"Now that the last component of the Gengnu Diamond Scepter is in Youzi's hands, even if she turns into Kula, it won't affect me much."
Ren Kurogane's only concern now was that without the gene code in Kula's possession, Lufa would be unable to resurrect. If he couldn't resurrect, would he still go for the Shura Armor? Ultimately, Ren held too few chips. He wasn't even in a position to negotiate at the same table as Lufa.
Once Xiao Tian and Anmixiu left, Youzi spoke again. This time, her voice lacked its previous softness, replaced instead by a cold dominance.
"Hey! You want this?" Youzi extended a finger, casually flipping the Gengnu Scepter fragment and dangling it right under Ren's nose.
"You're sharp," Ren laughed. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the key to Lufa's resurrection—the one called Kula?"
"Correct. It seems the Hidden One has told you quite a bit." Kula stepped off the hospital bed with a sneer. "How about it? If you kill me, the General can never resurrect. Want to try?"
She looked at Ren provocatively, certain that he wouldn't dare do anything. After all, she was inhabiting a human body, and the "heroic" moral code of the Armor Squad forbade harming innocent civilians. If Xiao Tian were here, he truly would be torn with indecision.
But she was facing Ren Kurogane, an "unofficial" Armor Hero who relied on strange encounters! His moral compass shifted based on how close he was to achieving his ambitions. Right now, with the Shura Armor not yet in his grasp, Ren wasn't in the mood for games.
He instantly summoned his armor and grabbed Kula by the throat, lifting her into the air. Ren said coldly, "You have exactly one choice: come with me to see Lufa and tell him to hand over the Shura Armor summoner. Otherwise, you die, and Lufa stays dead forever. Got it?"
Sensing Ren's very real killing intent, Kula still assumed he was bluffing. She scoffed, "Trying to scare me? If you have the guts, then kill me! Stop flapping your gums!"
"Still acting tough!"
Ren punched Kula in the gut, instantly sending her internal organs into a tailspin. "Forget it, I'm tired of talking to you. You aren't worth the breath!"
With a cold snort, Ren summoned his shuttle. He leaped onto it, and in the next second, they appeared at the top of the Ba-Dou Group skyscraper.
CRASH!
Ren smashed through the glass, entering the room. He saw Lufa drinking tea, served by his assistant, Misulin. The sudden intrusion startled them. Lufa barked in anger, "Who is it?! Don't you know how to use the front door?"
"General!" Kula cried out excitedly upon hearing Lufa's voice.
"You're... Kula?" Lufa was shocked.
As the dust settled, Ren stood atop his shuttle, holding Kula by the throat and looking down at Lufa. "Lufa, the hope of your resurrection is right here. Do you want her or not?"
Lufa glared at Ren. "It's you?" During the previous battle where so many of his legion had been resurrected, almost all were sealed by Ren. Even as arrogant as Lufa was, he had noted the Diamond Armor.
Looking at the struggling Kula, Lufa grew anxious, but he kept his face a mask of indifference. "What do you want?"
"Straight to the point!" Ren said. "Talking to smart people is easy. Why don't you guess what I want?"
"Hmph! I only have one thing left that could interest you—the Ultimate Armor, Shura! You want to use Kula to blackmail me into giving it up?"
Clap, clap, clap!
Ren patted Kula's cheek a few times and laughed. "As expected of Ares' greatest strategist. You truly are the smartest person in the galaxy!"
"Hmph!" Lufa turned his back, a tiny smirk touching his lips, though his tone remained heavy. "It is impossible to give you the Shura Armor. Give up on that idea!"
"Is that so? I guess you don't want to resurrect after all?" Ren's tone was flat, but his grip on Kula's neck tightened.
"Ugh... G-General..."
Hearing Kula's whimpers, Lufa showed no emotion, as if the person behind him didn't matter. But both Ren and Lufa knew this was a game of who would blink first. As Ren's grip grew heavier, foam began to form at the corner of Kula's mouth, and her face turned a deep purple.
As the sounds from behind him grew fainter, Lufa's face darkened. Dammit! This Armor Hero isn't like the ones I expected!
"It seems General Lufa really doesn't care about this pawn," Ren noted. "In that case, I'll just help you get rid of her."
Ren's other hand began to gather energy as if he really intended to end Kula with one punch. At the critical moment, a roar came from the hole in the window: "Stop!"
It was Xiao Tian arriving on his own shuttle. Seeing Ren about to kill Youzi, he immediately intervened.
"Xiao Tian?" Ren frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Ren! Youzi's grandmother just asked me to look after her..."
He didn't finish, but Ren knew Xiao Tian's "Saint" heart was acting up again, wanting to spare Youzi's life. Simultaneously, Anmixiu walked in through the door. Seeing the dying Youzi and Lufa's grim expression, Anmixiu felt he understood the situation.
Lufa breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. "It seems your companion doesn't agree with your methods."
"Whether he agrees or not is irrelevant. Kula is in my hands. If you want to resurrect, swap her for the location of the Shura Armor!"
Knowing he could no longer negotiate with Lufa today, Ren didn't hesitate. He hopped on his shuttle and vanished from the scene. Xiao Tian looked at Lufa and decisively pulled out his Mars execution sword...
We'll skip Xiao Tian's subsequent beating for now.
Ren returned to Welcome's shop and placed the unconscious Youzi on the floor. Under Welcome's startled gaze, he produced the fragment that had been passed down through the Hidden One's family.
"This is?" Welcome looked at Youzi with a hint of suspicion.
"She's a Hidden One." Ren explained the night's events, leaving Welcome stunned.
"So... you want the Shura Armor?" Welcome asked, confused. "Why? You already have the Diamond Armor. There's no need for another."
Ren had his explanation ready. He looked her in the eye and said seriously, "Welcome, you might not know how powerful Shura truly is. To put it simply: with my current strength, if I wore the Shura Armor, I could slap Lufa to death even after he resurrects!"
"Huh? Is Shura really that strong?" Welcome was shocked. She knew it was powerful, but she had assumed it was only slightly better than the main three. Ren's words made her realize how little she actually knew. She was still a trainee, and many secrets were only known to her in passing.
"Of course!" Ren said. "Shura is the strongest armor in the Milky Way. Above it, there is probably only the legendary Emperor Armor, the avatar of the Lord of the Light Realm."
"Emperor Armor..." Welcome felt like her brain was working overtime. "Why do I feel like you're the Hidden One? You know more than I do..." she pouted.
"Hehe, didn't I tell you? I participated in the Light-Shadow Armor selection!" Ren laughed. "I wasn't chosen, but I learned a few secrets."
"What was that selection like?"
"We just stood in front of a Light-Shadow Stone to see who could resonate with it. If you succeed, you're a reserve hero. If you fail—like me—you go home and farm."
"That's it?" Welcome was skeptical.
"Simple? Well, yeah, it was. Similar to your side," Ren shrugged.
"My side isn't 'simple'! To be a summoner for our armors, you first have to have the right fate. That requirement alone disqualifies countless people," Welcome said, tilting her head high with her arms crossed.
"I see... I guess I'm just lucky!" Ren smiled, not dwelling on it. Regardless of the reason, he was a summoner now, and that was all that mattered!
As they were talking, Xiao Tian staggered through the door. He was clutching his chest, and upon seeing Ren and Welcome, he promptly fainted.
"Xiao Tian!"
The two rushed to help him onto a bed, placing him beside Youzi. "What happened?"
Ren rubbed his chin. "I'm guessing Xiao Tian stayed behind to fight Lufa after I left..."
After a moment, Xiao Tian coughed and opened his eyes. "Water!" Welcome quickly brought him a glass. He gulped it down before collapsing back onto the bed, panting slightly.
"Xiao Tian, what exactly happened?" Welcome asked urgently.
"I was in Lufa's office... I wanted to take him out once and for all. I didn't realize that Anmixiu guy was actually a Nether-Demon—a Captain, at that. He defeated me..."
"Alright, just rest for a few days," Ren said. "And keep an eye on the Hidden One. If she tries to escape, kill her!"
"No! We can't kill her!" Xiao Tian refused flatly.
"This..." Welcome looked between the two, ultimately siding with Xiao Tian. "Ren, Youzi is innocent~"
Ren could only sigh at their attitude. "Fine, do what you want. But don't let her get back to Lufa. If Lufa resurrects, none of us are a match for him right now."
Ren wasn't lying. Without upgrading their armor, they really couldn't handle a fully restored Lufa.
"Don't worry! I'll keep watch!" Welcome smiled.
Over the next few days, while Xiao Tian recovered, Nether-Demons continued to stir. Since Xiao Tian was out of commission, Xiao Fei stepped up. He had improved quite a bit, managing to slay a demon each time one appeared.
"Lufa has become cautious after our last run-in. He only sends one demon at a time now, and they flee the moment they see me. They've become much more troublesome," Ren noted.
Xiao Tian and Youzi spent their time together, their relationship developing rapidly. Ren felt that if it weren't for the demon threat, they'd be looking for a marriage license by now.
"Woohoo! My followers hit five million!" Ren shared his joy with Welcome. "A bunch of manufacturers have reached out for partnerships! Welcome, you're a woman—check these makeup brands for me. Find the ones that are cheap but good. I'll add them to my shop! A few more 'promotional' videos and the revenue will pour in!!"
Welcome scratched her head, still not fully grasping Ren's plan. Livestream selling hadn't peaked yet, and short videos were only just starting to gain traction last year. She didn't understand his excitement. However, while she didn't get the business side, she definitely knew makeup!
"Let me see!"
Under Welcome's "Strict Selection," flashy but useless brands were tossed aside, leaving only high-quality, affordable items. Ren added his own picks as well. Just as he was dreaming of his fortune, Xiao Fei burst in.
Before the person was even visible, his voice arrived: "Ren Kurogane! You posted another video of me losing to a demon!"
"Calm down! I didn't just post yours; I posted mine and Xiao Tian's too!"
The demons had become slippery; Ren and Xiao Tian weren't catching many either, let alone Xiao Fei. However, because of Ren's impressive display earlier, the public's perception of the Armor Heroes was great—they even called the Diamond Armor the strongest. Ren had renamed his account to "Diamond Armor." He frequently posted training videos, which was his secret to gaining five million fans in two weeks!
Xiao Fei huffed in frustration. "Anyway, stop filming me! I'm becoming the laughingstock of the heroes!"
"Fine, fine. Xiao Tian's account is growing too; we'll just manage our own from now on." Ren had plenty of fans now and didn't need to rely on Xiao Fei's footage.
Xiao Fei wanted to get angry but couldn't find a reason. Ren was being perfectly cooperative. If he blew up, what if Ren hit him? He snorted and decided to find Qing Zizai to train harder. He was determined to be the leader of the squad! Especially after learning about "Armor Upgrades," his goal was clear.
For the next few days, Ren focused on filming and selling, and his demon-hunting slowed down. But looking at his bank balance, he felt it was worth it!
"Alright! You've been staring at that balance and smiling for a whole day! Can you act normal?" Welcome rolled her eyes at Ren's miserly behavior.
"Hahaha! A rich lady like you won't understand how a poor person feels when they suddenly strike it rich!" Ren waved her off. "Anyway, tell me—where are the demons today? I'll go kill one to celebrate!"