Chapter 51
A year had passed, and Renji's life was no longer what it used to be.
The sun shone through the curtains of his apartment, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. Renji stood by the window, stretching his arms, his well-built frame outlined by the light. His body had changed so much over the months — lean muscles carved from endless training sessions with Takeda.
He could still remember the first day Takeda had agreed to train him.
Back then, he could barely lift his own weight. Now, he could run for miles without stopping, punch hard enough to shatter reinforced targets, and summon enough mana to shake the floor beneath his feet.
He turned slightly, watching Lily at the dining table, legs crossed, hair falling gently to her shoulders as she read a book. She had grown taller too — no longer the little girl clinging to him for safety, but a young woman who smiled proudly whenever she looked at her brother.
"You're staring again," Lily said with a playful grin, snapping the book shut.
Renji laughed softly and scratched his cheek. "Can you blame me? You've grown too fast. It feels like yesterday you were shorter than the kitchen counter."
Lily rolled her eyes but her smile didn't fade.
"And you've grown too, you know. You look nothing like the scared guy who couldn't throw a proper punch a year ago."
Renji smirked, walking over to the table and sitting across from her.
"Takeda almost killed me a hundred times to get me here," Renji said, half-joking but with respect in his tone. "But I guess it was worth it."
In truth, the training had been brutal — every morning waking up with sore muscles, every night falling asleep with bruises covering his arms and chest. But day after day, he had gotten stronger.
It wasn't just his body that changed.
His fear — that gnawing, crippling fear he used to feel whenever danger came near — was gone.
He wasn't afraid anymore.
Not of Hunters.
Not of monsters.
Not of the strange, god-like figure in his dreams.
And that thought gave him a sense of peace.
As if on cue, Takeda stepped into the apartment, his calm presence filling the room. His sharp eyes scanned Renji from head to toe, nodding slightly as if confirming something.
"You've grown," Takeda said simply.
Renji chuckled. "You keep saying that every month."
"This time I mean it," Takeda replied, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Your body isn't just stronger — your mana control is near flawless now. You've been holding back without even realizing it."
Renji blinked in surprise. "Holding back?"
Takeda nodded.
"I've been watching you carefully. Your mana pool is deep, Renji. Very deep. You rarely ever run out of magic, and your body is finally strong enough to handle much more than before. If you keep training like this, there might not be anyone in Japan who can face you head-on." Except me of course
Lily's eyes widened, but Renji just stayed quiet, gripping the edge of the table.
A year ago, hearing that would have terrified him.
But now, he only felt calm.
Takeda stood quietly in the training room, hands behind his back, watching Renji go through his final set of mana control exercises.
The air around Renji shimmered faintly with golden light, crackling and humming like a living thing.
He's finally ready, Takeda thought to himself, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Then he felt it — a presence rapidly approaching.
The door slid open with a hiss.
"Takeda-san!"
Hiroto stepped into the room, his usual carefree grin plastered across his face. But the moment his eyes landed on Renji, the grin faded into something else excitement.
Golden mana flowed around Renji's entire body, swirling like a storm, radiating heat and raw power.
It wasn't chaotic.
It was controlled.
Calm.
Hiroto whistled. "Oooooooh… so this is the Renji you've been training for a whole year?"
Renji turned, wiping sweat from his forehead. His faint smile said it all he wasn't afraid anymore.
"Come at me, Hiroto-san," Renji said.
For a moment, silence filled the training room. Hiroto's smile widened, sharp and full of anticipation.
"A year ago," Hiroto said, cracking his knuckles, "I told you to get stronger. I told you not to disappoint me."
He took a single step forward, and the air grew heavier.
"Okay, Renji," Hiroto said, mana sparking around him like lightning.
"Let's see how much stronger you've become."
The moment hung in the air ..then both of them vanished.
To Choji, it was like watching two blurs of light. He couldn't follow their movements at all just flashes of gold and silver as Renji and Hiroto reappeared and vanished again, colliding in the center of the room.
Their fists met.
BOOOOOM!
The shockwave was deafening. The reinforced magic barriers around the training room shattered like glass, fragments of glowing runes scattering across the walls before flickering out.
Choji shielded his eyes, stunned. "What the hell—?!"
But neither of them slowed down.
Renji darted to the left, his movements sharper than ever before, golden mana trailing behind him like comet fire. Hiroto blocked his strike with his forearm, grinning wildly.
"Good!" Hiroto roared. "But not good enough!"
He spun, his leg sweeping toward Renji's ribs but Renji caught it mid-air with both hands and twisted, throwing Hiroto across the room.
BOOM!
Hiroto slammed into the far wall, dust exploding around him. But before Choji could even blink, Hiroto burst out of the debris, his silver mana flaring brighter than ever.
"YES!" Hiroto shouted, laughing. "THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!"
Renji gritted his teeth, planting his feet firmly on the ground as golden mana surged around him like a tidal wave.
"Then don't hold back, Hiroto-san!" Renji shouted.
They clashed again.
This time, the force was even greater the ground beneath them cracked like dry earth, shockwaves rippling through the entire building.
Punches. Kicks. Dodges. Counterattacks.
Hiroto was fast impossibly fast but Renji was right there with him, reading his movements, adapting on the spot. His training with Takeda had sharpened every reflex, every instinct.
For the first time, Hiroto wasn't just holding back and observing.
He was fighting seriously.
Their fists collided again, sparks of golden and silver mana scattering like fireworks.
"You've really done it…" Hiroto muttered under his breath, panting slightly. Then, louder, with a grin:
"You've gotten so strong, Renji!"
Renji's lips curled into a determined smile, sweat dripping down his brow.
"I told you," he said. "I'm not the same as I was a year ago."
And then he charged again this time, his speed even greater, forcing Hiroto to block with both arms as Renji's punch sent him sliding backward across the floor.
Hiroto's laughter echoed through the room, wild and joyous.
"I haven't had this much fun in a very long time!"