"Arrogant!"
With a low shout, Soi Fon took the initiative to attack.
She was faster than before, her strikes more aggressive.
It was as if her competitive spirit had been ignited, and she was now truly taking this fight seriously.
Her strikes grew increasingly sharp, each one whistling through the air as if tearing it apart.
But Hasumi Ren was no longer merely dodging and defending.
His Shunpo became more fluid, his body weaving through Soi Fon's onslaught—blocking, dodging, and counterattacking in turn.
His movements grew more seamless, and the exchange with Soi Fon intensified.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The rapid-fire sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed across the training ground.
Two blurs moved across the open space at high speeds, clashing and separating only to collide once more.
The more they fought, the more Soi Fon's heart sank in shock.
She could finally sense that Hasumi Ren was absorbing her combat techniques at an incredible rate and weaving them into his own style.
Even more terrifyingly, some of his counter-angles and choices in striking were starting to feel genuinely difficult for her to handle.
What felt even more unbelievable was that she sensed a unique yet familiar flow of Spiritual Pressure within his Hakuda.
It was a new ability that Lady Yoruichi had discussed with her—one they were currently developing together.
A specialized combat style that fused Kido with Hakuda.
Yet the concept of this combat style was revolutionary, and its development was immensely difficult.
Even with Lady Yoruichi's genius, perfecting it within a few decades would be a monumental task.
She herself had only found a slight clue, barely managing to use Kido's spiritual energy flow to enhance the power of her limbs.
From a simple exchange, had he actually learned the prototype of this technique from her movements?
'Just what kind of monster is this guy...'
Finally, after another fierce exchange, their fists and palms collided, and the resulting shockwave from their clashing Spiritual Pressure burst outward.
Using the recoil, both leaped backward, facing off a few meters apart.
Soi Fon's breathing was slightly ragged, and fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
She looked at Hasumi Ren, her eyes filled with a complex gaze.
She never expected things to go this far with him.
Even though she was suppressing her Spiritual Pressure, her strikes were near full strength. This had clearly exceeded the scope of an entrance exam and was approaching the level of limit-breaking training for official members.
In contrast, Hasumi Ren was gasping for air. His body was covered in bruises, he had taken several hits to the face, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth—he looked much more battered than Soi Fon.
For some reason, Soi Fon suddenly grew irritated, and the force of her blows began to overwhelm him.
But his eyes remained bright, even sharper than before the battle began.
After all, he was thoroughly enjoying the haul of fragments.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spiritual Power Fragment x85, Reii EXP +850]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Shunpo Insight x21, Shunpo EXP +210]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Hakuda Insight x64, Hakuda EXP +640]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insight x32, Kido EXP +320]
Once these prompts vanished, a new system message popped up.
[SYSTEM: Special Ability Detected - Shunko]
[SYSTEM: Shunko: Pending Unlock]
[SYSTEM: Requirement 1: Hakuda Lv.6 (Not Met)]
[SYSTEM: Requirement 2: Kido Lv.6 (Not Met)]
Seeing the contents of the system message, Hasumi Ren froze for a moment.
'Shunko?'
'The system can even add this ability to my skill list?'
However, the requirements for Hakuda and Kido weren't low; both needed to reach Level 6 to unlock it.
But for him, leveling up was only a matter of time.
'In that case, once these two skills reach Level 6, won't this powerful ability unlock automatically...'
The way Hasumi Ren looked at Soi Fon changed.
'She's a gold mine.'
Across from him, Soi Fon noticed the inexplicable look of anticipation in his eyes. For some reason, a chill ran down her spine, and she shivered.
'What's with that weird look?'
'He just took a beating, so why does he look like he hasn't had enough?'
'Something's wrong. There's definitely something wrong with this guy...'
Soi Fon felt her hair stand on end. She stared warily at Hasumi Ren, looking like a cat with its fur bristling.
The two of them stared at each other, the atmosphere becoming extremely eerie.
At the same time, the area surrounding the training ground was deathly silent.
The reserve members watching from the side were dumbfounded.
This newcomer had actually managed to fight nearly on par in Hakuda against Soi Fon while she was suppressing her Spiritual Pressure.
They suddenly began to understand why Captain Shihoin had specially recruited him from the Spiritual Arts Academy.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's stop here."
Soi Fon spoke suddenly, her voice slightly hoarse.
She looked at Hasumi Ren, who seemed a bit slow to react, and irritably scratched her arm.
Then, she straightened up and slowly let out a breath, dispersing the fighting spirit surrounding her.
"Your assessment is over."
"Hasumi Ren... you passed. From tomorrow onward, you are officially a member of the Punishment Force reserves."
"Hey, you. Take him to the division medical office for a quick check-up."
Soi Fon pointed at a random person nearby and gave the order before looking back at Hasumi Ren.
"Someone will arrange your quarters and supplies later. Get some rest today and prepare for official training tomorrow."
After speaking, Soi Fon prepared to leave. As she passed Hasumi Ren, she paused for a moment.
She tilted her head, glancing at the bruises on his face. Her expression shifted slightly as if she wanted to say something.
But then, as if thinking of something else, she crossed her arms, turned away with a darkened expression, and walked straight off, leaving behind a somewhat hurried silhouette.
Hasumi Ren was baffled. He didn't quite understand what Soi Fon meant; her mood had shifted far too quickly.
'This woman is probably a bit too complicated.'
The reserve members nearby glanced at each other, none daring to speak.
At that moment, the man Soi Fon had pointed to stepped forward, his expression carrying a hint more respect.
"Um, you're Hasumi Ren, right? Soi Fon told me to take you to the medical office... Let's go."
"Oh, that won't be necessary. I'm fairly decent with Kaido, so I can just treat myself."
As he spoke, Hasumi Ren channeled his spiritual energy. A unique fluctuation belonging to Kaido emanated from his hands, which he lightly pressed against his injuries. The bruises began to fade visibly.
Watching Hasumi Ren skillfully treat himself with Kaido, the surrounding crowd felt their minds struggling to process the sight.
'No way, man. How is he this good at Kaido too?'
'With this level of healing, joining the Fourth Division would be more than enough.'
'How can this guy fight and heal like this?'
'Where on earth did Captain Shihoin find such a talent...'
"By the way, Soi Fon mentioned someone would arrange my room and supplies. Who should I look for?"
Hearing his question, the man blinked, then stepped forward again to lead the way, his attitude quite enthusiastic.
Hasumi Ren followed him toward the registration area.
Meanwhile, Soi Fon, having left the training ground, was walking briskly through the corridors of the Second Division.
For some reason, the fight with Hasumi Ren kept replaying in her mind.
In particular, the spot on her ribs where he had struck her seemed to throb with a dull ache.
Soi Fon shook her head vigorously, trying to toss out the chaotic thoughts.
Then she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
After all, she still had to report today's test results to Lady Yoruichi.
Yet in her mind, Hasumi Ren's eyes, which had grown brighter and brighter during the fight, kept flashing back.
She simply couldn't shake them.