"See you tomorrow, Teach!" called a teen as he passed Leo in the hallway.
"Don't forget your homework again," Leo replied with a smirk, causing the kid to stumble and almost trip.
This was Leo's fifth day teaching at Forks High, and to his surprise, he actually found it enjoyable. Between the classes, the curious questions, and teasing his students, the days seemed to blur.
"Well, is our favorite teacher finally heading home?" came a playful voice from behind. "Any chance I can bribe you into giving me a private session?"
Leo turned and grinned. "Of course... if you can pay, that is."
"Oh, no problem. If it's for sale, I'm swiping my card right now." The voice dropped to a flirtatious murmur as she stepped closer.
"Big talk." Leo laughed, sweeping her into a hug. "How's my little bird doing?"
Over the past three days, Rosalie and Leo had fallen into an easy rhythm. Every night, like clockwork, they'd find themselves tinkering together in Leo's garage, shoulder to shoulder with engines and tools.
Whether it was fate or just chemistry, they'd started dating the day after their first meeting. And since then, Rosalie had rarely let a night pass without curling up beside him.
"You remember the racing ring I told you about?" Leo asked.
Rosalie nodded, eyes bright with excitement.
"I got word—some very interesting racers are showing up tonight. Want to check it out?"
"Of course! I can't wait to test my improved Black Thorn!" Rosalie was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Sadly... we won't be using our cars," Leo said with a sheepish smile.
"Eeeeh?! Why not?" Her face dropped. "Wait—don't tell me we're only watching? No racing?"
"No, no. I've got a few good cars over there," he said, patting her head gently. "But the location's special. Needs preparation."
"Fine. But next time, my baby comes too," she said, leaning into his touch.
"How about you two cool it a little?" Emmett's voice cut in with mock disapproval. "I don't mind the dating, but let's not start any teacher-student rumors, yeah?"
Leo stepped back, glancing around at the teens nearby who were definitely not being subtle about gossiping.
"Teenagers… and their hormones," he muttered with a sigh.
"Well, meet me at the shore in an hour?" he said to Rosalie, his voice promising excitement. "I'll send the exact location."
"Alright." She gave him a quick hug before skipping off toward her brothers' car.
Leo watched her go with a smile—only to have it interrupted by a voice in his mind.
"Look at our little pup, all lovey-dovey… forgetting the old us. Sniff."*
"Amaterasu?" Leo asked, entering his car.
"Yup. And maybe keep the talking out loud to a minimum? Don't want your students thinking you've gone cuckoo."
Another voice chimed in, deeper and more gruff.
Leo frowned as he exited the school. "So what's going on? You wouldn't both appear unless it's serious."
"Nothing urgent," Yaga muttered thoughtfully. "Just… the veil's getting thined.probably Hollows are gathering around Forks."
Leo slammed on the brakes mid-road.
"Run that by me again?" he asked.
"They're gathering behind the veil," Amaterasu explained lightly. "Which is normal—but strange for here."
"Japan is the anchor," Yaga added. "with the high concentrations of spiritual energy make it easier for them to phase through the veil. But here? they need either a special place, or high number."
"So I have to go behind the veil and do the cleaning?" Leo asked, stepping out of the car. "That doesn't make sense—I can't sense anything. Nothing's showing up in my Observation."
"That's because you're not trying," Yaga said with a hint of annoyance. "They're cloaked behind the veil, and you're not tuned in yet, will talk about that later."
"If they reach a certain number or level," Amaterasu warned, "the veil could destabilize."
"Fine. But how do I get behind the veil? Last time, I was forced in."
Both spirits sighed at once.
"…Why do I feel like I just disappointed my mentors?" Leo muttered.
"It's like breathing," Yaga said flatly. "You don't learn it—you're born knowing how."
"…Got it."
Leo closed his eyes and focused. Slowly, he stretched out his hand. As if grabbing a curtain, he pulled—and the world dimmed. Time slowed. Colors drained away.
"Heh… I see now." A smirk curled on his lips. "As long as you're strong enough… can pass trought the veil freely, or is it something else?"
But before he could explore further, a bestial scream echoed from the east.
Leo's expression hardened. "Guess it's time to clean the house."
Wind swirled around him, and in a flash, he disappeared in the direction of the roar.
Under the blessing of the wind, Leo quickly found the spiritual presence. The energy was dark, heavy, and somehow corrupted.
Moments later, he crouched on a tree branch, eyes narrowed.
Below, dozens of strange creatures roamed—varying in shape and size—but each shared two traits: a white mask… and a gaping hole somewhere in their body.
"Hollows…" Leo muttered. "And... wait a sec. Isn't this where I fought that Quincy?"
It suddenly made sense why they swarm here.
Without hesitation, Leo dropped into it.
One Hollow fell with a clean stab to the back of the head. Before the others could react, he launched into a vertical slash, severing a second. He moved like a phantom—vanishing and reappearing—slaying creature after creature with precision.
Though their numbers were large, they were low level—only a few barely reached mid-tier. Against Leo's speed and strength, they didn't stand a chance.
Soon, the clearing was quiet again—just Leo standing amid vanishing spiritual dust.
But then, he felt it.
A high-level spiritual pressure, heading straight toward him.
"Interesting," Leo muttered, retracting his claws and standing to face whoever was coming.
A sharp gust split the air.
Landing before him was a short woman in traditional black robes, her spiritual pressure coiled like a hidden deathly blade.
Leo curse under his breath. "Shit. What brings someone like her here?"
"What's the matter, getting cold feet?" Yaga teased mercilessly.
"You feel that, right?" Leo whispered mentally. "That's a Captain. And not just any—the first Kenpachi. Don't tell me you can't feel that inside her."
"Relax. She won't attack without reason," Amaterasu said gently.
"I'm not scared," Leo muttered. "I'm just… excited. Nervous. Because this wouldn't be a fight for her... with my streng as it is now"
Yaga burst into laughter. "Right, right. My bad!"
"Boys…" Amaterasu sighed.
"Good evening, young man," the woman said calmly. "Mind answering a few questions?"
A few minutes ago, she'd sensed dozens of Hollow signatures here. But as she approached, they vanished—replaced by one unfamiliar spiritual signature.
"If it's something I can answer, sure," Leo replied, raising an eyebrow. "But first… who are you?"
"Ah, where my manners. Unohana Retsu—Captain of the 4th Division, Gotei 13," she said with a polite chuckle, pulling out her badge to show him.
"Leonard Rageheart," Leo replied, giving a respectful nod. "Excuse the question, but I thought the Gotei 13 operated only in Japan?"
"Normally, yes. I'm just here on a personal matter. But when I sensed the Hollows, I thought I should check. Thank you for taking care of it."
Leo recounted the incident briefly, omitting the Quincy encounter from days before.
"I see… someone nearby must've had high spiritual pressure. And since spiritual beings are rare around here, no hunters would've been dispatched."
She bowed lightly. "Thank you for the clarification. I'll be heading off now."
"Wait," Leo called, scratching his cheek. "I heard that Shinigami are among the best swordsmen in the world. As a Captain,your probably in the top I was hoping... maybe someday, you could give me some pointer?"
Unohana paused, clearly amused.
"You're asking me to train you?"
"If it's something within reason—and not against my principles—you can set your price, of cours if possible" he said with a smile.
"Hmm. That's bold of you." She chuckled softly. "I won't say no... but not today. Perhaps another time."
Leo nodded and reached into his inventory, pulling out a sleek phone.
"A phone?" Unohana tilted her head.
"Latest model from my company. You'll figure it out. It has my number—and a few contacts from my circle in various fields. If you ever need anything, just call."
She looked between the phone and Leo, clearly unsure.
"I really can't take it…"
"Just keep it," he insisted. "I built it myself. Consider it a thank-you gift."
"Alright then. If I get some free time later…" She gave a polite smile. "I'll call you up."
With that, she vanished into the trees.
Leo let out a shaky breath.
"If I end up dead because of your suggestion, I'm blaming you both." the whole pointer thing was suggest by amaterasu, and pushed over by yaga, as they though it will be helpfull for him.
"Are you scared or excited? Make up your damn mind!" Yaga shouted.
"And don't blame us," Amaterasu added with mock annoyance. "You made the decision."
Then, in a rare moment, she cursed.
"Asshat."
Leo's eyes widened. "Yaga! You corrupted Ame!"
"Me?! She's always had a more colorful mouth than me!"
"She's the one with the variety of flames, not me," Yaga added smugly.
"Fair enough…" Leo sighed, glancing at his watch. "Crap—I'm almost late."
Exiting the veil, he transformed into an eagle and soared toward home at full speed