After having a warm, laughter-filled breakfast with Mahiru, the two of them stepped out together early in the morning, as sunlight gently filtered through the city buildings, casting a calm golden glow over the streets. The air carried the scent of fresh bread and coffee drifting from a nearby café, adding a sense of comfort despite the recent violent events they had witnessed.
As each of them made their way to their respective schools, the situation was slightly different: Ren was an exchange student at Kuoh Academy, a school hosting students from various backgrounds, while Mahiru attended Seijo High School, not far away, yet the walk between them provided a quiet moment for reflection.
"I left some of my power with you, in case your life is endangered again," Ren said in a calm voice, as if reading a book without moving his lips much. "Also, I've instructed my followers to increase patrols around the city, and I'll inform the other factions about yesterday's incident with Freed. So there's no need to worry. You won't face something like that again."
His words were measured and calm, yet his eyes couldn't hide the astonishment that swept over him: the girl walking beside him possessed incredible mental strength. It wasn't just calmness; it was an almost unbelievable inner stability. Yesterday, when Mahiru had nearly lost her life, anyone would have felt fear and anxiety, perhaps refusing even food or drink, let alone leaving their room. But now, she walked as if nothing had happened, her face only slightly pale, maintaining her natural composure.
The two continued walking through the streets bathed in morning light, passing the sounds of vendors opening their shops and the aroma of fresh bread rising from small bakeries. Yet it was not enough to lift the weight of thoughts in Ren's mind. Every step he took beside Mahiru reminded him of the vulnerability he had witnessed yesterday. Despite her simple appearance now, he saw behind those shining golden eyes a long story of suffering and endurance.
Ren couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy and an internal sadness over the harsh life she had been forced to endure, despite her delicacy and natural beauty. He recalled the moment Mahiru had partially accepted death, and how his intervention had rekindled the spark of life in her eyes, restoring even a fragile, temporary sense of safety.
The feelings Ren experienced toward her were somewhat unusual. It wasn't love or desire in the usual romantic sense, but more akin to someone finding an abandoned cat on the side of the road—a feeling that compelled him to protect her, to be present for her, even if he didn't fully understand why.
His heart was full of regret and pity, yet also a strange urge to remain close, a mysterious balance between responsibility and curiosity. He knew deep down that Mahiru had not lived an easy life, and that every quiet moment or smile from her was a small victory over the darkness that had tried to consume her from the start.
With every step, Ren felt something shifting inside him. He wasn't sure whether it was a sense of duty or a natural attraction to someone gentle whose vulnerability demanded protection, but he knew one thing clearly: he would not let her face this world alone, no matter the circumstances.
Finally, they reached the crossroads that separated their schools, where Mahiru turned toward her school with a quiet smile. Ren felt that she was hiding something behind that smile—perhaps a small fear or merely an adaptation to a life that had not spared her.
"See you later, Ren…" she whispered softly, as if saying more than her words could express.
Ren gave a faint smile and replied in a low voice, "Always be careful, Mahiru."
As she walked toward the gates of Seijo High School, Ren paused for a moment, watching her fade into the crowd of students.
After ensuring she had entered safely, Ren continued toward Kuoh Academy, where he had a meeting with the Angel Faction to deal with the Freed incident, in addition to matters regarding the Three Holy Swords in his possession.
'If I remember correctly, the Devils had something called Evil Pieces, which allows other races to transform into Devils. Even in the original story, after the peace conference and the alliance of the three factions, the Angels obtained the secret of these pieces and could manifest other races as Angels. I wonder if there's a way to obtain this method as well,' Ren thought. Although he could grant a bit of his power to others to become Shinigami, this method was not ideal. The amount of power a human or another being could endure varied with their talent, and it was never that strong. The person receiving the power wouldn't become overwhelmingly strong.
There were, of course, exceptions, but he and Ichigo were not among them, being descendants of Shinigami. Hence, their talent and lineage posed no issues. Special cases existed, like Kūgo Ginjō in the original story, a human with strong spiritual power who could perceive Shinigami and Hollows and, upon receiving Shinigami powers, could even master Bankai.
For others, however, there was no confirmation that they possessed Kūgo Ginjō's talent. Therefore, acquiring the secret of the Evil Pieces was preferable, as it could transform others into Shinigami without needing to use the recipient's own power. The material from which the Evil Pieces were made possessed immense power, capable of reviving the long-dead.
As for the laws of the Soul Society prohibiting Shinigami from granting their powers to others, Ren didn't really care. Since joining the Gotei 13, he had informed the old man and the others that he would do as he pleased, unbound by the rules. Therefore, he was free to use his power as he wished, and no one would object, even if he gave it to others.
"But how can I obtain the materials and method to manufacture the Evil Pieces…" Ren muttered, having no real connections with the Devils Faction, unlike the Heaven Faction, whom he could make indebted to him by taking care of Freed and returning the Three Holy Swords. "Wait… can't I use the Three Holy Swords and the Freed incident as a pretext to get the Heaven Faction to acquire the materials and method from the Devils?"
At the thought, a faint smile spread across Ren's face. This way, he could easily obtain what he desired, especially since he didn't truly need the Three Holy Swords for himself.
With that thought, a light smile lingered on Ren's face as he walked toward the academy with renewed ambition. Not only would he make Azazel indebted to him through handling Kokabiel, but he could also make the Heaven Faction owe him, thanks to dealing with that fool Freed.
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