Warmth from the kiss ripples through him in a wave. He turns, brushing Ren's hair from his face, tucking it behind his ears with a deft hand. "Brings it home, doesn't it? No wonder he couldn't get over what Futaba did, even if he saw the necessity."

But there's an elephant in the room. He lowers his voice. "We're going to go back. And we're going to stop him, and make him pay for what he's done. I won't allow anything else."