The year-end in the Soul Society.
The sun was setting in the west, and snow drifted through the sky, draping the buildings of the Seireitei in a thin, white shroud.
On a training field within the Shin'ō Academy, several figures were moving rapidly around Soifon, launching attacks at her from time to time.
Since Tōshirō had awakened Hyōrinmaru, the other members of the five-person squad had also heard the names of their own Zanpakutō, thus achieving Shikai.
Consequently, Soifon had petitioned the Academy's Dean to form a new class consisting of the five of them along with Shūhei Hisagi.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens..."
"Tobiume!"
An ice-blue dragon roared as it lunged toward Soifon, only for a crimson fireball to intercept it mid-way. The collision sent ice shards scattering like flowers across the ground.
Excellent coordination—making me hit my own teammate.
This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. Soifon responded to the six-man assault with composure. She didn't even need to strike back; her fluid footwork alone was enough to make them hit each other.
Whoosh—
The whistling sound of a chain tearing through the air came from behind Soifon. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Izuru Kira slashing from the left. She reached out, grabbed Shūhei Hisagi's chain, and yanked it in front of her to serve as a shield.
Clang—
The iron chain, which had been whipping about freely a moment ago, took several hits from Wabisuke. It suddenly became incredibly heavy and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Kira, deactivate your ability, quick!" Shūhei Hisagi shouted, his hands feeling a sudden weight as his own Zanpakutō pinned him to the ground.
"Howl!"
Renji didn't give Soifon any room to breathe. His next attack followed immediately. The jointed blade, lined with vicious barbs, tore through the air and coiled toward Soifon like a whip.
She was about to step away to dodge, but a bone-chilling cold gripped her ankles.
Soifon looked down. At some point, the snow around her soles had frozen into a layer of crystal-clear ice.
Is this Rukia?
Soifon looked up in surprise, meeting Rukia's triumphant smile. "Teacher Soifon, we've been making progress too."
The freezing weather had greatly amplified the speed at which Sode no Shirayuki could freeze its targets.
Zabimaru's massive blade had already coiled around like a giant python. It enveloped Soifon's figure and suddenly constricted, producing a harsh, metallic grinding sound.
"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"
Rukia took a deep breath. She lightly swung Sode no Shirayuki, pointing the tip of the blade toward the center of Zabimaru's enclosure.
A circle of light as pure as moonlight soared into the sky, centered on Zabimaru. A towering pillar of ice suddenly stood in the middle of the training field, nearly as tall as the nearby classroom building.
The attack was complete. The six of them quickly retreated and gathered together, staring intently at the massive ice pillar before them.
"Did we do it?" Renji Abarai asked tentatively, his hand on his sword hilt slightly sweaty.
"We... we didn't freeze Teacher Soifon too badly, did we?" Rukia looked at the thick layer of ice with concern.
Momo Hinamori also looked uneasy, tugging at Rukia's sleeve. "Rukia, maybe we should melt it first..."
Well, at least you two have a bit of a conscience.
Behind the six of them, Soifon stood with her arms crossed, completely unharmed.
They spun around, their faces full of shock as they looked at Soifon and then back at the giant ice pillar.
Renji yanked Zabimaru back, and the pillar from Sode no Shirayuki collapsed with a roar. As expected, there was nothing inside.
"What Zabimaru attacked was just an afterimage from Shunpo. It's a pity the blade blocked your line of sight."
"Therefore, you must use your spiritual sense. Do not trust your eyes too much."
After Soifon finished speaking, she turned to leave the training field, gesturing for the six of them to follow.
"Aren't we continuing the training, Teacher?" Shūhei Hisagi was the first to ask as they followed behind.
"Have you forgotten what day it is?"
Soifon led them out of the school gates. The snow-covered streets of the Seireitei were already decorated with ornaments full of New Year's atmosphere.
"I know! Teacher, is it New Year's?" Momo Hinamori skipped to Soifon's side.
Flick.
Soifon flicked Momo Hinamori's forehead with her finger. "Dummy, New Year's is tomorrow."
Momo made an exaggerated expression, clutching her head as she backed away. "That hurts!"
"Does this mean Teacher Soifon is going to spend New Year's Eve with us today?" Rukia looked at Soifon expectantly.
"Mhm. At least Rukia is a bit smarter." Ruffling her head, Soifon turned to her students. "Let's go."
"Hey, it's not like I'm stupid!" Momo Hinamori puffed out her cheeks and hurried to keep up.
This time, Soifon didn't take them to the small izakaya next to the Shin'ō Academy. Instead, she brought them to the Noble District, to a BBQ restaurant owned by the Ōmaeda family.
Inside the private room, the warmth of the brazier shut out the wind and snow from outside, leaving only the crackling sound of charcoal.
"Teacher Soifon, won't this... be too expensive?" Momo Hinamori asked in a small voice. The others nodded in agreement.
Without answering, Soifon pushed the menu to the center of the table. "Order whatever you want. Don't worry about the price; we don't have to pay here."
"Eh?!"
The group was shocked once again, their trembling hands hovering over the menu.
Unable to stand their hesitation, Soifon waved her hand. "Never mind. Bring one of everything."
While waiting for the food, the room fell silent, with only the charcoal brazier emitting a steady heat.
"Your strength has already surpassed many of the Academy's ordinary graduates."
With that single sentence, Soifon commanded everyone's full attention.
"I plan to propose to the Dean that you graduate early."
Soifon picked up her cup, the steam obscuring her face.
Once she finished with this class, she would also submit her resignation to the Captain-Commander to fully return to her duties in the Second Division and begin considering the matter of going to Karakura Town.
Bringing Tōshirō Hitsugaya this far could be considered a successful completion of the Captain-Commander's mission.
Early graduation? The group looked at each other, but not a single person intended to refuse.
In their minds, they knew that graduating with Shikai would guarantee them a position as a seated officer. The benefits would be far better than being a student at the Academy.
After all, they were all children who had clawed their way up from the Rukongai.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Soifon nodded and continued, "The graduation exam is a Konso internship in the World of the Living. I believe your strength is more than enough to complete it smoothly."
After they had chatted for a long while, a waitress entered carrying trays piled high with various meats.
Soifon took the tongs and began skillfully laying meat slices on the wire rack. The metal over the charcoal was already hot, and the fat dripped down with a pleasant sizzling sound.
Soifon placed a piece of grilled beef tongue into each of their bowls. "Eat more. You're still growing."
Momo Hinamori looked at the shiny, fragrant meat in her dish. Her heart felt warm, and she blurted out: "You should eat more too, Teacher Soifon. You're also still growing!"
Deng— Deng— Dong—
Soifon's hand holding the chopsticks paused. She looked at Momo Hinamori with a deadpan expression.
The moment the words left her mouth, the room fell into a sudden silence.
Izuru choked on his tea. Rukia's face took on a strange expression as she lifted her bowl to hide her face. Renji turned his head away, Tōshirō's mouth twitched, and even Shūhei couldn't help but raise a hand to cover his eyes.
"Do you know, Momo?" A vein throbbed on Soifon's forehead. "Actually, in terms of a Shinigami's age, I am already an adult."
Momo Hinamori tried to apologize, but in her haste to bow, she forgot to stand up properly...
BANG—
Accompanied by a loud thud, the bowls and chopsticks on the table jumped several centimeters. At that same moment, fireworks began to bloom in the night sky outside.
Momo Hinamori: HP -1. Table: HP -999.
"Ah... fireworks!"
Rubbing her forehead, Momo Hinamori saw the fireworks outside and began to giggle in surprise.
"They really are!" Rukia teased Momo. "Maybe Momo hit the table so hard just now that we couldn't even hear the sound of the fireworks starting."
Momo's voice grew sheepish. "Aww... why would you say that..."
(I... I was actually so rude in front of Teacher Soifon!)
Her flushed cheeks practically emitted steam, and her eyes spun like dizzy spirals.
At the sight, everyone burst into laughter. The private room in the BBQ restaurant was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
As the laughter gradually subsided, everyone looked out the window together. Continuous fireworks blossomed in the night sky, decorating the Seireitei's darkness with a kaleidoscope of colors.
"So beautiful..."
"Yes, truly beautiful."
So, this was what it felt like to see fireworks from up close.
So, this was what the sound of fireworks actually was.
Back in the Rukongai, they could only watch the fireworks inside the Seireitei from afar. Because of the distance, they appeared as nothing more than tiny blossoms in their vision.
At that moment, the ever-socially-aware Shūhei Hisagi stood up and raised his tea cup toward Soifon.
"Teacher Soifon, Happy New Year!"
The others followed suit, raising their cups and lightly clinking them against Soifon's.
"Happy New Year." Soifon brought her cup to the center of the table. "I wish you all success in this year's graduation exam."
_____
New Story: ZZZ: Mr. Ethereal Does Not Want to See a Tragedy
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