Urahara Kisuke held the vial of reagent, his fingertips gently rubbing the cold glass as the liquid inside swayed slightly.
The escaping spiritual pressure drifted through the air, exuding an ominous aura.
Urahara's gaze fell upon Hasumi Ren's face. All the usual laziness had completely faded from his perpetually curved eyes.
He wanted to ask directly. He wanted to ask exactly where this Hollow spiritual pressure hidden inside Ren's body came from.
He also wanted to ask if he could control it at will, and if he knew just how unique a constitution harboring both of these coexisting powers was in the Soul Society.
These past few days, he had been repeatedly studying the spiritual pressure data extracted from Ren.
Although the Hogyoku's awakening rate remained faint, under the stimulation of this special spiritual pressure, it had made unprecedented new progress.
He had faintly touched upon a boundary—the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow.
If he could break through this boundary and allow a Shinigami to master the power of a Hollow, it would mean shattering the innate shackles of a Shinigami.
But he couldn't say it. Once those words left his mouth, it would be a monstrous crime.
The power of Hollows was an explicitly forbidden taboo in the Soul Society.
His private research on the Hogyoku was already touching the bottom line. The rules of the Seireitei were like a massive net, tightly entangling him.
As a member of the Gotei 13, Urahara absolutely could not expose his research.
Therefore, he could only probe obscurely, using indirect methods to try and make Ren reveal the secret of that power himself.
Meeting Urahara's gaze, Ren's expression remained indifferent, even carrying a trace of perfectly timed bewilderment, as if he truly couldn't understand what was so special about the vial in Urahara's hand.
"Third Seat Urahara, it's just a vial of medicine, why so serious? If there's nothing else, I should return to the Fourth Division. After all, I still have squad duties to attend to."
His tone was flat, and his feet even shifted slightly, looking as though he was ready to leave at any moment, without the slightest intention of getting to the bottom of things.
This composure made Urahara's heart sink even further.
He didn't believe that Ren hadn't noticed anything. He could tell that Ren wasn't truly bewildered; he was deliberately avoiding the subject.
This youth's mind was far deeper than he had imagined.
Urahara's fingers tightened around the vial, and the spiritual pressure fluctuations from the glass intensified, swirling around his fingertips.
He was somewhat unwilling to give up. He had finally gotten such an opportunity; could it be that he was just going to let Ren walk away?
During that test in the East Rukongai, the moment Ren's gaze fell on his cuff, he knew that this youth had noticed.
Urahara chuckled softly. He raised his hand and shook the vial, the liquid inside gleaming with an eerie light under the lamp.
"Ren, you still remember that mission right before you were transferred out of the Second Division, right?"
"That Adjuchas died under bizarre circumstances. When we were leaving, you looked at my cuff."
Ren still didn't speak. He merely looked at Urahara quietly, waiting for him to continue.
"At the time, what I had hidden in my sleeve was this very thing."
Urahara held the vial up in front of him, staring at the liquid inside.
"You must have felt it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have looked at me like that."
The laboratory fell into a dead silence.
Urahara's words were like a key, prying open the unspoken barrier between the two of them.
After a long while, Ren finally spoke slowly, his voice calm and rippleless.
"Third Seat Urahara, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Urahara looked at Ren, the conflict in his eyes gradually dissipating, replaced by an extreme seriousness.
He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, and enunciated every word.
"Ren, hidden inside your body is another kind of power. A power related to Hollows."
"I don't know how you obtained it, nor do I know if you can feel its presence, but you should be clear that this power is very special."
He stared intently at Ren's expression, paused for a moment, and then continued.
"You know about the recent Shinigami disappearance cases in the Rukongai, but in reality, it goes far beyond what we've investigated. There are countless unrecorded souls vanishing inexplicably, without leaving a single trace behind."
"I suspect someone is pulling the strings from the shadows. This person's strength is unfathomable, and moreover, he is also searching for special powers."
Urahara's gaze fell back onto Ren, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate warning.
"This power inside you is far too unique. A constitution like yours is probably the only one in the entire Soul Society."
"Once discovered by that mastermind, you will become his primary target. When that time comes, you will be in grave danger."
He took a step forward, offering the vial to Ren.
"I can help you uncover the truth behind this power, help you figure out its origin, and help you learn to control it."
"This way, not only will you understand your own power, but you'll also be more capable of protecting yourself."
Towards the end, Urahara's tone couldn't help but carry a trace of temptation.
"Furthermore, this power is very strong. It can grant a qualitative leap to all of your abilities."
"Although your current strength isn't bad, if you master this power, you will become even stronger—so strong that even Captain-class figures will have to view you in a new light."
Urahara Kisuke stared quietly at Ren. He had already made his words very clear.
After all, no Shinigami could refuse the temptation of becoming stronger.
He had even thought it through: as long as Ren nodded, he could use this as an excuse to continue researching the spiritual pressure inside his body and advance the development of the Hogyoku.
And subsequently, verify the feasibility of Hollowfication.
However, Ren's reaction exceeded his expectations.
Ren looked at the offered vial, his eyes showing not the slightest trace of emotion. There was neither a thirst for power nor a fear of the unknown.
He was merely indifferent, as if looking at something that had nothing to do with him.
He took a slight step back, avoiding the vial, and shook his head. His tone remained flat, and his eyes carried a trace of baffled bewilderment.
"Third Seat Urahara, I still don't understand what you're talking about."
"Besides, I am already strong enough as I am."
Ren raised his hand and touched the Zanpakuto at his waist, the blade feeling slightly cool.
"Not to mention, I am currently in the Fourth Division."
Ren's gaze swept over Urahara, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.
"The Fourth Division is a medical squad. Our duty is to treat the wounded, not to fight for supremacy. To me, whether I become stronger or not simply isn't important."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Urahara's heart.
He looked at Ren, the seriousness on his face gradually stiffening. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, which then turned into helplessness.
He hadn't expected Ren to use such a reason to refuse.
The duties of the Fourth Division?
That was nothing more than an excuse.
He didn't believe that anyone could truly not care about becoming stronger.
He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell Ren that the Soul Society's crisis was imminent, to tell him about the terrifying nature of the mastermind, to tell him that only by becoming stronger could he survive.
But the words reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down.
He saw the firmness in Ren's eyes, saw that trace of alienation deliberately creating distance.
He knew that saying anything more would be futile.
Urahara slowly withdrew his hand, gripping the vial in his palm. The strength in his fingertips gradually loosened, and the probing and temptation in his eyes were once again masked by laziness.
Only that imperceptible trace of disappointment couldn't be hidden.
He smiled, raising a hand to scratch his head. His tone returned to its usual casualness, as if that earnest conversation just now had been nothing but a joke.
"Haha, true, I was being too meddlesome."
"You're right. Life in the Fourth Division should be a bit more leisurely."
He made an inviting gesture.
"Since that's the case, I won't force it. This matter is entirely up to you."
"However, if you ever figure things out one day and want to uncover the truth behind that power, you can come find me anytime, and we can discuss it properly."
Ren looked at Urahara, the doubt in his eyes gradually fading as he returned to his indifferent demeanor.
The two exchanged a glance. No words were spoken, yet it was as if thousands of words had been exchanged.
Afterward, Ren gave a slight nod. Without saying anything more, he turned and walked toward the laboratory's hidden door.
His footsteps were steady, without the slightest pause.
Urahara stood in place, watching Ren's back disappear behind the hidden door, the smile on his face slowly fading.
He squeezed the vial and let out a soft sigh.