Following the recent interlude, Nanao's mood had darkened considerably; she clearly wasn't in the state of mind for training today.
Hasumi Ren had initially intended to walk Nanao back to her dorm before heading to the training grounds alone to pick up some shards.
However, when they reached the fork in the road where they were meant to part ways, Nanao gently tugged on the hem of Ren's sleeve.
"I want to stay with you a little longer."
Seeing Nanao's eyes slightly rimmed with red, Ren nodded softly.
"Alright. I'll go wherever you want to go."
"Let's still go to the training grounds. You used to sit by and watch me train; today, I want to watch you."
"...Fine."
Nanao looked up at Ren.
"You hesitated just now, didn't you?"
"Huh? Did I? I don't think so."
Ren's eyes began to wander.
"Hmph..."
"Haha, let's go. It'll get crowded soon."
As night fell, a few scattered students began appearing on the training grounds.
Several spirit lamps flickered on, emitting a soft, gentle glow.
Nanao sat on the wooden veranda along the edge of the kendo training area, quietly watching Ren in the open space.
Ren chose a spot in the corner and slowly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist, assuming a basic kendo starting stance.
The blade gleamed coldly under the moonlight, and the lotus pattern on the tsuba seemed to ripple as the light shifted.
Sweeps, retreats, parries, thrusts...
Ren didn't hold back, fully demonstrating his level 4 kendo mastery.
Every move and form carried a sense of natural, effortless beauty.
This level of kendo, typical of a high-seated officer, was a rare sight even among the instructors at the academy.
Nanao watched Ren's training in silence, feeling as if the gloom in her heart were drifting away with the flash of his blade.
It was as if Ren's strikes were slicing her sadness into pieces, letting it dissipate into the night sky.
Some nearby students inadvertently noticed Ren's movements and were soon captivated, gradually stopping their own training.
One, then two...
Gradually, a crowd began to gather.
Some recognized Ren; after all, he visited the training grounds every few days, and his face was familiar to most.
Then they realized with surprise that the person with such exquisite kendo skills was actually Hasumi Ren.
A few girls sat down near Nanao, watching Ren with a strange, shimmering light in their eyes.
Only then did Nanao notice that quite a few people had surrounded them.
Looking at the captivated expressions of the girls nearby, she felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of tension.
Nanao turned her gaze back to Ren, feeling her heart beat a little faster.
She realized that although Ren was usually lazy and spent all his time in the library with her...
He seemed to be exactly the type of guy who was very popular with girls.
Nanao looked at the white-haired boy still exerting himself on the field.
Then she looked at the surrounding girls, who were chattering incessantly as if suffering from a hormone overdose.
Her gaze sharpened.
A moment later, the girls sitting nearby suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure.
They looked around, only to find the petite girl beside them with her head slightly lowered, staring at them intensely out of the corner of her eye.
'What's going on? That's terrifying...'
The girls exchanged uneasy glances; without a second's hesitation, they all stood up and fled.
Seeing the girls leave, Nanao's gaze returned to Ren.
But strangely, a peculiar emotion lingered in her heart.
It was as if something that was supposed to belong only to her was being stolen by others.
She couldn't understand the source of this feeling, but it surged every time she looked at Ren.
How frustrating.
Ren was training heartily on the field, not paying much attention to his surroundings.
But suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
Ren stopped and looked back, only to see little Nanao sitting upright, staring straight at him.
Ren was bewildered.
'What's the matter? Why does she look angry?'
'Who upset her now?'
At that moment, Nanao stood up and patted her clothes.
"I'm tired. I'm going back. Keep training on your own."
Ren: ???
"What's wrong, Nanao? What happened?"
"Nothing. Don't mind me."
Watching Nanao leave in a huff, Ren scratched his head in confusion.
Just as he was debating whether to follow her, the surrounding students also began to disperse.
A moment later, Ren noticed some scattered shards in the distance.
'Oh, shards.'
'Better pick them up first.'
As Ren went toward the shards, Nanao had already reached the entrance of the training ground.
Her footsteps faltered; she realized she probably shouldn't have been so moody.
A trace of regret rose in her heart.
'Fine, if Ren follows me, I'll just act like nothing happened...'
Nanao stole a quick glance back.
But Ren was nowhere to be seen.
?
Nanao stomped away, angrier than ever.
...
Within the training grounds, the shards dropped by students were hovering in place.
As Ren prepared to walk over and touch them like he always did...
Those faint glimmers that only he could see suddenly drifted toward him as if pulled by an invisible force.
Ren froze, stopping in his tracks.
The shards were snatched by an invisible hand, dissolving into light and merging into his body the instant they touched him.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spiritual Power Shard x5, Reii EXP +25]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kendo Insight x5, Kendo EXP +25]
System notifications popped up, but the shock in Ren's heart wouldn't subside.
This is...
Just then, Ren felt a ripple from his Zanpakuto.
A moment later, he was pulled into his inner world.
Within the vast, transparent world, a blonde loli stood there proudly.
"How about it, Master? Isn't this auto-loot function I enabled for you amazing?"
Ren stood there, stunned. "You did this?"
"Exactly!"
Garenge's tone was full of swagger.
"I studied the system and figured out how to develop some of its functions for you."
She hopped up and sat in mid-air, kicking her legs back and forth while gesturing with her fingers.
"Now, as long as they are within Master's spiritual pressure range, all absorbable shards will be automatically drawn to you."
"The range changes with your spiritual pressure intensity. Right now, it's about... a three-meter radius?"
"Once your Reii level increases a bit more, you might even be able to get stronger while lying down, meow."
"You... you can actually do something like that?"
"Hmph," Garenge said dismissively. "Actually, once your level is high enough, you'd be able to do this yourself anyway. I've just helped you along a little early."
"No need to thank me, meow~"
Ren was silent for a moment.
Then he took a deep breath.
This was a massive surprise.
It meant that shards he previously had to touch deliberately could now be absorbed automatically just by covering them with his spiritual pressure.
It saved a lot of effort.
"Garenge, you did a great job."
Ren praised her sincerely.
"Heehee, then can Master give me a reward?"
"What do you want?"
Ren saw the blonde loli rub her hands together in excitement, her expression looking incredibly sly.
"Well... get me some of those naughty books..."