Orihime Inoue could no longer find the words to describe what she was feeling, a shock that had escalated to her very soul and left her completely speechless.
Her first impression of Ren had been very good.
But she couldn’t accept his “defamation” of her brother.
Though she had reluctantly accepted it after Ichigo’s explanation, doubt still lingered in her heart.
Until this scene, completely beyond common sense, shattered her doubts and plunged her body, mind, and even her soul into profound shock.
For Orihime, today was destined to be an unforgettable, special day.
“Huh, why are they fighting?” Rukia’s surprised voice rang out.
Orihime snapped back to the present, looking at Rukia, who had returned to her senses, and explained, “Kurosaki asked Kurogami to train him, to help me.” Rukia nodded in understanding.
Watching Ichigo scream constantly, looking utterly miserable, with tears streaming down his face, Rukia’s mouth twitched.
After several days of interaction, she had come to understand Ren somewhat.
She knew that although he was very reliable, he had a peculiar hobby.
He liked teasing Ichigo.
Right now, Ren was probably using training as an excuse to mess with Ichigo again.
Rukia didn’t stop him.
She knew that even when Ren was playing around, if he said he would help Ichigo train, he would definitely deliver.
Even though the current training seemed like a single misstep could mean death, Ren clearly had everything under perfect control.
Under this hellish training, Ichigo’s potential was beginning to show.
Rukia couldn’t help but marvel again.
Ichigo’s foundation was exceptional, and his Reiatsu was the strongest she had ever sensed in any human.
She believed that given enough time to grow, Ichigo would reach a level that would astonish her.
But time was something Ichigo didn’t have much of right now…
Just then, Ren saw Rukia had regained her senses and withdrew the King’s Treasury (Gate of Babylon).
Ichigo collapsed to the ground, his heart pounding as if it would leap out of his chest.
He gasped for breath.
There was only the lingering fear after narrowly escaping death, no joy that hellish training was over.
After a moment, feeling that he had recovered some strength, Ichigo scrambled to his feet.
He stormed over to Ren, grabbed him by the collar, and gritted his teeth.
“Ren, you bastard!
You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!” Before Ren could respond, Rukia’s stern voice came from behind Ichigo.
“Ichigo, don’t slack off!
The real training starts now!” As she spoke, Rukia used the Soul Glove to forcibly pulled Ichigo’s Shinigami soul out of his body.
The sudden separation of his Shinigami soul left Ichigo bewildered.
He wanted to ask what was going on, but saw Rukia already dragging his body off.
Shaking his head, Ichigo turned his gaze back to Ren.
Now, feeling the surging power within him as if filled with newfound confidence, Ichigo looked at Ren with a serious and self-assured expression.
“Come on.
Let’s continue hellish training!” As he spoke, Ichigo braced himself to face the King’s Treasury once more.
But to his surprise, Ren did deploy the King’s Treasury.
Yet instead of using a rain of Noble Phantasms, he summoned a bronze one-handed battle axe that radiated an ancient, heroic aura.
Ichigo had seen this axe before…
From Orihime’s perspective, she saw Rukia strike Ichigo with the Soul Glove, and then his body went limp.
Watching Rukia drag Ichigo’s body away, Orihime cried out in alarm, “Kuchiki, is Kurosaki okay?” Rukia smiled reassuringly.
“He’s fine.
Don’t worry.” Then she looked toward Ren.
“Right now, Ichigo is training with Ren in his Shinigami form.” Orihime froze.
Her gaze instinctively followed.
But she couldn’t see Ichigo in his Shinigami form.
However, she did see Ren summon a bronze one-handed battle axe from golden ripples and then fight against an opponent she could not see.
Though it was unbelievable, she understood that Ren was fighting Ichigo in his Shinigami form.
Realizing this, disappointment showed on Orihime’s face.
If she could, she would have liked to see Ichigo’s Shinigami form too.
Rukia paid no mind to Orihime.
After all, she and Orihime weren’t close.
In fact, the only people in the class she was close to were Ren and Ichigo.
After setting Ichigo’s body down safely, Rukia began watching the training seriously.
Gradually, surprise appeared on her face.
In her impression, Ren’s battles consisted of opening the King’s Treasury, firing a rain of Noble Phantasms, and ending the fight.
She had never imagined his close combat skills were this high.
The bronze one-handed battle axe, which looked heavy, seemed light and effortless in Ren’s hands.
More importantly, Ren’s expression remained calm and composed.
He clearly was not using his full strength.
In contrast, Ichigo was already giving it everything he had.
Rukia knew Ren had everything under control.
This had never been an equal battle.
It was a coaching match through and through.
The gap between Ichigo and Ren was simply too vast.
Rukia’s heart began to tremble.
She couldn’t fathom how Ren, at his age, could possess such superb close combat skills.
Though she was reluctant to admit it, the level of close combat Ren was displaying was already putting considerable pressure on her.
And that was with him holding back.
If he went all out, could his close combat surpass her own?
The thought surfaced irresistibly, leaving Rukia incredulous.
Her close combat skills came from systematic training at the Shinō Academy, followed by decades of real combat against Hollows after joining the Gotei 13.
And what about Ren?
No matter how hard Rukia racked her brain, she couldn’t figure out that Ren was simply an overpowered cheat-like existence.
The Gilgamesh Character Template he had drawn was actually a Type-Moon composite form, combining the combat experience, instincts, and abilities of all Gilgamesh variants: Kid Gil, Caster Gil, Archer Gil, and Old Gil.
Among them, Old Gil possessed the strongest close combat skills.
In close combat with Proto-Arthur, he had even suppressed Saber class Proto-Arthur.
Proto-Arthur is the prototype of Type-Moon’s King Arthur, the male version of Arthur.
And Ren’s current close combat level was at the level of Old Gil.
Its power was beyond imagination.