"Wait, hold on—"
Before Satoru could react, Yoruichi had already pulled him under the cloak.
The cloak wasn't large, so the two of them had to press tightly together, much like the trio under the Invisibility Cloak at Hogwarts.
Yoruichi was young—perhaps even younger than him—but her figure was already quite impressive.
Even through their uniforms, he could feel the warmth of her body.
Satoru felt his body stiffen slightly.
Noticing the change in Satoru, Yoruichi flashed a mischievous grin.
"Oh? Are you blushing?"
"Ridiculous. I, Satoru Mikami, am a man destined to become the harem king of Soul Society. I discarded things like blushing by the age of three."
While muttering his retort, Satoru extended two fingers and drew a line through the air in front of him.
With that motion, an invisible spiritual membrane slowly unfurled, completely enveloping the two of them.
Seeing this, Yoruichi's eyes lit up.
As a member of the Onmitsukidō, she recognized it immediately—Mikami had just used "Hadō #26: Kyokkō."
Kyokkō created a spiritual membrane that bent light, rendering everything within it completely invisible.
This technique was nearly useless in combat, so few Shinigami bothered to learn it.
And yet, Satoru had not only cast it flawlessly without an incantation but also maintained perfect control.
The more she observed, the more impressed Yoruichi became.
Exceptional spiritual pressure detection, masterful stealth Kidō, and a moral compass that defied all logic…
This guy was practically made for the Second Division!
Tap, tap!
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and soon, Chōjirō Sasakibe appeared at the entrance.
Satoru swallowed hard.
Logically, sneaking into the mess hall wasn't a big deal, yet he couldn't shake the inexplicable tension creeping over him.
It was like hiding in a closet during a horror game—even if the monster caught and killed you, the sheer terror of watching it approach was worse than any actual fight.
Sensing Satoru's unease, Yoruichi smirked mockingly at him.
Satoru rolled his eyes.
Just then, a towering figure over two meters tall stepped inside.
The man sported a brown pompadour, thick lips, and a gaudy gold chain around his neck—exuding the unmistakable aura of a nouveau riche.
He scanned the room with a frown.
"Strange… I could've sworn I saw the young mistress heading this way. Did she already leave?"
As soon as he spoke, his sharp gaze suddenly locked onto Satoru and Yoruichi's position.
Yoruichi tensed up like a startled cat.
Seeing her reaction, Satoru grinned.
In that moment, his nervousness vanished—replaced by the smug satisfaction that even if they were caught, it'd be worth it just to see her like this.
Truly, human happiness was built upon the suffering of others.
Yoruichi shot him an exasperated glare.
Under their watchful eyes, Marenoshin Ōmaeda approached the table.
On it sat a recently emptied soup bowl.
He reached out and tested the bowl's temperature.
Then, his expression sharpened.
"The bowl's still warm. Someone was here just now!"
Hearing this, Chōjirō blinked. "You're saying the head of the Shihōin family snuck into the First Division's kitchen… to eat?"
Marenoshin paused, as if realizing how absurd the idea sounded.
His young mistress was, after all, one of the Four Great Noble Houses. Why would she stoop to stealing food from another division's kitchen?
But then again, given Shihōin's usual antics… it wasn't entirely impossible.
After a brief discussion with Chōjirō, the two decided to immediately search the surrounding area.
Yoruichi had only just left—she couldn't have gone far.
With rebel forces acting unpredictably, letting a noble of her status wander alone was far too dangerous.
We must find her as soon as possible!
Under the watchful eyes of Satoru and Yoruichi, the two vice-captains quickly left the cafeteria.
Once they were sure the two had gone far enough, Yoruichi let out a sigh of relief.
Then, she grumbled, "This is all your fault. Now I'm stuck with the crime of stealing food."
Satoru chuckled. "Want me to call them back and explain?"
"Ahem, this young lady is magnanimous. I won't hold it against you."
Watching Yoruichi back down instantly, Satoru clicked his tongue and shook his head, raising his hand to pull off the cloak draped over him.
But the moment he lifted his hand, a voice echoed in his ears.
[Detected that bound target "Aizen Sōsuke" has acquired a new skill. Auto-syncing… Sync complete!]
[Your understanding of Hadō has improved. You have mastered Hadō #31: Shakkahō!]
[Your understanding of Zanjutsu has improved…]
[Your understanding of Shunpo has improved…]
[Your understanding of Hakuda has improved…]
For the past few days, he had been receiving similar notifications from time to time.
Aizen's rate of progress was unimaginably fast.
Despite still being a student, the guy barely participated in any recreational activities with his peers.
Whenever he had free time, he would find a place to train.
If the environment wasn't suitable for training, he would mentally rehearse the application of Kidō.
His monstrous talent, combined with monk-like discipline and effort, ensured that Aizen's strength was constantly advancing.
So, by now, Satoru barely reacted to these notifications.
He was used to them.
But amidst the familiar stream of updates, he suddenly caught an anomaly.
[You have acquired the special Kidō technique "Simulated Cero"!]
Satoru: "…?"
Simulated Cero?
What the hell is Aizen up to?
Why would he develop a Kidō like that?
Is he already researching the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows at this point?
No way…
Seeing Satoru pause just as he was about to remove his cloak, Yoruichi gave him a puzzled look.
"What's wrong?"
Satoru turned his head to look at the dark-skinned girl squatting beside him.
"...Nothing, just savoring the feeling of you pressing against me earlier."
"Hey hey, that's harassment behavior."
Yoruichi huffed and gave him a firm slap.
Looking at the black cloak in his hand, Satoru suddenly asked, "Where did this cloak come from?"
Yoruichi smirked. "Our Shihōin family is known as the 'Tenshi Heisōban (Guard of the Heavenly Gifted Armaments),' preserving many ancient divine artifacts. This stealth cloak is one of them."
"Not made by someone you know?"
"I wish I knew someone with that kind of skill..."
Yoruichi shook her head with amusement, as if the idea of such a person existing was laughable.
Hearing this, Satoru nodded.
After confirming that Marenoshin and Chōjirō had left, the two slipped out of the cafeteria.
Gazing at Satoru, Yoruichi said, "Satoru, after you graduate, come to the Second Division!"
"What's in it for me?" Satoru raised an eyebrow.
Yoruichi thought for a moment. "How about a direct promotion to officer rank?"
Satoru shook his head. "With my strength, becoming an officer in any division wouldn't be difficult."
"True." Yoruichi nodded.
"Then, how about a personal chef? You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want!"
Satoru stroked his chin. "Sounds tempting. I'll think about it."
Seeing he still wasn't fully hooked, Yoruichi suddenly leaned in closer. "The Second Division has a lot of cute girls. There's one so adorable even I find her charming. If you join, I'll introduce you!"
Before she could finish, Satoru grabbed her hand.
"Please save me a spot!"
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