Chapter 204: Singing Praises, Kirari's Gym Invitation
It seemed to be either because they had finally gathered the necessary twenty people for the system upgrade, or perhaps because of the lingering emotional weight of Aragorn's story, but in any case, Lucifer was now in a state of extreme happiness.
She sat on the sofa, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, wishing she could know exactly what the shop would look like after the upgrade right this very second.
This excitement had nothing to do with Lucifer wanting to use the upgrade to travel to Another World for tourism, nor was it simply about the novelty of seeing new magical functions.
It was mainly because, to the former High Prosecutor of Heaven and current Queen of Hell, this Dimensional Restaurant was no longer just a workplace. This was Lucifer's home. Her family—Ren, Cerberus, and the others—were here, so she cared deeply about what her home would become.
However, ever since hearing Aragorn's parting words and watching his solitary figure disappear into the night, Lucifer's mood was also somewhat complex as she turned her attention back to the medieval movie playing on the screen.
The film depicted wild struggles, the most primitive fighting methods where blood splattered against mud, the brutal romance of cold weapons clashing, and the noble character of warriors who stood their ground against insurmountable odds.
It reminded her that humans, despite their fragility, never lacked the courage to fight for protection.
When Lucifer saw the final credits roll up the black screen, accompanied by a somber orchestral score, she let out a long, shuddering sigh.
"Humans truly are a race that can show terrifying courage at the most critical moments..." she whispered, her crimson eyes reflecting the fading light of the screen.
Ren, who was tidying up the snack bowls on the table, smiled gently.
"Humans who fight to protect deserve to be sung victorious songs after their triumph," Ren said softly, quoting an old sentiment. "And those who were protected... they should also sing praises to welcome the heroes' return. The praises of humanity have been sung throughout history and have never ceased."
Lucifer leaned back, tilting her head as she digested his words. "Fortunately, humans are physically weak. If their bodies matched their spirits, the balance of the three realms might be in trouble~"
She paused, her expression shifting from philosophical to puzzled. She tapped her chin with a manicured finger.
"Oh, by the way, Ren... I suddenly feel like something isn't quite right regarding our previous guests."
Ren stopped wiping the table. "What do you mean?"
Lucifer thought for a moment, furrowing her brows. "Oh! That's right, I remember now. I noticed that throughout her entire visit, Nakiri Mana-san never seems to have called Erina. Not even once."
She looked at Ren with genuine confusion. "Aren't they mother and daughter? Nakiri Mana-san hasn't seen Erina in many years. She was right here in the same city, cured by your food, yet she made no attempt to see her child."
Ren leaned against the counter, crossing his arms as he considered the complicated dynamics of the Nakiri family.
"Maybe it's because she doesn't know how to face it yet," Ren explained, his voice low.
"The guilt of leaving, the fear of causing more pain... it's a heavy burden. And even if she did contact her, Erina would undoubtedly drop everything and rush over here in a heartbeat. But then what? Nakiri Mana-san still has to leave the next day for WGO business."
Ren sighed. "It would be a tearful reunion followed immediately by another painful separation. So, perhaps she felt it wouldn't make any difference to reopen that wound right now~"
Lucifer nodded slowly, a look of helplessness on her face. "Sigh~ That girl, Erina, is really quite pitiful. Abandoned by her mother because of a culinary ability..."
She looked up at Ren sharply. "But Ren, does Erina also have that condition? The God Tongue?"
Ren nodded. He walked over and sat next to her, reaching out to playfully pinch Lucifer's soft cheek.
"It seems you and Erina are quite close, Lucifer. You're worrying about her quite a bit."
"Shut up," Lucifer mumbled, though she didn't pull away.
"That's right," Ren confirmed, his tone turning serious. "Erina also possesses the God Tongue. It runs in their bloodline. However, I already took care of the immediate danger for her the first time she came to the shop~"
Lucifer's eyes widened. "Eh?! You mean... that meal? The Wagyu and Sashimi from that time?"
Ren nodded.
Lucifer asked in confusion, "Eh? But why was Erina's issue resolved so quickly? Her mother suffered for decades, but Erina seemed fine after one meal. And she didn't have much of a reaction compared to Mana-san..."
Ren smiled, explaining patiently. "To be precise, it had already started to be resolved; it was just temporarily stabilized."
"Erina's God Tongue is far less developed than Nakiri Mana-san's. Mana has tasted the best food in the world until nothing satisfied her. That's not the key," Ren continued. "The key is that Erina has eaten too few true delicacies in her life compared to her mother. Her palate hadn't reached the point of total despair yet. So, my food was able to reset her baseline quickly, proving to her that 'perfection' exists, preventing her God Tongue from developing purely out of frustration~"
Lucifer nodded, understanding the logic. "I see... So ignorance was partially her shield."
She then whispered, seemingly realizing something else. "I don't know why, but I always feel that Nakiri Mana-san looks a bit too young. She seems to be only in her twenties... She doesn't look like someone with a high school daughter at all."
Ren thought about it, picturing the WGO Director's flawless, albeit pale, complexion. He nodded in agreement.
"Hmm, although she's malnourished from her inability to eat, you can tell she's indeed a bit too young for her age. But that's someone else's family matter. It's best not to get too involved in other people's genetics or family secrets~"
"True," Lucifer agreed. She stretched her arms, looking at the ceiling. "Hmm... Ren, where are we going tomorrow? We have a free day, right?"
Buzz.
Before Ren could answer, a notification sound chimed from the coffee table.
"Eh? Kirari sent a message," Lucifer said, glancing at her phone.
Ren was stunned for a moment. He didn't lean over to look, because he respected their privacy and never looked at Lucifer's chat content or anything like that. They had created the group chat so the girls could communicate more freely with each other, and he usually stayed out of it unless tagged.
Just then, Lucifer picked up her phone, read the text, and then handed the device over to Ren.
"Kirari said she wants you to go to the gym to train starting tomorrow," Lucifer said, her eyebrows raised. "She says she found a high-end gym for you, so you can just go directly there."
Ren took the phone, reading the elegant, somewhat commanding text message. He was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"I can, yes... exercising is indeed quite interesting," Ren mused, thinking about his physical condition. "But Kirari wants me to exercise now... It seems she doesn't trust my strength much regarding the upcoming events..."
Ren knew that Kirari Momobami, the President of the Hyakkaou Student Council, was deeply involved in the underground world of the Kengan matches. If she was suggesting training, she likely had ulterior motives related to the tournament.
As Ren spoke, he took out his own phone and dialed Kirari's number.
The ringtone didn't even complete a full cycle. The other end of the line seemed to be waiting for Ren, as it was an instant pick-up.
Ren sighed into the receiver, feigning a hurt tone. "Kirari... do you really not trust my strength? Sending me to boot camp?"
On the other end of the phone, the scene was one of dark opulence.
Kirari Momobami was lying on a very luxurious large bed covered in silk sheets. The room was dimly lit, smelling of expensive perfume and cold ambition. Her usual intricate double-braided bun was now completely undone, her long platinum hair spreading over the pillows like a silver fan.
She was wearing a loose dark-blue bathrobe that slipped slightly off her shoulder, smiling an enigmatic smile as she rubbed her smooth calf.
"Ara~" Kirari's voice purred through the speaker. "If I didn't say that, would you have called me tonight?"
Ren smiled, leaning back on the sofa. "If your students at the Academy knew their terrifying President could say something like that with such a tone, I really don't know if they'd be able to control themselves. Their image of the absolute ruler would shatter~"
Kirari rolled over on the bed, her movements lazy and cat-like.
"You're the only one who gets to see me like this," she teased. "Oh... and Sayaka, of course."
"How could I not trust my future man?" she added, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Just as Ren was about to speak, he heard Kirari interrupt herself with a light chuckle.
"Of course, I'm not just asking you to go to the gym to exercise for yourself. I know your strength perfectly well; you are a monster in human skin. You don't need to exercise for survival."
"I'm asking you to go to the gym simply because I want to exercise~"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? You?"
"Yes," Kirari confirmed. "I want to exercise before the main event, and I'm asking you to be my coach. Isn't that allowed? I'll even throw in Sayaka for you. Sayaka~ What do you think?"
There was a pause, and then a nervous but eager voice echoed in the background. "Yes! Whatever the President desires!"
Kirari smiled into the phone. "How about it, Ren? Adding Cerberus and Lucifer to the mix... being the private coach for four beauties at once. Watching us sweat, correcting our forms... if I were an ordinary man, I'd be dying of jealousy right now~"
Ren sighed, rubbing his temple. He knew this wasn't going to be a normal workout.
"But you're not just asking me to be a sparring partner for fitness, are you?" Ren asked, cutting to the Chase. "If I'm not mistaken, the final location for the Kengan Annihilation Tournament has probably been chosen, right? You're preparing the team."
"Hmm... That..." Kirari drawled playfully. "You'll know when you see me tomorrow. But remember, you have to teach professionally. Otherwise, even if you're my future man, I'll still pinch you if you slack off~"
"It sounds like I don't get any benefits besides being a glorified sparring partner~" Ren quipped.
Hearing this, Kirari's face flushed slightly in the darkness of her room. She licked her lips, her blue eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"That... Depends on your performance tomorrow," she teased. "Although Cerberus and Sayaka will definitely be on your side regardless, it needs all four votes to pass my evaluation~"
After saying that, Kirari hung up the phone without waiting for a reply. She let the device drop onto the mattress and then flopped onto the bed like a dried fish, stretching her limbs out.
"Ah... Sayaka..." Kirari groaned. "Give me a massage. I'm really tired today. The paperwork never ends."
Sayaka Igarashi, her fiercely loyal secretary, immediately stepped forward from the shadows of the room.
"Yes! President!"
"Hmm... Sayaka, you'll help Ren tomorrow, won't you?" Kirari murmured, closing her eyes.
Hearing Kirari's words, Sayaka hesitated for a moment. Her heart raced at the thought of being in such close proximity to both her idol and the man who had captured the President's interest.
"I... I'm sorry, President-sama... I..." Sayaka stammered.
Kirari sat up abruptly. She smiled, cupping Sayaka's face in her hands and stroking her cheek with her thumb.
"No need to apologize," Kirari said with a gentle, possessive smile. "Your decision is very correct, Sayaka. You must also be looking forward to tomorrow, aren't you?"
Sayaka blushed deeply. "Yes! President-sama... To be able to see President-sama and Ren-sama together... I..."
"Then get some rest early, Sayaka. We have a big day."
"Hmm!"
On this side of the phone, back in the restaurant, Ren rubbed his forehead. He felt a phantom headache coming on.
"Kirari is really getting excited," Ren sighed, looking at the silver-haired demon beside him. "Lucifer, prepare yourself. Tomorrow's itinerary has been set."
"Eh?" Lucifer looked confused.
And just as Lucifer was about to ask why he said Kirari was getting excited, or why she had to go to a gym, her attention was suddenly diverted.
She saw the shop door in front of them... light up...