Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

"This is all I can do."

Glancing back at the abandoned laboratory, Ren stood still for a moment.

He didn't know the identities of the people who died here, nor did he know what they'd endured in life.

But death was absolute.

The moment they died, everything about their past vanished.

No names. No stories. Nothing left.

He didn't know them.

And maybe that was for the best.

Leaving their lingering spirits here to wander aimlessly was pointless cruelty.

At the very least, eliminating their final obsessions would give them some measure of peace.

"I'm probably just meddling."

Ren chuckled softly, almost self-mockingly.

But even knowing that…

He couldn't just walk away.

---

With a final flick of his hand, a gray flame ignited, engulfing the laboratory.

When the fire burned out, Ren was already gone.

The gray fog reappeared every few kilometers, making his figure blur and shift like a mirage.

In less than 30 seconds, he was back near the hot spring hotel.

With a familiar gesture, Ren opened a spiritual door and stepped through.

---

The moment he entered, he sniffed the air.

"Hmm. Good. The gray fog worked."

No lingering smell of blood, burnt flesh, or chemicals.

Satisfied, Ren headed toward the main hall.

As he approached, he caught the tail end of Saginomiya Isumi's nervous voice.

"…The power from that hand… I've never seen anything like it."

Hearing what she said, Ren's steps faltered slightly.

A trace of helplessness crossed his face.

She saw it.

Sefirah Castle's power was on a level far beyond ordinary perception. Only individuals with extraordinary abilities could glimpse it and even then, only under specific circumstances.

Usually, without the corresponding authority, the gray fog that accompanied his power remained invisible.

Unless… he actively suppressed his status and someone with spiritual sensitivity happened to witness the moment of manifestation.

Which was exactly what had happened.

Thankfully, only Isumi had the capability to perceive it.

Ren shook his head with a sigh and stepped into the hall.

"Were you talking about me?"

The sudden voice startled the group.

For a moment, everyone froze except one person.

Fujiwara immediately jumped up and stood in front of him.

"Amamiya, what kind of power did you get?"

"…"

Ren exhaled slowly.

"You really aren't afraid of anything, Fujiwara-san."

"Why would I be afraid?"

Fujiwara puffed out her chest with absolute confidence.

"You wouldn't hurt us."

"And honestly, do you think anyone here is scared of you?"

The tense atmosphere immediately lightened as the girls exchanged smiles.

Indeed, none of them were afraid.

If they were, they wouldn't have gathered together to wait for him.

Kaguya shook her head slightly.

Sometimes, she truly appreciated Fujiwara's presence.

That troublesome girl always had a way of breaking the tension in the room and lifting everyone's spirits.

"Compared to fear, we're actually more curious about what you saw in the back mountain that made you so angry."

"Not to mention, your reaction was a bit… excessive."

"Miss Isumi was scared half to death when she witnessed what you did."

"Based on her description, it's hard for us to imagine what could have happened to provoke such a response."

Kaguya's words were reasonable, and Ren could sense the curiosity hidden beneath the concern.

He hesitated for a moment before replying.

"The back mountain… I did see some things."

He lowered his eyes.

"It was those things that made me decide to deal with the evil spirits immediately."

"My methods… might've been a bit extreme."

Kaguya wasn't surprised by his answer.

Seeing something unbearable could easily lead to impulsive action.

"Amamiya-san, can you tell us what you saw?"

"…That's not something you need to know."

"No." Kaguya's expression turned firm.

"That's exactly what we need to know."

Her refusal to back down was clear.

"Amamiya-san, you said it yourself, our fates are now intertwined."

"There are some things we'll have to face together, even if we don't want to."

"We don't need you to protect us from everything. We can help carry that burden too."

Her voice was calm, but her words struck Ren's heart like a sharp blade.

He sighed softly.

"I never denied what I said."

"We're connected through the diary, and our fates are indeed entangled."

"But this… this is too much for you."

Kaguya shook her head.

"Isn't it the same for you, Amamiya-san?"

"I have decades more life experience than you."

"That's ordinary life experience, isn't it?" Kaguya's eyes didn't waver.

"But when it comes to what we're dealing with, you're just as new to this as we are."

Her logic was sound, and Ren, who was never good at debates, found himself at a loss for words.

"Hehe~ Amamiya, you should just give in."

Fujiwara grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Kaguya's the best when it comes to arguments. You won't win against her."

"…"

Looking at the triumphant look on Fujiwara's face, Ren chuckled helplessly.

"You really are a good friend to Shinomiya-san."

He shook his head.

"Fine, fine. But later, after I've had a bath."

"Half an hour."

"And, Ms. Maria… no meat for dinner tonight."

He turned his gaze toward the petite figure sitting on the couch.

"Also… Sanzenin, you should sit this one out."

"I'm not a child."

Nagi immediately stood up in protest.

"Isumi is my best friend."

"If she knows something this important but keeps it from me, I'll never let her hear the end of it."

"There are things I need to know too!"

Ren cast a questioning look at Isumi.

She gave a resigned sigh and shook her head.

The message was clear: it was impossible to stop Nagi from joining them.

Ren let out a soft sigh of his own and turned toward Maria with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Maria."

"You'll probably have to deal with a very restless Nagi tonight."

Maria gave a light, knowing smile.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Amamiya."

"This… isn't exactly new."

***

Checkout my new ff: Heavenly Restriction User of the Gojo Clan: I Refuse to Be Cut in Half

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves