Chapter 556: Riven Stays, Ren's Sneak Attack
Kurumi glided toward the entrance, her slender fingers brushing against the polished wood of the shop door. The oppressive, lingering energy from moments prior had completely vanished, leaving only the quiet hum of the ordinary world. She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully, before a sweet, dangerous smile bloomed across her face.
"That's truly interesting..." Kurumi murmured, turning her crimson gaze back to the counter. "Well, Shopkeeper Ren, I'll be taking my leave now."
Ren gave a calm nod. "Welcome back next time."
"Mhm, I'll definitely come again. Shopkeeper Ren, don't forget me, okay?"
Ren shook his head, his tone gentle but firm. "I definitely won't forget."
"Eh?" She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Is it because I'm pretty?"
Ren met her gaze with deadpan sincerity. "That's part of the reason, but not entirely. It's probably because... out of all the people who have come here to spar with me, you're the only one who actually wanted to eat me."
Kurumi blinked, momentarily stunned, before a melodic laugh escaped her lips. "I've suddenly found what makes me special. Well then, I'll be going now. Bye-bye."
The door chimed as she stepped out into the street, the heavy atmosphere dissipating with her departure. Ren let out a slow breath, picking up a cloth to wipe down the counter. "Such heavy killing intent..."
Around the room, the others nodded in silent agreement. The air was still thick with the memory of it.
Riven, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, uncharacteristically broke her silence. "She's killed quite a few people. You can smell it on her. But... that's all there is to it."
Yakumo Yukari unfurled her paper fan with a crisp snap, her violet eyes curving into a polite, probing smile. "So, Miss Riven, as a warrior of your caliber, you must have taken many lives yourself, right?"
Riven stiffened. Her hand instinctively drifted toward the massive, broken blade resting by her side. Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fist, before she finally let out a ragged sigh. "That's right... I don't even remember how many people I've killed. From the moment I joined the military, I intended to dedicate my entire life, my blood, and my blade to the empire. But... my country betrayed me. They betrayed my entire squad."
Reimu paused mid-sip of her tea, looking over with genuine surprise. "Betrayed you? What exactly happened?"
A dark shadow fell over Riven's eyes. Her voice dropped to a soft, haunted murmur as she recounted the nightmare of the Ionian campaign—the chemical fire raining from the sky, the agonizing screams of her comrades melting into the earth, and the realization that Noxus viewed them all as nothing more than disposable kindling. The heavy silence in the shop deepened as she spoke, the weight of her survivor's guilt pressing down on the room.
"...That was also my first time stumbling into Shopkeeper Ren's shop," Riven finished, her gaze fixed on the floorboards. "After that, I just continued to wander."
Lucifer crossed her arms, her crimson eyes narrowing with cold pragmatism. "It's abundantly clear that Noxus is an empire entirely devoid of affection or loyalty."
"Yes," Riven whispered, her voice cracking. "I achieved countless military merits for Noxus. I threw myself between life and death more times than I can count, bleeding for their glory... and they discarded us without a second thought."
Lucifer's expression softened marginally. "What are you planning to do now? Go back to Noxus?"
"I want to change things..." Riven gripped her knees. "I want to try to mend the wounds I've caused. But... I can't do it. Every time I try, I just end up implicating even more innocent people."
Yukari tilted her head, her fan resting lightly against her cheek. "That Elder Souma you mentioned earlier? Didn't he perish by his own hand? At the very most, he died by the wind technique of the sword, not by your direct blade."
Ren set his cloth down and poured a fresh cup of tea, sliding it across the counter toward Riven. "The wounds caused by war can never truly be mended," he said gently. "Where there is conflict, there is death. Even when wounds close, they leave scars that cannot be easily erased. All you can do is truly repent and stay far away from the violence you hate. As long as you don't forget the weight of what you've done, that's all that matters."
Yukari smiled, her eyes gleaming with quiet approval. "Shopkeeper Ren, are you trying to say that instead of agonizing over an unchangeable past, the truest form of redemption is to halt your destructive actions and simply start a new life?"
Ren thought about it for a second. "The phrasing is a bit overly poetic, but I suppose I know what you mean. Simply put: if the scars of the past cannot be removed, then just make sure you don't carve any new ones."
Riven stared at the steaming tea in front of her for a long time. "But I want to do something..."
Lucifer let out an irritated sigh, her CEO persona bleeding through. "You want to change Noxus? Don't even think about it. That empire, at its very core, is a machine that worships violence and endless conquest. You know this better than anyone; even their children are raised to think that way. What can one single broken soldier do? You'll either be thrown into the fighting pits as beast fodder for their entertainment, or you'll hurl yourself right back into the meat grinder of war."
Ren nodded in agreement. "She's right. also, even if you think throwing your life away will bring you redemption, it changes absolutely nothing. Instead, you'll just waste your last remaining chance to actually enjoy being alive."
Riven propped her head up, looking utterly defeated. "Then what else can I do? I've spent so long searching for a meaning beyond the battlefield, searching for a place to call home... I originally thought my home would always be Noxus and the warfront. But after hearing you all speak, I just feel lost. I have no idea what my future holds."
Lucifer studied the broken warrior for a moment, then glanced over at Ren.
Ren merely shrugged, offering a faint, knowing smile.
Lucifer chuckled, stepping forward and clapping a hand firmly onto Ren's shoulder. "As expected of you!"
Riven blinked, confused by the sudden shift in tone.
Lucifer turned her sharp, confident gaze back to the swordswoman. "Riven, since you have nowhere else to go, why don't you just stay here?"
"Me?" Riven pointed to herself, her eyes widening. "Stay?"
"Exactly," Lucifer smiled. "As long as you carry a heart of repentance, just pray earnestly in your heart every day. That's all you need. You can't do anything else anyway, can you?"
Riven shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "But what would I even do if I stayed?"
"Do what? Why do you have to do anything? Just stay."
"If that's the case, I definitely can't—" Riven started, her pride flaring up.
Ren leaned against the counter, cutting her off smoothly. "If you absolutely insist on doing something to earn your keep... just water the flowers and sweep the floor every day. If you're in the mood, you can wash the dishes too."
Riven frowned, her brow furrowing in deep disbelief. "That's it? I think..."
"This place is completely different from your world," Ren said, his voice carrying a soothing, grounded rhythm. "You don't need to fight, and you don't need to kill. I don't have a massive crowd of customers here, so I don't need a dedicated waiter. If you calculate the workload... it's basically just acting as a maid or a caretaker."
Riven was entirely at a loss for words. No fighting? Just cleaning and washing dishes? For a woman who had spent her entire life wielding a blade heavier than most grown men, the concept seemed absurdly simple.
Lucifer laughed, a rich, warm sound. "Just stay. Tomorrow, I'll take you around the area, and you'll quickly understand why there's no need for fighting here."
"If you want to atone," Ren added softly, "then live a good, quiet life. Don't forget what you've done, and when you have a moment of silence, apologize in your heart. You can't bring the dead back to life, and you certainly can't change Noxus. All you can do is change yourself, and stop creating new graves."
Riven looked at the faces around the room—at Ren's calm certainty, Lucifer's encouraging smirk, and Yukari's quiet grace. Slowly, the tension drained from her shoulders. She let out a long, shuddering breath.
"Alright..." Riven whispered, bowing her head slightly. "I'll try. Thank you."
"No problem," Ren said. "Tomorrow, let Lucifer take you around. It's a good time for Justice to get a look at the neighborhood too, so you two can form a group."
Lucifer looked incredibly pleased. Seeing Riven's stubborn, lost demeanor was like looking at a mirror image of Justice from the old days. She was in a fantastic mood, already planning their itinerary, when she suddenly noticed Ren slipping toward the back door.
She paused, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wait a minute... where are you going?"
Ren didn't even break stride. "To ambush Shion."
Lucifer threw her hands up. "You really can't control yourself when your dark side acts up, can you?!"
Ren paused at the door, glancing back with an innocent, understated expression. "Is that so?"
"Yes!" three voices chimed in perfect, exasperated unison—Yakumo Yukari, Lucifer, and Yuuka Kazami, the trio who had already fallen victim to his tricks.
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