Chapter 218: The Girls Ignite
Uh... is this place really a gym?!
Lucifer stood frozen just past the sliding glass doors, her crimson eyes twitching uncontrollably.
Why do I feel like the art style of reality just violently shifted...?
When the group finally stepped out of the warm morning sun and arrived inside the facility with their duffel bags slung over their shoulders, Ren and Courage maintained perfectly calm, unbothered expressions. Lucifer and Cerberus, however, were entirely startled, glued to the polished entranceway.
The reason for their shock was painfully simple.
First, the lobby was excessively, almost obscenely luxurious, resembling a high-end corporate headquarters rather than a place to sweat.
Second, and far more concerning, Lucifer's eyes felt a deep, piercing phantom pain.
Mounted directly onto the gym's vaulted ceiling was a massive, shimmering sculpture bathed in the radiant glow of the overhead skylights.
The sculpture depicted a man with a bizarrely cheerful, overly wide expression, flexing a physique so extremely bulky and impossibly vascular that it defied all known laws of human anatomy.
His pectoral muscles looked like polished boulders, and his biceps seemed ready to burst through the bronze casting.
Courage noticed the CEO of Hell staring up with a look of absolute horror.
The seasoned Book Master offered a soft, sympathetic smile.
"Ah, regarding that specific question written all over your face..." Courage began, her voice gentle. "The four of us from the WGO also complained about it endlessly when we first started coming to this gym."
She adjusted the strap of her premium designer gym bag on her shoulder.
"It's definitely a shock to the system at first. But after looking at it for a long time, day in and day out, you actually kind of get used to it..."
Lucifer visibly recoiled, bringing a pale, trembling hand up to cover her eyes.
"Huh? How in the world did you get used to that?" Lucifer asked, her voice laced with genuine disbelief. "I really want to know what kind of mental gymnastics are required to ignore a giant, smiling meat-mountain hovering over your head."
Courage's smile widened into a thoroughly triumphant, beaming grin.
"Just don't look up!"
Lucifer stood completely stunned.
She slowly lowered her hand, staring blankly at Courage, whose confident expression clearly screamed, 'Aren't I an absolute genius?'
For a brief, agonizing moment, Lucifer desperately wanted to complain.
She wanted to argue the sheer absurdity of simply ignoring a two-ton bronze bodybuilder hanging from the ceiling.
Yet, as the words caught in her throat, she reluctantly realized that Courage's flawless, airtight logic actually made a terrifying amount of sense.
Ren stood a few paces ahead, effortlessly holding his sleek black gym bag.
He looked back at Lucifer, who was currently sporting an expression that said she understood the advice, but completely rejected the reality of it.
Ren let out a soft, echoing chuckle.
"Actually, the lobby isn't too bad right now," Ren said, casually slipping a hand into the pocket of his athletic track pants. "If you came during peak gym hours... it would be quite an eyesore."
Lucifer tilted her head, her pristine silver hair cascading over her shoulder in a wave of utter confusion.
Beside her, Cerberus perked up.
The three identical bodies of the demon dog leaned forward in perfect unison, their bright eyes blinking dumbly.
"Master..." the first Cerberus murmured.
"Ren, Ren, Ren!" the second and third chimed in seamlessly, their voices overlapping in a harmonious, eager rhythm. "Is there anything in this shiny place that's an eyesore?"
Courage let out a long, helpless sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly at the thought of the evening crowds.
"It's just that when the sun goes down, this place gets flooded with extreme gym fanatic men," Courage explained, her voice dropping into a hushed, wary whisper.
"They have huge, bulging, overly oiled muscles, and they work out with a terrifying, earth-shaking intensity."
Courage shivered slightly, recalling past traumas near the squat racks.
"Some of them even... uh... go entirely crazy with their strength training. They scream and roar like wild beasts under the heavy barbells."
Hearing this vivid description, Lucifer swallowed hard, an audible gulp escaping her throat.
Her sharp mind immediately painted a horrifying picture of the situation inside the free-weight zone.
Just imagining dozens of sweaty, screaming, hyper-muscular men flexing wildly in front of mirrors was an absolute eyesore.
Her crimson eyes instinctively drifted over to Ren.
She quietly admired the way his fitted athletic shirt draped naturally over his torso.
Ren possessed a balanced, perfectly sculpted musculature—forged through lethal combat and relentless practical training, not built for vain, grotesque display.
Every line of his body spoke of explosive speed and coiled, predatory power.
Compared to those monstrous, bulky meatheads, Ren's lean, elegant physique was infinitely more beautiful and fiercely attractive to her.
A subtle, appreciative warmth flushed Lucifer's cheeks as she quickly averted her gaze, trying to hide her admiring thoughts.
Ren smiled reassuringly, oblivious to the demonic CEO's inner evaluations of his body.
"Don't worry too much about it," Ren said gently, motioning toward the expansive main floor. "It's barely past eight in the morning right now, so it's far from peak hour."
He glanced through the glass partitions, taking note of the empty machines.
"At most, there will only be four or five dedicated regulars hitting the iron. It's nice and quiet."
Ren then turned his attention back to the elegant WGO inspector.
"Courage, you already have plenty of experience navigating this place, so I don't need to hold your hand and teach you the layout, right?"
Courage fidgeted slightly, a sheepish blush dusting her cheeks as she looked down at the polished linoleum floor.
"Actually, Mr. Ren..." Courage whispered, her voice surprisingly shy for such a distinguished gourmet judge. "I kind of want to try out some of the new, advanced aerobic equipment in the back..."
She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
"...But I still don't really know how to use them properly without embarrassing myself."
Ren's smile softened, his calm demeanor instantly putting her at ease.
"Alright, we can look at the machines together," Ren said, gesturing toward the reception desk. "But let's go check in first."
The three bodies of Cerberus eagerly pumped their fists into the air.
"Mhm! Let's go!" the demon dogs cheered in perfect, synchronized harmony, their voices echoing brightly through the cavernous lobby.
After stepping up to the pristine, white marble front desk, the group was greeted by the standard, rigorous Silverman Gym entry procedures.
There were various verifications of identity, liability waivers, and the scanning of highly secure membership cards.
Lucifer and Cerberus simply recited their assigned account numbers to the polite receptionist.
Kirari Momobami, who had meticulously organized their sudden enrollment, was currently hoarding all of their physical plastic cards for safekeeping.
When it was finally Ren's turn to check in, he casually unzipped the small side pocket of his duffel bag, rummaging around for a moment.
He glanced over at Courage and smiled warmly.
"I really didn't expect you to carry your gym card with you everywhere you go, Courage," Ren noted, watching her hold her sleek membership pass at the ready.
Courage puffed out her chest proudly, striking a confident, picture-perfect posture.
"Of course I do!" Courage declared, her eyes sparkling with determination. "Fitness isn't just a hobby, Mr. Ren. Fitness is a lifelong attitude!"
The cheerful service staff behind the counter, who was just about to scan Courage's pass, gasped in pure, unadulterated admiration.
"Miss, what you just said is absolutely beautiful!" the front desk lady agreed heartily, her eyes shining with absolute reverence. "You truly sound like someone who dedicates their soul to the iron on a regular basis!"
Courage chuckled modestly, waving her hand through the air with an elegant, dismissive flutter.
"Oh, please, you flatter me. After all, maintaining a strict workout regimen is simply what makes a woman more beautiful..."
Courage's confident speech trailed off abruptly.
"Eh? Miss, what's wrong with the machine?"
Courage looked closely at the front desk lady, her expression shifting to one of profound puzzlement.
The moment the receptionist had taken Ren's sleek, heavy metallic card and swiped it through the magnetic reader, the poor woman had completely frozen solid.
It was as if someone had hit the pause button on reality.
The front desk lady slowly raised her trembling hands, vigorously rubbing her eyes as if trying to clear away a powerful hallucination.
She stared at the glowing computer monitor, her jaw dropping open.
"L-L-L-Lifetime member?!" the receptionist shrieked, her voice cracking in pure, disbelief-fueled hysteria.
Courage blinked, completely thrown off guard by the sheer volume of the outburst.
She paused for a second, letting the unfamiliar terminology process in her brain.
"Eh? What did you just say?" Courage asked, her brow furrowing in deep confusion. "Did you just say... Lifetime member?!"
Lucifer leaned over the high marble counter, equally puzzled by the sudden commotion.
"Is that really so shocking?" Lucifer asked, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "What's wrong with having a lifetime membership to a fitness club? Is it some sort of strange, taboo concept in the human world?"
Courage stared blankly at the metallic card resting in Ren's palm.
"Of course it's shocking..." Courage mumbled, her voice entirely hollow. "Because Silverman Gym doesn't actually have a lifetime membership option."
She turned her stunned gaze toward the trembling employee.
"The absolute maximum term anyone can buy is twenty years, right, front desk lady...?"
The receptionist nodded so violently that her neat, tied-back hair threatened to come loose.
"Indeed!" the front desk lady squeaked, trying to regain her professional composure. "The maximum contractual term is only twenty years! But..."
She looked at Ren as if he were a walking deity descended from the heavens.
"...But the legendary owner of Silverman Gym has personally given out a few exclusive, unpurchasable Lifetime Membership cards to a select handful of individuals in the past!"
The receptionist practically bowed over the counter, her eyes completely star-struck.
"So... Mr. Ren! It's such an incredible, monumental honor to have someone of your prestige training in our facility today! Please, I beg of you, come back to the front desk for a commemorative photo after your workout!"
Ren offered a polite, somewhat exasperated nod of agreement.
He knew exactly how this business model worked.
Silverman Gym, much like various high-end underground boxing gyms he had visited, loved to keep framed photos of world champions or individuals with terrifying combat achievements hanging on their walls.
It was the absolute best, most effective way to market the gym and attract high-paying customers looking for elite results.
Courage immediately spun around, grabbing Ren by the forearm with shining, deeply curious eyes.
"Mr. Ren!" Courage gasped, practically vibrating with excitement. "How on earth did you manage to get this legendary card?!"
Lucifer and the three Cerberus bodies immediately crowded closer, equally desperate to know the answer to this bizarre mystery.
Ren had absolutely nothing to hide from his companions.
He scratched his cheek lightly, taking a brief moment of thought to recall the absurd memory.
"Well... it happened right after a particularly intense underground match," Ren began casually. "There was this towering, incredibly muscular man who approached me in the locker room. He claimed to be the owner of Silverman Gym and immediately demanded that I become a head coach for his franchise."
Ren shrugged, pulling his membership card back from the desk.
"Naturally, I flat-out refused. I have a restaurant to run. But the man was incredibly stubborn, and he absolutely insisted on taking me out for coffee to discuss it further."
Ren sighed, staring up at the ceiling as the memory played back.
"Then, for the next two hours, he relentlessly asked me all sorts of highly specific, deeply technical questions about combat biomechanics, striking force, and muscle tension."
Lucifer raised an elegant eyebrow, fully engrossed in the tale.
"And afterward, he basically just declared, completely on his own, that we were now best friends," Ren finished, shaking his head. "He slammed this metal card onto the table, saying..."
Lucifer leaned in closer, her crimson eyes flashing eagerly.
"Saying what?" she pressed.
Ren's expression twisted into a strange, highly conflicted grimace.
"He said, 'My absolute best friend, even if you tragically don't want to be a coach, you must still come to work out at my sanctuary! Here is this ultimate card for you, and you will receive the best equipment training on the planet! I look forward to our next glorious meeting!'"
Ren rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"After shouting that in the middle of a quiet café, he just aggressively flexed his pecs, turned around, and left."
Courage stared at Ren blankly, her jaw slightly slack.
"Oh..." Courage murmured softly. "So, let me get this straight... Mr. Ren, you're actually close friends with the legendary owner of Silverman Gym?!"
Ren let out a somewhat helpless, heavy sigh.
"He insisted on being my friend out of absolutely nowhere, and honestly, I couldn't really do anything to stop him," Ren admitted, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "But I suppose he's a pretty good person, though..."
Four distinct voices rang out simultaneously, echoing with identical notes of profound curiosity.
"Though?"
Ren's calm demeanor finally cracked, replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated culinary annoyance.
"Though the coffee he ordered for us that day was an absolute disaster," Ren grumbled, his tone turning dark. "Even after I aggressively stirred in three packets of sugar and poured in half a cup of milk, the espresso still didn't taste good..."
Ren shivered at the phantom taste lingering on his tongue.
"It tasted like burnt tires and battery acid. It was utterly ridiculous."
Courage immediately covered her mouth, a melodious, ringing chuckle escaping her lips.
"Maybe it was an exceptionally harsh, super-strong blend of artisanal black coffee," Courage reasoned through her giggles. "But honestly, Shopkeeper Ren, you're surprisingly different from all those other macho men in the world."
She smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling.
"Most of them stubbornly drink the most bitter coffee imaginable without adding a single drop of milk or sugar, just to prove a point."
Lucifer smirked, fully agreeing with the sentiment.
"Ren told me once before that men who purposely order bitter, sludgy coffee on dates just to prove they're mature and tough are pretty silly," Lucifer said smoothly, a fond glint in her eyes. "I think so too. Whether you actually like the taste of the drink or not, can't anyone tell just by looking at your face?"
"It's so true!" Courage nodded emphatically. "I see it all the time in high-end cafes."
"So many men drink that dark sludge with a terribly bitter, pained expression, and yet they still try to force a confident smile. As expected, Mr. Ren is completely different!"
Ren quickly waved his hand, eager to derail the sudden praise train.
"Let's just skip the compliments for now," Ren chuckled softly. "A lot of people act like that, it's nothing special. Anyway, we came here to sweat, so let's go work out."
He turned his attention back to the star-struck receptionist.
"Oh, and Miss," Ren requested politely. "Could you please find a gentle, experienced female coach to help my friends here with some beginner Yoga routines?"
The front desk lady snapped to attention, executing a perfect, razor-sharp salute.
"Absolutely, Mr. Ren! No problem at all! I will fetch our best instructor immediately!"
A few minutes later, Ren stood alone near the changing room hallway.
He silently watched as Lucifer and the three bouncing bodies of Cerberus were enthusiastically dragged away by Courage toward the women's locker room to change into their athletic wear.
Ren let out a long, exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Why does it feel like something's always slightly off and chaotic every single time I come to this particular gym...?" he muttered to himself.
However, despite his relentless grumbling, Ren silently turned on his heel and pushed open the heavy wooden door to the men's changing room, preparing to strip down and get his muscles working.
The very moment the heavy door swung shut behind Ren, the automatic sliding glass doors at the front entrance violently hissed open.
Four high school girls from the street marched into the lobby, bringing an entirely new wave of chaotic energy.
Sōryūin Akemi stood proudly at the front of the pack, her dark hair swishing as she clenched her fist in sheer, unbridled excitement.
Her dark eyes burned with a terrifying, muscle-obsessed passion.
"Alright, everyone!" Akemi shouted, her voice echoing off the high ceiling. "Let's keep training intensely, without any breaks, all the way until lunch!"
Behind her, Ayaka Uehara and Gina Boyd pumped their fists high into the air, completely swept up in the fiery momentum.
"Alright!" the two girls roared in perfect, fired-up unison.
Trailing far behind the energetic trio was Sakura Hibiki.
Hibiki stumbled forward, a look of pure, unadulterated horror plastered across her tanned face. She swallowed a massive, terrified lump in her throat.
"Lu-Lunch?!" Hibiki shrieked, her voice cracking as she frantically checked her phone's clock. "Akemi! Are you out of your mind?!"
"It's only a little past eight in the morning, barely approaching nine! You're going to make us train nonstop until lunch?!"
Akemi didn't even flinch, her bright smile radiating a terrifyingly pure athletic zeal.
"Let's just push forward!" Akemi cheered, flexing her delicate arms. "Let our muscles scream in glorious agony!"
Ayaka and Gina slammed their fists together.
"Oh, yeah!" the two fitness fanatics shouted in agreement.
Hibiki's legs practically gave out from under her.
"Eh?! Why the heck are you two getting fired up too?!" Hibiki cried out desperately, reaching a hand forward as her friends began marching toward the locker rooms without her.
"Hey! Wait for me! Don't leave me behind!"
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