"By the way, how did you do that just now?"
Soi Fon suddenly asked with curiosity, mimicking a gesture of slashing the air with her bare hand, obviously referring to the golden energy wave Shirō had launched earlier.
If he had been wielding a Zanpakutō at the time, she might've just assumed he had an unusually powerful slashing-type blade and been surprised by his strength.
But to launch an attack like that with empty hands?
That wasn't just surprising, it was suspicious.
"Ahem, that…" Shirō scratched his head as he stood up. He was already recovering, another of his rare but real advantages.
Though his spiritual pressure wasn't particularly strong, his recovery speed was unusually fast.
How else could he keep up with Yoruichi's relentless cat-and-mouse games?
In those chases, his spirit energy burned and regenerated in almost equal measure, letting him run without rest.
In other words, Shirō was best at prolonged battles.
He wasn't built for bursts of explosive power.
Earlier, in desperation, he had secretly used his hidden Zanpakutō.
And now, he still hadn't come up with a proper excuse for it.
"Well, you see... at a certain level of swordsmanship," he began confidently, "you reach a state where you can cut with anything, pluck a flower, toss a leaf, even raise a hand or take a step, and the sword's essence is there. There's a realm beyond technique, 'no form surpasses form.' When the sword is no longer in the hand, but in the heart…"
< [T.L:] This line kinda dipped a little too hard into that 'ancient mystical ching-chang-clang sword-cultivation vibe,' but weirdly enough, it works for a swordsman. So yeah… it stays. >
Soi Fon immediately kicked him.
"Don't give me that crap!"
That kind of swordsmanship might exist, but it was legendary.
There was no way Shirō had reached that level. She wasn't buying it.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell the truth."
Shirō raised both hands in surrender.
"Should've done that from the start," Soi Fon sniffed, crossing her arms.
"Come closer. I'll show you."
"Huh? What are you doing, hey, let go of me!"
Her cheeks turned red as Shirō suddenly grabbed her hand.
"This is a secret, okay? You can't tell anyone."
He whispered, voice filled with mock seriousness.
"…What is it?" Soi Fon was suspicious, but also clearly intrigued.
"Here, feel it for yourself. Aside from me, you're the first one to ever touch it."
Shirō guided her hand downward.
"Huh? What is this, hey! It's hard!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened.
"Heh… give it a gentle touch and you'll understand."
"…You, !"
Then, realization dawned.
She finally understood what it was.
An invisible sword.
A Zanpakutō.
As a Shinigami, her instincts told her immediately:
That was a Zanpakutō in its released state.
Shirō, the so-called loser at the bottom of the class, already had a fully released Zanpakutō?
She thought of all the people who'd laughed at him, even herself, and felt a pang of shame.
How ridiculous.
For a moment, she felt strangely… relieved.
Because Soi Fon, for all her pride and stubbornness, wasn't arrogant.
The reason she had always refused to accept Shirō was partly due to his attitude, especially the way he behaved around Yoruichi, which drove her crazy.
And secondly, because she truly didn't believe she should lose to someone like him.
She was the top of her year.
She had a released Zanpakutō.
Yet somehow, she was still being overshadowed?
Now, knowing that Shirō also had a released Zanpakutō, it made sense.
It was only natural he was strong.
"Hmph. Once I unlock mine, I'll be way stronger than you."
She muttered in her heart.
Actually, she was a bit jealous, not of his strength, but of the nature of his Zanpakutō.
As a future assassin of the Stealth Force, Shirō's invisible sword was perfect for ambushes and assassinations.
Later, she'd even complain about how her Bankai was too flashy, not at all suited to stealth.
So now, she didn't blame Shirō for hiding his blade.
On the contrary, it made perfect tactical sense.
A hidden blade is always more dangerous.
The fewer who knew about it, the better.
The only ones who knew… were dead.
Too bad, she thought, this guy only ever wanted to join the Court Guard.
So lazy, so timid, so utterly unmotivated…
What a waste of talent!
Soi Fon felt another wave of frustration bubble up inside her.
And just as the two of them stood together, hand-in-hand in suspicious silence…
"Ahem."
A cough echoed behind them.
"I'm not… interrupting anything, am I?"
Startled, both Shirō and Soi Fon turned sharply.
They hadn't even noticed someone approaching.
Clearly, their sensory perception still needed work.
They turned to see Shinji Hirako standing a short distance away.
Luckily, he was a fellow Shinigami, otherwise they'd be in serious trouble.
Shinji had been drawn here by all the commotion.
When he arrived, what he saw… well,
A boy and girl hunched together, whispering in secret.
The boy looked lecherous (Shirō: The hell I do!),
the girl blushed like mad (Soi Fon: You wanna die?!),
and the boy was leading the girl's hand downward while saying things like,
"Touch it softly… it's hard… careful now…"
Honestly, Shinji could barely keep watching.
He sighed inwardly.
"Society these days... degenerating fast."
Look at him, Shinji, a handsome, mature man, still single.
And here were these two kids, making out in broad daylight during an exam!
The disparity was too much.
If Shirō had known what Shinji was thinking, he'd probably have spat blood.
Of course the sword was hard, it was a weapon!
Of course he said to touch it gently, it was a Zanpakutō!
If Soi Fon had gotten careless, she could've cut her hand open!
Shinji wasn't exactly a conservative man himself.
If the two were sneaking off to do something behind a tree, well, he'd just pretend he saw nothing.
Problem was, he wasn't the only one being drawn to the noise.
He could sense Kensei Muguruma approaching fast.
And that was why Shinji had to speak up when he did.
Otherwise, things were about to get a whole lot more awkward.
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter