Hasumi Ren frowned slightly, instantly suppressing the restless spiritual pressure.
Simultaneously, he retreated several steps, creating distance while slowly catching his breath.
"Senior?"
Kaien noticed the change in Hasumi Ren's expression and quickly halted his assault.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"...No, I'm fine."
Hasumi Ren calmed his surging blood and the agitation of that wisp of spiritual pressure.
"I just got a bit tired all of a sudden. Sorry, Kaien, let's call it a day."
Kaien looked at Hasumi Ren's complexion and felt a surge of guilt.
"Sorry, Senior. My bad. I didn't realize we'd been at it for so long..."
"It's alright. I learned a lot from this spar. We can continue another time."
Feeling his body return to normal, Hasumi Ren regained his composure and replied with a smile.
Kaien saw Hasumi Ren's state and his expression relaxed immediately.
He rubbed his sore muscles.
"Tonight was truly satisfying. I didn't expect you to be so strong, Senior."
His tone was sincere, laced with a hint of admiration.
"With your strength, you should be able to join the Gotei 13. Why are you still staying under the radar at the Academy?"
Kaien asked curiously.
"I am indeed hiding something at the Academy because I'm just looking for a stable life. I have no desire to stand out."
"You're the first person to know my true strength. I hope you can keep this secret for me, Kaien."
Seeing the look of trust in Hasumi Ren's eyes, Kaien felt a stir in his heart.
Everyone has their own path; since this was Hasumi Ren's choice, he wouldn't pry further.
Kaien patted his chest confidently.
"Don't worry, Senior. I'll keep it under wraps."
Hasumi Ren looked at Kaien. Although the other man's breathing had steadied, it was clear he still had plenty of strength left.
This spar had been a massive windfall for Hasumi Ren.
Hasumi Ren checked the system; except for Kido, all his other stats had jumped significantly.
[SYSTEM: Spiritual Power EXP +580]
[SYSTEM: Zanjutsu EXP +320]
[SYSTEM: Hakuda EXP +380]
[SYSTEM: Shunpo EXP +350]
Fighting a genius like Kaien even once yielded far better rewards than daily training or collecting ordinary fragments.
After a quick cleanup, the two headed down the mountain toward the Shiba residence.
It was late at night when they arrived.
Kukaku was sitting by the entrance, a warm yellow light glowing beneath the eaves.
"Big Brother, Ren, you're back."
Seeing the two return looking travel-worn, Kukaku yawned and waved them over.
Kaien looked up at the sky.
"Senior, why don't you stay over for the night? We can head back together tomorrow."
"That works. Sorry for the intrusion."
"Haha, what's with the formalities between us?"
Watching the two, who had clearly grown closer, Kukaku was a bit bewildered.
'Since when did Big Brother and Ren get so close?'
"Alright, it's getting cold. Get inside."
Under Kaien's arrangement, Hasumi Ren stayed in the guest room.
Lying in bed, Hasumi Ren quietly reviewed the day's events.
He had gained more experience than expected; it seemed he should seek out Kaien more often.
A level 4 breakthrough in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido was just around the corner.
By then, his strength would be on par with a mid-to-high-ranking seated officer.
However, the agitation of that Hollowfied spiritual pressure during the match was something he had to take seriously.
In his memory, for a Soul Reaper to complete Hollowfication, they needed at least vice-captain-level spiritual pressure to remain stable.
His current spiritual power level wasn't high, and despite the system's support, he was unsure what would happen if Hollowfication were triggered.
But if... there were an extremely remote place that could isolate spiritual pressure, he might be able to give it a try.
But that would require meticulous planning and preparation.
There were only a handful of people in the Seireitei capable of achieving such a goal.
The next day, Hasumi Ren returned to the Spiritual Arts Academy with Kaien.
In the days that followed, Hasumi Ren's life returned to a regular routine, yet things were slightly different.
To others, he was still that average fifth-year student.
But Nanao noticed some subtle changes in him.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but Hasumi Ren seemed much more diligent than before.
Especially a while back, when she had actually seen him training seriously on the grounds, which was quite a rare sight.
Though lately, he had slipped back into his usual lazy demeanor.
Meanwhile, interactions between Hasumi Ren and Shiba Kaien became more frequent.
Hasumi Ren had been spending a lot of time with Shiba Kaien lately, and the two often snuck out of school together for unknown reasons.
On rest days in particular, Hasumi Ren would vanish early in the morning.
He spent much less time with her in the library.
This left Nanao feeling somewhat disgruntled.
'Is this guy sneaking off to find Shiba Kukaku?'
Whenever that thought crossed her mind, Nanao felt a wave of irritation, as if her chest were tightening.
Although Hasumi Ren had mentioned he was training with Kaien, that excuse wasn't enough to convince her.
She decided to follow him in secret.
After class that day, she hurried home to change into casual clothes, took her Seireitei entry permit, and lay in wait near the West Gate.
Before long, she saw Hasumi Ren and Kaien exit together. They walked through the busy streets and into a secluded forest.
The next second, both vanished simultaneously using Shunpo.
Nanao's pupils shrank.
They were incredibly fast—so fast that even as a member of the elite class, she could barely track their movements.
That speed was even greater than the instructors who taught their classes.
It wouldn't have been surprising for Shiba Kaien to show such skill.
After all, for someone with Grade 6 Spiritual Power, it would be strange if he didn't.
But... Hasumi Ren?
Nanao rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
Her mind was in a total whirl.
'Was everything Hasumi Ren said about training with Shiba Kaien actually true?'
While her mind was racing, a finger poked her shoulder.
"Eek?!"
Nanao jumped in surprise. Turning around, she saw Hasumi Ren standing behind her with a playful grin.
Seeing it was him, her initial fright turned into the embarrassment of being caught stalking, which then shifted into a touch of anger.
Nanao stood frozen for a moment, her face flushed bright red, before she started pummeling Hasumi Ren's chest with her small fists.
"Don't scare me like that! Don't scare me like that!"
"Alright, alright, Nanao. Why were you following us?"
Once she had finally let out her frustration and her face began to return to its normal color, Hasumi Ren asked gently.
Hearing his question, Nanao turned her face away, her voice sounding a bit shy.
"It's nothing. I just... I wanted to know what you were doing. Lately, you... you haven't spent much time with me..."
"Ah, no! That's not what I meant!"
Seeing the blushing, flustered Nanao, Hasumi Ren found it endearing but also sighed inwardly.
He had indeed neglected her lately, caught up in grinding experience with Kaien.
He gently patted Nanao's head.
"I've just been doing some private training with Kaien. Don't worry so much. It's almost dark, you should head back."
"Don't worry, once the Konso internship is over, I'll go to the library with you just like I used to."
Nanao didn't fully understand the point of what he was doing, but looking into his eyes, she felt her heart swell with warmth.
Nanao pursed her lips and finally gave a small nod.
"Okay... I'll wait for you."