Chapter 54: Progress
Faced with Suoh Tsukasa's firm determination, Yuuki Shinosuke couldn't force the issue, nor would he try to change his mind.
"That's fine."
"You're still young, with plenty of time ahead. You can continue training and choose your own path for the future."
Young people always had their own aspirations for which division to join. Yuuki Shinosuke simply replied with a smile.
'Such a waste.' he sighed inwardly, though he didn't voice this sentiment or let Suoh detect his regret.
Yuuki Shinosuke's heart was far less calm than his expression suggested. Suoh's performance in today's class had completely exceeded his expectations.
Not just his self-learning ability—his physical conditioning and comprehension were all the most outstanding he'd ever seen.
If he could send this gem to the First Division for further guidance, it wouldn't take long for him to completely surpass his teacher.
But he wasn't particularly disappointed either. The First Division, as the head division of the Gotei 13, had a tradition of recruiting elites from other divisions.
Even if Suoh chose the Thirteenth Division now, if he changed his mind in a few years, transferring to the First Division would be a simple matter.
A decade or two in a Shinigami's long life was merely a fleeting moment.
Thinking of this, something suddenly occurred to him. His expression turned serious and solemn.
"By the way, you should have your first Konsō practice in a couple of days."
"Be careful then. Don't let the World of the Living's comfortable environment cloud your judgment. Stay vigilant at all times."
Konsō—the soul burial ceremony—sounded intimidating but was actually a simple procedure.
You just pressed the base of an asauchi's hilt against a soul's forehead, maintained stable contact while using spiritual pressure to inscribe the "Death God" mark.
Then you'd distribute a numbered ticket to guide the wandering souls from the World of the Living to Soul Society.
Over thousands of years, the Shinoreijutsuin had conducted countless Konsō practices. While there had been incidents of students being attacked by Hollows, at worst they'd suffered serious injuries.
Never before had so many elite class students died at once like a few years ago—it was an extremely serious incident.
The event had suspicious elements too. A group of large Hollows had suddenly appeared at the practice site.
Even stranger, not only had the stationed Shinigami from the division responsible for that area noticed nothing, but the Twelfth Division members from the Department of Research and Development monitoring the World of the Living hadn't issued any warnings either.
"A few years ago, there was an accident with the elite class. Many died. Fortunately, the Fifth Division's captain and lieutenant happened to be nearby, or they might have been completely wiped out."
"Though nothing similar has happened in recent years' practices, you still need to be extra careful!"
Yuuki Shinosuke's tone carried obvious gravity. With the incident only a few years past, no one could guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
He actually had confidence in Suoh's abilities and temperament, but out of concern for his student, he felt compelled to give this warning.
"Teacher, I will."
Suoh straightened his back and nodded seriously. He could feel the genuine care in his teacher's words.
Hearing this reminder, Suoh actually felt no nervousness or worry.
The more he learned, the more he understood this world and had a decent grasp of his own abilities.
He wasn't afraid of large Hollows. If anything, he was curious—he hadn't even seen a small Hollow yet and wanted to test himself.
As for who might come to rescue them, he felt a mix of anticipation and slight apprehension.
Because Suoh wasn't sure he could properly face Aizen.
However, from the key points in Yuuki Shinosuke's words, his expectations of encountering Aizen during this Konsō practice had decreased significantly.
After all, when captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 came to the World of the Living, they had to apply a spirit restriction seal somewhere on their bodies to prevent their powerful spiritual pressure from affecting living humans unnecessarily.
So typically, regular Shinigami were dispatched to the World of the Living for missions—captains and lieutenants rarely needed to appear personally.
Many things could be coincidence the first time. A second time would be blatantly deliberate.
"Good, as long as you remember."
"That's enough for today. Rest well these next two days and prepare properly. Better safe than sorry."
Seeing his serious demeanor, Yuuki Shinosuke laughed heartily, his expression softening as he patted Suoh's shoulder.
"Yes, sir."
After bowing farewell, Suoh pushed open the door and left the inner chamber, returning to the training grounds.
The dismissal bell had rung some time ago. Between the brief rest and their conversation, considerable time had passed.
The training grounds had been cleaned spotlessly by the students, not a soul in sight.
As Suoh stepped through the training ground's main entrance, he spotted a familiar figure by the door.
Toshiro leaned against the wall beside the entrance. Hearing footsteps, his eyes swept over Suoh, a knowing smile playing at his lips.
"Tsukasa, you're here."
"Looks like you gained a lot today. Congratulations."
He was no longer the clueless newcomer from enrollment, especially when it came to Suoh, whom he knew best.
Even subtle changes in bearing or minute differences in gait—he could easily detect them all, immediately spotting the difference from before class.
The sense of coordination Suoh now radiated, similar to Yuuki Shinosuke's, proved one fact—
Suoh had gotten stronger again.
"Thanks."
"After class, the teacher talked with me about division selection and the Konsō practice in two days."
"It took some time. Sorry for making you wait."
Suoh walked to his side, falling into step beside him as they headed out, speaking apologetically.
"No problem."
"Which division are you planning to choose?"
Hearing this, Toshiro shook his head dismissively and asked.
Nothing stayed secret long at the Shinoreijutsuin. When Suoh had asked the homeroom teacher for application forms in the staff office, plenty of other teachers had been present.
News of his plans to apply for early graduation had naturally spread. Toshiro was taking this opportunity to ask the question that had been weighing on his mind.
"The Thirteenth Division."
Suoh answered.
"I see..."
Toshiro opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing more, his expression showing rare obvious disappointment and hesitation.
Like Suoh, he'd already chosen his preferred division in his heart—the Tenth Division, different from his friend's choice.
That day, without Matsumoto Rangiku's warning, he'd nearly caused disaster in his ignorance, potentially killing his only family member. He wouldn't have enrolled or met Suoh either.
On one side was his friend who'd walked beside him. On the other was a debt of gratitude he had to repay.
Standing between these two choices, Toshiro experienced for the first time in his life how difficult decisions could truly be.
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