"I hate to disturb you, but we have to go," Ritsu said in a calm yet firm tone, her gaze resting on Ren and Rukia, who were lost in a rare moment of peace, far removed from everything happening around them. "The meeting is about to begin, and we need to return now."
Ren lifted his head quietly, looking at Rukia who was still in his arms. Her eyes were swollen from crying, yet within them flickered a spark of life that hadn't been there when he entered the room. He let out a faint sigh, then whispered to her:
"It seems our time is up."
Rukia nodded silently before speaking in a soft, trembling voice:
"Thank you… for coming."
No other words were needed. That single sentence said it all.
He gently set her back into the chair, making sure she was seated comfortably, before rising and placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. Then he turned to leave.
But before he reached the door, Rukia's voice suddenly called out:
"Ren…"
He stopped in his tracks without turning around, and she continued, her voice quivering:
"Stay alive… for me."
He gave no reply. Only raised his hand slightly and nodded in silence.
Of course, he had no intention of dying—not when Masaki's soul depended on his survival. If he perished, she would perish as well. But that didn't mean he would ever back down from a fight or battle.
For Ren, the Hōgyoku and even the Soul Society meant nothing. As long as he could save Rukia, that was all that mattered to him.
Although the Hōgyoku's ability to grant the bearer's desires might even hold the power to resurrect Masaki, Ren had only considered using it once in the past. He decided to avoid relying on it as much as possible, for its power—capable of manifesting unconscious desires as well—was far too dangerous for someone like him, who kept countless twisted impulses and dark thoughts buried deep inside.
That was why he wasn't willing to gamble with the Hōgyoku—not for himself, not even for Masaki… at least, not yet.
Ren left the room in silence, closing the door softly behind him.
Ritsu watched him for a moment before stepping forward to walk beside him. Neither spoke, their synchronized footsteps echoing like the rhythm of hearts well-versed in hiding what lay within.
"Are you okay?" Ritsu asked quietly after a few minutes of silence, her eyes fixed forward.
"I'm always okay," Ren answered with his usual indifferent tone, though the silence behind his words betrayed the truth to the eyes hidden beneath his blindfold.
"You're terribly dishonest," Ritsu murmured with a faint smile, running her fingers through his hair playfully. In the past few days they had spent together, Ren had allowed her to open up to him, and she had shared things she'd hidden for so long. He had done the same. From that exchange, a fragile yet genuine trust had begun to form between them.
Ren felt her hand brushing softly through his hair, but he didn't pull away. He simply allowed it, as though Ritsu's touch was a quiet affirmation of his existence… proof that someone could still see him, even if he feigned indifference.
"I may not be honest, but I've never lied," he muttered softly, his tone not defensive, but acknowledging.
Ritsu chuckled gently, a laugh like a spring morning breeze, and said:
"That's the worst kind of honesty, you know?"
"Perhaps," Ren replied, slipping his hands into his sleeves with nonchalance as he walked alongside her.
They finally arrived at the back gate leading to the emergency meeting held between several of the Gotei 13's Captains, following the recent events and the attempted breach of the Soul Society by unknown forces—forces whose true nature only Ren understood.
He paused at the threshold, then asked:
"Will I have to speak during this meeting?"
"Not really," Ritsu replied, adjusting the collar of her white haori. "The meeting is for the Captains. As for the Lieutenants, their attendance is little more than a formality."
"Alright, then I'll just wander around and observe the peak of Soul Society's power. If this place is full of people like you, Ritsu-nee, I may need to reconsider my plans." Ren smiled a little awkwardly, remembering his first evaluation of Ritsu—how he had once thought she was weak enough that he could defeat her and escape easily. In reality, he had been terribly wrong.
Thinking back on it, Ren could only feel the urge to slap his past self for such foolish thoughts. Seeing this clear divergence from the memories of his past life, he decided not to rely solely on them when drawing conclusions. This world was real now, filled with countless unknowns—and Ritsu's true power was only one of them.
Ding Ding Ding Ding
As the two prepared to step through the gate, the sound of a bell rang out across the area, followed by a voice reverberating through every corner.
"Warning!! Warning!!" the voice repeated several times to draw attention before announcing the main message: "Intruders detected in the skies above Seireitei… I repeat… intruders detected in the skies above Seireitei."
As the announcement echoed, a glowing sphere of light appeared in Seireitei's skies, slamming violently into the barrier surrounding it before the eyes of thousands of its inhabitants.
"So, they've arrived," Ren muttered, eyes fixed on the sphere of compressed reiatsu in the sky, a faint smile spreading across his face.
Thanks to his extraordinary senses, Ren could clearly feel Ichigo's reiatsu along with the others'. It seemed they had enlisted Kūkaku's help to breach Seireitei. There was also an unfamiliar reiatsu among them.
Although Ren had never sensed it before, there was something faintly familiar about it—it carried a trace similar to his father Isshin's reiatsu. The only possible source was someone connected to the Shiba Clan. There was only one answer: Ganju, who, in the original story, had also accompanied Ichigo and the others.
With each passing moment, the spiritual pressure intensified, crashing into the air in violent waves. The barrier began to collapse, fragments of shattered blue light swirling in the sky like a broken vortex.
"Will you intervene?" Ritsu asked quietly, turning her gaze toward him with no sign of worry—only pure curiosity.
"Not yet," Ren replied with his usual indifference, his blindfolded eyes fixed on the sky as though trying to pierce through it. "This is their fight. I just have to watch… and choose the moment that truly warrants my intervention."
Although everyone had grown far stronger than they were in the memories of his past life, it still wasn't enough. They were the kind who thrived under pressure, and that was why Ren intended to quietly observe from the sidelines. This was for their sake. But if they fell into danger, he wouldn't hesitate to step in—to reveal all his hidden cards, even if it meant fighting the entire Seireitei.
Ren's thoughts weren't arrogance or empty bravado. They were the embodiment of his absolute confidence in his strength. Ever since he had mastered his Bankai, his power had soared to unimaginable heights. And training with Ritsu had given him what he once lacked—a sharpened instinct, refined and under control, no longer just a raw, untamed impulse.
...
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