A terrifying surge of killing intent crashed forward, interwoven with that invisible, crushing pressure.
As Brain and Climb lifted their eyes toward Ren Kuroda once more—
They saw it.
Behind him… loomed something monstrous.
A towering oni-god, three heads and six arms, crimson hair blazing, jagged fangs gleaming.
It hadn't moved.
And yet, simply standing there was enough to suffocate them with overwhelming dread.
The killing intent radiating from it had become almost visible—like a blood-red haze flooding toward them. Under that suffocating tide, both Brain and Climb felt an instinctive urge to turn and run.
But they couldn't.
The invisible pressure pinned them in place. Forget running—even taking a single step forward was beyond them.
Step by step, the three-headed, six-armed demon advanced, blade in hand.
With every step, the killing intent intensified.
Climb and Brain squeezed their eyes shut, trying to escape the horror by shutting out their vision.
But it didn't matter.
Even in the darkness behind their eyelids—
That monstrous figure still stood before them.
"Don't try to run."
Ren's voice cut through the suffocating pressure like a blade.
"Show me your resolve to become stronger."
"Only those who find something more important than their own lives… can truly grow stronger."
"What makes humans powerful… is the infinite potential hidden within every one of them."
The killing intent surged, thick and violent, like a crimson tidal wave.
It swallowed Brain and Climb whole.
At first, Brain's instinct was to flee.
But he couldn't.
His body refused to move.
And as his consciousness began to blur, as Ren's voice echoed in his mind—
Two figures appeared before him.
One was the Kingdom's strongest warrior captain—the man he had always sought to surpass.
The other…
Was the source of his deepest fear.
Shalltear Bloodfallen.
Yes.
This feeling—
It was exactly the same as that day in the cave.
The same suffocating terror.
The same overwhelming despair.
So what now?
Would he run again?
If he fled here—
What right would he have to ever face Shalltear again?
What right would he have to surpass the warrior captain?
A spark ignited in his eyes.
His grip tightened around his sword.
And with a roar that tore from the depths of his soul—
"Don't you dare look down on me… you bastard!!"
At the same time, Climb was experiencing something similar.
But unlike Brain—
Though he lacked strength, his heart was even stronger.
True strength wasn't just about power.
It was about the will.
Faced with the crushing killing intent, Climb realized he couldn't escape.
And in that moment—
Memories began to flash through his mind like a flickering lantern.
Fragments of his past.
Moments of his life.
Until finally…
They stopped.
On a single image.
A gentle smile.
Princess Renner.
I want to protect that smile.
That was all he needed.
No matter what stood before him—
He would not be afraid.
Even as the demonic presence bore down on him…
Even as his body felt unbearably heavy—
Climb stepped forward.
And swung his sword.
The motion was small.
Barely even a proper strike.
But—
It was something even the genius swordsman Brain had failed to do in that moment.
Seeing the two of them remain conscious—still resisting even under such overwhelming pressure—
The crimson-haired oni-god seemed to grow displeased.
With a thunderous roar—
It raised its blade.
And brought it crashing down toward them.
This time—
The killing intent was no longer a tide.
It was the sky itself collapsing.
An all-consuming force that swallowed everything.
In that instant—
Brain and Climb truly felt death.
Right before their eyes.
And as the blade fell—
Their consciousness faded into darkness.
The alley returned to silence.
The killing intent receded like the ebbing tide.
The crushing pressure vanished without a trace.
The only difference—
Was that Brain and Climb now lay unconscious on the ground.
They had found their resolve.
Their hearts had grown stronger.
But the gap between them and Ren was simply too vast.
In the end, their minds could not withstand the abyss-like killing intent he had unleashed.
"Ren-sama… my apologies."
A strained voice came from beside him.
Ren turned slightly—
Only to see Yuri Alpha collapsed to one knee, her body drenched in cold sweat, unable to move.
"As your guard… I have failed in my duty," she said, her voice trembling.
"But to witness the overwhelming presence of a Supreme Being from such close proximity… has rendered me temporarily immobile."
Ren blinked.
Then let out a small sigh.
"No… if anything, I should be the one apologizing. I forgot you were standing nearby."
He stepped toward her.
"It's fine. I'll just take you with me."
At first, Yuri didn't understand what he meant.
Until—
Ren bent down, slipped an arm beneath her legs, and lifted her effortlessly into a princess carry.
Her mind went blank.
A deep blush spread across her face like the glow of a sunset.
Yuri Alpha—usually composed, mature, and dignified—now looked like a flustered young girl.
"R-Ren-sama! This is far too improper!"
She panicked, her voice trembling.
"I am merely a servant of the Great Tomb of Nazarick—how could I possibly deserve to be held by you? Please, put me down. Once I recover, I will rejoin you immediately—"
The denizens of Nazarick were no longer mere NPCs.
In this world, they possessed true life.
Thoughts.
Emotions.
Desires.
They were no longer simple constructs bound by code.
They could feel.
They could love.
And Yuri Alpha…
Was no exception.
Her feelings toward Ren were, without a doubt, affection.
But she also understood her place.
Compared to someone like Shalltear—a powerful Guardian—
Someone like her had no right to stand beside him.
Let alone… bear his children.
"Relax."
Ren's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.
"This happened because of me in the first place."
"And besides—you're not heavy at all, so it's no trouble."
He adjusted his hold slightly, completely unfazed.
"And right now, you can't even move. If I leave you here and something happens, that'd be a problem."
"So just accept it for now, alright?"
Ren Kuroda—
Completely oblivious.
Utterly, hopelessly straightforward.
Meanwhile, in his arms—
Yuri's face burned even brighter.