Then Renji refocused.
'I can't just cut off all her hair for absorption… and it's probably not even necessary. Let's try drawing Demonic Energy from a single strand that's still attached.'
With a thought, one strand slipped free from Ayame's braid and slithered toward him, wrapping gently around his pinky.
Renji concentrated, willing the energy to flow from the strand to his finger. Slowly, he pulled at it—absorbing from the tail end toward the root. Just before reaching the root, he stopped.
Another trickle of energy passed through him before fading into that same invisible reservoir.
In his mind-space, the strand remained—but only a tiny portion near the root was still visible. In the real world, Ayame's hair looked completely unchanged, indistinguishable from the rest. He would know; his newly heightened senses told him so.
He let out a quiet breath of relief.
'Good… I can absorb this energy without affecting her in any real way. Otherwise, gathering Demonic Energy would have been a nightmare.'
He kept his focus steady on the faint remnant in his mind-space. Minutes passed, and to his surprise, the tiny fragment grew—slowly, but surely.
'So it can recover… As long as the strand remains connected, the energy regenerates.'
Content with the result, Renji ended the test.
He leaned back, confidence settling in his chest. 'At least my actions won't hurt the owner of the hair. As for whether there are any benefits this will bring… I'll just have to wait and see.'
'Alright… let's absorb the energy.'
Renji focused on all of Ayame's hair at once—two thick brown braids, slightly messy from travel, still pressed beneath his palm. With care, he willed the Demonic Energy from every strand to flow into him, leaving only the smallest traces at each root.
The effect was immediate. A flood of energy surged through his hand, rushing into his body like a roaring current. Heat bloomed in his chest, washing away his fatigue as if his very cells were cheering in celebration. He also felt some vague emotions/memories, that didn't make any sense. But kept it aside for now.
'Oh my god! I forgot just how many hairs are on a person's head… An average human has what, a hundred—maybe a hundred fifty thousand strands? Compared to the tiny trickle from one, a full head is on a whole different level!'
In his vision, the blinking icon for his developing skill flared wildly, pulsing faster and faster, on the verge of solidifying into something real. Yet just before completion, it halted—hovering at the edge of existence.
'Almost there. It just needs a little more.'
He exhaled slowly, suppressing his impatience. Full absorption would cause the hair to disintegrate.
'But let's not be hasty. Any more, and this cute little sister of mine would be walking around like a bald monk.'
The mental image made him smirk despite himself.
His gaze softened as he looked down at Ayame, who fell asleep at some point, her arms still wrapped around him. Gratitude swelled in his chest.
'I owe her for this. I'll make sure to take care of her more, maybe buy her her favourite snacks. Teuchi should know what.'
Though it felt like a long, careful process, the absorption had taken no more than a few minutes since the hug began. All the while, Renji's hand had continued to move gently over Ayame's head, his fingers occasionally scratching at her scalp in a subconscious rhythm.
At first, Ayame had only been hugging him to apologize for hitting his chest. But the steady strokes of his hand soon turned into something else—something soothing. The head pat felt like a gentle massage, melting away the tension she hadn't realized she carried. It was warm, comforting… and she didn't want it to end.
She burrowed closer, adjusting herself into a more comfortable position, and gradually her breathing slowed. The long day had worn her down, and with everything that had happened, exhaustion pulled her under quickly. The makeshift head massage had been the final push; before long, she was fast asleep, nestled against him.
Renji looked down at her small form.
'How cute… She's just like a little cat—scratching with her tiny paws one moment, then curling up to sleep so peacefully the next.'
He chuckled softly under his breath.
'I never had a sister in my past life… but this feeling isn't bad at all.'
His lips curved into a doting smile as he continued to palm her head lightly, watching over her sleeping face.
A few minutes later, the door slid open.
Teuchi stepped in, his shoulders heavy, weariness etched into his face. There was a shadow of sadness in his eyes—but the moment he saw the sight before him, it softened.
Ayame was curled up, fast asleep, clinging to Renji like a kitten. Renji, in turn, watched over her with a gentle, doting smile.
The image stirred something deep in Teuchi's chest. Memories surfaced—of many other times he had found the two like this before.
Renji may not remember anything right now… but in his heart, he's still the same. I just hope he recovers soon.
He walked closer, drawing Renji's attention. Meeting his gaze, Teuchi lowered his voice so as not to disturb the girl.
"Thanks for looking after her."
Renji smiled faintly. "That's alright. I like her already."
Teuchi's lips curved. "We need to go home now, check on the shop. From the outside it looked fine, so it should be okay. But… your house caved in." He paused, then continued matter-of-factly, "So you'll stay with us for a while."
Renji opened his mouth to refuse, but Teuchi raised a hand to stop him.
"No need to say anything. You've lived with us before. Don't be shy."
Renji's chest warmed at the words. He bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Teuchi-san."
"Alright. Get some rest. I'll take Ayame back now, and tomorrow morning—nine o'clock—I'll come fetch you after you're discharged."
He leaned down and carefully gathered Ayame into his arms. She stirred faintly, making a soft noise, but quickly nestled into a more comfortable position against his chest.
Teuchi glanced back with a smile. "See you tomorrow, Renji. Rest well."
With that, he turned and left, carrying Ayame with him.