The Second Division canteen was spacious and austere, with long tables and chairs neatly arranged, along with square tables reserved for groups of familiar teammates.
It was currently the height of the lunch rush, and the room was a noisy mix of trainees and official members sitting together.
Hasumi Ren grabbed a standard meal and found an empty seat by the window.
He ate slowly, his mind already drifting toward the training grounds where he planned to go and gather fragments later.
Then, Hasumi Ren opened his status panel.
[NAME: Hasumi Ren]
[SPIRITUAL POWER: Grade 8 (EXP: 7850/8000)]
[KENDO: LV4 (EXP: 1200/5000)]
[HAKUDA: LV5 (EXP: 1550/8000)]
[SHUNPO: LV4 (EXP: 1510/5000)]
[KIDO: LV4 (EXP: 2650/5000)]
[ZANPAKUTO: Garenge (Shikai)]
[SPECIAL ABILITIES]
[HOLLOWIFICATION: LV1 (EXP: 460/1000)]
[SHUNKO: Locked]
[HOGYOKU (Awakening: 0.05%)]
His spiritual power was about to break through to Grade 7, and his Hakuda had already reached LV5.
Based on his Hakuda skills alone, he was already comparable to an ordinary Lieutenant.
Unlocking Shunko required both Hakuda and Kido to reach LV6, which was likely approaching the level of a lower-tier Captain.
At this moment, Hasumi Ren couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic for the days of gathering fragments in the Fourth Division.
If he wanted to significantly increase his Kido experience, only the Fourth Division or the Kido Corps would be able to satisfy his needs.
It seemed he would have to find an opportunity to visit the Fourth Division every now and then.
While Hasumi Ren was deep in thought, a figure flickered into view at the seat across from him.
Hasumi Ren looked up and saw that Soi Fon had appeared at some point. She sat down diagonally across from him, carrying a meal tray with an expressionless face.
In all his time since joining the Second Division, this was the first time he had seen Soi Fon in the soldiers' canteen.
'What is this? Does she want to share a table?'
Hasumi Ren glanced around. Many soldiers had already finished eating and left, so there were plenty of empty seats.
Although he found it strange, he put down his chopsticks and greeted her.
However, Soi Fon simply looked at him coldly, gave a stiff nod, and then lowered her head to start eating.
A question mark slowly drifted through Hasumi Ren's mind, but he soon stopped worrying about it.
The two ate their respective meals in silence, the atmosphere between them rather bizarre.
Just then, that familiar sensation of being watched returned, sending a shiver through Hasumi Ren.
He looked up. Soi Fon was eating with her head down, looking perfectly normal.
Hasumi Ren scanned his surroundings again but found nothing out of the ordinary.
'What's the deal here...'
Hasumi Ren frowned and went back to eating, but before long, the sensation of being watched appeared once more. He looked up sharply and happened to see the ends of Soi Fon's hair fluttering back into place.
He was a bit stunned.
'Wait... has she been the one secretly watching me these past few days?'
'What for? Does she think I'm Urahara Kisuke?'
'I'm a law-abiding citizen.'
Hasumi Ren could vaguely sense that Soi Fon seemed to have something to say but found it difficult to speak up, so she could only express her presence this way.
'The tsundere routine is so outdated, kid.'
'If you have something on your mind, just say it plainly...'
Finally, Hasumi Ren finished his last bite, put down his chopsticks, and decided to ask.
"Soi Fon, do you have something you want to talk to me about?"
Hearing Hasumi Ren's voice, Soi Fon looked up. Her black eyes stared directly at him, her face showing a faint, barely perceptible tension.
"No... it's nothing."
After saying that, Soi Fon lowered her head again.
"Oh, well, I'm finished, so I'll be going now. Take your time."
Hearing Hasumi Ren's words, Soi Fon's eyes widened slightly. She gritted her teeth and suddenly looked up.
But she only saw Hasumi Ren sitting there calmly, as if he had already seen right through her thoughts. A faint flush appeared on Soi Fon's face, and she lowered her head again.
Hasumi Ren watched Soi Fon's conflicted display and understood.
'The poor girl is practically squirming.'
"If something's on your mind, just say it. We're colleagues, there's no need to be embarrassed."
Hearing Hasumi Ren's voice, Soi Fon gritted her teeth. After much hesitation, she finally couldn't help but ask her question.
"During the entrance test... the technique you used at the very end... was it based on the way my spiritual pressure circulated when I attacked?"
She asked very directly, her eyes locked onto Hasumi Ren, not missing even the slightest change in his expression.
Hasumi Ren was taken aback. So it was about that.
He nodded and admitted it frankly.
"Is has a bit. I noticed that the power of your strikes far exceeded what someone of your spiritual pressure level should have."
"After observing closely, I realized that at the moment of your strike, you condense spiritual pressure onto your limbs in the form of Kido to amplify your destructive power."
"I tried to mimic the feeling of that spiritual pressure flow, though it was still quite crude."
'I knew it!'
Soi Fon felt a jolt in her heart.
Not only had he seen through it, he had actually managed to mimic it.
And based on his description, his understanding of the principles was remarkably accurate.
Soi Fon took a deep breath. At this moment, her desire for knowledge outweighed everything else.
She decided to stop beating around the bush.
"I won't lie to you; I am still in the exploration phase of this technique myself, and my progress has been slow. But you... you seem to have grasped the knack of it in such a short time."
She paused, her voice dropping lower, carrying a hint of awkwardness that was difficult for her to voice.
"I want to know how you did it. Do you have any special insights or methods?"
Hasumi Ren looked at Soi Fon.
The sharpness in her eyes had been replaced by a look of earnest inquiry, and even a hint of urgency she couldn't quite hide.
So that's what she wanted. Hasumi Ren put on a thoughtful expression; he had no reason to keep it a secret.
"I do have some thoughts. The key might lie in how to apply the operational method of Kido to Hakuda."
"The spiritual pressure needs to burst forth naturally and harmoniously throughout the body. I believe this requires a very high level of mastery in both Kido and Hakuda before one can even attempt to merge them."
Soi Fon listened with absolute focus, her eyes sparkling.
The concepts of specific spiritual pressure flow patterns harmonizing with Hakuda... these were things she had vaguely sensed, but they had never been articulated so clearly.
"A high level of mastery in Kido and Hakuda..."
Soi Fon muttered under her breath, then looked at Hasumi Ren.
"What level do you think Kido and Hakuda need to reach for that?"
"At the very least, one should be touching the edge of the Captain level."
Hasumi Ren spoke conservatively.
He was actually referring to the LV6 requirement set by the system, but he expressed it in a way that was easier to understand.
Soi Fon fell silent.
Her own Kido skills weren't actually that solid; only Shunpo and Hakuda were her strengths.
Hasumi Ren's words woke her up. Perhaps her bottleneck lay in her insufficient Kido foundation, which prevented her from applying it more skillfully to her Hakuda.
"I understand."
Soi Fon nodded. Her expression returned to its usual cold composure, but a new spark of determination flickered deep in her eyes.
"Thank you for your insights."
She seemed ready to end the conversation.
But after a moment's hesitation, she spoke again.
"Regarding the training of this technique, working alone inevitably leads to detours."
"If you have time, perhaps... we could conduct regular combat drills. It might be easier to capture that sensation in the heat of battle."
As Soi Fon said this, her gaze drifted slightly to the side, and her ears seemed to be turning a shade of red.
She was a very proud person and rarely found herself in a position where she had to ask someone for a favor.
But she truly wanted to perfect this ability so she could show it to Yoruichi.
"Of course, this training is for the purpose of increasing strength and refining the combat techniques of the Onmitsukido. If you're unwilling..."
"Sure."
Hasumi Ren agreed without the slightest hesitation.
To him, wasn't this just a walking bundle of experience points?
Soi Fon stared at him blankly for a moment, then quickly averted her eyes and nodded.
"Fine. I will notify you of the time later. Keep up your training and don't slack off."
After saying that, she picked up her tray and prepared to leave.
"Wait."
Hearing Hasumi Ren's voice, Soi Fon's body froze.
She slowly turned her head, only to see Hasumi Ren with a slightly excited expression.
"Why wait? Are you busy right now?"
Soi Fon: ?
##Discount##
Want more chapters? 50+ extra chapters are available on my Patreon:
patreon.com/Hard_Worker