Kyora heard the sudden demand. He didn't verbally reply, but a subtle nod dipped his chin.
'Tsumugi is one of the most talented members of the staff, but as a political substitute, she barely qualifies. However...' His cold, analytical gaze shifted toward Ren, who was currently staring up at Tsumugi with nervous, wide eyes. 'His strength has grown enough. Having learnt Ki, he can officially be considered 'matured'.' Handing the boy off to the Devils had been his original plan to dispose of him, but since Latia had rejected him, he could only use this excuse to wash his hands of the boy.
"Ne? Are you willing to come with me, Onee-sama?" Latia asked, her tone shifting from demanding to gentle. Because she genuinely respected the woman who had just saved her, the little Devil actually wanted to ask for her consent.
"Um..." Tsumugi hesitated. Slowly, she turned her head, the stoic mask of her bruised face softening completely as she looked at Ren. The young boy looked hollow, his spirit crushed as he continued to reel from the agonizing reality of Fumiko's death.
'The Underworld is a dangerous place. If I take this position... I can go in Ren's stead.' Affirming her resolve for the boy she cared for, Tsumugi looked back at the little girl. "Yes. I am willing," she stated, giving a firm, unwavering nod.
"Yay!" Latia cheered happily, her childish innocence returning in full force. "I will make you my Queen! Then we can be together forever!"
"What?!" Ren shouted in disbelief, abruptly snapped out of his grief-stricken daze by her answer. 'Tsumugi-nee is going to leave?!'
"Then it is decided," Kyora stated coldly, completely ignoring the boy's desperate outburst.
"Tsumugi-nee!" Refusing to even acknowledge his father, Ren scrambled forward and threw his arms around Tsumugi, burying his face into her and hugging her battered body tightly.
Feeling the young boy's trembling shoulders, Tsumugi's sharp, dark eyes softened entirely. Ignoring her own injuries, she knelt down onto the soot-stained floor and returned the embrace, wrapping her arms protectively around him.
"It's alright, Ren," she whispered softly into his ear. "When I am gone... you must promise to keep practicing your sword..."
"But! Tsumugi-nee..." Ren choked on his words, desperately wanting to protest.
But as he looked up and saw the absolute, unwavering resolve burning in her dark eyes, the rest of his sentence died in his throat. He pulled back slightly and forced a firm, jerky nod. Hot tears were already pooling heavily in his eyes, but he fiercely bit his lip, stubbornly refusing to let them fall. He didn't want his beloved Tsumugi-nee to have to look at his crying face as they parted ways.
"Then it is a promise..." Tsumugi smiled, her bruised and soot-stained features radiating a gentle warmth.
Tears were also pooling in her own dark eyes, but much like the brave boy in her arms, she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She reached up and gently wiped his cheek. "When I return, you have to show me how much your swordsmanship has improved. I am sure it will be absolutely amazing."
"Mm!" Ren nodded rapidly, not trusting himself to speak a single word lest his voice completely break.
Hovering sadly by his side, Kon watched the tearful farewell with drooping ears. "Ren-chan..." the little spirit fox whimpered softly. Then, turning his golden eyes toward Tsumugi, he puffed out his chest. "Stupid maid... you'd better take care of yourself. Remember, Ren-chan will be waiting for you."
For once, Tsumugi didn't even bother to banter with the foolish fox. She simply gave him a solemn, respectful nod.
Watching the emotional display unfold, Latia tilted her head in innocent confusion. 'Onee-sama really seems to care for that boy... Hmmmm...' A childish, possessive smile quickly replaced her pout. 'Oh well! Once we are together every day, she will definitely forget all about him!' the young Devil cheered inwardly, completely unbothered by their tragic parting.
"Lord Astaroth," Kyora stated, completely ignoring the emotional farewell playing out right beside them as he turned his attention back to the pure-blooded Devil.
"Hmph! It has been decided, then." Azelior gave a curt nod of agreement. Though the lingering anger of the kidnapping attempt still edged his commanding voice, his pragmatic ambition ultimately won out. "Let us finalize the contract."
"Indeed. Let us proceed," Kyora replied smoothly, his tone entirely devoid of warmth.
**********
Back in the quiet sanctuary of his room, freshly scrubbed of the battlefield's soot and blood, Ren lay flat on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. A profound, crushing despondency weighed heavily on his chest.
He let out a long, trembling breath. "I am still too weak after all..." he whispered to the empty room. "And now Tsumugi-nee is leaving me..."
"Don't worry, Ren-chan! You still have me!" Kon jumped lightly onto the boy's chest, gently patting Ren's cheek with his small paws in an earnest attempt to encourage him.
"Kon..." Ren reached out, grabbing the little spirit fox and pulling him tightly against his face in a desperate, clinging hug.
The dam finally broke. Burying his face deep into Kon's soft fur, Ren let out a raw, agonizing wail. His muffled sobs echoed through the quiet bedroom as the young boy finally allowed himself to openly weep for everything he had lost today.
"Ugh..." Kon flailed his little paws in weak protest for a moment before finally giving up, melting into the tight embrace to let himself serve as the boy's emotional pillow.
A few hours later, Ren finally stopped sobbing. The exhausted boy lay quietly on his bed, while Kon sat heavily by his side, his soft fur completely soaked through with tears.
"Kon," Ren whispered into the quiet room.
"Hm?" Kon questioned, tilting his head as he vigorously shook the moisture from his coat.
"I am going to leave the estate," Ren stated, his voice hollow but incredibly firm.
"Eh?" Kon blinked in puzzlement. "Wait! Wait! Wait! Ren-chan, you can't! You are still way too young!" he protested wildly.
Despite the boy's combat potential, he was still only a six-year-old child, after all. Out in the real world, how was he supposed to find a safe place to sleep, let alone earn enough money to feed himself?
"It's decided!" Ren firmly nodded his head, completely ignoring Kon's very valid protests.
Without missing a beat, he hopped off the bed and quickly scoured his room for his bare essentials. He piled his few belongings into a single, large piece of cloth, tying the ends tightly together. Fastening the makeshift bundle to the end of a long wooden stick, he hoisted it over his shoulder in classic wanderer fashion.
"Let's go!" Ren declared, already turning toward the door.
Watching the six-year-old flawlessly execute this rapid-fire packing routine, Kon just sat on the bed, utterly dumbfounded. "Huuuuh???"
Finally snapping out of his stupor as Ren marched out into the hallway, the little spirit fox scrambled frantically to catch up. "WAAAAAAIIIITTTTT!!!! REN-CHAN!!!!"
**********
Inside the darkened Clan Head's office, a single ornate lamp provided the only illumination.
"Clan Head, the boy has left," a shadowy figure informed Kyora quietly.
"Mm." Kyora nodded, genuinely pleased by the boy's initiative. Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a thick, heavy envelope and dropped it onto the wood with a soft thud. "Hand this to him."
"Yes, my Lord." The figure instantly vanished into the darkness.
**********
Out on the quiet outskirts of the sprawling estate, Ren marched firmly ahead. Kon bounded frantically at his heels, still desperately trying to reason with him.
"Wait! Ren-chan, what about food?! What about lodging?! The sun is already setting!"
Completely ignoring the fox, Ren continued his unwavering stride, his steel sword secured tightly at his hip and his makeshift bindle resting heavily on his shoulder.
Suddenly, a dark shadow materialized directly in their path. "Halt."
The figure was dressed entirely in black, with only a pair of cold, emotionless eyes visible beneath his hood. Ren immediately slowed to a stop, his hand subtly hovering near his hilt, while Kon noticeably quieted down.
"The Clan Head has ordered me to give this to you," the operative stated curtly. He tossed the heavy envelope toward Ren, and before it even landed in the boy's hands, the figure melted seamlessly back into the shadows.
Staring intently at the empty space where the man had just stood, Ren slowly peeled open the flap of the envelope. Inside sat a remarkably thick stack of crisp paper notes—Japanese Yen. It was a massive wad of ten-thousand-yen bills, the absolute highest denomination, each bearing the stern printed face of Yukichi Fukuzawa.
"Kon, it seems your worries have been solved," Ren stated calmly.
"Ah!" Kon jumped up to peek inside, his jaw dropping before he instantly deflated like a popped balloon. "Ughhh..."
With a literal fortune in survival funds just handed to them, the little spirit fox officially had zero remaining excuses to stop Ren from leaving.
"Ah!" Kon jumped in surprise, then he deflated quickly, "Ughh…" Now having now more reason to stop Ren.
**********
Deep within the quiet, sterile walls of the estate's infirmary, Kaguya lay unconscious on a hospital bed. Her brow was knitted into a fierce, trembling frown as she shifted restlessly against the sheets.
"Ren... Ren..." she mumbled in her sleep, her breathing growing shallow and uneven.
As the nightmare of the blinding explosion replayed behind her eyelids, her voice rapidly grew more desperate and frantic. "Ren!"
With a sharp, desperate gasp, the genius mage jolted awake. Her eyes snapped wide open, and she bolted upright in the bed, her chest heaving as she frantically scanned the empty room.
"You are awake," Kyora stated calmly from the doorway.
Seeing him step into the room, Kaguya instantly suppressed her frantic breathing and quickly bowed her head. "Father."
"Mm. I trust you understand the mistakes you made during the ordeal," Kyora intoned coldly.
Gripping the white sheets of her blanket so tightly her knuckles turned pale, she mumbled, "Yes, Father."
"Hmph." Kyora snorted. Then, delivering the final, devastating blow without a shred of empathy, he added, "The boy has already left the estate."
"What?! You can't do that!" Kaguya shouted, absolute panic completely shattering her composed facade.
"It was voluntary," Kyora informed her, his tone completely indifferent. "Now, focus on your duties as the Ritsuzen's successor and forget about him."
'...Even in your insanity,' Kyora thought to himself, though he left the harsh words unspoken. "That is all. I have work to do." Turning on his heel, the Patriarch strode out of the infirmary, leaving her alone in the quiet room.
Kaguya stared blankly at Kyora's retreating back. At first, her eyes were completely hollow and despondent. But slowly, a dark, twisted rationalization began to creep into her mind.
'It was you, wasn't it? My beloved Ren would never leave me voluntarily. It... must be YOU!' Suddenly, her hollow eyes flared with a terrifying, murderous red light. 'I will kill you! KILL! KILL! KILL!' Her fractured mind began to violently spiral into absolute madness. The urge to rip her IVs out and slaughter her father right then and there burned in her chest. But then, a chilling, terrifying clarity washed over her, forcibly suppressing her rage.
'No... I need more strength first.'
A sick, obsessive smile slowly stretched across her pale, exhausted face. 'Ren... you are not going to escape me next time,' she thought with terrifying, absolute calmness.
'A shame,' Kyora thought coldly. That was the Patriarch's final, detached sentiment as he disappeared down the dimly lit hallway, leaving his daughter alone.
**********
Somewhere far away...
"The boy has finally left the estate," a deep, rumbling voice echoed within the pitch-black darkness.
"The plan is finally in motion," the ominous voice spoke again, seemingly whispering to itself from the shadows.