The training grounds of the Shin’ō Academy lay bathed in the faint light of dawn.
Silas stood at the edge of the field, drilling alongside the students.
Aizen’s appearance had put considerable pressure on him.
His own training could yield experience as well.
The rate of growth was low, but as the returns from picking up fragments inside the academy dwindled, what he earned from training was no longer negligible.
The pity of it was that he still couldn’t use his full strength on academy ground, so all he could do was hold his power down and run basic exercises.
Under his oversized academy uniform, Silas had several steel bars strapped to his body for extra weight as he ran the drills with the students.
After half a day of training, the system text appeared.
[Obtained Shunpo Insight, Shunpo EXP +5]
The system panel unfolded in his mind, every figure laid out clearly.
[Name: Silas Vane]
Spiritual Power Level: Rank 9 (EXP: 505/5000)
Zanjutsu: Lv3 (EXP: 55/3000)
Hakuda: Lv3 (EXP: 20/3000)
Shunpo: Lv3 (EXP: 10/3000)
Kidō: Lv3 (EXP: 1755/3000)
Zanpakutō: Asauchi Resonance 91%
[Special Abilities]
Hollowfication: Lv1 (EXP: 10/1000)
Hōgyoku (Awakening: 0.05%)
Because his Shunpo experience had lagged badly behind, he had poured effort into that training in particular, and finally brought it level with the rest.
Some time had passed since the beginning-of-term assessment, and over those weeks Silas had at last raised Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō all to Lv3, a clean and complete command of the set.
His Spiritual Power Level climbed slowly, but it climbed steadily all the same.
With his true strength as it stood, he could pass the graduation assessment early if he put in for it.
He also stood a good chance of being made a Seated Officer on joining a division, somewhere around Eighth or Ninth Seat.
Beyond all that, the surprise was the Zanpakutō resonance.
As his overall strength improved, and especially after his Spiritual Power Level broke through to Rank 9, he could feel the sleeping will inside the Asauchi at his waist more clearly.
It was a vague response, indistinct and yet unmistakably there.
He wondered what his Zanpakutō’s ability would turn out to be.
Letting his breath out slowly, Silas wound down, then walked to the side of the field to recover.
He was wiping the sweat off with a towel when a familiar voice came from beside him.
“You’re actually training seriously today?”
She had several books in her arms, apparently coming from the library and passing the training grounds on her way.
Silas turned to find her pushing up her glasses and looking him over like some rare specimen.
“Graduation’s coming. The pressure’s getting to me.”
Silas smiled and twisted open his water bottle for a drink.
“By the way, are the arrangements out for this year’s Konsō internship in the Human World?”
“Mm-hmm.” Nanao came over and sat on the steps beside him, settling her books on her lap.
“There are still two weeks. This year, as fifth-years, we’re responsible for leading the underclassmen. The group lists should go up next week.”
Silas nodded.
For this Konsō internship, as a member of the Elite Class, he would be grouped with Nanao and one other fifth-year to lead three lower-year students, guiding them through the whole process.
It would work the same way next year when they moved up to sixth-year.
This model of seniors mentoring juniors was a Shin’ō Academy tradition, meant to give the graduating seniors of the Elite Class experience in leading a team.
Images of previous years’ trips flickered through Silas’s mind.
Narrow rows of townhouses, kerosene lamps giving off their dim yellow light.
Pedestrians in traditional kimono or in modern dress walking the streets, and in the distance, tall chimneys pushing out rolling black smoke now and then.
An era where tradition and modernity collided hard.
Electricity had begun to spread and horse-drawn carriages were still the main way to travel, while Western culture pressed in on the old traditional society.
The clothing, the speech, even the lingering attachments of the departed souls all carried the stamp of that period.
Set against it, the Soul Society as it stood looked more developed and more advanced.
“We’re going to the same place we did before. It should be the same as last year.”
Nanao drew a simple map out from between her books.
Silas took it and read over the notes and explanation for their destination.
At the same time, other calculations were running.
Since Aizen’s seemingly offhand inspection, the days that followed had been unusually quiet.
Aizen had not shown up again, as if that conversation really had been nothing more than a lieutenant’s ordinary encouragement to a student.
It didn’t settle the unease in Silas at all.
Given the man’s nature, if he had genuinely taken an interest, he wouldn’t have stopped at one meeting.
This calm felt more like the heavy stillness before a storm, or the patience of a hunter studying the habits of its prey.
The Human World internship, far from the direct watch of the Seireitei, in a complicated environment where Hollows surfaced from time to time, was the perfect stage for arranging an accident.
He had to be careful.
“Silas?”
Nanao’s voice pulled him back out of his thoughts.
“What are you thinking about? You’ve been much more preoccupied lately, and you’re training harder too. Did something happen?”
Silas looked at the concern in her eyes and felt a wave of warmth.
“Nothing serious. I’m leading a team from this year on, so there’s more riding on me. Speaking of which, we haven’t been grouped together in past years. Maybe this year we’ll get the chance.”
Nanao’s face flushed faintly at that, and she turned her head away, murmuring, “What are you talking about? Who would want to be with you…”
Silas gave her a teasing look, but Nanao had already averted her eyes, pretending to straighten the books in her lap.
Just then a lively voice came toward them from a distance.
“Vane-senpai!”
They both turned to see Shiba Kaien striding over, wearing that trademark bright, cheerful smile.
He had settled fully into life at the Shin’ō Academy and was thriving among the freshmen.
“Kaien. Done training?”
Silas stood up.
“Just finished.” Kaien dusted off his clothes.
“Oh, Nanao-senpai’s here too.”
He glanced at Nanao beside him and gave a polite nod of greeting.
Nanao nodded back slightly.
“You two talk. I’ll head back.”
She picked up her books and said to Silas, “Don’t forget the notes from the Kidō seminar tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’ve got it.”
Silas answered.
Once Nanao’s small figure had disappeared through the training ground exit, Kaien moved closer and lowered his voice, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Vane-senpai, the thing is… my sister, Kūkaku, has been insisting she wants to thank you properly for everything. After eating your ramen that many times, she really feels she owes you a meal in return.”
He scratched his head.
“So she asked me to invite you. If you’re free this weekend, would you come over for a simple dinner? It isn’t far from West Rukongai. And of course Nanao-senpai would be welcome too, if she’d like to come.”
Something stirred in Silas at that.
Kūkaku…
Right now, though, Silas was more interested in the Kaien standing in front of him.
Kaien, at a Rank Six Spiritual Power Level, was plainly stronger than Silas at this point in time.
If he could serve as a training opponent, the experience returns might climb enormously.
With that in mind, Silas smiled and answered.
“That’s very good of her. Since you’ve invited me, it would be rude to refuse. Saturday suits me perfectly.”
“As for Nanao… I’ll ask. Don’t get your hopes up.”
Kaien clapped his hands, delighted.
“Then it’s settled! I’ll wait for you at the Shin’ō Academy entrance on Saturday afternoon.”