The girl's face was smeared with mud, her hair messy and tangled, and her clothes patched and worn. If Asano Kiyoshi hadn't paid close attention—or didn't have a deep impression from the anime in his previous life—he might not have recognized that this was Rukia.
But on second thought, this kind of disguise was precisely a means of survival here. In a lawless society like this, Rukia's beauty would only bring her misfortune. Only by hiding her appearance like this could she survive.
As his spiritual pressure stirred faintly, a scroll materialized, displaying Rukia's current stats:
Name: RukiaZanjutsu: 8 (Years of malnutrition have left her body frail, making it hard to even lift heavier blades.)Hakuda: 6 (Her weak body means she can't handle strenuous activity like a normal child; even minor exertion causes her pain.)Kido: 18 (Born with a natural affinity for spiritual energy. Even without training, she can sense the movement of spiritual particles. With training, she could become a formidable Kido master.)Hoho: 8 (Although physically weak, her high spiritual affinity allows her to subconsciously use spirit energy to enhance her movement, giving her near-normal speed and agility.)Spiritual Pressure: Grade Seven (Incomplete. Due to some unknown force or condition, her soul is damaged, though this force is also slowly improving her constitution—a double-edged sword.)Overall Rating: 40 (A frail girl of Rukongai, like a candle in the cold wind. Though fragile, she possesses a fiery spirit—gentle and bright like flame.)
Asano smiled after reading the evaluation and recalling how Rukia had just warned him. As expected, Rukia was just as she had been in the anime—gentle yet strong. Truly worthy of the name that symbolized light: "Rukia."
Rukia, meanwhile, looked at the man who had suddenly appeared with fear and nervousness in her eyes, though she maintained a calm and respectful tone. She lowered her head slightly and asked:
"Um… sir, did you come looking for me for something?"
Seeing her trembling body, Asano responded with a gentle smile:
"Don't be afraid. I'm a student from the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy. I'm here to eliminate the Hollow that's been appearing around here lately. I'm not a bad person. Look—this is my student badge."
As he spoke, Asano handed her a badge engraved with an "A" class insignia.
Rukia carefully examined the badge. Seeing the words "Shin'ō Academy" engraved on it, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Though she had never seen a real student badge, she had heard of the academy. Besides, she had nothing worth stealing, nor the power to resist someone like Asano. So whether or not she truly believed him, she had no choice but to pretend she did.
With a smile, she handed the badge back and said:
"Here you go, sir. If you're here to hunt Hollows, you might want to check the western side. Lately, people have been disappearing mysteriously over there. But it's even more chaotic than here, and there are dangerous criminals with power. Please be careful."
Watching her force a calm demeanor, Asano sighed inwardly. He knew there was no way Rukia would fully trust him in such a deceitful and brutal environment. She wasn't some naïve girl.
Still, he didn't mind. He reached into his robes and pulled out a white bun, handing it to her with a smile.
"You're probably hungry. I have some food. Don't feel embarrassed—this is a reward for your warning earlier. If you hadn't called out, I might've been seriously injured. So, think of this as repayment. Go on, take it."
Rukia looked at the offered bun, a trace of embarrassment flashing across her face. She glanced at her dirty hands, unsure what to do, her face flushing red. She scrubbed her hands against the cleanest part of her clothing, rubbing so hard her arms turned red.
Asano, watching her awkward scrubbing, felt a wave of sympathy. He gently held her wrist, wrapped the bun in some parchment paper, and placed it in her hands.
"Sorry, I should've wrapped it beforehand. But your hands are clean—cleaner than anyone's."
Rukia blinked in surprise, then tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice choked as she whispered:
"Th-thank you, sir…"
Asano smiled warmly and replied softly:
"No need to call me 'sir.' I'm no different from you. Just call me by my name—I'm Asano Kiyoshi. And you?"
Rukia hesitated, then murmured in a soft voice:
"I'm Rukia… Big Brother Asano."
Hearing her call him that, Asano smiled gently.
But just then, a red blur shot out from a nearby alley. It looked like a ragged wild dog with crimson fur—but it was a boy, feral and frantic.
He was clutching a black stone, charging at Asano with a fierce snarl:
"You bastard! Stay away from Rukia!"
Rukia's eyes widened in shock when she saw the figure. But then she noticed the stone in Renji's hand and cried out anxiously:
"Renji! Stop! It's not what you think!"
But it was too late. Renji's attack was already upon them.
Asano, recognizing the familiar red-headed figure, sighed and softly muttered:
"Bakudō #1—Sai."
As his words fell, Rukia felt a distinct shift in the spiritual particles around them. They rearranged themselves like disciplined soldiers responding to a king's command, surging toward Renji.
With a dull thud, the red blur crashed to the ground—like a fallen star plunging into the dirt.
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
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