The Second Division's training grounds were warmed by the midday sun. Hasumi Ren stood at the edge of the field, watching Soi Fon slowly walk toward the center.
Her figure remained slender, yet at this moment, she exuded an undeniable, sharp aura that could not be underestimated.
Her black attire outlined her sleek silhouette. Spiritual pressure quietly gathered around her, carrying the swiftness and ruthlessness unique to the Second Division.
"I wonder if your Hakuda has grown rusty during your time in the Fourth Division."
Soi Fon's voice carried a hint of excitement, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
She shifted her footing slightly, settling into a Hakuda starting stance as the spiritual pressure around her began to surge.
Ren reached down to unfasten the Zanpakuto at his waist and set it aside, his own interest piqued.
"Bring it on."
Before Ren's words even faded, Soi Fon's figure abruptly vanished from her spot.
Without the slightest warning, a blurry black afterimage accompanied by a fierce gust of wind lunged straight for Ren's face.
The speed of her Shunpo was much faster than during their last encounter. Her control over her spiritual pressure had grown even more refined, leaving almost no trace of her movements in the air.
Ren's vision blurred for a fraction of a second before Soi Fon's fist appeared right in front of him. Dense spiritual pressure was concentrated on her knuckles, aiming directly at his face.
Yet, Ren's eyes remained perfectly calm. He took a light step to the side, flawlessly evading Soi Fon's assault.
With a subtle twist of his wrist, he swatted at her forearm.
The movement seemed effortless, but it struck precisely at the opening in Soi Fon's technique, intercepting her strike perfectly.
Soi Fon furrowed her brows slightly as her wrist was deflected, her fist brushing harmlessly past Ren's ear.
In the next instant, she used the momentum to pivot, activating Shunpo once more as her figure flashed across every corner of the training ground.
Multiple afterimages surrounded Ren, each launching a fierce attack. They wove together into an airtight net that enveloped him.
Soi Fon's strikes were ruthless and tricky, fully displaying the essence of the Second Division's Hakuda.
As she shifted between positions, the fluctuations of her spiritual pressure barely paused, making it clear that her understanding of Shunpo had deepened.
What caught Ren's attention even more was the faint trace of Shunko hidden within her attacks.
Spiritual pressure circulated rapidly within her body, gradually fusing the power of Kido with the physical arts of Hakuda.
Although she couldn't fully unleash it yet, it elevated both her speed and power to another level.
With every flash of her movements, a faint ripple of spiritual pressure emanated around her—a sign that her Shunko was on the verge of taking shape.
Compared to their last spar, she had clearly touched the threshold of Shunko.
It was obvious she had been training bitterly during this time.
However, faced with Soi Fon's suffocating barrage, Ren remained entirely unruffled.
He simply stood his ground, shifting his feet lightly. With casual blocks and deflections, he kept all of her attacks at bay.
His movements weren't fast, but they possessed an absolute precision.
Every block perfectly gauged the force and angle of Soi Fon's strikes. With a gentle parry, he dissolved her fierce momentum into nothingness.
Each of his motions targeted the connecting points of her techniques, making it incredibly difficult for her to chain her follow-up attacks.
At this moment, Ren's Level 6 Hakuda had already surpassed the standard of an ordinary lieutenant, brushing against the threshold of a Captain.
It was more than enough to suppress the current Soi Fon.
Soi Fon's attacks grew fiercer, the fighting spirit in her eyes intensifying.
She could sense that Ren was clearly holding back.
But even so, she couldn't break through his defense.
Her breathing gradually quickened, and her spiritual pressure consumption skyrocketed. Fusing the prototype of Shunko was already extremely taxing on her reserves.
Prolonged high-speed attacks began to stir a trace of exhaustion within her body.
Seeing that the moment was right, Soi Fon violently thrust both fists forward, her spiritual pressure suddenly condensing to its absolute limit.
The power of Shunko forcibly erupted for a split second, instantly elevating her speed and strength to their peak. The gathered spiritual pressure was on the verge of tearing the fabric at her shoulders.
This was the strongest strike she could currently muster.
A flicker of approval finally crossed Ren's eyes.
At the exact moment Soi Fon's fists were about to touch his chest, Ren finally moved.
A faint afterimage flashed by as Ren appeared at Soi Fon's side. His speed wasn't fast, but he flawlessly dodged her full-power blow.
Simultaneously, he gently raised his palm, carrying a soft spiritual pressure, and patted her shoulder.
There was no fierce force behind it, only a perfectly timed push that severed the spiritual pressure she was about to unleash.
Soi Fon felt a sudden numbness in her shoulder. The spiritual pressure within her instantly fell into disarray, and the eruption of her Shunko came to an abrupt halt.
Her body stumbled uncontrollably to the side, taking several steps back before she barely managed to steady herself.
She looked up at Ren, her chest heaving slightly as she panted. A trace of reluctance lingered in her eyes, but it was mostly filled with acknowledgment.
"I lost."
Soi Fon's voice remained cold, yet it lacked its usual arrogance, replaced by a sense of candor.
Ren relaxed his stance, his spiritual pressure slowly retracting.
"You've made great progress, especially with Shunko. You've already touched the threshold. It seems it won't be long before you truly master it."
Soi Fon walked to the edge of the field and picked up a waterskin, taking a sip to calm her chaotic spiritual pressure. She turned her head to look at Ren, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Speaking of which, how exactly did you do it?"
"I've been training to develop Shunko for so long, yet I've only scratched the surface. But last time, you seemed to use it proficiently, even though I've never seen you practice it."
Her eyes brimmed with curiosity.
Ren gazed at the distant sky, his tone flat.
"It just came naturally. The essence of Shunko is nothing more than the fusion of Kido and Hakuda."
"As long as your control over Kido's spiritual pressure and your understanding of Hakuda reach a certain level, it naturally falls into place."
Hearing this, Soi Fon lowered her head in thought for a moment before nodding gently.
"By the way, how have you been doing in the Fourth Division?"
"Fairly well."
Ren replied softly.
"My progress with Kaido has been pretty good. I can now independently handle organ repair techniques for severely injured patients. Captain Unohana has appointed me as the Fourth Seat."
"Fourth Seat... Your Kaido has reached that level?"
A flash of surprise crossed Soi Fon's eyes.
She knew how difficult Kaido was; it required an extremely high level of spiritual pressure control and an understanding of the soul's pathways.
Ren had only been in the Fourth Division for a few months, yet he had achieved so much. This seemed far more impressive than his performance in the Second Division.
No wonder Captain Unohana valued him so highly.
She paused, then asked curiously.
"Then your current Kaido level must be even higher than your Hakuda, right?"
Hearing this, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Ren's lips. He looked up at Soi Fon, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Actually, my strongest skill right now isn't Kaido."
"Oh? Then what is it?"
Soi Fon's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she instinctively pressed for an answer.
She looked at Ren, eagerly anticipating his response, only to see him shake his head and reattach his Zanpakuto to his waist.
"It's getting late. I should head back to the Fourth Division."
With that, he walked toward the gates of the training grounds, leaving Soi Fon's question unanswered as he presented her with a nonchalant back.
Soi Fon stared at his retreating figure, frozen in place. Her eyes were filled with confusion, which soon melted into a trace of helplessness.
*This Hasumi Ren, always like this, leaving his words half-spoken to keep people in suspense.*
She looked up in the direction Ren had left, the reluctance in her eyes gradually transforming into a sliver of anticipation.
Ren's strength was growing greater by the day. She had to work even harder to catch up to his footsteps.
*One day, I will defeat him fair and square.*
Meanwhile, Ren had already stepped out of the Second Division's barracks, making his way toward the Fourth Division.