Chapter 45: I Want To Have Your Baby

"Hahaha, this old body isn't fit for such things anymore," Kure Erioh said with a chuckle, waving his hand dismissively. "The day is drawing to a close, and you've come a long way, Hoshino-san. As our guest, it would be unbecoming of us not to treat you well. How about this: rest and have a meal tonight, and tomorrow I'll arrange for a skilled opponent to spar with you. What do you say?"

"Then I'll gladly accept the hospitality," Ren replied with a smile. He understood the importance of pacing himself. He wasn't here to humiliate the Kure Clan but to learn from them. It wouldn't do to disrespect the clan leader's goodwill.

Though the Kure Clan was an infamous family of assassins, they were known for their principles and their respect for strength. Since Ren had defeated Kure Raian in a fair fight, it was unlikely they'd resort to underhanded tricks against him.

Poisoning his food was improbable, though it wouldn't be surprising if they tried to demonstrate their assassination techniques to him.

"The meal won't be ready for a while," Kure Erioh continued, scanning the crowd before his eyes rested on a particular figure. "Fusui, take Hoshino-san around the clan grounds. Remember, he's an honoured guest. Ensure no one disturbs him."

Kure Fusui, still shaken from the earlier fight, nodded quickly. She had genuinely feared that her reckless older brother might not survive.

With the battle over and Kure Erioh's instructions issued, the clan members dispersed swiftly. In moments, only Ren and Kure Fusui remained.

"Follow me, Mr. Hoshino. I'll show you around. Our clan grounds are rather expansive," Kure Fusui said, leading the way.

"They certainly are," Ren remarked as he glanced around. "Assassination must be a lucrative business…"

The Kure Clan didn't just own a city; their core estate was massive, a testament to their success.

The traditional Japanese-style architecture was immaculate, with top-tier materials used throughout. Besides the indoor training halls, there were numerous outdoor sparring arenas. Even now, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, figures were sparring energetically across the grounds.

"It's not exactly like that," Kure Fusui hesitated before continuing. "We have partnerships with many enterprises…" She paused, then added in a softer tone, "By the way, thank you."

Ren raised an eyebrow, confused, before realization dawned on him. "Oh, that. No need to thank me. I told you, I wasn't here to kill anyone. I wouldn't have kept hitting him even if you hadn't intervened."

Frankly, even if he had killed Raian in their match, the Kure Clan wouldn't have retaliated. A fair duel was a fair duel, and Ren had held back multiple times during the fight.

However, he was here to learn the Kure Clan's secret techniques, not to eliminate their prodigies. Killing Lei'an would have ruined his chances of achieving his goals.

As Ren contemplated how to broach the subject of a "martial arts exchange" during dinner, he suddenly sensed something. So soon? He thought, intrigued. Are they already giving me a taste of their assassination skills?

He spun to the side, narrowly dodging an attacker emerging from the shadows. With a swift motion, his hand shot out, seizing his assailant's throat with unerring precision.

The sensation in his grasp was soft and warm—unexpected. He froze momentarily in surprise.

In that instant, the attacker wrapped long, bandaged legs around his neck, pulling herself closer by grabbing his shirtfront.

As the sunlight cast its final golden glow, Ren caught a clear view of his assailant—a girl no older than sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a sailor uniform.

Her deep purple hair cascaded around her, and her striking black eyes, marked by white pupils, gleamed with a manic excitement.

"I want to bear your children!" she declared with fervent conviction.

Ren: ???

Instinctively, his grip tightened, causing her face to redden.

"Mr. Hoshino, stop!" Kure Fusui's panicked voice rang out. "That's the clan leader's great-granddaughter, Kure Karura!"

Crash!

Instead of snapping her neck, Ren flung the girl aside. She crashed into a wooden wall, leaving a visible dent.

The girl, apparently named Karura, coughed twice but showed no fear.

Ignoring Kure Fusui's attempts to help her up, she fixed her gleaming eyes on Ren, her excitement undiminished.

"Grandfather always said that bearing strong children is the duty of the main family," she declared, her gaze roaming over him. "Ren Hoshino, you're powerful. I'm Karura. Be my husband!"

Ren's brain lagged for a moment, stunned.

Karura....He recognized the name. She was Kure Erioh's great-granddaughter and a prodigy within the clan. Despite her youth, she had already unlocked 85% of her latent potential.

But this high school girl had an unusual mindset. She was obsessed with having children with strong individuals, a bizarre fixation. In the original series, she had fallen for Tokita Ohma at first sight and hounded him relentlessly.

This was a blunder, Ren realized.

He'd forgotten it was summer vacation. It made sense that Karura would return to the clan grounds, and his earlier display of overwhelming strength had clearly caught her attention.

Rubbing his temple with one hand, he extended the other in a halting gesture. "Wait....don't pounce on me!"

The last thing he wanted was to get involved with an underage girl in this mission world. Nothing good could come of it—from any perspective.

Women....only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword!

After a moment's thought, Ren dropped his hand and unleashed his full aura and killing intent without restraint. "Stay away from me," he warned coldly. "Next time, it won't just be a wall."

He hoped the intimidation would deter her.

Still, Karura's antics highlighted a more significant concern: the Kure Clan's fondness for using marriage alliances to strengthen their bloodline. If he proposed an exchange of martial arts knowledge, would they demand something equally unreasonable in return?

The thought left him uneasy. For the first time, he realized that, as a young and powerful fighter in a place like this, his chastity might genuinely be at risk.

"Ren, let's have children together!"

As Ren pondered his next steps, Karura's sudden declaration rang out, once again.

At the same time, her clothing scattered into the air, revealing her youthful yet elegantly curved figure. Without hesitation, she prepared to leap toward him.

Bang!

In an instant, Karura found herself spinning through the air before slamming into the wall again, this time upside down.

Ren sighed, rubbing his temple as he glanced between Kure Karura and Kure Fusui. "What exactly is your Kure Clan teaching its younger generation?"

Kure Fusui's expression grew awkward. She hurried over to help Karura to her feet. "Karura, the clan leader specifically said not to harass Ren. Calm down."

"Harass?" Garuda tilted her head, her face the picture of innocent confusion. "I'm not harassing him. I just want to have his children."

Her naive response left Kure Fusui struggling to keep a straight face.

The Kure Clan's traditions were no secret to her. In truth, Kure Fusui could already guess the clan leader's intentions. A warrior as powerful as Ren, capable of defeating Raian, was a rare visitor. Failing to leave behind some 'legacy' from him would indeed be a missed opportunity.

For a brief moment, even Kure Fusui wondered if, as the one responsible for showing Ren around, it might fall to her to provide his "hospitality" later tonight. But she hadn't expected Karura to appear so suddenly—or to be so bold in her pursuit.

The current situation was problematic on many levels.

First, Ren clearly despised Karura's unsolicited advances.

Second, if this matter reached the ears of the clan leader, chaos would undoubtedly ensue. Kure Erioh's obsession with his great-granddaughter was well-known throughout the clan.

If he found out that Karura wanted to have children with Ren, there was no telling how he might react.

"Miss Fusui," Ren interjected, trying to change the subject. "I'm feeling a bit hungry. Can we go eat now?"

Kure Fusui blinked, grateful for the shift in focus. "Of course. Let's head to the dining hall."

Ren wasn't practising some mystical vow of chastity; he simply valued self-discipline.

From a young age, his life had revolved around martial arts and his mission to avenge his master and senior sister. As a result, his personal life was relatively restrained.

His master had often warned him that in a world ruled by corporations, human desires—especially those of the flesh—were prone to excess.

This unchecked indulgence was the result of humanity's baser instincts gaining dominance.

For martial artists, the key was control. They had to master their desires, or else risk descending into beasts themselves.

It wasn't that Ren was forbidden from enjoying relationships, but he believed they should be approached with sincerity and respect, not frivolity.

Thus far, the way of the martial artist had been enough to sustain him through his journey. At least for now, he felt that the path of martial arts left no room for distractions.