The transfer orders for Hasumi Ren's formal induction came sooner than he expected.
That night, just as he returned to the longhouse after training, a formal member found him and handed over a document stamped with the seal of the Second Division Captain.
"Hasumi Ren, as of today, you are transferred to the Punishment Force's direct-response squad. Report immediately to the Third Operations Room on the east side of the barracks to collect your equipment and familiarize yourself with the squad's procedures."
Ren took the document, not particularly surprised.
Given his performance over the last few days and the instructors' feedback, early promotion was to be expected.
He quickly packed his personal belongings and headed to the third floor of the barracks as instructed.
The door to the Third Operations Room was slightly ajar, with low voices drifting from within.
Ren knocked on the door.
"Enter."
The cold voice was very familiar. A bit surprised, Ren pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was small and sparsely furnished, with a map of West Rukongai and some mission logs hanging on the walls.
Soi Fon stood before the map, her lithe, efficient frame silhouetted by her black Punishment Force combat uniform.
Two other squad members sat before her, their expressions steady and aged, clearly veterans of many missions.
When Ren's gaze fell on Soi Fon, he paused instinctively.
The two of them had spent quite a bit of time together recently and were fairly familiar with each other, but seeing her in this setting felt a bit strange.
Moreover, Soi Fon's aura today seemed slightly different from how she was at the training grounds.
Her black hair was neatly trimmed, and she radiated a stern, commanding presence.
Yet for some reason, the moment their eyes met, Ren noticed a subtle detail—she seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze.
'Is it just my imagination?'
Across from him, Soi Fon naturally saw Ren as well.
Maintaining a professional attitude, she met his eyes for a fraction of a second before quickly looking back at the map.
"Hasumi Ren, your transfer orders are now in effect. From today onward, you are assigned to my direct squad."
"You will listen in on today's mission briefing. Tomorrow, I will walk you through the squad's procedures, and the day after, you will deploy with us."
Soi Fon's voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
"These two are Sugimoto and Kawasaki, veterans of the squad. The four of us will be conducting this mission."
The two named members nodded toward Ren, their eyes filled with scrutiny, but also a hint of curiosity.
"Alright, everyone is here. I'll begin the mission briefing."
Soi Fon used a short baton to point at a marker on the map.
"Two days ago, two members of the Tenth Division stationed near this area for patrol and sentry duty lost contact."
"The Tenth Division's initial search found no signs of battle or residual spiritual pressure. Since the incident occurred near certain locations of interest to us and the manner of disappearance was suspicious, the mission has been transferred to the Second Division for a deep investigation."
Her gaze swept over the three of them.
"The mission rank is unknown, intelligence is scarce, and the actual danger level may escalate."
"Our objective is to determine the cause of the disappearances, search for any possible clues or traces, and assess whether a persistent threat exists."
"If you encounter overwhelming force, prioritize self-preservation and intelligence gathering. If necessary, abandon the deep search and retreat immediately. Understood?"
"Understood."
They replied in unison.
"Dismissed. Gather at the west gate of the barracks tomorrow at 5:00 PM."
Soi Fon ended the briefing decisively, then looked at Ren.
"You, stay behind for a moment."
The other two got up and left. Ren stayed in his seat, waiting for Soi Fon's instructions.
However, Soi Fon didn't speak right away. She looked out the window, and a heavy silence settled over the room.
"So, why'd you keep me here? Do you have more orders for me, Commander Soi Fon?"
Hearing Ren's voice, she turned her head slightly.
"Don't call me commander. It sounds too strange."
"True enough. Then how should I address my superior?"
"...Just call me Soi Fon."
Soi Fon stared out the window. Night had fallen, and her expression was blurred against the darkness.
She turned around and pointed to a bundle nearby.
"Your uniform and equipment are here."
"There's a Soul Reaper's Shihakusho for the Second Division and a Stealth Force uniform. Remember to wear the Stealth Force attire when we're on missions."
Ren understood. He picked up the bundle and weighed it; it was very light.
"That's all for now. Tomorrow, same place. I'll take you through the relevant squad procedures."
Having said that, Soi Fon turned back to the window, seemingly unwilling to say anything more to Ren.
Ren looked at her, feeling somewhat bewildered.
Even though they were often left breathless during their late-night sessions over the last few days, their communication had been quite smooth.
They had both learned and grown a lot, so their relationship should have been decent.
Why did she act like a total stranger after just one day?
'Is she putting on airs now that she's my boss?'
Ren stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving, he thought for a moment and decided to ask anyway.
"So, tonight... are we still going to continue?"
Hearing Ren's voice, Soi Fon took a sharp breath, her lips tightening as her fingertips dug into her palms.
She remembered Lady Yoruichi's teasing smile from earlier that day.
Then she thought of her own pathetic attempt to cover up her lack of composure.
A spark of frustration flared up in her heart, rapidly boiling over into a burning rage.
She finally turned around and glared straight at Ren, a ferocious smile creeping onto her lips.
"Of course. Why wouldn't we?"
Seeing Soi Fon's sudden surge of enthusiasm, the hair on Ren's neck stood on end.
For some reason, he suddenly sensed a very bad omen.
...
The next afternoon, Ren arrived at the meeting point in a bit of a rush.
Seeing the battered state of his face, the two veteran members frowned slightly.
"What happened to your face? Were you in a fight?"
"No, I just fell."
Ren awkwardly touched the bruise on his face. A glow of Kaido flared in his hand as he applied it to his cheek.
The injuries on his body were much worse. While he had healed those with Kaido last night, he had neglected this one on his face.
He had no idea what kind of madness had possessed Soi Fon last night for her to hit so hard.
'That flat-chested powder keg... a woman who couldn't nurse a child even if her life depended on it...'
Ren grumbled darkly to himself.
But the two men in front of him were surprised when they saw the Kaido glowing in Ren's hand.
The way he used that bit of healing Kido looked quite professional.
"Your Kaido is pretty good. Did you spend time in the Fourth Division?"
"It's alright. I've dabbled in it a bit, but nothing special. I haven't been to the Fourth Division; I came straight to the Stealth Force after graduating from the Academy."
Hearing their discussion, Ren replied modestly.
"Oh, a talented one, I see."
The two shared a look, their eyes shining with a hint of excitement.
This kid was definitely going to be a hot commodity in the squad later on.
It seemed they should get on his good side early.
With that thought, their attitudes became much warmer, and they began to fuss over Ren with concern.
A short while later, Soi Fon arrived. Seeing the three of them chatting happily, she was quite surprised.
She glanced at the faint bruise on Ren's face, and a subtle pang of guilt rose in her heart.
'I might have gone a bit too far last night...'
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##Discount##
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