Time flew by, and the Soul Burial Field Trip was drawing near.
Kaien was visibly haggard.
When he spotted Hasumi Ren at the academy today, his eyes shifted away instinctively.
"Hasumi... Hasumi-senpai, are we really doing this again today...?"
"Kaien, you're a grown man. Why are you acting so timid?"
"It's not that, Senpai. We've been training at such high intensity these past few days that I'm honestly hitting my limit... How about we take a break?"
Kaien's face was etched with exhaustion. He truly hadn't expected Ren's stamina to be so boundless.
Looking at Kaien's completely drained state, Ren felt a rare, slight twinge of guilt.
Over the past few days, he had indeed pushed Kaien a bit too far.
As the system notifications continued to refresh, Ren could clearly feel himself steadily growing stronger.
Through this constant practical refinement and the growth of his Spiritual Pressure, his Zanpakuto's resonance was also slowly but surely climbing toward a higher percentage.
The Soul Burial Field Trip to the World of the Living was the day after tomorrow.
He was more or less prepared.
Ren patted Kaien on the shoulder.
"You've worked hard these past few days, Kaien. Take the next two days to rest well."
"When I get back from the field trip, I'll treat you to something good at Ichiraku. The yakitori we just added to the menu is delicious."
"Thank you for understanding, Senpai. To be honest, you've improved so much that I'm actually starting to struggle when we spar."
Hearing this, Kaien visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
After sending off the relieved Kaien, Ren opened his status panel.
[NAME: Hasumi Ren]
Spiritual Power: Rank 8 (EXP: 80/8000)
Kendo: Lv.4 (EXP: 120/5000)
Hakuda: Lv.4 (EXP: 85/5000)
Shunpo: Lv.4 (EXP: 70/5000)
Kido: Lv.3 (EXP: 1880/3000)
Zanpakuto: Asauchi Resonance 98%
[SPECIAL ABILITIES]
Hollowfication: Lv.1 (EXP: 10/1000)
Hogyoku (Awakening: 0.05%)
Currently, all of Ren's basic skills except for Kido had reached Level 4.
This meant that in every discipline besides Kido, his mastery was enough to rival that of a seasoned seated officer in the Gotei 13.
His Spiritual Power rank had also broken through to Rank 8.
As his Spiritual Power increased, his resonance with the Asauchi grew even higher.
Perhaps he would soon be able to release his Zanpakuto and achieve Shikai.
Unfortunately, after his skills reached Level 4, the experience gained from sparring with Kaien began to dwindle, and the efficiency dropped significantly.
This level of improvement was the limit of what he could achieve by squeezing everything he could out of Kaien during this period.
He only hoped that this Soul Burial Field Trip would go smoothly without any uncontrollable emergencies.
Final preparations for the trip were underway.
The group assignments had been released, and he really had been paired with Nanao.
Ren met with his two companions for the journey, Ise Nanao and Harada Heita, in their designated classroom.
Harada Heita was a fifth-year student with an average appearance and an introverted personality, though he was a steady worker. However, his strength wasn't great, and his grades hovered near the bottom of the class.
Upon seeing Ren, he nodded politely, appearing somewhat stiff.
Seeing his behavior, one didn't even need to guess—he was definitely from the Rukongai and was used to being marginalized by the noble students in class.
Nanao was already in work mode, taking out a small notebook that recorded the location and basic information for this mission.
"This is our group's designated activity zone."
She pushed up her glasses and looked at Ren and Harada.
"The protocol is the same as before. It's a one-day field trip where we operate at night and return at dawn."
"You're already familiar with the standard soul burial process. Our primary job is to guide our juniors."
"If we encounter a Hollow, Hasumi, you have the highest overall strength, so you'll hold the front line. Harada, you'll provide support from the rear using Kido, and I'll be on the flank for scouting, warnings, and coordination. As for the three third-years..."
"We need to give them clear instructions. They'll be responsible for the relatively safe rear-flank security. We absolutely cannot let them out of our sight or allow them to act on their own."
When Nanao finished, Ren nodded in approval.
Nanao was truly gifted when it came to this kind of administrative work.
"Agreed. Harada, what do you think?"
Harada looked a bit nervous.
"Ise-san's plan is very thorough. I agree as well."
"Good."
Ren gave a final summary.
"Nanao's arrangements are logical. We're a team, so look out for one another. Remember what Hasegawa-sensei said: safety first, mission second. If anything unusual happens, prioritizing the safety of the third-years is the first priority."
The three of them carefully checked their equipment list one last time.
Their respective Asauchi, rations and water, a temporarily issued Denreishinki, area maps...
After preparations were finished, Harada left first, leaving only Ren and Nanao in the classroom.
Nanao looked up at Ren.
"I didn't expect us to actually end up in the same group."
"Yeah, I just hope everything goes smoothly."
"So, how has your training with Kaien been going lately?"
Nanao looked at Ren. Although he didn't show it much, she could sense the faint trace of exhaustion hidden beneath his relaxed expression.
Seeing the flicker of concern in Nanao's eyes, Ren felt a warmth in his heart.
"It's fine. I'll be okay after resting for a day or two. Speaking of which, thanks to Kaien, I've gotten quite a bit stronger."
"I'll make sure to protect you all during this trip to the World of the Living."
Nanao nodded slightly, then her eyes turned somewhat suspicious.
"By the way, you and that girl from the Shiba family..."
"I'm starving. Is it almost time to eat?"
Ren made a break for it at light speed, rubbing his stomach.
Nanao watched Ren's retreating back and could only sigh softly, her gaze filled with a touch of helplessness.
On the day of departure, at the Shin'o Academy central plaza.
Over a hundred students were lined up in neat rows. The freshmen were filled with the novelty and excitement of heading to the World of the Living.
Meanwhile, the upperclassmen participating as instructors looked much more solemn.
Ren stood in the formation with Nanao looking focused on his left.
On his right was a slightly nervous but determined Harada Heita, who was trying his best to stand tall.
Behind them stood the three third-years—Yoshida, Kobayashi, and Sato—looking both excited and apprehensive.
Their gazes frequently darted toward the backs of the three seniors in front of them.
Hasegawa-sensei, the instructor in charge, stood at the front of the group. He was a man of sturdy build with eyes like lightning that swept across every young face.
"Is everyone here?"
His voice was booming, drowning out all the minor chatter.
"I will emphasize the key points of this field trip one more time."
"First, safety. The World of the Living is not the Seireitei, and it certainly isn't a playground. Hollows are dangerous threats that devour souls. Everyone must follow orders strictly. No one is to act on their own."
"Second, the mission. Your primary objective is to guide wandering souls back to the Soul Society and purify the area. Each person must complete at least three soul burials to pass."
"Third, cooperation. You are not lone wolves. You are in groups of three with a senior lead; you must be each other's eyes and ears. If you encounter a Hollow, assess the risk, prioritize containment, evade, and call for backup! No posturing, and no unauthorized pursuits! The Denreishinki in your hands are not toys."
He paused, his voice ringing in everyone's ears.
"Finally, remember who you are. You are the elite of the Shin'o Academy, the future Soul Reapers."
"In this field trip, you must not only complete your mission, but you must also protect the juniors behind you, the comrades beside you, and!"
"Protect yourselves! Do you understand?!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
The students' voices echoed across the plaza.
Ren took a deep breath, his hand resting on the Asauchi at his waist.
The spiritual light of the Senkaimon began to swirl as the vortex leading to the World of the Living slowly took shape.
"All groups, prepare to move out!"