Finally, Sugimoto and Kawasaki carried the unconscious Amamiya Shin and departed first with Urahara Kisuke.
Before leaving, Urahara glanced back at Hasumi Ren.
His eyes, hidden beneath the shadows of his bangs, were exceptionally deep, but in the end, he simply waved and vanished into the night.
Leaving only Hasumi Ren and Soi Fon behind.
The night was deep. This area on the outskirts of Rukongai had returned to a deathly silence, with only the wind rustling through the withered grass.
Only the distant Seireitei remained brightly lit, like a lighthouse suspended in the darkness.
Soi Fon looked at Hasumi Ren. Recalling the strength he had just displayed, a sense of curiosity gnawed at her, and she couldn't help but ask.
"The strength you showed just now is different from your usual training."
"When you fought Tosen Kaname, the quality of your Spiritual Pressure was completely different from when we train. That isn't something that can be achieved through a temporary burst of power."
She paused, her voice tinged with inquiry.
"Have you been holding back this whole time?"
Hasumi Ren's heart stirred, but his expression remained calm.
That wasn't actually the case.
"It's just that my Zanpakuto's ability is quite unique; it amplifies my strength and can only be fully realized in actual combat. You should have felt it."
"During training, that is my normal level. I wasn't hiding anything."
This explanation was perfectly reasonable. Zanpakuto abilities varied wildly, and some were indeed terrifyingly powerful after Shikai.
Soi Fon didn't press further, simply offering a soft grunt of acknowledgment.
Hasumi Ren rested his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword and let out a long breath.
He had gained a lot from the successive battles and hadn't had time to check his progress yet.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spiritual Power Fragment x45, Spiritual Pressure EXP +450]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kendo Insight x36, Kendo EXP +360]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Shunpo Insight x12, Shunpo EXP +120]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insight x6, Kido EXP +60]
Not bad at all.
Hasumi Ren looked at Soi Fon beside him.
Soi Fon was trying to move her limbs, but the effects of the toxin had clearly not dissipated yet.
Her movements were stiff, her brow slightly furrowed, and her Spiritual Pressure was not flowing smoothly.
"Can you still walk?"
Hasumi Ren asked.
"I can."
Soi Fon answered curtly and took a step forward.
But she stumbled on her very first step. Hasumi Ren instinctively reached out to support her.
He gently gripped Soi Fon's arm, his firm knuckles providing a distinct sensation.
Soi Fon's body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't struggle, allowing Hasumi Ren to support her.
She turned her head, the moonlight illuminating her cold profile. Those eyes, usually so sharp, appeared slightly weary.
"Thank you,"
she whispered, her voice softer than usual.
Hasumi Ren nodded and continued to support her gently.
Soi Fon's arm was slender yet powerful, with muscle lines defined by years of training. It was firm and elastic to the touch.
Hasumi Ren instinctively gave it a little squeeze.
'So firm, so bouncy.'
Hasumi Ren squeezed it again.
'Wait, why did it suddenly get rock hard?'
The next moment, his hand grasped empty air.
Then, his shin took a solid kick.
Seeing Soi Fon's indignant and embarrassed expression, Hasumi Ren raised both hands in surrender.
"Sorry, my bad."
Even though Hasumi Ren was quick to apologize, it didn't stop his image from plummeting in Soi Fon's heart.
To her, all of Hasumi Ren's seemingly accidental touches during their previous sparring sessions now appeared to have been intentional.
Seeing her increasingly suspicious gaze, Hasumi Ren felt quite helpless.
"I was wrong! It really was an accident just now. You have to believe me."
'One squeeze might be an accident, but two? And he still has the nerve to call it unintentional!'
"You pervert!"
"Hey now, why the name-calling? It was just a squeeze. It was only your arm, not like it was anywhere else..."
"You!"
'He acts all handsy and still thinks he's in the right!'
Watching Hasumi Ren mutter to himself with such a self-righteous attitude, Soi Fon's anger flared. She gritted her teeth, turned away huffily, and began walking.
Hasumi Ren followed behind her. Watching Soi Fon trudge along unsteadily was actually quite entertaining.
The two of them slowly made their way toward the Seireitei.
After walking for a while, Soi Fon's anger subsided slightly.
She glanced back at Hasumi Ren, who was following closely behind, and her eyes flickered.
Hasumi Ren actually had a point; they had shared plenty of physical contact before.
'Perhaps I really was overreacting just now...'
With that thought, she spoke softly.
"Earlier... was it truly unintentional?"
"Actually, I did it on purpose. It felt great."
Soi Fon: ?!
Hasumi Ren blocked two punches from Soi Fon. He hadn't expected her strikes to still be so powerful despite the toxin.
After they traded blows for a moment, Soi Fon's legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground.
Her expression was one of shock, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
The toxin in her body seemed to be spreading.
Hasumi Ren's expression turned serious as he looked at the collapsed Soi Fon. He leaned down to check her condition.
"Truce for now. What's wrong? Is the toxin getting worse?"
Seeing the concern on Hasumi Ren's face, Soi Fon suppressed the urge to punch him again and bit her lip.
"It's all your fault..."
Hasumi Ren looked embarrassed.
"Yes, yes, it's my fault. How do you feel? Can you stand?"
Soi Fon tried, but she couldn't get up.
Clearly, the effect of the toxin was much more severe than she had let on.
Looking at her, Hasumi Ren knew this girl was stubborn to a fault.
She was clearly at her limit, yet she insisted on acting like everything was fine.
Soi Fon could also sense her own condition, and it was indeed looking grim.
She looked at Hasumi Ren, her lips trembling slightly.
"Why did you stay? You could have gone back with the others."
Hasumi Ren fell silent.
Seeing Soi Fon struggling and her face pale from the toxin, Hasumi Ren sighed softly.
"I couldn't just leave a girl like you to find her own way back alone."
Soi Fon's expression faltered for a moment.
She looked at him intently.
Under the moonlight, her eyes were bright, as if they held the stars.
Her voice was very quiet, yet it carried a complex emotion.
"I don't need special treatment."
"I know."
Hasumi Ren crouched beside her and nodded gently.
"But in your current state, there's no need to force yourself."
"Don't worry, I've got you."
Soi Fon froze.
The words were simple, but they were like a stone thrown into the calm lake of her heart, sending ripples outward.
Aside from her brothers who had already passed away, it seemed like no one had cared for her like this in a very long time.
As a minor noble family serving the Shihoin Clan, generations of the Fon family were required to serve in the Stealth Force.
Since joining the Punishment Force, she had long grown accustomed to arming herself to be invulnerable.
She treated her own wounds and solved her own problems, never showing weakness to anyone.
Even before Yoruichi-sama, she always strove to show her most steadfast and reliable side.
Because she knew that only by becoming strong enough would she be worthy of standing by that person's side.
But now, the concern shown by Hasumi Ren touched her heart in an inexplicable way.
This feeling... was strange.
Strange to the point that it left her somewhat at a loss.
The two stopped talking. Silence spread through the night, yet it no longer felt awkward.
Hasumi Ren lowered his head to examine the toxin in Soi Fon's body, but the symptoms were clearly beyond his current level of Kaido.
It seemed they would have to go to the Fourth Division.
Just as he was lost in thought with a frown, Soi Fon's voice drifted over softly on the night breeze.
"...Thank you."