Kapitel 30: Genshin Impact: Strength Through Bonds [30]
The samurai froze in place, intimidated by Ren's sudden intervention.
Ren sneered and exerted force with a casual flick of his wrist.
Bang!
The samurai stumbled back several steps, nearly losing his balance and falling flat on his back.
"Is this all you've got?"
Ren didn't bother to hide the contempt in his voice.
The samurai snapped out of his daze, glancing down instinctively.
His arm was already bruised, numb, and useless.
Had this gone on any longer, his arm might have been permanently crippled!
Such ruthless precision...
Shuddering, the samurai slinked back toward Shinsuke, swallowing his pride.
Humiliating as it was, it was better than losing his arm altogether.
"Renny, I..."
Chisato's eyes sparkled with admiration, and she looked like she might fling herself into Ren's arms at any moment.
Renny is so cool!
Ren turned back with an icy glare.
"And you are?"
"Huh?"
Chisato blinked, stunned.
Renny, are you seriously this cold to me?!
"Nyuu!"
A small tanuki peeked its head out from behind Chisato, cautiously eyeing Ren.
Ren gave it a subtle look.
The little tanuki seemed to understand.
"This... I got it."
"I must protect this for my master," it said, hopping down from Chisato's shoulder.
In one swift motion, it grabbed the doll from her hands and disappeared into the ground.
The entire sequence was seamless.
"Renny..."
Chisato's reddened eyes welled up again, but Ren's stern glare made her freeze.
Are you seriously trying to get closer to me with your father right there?
She pouted, murmuring softly, "Sorry, Renny..."
Ren scoffed before turning to face Shinsuke.
"So, it's you. You still have the nerve to show up!"
Shinsuke's face twisted with anger as he glared at Ren.
This disgraceful wretch—his former prospective son-in-law, now nothing but a rejected fool.
"Oh! It's you Hiiragi-sama," Ren said with feigned surprise, cupping his hands in a mocking gesture of respect.
His eyes swept over the Debt Collector standing ominously beside Hiiragi.
So, you've been colluding with the Fatui to this extent...
Old snake, your days are numbered.
Shinsuke's voice dripped with venom.
"Resorting to violence and then playing dumb?!"
Ren chuckled.
"A petty thug was assaulting someone in broad daylight. I simply stepped in to stop him."
He feigned an apologetic tone. "My head got a little hot—I didn't realize it was happening under your esteemed watch."
Pausing, he turned to the samurai he had overpowered.
"By the way, what were you trying to say earlier?"
"Surely this thug isn't working for the Kanjou Commi—"
Ren trailed off, leaving his sentence incomplete but with a knowing smirk.
"You—!"
Hiiragi Shinsuke's expression darkened, his gaze shifting to the crowd now whispering among themselves.
The murmurs of discontent grew louder, punctuated by the occasional shake of a head.
And then, the voice of the people rose in awe.
"It's the Shirasagi Himegimi!"
The crowd parted, making way for Kamisato Ayaka.
With her signature grace, she walked forward, holding her paper fan.
Bowing slightly, she greeted them with a warm smile.
"Lord Hiiragi, how kind of you to join us."
"Have you come to attend Guuji-sama's festival?"
"Or perhaps..." Her tone sharpened slightly, though her smile remained, "...to apprehend the petty thug disrupting it?"
With one sentence, she had neatly placed a veiled threat on him.
Shinsuke's face stiffened.
How could he not catch the warning in the Kamisato girl's words?
This festival was under the Guuji's protection.
If he intended to cause trouble, he had better think twice.
"That petty thief has nothing to do with the Kanjou Commission," Hiiragi Shinsuke said with feigned composure, subtly glancing at the Debt Collector beside him and giving a small nod.
The target was located; there was no need to escalate a conflict with the Yashiro Commission.
Chisato had unwittingly stumbled upon his dealings with the Fatui.
While she likely didn't understand what she had seen, the mere existence of that secret gnawed at him.
And now that she had shown up here today, his anger boiled over.
If she naively said anything to the Shogun, everything would fall apart!
Before the plan could proceed, she had to be locked down under the family's control.
"..."
Ayaka's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Fatui.
This revelation was something her brother needed to know immediately.
Shinsuke's forced smile twisted as he spoke.
"I heard about the festival and thought I'd take a look for myself."
But his cold gaze flickered to Ren, barely hiding his malice.
This boy... I'll make him pay for this.
"Heh."
Ren chuckled softly, his expression calm.
So, the old snake wanted to teach him a lesson, did he?
As expected, the next moment, Hiiragi's tone turned venomous.
"Unfortunately, we are indeed here to make an arrest."
Kamisato Ayaka's polite smile remained as she replied, "Please, continue, my lord."
Her glance at Ren was subtle but sharp.
Could this have something to do with him?
"A foreign envoy's associate was attacked in Inazuma," Hiiragi declared, his voice thick with accusation.
"We have reason to believe the perpetrator is someone by the name of Takahashi Ren."
As the words left Hiiragi's mouth, Ren understood.
So, this old snake is using the Fatui incident as an excuse to get rid of me.
"Surely the Shirasagi Himegimi wouldn't stand in the way of justice?" Hiiragi added, his tone oozing insincerity.
Behind him, the Debt Collector stepped forward, his gaze on Ren as if he were already a dead man.
Chisato wanted to speak up in protest, but her voice caught in her throat.
They're slandering Renny!
Ayaka's elegant brows furrowed slightly before she shook her head.
"This matter should be deferred to the Yashiro Commission for investigation. Once the truth is uncovered, we will provide an explanation."
Her faith in Ren was evident.
While she didn't yet understand why the Fatui were entangled with the Kanjou Commission, she was taking a gamble.
A gamble that the Fatui's involvement wouldn't stand up to scrutiny.
Shinsuke's expression darkened.
"We must take him now!"
He, too, was gambling—gambling that he could force a resolution before the investigation could threaten him.
As the two sides reached an impasse, Ren stepped forward.
"No need for all this trouble," he said, a faint smile on his face.
Slowly, he unfastened the blade at his waist.
The scabbard was battered and scratched, looking every bit as shabby as its owner.
His gaze shifted to the Debt Collector, his warm smile tinged with cold steel.
"In the end, this is just a personal grudge, isn't it?"
The Debt Collector let out a low, mocking laugh.
As one of the highest-ranking enforcers among the Fatui, his strength was unmatched in their ranks.
And this boy wanted to challenge him with that beat-up blade?
"Your debt to the Fatui is due," he rasped, drawing his oversized ceremonial blade.
Its gleaming edge radiated malice, brimming with Snezhnayan technological enhancements.
This blade had claimed countless lives.
"Renny!"
Hiiragi Chisato cried out in alarm, instinctively stepping forward.
Yoimiya quickly pulled her back, her own gaze filled with worry as she looked at Ayaka.
"I trust Takahashi-san," Ayaka said calmly, though her paper fan seemed to shimmer faintly with frost.
She was ready to intervene at the slightest sign of trouble.
---
Ren appeared oblivious to the danger as he walked forward.
"Foolish boy," the Debt Collector sneered, but his words cut off abruptly.
Shing—!
The blade was drawn in an instant, its sharp edge glinting as if crackling with lightning.
The rustic girl's handmade sword... well, it's holding up so far.
The speed was astonishing!
The Debt Collector barely had time to raise his ceremonial blade in defense.
He was confident—this boy couldn't possibly match the might of his weapon.
But Ren's calm gaze never wavered.
With a single, decisive strike—
Clang!
The sound of metal breaking echoed across the clearing.
The ceremonial blade shattered cleanly in half.
"What...?"
The Debt Collector's mind went blank, his strength draining away.
His blade, which had drawn the blood of countless enemies, was now nothing more than a broken husk.
Wait... blood?
Where did the blood come from?
This boy isn't injured... so then—
As realization dawned, the Debt Collector's consciousness faded into icy darkness.
Thud!
Silence fell over the scene as everyone stared at the lone figure still standing.
Ren had taken him down with a single strike.
Blood dripped from his blade, his expression calm.
"K-killed him! He's killed him!" someone screamed.
Shinsuke snapped out of his shock, roaring in anger.
"Murdering a foreign envoy—are you mad?! A crime of the highest order!"
"Hmm?"
Ren slowly raised his head, a faint smile curling his lips.
His face was splattered with blood, giving him a menacing edge.
"I left him alive. He's just missing a piece or two."
Hiiragi Shinsuke's fury boiled over.
"Seize him! Now!"
Ayaka's eyes flashed with icy resolve.
"Lord Hiiragi, are you disregarding the Yashiro Commission's authority entirely?"
Just as she prepared to step in to defend Ren, she froze.
That chilling presence... what is—
Shinsuke bellowed, "Where are my samurai?! Are they all dead?!"
Turning around, his words caught in his throat.
The numerous samurai behind him had collapsed silently, their bodies motionless.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Panic gripped him.
What kind of power could dispatch so many warriors so effortlessly?
Ren's expression turned strange as he muttered, "Well, thanks for the blade. It's working great."
A keen-eyed observer pointed toward the shadows, trembling.
A tall, icy figure stepped forward gracefully, dragging the last of the samurai behind her and planting a foot on his chest.
Casually, she opened a packet of sweets and took a bite.
Crunch.
The sound sent a shiver through everyone present.
What kind of fighter eats sweets in the middle of a battle?!
"I heard Ren needed some backup," Mei said coolly, her voice calm but cutting.
"So here I am."
---
T/N: OOOOOOOOOOOOOH MEI SAN (ill try to get the other 20 chapters out tomorrow...) <--that was for patreon peeps ghegegege
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