The moment the red figure hit the ground, Rukia's face filled with deep worry. But once she realized that Renji was unharmed, she immediately turned to Asano Kiyoshi and said:
"Kiyoshi-nii, Renji didn't mean any harm. He just got scared I might be hurt and acted impulsively! He's not a bad person!"
Hearing her words, Kiyoshi smiled gently and replied warmly:
"Don't worry, I know. He's not hurt—I just restrained him temporarily. You can go talk to him. It's all fine."
Rukia's face lit up with gratitude. She quickly ran over to Renji and scolded him:
"You idiot! Why would you attack without even figuring out what's going on? Don't be so reckless next time! This man is a good person! Hurry up and apologize!"
The struggling Renji's expression softened upon hearing Rukia's voice. A look of relief and emotion crossed his face. Then, obediently, he bowed his head. With Rukia's help, he stood up and deeply bowed to Kiyoshi, sincerely apologizing:
"I'm terribly sorry, sir! I didn't mean to offend you. If you're still angry, you can hit me as much as you want until you feel better! But please, this has nothing to do with Rukia. Don't take it out on her. I beg you."
Kiyoshi let out a sigh as he looked at Renji, who refused to rise from his bow, and Rukia, who looked genuinely concerned. He muttered in exasperation:
"Ah, seriously, one after another... Do I really look like some kind of villain? I'm not a homicidal maniac or anything. Alright, alright—I'm not angry. You can get up now."
With that, he gave a small flick of his fingers. The restraining force behind Renji vanished, and another invisible force gently lifted his bowed body upright.
Seeing Kiyoshi's smiling face, Rukia and Renji finally relaxed and returned a timid smile, though they were still a little nervous.
Kiyoshi could see from their expressions that they weren't ready to fully let down their guard, and he didn't force it. As spirit particles subtly circulated, Renji's stats appeared on the scroll:
Name: Abarai Renji
Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship): 9(Due to malnutrition and underdevelopment, his body is lacking, but he's tall and has decent strength to swing a blade.)
Hakuda (Hand-to-hand): 10(His size and normal-ish muscles allow him to brawl like a street thug, but not much more.)
Kido (Demon Arts): 6(Terrible at controlling spirit particles. If Rukia was "fed" by the heavens, then Renji was basically "made to puke" by them.)
Shunpo (Agility): 10(Well, he's tall with long legs, so he runs decently fast.)
Spiritual Pressure: Sixth-Class(Has innate sensitivity to spirit particles, but extremely poor control.)
Overall Score: 35(A wild dog at the lowest rung of Rukongai. Like a monkey—foolishly ambitious, and like a snake—enduring and obsessed. Perhaps one day he'll transform into a "dual king," but for now, he's just a "wild dog" weaker than his peers.)
Reading the scroll's assessment, Kiyoshi nodded. The level of Renji's spiritual pressure matched his expectations.
Though Renji became powerful in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, that was only after intense "special training" from Squad Zero, which restructured his very soul. Early on, his performance was on par with someone like Ikkaku. Though Ikkaku was a 3rd seat, he was in Squad 11—Soul Society's strongest combat unit—so that ranking couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
So the sixth-class designation for spiritual pressure? Kiyoshi approved.
Looking at the two, Kiyoshi remembered that they should still have three other companions. He turned to Rukia and asked:
"It's getting pretty late today. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind letting me stay the night at your place?"
Rukia's face turned red with embarrassment at the request, and she waved her hands, flustered.
Seeing her flustered state, Kiyoshi suddenly felt like teasing her. He sighed dramatically and said:
"Sigh... I knew it. Guess I'm not welcome. I'll just sleep alone outside under the stars, I suppose..."
Rukia's face turned even redder, like the evening glow on the horizon—beautiful beyond words.
Renji, watching all this, was completely entranced.
After a moment of internal struggle, Rukia finally stammered:
"N-no! It's not like that, Kiyoshi-nii! Of course you're welcome! It's just... our place is really shabby... I was worried you wouldn't want to stay there. And... we don't have much food either. You might even go hungry..."
Seeing her slightly discouraged expression, Kiyoshi gently patted her head and said:
"It's fine. No matter how run-down, it's still better than sleeping outside. And come on—if I'm staying with you guys, how could I expect to eat your food too? Don't worry, I brought plenty. I'll cook for everyone—it's my way of paying for my stay. Let's go. Don't worry about those little things."
Hearing that, Rukia showed a lovely smile. Her delicate features seemed to radiate the warmth and kindness of the whole world.
Rukia led the way, and Kiyoshi followed behind. Glancing at Renji, who was still dazed, he lightly tapped him on the head and said:
"Let's go, red-haired kid! And remember—a man's back should never bend so easily. If you want to protect your star, you'll need to work harder."
Renji nodded thoughtfully, though he didn't fully understand the meaning yet.
Kiyoshi just smiled, saying nothing more, and walked behind Rukia.
Not far away, they reached the "house" that Rukia and Renji shared with their companions.
Calling it a "house" was generous. It was just four crumbling walls patched with scavenged wooden boards.
Inside sat three even more emaciated children, huddled around a small fire in the center of the shelter. Their faces were sallow and hollow—clear signs of chronic malnutrition.
When they saw Rukia and Renji return, the three children smiled. But when they noticed Kiyoshi behind them, fear immediately appeared in their eyes.
In District 78, fear of strangers was a rule of survival.
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
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