Chapter:36
Renji stepped outside his home slowly, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The air was cool against his skin. And above him, the night sky was busy with birds cutting across the darkness in restless patterns, crossing the wide silver glow of the moon and as usual the reflection of the moon soared high above the heavens, bright and distant,
He stood there quietly.
The wind brushed past him slowly ...Whoosh!!! carrying the faint sounds of the city in the distance with cars moving and people laughing everyone continued life as if nothing had changed.
Renji let out a long sigh.
His breath formed a faint mist in the cold air.
For a moment, he simply stared at the sky.
Then his phone rang against
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The sharp vibration in his pocket broke the silence.
Renji blinked once and slipped his hand into his pocket. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.
"Hmmm… Takeda-sensei again."
The name glowed against the dark screen.
He stared at it for a few seconds before answering.
He lifted the phone to his ear.
"Hello," Renji spoke first, his voice calm but slightly tired.
On the other end, Takeda's voice came without hesitation.
"Come and meet me."
Renji frowned slightly "Meet you? Where and why…?"
But there was a short pause before Takeda responded.
"Just show up. To the building where we were for the memorial ceremony. We need to talk."
Renji's eyes softened.
The memorial building.
He looked up at the moon again.
"…Alright."
He ended the call and the screen went dark.
Slowly silence returned.
Renji lowered his hand slowly, staring at nothing in particular.
"Sigh…"
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then, under his breath, barely audible even to himself, he whispered...
Father am I doing the right thing…
The wind picked up again, rustling his clothes gently.
For a few seconds, he remained grounded.
Then slowly, his feet lifted off the ground, the concrete beneath him cracked lightly from the pressure release.
Whoosh!!
Renji rose into the air without effort, his coat fluttering slightly behind him.
The city lights blurred beneath him as he flew toward his destination.
The memorial building stood tall above the surrounding structures, its marble pillars glowing faintly under the moonlight. It overlooked the city from a high elevation, giving a clear view of the busy streets below.
Cars honked and moved like glowing lines.
Citizens walked, unaware of the conversations happening above them.
Renji descended slowly.
The wind whistled softly around him as he landed just behind Takeda.
Takeda stood at the edge of the rooftop hands tucked into his coat pockets, staring down at the city.
He didn't turn around, he already knew Renji had arrived.
Renji stepped forward casually until he stood side by side beside him.
Both of them looked down at the city.
Busy cars.
Moving lights.
People living their lives but neither of them said a word to each other
Whoosh!!
The breeze brushed against them slowly, carrying the scent of stone and cold metal.
The silence stretched.
Finally....
Takeda broke it.
"Renji… do you remember?"
Renji tilted his head slightly "Huh? Remember what?"
Takeda turned his head and looked at him from the corner of his eye. His expression was calm, but there was weight behind it.
"Do you remember when we first met?"
Renji paused.
Then he smiled faintly.
He lowered his head slightly, Do I? "It's really hard to forget."
Takeda's lips curved upward.
"You came to me," Renji continued, his voice softer now. "And then you said… if I had been touched by the dungeon, you would know. And yet you didn't know shit!
Takeda burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
The sound echoed lightly against the stone walls.
"Back then," Takeda said, wiping the corner of his eye slightly, "you were fable."
He paused.
Then continued.
"Weak."
Renji didn't respond. He just kept smiling.
"But on that graceful day…" Takeda's voice shifted, more serious now. "I saw you rip Tang Shi from limb to limb."
The wind grew stronger for a second.
"In your first battle," Takeda continued, "even if it was your subconscious taking over your body… you were so strong that even I couldn't react."
He turned fully toward Renji now.
"And from that day on… I just knew."
His eyes sharpened " that you would become great."
He took a step closer.
"And strong."
Renji's smile widened slightly, though his eyes remained distant.
Takeda looked back at the city.
"We always taught you that you were a vessel. We trained and trained. Do you remember?"
Renji nodded slowly.
"Yes. I remember.. how can I forget??
His expression turned more serious.
"I broke almost every bone in my body trying to awaken a power I had all along."
Takeda let out a small chuckle.
"Ah, yes."
He shook his head lightly.
"And funny enough… you had memories of a life you didn't remember."
He paused.
"Little did we know it was your subconscious trying to show you your memories again."
He looked directly at Renji.
"That you are not a vessel."
A quiet beat passed.
"But Januza reborn."
Renji smiled faintly.
"And yet… after finding out… you still told me on the same spot that you still loved me like a son."
Takeda's expression softened deeply.
"Well," he said gently, "that's what father figures do."
The wind brushed against them again.
Takeda exhaled slowly.
"Sighhhh…"
His shoulders lowered slightly as he starred towards the night sky
"Renji… we all knew there would be war. And casualties."
His jaw tightened.
"But I didn't know there would be this much death… and pain."
His voice grew heavier.
"Thousands no millions have lost their lives, death happens everywhere
He swallowed.
"And now we have lost one of our own."
Renji's expression darkened.
"We are called the pillars," Takeda continued, his voice rising slightly, "and yet we can't even protect a single life."
This hate that the people have is one hundred percent justified
Slowly, Takeda removed his hands from his pockets.
He lifted them in front of his face.
"These hands…"
His fingers trembled slightly.
"When I was younger, I always thought these hands would overcome every threat that came my way."
Punch hard and make them submit and it work for years upon years
His eyes hardened.
"I was the top of the food chain and then I became a pillar and became the top dog ! "
A faint smirk crossed his lips.
"How many hunters can open mini black holes simultaneously?"
He clenched his fists.
"I thought I had absolute power, authority, fame.. I thought I had everything
He turned to Renji.
"and then suddenly you came along."
His voice lowered.
"And in our first encounter, you were so strong I couldn't do a thing."
I had never seen anyone move that fast before
You punch me from building through buildings
A quiet pause.
"You would have killed me that day."
Renji remained silent.
"And then bummer I found out that you was barely twenty percent power and you are leagues above the pillars."
Takeda's gaze shifted upward toward the sky.
"And there are forces equally strong or stronger than you."
His voice softened.
"And then I realized… there are beings I'll never overcome."
Silence.
Renji sighed.
"Sighhh… takeda-sensei… there's something my mother told me."
Takeda looked at him quietly.
"Being strong doesn't mean you are unlimited strength or true power and being weak doesn't mean you are you are truly weak even the strongest has weakness that the weak can overcome."
The wind circled around them.
"These beings or forces we are about to face… have been alive for thousands of years. Some since the beginning of time. Fighting wars you can't possibly fathom."
Takeda listened.
"You are only human," Renji continued. "Humans feel pain. Emotions. Love. Hate."
He looked at his own hand briefly.
"These creatures don't feel what you feel. They are driven by one goal."
His voice dropped.
"To consume. And destroy."
He looked back at Takeda.
"But no matter how hard you try… you are still human."
A beat passed.
"This are creatures that has far surpassed their limitations on the universe but humans have limits."
A voice came from behind them.
"Which is why we have to break those limits."
Renji turned sharply.
"Elena."
She stepped forward casually from the shadows, her long black coat moving with the wind.
Renji frowned slightly.
"What are you still doing here? I thought you'd be back in England."
Elena sighed.
"I'm not going back."
Renji blinked.
"Ehh? What are you talking about? You are their strongest hunter. You need to protect your country."
Elena's eyes sharpened.
"No."
She stepped closer I already have a replacement."
Her voice steadied.
"I'm going to stay here."
Takeda watched quietly.
And I'm going to learn the apex."
Her aura flickered faintly around her.
"And break the limits of my power."
Takeda finally spoke.
"If we are to pass our limits, it means we could die."
He looked at both of them.
"But if we do.....…"
His eyes burned with determination.
"Then surely we have the power to rival and become stronger than we are."
He extended his hand outward slightly.
"Because together… we can win this war."
Elena nodded.
"Takeda is right, Renji. I feel powerless despite being strong."
Just like you said even the strong has a weakness
Her voice trembled slightly.
"And I want to do more I want to fight and I want you to teach me how to awaken the apex
Renji closed his eyes briefly.
Then he nodded.
"…Alright."
He opened them again.
"but if we're going to be fighting a war… then you need every single detail."
His tone shifted.
"No stones left untouched."
Takeda crossed his arms.
"Well… speaking of no stone left untouched."
He looked directly at Renji.
"Do you mind explaining how exactly your sister encountered a spirit beast that made her that strong?"
Renji's expression changed.
Elena also stared at him closely.
"Yes," she added. "I would also like to know, Renji."
She folded her arms.
"You just said it right no stone left untouched."
Renji exhaled slowly.
"I know."
He looked at the moon again.
"And I'll explain everything."
He stepped away from the edge slightly.
"It was the day of the memorial."
His eyes grew distant.
"We started our day as we normally did and I asked Lily if she was okay to go and she said she was."
He paused.
"As she stared at me… all of a sudden her eyes were glowing."
Elena's eyes widened slightly.
"Glowing? Like us hunters?"
"Yes."
"At first, I thought she had awakened because of being closer to me all the time that somehow my magical energy somehow affected her
He shook his head slowly.
"But that wasn't the case."
"Sakura went through her soul to understand her magic power to see where it scales
His voice grew serious.
"And that's when we knew."
He looked at Takeda.
"Takeda-sensei… spirit beasts aren't just beasts."
He paused.
"They choose vessels according to their souls."
The wind intensified slightly.
Takeda eyes grinned souls?, what you mean souls ?
Sigh!!!
"There's a lot you don't understand about this world takeda sensei ."
He turned away from them and began walking slowly across the rooftop.
"But I will explain everything in detail."
He stopped.
"Come."
He glanced back at them.
"Follow me."
Elena blinked.
"Ehh? To where?"
Renji paused.
He looked back at them fully, his eyes no longer held hesitation.
"I'm going to show you what it was like in the beginning of time."
A faint surge of power surrounded him.
"I'm going to show you personally my war with the gods."
The wind roared louder now.
"And I'm going to show you who I was, what war really is and why the gods feared me .