The air split.
Reality rippled as the masked man stepped through the rift, his presence crushing like gravity, heavier than anything even the gods had ever exuded.
Everyone instinctively moved behind Ren.
Even Azazel, despite being a veteran of countless wars, grimaced. "That… that pressure. It's not from this dimension."
Ren didn't speak at first.
He was analyzing—no, devouring the moment. The way the air shifted, the subtle vibrations in the void, the flow of energy coiling around the intruder like serpents. This wasn't some random anomaly. This was calculated. Precise.
The figure slowly raised his hand, a crackling energy manifesting—neither mana nor demonic power, but something... corrupted. Twisted.
"Name yourself," Ren said finally, stepping forward with an air of calm dominance. "Or do you prefer 'dead man walking'?"
The masked intruder chuckled—a low, hollow sound that echoed like it was coming from every direction at once.
"Names are meaningless in the face of oblivion. But since you asked…"
He raised a single finger.
And suddenly—BOOM!—A pillar of pure black energy erupted from the ground beneath Ren, engulfing him.
"REN!!" Rias screamed.
Koneko surged forward, but Azazel grabbed her arm. "Wait—no one goes in. That thing... it's targeting him specifically."
The blast faded.
Dust cleared.
And from the center of the crater—
Ren stood.
Unscathed.
He dusted his coat off casually, cracked his neck, and smiled.
"Tried to kill me before we even shook hands. Not very polite."
[System Notification][High-Grade Spatial Corruption Absorbed][Devour Rate: 0.4%][Analysis Complete – Unique Law Signature Identified: "Erasure Construct"][Warning: Opponent is a Transmigrator with a specialized system][Designation: System Class – Reaper]
Ren's expression sharpened.
'So that's what this is. A cleaner. A hitman for the balance of worlds. A hunter of anomalies…'
"Let me guess," Ren said, taking a slow step forward. "You're here to 'correct' the timeline. Or maybe eliminate the 'intruder'?"
The masked man didn't respond.
Instead, black chains burst from his shadow, wrapping around the battlefield like vipers. Every chain thrummed with an anti-world energy, slashing through dimensions.
One chain shot toward Rias.
In a blur, Ren appeared in front of her.
CRACK!
He grabbed the chain mid-air—and shattered it with his bare hand.
The backlash blew a shockwave across the field.
Rias looked up at him in shock. "Ren…"
His hair blew in the wind, eyes glowing with subtle cosmic light. "No one touches my people."
[System Skill Unlocked: Cosmic Breaker – Passive resistance to interdimensional suppression. Chain-based weapons and bindings have reduced effect.]
"You talk about oblivion," Ren said, facing the intruder again. "But you're nothing more than a puppet with a leash."
The masked man's silence cracked.
"You think you're free?" he asked. "You're not like me. You're infected. That system of yours… it's not your ally. It's your cage."
Ren's smirk widened. "Then let me show you what a free monster can do."
His foot crushed the ground as he launched forward—fast, so fast even Azazel blinked and missed it.
A single punch.
The masked man raised his arm to block.
BOOM!!
The shockwave split the sky.
The mask cracked.
The hunter was sent flying into the forest miles away, trees exploding in his path.
Ren landed without a sound, eyes gleaming.
"Come back when you're ready to fight like your life depends on it."
[Devour Update: Fragmented Data from Reaper System absorbed][Skill Acquired: Null Sight – Allows limited detection of cloaked and dimensionally phased enemies]
The others slowly gathered behind him.
Rias placed a hand on his arm. "That man… he wasn't normal."
Ren glanced toward the shattered horizon. "He's not done. That was just a probe. Someone—or something—sent him to test me."
Akeno frowned. "So we're dealing with another system user?"
Ren didn't answer right away.
His smile was faint—but his eyes were cold.
"They're starting to notice me," he said. "Let them come. Let all of them come."