Kurosaki Residence.
Upon returning home and telling his younger sisters that he and Ichigo wouldn't be needing dinner tonight—since they were heading to Inoue's house for a welcome party for the new transfer student—he went up to his room and asked them not to disturb him until seven in the evening.
As for the reason? It was clear. He wanted to test out his Shinigami powers. Obviously, he was extremely curious about his new strength.
"Even though I've given up on the idea before… now that I have the system and memories of my past life, I should be able to find a way to bring my mother back to life," Ren muttered, lying on his bed as he stared sharply at the ceiling.
Although he had gained memories of his previous life, he didn't care much about them. At most, they were a reference to help protect himself and his family—they hadn't affected his personality. He was and would always remain Kurosaki Ren.
For Ren, whose mother was almost his entire world, her death had been a massive shock. It was something the nine-year-old boy at the time refused to accept. He had even said and done many cruel things to Ichigo, who had been with their mother that day, blaming himself and their father for failing to protect her.
But no matter how much he cried, shouted, or blamed himself and others, there was no way to bring her back. That truth had been far too cruel for his young self to accept. From that moment on, Ren began to isolate himself from his family. He distanced himself emotionally, getting into fights nearly every day and returning home covered in bruises and wounds.
Even learning Kendo had merely been a desperate attempt to distract himself from the emptiness in his heart. And while it helped a little, the void never truly left. He could still see his mother's shadow everywhere he went. When he entered middle school, many girls confessed to him—aside from constantly getting into fights, he was a handsome student with good grades and a bit of wealth.
Back then, he accepted a confession on a whim, not expecting much. What he didn't expect was that fooling around with girls would momentarily fill the void in his heart. Eventually, he became a playboy, changing girlfriends every few days. It was something his father didn't say much about, knowing this was Ren's way of numbing his pain and negative emotions.
Despite the downsides, Ren was no longer as distant from his family as he once was. He even stopped looking at his brother with pure hatred. Isshin was willing to accept some consequences if it meant bringing the family back together. But by Ren's final year of middle school, Isshin noticed his son heading down a dangerous path—smoking, drinking, and dating older women.
At that point, Isshin could no longer stay silent. He revealed his authority as a father and, for the first time in his life, raised his hand to Ren and scolded him. That confrontation brought the lost boy back to the right path—even if it was through force.
And now, with the system and his past life's memories, Ren's new goal was to resurrect his mother. It was the very first thought in his mind upon learning that reviving the dead might be possible through the system.
Sigh~
Ren exhaled, not even realizing he had been holding his breath while drowning in old memories. He placed a hand over his face, and as he did, a shadowy figure began to emerge from his body.
In the blink of an eye, another Ren stood beside the bed. But unlike the Ren lying down in his school uniform, this one wore a black Shihakushō with a simple katana at his side. Covering his eyes was a clean, white blindfold, making most of his upper face hidden.
This was his spiritual or astral body—Ren's Shinigami Form.
Thanks to his skill Spiritual Life-form, he could separate his astral body from his physical one with just a thought, which was far more convenient than the struggle Ichigo went through at the start of his journey.
He slowly reached for the Zanpakutō at his waist and drew it gently. The sword's design was plain and unadorned, but unlike other Zanpakutō, both the hilt and the scabbard were made of sleek black wood. It looked more like a curved black staff than a traditional katana.
"Hm… I didn't expect to feel this deep of a connection," Ren muttered, his voice calm and deep, as if speaking to someone who understood him without words.
He walked over to the window and opened it, then leapt softly onto the rooftop, as if it were nothing more than a single step. He stood there, the breeze tugging gently at the edges of his black robes.
"…"
Ren reached up to the white blindfold around his eyes and peeled it back slightly, revealing his sky-blue eyes. He expanded his senses to scan the surrounding area for any Hollows nearby. After all, while he had the power, he lacked the skill to wield it effectively—so he had to fight, if only to truly understand what he was capable of.
...
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