The next day, the Class 1 training grounds.
Rukia was still in a daze. This morning, a teacher from the Shin'ō Academy had personally come to her dormitory to inform her: "From now on, you are a student of Class 1."
Before leaving, the teacher had even updated the information on Rukia's student ID to reflect Class 1. The administrative work was handled seamlessly.
"It must be because of Captain Soifon..."
Clutching the student ID in her hand, Rukia pressed it against her heart for a moment before finally heading out.
Now, she stood beside Captain Soifon, bowing alone toward the students in front of her. "I am Rukia, a newly transferred student. Please look after me."
There were no cliché, over-the-top scenes of an overpowered protagonist putting others in their place. The students merely glanced at Rukia with curiosity before returning to their respective warm-up exercises.
After all, she was a student personally brought in by Soifon, and since it was only the second day of the semester, administrative shifts were perfectly normal.
"Did you all apply the medicinal salve from yesterday?"
Soifon paced back and forth across the training ground, inspecting the ranks.
Momo Hinamori, standing in the front row, raised her hand to answer. "Yes! The effects were truly excellent. I didn't feel any soreness at all when I woke up today."
—Momo, are you even conscious of what you're saying?!
Several students near her shot Momo Hinamori looks as if she were a monster.
While the specialized salve Soifon provided was incredibly effective, it shouldn't have been enough to fully heal yesterday's injuries in a single night. They were all still aching and stiff.
Could it be that the physical constitutions of Shinigami really differed that much from person to person?
Observing Momo Hinamori's energetic appearance, Soifon's expression turned peculiar as she walked a circle around her.
She looked her over, from bottom to top, then top to bottom...
"Not bad. Your body is quite sturdy," Soifon remarked, acknowledging Momo Hinamori's potential. "Your vitality is also very robust."
The Soul Society's number one damage sponge, Momo Hinamori, was already beginning to take shape.
Today's Class 1 curriculum was no exception; it was another Shunpo practice session under Soifon's full guidance.
The moment she gripped her teaching stick, she became completely immersed in her role as a teacher. No matter who made a mistake, they would receive a strike.
Rukia was no exception.
It was only after today's lesson ended that she truly understood what her classmates meant by "medicinal salve."
Without applying that specialized ointment, one would likely find it difficult even to move their limbs the next day.
As the lesson concluded, Soifon looked at the students groaning in pain across the field and handed the teaching stick to Shūhei Hisagi.
"There was progress today, but not much," Soifon said, walking to the high platform of the training ground and looking down at them with her hands behind her back. "In a few more lessons, I will consider adding projectiles to further hone your Shunpo."
Projectiles?!
Renji took a sharp breath, enduring the pain in his red and swollen joints as he applied the salve.
You've got to be kidding. How could anyone dodge projectiles thrown by someone of Captain-level caliber?
Under the admiring gazes of his peers, the red-headed rebel raised his hand. "Teacher Soifon! I have a question!"
Soifon crossed her arms, her face expressionless. "Speak."
"Why have we been practicing nothing but Shunpo these past two days?" Renji said, attempting to dodge the current regimen. "When are we going to practice Hakuda?"
Surely practicing Hakuda wouldn't involve drawing blood, right? It was hand-to-hand combat, not like Kendo where weapons were involved.
Renji Abarai secretly praised himself for his cleverness.
As they applied their medicine, the students all looked toward Soifon on the high platform. After all, when she introduced herself, she had mentioned being a teacher of Hakuda as well.
"Hakuda?" The corners of Soifon's mouth curled slightly. "I have already spoken with the Headmaster. That course has been canceled for Class 1."
An immediate wave of unbelievable cries erupted across the training ground.
"Canceled?!"
Hakuda was one of the four basic Shinigami skills. For the elite Class 1 to cancel it was unheard of.
"I know what you are thinking," Soifon said, waiting for the murmurs to subside before continuing. "Zankensoki—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō—are the fundamental courses for a Shinigami, correct?"
However, in reality, the vast majority of Shinigami never use Hakuda when fighting Hollows. Next to that is Kidō.
Most people simply charge in and slash with their Asauchi. Who cares about the rest?
Those who are more powerful can release their Zanpakutō, at which point they won't spare a second glance at Hakuda.
"In actual combat, if your Zanpakutō has already left your hand, the situation is usually extremely dire."
"It is better to hone your Shunpo to the extreme and use Kidō to engage the enemy from a distance than to rush in empty-handed."
Soifon explained calmly, looking at the stunned faces below.
At that moment, Rukia cautiously raised her hand. "But... Captain Soifon, aren't you a Captain who is exceptionally skilled in Hakuda? I heard your Hakuda techniques are legendary."
Soifon spread her hands helplessly. "My Hakuda is different from yours. It is much harder to learn."
Scratching his head, Renji Abarai's death-seeking impulse flared up again. "Teacher Soifon, could you show us?"
"Renji!"
"Don't let any blood splatter on me later!"
"That's so rude! Apologize to Teacher Soifon right now!"
Simultaneously, the students around Renji Abarai distanced themselves, fearing they might be caught in Soifon's wrath.
Only the three members of his small group pressed his head down to force him to bow.
While the other students didn't dare echo his request, their eyes betrayed a deep sense of anticipation.
Soifon remained silent for a few seconds before giving a brief affirmative: "Very well."
"Eh?!"
She actually agreed!
Soifon untied her Captain's Haori and tossed it casually onto a tree branch behind her, revealing the specialized Stealth Force Shihakushō of the Second Division beneath.
She walked to an empty space at the edge of the training ground, stopping about fifty meters away from the students.
At this distance, Shunkō at its lowest output power shouldn't accidentally injure them.
Buzz—
A piercing hum suddenly exploded. It was the sound of highly concentrated, compressed Kidō Reiatsu vibrating violently, creating sonic booms as it rubbed against the air.
Azure Reiatsu, visible to the naked eye, coiled around Soifon's arms, savagely shredding everything in its vicinity.
She didn't even make an attacking motion; she simply stood there, maintaining Shunkō at its minimum output. The solid ground of the training field began to churn and overturn as if it were being plowed.
The surrounding trees were snapped in half by the violent Reiatsu storm or uprooted entirely, their leaves turning to dust the moment they made contact.
Now they knew why Teacher Soifon's Shihakushō had no sleeves.
Is this... the true strength of a Captain-level?
A few seconds later, the raging azure Reiatsu on Soifon's body receded like a tide, and the humming stopped abruptly.
The edge of the training ground was a mess of debris, and dust slowly settled.
She clapped her hands, turned back to the platform, retrieved her Haori from the tree, and draped it over her shoulders once more.
"This technique is a combination of Kidō and Hakuda," Soifon said with a half-smile at the still-shocked Renji. "Only those capable of instant-casting Kidō above Level 60 are even qualified to learn it."
"So, focus on learning your Kidō first."
The underlying message: You, the guy whose Shakkahō usually results in a self-explosion, shouldn't even dream about it.
Having given the students a small taste of the Shunkō shock, Soifon successfully shifted the teaching pressure onto the Academy's Kidō and Jinzen teachers.
...
After school, Momo Hinamori found Soifon while clutching her Asauchi.
What did this mean?
Could it be that Momo had already successfully communicated with her sword spirit, but felt that Tobiume wasn't good enough and wanted to learn Hakuda instead?
"Um, Teacher Soifon..."
"What is it, Hinamori?"
"I have a friend..."
Was this that classic rhetorical phrase?
Hearing this, Soifon's expression became odd, but she still nodded for her to continue.
Seeing that Soifon was so approachable, Momo Hinamori's nervous heart eased considerably. She had prepared herself mentally for a long time before deciding to ask Soifon for help.
"It's like this, Teacher Soifon. My friend from the Rukongai... from time to time, a terrifyingly cold aura emanates from his body..."
With every sentence Momo Hinamori spoke, Soifon's eyes grew brighter.
Here it was! The savior who could finally free her from her part-time teaching job had finally arrived.
It wasn't until she finished describing her mysterious friend's "condition" that Momo Hinamori weakly looked up at Soifon.
If Soifon hadn't treated them to dinner yesterday, and if Senior Hisagi and Rukia hadn't said so many good things about her, Momo Hinamori would never have had the courage to ask Soifon for help.
Pat.
Soifon reached out and ruffled Momo Hinamori's hair. "Don't worry. With me here, everything will be fine."
_____
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