Kendo Club
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Ren stood in the middle of the dojo on the shiny wooden floor, waving his bokuto swiftly and sharply.
The dojo was completely empty except for Ren, who had arrived early to get some solo time sweating it out while honing his sword skills.
Since he entered the club room and changed his clothes, Ren had been swinging his wooden sword non-stop, sweat dripping from his forehead to his temple, falling onto his toned chest and abs.
...Every movement was precise, calculated, as if it had been etched into his body since birth.
Swish!
Swish!
The sound of his bokuto slicing through the air echoed throughout the dojo like the heartbeat of an ancient warrior who never knew rest.
Ren was so focused on his training that he didn't notice the newcomer standing near the sliding paper door, watching him.
The newcomer was a beautiful girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the girls' uniform of Karakura High School, carrying her bag and a bokuto on her shoulder.
"..." The girl looked at Ren with a slight smile. She was the captain of the Kendo Club and knew Ren well, as despite him often skipping club activities and rarely attending, his presence was strong within the club — his swordsmanship skill surpassed everyone's.
"Hah... At least you're still training," the girl said softly but firmly as she pushed the sliding door slightly and stepped lightly into the dojo.
Ren stopped his movements for a moment, then turned, wiping his forehead with a towel, catching sight of her from the corner of his eye.
"Good morning, Kujō-senpai," he said quietly, bowing slightly in respect.
Kujō Rin, captain of the Kendo Club, smiled faintly and took steady steps toward the center of the dojo, then set her bag aside and lowered the wooden sword from her shoulder.
"I didn't expect to see you this early, Kurosaki. Usually, you only come a few minutes before group practice... or don't come at all."
"I need some extra practice," Ren replied simply as he grabbed his sword again.
"Well..." She looked at him for a second, then smiled, raising her bokuto. "Care for a quick round?"
Ren hesitated briefly, then shrugged lightly.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're senpai."
Rin laughed softly, lightly jumping to take her position opposite him, raising her sword to shoulder level.
"Oh? Who said I need mercy?"
Tap.
Their feet moved softly on the wooden floor. Silence filled the place, with only their synchronized breaths and the sound of bokuto slowly raised.
WHAM!
Rin struck first, a straight blow toward the shoulder, but Ren easily parried it with a sideways motion.
Clack!
A fast exchange of strikes followed, each carrying weight, timing, and intent behind it.
Clack! Clack! Swish!
Step back. Turn. Rush. Block. Retreat. Counterattack.
Three minutes passed, sweat starting to form on Rin's forehead while Ren remained calm and focused.
"Were you... training a new style?" Rin asked between breaths, noticing that Ren used a slightly different pattern with his footwork and strikes.
"I think it's something... I remembered," Ren said in a mysterious tone, his eyes reflecting a faint sparkle, as if recalling fragments of a past life he never lived in this one.
"Strange..." Rin thought, then attacked again, this time with full force.
Clack!
Ren only moved half a step, sliding behind her like a phantom, then gently rested the tip of his sword at her neck without touching her.
"...Point for me," he said calmly.
Rin froze, then sighed with a smile, lowering her sword quietly.
"As expected of you... Kurosaki."
"Ren's fine. I think our relationship is close enough for you to call me by my first name," he said, stepping back and returning to his water bottle.
Rin raised an eyebrow, then smiled lightly, wiping her forehead with a small towel.
"Alright then... Ren," she said, saying his name for the first time without titles, a slight smile on her lips. "And you can do the same since I already use your first name."
"Sure, Rin-senpai," Ren smiled lightly, staring at the shining box in his hand that he had received from Rin.
The moment Rin entered, Ren saw she had an A-Rank treasure box, and the condition for obtaining it was to make her call him by his first name — something he didn't mind or find difficult, as he had known Rin for about a year; she was a second-year senpai and captain of the Kendo Club.
Without hesitation, Ren applied a little force with his hand on the treasure box, causing it to turn into golden dust and then a floating orb appeared before him — the reward from the treasure box.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Spiritual Life-Form]
"..." Ren stared at the reward, frowning slightly as he didn't fully understand the ability's meaning. Soon a description appeared to explain it.
[Name: Spiritual Life-Form]
[Type: Innate Skill]
[Rank: None]
[Description: Spiritual life-forms are near-godlike entities that exist through mind alone, having transcended the physical body. Above demi-spiritual life-forms, they live using only their soul and astral body, granting them effective immortality, resistance to mind control, and memory retention as long as the soul remains intact.]
Glup!
Seeing the ability's description, Ren could only swallow hard, as he hadn't expected this ability to be so useful. Despite living quietly and peacefully for 16 years, ever since gaining the system he realized there were many supernatural life forms in the world. It seemed his family lineage belonged to the supernatural realm, as he was a mix of three unknown entities besides being human.
While lost in thought, the floating orb flew from his hand and entered his chest, merging with his being in an instant.
The moment the orb entered his chest and began merging, Ren felt his existence transcend, and a flood of information invaded his mind about his new ability. His awareness became somewhat strange as he felt his soul and body separately, even though his soul was inside his body. He sensed the ability to leave his body and roam in spiritual form alone but hadn't dared to try it yet.
...
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