"Sanzenin, help take care of Miss Maria. I still need to find Shinomiya and the others—I don't know what condition they're in right now."
Ren was genuinely worried about their situation.
Nagi gave a small nod and moved to support Maria in his place.
"You two rest here. I'll be back after I check things out."
Seeing Nagi behaving so obediently, Ren felt a bit more at ease.
In the next instant, he disappeared in a burst of flames.
Using divination, Ren had already pinpointed Shinomiya and the others' location. After a few consecutive flame jumps, he arrived at the site of the incident.
What he saw upon arrival made his heart tighten Kaguya, Hayasaka, and Chika had all collapsed, unconscious.
Without hesitation, Ren rushed to check on Chika first.
"Looks like she just fainted from shock."
Using Spiritual Vision, he examined her and found no physical injuries—just a faint discoloration at the top of her etheric body, indicating mental exhaustion.
Confirming that, Ren sighed in relief.
Among the three, Chika was the weakest. If even she had only fainted, then Kaguya and Hayasaka were likely not in critical condition either.
Next, he turned to Hayasaka.
Her etheric body was also slightly faded at the top, suggesting that she had passed out from shock just like Chika.
However, unlike Chika, Hayasaka's spirit body had suffered some damage.
"So, when the alternate dimension created by the Door-Door Fruit collapses beyond its limit, it also affects the user's spirit body."
"A mental impact, plus the shock-induced unconsciousness... a double blow."
Taking a deep breath, Ren focused on stabilizing her condition.
As he channeled his Soul Assurer abilities, Hayasaka's expression gradually relaxed.
Ren let out another sigh.
"The extraordinary traits of the Soul Assurer really come in handy."
Placing Hayasaka next to Chika, he then turned his attention to Kaguya.
She, too, was lying unconscious on the ice.
Just like the other two, there were no major injuries—she had simply passed out from the overwhelming impact.
"So, the alternate dimension created by the Door-Door Fruit isn't as invincible as it seems."
Thinking about it, this made sense.
If the Door-Door Fruit had the power to trap people indefinitely, it would be an unbeatable ability in battle. But clearly, the alternate dimension it created had its limits, it couldn't withstand excessive force.
Ren's gaze lowered to Kaguya in his arms.
"Her spirit body is weakened... she must have completely exhausted her current control over the Ice-Ice Fruit."
"She hasn't fully mastered it yet, but she pushed herself to the absolute limit before she collapsed."
"As for the Door-Door Fruit, it's still effective at locking people inside. But unless its ability is further developed, it can only trap those weaker than the user."
With that thought, Ren lifted Kaguya into his arms and vanished in a burst of fire.
This wasn't a place to linger.
He needed to bring them to safety first, then return to gather the others.
At the entrance of the island, three people waited anxiously.
Suddenly, a burst of flames signaled Ren's arrival.
Isumi immediately stepped forward, the concern on her face evident.
She was no longer as composed as before.
"Don't worry, Sanzenin and Maria are fine."
Ren's words instantly reassured her, and she visibly relaxed.
"Ren, is Shinomiya okay?"
Seeing him carrying Kaguya in his arms, Sonoko hurried over.
"When the alternate dimension created by the Door-Door Fruit collapsed, the impact was immense. The three of them were knocked unconscious from the shock."
"Physically, she's completely unharmed."
Hearing this, Sonoko finally let out a relieved sigh.
She glanced down at Kaguya, still in Ren's arms.
This woman really moves fast.
Even in a situation , she was a step ahead of the rest.
Sonoko admitted it—Kaguya was far more formidable than she had initially thought.
And she didn't want anything to happen to her over something .
"Sonoko, take care of Shinomiya."
"I need to go back and get Fujiwara and Hayasaka."
Ren moved closer, preparing to hand Kaguya over.
Sonoko nodded and carefully took Kaguya from his arms.
However, she wasn't exactly strong, so all she could do was help Kaguya sit down on the ground slowly.
After making sure she was settled, Ren turned and vanished once again.
The next ones to be retrieved were Hayasaka and Chika.
Since both were unconscious, he had to transport them one at a time.
Finally, he returned for Nagi and Maria.
Fortunately, they were both awake and able to walk on their own, so he simply guided them carefully.
The last person waiting was Ran.
"Sorry for the wait."
"It wasn't that long."
Ran shook her head slightly. It really hadn't felt like much time had passed.
"How are Shinomiya and the others?"
Ren's expression was visibly relieved.
"Hayasaka's spirit took a bit of damage, but it's nothing serious."
"Fujiwara just passed out."
"As for Shinomiya, she not only lost consciousness but also drained herself mentally."
"I think she released all the power she could control in the alternate dimension, and when it collapsed, she was caught in the backlash."
Understanding the reason, Ran finally relaxed.
For a moment there, she had almost thought Kaguya had done this out of jealousy.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she asked:
"So, Ren... does this mean you and Shinomiya are dating now?"
"...Well, I wouldn't say that."
Ren thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.
"But she confessed to you, didn't she? Doesn't that count?"
"That confession was interrupted."
"I do understand Shinomiya's feelings for me. Maybe they're the same as Sonoko's feelings for me."
"But for me, I feel like I need to respond to them properly before we can officially call it a relationship."
There were things he still needed to make clear.
Ran placed her hands behind her back, her expression thoughtful.
"So... if someone else confesses to you in the future, would you still accept it?"
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