Chapter 196: The Domain of Time
"Hard to say."
Shinobu shot Ren an irritated look.
"Then why did you go around using Shinazugawa's name? Surely you must have done something you feel guilty about, haven't you?"
Ren felt a little awkward.
Hearing Shinobu say that, he realized that Sanemi must have gone to the Entertainment District as well.
"What did you encounter there? How did Shinazugawa end up at the Kyogoku House too?"
"That's confidential."
Shinobu turned her head away.
She had no intention of telling Ren.
Who was the one who ordered that man to bully me just now?!
"You're really not going to tell me?"
Ren smiled as he asked again.
Shinobu shook her head like a rattle.
"I'm not telling. Absolutely not."
"Is that so?"
Ren suddenly smiled.
"Then how about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
Shinobu curiously turned her head and looked into Ren's eyes.
"You really think you can guess?"
"Yes. If I guess correctly, you'll have to listen to me for the next few days."
"And if I lose, we'll reverse the conditions. I'll listen to you for the next few days. How does that sound?"
"Hmm..."
Shinobu's large eyes darted around.
She was clearly tempted.
She didn't want to miss any opportunity to take advantage of Ren.
But the price of losing was also quite high.
She had no idea what Ren's true purpose was in proposing such a condition.
Although Shinobu's mind was usually extremely sharp, the terms Ren had offered seemed almost magical.
The thought of Ren obeying her unconditionally for several days made it impossible for her to resist.
"All right, I agree. But don't go back on your word!"
"I won't."
Ren smiled mysteriously, a sly glint flashing through his eyes.
Seeing that, Shinobu's heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, a sudden sense of alarm seized her heart.
Does Ren have something prepared?
But Ren hadn't been there at the time. How could he possibly know about what had happened between her and Shinazugawa?
Shinobu absolutely couldn't allow that to happen.
She couldn't lose today!
Ren slowly closed his eyes.
[Regression State activated!]
[You observe the traces left on your opponent and begin rewinding!]
[Judging from the opponent's clothing and the wear on her body, you can infer that she engaged in strenuous activity the day before yesterday and requires rest!]
[Your gaze moves downward!]
[Transparent World activated!]
[A transparent world unfolds before your eyes!]
You begin observing the extent of damage to the opponent's muscles and bones, as well as the range of her movements. You begin reversing time and making deductions!
You observe the opponent's mental state...
Ren's gaze analyzed Shinobu's body frame by frame.
He began using the Regression State to reverse the passage of time within her.
It was worth mentioning that now that Ren was using the Transparent World, as long as he remained still, he basically didn't need to keep his eyes open.
He could memorize everything around him within a single second.
Therefore, in order to improve his concentration while meditating, Ren deliberately closed his eyes.
By weakening his five senses, he strengthened his ability to rewind.
The Regression State primarily relied on Ren's mental activity as its fundamental driving force. The farther back he rewound time, the greater the strain on his mental energy.
After a while, Ren entered his Memory Palace.
The sky was divided into five sections, each colorful and brimming with vitality.
Without looking back, Ren walked toward the main hall.
With a creak, he pushed open the palace doors.
He made several gestures in the air, and countless fragments of memory emerged.
Scenes of people, dialogue boxes, and fragments of events appeared one after another.
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering your battle against Gyokko in the Entertainment District!]
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering your pursuit of Daki in the Entertainment District!]
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering your battle against Hantengu in the Entertainment District!]
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering your escape from the Entertainment District and your battle after encountering Douma!]
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering your battle against Akaza aboard the Mugen Train!]
[You recall a fragment of your memories, remembering the process of transporting Akaza!]
Ren recalled everything that had happened from the Entertainment District to the Butterfly Mansion.
Countless details surfaced.
Combined with the detailed information he had obtained from Shinobu's body, Ren's mind began working at tremendous speed.
"Since this is the Kyogoku House in the Entertainment District, the corresponding fragment should be here."
Ren murmured to himself before reconstructing in his mind the scene of him disguising himself as Shinazugawa and entering the Kyogoku House to gather information.
[You recall the scene of entering the Kyogoku residence and meeting Hinatsuru!]
[You recall the scene of entering the Kyogoku residence and meeting Hinatsuru again!]
Every scene.
Every piece of character information corresponding to each scene.
Ren analyzed them all.
Hinatsuru, the madam, Sumeragi, Ren himself, and the bystanders.
Around Ren, vivid faces seemed to materialize once again.
[Your Observation Realm has reached an exquisite level. Your Regression Realm has advanced, and you have achieved enlightenment!]
[You have combined the Regression State with the Transparent World, allowing you to comprehend the Domain of Time!]
[Within the Domain of Time, you discover that your control over time has increased!]
[You can freely deduce the rate at which time passes within your mind. Nothing can escape your eyes!]
What Shinobu didn't know was that Ren had already combined the Regression State with the Transparent World.
And then, he had created a brand-new Domain skill!
The corners of Ren's lips curled upward slightly.
Inside the room, Shinobu suddenly felt a wave of panic.
Could Ren really know about it?
Shinobu was already wondering who could have leaked the secret.
Logically speaking, she shouldn't have mentioned it, and no one else should have known about it either.
Hinatsuru had been in the Entertainment District at the time. She wouldn't have been bored enough to spread such information around.
Besides, if the Butterfly Mansion had received the information, Shinobu should have learned about it two days after returning.
Could it have been Shinazugawa?
It had to be said that by now, whenever Shinobu encountered something she couldn't figure out, her first suspicion was often Sanemi.
If Shinazugawa were here, he would probably be numb to it by now...
But Shinobu had no idea that Ren actually knew nothing about the matter.
He was simply carefully reconstructing everything in his mind.
Yes.
That was how brutally straightforward his method was!
Inside the Memory Palace...
An idea seemed to flash through Ren's mind.
Immediately afterward, the scene in his mind depicting his first encounter with Hinatsuru at the Kyogoku House suddenly began to change.
The travelers in the scene began moving backward, smiles still on their faces. Their toes pointed forward, yet their footsteps moved backward.
The madam wore a flattering smile, her mouth opening wide before strangely shrinking closed in the next instant.
Hinatsuru, who had just descended the stairs, returned upstairs.
Ren, who had just entered the room, retreated back outside.
The scene in his memory had actually begun playing in reverse.
It even rewound to before Ren entered the room.
And inside the room, the scene continued playing backward!