After wallowing in his misery for what felt like forever, Renji forced himself to steady his breathing and refocus.
'Okay, let's think this through.'
'The System was attacked—hacked—and the original cheat got twisted into something incompatible.'
'To keep me alive, it burned through its own source power trying to make it work. But in the end… it shut down, or maybe running in a low power mode.'
'Thank you, brother. You're my best bro, and I'll never forget your sacrifice!'
'Now the System seems cut off from… something. Maybe that's why it can't recharge.'
'I'll worry about the details later. For now, I need to find a new power source.'
'I wonder if chakra would work. Too bad I don't seem to have any right now.'
'I'll figure something out eventually.'
'But before the System went silent… did it manage to convert any part of the cheat into something usable?'
He shut his eyes, searching. It was like groping through a dark void with only instinct to guide him. Slowly, in the far corner of his vision, a faint glimmer appeared.
'Bingo. Let's see what you are.'
When he focused, a symbol shaped like a braid of hair shone faintly, and lines of text scrolled out before him:
[Skill Acquired: Hair Manipulation — Level 1]
[Description: You are able to manipulate hair containing ***** energy. You can grow, shorten, cut, or harden any hair you sense. The effect is amplified through direct touch. However, the manipulated hair weakens with repeated use, eventually turning to ash once the ***** energy is fully consumed.]
'Okay… not bad.'
'It's nowhere near as broken as Bayonetta's abilities, but at least it's something.'
'Almost every opponent has hair, after all.'
'But what exactly is this energy…?'
He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the obscured asterisks. Another string of text rippled into view:
[Energy Source Identified]
[Composition: A mixture of chakra, emotional energy, and yin source.]
[Note: Due to System modifications, this energy may now be used in place of the dark energy originally required.]
'So that's it… One of the last modifications the System managed before going silent.'
Focusing on the asterisks again, another prompt surfaced in his vision:
[Would you like to rename this energy?]
'Rename it, huh? …Yeah, how about calling it Demonic Energy?'
[Name saved: Demonic Energy]
The earlier description shifted, the text rewriting itself:
[Skill Acquired: Hair Manipulation — Level 1]
[Description: You are able to manipulate hair containing Demonic Energy. You can grow, shorten, cut, or harden any hair you sense. The effect is amplified through direct touch. However, the manipulated hair weakens with repeated use, eventually turning to ash once the Demonic Energy within it is fully consumed.]
'Heh. Sounds a little edgy, but… it has a nice ring to it.'
'Now that I think about it, another help should be language related. Pretty sure I was speaking Japanese and was able to understand it as if it's my native tongue.'
'I don't see anything else available. Maybe as the System recovers, more options will pop up.'
'Fine. Let's change tracks… What's my living situation? Do I have a family? What about my financial situation?'
With those thoughts swirling, he tried to push himself upright. The pain he had ignored until now came rushing in all at once, sharp and unforgiving. He hissed, clutching his side, and called out to a medic who was scribbling something onto his clipboard.
"Excuse me, sir. I… I seem to have forgotten some things. Could you tell me if I have family? Or friends?"
The medic blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? You don't remember anything?"
Renji shook his head. "Sorry. I really don't."
The man, who looked to be in his thirties, placed a hand near Renji's temple and performed a brief diagnostic ninjutsu. His expression softened as the glow faded.
"It seems you've suffered some trauma to your brain. Most likely temporary amnesia, so don't worry. For now, I'll check your records…" He flipped through a small chart, then paused. "Hmm. It says you're an orphan, living on your own. Sorry. But, maybe it's a silver lining that you won't lose any family members to the tragedy". He whispered the last part to himself.
He added gently, "As for friends, if you have any, they'll be able to visit you in about an hour during visiting hours. Take some rest until then."
He gave Renji a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
Renji managed a small smile. "Thank you, doctor. I don't remember anything anyway, so it's not so bad. Thanks for taking care of me."
The medic nodded once, then moved on to tend to other patients.
Renji sank back against the thin pillow, staring at the ceiling.
'Orphan… and a civilian, huh? I should at least have some kind of income, or maybe an inheritance. Either way… I'll find out more once visiting hours start.'
'I should test the power too.'
But exhaustion was already dragging at his eyes. The emotional rollercoaster of the day had left him completely drained.
'Maybe just a short nap…'
Within thirty seconds, he was asleep.
From across the ward, the medic from before glanced over at him. His expression was tired but sympathetic. After a moment, he turned away and quietly resumed his duties.