Ren didn't argue. He knew that look in Luxy's eyes, the calm before a storm that didn't need witnesses. So when she said, "Go back," he did exactly that.
He stepped back, boots crunching over burning wood and shattered glass. The monkey spirit stood a few meters away, its golden fur shimmering faintly under the flickering streetlights.
The heavy iron pole in its hands rested on its shoulder like a reaper's scythe. Even at a glance, Ren could feel the pressure radiating from it — not divine, but wild, chaotic, untamed.
The Great Sage grinned, baring fanged teeth. Then, in a blur of motion, it kicked off the cracked pavement with a laugh that sounded like it was having fun.
The ground exploded beneath it.
Ren's vision blurred for a moment as the monkey's figure turned into a streak, accelerating toward Luxy with terrifying speed.
Luxy didn't move.
