Chapter 207: Meaning

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My love for this world is like an eternal flame; it will keep on burning until the end of time.

Renji Tachibana stood alone. He was always alone in the dead of night. Suzume was asleep, and Manasa was knocked out cold by her side.

I shouldn't separate them. Ren observed Manasa silently from afar. He didn't want to do anything to trigger Suzume's maternal instincts. Suzume was already very protective over Ren, and he figured she'd be even more protective over her children.

"I'm sorry Suzume." Ren whispered. He could only imagine how she was feeling. Considering their current circumstances, Ren figured Suzume must've had a million things on her mind.

"I'm a lousy boyfriend, and even worst, a worthless father." Ren sulked. "I can't do anything to ease your pain, and I can't do anything to protect Manasa from Parvati's blessing and Homura's curse."

Ren folded his hands. He stared at them dimly and looked up at the lucid sky. The night was clear and cloudless. It wasn't plagued with clouds or riddled with stars. The source of luminescence came from the large crescent moon showering its moonlight from the black sea.

"Of course you can't, you're weak and you've always been weak."

Ren didn't dare to turn his head. Her velvety voice stroked his eardrums like a viper's split tongue.

"Ikumi..." Ren said bitterly. His first instinct was to ask why was she here? But the answer was obvious. Mei was there because Ren wanted her there. He needed someone to speak to, even if it was the one person he viewed as a devil.

"You're pitiful." Mei hissed. "That expression isn't fit of a king."

"Then what is?" Ren asked, his head dribbled as it moved. He stared at her plainly without much interest. "Would I look more kingly if I grinned devilishly like you? Would I look more kingly if I schemed coyly like Homura? Would I look more kingly if I laughed arrogantly like Maija?"

Mei smiled devilishly as Ren predicted, but for once, Ren wished he wasn't right. Seeing Mei's dark smile again pissed him off. Her toxic smile made every fuse go off in Ren's head, causing his anger to overflow.

Ren approached her. His expression was dark and cold. He held Mei by the throat; this time, she didn't fight back. "Or would I look more kingly if I broke your neck like you did mine?"

Ren's irises expanded, transforming into red orbs. They flowed to the corners of his eyes like spilled blood.

"Do as you wish." Mei whispered. "My death will only make you stronger. Each time I die the closer you'll become to my ideal king."

Ren's grip on Mei's neck loosened before relaxing entirely. Ren's gaze returned to normal, and the rest of his face softened.

"Fuck off..." He growled and stepped to the side. "Why are you always like this?"

Mei's arms coiled around Ren's shoulders like an anaconda's giant body. "I am exactly what you need me to be, Renji." Mei's pristine stare sank into Ren's eyes. "I am chaotic, destructive, and understanding."

"There is no one else in this world who understands you as much as I."

"Homura." Ren answered. He didn't realize how quickly her name came from his mouth. It was instantaneous, like a chemical reaction.

Mei looked equally as shocked as Ren. Her serpentine smile regressed into a poisonous scowl, unintentionally reminding Ren how terrifying Mei could be as an enemy.

Mei's arms flew off of Ren's shoulders as if she touched something hot. She eased away strangely before granting Ren a scorching glare.

"Why her?" Mei asked. "Why are you open to Homura and not me?"

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