After class, Yamada Seinosuke tilted his head, craning his neck with a classic bratty grin, leaning toward Shinji with a taunting drawl.
"Hey, Shinji! Taken down in just a couple of hits!"
"You were so cocky in front of that idiot Sawagoe before."
"And yet, it was Sōsuke who blocked that strike for you. Can't even say a simple 'thanks,' huh?"
Shinji, clutching his Asauchi, sat in the corner, staring at the center of the dojo without a word, as if Yamada's taunts didn't reach him.
A sudden uproar erupted from the crowd in the dojo's center.
Shinji's gaze sharpened.
At the heart of the commotion, Sōsuke and Sawagoe-sensei exchanged bows before parting. Amid the cheers, the pint-sized Sōsuke wove through the crowd, a sunny, slightly sheepish smile on his face as he chatted with classmates, heading toward Shinji and Yamada.
"Hey, Sōsuke!" Yamada waved, revealing a face swollen and bruised from the bamboo sword, a smaller version of Shinji's battered look.
After Sōsuke had intercepted Sawagoe's strike, Yamada had been called up for a "special lesson" and thoroughly thrashed. If Sōsuke hadn't stepped in to spar with Sawagoe, Yamada's injuries might've rivaled Shinji's. His Zanjutsu skills were already weaker than his Kidō talents.
"Seinosuke!" Sōsuke waved back, jogging over and wiping sweat from his brow. "Sawagoe-sensei, a former seated officer, really had me pinned."
"What? He's just older, that's all." Yamada said, brushing it off despite his swollen face. "But you, Sōsuke, you're something else. You didn't get hit once, way better than us!"
"I just practiced a bit at home." Sōsuke humbly waving off the praise.
"Hmph."
A low grunt came from beside them. Sōsuke turned to see Shinji, his bruised face still puffed up, tilting his head away with a sneer, mumbling, "Hypocrite."
He wasn't as gullible as Yamada. During Sōsuke's spar with Sawagoe, Shinji had watched every second. Despite being only waist-high to an adult, Sōsuke moved like a fish in water, dodging nearly every dangerous strike. Sure, he hadn't landed a hit on Sawagoe, but with a child's short reach, how could he?
"You!" Yamada rolled up his sleeves, ready to swing, but Sōsuke quickly grabbed him.
"Easy, Seinosuke." Sōsuke said, then turned to Shinji with a smile. "Seems like Shinji has some misunderstanding about me. But if we get the chance, I'd love to train with you too."
His gaze was earnest, his tone sincere. Most would warm to such a look from a cute kid.
But Shinji's instincts were razor-sharp, like a beast's. That smile felt like a mask, dripping with falseness.
Not just now.
Even when Sōsuke had saved him earlier, Shinji sensed something subtly off. It was hard to describe, but it was there.
Still, faced with such a goody-two-shoes attitude, he couldn't lash out.
With another grunt, the blonde with the bob cut turned his face away.
Sōsuke didn't seem to mind, pulling a fuming, shouting Yamada toward the exit.
"Tch."
Shinji watched their backs, head still tilted, clicking his tongue. Deep down, a faint regret stirred. Judging a classmate who'd just helped him based on a vague feeling wasn't great, even if he didn't care much.
What a stubborn personality, he thought, starting to dislike himself.
After resting in the corner, the bell rang. Students streamed out of the dojo, but Shinji, his thighs aching from two solid hits, couldn't move. No one offered to help, avoiding him after his earlier outburst.
Once the pain eased, he leaned on his Asauchi, limping out.
Just as he reached the dojo's entrance,
Thud.
A figure ahead collapsed.
Shinji glanced over.
Sawagoe scrambled up, looking disheveled, checking himself and his surroundings. Noticing Shinji's stare, his face flushed, and he snapped, "Shinji! What're you standing there for? Next Zanjutsu class is in the dojo. I'm subbing."
"That idiot Sawagoe, Zanjutsu class just-" Shinji stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as if struck by a wild realization.
"Huh?" Sawagoe stared, puzzled.
Ignoring the pain, Shinji bolted toward the school building, moving like lightning.
"Shinji, you brat!" Sawagoe chased a few steps but stopped, suddenly drained, as if he'd pulled several all-nighters.
Watching Shinji's figure vanish, he muttered, "That brat. Skipping class again?"
…
"It was definitely that guy!"
"Sōsuke!"
Shinji, as if uncovering a grand secret, burned with the urge to expose him. That strange feeling earlier wasn't his imagination.
Had Sōsuke awakened his Zanpakutō?
No, that's impossible. Only sixth-years received Zanpakutō.
Then, Kidō?
Kidō at that level… if he exposed Sōsuke in front of everyone…
Expose him?
Shinji's steps slowed as he thought it over.
Something felt off.
Why should he expose him?
If that guy was hiding such strength, what was his motive?
What did it have to do with him?
He wouldn't share his skills anyway.
Shinji walked, rubbing his left temple, eyes closed in thought.
"Wait a second."
"If he's hiding his strength, he must have some kind of ambition!"
The blonde with the bob cut broke into a sly grin.
For now, he'd probe that guy and see what he was up to.
…
After school, Sōsuke said goodbye to his desk-mate Seinosuke, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed for the classroom door.
As he grabbed his bag, he noticed a small note tucked between it and the chair.
If you don't want your secret exposed, come to the school rooftop.
You don't want Sawagoe to know what you did, do you?
Scanning the sloppy handwriting, Sōsuke's brow furrowed.
Had his hypnosis been discovered?
By whom?
The scrawl gave no clue.
Sōsuke frowned, looking troubled.
"Sōsuke? What're you looking at?" Yamada Seinosuke called from behind, craning to see.
Sōsuke casually pocketed the note, smiling. "Nothing. I'm thinking of hitting the library. Want to come, Seinosuke?"
"No way!" Yamada's interest vanished at the mention of books, and he waved dismissively.
Sōsuke, unsurprised, headed out, taking a detour from the library path straight to the rooftop.
But when he pushed open the door, the rooftop was empty.
Click.
The door locked softly behind him.
Sōsuke exhaled, sounding exasperated. "So, Shinji."
He turned to face the blonde kid with the bob cut, who'd locked the door, squinting. "If you have something to say, couldn't you just say it in class?"
After half a day's recovery, the bruises on Shinji's face had mostly faded, though his legs still ached. For a Shinigami's vitality, such injuries were minor.
Shinji didn't answer immediately. Facing the boy his age, he slowly drew his Asauchi, taller than himself.
The sheath hit the ground with a sharp clink.
Sōsuke's eyes narrowed, his gaze darkening as he studied Shinji.
"Shinji?"
Shinji raised his Asauchi with both hands, pointing the tip at Sōsuke, his voice rising. "Sōsuke! I've seen through you completely. In the dojo, sparring with classmates, you never used your full strength, did you? Even an idiot like Sawagoe, a proper seated officer, was effortlessly fooled by you for so long. No one but me saw your true face! Show me your real power!"
Sōsuke's wariness faded, replaced by a curious look. After a long pause, he asked, "Why?"
Shinji blinked, caught off guard.
Why?
Then it hit him, and he snapped, "So I'll keep your secret, obviously! Your strength, your ambitions, all the things you don't want others to know."
Lowering his voice, Shinji added with a sly threat, "Sōsuke, you don't want everyone knowing how strong you are, do you?"
Sōsuke stayed silent, then lifted his head, his voice soft. "Shinji, have you considered that I might silence you here to keep my secret?"
"Hmph!" Shinji scoffed. "The Shin'ō Academy keeps track of its students. If you dared-"
Before he could finish, Sōsuke's figure vanished from his sight, leaving no trace of movement.
Shunpo?!
The thought barely crossed Shinji's mind when a delicate hand clamped his neck like a vice, cutting off his breath. His carotid and windpipe felt crushed as the shorter Sōsuke single-handedly lifted him off the ground.
Shinji's hands, barely able to wield the Asauchi, flailed uselessly. Sōsuke's other hand gripped his wrist.
Clang!
The Asauchi fell, ringing out.
Utter domination.
Sōsuke's usual warm demeanor was gone, his gaze icy, his voice flat. "I hate being threatened."
Back when he had no backing, he'd lived cautiously. Now, with the Soul Society's strongest ally, why skulk like before?
What was the point of Makoto, that big oaf, otherwise?
Though reluctant, Sōsuke had quietly aligned himself with Makoto in his heart.
As Shinji's eyes rolled back, Sōsuke snorted, tossing the fool aside. Brushing off nonexistent dust, he headed for the door.
"Idiot."
He'd misjudged this one. He'd thought to befriend Shinji, maybe to fool Makoto a bit. But he was just a fool.
Before Sōsuke took a few steps, something grabbed his ankle.
He glanced back, frowning.
Shinji, sprawled on the ground, gasped for air, chest heaving, snot dripping. Yet his left hand clung to Sōsuke's ankle, his voice shrill and cracking. "Wait! I… I want to be as strong as you, Sōsuke!"
Sōsuke looked at him, his frown easing slightly, as if something stirred in his mind.
But then he yanked his foot free and walked on. "Who cares?"
With a hand chop, he smashed the rooftop door's lock.
Sōsuke's small figure vanished into the stairwell's shadows.
Shinji, staring after him, clenched his fist, seething with frustration.
…
"What a hopeless idiot."
"All of them, still just kids."
Makoto watched the screen, muttering with a hint of exasperation.
He'd gone to great lengths to set this up.
He'd thought Sōsuke would be more cautious at this age.
What a pity.
Munching a potato chip, Makoto swiped the screen to another corner of the Shin'ō Academy. In a special Reishi display mode, an empty lot revealed a faint, deep spatial passage.
"Looks like we need a better opportunity." He mused.
Thwack.
A hand chop landed on his head.
Kirio, holding an apron, scolded like a mother, "No snacks before dinner!"
"Huh? You made these, Kirio. They'll go stale if I don't eat them." Makoto whined, dragging out his words like a kid.
"No means no." When it came to family health, Kirio was strict.
"Fine, fine!" Makoto agreed, then tipped the chip bag, pouring them into his mouth.
Kirio's exasperated voice filled the room. "Makoto-nii, you!!!"
"Ow, ow, ow!"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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