Ren did not expect the heavy slap that followed his ludicrous words. It came like a stormy wind. Fast and hard.It snapped him right back to the surface and pushed the dragon spirit into hiding. He staggered backwards and grabbed his chin, looking around like he was not sure where he was for a moment.“You must be insane,” Hana spat. Her tone dripped acidic venom. “Was that the agreement?” Ren swallowed hard and looked like a lost puppy instantly. “W-What happened?” he murmured. “Did I do something wrong?”Hana let out a scoff that dripped with disbelief. “Breed you fire-breathing creatures? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is that really why you married me? To… To make me your breeding machine?!”“Hana please,” Ren stepped forward, remorse and confusion clouding his features, “this is not what it looks like. I'm sorry.”Driving her fingers through her hair, she moved further away from him. “Look, if this is not going to work, it's best you let me go now. I’ve been missing fo

The Ninjas watched from the rooftop as the blue Bentley rolled into the school premises and sputtered to a stop in a tiny space in the outdoor parking lot. Shortly after, the history teacher of RichCourt second year class bounced out of his car struggling to knot his tie and carry his bag all at once. Aoki Itadori. Tall, broad-shouldered, handsome sensei. He stumbled across the interlocked floor and hurried into the hallway, nodding at the greetings tossed his way. His face was slick and shiny with perspiration, his hair sticking to his forehead in a wavy mess. He was never late, but today was an exception. And he seemed quite embarrassed and disappointed about it. Even the students were in awe, whispering behind his back. “Mr. Aoki must have been busy with some hotshot.” Raucous laughter followed the whisper. It sounded nothing like well-trained high school students. More like a group of low-class thugs. “That’s him, huh?” Ren asked no one in particular as he and his team watche

“W-What are you doing to me?”All the whimpering brute could feel was the burning heat inside him. The flames that licked the walls of his chest and stomach and intestines. In his pain, he could barely decipher the words of the new teacher. Ren heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. Then, he lifted himself to his full height and walked around the room.Leaving the brute in agony. “Great warmth,” he started in a clear voice as he walked through the rows and columns. His eyes blazed hotter than their usual hazel color. A deep red that spooked everyone in the room. “That’s something else fire is capable of when it's stoked. The kind of warmth that soothes. The kind that burns.” He paused and swept his gaze across the room.Down the hallway, a commotion had begun. His sixth sense told him to leave. But he remained. “Right now,” his gaze swept to the boy who was now on the floor, clutching his arms and neck and chest, every part of his body, “your friend is burning inside. Literally.”

“What on earth do these rich brats eat? She's so fucking heavy!”Ryota whined endlessly as they drove through Minato to Shin District on Ren Carter’s orders. “Money.” Akira snorted from the wheel. “They stuff their faces with it.”Silence engulfed the car. The only sound came from the smooth hum of the engine as it cruised down the highway, and the hum and whoosh of wind billowing past. Apparently, Shin District, a private 5-star resort, would be a good hide-out spot…somewhere they could keep Mei safe while figuring out how to handle the assassin. The idea had struck Ren only five minutes into the ride. He remembered the spot as one of those where the superiors at OakHills hospital used to have their secret meetings. After all…he'd stumbled into one, once upon a certain time.“We'll book her into a private booth as soon as we arrive,” he instructed quietly, his eyes darting everywhere around them. “Then we'll try to get ahead of the assassin. We can't tell what he's up to right now

Icazo had barely recovered when Ren picked him up again and flung him. He was lying in the deserted corridor—the same one he had emptied by wreaking electrical havoc in the entire building of Shin District private resort. He was in pain. The kind that was white-hot and viciously teared up his irises. Ren Carter did not mind any of that at all. He charged like a fierce force and picked Icazo by his ankle, up from the floor, like he weighed nothing. “This is for disrespecting me.”SWING! He flung the assassin farther than any ordinary human would achieve with just one flick. This time, Icazo crashed through the air for a long moment. CRASH! SNAP! SMACK! THUD!The power transporting his body was far greater than he had ever witnessed. He kept flying through booths and walls until he landed in the kitchen. Next to a flickering gas cooker. For the first time since Icazo took on the mission to assassinate the only child of Yuki Naruko in honor of his dojo, he feared for his life. Becau