"Have you regained your strength?" – Ren asked with curiosity, his eyes fixed intently on Rukia, as if trying to uncover some hidden truth behind the blindfold covering her eyes. Though the air around them was calm, a subtle tension filled the space, as if something unseen lingered between them. Ren tried to read beyond that layer of mystery, but he could sense only the faintest trace of reiatsu emanating from her. Reiatsu—the spiritual radiance that signified a shinigami's power—was noticeably dim, making it clear that she was still relying on the gigai, that artificial body she wore to remain concealed in the human world. It was like a distant light on the horizon—faint, fragile, and on the verge of vanishing.
"Yes, but because of the lack of reishi in the human world, I will need more time before I can fight again," Rukia answered softly, though her tone wasn't her usual self. Her words were simple, but carried the weight of hardship. She nodded slightly, as if trying to hide her frustration behind a calm facade. There was something in her expression, a subtle gleam of caution and fear, a mix of hope and despair, and Ren did not miss that fleeting look. He was used to reading thoughts through eyes, and Rukia's eyes did not lie this time. She was hiding something, and he knew it without needing confirmation.
"That's why I'm considering returning to the Soul Society to recover faster. My comrades will soon arrive to take me back."
The words left her lips like a whisper, carrying the burden of a decision that was neither easy nor comforting. Returning to the world she had fled—or at least tried to—signaled the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, perhaps harsher one.
At that moment, Ren stood silently in thought. His mind raced, a thread of unease weaving itself relentlessly. Even if she has regained her strength, it changes nothing. The ones from the Soul Society are already here. He remembered his unique ability to sense reiatsu more deeply—not just the general presence, but to distinguish and interpret it. The sudden appearance of two overwhelming spiritual pressures was a clear sign: the retrieval team had begun to advance. There was no room for delay.
Though no words were spoken, the silence between them was louder than speech. Ren looked at Rukia, her eyes hidden behind the blindfold, but her expression alone betrayed what her heart carried—fear, pain, and a longing for days long gone.
For a fleeting moment, Ren couldn't stop himself from thinking: whether he could knock her unconscious and take the Hōgyoku from her by force—that spiritual gem pulsing with mysterious power, the source of countless troubles. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. He lacked the means or technique to extract the Hōgyoku without endangering her life. He knew it was far more complicated than it appeared.
Ren smiled faintly, as if to ease her burden, and gently patted her head. That simple gesture, though small, carried a warmth Rukia was not used to. She felt a twinge of unease, unwilling to show her true feelings before him, yet unable to suppress a wavering smile—closer to tears than joy.
"Well then, come visit us from time to time," Ren said, his voice light and kind. "I'll miss our dear neighbor who lives in the closet."
His words sounded like a joke, but they held deeper meaning. The "closet neighbor" was a clear reference to Rukia's time living inside Ichigo's closet since her arrival in this world.
Rukia couldn't help but smile slyly, her eyes glinting with hidden light. Instead of replying with her usual sharpness, she spoke softly: "Very well, I'll visit from time to time—but by then, you might already be an old man."
The remark was more than a jest—it was an honest acknowledgment of reality, of time's merciless flow, and of the changes happening within and around her. It was as if she had accepted fate, painful as it was.
"Take care of yourself there," Ren said as he prepared to leave.
The words were simple, but they carried a deeper meaning—a temporary farewell laced with genuine concern.
Ren walked away slowly, his steps light yet resolute. Deep down, he knew fighting wasn't an option now. Even with his confidence in his own strength, a confrontation here in the human world would have dragged countless innocents into chaos, with disastrous consequences.
From behind him, he heard Rukia's footsteps and her soft voice: "You take care as well, Ren."
Her voice carried a tender note, a mixture of sorrow and hope, and her violet eyes—glossed with tears held back too long—revealed how precious the past months had been to her, despite the pain.
_
Rukia dashed forward, the air whistling around her, her black hair fluttering in the wind, her weary face reflecting a bitter inner struggle. Her heart pounded violently, its rhythm like war drums beating in the silence of night.
She knew exactly who was coming. Her chest burned with the dread of the confrontation ahead—with disappointment, and with the pain she had long delayed facing. No matter how much distance she tried to maintain, nothing could prevent the fated meeting with her brother, Byakuya—that stern, cold captain who embodied law and discipline.
And Renji, her loyal childhood friend, was like a shadow of both past and present, a blend of strength and emotion, carrying within him blood debts and bonds that had never been severed.
The wind rustled through the trees as though expressing a suffocating silence, sharp and consuming, leaving only the heavy sound of Rukia's steps, burdened with guilt, longing, and regret. She wasn't ready to leave, didn't want to abandon all she knew—but she had no choice left.
She neared the shadow of a massive tree, her legs trembling slightly, though her resolve was clear. There, in the shade, stood Renji firmly, arms folded behind his back, his expression as hard as stone, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and sorrow.
Just a few steps farther stood Byakuya, radiating a stillness of terrifying calm. He didn't need to speak; his mere presence filled the space with authority and awe, as if even nature itself feared breaking his silence.
"Rukia… you're late," Renji said, his voice low but charged with emotion.
The words struck like an open wound. Rukia muttered back with a fragile smile she couldn't restrain: "Renji…"
Their eyes met, and it felt as though thousands of unsaid words were teetering at the edge of their lips—yet neither spoke them.
Then, suddenly, Renji's words burst out like a burning cry: "So, who's the human you gave your powers to!!"
His voice thundered like lightning, his emotions boiling with rage and shock. Seeing Rukia in a gigai was already a blow, but what unsettled him most was her expression—so alive, filled with emotion, as if she now possessed a human heart.
Rukia answered hesitantly, her eyes flashing with confusion and fear, though she didn't flinch as she said: "What do you mean? I didn't give my powers to anyone. I fought a Hollow before and used this gigai to recover and to hide my reiatsu, so I wouldn't draw more Hollows."
It was a blatant lie, but it slipped out with flawless composure. Inside, she silently thanked Ren for teaching her how to act—it was her only means of survival, of concealing the truth.
But Renji wasn't fooled. "Do you really think such an obvious lie will fool us?!" he roared.
His voice grew louder, laced with rage, frustration, and bitter disappointment.
Byakuya finally spoke, his voice calm but decisive: "Though many things over the past two months remain unexplainable, it is clear she still possesses her shinigami powers."
He cast a sidelong glance at Rukia, a look sharp as a blade, carrying with it an irrevocable judgment. Central 46 had been nearly convinced that Rukia had given away her powers—but now, seeing that she still retained them, they could not pass a verdict without deeper investigation.
"We shall return to the Soul Society first," he declared firmly. "Central 46 will handle this matter."
His words marked the end of the encounter, and the beginning of a new, more serious, and complicated chapter.
...
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