Karakura Town, Kurosaki Clinic.
"Welcome back, Ren-sama," said Amagi respectfully, bowing to Ren, who stood at the doorway holding a few bags in his hands. "And thank you for your hard work over the past month."
"I'm back, Amagi," Ren replied with a calm smile. He felt both relief and happiness upon returning home after living in Kuoh Town for an entire month. Though he had been traveling frequently between the two cities, he had never truly felt at ease — that's why being back in his hometown, in his own house, filled him with warmth.
After dealing with the Khaos Brigade, the Peace Conference had concluded quietly. The non-aggression pact and mutual aid agreement had both been signed. With that, the Four Factions were no longer enemies forced to fight one another.
As the saying goes — there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. And now, as long as their interests aligned, peace would hold. But the moment their interests diverged, they would bare their fangs once again.
Pang!
The front door suddenly burst open, and a small shadow shot out like a bullet, colliding straight into Ren.
"Welcome back, Ren-nii!" Karin shouted happily as she threw herself into her beloved older brother's arms. She had missed him the most in the house, feeling an emptiness in his absence.
Ren staggered slightly from the impact but quickly smiled gently, patting her head.
"Hey there, little one… you really missed me, didn't you?"
Karin laughed brightly, her voice full of life and joy, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Yes! The house felt so empty without you… like something was missing!"
"But it seems your training is going well," Ren added, noticing her outfit — a black Shihakushō and a simple sword at her waist, her Zanpakutō.
Karin lifted her sword proudly and said, "Yes, Ren-nii! I've been training hard while you were gone… I won't be weak anymore!"
Ren smiled with approval, observing her movements and noticing how much her skills had improved despite her young age.
"I can see that… you're improving fast. But remember — strength isn't just about your sword. It's also about your mind and your control."
Karin nodded eagerly. "Yes! I'll be careful, Ren-nii! I promise I'll protect our home and family, no matter what!"
"There's no need to worry so much. Ichigo and I are here — not to mention the old man, too," Ren said kindly, while Amagi took his bags inside, and he walked in with Karin.
As soon as he entered the familiar house, Ren felt a wave of comfort and relaxation. Karin, on the other hand, quickly disappeared — returning to her physical body, which she had left resting in her room.
"I'm home!" Ren called out out of habit as he placed his shoes neatly and slipped into his indoor slippers.
"Welcome back, Onii-chan!" Yuzu's cheerful voice rang from inside, followed by quick footsteps before she appeared and threw herself at him from behind in a warm embrace.
Ren smiled softly, steadying himself while holding Yuzu, who hugged him tightly from behind.
"Hah, seems like everyone decided to greet me with an attack today," he said playfully, glancing back at his sister's radiant face.
Yuzu giggled shyly, looking up at him with eyes shining with affection. "I couldn't wait any longer… the house just didn't feel the same without you, Onii-chan."
Ren gently patted her head. "I'm back now, so you can leave the rest to me." He then walked slowly toward the living room. "So, how have things been here? No trouble with the clinic or school, I hope?"
Yuzu followed him, laughing. "Nothing special… Dad's still staying late at the clinic as usual, and Onii-chan (Ichigo) spends most of his time training with the Shinigami. As for Karin, she's always outside — either training or arguing with wandering spirits."
"As for me, I've been training to control the surrounding reishi. It seems I inherited the Quincy power stronger than anyone else."
"And by the way, Hina-nee, Rui-nee, and Tsukiko-san were all worried since you didn't visit for two weeks straight."
"I see… unfortunately, I've been really busy lately — didn't even have time to scratch my head," Ren said with a faint grumble while helping Yuzu off his back. "By the way, is there any breakfast left? I'm starving and want something to eat before heading to my room — I'm a bit exhausted."
"If not, that's fine. Amagi can make me something later."
"Actually, there's still some food left! I saved a bit of rice and grilled fish just in case you came back!" Yuzu said brightly as she hurried to the kitchen, the soft scent of warm green tea already filling the air.
Ren sat at the small wooden table, resting his chin on his hand, his half-lidded eyes betraying his fatigue. The exhaustion was evident on his face despite his calm smile — a whole month of faction dealings, meetings, secret battles, and exhausting investigations had worn out both his body and spirit.
"Kuoh Town was as troublesome as ever…" he muttered quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. "Spirits, angels, demons, witches… all preaching peace while hiding daggers behind their backs."
"Huh? Did you say something, Onii-chan?" Yuzu called from the kitchen, the clinking of plates blending with her cheerful humming.
"No, nothing important," Ren replied coolly, reaching for the cup of tea Amagi had prepared. "Just talking to myself."
Amagi stood in the hallway, one hand placed neatly over her chest as she bowed slightly. "I'll prepare your room once you finish eating, Ren-sama. Also, I've placed your files and the Soul Society reports on your desk upstairs."
Ren glanced at her briefly before saying, "Leave them for now. I'll check them tomorrow… I just want to rest today and do nothing at all."
"As you wish, Ren-sama," Amagi replied softly, leaving the room with her usual silent grace.
Moments later, Yuzu carefully placed the food before him and sat across with a shy smile. "Here you go. I made herbal tea too — it should help ease your fatigue."
"Thank you, Yuzu," Ren said gently as he began to eat quietly, all while wondering to himself why Karin hadn't returned yet after leaving to get back to her physical body.
...
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