The Paradise

Chapter 6 — The Paradise

Ren sat quietly in his room, gazing out of the window. The sky outside shimmered in hues of gold and violet, but his table was buried beneath endless piles of paperwork. After being confined for so long, he finally felt a spark of excitement — today, he would step outside again.

The door slid open with a soft creak.

Aiyumi entered, her eyes immediately catching the chaos on the table. She crossed her arms, frowning.

“Ren! You haven’t finished this work yet. You can’t just—”

Ren spun his chair toward her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

“When will you ever pay attention, Aiyumi? This work was for you.”

Aiyumi blinked in surprise.

“When did this become my work?”

Ren turned back to the window, still smiling.

“Well, I’m heading out for fieldwork today. That means you’ll be taking care of the vaccination reports.”

She sighed, lowering her head.

“Fine… I’ll do it this time.”

Ren stood and walked toward the door, his tone softening.

“Do your work with your heart — that’s the key to success.”

As the door closed behind him, Aiyumi muttered under her breath,

“Look who’s talking. He never follows his own advice.”

From the hallway, Ren’s teasing voice echoed back,

“Aiyumi, take good care of the place. You’re terrible at it, so don’t overdo it.”

She groaned, shaking her head before reluctantly sitting down to sort through the papers.

Ren walked through the long marble corridor until he reached the garden, where Takashi was already waiting. The air shimmered faintly — the teleportation gate to the Planet of Humans was ready.

Takashi glanced at Ren as they prepared to leave.

“So… do you know anything about where we’re heading?”

Ren smiled faintly.

“No, not really. Just that it’s a planet where humans live.”

Takashi froze mid-step.

“Wait—what!?”

Ren turned his head slightly, his tone teasing.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Takashi scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.

“No, no, it’s fine. I just thought you knew everything about the planets. Guess even geniuses have blind spots.”

Across the cosmos, life thrived on nine known planets. Among them, Paradise was the only one without intelligent life. On the Planet of Humans — Eryndor, one great nation ruled over several smaller kingdoms. But darkness festered beneath their pride: discrimination, greed, and slavery still poisoned their lands.

Ren’s smile faded as he listened to the reports.

“So… we’ll have to put an end to this evil too, huh, Takashi?”

Takashi nodded.

“Well, if you already understand the gravity of the situation, my job’s easier.”

Moments later, they arrived on Eryndor, deep within a dense forest. Mist curled around ancient trees. Ren sat on a mossy rock, while Takashi scanned the area, his hand resting on his sword.

“Ren,” Takashi said seriously, “you’ll need to make yourself look more human.”

Ren stretched, brushing dust off his coat.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve already adjusted my aura.”

Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed through the woods.

Both of them exchanged glances — and sprinted toward the sound.

In a small clearing, they saw a man dressed entirely in black, a sinister magic circle glowing beneath his feet. He was about to strike down a terrified girl.

Ren moved in an instant, pulling the girl out of harm’s way.

He placed her behind him, eyes cold.

“Who are you!? What were you about to do to this girl!?”

The man didn’t answer — he simply attacked.

Takashi drew his divine blade, Karyu, and slashed through the air. The shockwave shattered the man’s spell circle and sent him flying. The force of the attack brushed past Ren’s cheek.

Ren turned, yelling,

“Takashi! Are you trying to kill me too!?”

Takashi muttered under his breath,

“I’d love to — but your thick skin would probably dull my sword.”

Ren sighed and crouched down beside the trembling girl.

“Hey… who are you? What were you doing out here?”

Through her tears, she whispered,

“M-my name is Lina. I was kidnapped… by that man and his 

group.”

Takashi sheathed his sword, his voice gentle.

“There’s no need to cry now. You’re safe.”

Ren crossed his arms, looking thoughtful.

“So that means the kidnapping cases you and Justar handled weren’t fully solved, huh?”

Takashi scratched his neck awkwardly.

“Yeah… seems like we missed something important. But from now on, we’ll make sure nothing like this happens again.”

Ren nodded. Together, they guided Lina through the forest, heading toward her village to return her safely home.

The sun dipped behind the horizon as they disappeared into the golden mist.

To be continued…