Three days later, in the morning.
"Let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Kinoshita Maho."
"And I'm Mayo Shihōin."
A male and a female student waved at Kai, greeting him with friendly smiles.
These two were Kai's "teammates."
They were currently stationed in a designated safe zone that had already been swept by professional Soul Reapers, ready to perform their Konso (Soul Burial) training.
After this exercise, most students would officially graduate and become full-fledged Soul Reapers.
"Kai."
Kai nodded in return, his gaze lingering for a moment on Mayo Shihōin. She was a girl with a very sweet smile.
The Shihōin Clan had always maintained friendly relations with his family.
But a moment later, Kai's expression turned serious.
In his memory of the original plot...
This Konso field exercise was where a major disaster occurred.
In the training zone, Aizen had secretly planted a number of Gillian-class Menos to conduct an experiment.
In the end, only a handful of students survived.
"Come on... don't look so serious, Kai."
Mayo Shihōin tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, smiling gently. "It's just a Konso practice run. The Soul Reapers have already cleared this entire area for us. There are only weak Hollows left here. It's completely safe."
"Exactly. And even if things go south, you've got me. I'm an A-rank honor student who scored a perfect 100, you know."
Kinoshita Maho, a commoner student, was quite chatty. He patted Kai on the shoulder with a grin that said, Stick with me, I'll protect you.
"I hope so."
Kai sighed.
Judging by the team assignments, the Shin'ō Academy was clearly looking out for him, the "dead-last" noble.
The problem was...
Kinoshita Maho didn't even know what Shikai was. Against a Menos Grande, he was basically a food delivery guy.
I need to regroup with Rukia, fast.
Kai took a deep breath, a sense of unease growing in his chest. "You two. Don't wander off."
"Hey, hey, don't boss me around. My grades are higher than yours, remember?"
"Oh? Does Kai-kun already have a strategy?"
...
Not long after, the expressions on all three of their faces changed completely.
"We hit the jackpot."
The three of them, who had already performed Soul Burials on a few small Hollows, now stood in a desolate area, their faces grim.
On the ground...
Over a dozen corpses lay scattered about.
Blood and severed limbs were everywhere.
Those were familiar faces from the Academy.
"How... How did this happen..."
Kinoshita Maho, who had been so relaxed just moments ago, dropped the foxtail grass he had been chewing on. His face went pale as he stared at the carnage.
"It was supposed to be just a walk in the park..."
Mayo Shihōin fought back the urge to vomit. She knelt to inspect a body, then her expression sharpened. "They died recently. The enemy is still nearby!"
At that exact moment...
A terrifying spiritual pressure erupted into the sky.
Mayo and Maho's legs turned to jelly, and they nearly collapsed to their knees.
It felt as if the sky itself were collapsing. Their minds ground to a halt, unable to process thought, unable to feel fear, unable even to summon the will to run.
"Don't just stand there dazed."
Suddenly, Kai was standing in front of them, his voice snapping them out of their deathly paralysis.
"So... so scary. For a second there, I felt like I was already dead..."
Gasping for air, Maho wiped the cold sweat pouring down his forehead. But as he looked at Kai, a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
"Spiritual pressure of this level... that's definitely not a normal Hollow. Is it a Menos Grande? Why is there such a terrifying monster in the practice zone..."
Mayo's voice trembled as she struggled to stand.
"That... isn't just a Menos Grande," Kai said, his face dark.
Maybe because of him—because of the Hōgyoku—Aizen's experiment had escalated. Had Aizen decided to throw in a few Adjuchas-class Menos just to see what would happen?
His premonition had come true.
"What... What does that mean?"
Hearing this, Mayo's face drained of color.
Even a standard Hollow was a formidable enemy for Academy students who hadn't yet become true Soul Reapers.
But an Adjuchas-class Menos?
That was a monster that required at least a Vice-Captain level Soul Reaper to handle!
"Exactly what it sounds like. You two find a place to hide and don't come out."
After giving the order, a flash of blue light flickered deep in Kai's eyes. His spiritual pressure expanded invisibly, instantly locking onto Rukia's signature.
"Found her!"
Whoosh!
Kai vanished from his spot instantly.
"Hey, hey... what was that speed? Can Shunpo even go that fast?"
Maho's eyes bulged as he stared at the empty space where Kai had just been.
"I think... Kai-kun never used his full power during the exams," Mayo murmured, deep in thought.
"Speaking of which... did you notice? That pressure—the one that nearly crushed our souls just by existing—didn't seem to affect Kai at all."
Maho sucked in a cold breath.
That guy... he might be a monster.
...
BOOM!
A crimson Cero blasted into the ground, instantly vaporizing a skyscraper.
"Tch. Do you Soul Reapers only know how to hide? This is boring."
A humanoid monster wearing a mask and sporting a hollow hole through his chest walked down the street, his demeanor relaxed.
His name was Carol. An Adjuchas-class Menos!
"Damn it! Why is an enemy of this level here?!"
In a hidden corner, Rukia's face was grim.
Surrounding her were Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori, and Izuru Kira.
In the chaos, these close friends from the Academy had quickly grouped together.
"That's an Adjuchas, right? That has to be an Adjuchas! Why is a monster like that in a Soul Burial practice zone?! What the hell is the administration thinking?!"
Renji scratched his head frantically.
"Honestly... if you'd just stayed still and let me kill you, it would've been over quickly. Why do you have to hide like rats?"
Carol flicked his tail, suddenly stepping back to dodge a burst of crimson flame.
His eyes, filled with cold bloodlust, shifted to the Soul Reaper who had appeared on his flank.
The Soul Reaper held a strange Zanpakutō shaped like two scythes connected by a chain.
"It's Shūhei Hisagi! We're saved!"
Renji pumped his fist in excitement.
"You should call him Vice-Captain Hisagi, Renji-kun," Izuru corrected him.
Shūhei Hisagi. The 6th year student who was already a seated officer nominee and the leader in charge of this mission.
With him here...
Before Izuru could even finish his sigh of relief, he watched as Shūhei Hisagi—their savior—took a direct hit from the Adjuchas's Cero and vanished from their field of vision.
Izuru: "..."
Rukia: "..."
Renji: "..."
Our savior just got yeeted. What do we do? Online waiting for help. Urgent!
The next second.
Carol's scarlet eyes suddenly locked onto their hiding spot. Red light began to gather in his gaping maw.
"Found you... little brats."