Having eliminated the snake-tailed Hollow, Suō Tsukasa stood still in his original spot, the tip of his blade pointing diagonally toward the ground.
He had no intention of offering further assistance; the battle between the other two did not require his interference.
Despite this, his silent silhouette remained the most terrifying deterrent in the eyes of the remaining two small Hollows.
They felt an instinctive dread, and their lingering fighting spirit crumbled under this wordless threat. They wanted nothing more than to flee the area as quickly as possible.
The situation in the field soon became clear.
Capitalizing on the support from the previous Byakurai, Takahashi Kenta successfully shattered the mask of the one-eyed Hollow at the moment it struggled to turn due to its injuries, defeating it completely.
Kawada Taichi likewise utilized a skillful Bakudo to restrain the spiked Hollow, cleaving it in two with a single strike.
The once-raucous battlefield suddenly fell silent, leaving only the whistling of the night wind sweeping through the empty streets.
Takahashi Kenta and Kawada Taichi leaned on their Asauchi, staggering toward Tsukasa.
They panted heavily, sweat dripping from their brows. They were covered in various minor wounds, and their Spiritual Pressure was significantly depleted.
"Suō-kun, you are simply too strong!"
The two looked at Tsukasa simultaneously, their eyes filled with uncontrollable admiration and shock.
Even the brief glimpses they had caught of Tsukasa's battle with the snake-tailed Hollow while they were fighting had completely exceeded their understanding.
Takahashi Kenta's face was filled with the relief of a survivor. His voice trembling, he bowed in deep gratitude.
"Suō-kun, if not for your support just now, I would have long since—"
"No need for formalities. Attend to your injuries first."
Tsukasa calmly interrupted him. After helping him up, he placed a hand on Takahashi's shoulder, and a spiritual light flared.
The glow of Kaido pulsed, and under the soothing influence of spiritual energy, the wounds healed at a rate visible to the naked eye.
"Thank you—"
With his physical trauma healed, Takahashi's tensed nerves relaxed. He let out a long breath and whispered his thanks.
"Mhm."
Tsukasa nodded and turned to Kawada Taichi, treating him with Kaido as well. Kawada's injuries were relatively minor.
Soon, Tsukasa withdrew his hand and patted Kawada's shoulder in affirmation.
"Kawada-kun, your performance just now was excellent."
To Tsukasa, this was merely an ordinary practical exercise.
To Kawada Taichi and the others, however, it was entirely different. The discipline Kawada had shown during the battle earned him Tsukasa's recognition.
"I will continue to work hard."
Kawada blinked in surprise at the praise, then nodded solemnly.
"Take a short rest. We need to head back as soon as possible," Tsukasa reminded them, his gaze sweeping over the two.
After a brief moment to gather themselves, the three hurried back toward the hospital.
The night remained deep and silent, so quiet that only the sound of the wind generated by their movements could be heard.
On the way back.
Takahashi Kenta and Kawada Taichi walked in front, close enough to be side-by-side.
Having fought through a life-and-death struggle together, a sense of mutual respect and camaraderie had quietly blossomed between them.
As they drew closer to the assembly point, their spirits relaxed. They occasionally exchanged whispers about the details of the fight, their voices carrying both a lingering fear and the excitement of a first victory.
Tsukasa remained in the rear, his spiritual senses fully extended, while his mind silently replayed the encounter.
The moment the small Garganta opened, I immediately captured the abnormal Spiritual Pressure fluctuations from the Hollows.
When the first student attack incident occurred, the experimental Hollows under Aizen had the ability to hide their Spiritual Pressure. There's no reason for me to encounter a defective model this time.
Throughout the journey, no new Hollow Spiritual Pressures appeared within the range of his senses.
Gradually, the Spiritual Pressures of students from other groups began to emerge at the edge of his perception. The headcount was intact, and their statuses seemed stable.
"It should be safe now."
"It doesn't look like anyone else encountered a Giant Hollow."
The situation captured by his senses allowed Tsukasa's heart to settle slightly.
Tsukasa's greatest advantage was the memory fragments in his mind that transcended the timeline, allowing him to clearly understand his own strength and circumstances.
From the start of the internship, he had been fully prepared for the possibility of encountering a Giant Hollow.
Even in the moment before the small Hollows collapsed and while he was performing Kaido, he had maintained a state of high alert, guarding against a possible ambush from the shadows.
"Even if you want to guard against others, it depends on whether they even consider you worth looking at."
Tsukasa sighed inwardly. He knew his current strength well; he hadn't even mastered Shikai yet, and he was still a distance away from Lieutenant-level power.
This level of strength wasn't worth special treatment from a figure as significant as Aizen.
Understanding this, Tsukasa chose not to investigate whether this ambush was a coincidence or a planned event. At the very least, he was safe for now.
As the party at a complete disadvantage in terms of power, all he could do at this stage was passively accept the situation; anything else was meaningless.
However, despite these thoughts, the wariness deep in his soul was difficult to shed completely.
Knowing the future trajectory made him more aware than anyone of the hidden crises lurking behind the Soul Society.
It also meant his mind remained tightly strung during the internship, making it difficult to truly relax for even a moment.
Perhaps this was the price of possessing such an information advantage.
"Sigh, sometimes seeing too far isn't entirely a good thing."
Seeing the Red Cross emblem drawing nearer, Tsukasa shook his head slightly, pushing aside his cluttered thoughts. He was not used to dwelling on negative emotions.
In terms of the final result, he was quite satisfied with tonight's battle. At the very least, the effects of his simulated techniques had met his expectations in actual combat.
Upon reaching the rooftop, Tsukasa reported his group's results to the guide, Toyama, and then found a spot to stay by himself.
On the hospital rooftop, the students participating in the internship returned one after another, huddling in groups of three or five to talk and share their experiences of the night.
Accompanied by the sound of chatter, the overall atmosphere was relaxed and free.
In a corner, Tsukasa leaned against the railing, feeling the night wind, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the hilt of the Asauchi tucked into his waist.
"Tsukasa, I heard your group ran into a Giant Hollow. Are you all right?"
Hitsugaya Toshiro, having finished reporting his results, walked over and asked.
A person's thoughts and emotions often reveal themselves through small movements.
An experienced person can hide these flaws perfectly, but Tsukasa was clearly not yet at that level of absolute composure.
Toshiro saw that his friend's mood was slightly off; that seemingly casual stance hid a subtle, underlying alertness.
He also noticed that Tsukasa's peripheral vision occasionally swept over the various blind spots on the roof, as if confirming something.
Though curious about the reason for this vigilance, Toshiro ultimately asked nothing.
Some things didn't need to be questioned too clearly. He simply stood silently by Tsukasa's side.
"I'm fine. How about things on your end?"
Seeing Toshiro, Tsukasa stopped his hand movements and spoke casually.
"Nothing special. We only ran into a few small Hollows."
"Mhm. That's good then."
The brief conversation dissipated in the night wind. The laughter and talk of the other students drifted over, making this corner feel exceptionally quiet.
This peace did not last long. The guide, Toyama, clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
"Very well! Assemble! This concludes the internship!"
The students quickly lined up. Tsukasa took one last look at the deep night sky and let out a soft sigh.
"Unlock!"
The Senkaimon opened once again, and black Hell Butterflies circled in the air, guiding everyone inside.