DingDangDengDong
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Notebooks snapped shut, chairs scraped back into place, and hushed chatter filled the classroom as everyone prepared to leave.
Amidst the quiet buzz, Ren had already risen from his seat, his steps steady as he made his way across the room—straight toward Tatsuki Arisawa, who was calmly packing her things.
Despite her tough features and independent demeanor, there was always a certain aura of composure around her. Her short black hair and the brisk, efficient way she moved always made her stand out from the other girls in class.
"Want to grab something to eat with me?" Ren asked in his usual calm tone as he stopped before her.
Tatsuki raised her head slightly, her left eyebrow arching in a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"Hm? Now?" she asked, her voice carrying a faint hesitation as her eyes followed his movements.
"Yeah," Ren replied simply, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I want to talk to you privately about something… and I also have something I want to give you."
There was nothing sentimental or uncertain in his tone—just a strange steadiness, as if he had thought this through long before.
Tatsuki paused, staring at him as though trying to read between the lines. Then she exhaled quietly and closed her bag at last.
"Fine. But don't expect me to eat anything heavy. I don't want a sugar crash because of some soda you pick."
A quiet chuckle escaped Ren's lips. "Don't worry, we're not going to a fast-food place."
"Then where?" she asked, walking beside him as they left the classroom together.
"You'll see when we get there," Ren said lightly, stepping out the door and leaving Tatsuki's curiosity smoldering.
Behind them, a few curious eyes lingered—Mizuiro smirked while winking at Keigo, who was staring with his mouth half-open.
"Oi… am I the only one who felt something weird between those two?" Keigo whispered.
"You're the only one who feels anything weird, because your brain's always in daydream romance mode," Mizuiro muttered, returning his focus to his phone.
—
Outside, the air was still warm despite the coming evening, the breeze carrying the faint scent of nearby cherry blossoms.
They walked together along the winding sidewalk beside the small river that flowed behind the school. The place was nearly deserted, save for the sound of running water and the flap of a passing bird's wings.
Tatsuki finally stopped, sensing this was more than just "grabbing a bite."
"So? What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"I'll get straight to the point." Ren looked at Tatsuki and pulled off his blindfold, revealing crystalline blue eyes that seemed to pierce straight into her heart. "Tatsuki, you can see ghosts too, can't you?"
Tatsuki froze in place.
She hadn't expected the question—not its bluntness, nor the weight behind it. Ren was usually somewhat enigmatic, always speaking with hidden layers. But now, his gaze, those gleaming blue eyes, the way he removed his blindfold as if unveiling a part of himself—it all made the moment heavier than words alone.
"… How long have you known?" she asked at last, her voice low, cautious rather than afraid.
"From the very beginning," Ren answered, his gaze unwavering. "Since the first time you noticed a Hollow chasing a kid. You were the only one who looked straight at it, even though it was hidden from everyone else."
Tatsuki bit her lip. She remembered it vividly. She hadn't told anyone. She had thought her mind was playing tricks on her—or that she was simply exhausted.
"So… you see them too." She spoke quietly, then furrowed her brows suddenly. "And Ichigo? Does he see them? Is he involved in this too?"
"You should already know that," Ren replied, though his words came as more of a statement than a question. "You must have seen him in his Shinigami form before, right?"
Tatsuki's eyes widened—not in shock, but like someone forced to admit what they'd been avoiding.
"… I thought I was imagining it," she murmured, lowering her gaze briefly. "I only saw him for a few seconds… fighting something I couldn't describe. He was carrying a massive sword, and he looked completely different… like someone else."
Her eyes rose again to meet Ren's, this time with real seriousness.
"Does that mean everything I thought I imagined… the Hollows, the spirits, the blood in the sky… was all real?"
Ren nodded quietly, glancing toward the glowing late-afternoon sky.
"Yes. Those who can see spiritual beings have higher spiritual power than normal humans. That makes you a preferred meal for Hollows."
Tatsuki unconsciously took a small step back, her fear slipping through at the thought of being devoured by such grotesque creatures.
"Is there a way… other than becoming food?" she asked, fists clenched tightly in frustration at the idea of being prey.
"There is. That's why I came to talk to you," Ren said more seriously, locking eyes with her. "But it depends on your willpower. The strength I'm offering will only respond to someone with an iron will and a true desire for power."
Tatsuki lowered her eyes, searching within herself… then raised them again, glowing now with unwavering resolve.
"I don't like running away," she said sharply. "If those things are real… and if I'm in danger… then I'll face it. I won't be a victim waiting for rescue."
Ren smiled faintly, as if he had expected nothing less.
"Just as I thought," he muttered, lifting his right hand toward the empty air.
In an instant, spiritual energy rippled softly around him. Purple flames shimmered into existence, forming the shape of a cross.
"Incinerate Anthem. That's the name of these flames—one of the Thirteen Longinus, said to hold the power to slay gods," Ren said, staring at the purple fire in his hands.
Incinerate Anthem was the prize he had obtained from an SS-Rank treasure chest, and though he had once wanted to fuse with it, Mikazuki—his Zanpakutō—had refused to allow another weapon beside her.
So Ren had abandoned the idea of claiming it for himself. But its power was too great to discard. He had decided instead to entrust it to Tatsuki. In the original story, she had been left behind as just an ordinary human with spiritual awareness. But with Incinerate Anthem, she could become one of the strongest. And Ren knew she wouldn't waste such a gift—she'd fight to protect him, her family, and everyone around her.
Tatsuki stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the glowing flame floating gently in Ren's hands. She felt a strange heat—not ordinary fire, but something stirring within her, as if a part of her soul was awakening in response.
"This… is what you want to give me?" she asked, her voice low but edged with awe.
Ren nodded slowly.
"Yes. It's not just power—it's a vow. It burns away all that is false, all hesitation, all weakness. And anyone who tries to wield it with impure intent… will be burned as well."
Tatsuki didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. She simply raised her right hand, reaching for the flame that now pulsed as if sensing her presence.
"Why me?" she whispered, never breaking eye contact with the fire. "Why not keep it for yourself?"
Ren chuckled lightly, without bitterness or regret—only sincerity.
"Let's just say I already have a very possessive partner who won't let me keep another weapon."
Tatsuki allowed herself a small, subtle smile. But in her eyes, there was something deeper—understanding, or the beginning of it. She didn't ask who that "partner" was. She didn't need to. The flickering flame before her gave all the answers that words couldn't.
With a calm touch, she placed her hand over Incinerate Anthem.
The moment she did, a surge of pure purple light exploded outward, enveloping her completely. It wasn't heat—it was purification. The pain wasn't physical, but spiritual.
She saw herself—in every moment of weakness. Crying when she couldn't protect a friend. Helpless before the unknown. Doubting herself, believing she could never change anything in this world.
But the flames didn't condemn her.
They consumed her.
A deep voice thundered inside her—not from lips, but from the very essence of the vow itself:
{ "O steadfast heart, are you ready to embrace the holy fire that burns the world?" }
"Yes!" Tatsuki cried—not aloud in the physical world, but within the void of her soul. "I refuse to be weak! I refuse to stand idle! I will fight!"
And in an instant, the light returned to the world.
Tatsuki stood in place, her hands still extended. But now her eyes glowed with a phosphorescent violet, her hair fluttered though no wind blew, and a faint cross-shaped flame tattoo had appeared on her left shoulder.
Ren nodded, then slowly turned his gaze back toward the river.
"It has accepted you," he said quietly. He had been ready to intervene if Incinerate Anthem had tried to harm her, though the system had already ensured its absolute loyalty. "Come on. I know just the place for you to train your new power."
...
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