Kuoh Town, Kuoh Academy.
The morning classes had already ended, and the first period of the day began: Mathematics.
"My god, who decided we should start the day with integrals?" — one student muttered, burying his face on the desk, while sighs of resignation and complaints spread through the classroom like an unstoppable infection.
The teacher — a man in his forties named Takahashi-sensei — had already begun explaining equations on the blackboard in a monotonous voice, as though inspiration had abandoned him years ago.
"As you can see here… the second derivative equals zero when—"
But despite the collective boredom, there was one who sat in complete silence, showing no interest in mathematics… nor in complaints.
Kurosaki Ren.
He sat in his seat, his eyes half-lidded, the familiar blindfold covering them as always. But he wasn't asleep… he was in a different kind of focus.
Ren intended to enter his inner world to examine the matter of Mikazuki, but he couldn't afford to leave his body without protection. Despite being the representative of the Shinigami faction in the upcoming peace conference negotiations, he couldn't dismiss the possibility of an attack. For that reason, he had to keep part of his awareness focused on using Infinity at all times to guard his body against sudden assaults.
Though not an easy task, Ren managed it thanks to his immense spiritual power and the Six Eyes. He left a fragment of consciousness anchored in his body to sustain Infinity, while the rest of his awareness plunged into his inner world.
Ren's Inner World.
Silence loomed over the place.
But it was not the silence of peace… it was the silence before a storm. Even the air whispered that something had changed. The forest, which had never been there before, now swayed with colossal trees in a heavy, unsettling stillness. Ancient temple-like structures emitted a faint hum… as though chanting hymns that only one who had lived a thousand lives could understand.
And at the center of this strange realm, upon a throne seemingly carved from the shadows of stars and ancient bones, she sat…
Mikazuki.
A spectral manifestation of the sword… the entity bound to his soul.
Her body was curled in a fetal position, completely bare, without shame or modesty — but not in a human sense. No… she was a spiritual being that had transcended gender and time. Her long black hair stretched until it touched the ground beneath her, yet strands of pure white appeared every few seconds, before fading back to black… an endless cycle, as if she were being torn apart by an inner turmoil shredding her very essence.
Her energy… was unstable.
"… Mikazuki."
Ren appeared before her, standing with an aura calm yet suffocating. His expression was far more serious than anything seen in the outside world. Here… within himself… there was no need to act. No need to hide his strength, nor restrain his emotions.
"It has been a long time," he spoke in a low voice, yet one that echoed across the entire world.
No response.
She remained motionless… her hair shifting as though something deep inside prevented her from finding calm.
Ren stepped closer. Each footfall upon the throne's surface rippled with spiritual energy, as if his soul itself pierced through the fabric of this realm.
Since his brief clash with Aizen in Soul Society, she had been like this. She never answered his calls, no matter how much he tried. It left him worried… even slightly afraid. She had never ignored his voice before. He had even consulted his old father about the matter, but the man had no idea what was happening.
Ren drew closer until he stood directly in front of her, hand reaching toward her face — but he didn't touch. He only watched the trembling of her spiritual body, the turbulence of her energy, the white threads streaking through her hair like scars from both past and present.
He whispered, voice deep, filled with a concern he had never admitted even to himself:
"You've always been a part of my soul… if you're suffering, then I want to know why."
Unfortunately, no answers came. Mikazuki remained silent, as though she couldn't even hear his words. Her hair continued its ceaseless transformation, which only tightened the knot of worry inside him.
Ren sat upon the colossal throne beside her — vast enough to hold hundreds with ease. He ran his fingers gently through her long hair, channeling his reiatsu into her, hoping it might help in some way.
There was no response… no words, no movements, not even the faintest fluctuation in her energy to show if she felt his touch.
Yet he didn't stop.
He continued stroking her hair, sending his reiatsu into her for an unknown span of time, before finally rising and speaking softly:
"I will return."
His words echoed through the desolate inner world as his figure vanished, leaving behind a silence so heavy it became terrifying in his absence.
"It seems the school day has ended…" Ren muttered as he stretched his stiff body, seeing the empty classroom and the orange sun setting on the horizon.
He rose from his seat, stretching lightly before heading toward the classroom door. He needed to travel to Karakura Town to deliver his first-day report in Kuoh Town and his meeting with the other faction representatives to Suì-Fēng. More than that, he also wished to return home and have dinner with his family.
"Good evening, Kurosaki-san."
As he stepped out of the classroom, he was greeted by a handsome boy with blond hair, a gentle smile, and a beauty mark under his left eye — the very picture of a prince on a white horse to most girls.
"I am Kiba Yuuto, the 'Knight' of Rias Gremory's group," the boy introduced himself with a polite bow. "My master wishes to see you, and hopes you would spare some of your time to visit the Occult Research Club."
"…"
Ren stared at Kiba from head to toe, expression blank. He yawned, waving dismissively.
"Not interested. If she wishes to see me, she can come find me herself. Though whether I meet her or not depends on my mood — not hers."
It was obvious Ren was not pleased. To him, it was clear that Rias viewed him not as an equal, but as someone she could summon at will by sending a servant. That was not something Ren would entertain. He was an arrogant man — especially toward those who thought themselves above him. And now, with the experience and memories of Gojo Satoru, his arrogance had multiplied several times over. Yet it was a refined arrogance, not the reckless foolishness of people like Rias or Riser Phenex.
"…"
Kiba's eyes widened slightly. He had not expected such a blunt, disdainful rejection. While Rias's power was nothing remarkable, she was still the heiress of House Gremory — and the younger sister of Sirzechs Lucifer.
Because of this, nearly everyone showed her a certain degree of respect for her background alone. But the man before him clearly didn't care in the slightest.
"Wait…" Kiba tried to stop Ren, but froze in place. A crushing pressure descended on him, smothering his very existence. He felt as though a terrifying Reaper was waiting to tear his soul apart.
"I said I'm not interested. If you try to stop me again, remember… you won't like the consequences."
Ren turned his head back with a terrifying motion, the crystalline blue glow of his eyes visible even behind the blindfold. The sight sent a chill of dread through Kiba — unaccustomed as he was to facing such overwhelming, suffocating presence.
Unlike the magical energy of other races, Shinigami wielded spiritual power — reiatsu, born from the soul itself. Unless one possessed an exceptionally strong spirit, they were like sheep before the butcher. Under the crushing weight of reiatsu, even breathing became nearly impossible — let alone moving.
"Huh!! … huh!! … huh!!"
Suddenly, the terrifying pressure vanished. Kiba collapsed to his knees, clutching his throat as he gasped for air desperately. When he raised his eyes in terror to where Ren had been standing, the place was empty. He was gone… disappeared without even leaving a trace of his presence.
The realization struck like a deathblow. A horrifying image of Ren imprinted itself in Kiba's mind — especially those crystalline blue eyes glowing in the dark. Kiba knew, with certainty, that he would see them again in his nightmares.
...
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