replied, the faint sound of a terrifyingly heavy punch landing on a heavy bag echoing in the background. The call abruptly disconnected with a sharp click.
After Ren casually slid the phone back into his pocket, he offered the awestruck girls a brilliant, disarming smile.
"Well, you all heard that loud and clear, right?" Ren said smoothly. "I really didn't expect to randomly meet the family of the very boxing gym owner that Kaolan himself highly recommended to me. It certainly looks like your family's establishment is incredibly impressive, Ayaka~"
Since Ren had placed the entire conversation on speakerphone, every single syllable had echoed perfectly through the quiet corner of the gym.
Gina, being an absolute fanatic of the underground martial arts world, naturally recognized the legendary, stoic voice of Kaolan Wongsawat immediately.
At this very moment, Gina was staring up at Ren with an expression of pure, borderline-religious fanaticism. She looked ready to fall to her knees and worship the ground he walked on.
Sōryūin Akemi, entirely used to Ren's absurdly high-profile connections, simply clapped her hands together with a delighted smile.
"That settles it!" Akemi cheered happily. "Brother Ren, can we please, please observe your training today? We promise we won't get in your way!"
She then tilted her head, her silver hair cascading over her shoulder. "But honestly, I'm terribly curious. Just who exactly is the incredibly wealthy backer that managed to hire you for this upcoming tournament, Brother Ren?"
Before Ren could even open his mouth to answer, the ambient temperature of the gym seemed to instantly plummet by ten degrees.
The heavy, rhythmic bass of the gym's music suddenly felt muffled, drowning under the weight of an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.
"It's me."
A soft, ethereal, and utterly chilling voice floated through the air, sending a violent, primal shiver straight down the spines of every single person present.
"It has been quite a long time since we last saw each other, hasn't it... Akemi~"
When Ren heard that distinct, aristocratic voice, he let out a long, deeply exhausted sigh. He slowly closed his eyes, entirely unsurprised by the sudden, dramatic intrusion.
Sōryūin Akemi, on the other hand, reacted completely differently. Her entire body convulsed violently, trembling from head to toe as if she had been plunged into an icy river.
Akemi swore upon her very soul that she would never, ever forget the terrifying owner of that haunting voice for as long as she lived.
At this precise moment, Akemi slowly, agonizingly turned her head over her shoulder.
As she did, her vision seemingly warped. The bright fluorescent lights of Silverman Gym completely vanished, violently replaced by a suffocating, endless abyss of deep, suffocating darkness.
Within that hallucinated void, the heavy scent of intoxicating, exotic lilies flooded her senses. And from the shadows, she saw it.
A beautiful, impossibly pale face emerged from the darkness, sporting a terrifyingly elegant, predatory smile. Her lips were painted with a striking, venomous shade of teal lipstick.
The teal gloss on her lips and the piercing, icy blue of eyes seemed to literally glow in the darkness, acting as the only source of terrifying light in Akemi's warped reality.
Looming massively behind the elegantly dressed woman was the spectral, hallucinated visage of a gigantic, beautiful, and utterly lethal snake, its fangs bared in a silent, mocking hiss.
That's right. The absolute apex predator of Hyakkaou Private Academy...
Momobami Kirari had finally arrived.
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