12th Division, Soul Society Monitoring Room.
A massive screen spanning the entire wall displayed several fifth-year Shin'ō Academy students, each wielding an official Asauchi, leading teams of four second-year students through a dense forest. Reishi swirled around their feet, moving at a pace just fast enough to push the younger students' stamina.
Four years ago, the Shin'ō Academy had added this "Field Training Course" To its curriculum, pairing seniors with juniors. The exercises focused on target searching in primal forests, rapid movement, quick decision-making in emergencies, and small-team combat leadership.
It was a rigorous, unconventional course, demanding much from both seniors and juniors. To toughen these sheltered students, the course occasionally involved releasing simulated micro or small Hollows, crafted by professional Shinigami, into the training area. In rare cases, teams might encounter a pack of small Hollows, a significant challenge for these pre-Shinigami, most of whom had barely touched an Asauchi and hadn't mastered even basic Jinzen with their blades.
Second-years, like Shinji and his peers, were only expected to handle distraction tasks in team combat. They weren't equipped with real blades but training swords with slight Reishi amplification, placing immense pressure on the seniors' leadership skills.
Despite instructors with at least low-seated officer strength on standby, injuries were common.
The 12th Division's monitoring room, however, wasn't solely for this course.
"Quite rare." Senjumaru remarked, her wheelchair gliding softly across the stone floor. The elegant woman's mechanical arms lightly covered her lips, her narrow eyes glancing at Makoto, who was engrossed in the screen, a teasing tone in her voice. "In all these years, I've never seen you so invested in a child, Makoto. If Kirio saw this, she might get jealous."
Makoto ignored her jab, tearing open a mochi snack and taking a sticky bite, revealing sweet red bean filling. Even with his mouth full, he couldn't resist responding. "Of course I'm invested. Why else would I go through all this trouble?"
Though only a few years had passed, that was enough to see the results of his deliberate guidance.
"Throwing those kids into such a dangerous place." Senjumaru said. "You're awfully confident."
"Naturally." Makoto replied, almost smug. "It's Sōsuke, after all."
"I don't recall praising you in that sentence." Senjumaru quipped, deftly snatching an untouched Kirio-made holiday mochi from Makoto's hand with a mechanical arm, biting into it under his indignant glare. Kirio's craftsmanship was, as always, exceptional.
But Senjumaru's glance at Makoto grew more resentful. They'd raised Kirio together, yet her treats were always for him, never her. What a biased kid.
She bit off half the mochi, her refined smile carrying a hint of something else.
She'd have to spend more time with Kirio to build their bond.
"What about this guy?" She asked, nodding toward a man in a Shihakushō, curled up asleep in a cage barely four feet tall, looking as peaceful as a baby. "Still need intel?"
Since two days ago, he'd been unceremoniously dumped in her lounge, a nuisance.
Makoto glanced over, munching. "No rush. Let's finish watching this first."
…
"Achoo!"
In a lab, Kirio sneezed softly, hurriedly covering her mouth. She glared at the petri dish before her, then relaxed, remembering her full protective gear.
Who was that? Startled her for nothing.
…
"Target Point Three, found!"
In the dense forest, Yamada Seinosuke, in his blue-and-white Academy uniform, called out sharply, darting from a treetop to a glass orb on the ground. His palm, wrapped in Reishi, tapped the orb, triggering a "1" To appear inside.
"First this time!" He crowed.
His voice carried through an invisible channel, linking his team with Sōsuke and Shinji's. Shinji's loud complaints echoed back. "Only three points, and you're acting smug! If Sōsuke hadn't split us into this triangle formation, I'd have-"
His grumbling was cut off by the spell's caster.
"No chit-chat, Shinji. Save my Reiatsu." Sōsuke said coolly.
Though Bakudō #23 was a low-level spell for short-range communication, maintaining a multi-person link was taxing for most Shinigami.
Not for Sōsuke, though. He just didn't want Shinji's loud voice cluttering his mental space.
"I'm the lead today!" Yamada gloated, emboldened by Shinji's "mute."
The first team to tag a target earned five extra points. If he kept this up, he'd secure at least a B+ for the semester, enough for a scholarship.
"I didn't set up this formation for you to brag." Sōsuke said, instantly quieting Yamada's smugness.
"Cough. No hostile Reiatsu within three kilometers ahead." Yamada reported promptly. "Path to Target Four is clear."
"Got it." came scattered replies from the younger students through the channel.
Guarding the flank, Sōsuke maintained the team's formation while swiftly sensing nearby Reiatsu. With the risk of sudden ambushes in the field course, he'd recruited Shinji and Yamada to his team from the start to minimize losses. As long as others took the front, he could gather intel before an attack.
It was a calculated move for his grades and safety.
At least, that's how Sōsuke saw it.
The Academy didn't mind, even encouraging such tactics. Moving from small-team to mid-team leadership? Who'd object?
Thanks to this, the grueling field course had boosted Sōsuke, Shinji, and Yamada's grades significantly over multiple semesters.
But today, something felt off.
Despite countless training sessions, as Sōsuke entered the forest, an uneasy premonition hit him, like a herbivore stepping into a predator's territory, catching a faint, acrid scent but unable to pinpoint it.
Just small Hollows in this forest, right?
The thought crossed his mind.
Then, a warning signal blared through the channel from another team.
Shinji's voice rang in their ears, calm and steady:
"Enemy attack. Eight o'clock, three targets. Reiatsu approaching fast."
Hearing Shinji's report, Sōsuke's unease settled, and he issued commands with his usual cool precision. "Yamada's team, slow down and guard the rear. Sōsuke's team, move to assist."
"Roger." came the replies.
As the alert sounded, Shinji and his team of second-years halted on the treetops.
Before them, three standard small Hollows appeared. Though labeled "small" compared to other Hollows, their hulking forms, larger than grown adults, sent adrenaline surging through the younger students. Saliva pooled in their mouths at their first real encounter with Hollows.
"Roar!"
A single bellow sent cold sweat trickling down their backs.
But for Shinji, hardened by four years of facing simulated Hollows in countless drills, these were child's play. With his current strength, he could likely shred even the strongest giant Hollow below Adjuchas rank with ease.
He took the course seriously only for the leadership grades.
"Yahara! Kōji!" He barked. "Spread out, provide Kidō support from a distance. Ōta and Mura, distract the two on the flanks."
He drew his Asauchi with deliberate calm. "I'll take the center one."
"Yes, sir!" Despite their nerves and fatigue from the march, his team snapped into action, rushing to their positions.
Shinji moved last but struck first. Reiatsu erupted from his sandals like an explosion, his form vanishing.
He reappeared before the central Hollow, blade raised high.
Zing!
…
By the time Sōsuke's team arrived, only one of the three Hollows remained.
Shinji, deliberately holding back, let the four second-years surround it, dodging its roars and claws to familiarize themselves with Hollows. Every Shinigami had their first encounter. Better to face it now than lose their life to fear on a real battlefield.
"Yo, Sōsuke." Shinji grinned smugly at Sōsuke's late arrival. "Pretty quick, huh?"
Sōsuke scanned the surroundings, ignoring Shinji's taunt, and nodded. "You handled it well enough."
Despite his words, his brow remained furrowed, still sensing that lingering unease. Was it not these Hollows causing it?
"Hey!" Shinji snapped. "Why the sour face every time? You'll get wrinkles!"
He hooked two fingers into his mouth, pulling a goofy grin. "Young guys gotta smile, Sōsuke! Smile!"
As he clowned around, Sōsuke's gaze shot past him, locking onto the small Hollow surrounded by the second-years.
Could it be?
In that instant, cracks spiderwebbed across the Hollow's body like a shattering eggshell.
The sudden spike in Reiatsu snapped Shinji back to reality, and he whirled around, stunned.
In a blink, the small Hollow, barely taller than a man, swelled like an inflating balloon. Its shell tore apart, leaving only the mask unchanged, as it morphed into a giant Hollow over eight meters tall.
"Hey, wait!" Shinji shouted. "That Reiatsu's at least seated officer level! Weren't these supposed to be simulated small Hollows?"
"Idiot! A real one slipped in!" Sōsuke snapped.
The second-years, circling it moments ago, froze. The overwhelming Reiatsu left them limp, too weak to flee. To ordinary students, even a seated officer was an untouchable powerhouse.
The Hollow, uncaring of their fear, raised a mountain-like claw, the wind howling.
Shinji, stunned by the sudden shift, realized too late.
We're done for.
The thought flashed through his mind.
But in that split second, Sōsuke, who'd been at his side, appeared behind the giant Hollow.
Its claw froze mid-swing.
As the beast swayed, its massive arm slid off, falling with a slow, heavy thud.
Shinji's eyes widened.
So fast.
"Roar!"
The giant Hollow, its mind clouded, didn't flee despite its severed arm. It roared, swinging its remaining claw to crush the strange figure as it always had.
Shinji, fixated on the scene, didn't even catch Sōsuke drawing his blade.
In a flash of lightning, the Hollow's massive form halted.
Before everyone's eyes, the creature, taller than most buildings of the era, split down the middle, sliding apart to either side.
Boom.
The corpse crashed to the ground, a dull thunder reverberating.
The sound finally snapped the group out of their daze.
The second-years stared at their unassuming senior, known only for Kidō, their mouths dry.
Unlike these students, who lacked the ability to gauge strength, Shinji's feelings were more complex.
To effortlessly slay a giant Hollow rivaling a high-ranking seated officer… was Sōsuke already touching captain-level strength?
He'd thought he was the only one improving.
The faint regret lasted only a moment.
Shinji exhaled, looking at Sōsuke with a wry grin. "You jerk, with that kind of power, don't make me worr-"
His words cut off, his gaze freezing.
In his pupils, the scene reflected: Sōsuke, standing ahead, looked back with a puzzled expression.
Behind him, a spatial rift tore open silently.
A grotesque Hollow, massive with two twisted upper bodies sprouting from its waist, raised its arms high.
"Sōsuke!" Shinji tried to shout, nearly biting his tongue.
But his voice was no match for the speed of the thick arms swinging down.
Whoosh!
A blinding shockwave exploded where Sōsuke stood, leaving a Mach cone of afterimages.
The boy's form vanished under the crushing blow, his face still etched with confusion.
Boom!
In the distance, a deafening roar of shattering rock echoed.
***
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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