Hasumi Ren looked up at the sound of her voice, only to see Soi Fon turning her face away. Only her neck beneath her short hair was visible, appearing exceptionally fair under the moonlight.
Then Hasumi Ren lowered his head and continued his examination.
"No need for such politeness. We help each other. I'm sure there will be times when I'll need your help in the future."
"When that time comes, just remember to lend me a hand."
Hearing his voice, the sharpness in Soi Fon's eyes faded, replaced by a touch of softness.
Before long, Hasumi Ren clapped his hands and reached a conclusion.
"It seems the intense exercise earlier caused the toxin to spread a bit."
"My current level of Kaido isn't enough to handle it. We need to go to the Fourth Division."
Soi Fon bit her lower lip; she had probably expected this outcome.
The problem now was that she could barely even walk.
Looking at her legs that refused to follow her commands, she gritted her teeth and tried to stand again, but she still lacked the strength.
Watching her struggle, Hasumi Ren crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.
Now, it seemed there was only one way.
Hasumi Ren made a difficult decision.
"Soi Fon, let me carry you."
"Wh... what?"
Soi Fon looked up sharply, a visible look of panic appearing on her face for the first time.
"It's the best way."
Hasumi Ren's tone was serious.
"I'll carry you to the Fourth Division. It's the fastest way."
"B-But..."
Hesitation flickered across Soi Fon's face, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.
"That's hardly proper..."
"What are you talking about?"
Hasumi Ren interrupted her.
"On the battlefield, isn't it only natural for comrades to help each other when injured? Even within the Punishment Force, there's no rule saying you can just abandon the wounded."
"Or do you think being carried on my back is uncomfortable and a princess carry would be more suitable?"
Seeing the gesture Hasumi Ren made, Soi Fon's eyes widened slightly, a flash of horror crossing them.
"A princess carry is absolutely out of the question!"
Cutting off Hasumi Ren's movement, Soi Fon bit her lip, her mind in a fierce struggle.
Hasumi Ren's words were clever and delivered with such righteous conviction.
Such a legitimate reason made it difficult for her to argue.
Her logic told her that Hasumi Ren was right; this was indeed the fastest and safest method.
But emotionally, she had never had such intimate contact with a man, let alone being carried on one's back.
Recalling Hasumi Ren's earlier behavior, a hint of suspicion suddenly crossed her face.
"You... you didn't do this on purpose, did you?"
Hasumi Ren: ?
"Wait, is that really the kind of person you think I am?"
"Humph, you know the answer to that yourself..."
After a moment, Soi Fon looked up at Hasumi Ren.
Under the moonlight, his eyes were clear and helpless, without a hint of impurity or mockery—only pure sincerity.
Finally, reason triumphed over embarrassment.
"...Fine."
Soi Fon's voice was as quiet as a mosquito as she slightly lowered her head.
"Then... I'll have to trouble you."
Hasumi Ren nodded, turned around, and crouched down in front of her.
Soi Fon looked at the broad back before her. She took a deep breath, trying her best to remain calm.
Then she slowly leaned forward, placing her hands on Hasumi Ren's shoulders and using her forearms to shield her chest.
This was the most acceptable way for her at the moment.
A second later, Hasumi Ren firmly supported her legs and stood up.
Soi Fon thought she had prepared herself mentally, but at that moment, her body still stiffened slightly.
Hasumi Ren's body heat radiated through his clothes, warm and intense.
She could also clearly feel the firm and powerful lines of the muscles in his back.
The faint scent of pheromones on him, mixed with sweat and the smell of blood, felt uniquely real.
The various sensory inputs intertwined, making Soi Fon's mind a mess.
Hasumi Ren lifted Soi Fon, giving her a gentle bounce to find a comfortable position.
Soi Fon's body was lighter than he imagined, but the soft curves belonging to a woman were being transmitted with undeniable clarity.
Her arms held tightly onto his shoulders, her breath brushing lightly against his ear, quite warm and moist.
"Are you holding on tight?"
After receiving Soi Fon's barely audible confirmation, Hasumi Ren adjusted his posture to make her lie more securely.
Then he stepped out, heading quickly toward the Seireitei.
He didn't use Shunpo; he didn't know if Soi Fon's current state could handle the jolts of high-speed movement.
But with his current physical attributes, his running speed far exceeded that of an ordinary person.
As the night wind brushed past, Soi Fon's cheek pressed against the back of her hand, and Hasumi Ren's stray hairs danced in the strong wind, tickling her face.
Even through her palm, Soi Fon could sense Hasumi Ren's steady and powerful heartbeat.
That rhythmic pulsing somehow caused her slightly panicked heart to gradually calm down.
After the initial shyness passed, a strange sense of peace began to spread.
This man's back was steady, and his steps were firm.
In this moment, it felt as if she didn't have to think about anything or worry about anything.
This feeling of being protected and cared for was so foreign to her, yet so... nostalgic.
Soi Fon closed her eyes, burying her face deeper between her arms.
'Just this once, just this once... I'll allow myself to relax a little.'
In the night, Hasumi Ren carried Soi Fon on his back, walking steadily toward the distant lights.
At this moment, the dignity of the Punishment Force and the discipline of the division were all momentarily cast to the back of her mind.
Right now, she was just a squad member in need of help, being carried by a reliable companion toward a place for treatment.
This was good.
After walking for a long time, as the sky began to brighten, the Seireitei grew closer in their sight.
Soi Fon had also gradually adapted to this feeling.
She looked up at Hasumi Ren's profile, and for some reason, felt an urge to talk.
"Hey, Hasumi Ren, regarding that new ability I've been developing lately... do you think I'll succeed?"
Hasumi Ren was slightly stunned when he heard Soi Fon's voice.
Then he realized Soi Fon was talking about that composite technique combining Hakuda and Kido.
Although she had been exploring it for a while, progress had been quite slow.
With Hasumi Ren's help recently, her perspective had broadened quite a bit, but there was clearly still a long way to go before it was complete.
Hasumi Ren recalled Soi Fon's Shunko from the original story; it was indeed a very important skill for her in the later stages.
Although the development process was slow now, she did eventually complete the development of Shunko through her own abilities.
And later, Soi Fon even developed a more refined advanced version through her own hard work.
Her ability and talent were actually very high.
"You will succeed."
Hasumi Ren's voice came through the wind, his tone extremely firm.
"Though you might be facing a bottleneck now, as long as you persist, you'll definitely find a way to break through. With your talent and hard work, it won't be a problem."
Soi Fon hadn't expected Hasumi Ren to give such a certain answer.
He seemed to have even more confidence than she did.
After receiving Hasumi Ren's affirmation, the slight wavering in her heart caused by the slow development progress completely vanished.
"Yes, I'll take your word for it."
Then, Soi Fon spoke softly.
"Don't forget, when this ability is completed in the future, you'll deserve some of the credit."
Hearing this, a slight curve appeared at the corner of Hasumi Ren's mouth.
"It would be my honor."