Soi Fon still did not understand why Gosuke Shigure had brought her to Sōkyoku Hill.
This place was sacred, solemn, and ominous. a location associated with execution and judgment, not cultivation or training. Ever since the Sōkyoku had been sealed away and rarely used, few Shinigami would even approach this area without reason.
However, since Gosuke Shigure had chosen this place for her special training, she could only suppress her doubts and follow behind him in silence.
Gosuke Shigure walked ahead, his pace unhurried.
Eventually, the two arrived at the base of Sōkyoku Hill, where the terrain grew steep and wild. Dense weeds covered the ground, and jagged stone walls rose on either side. It was an area that looked long abandoned by Seireitei.
Gosuke Shigure stopped.
He raised one hand and calmly began to chant.
A Kidō formula flowed from his lips not destructive, but precise and layered. Spiritual pressure rippled outward, resonating with the terrain itself.
The ground trembled slightly.
Then
At the foot of the mountain, where the rocks were originally chaotic and uneven, a concealed passage slowly revealed itself, the illusion dissolving as if peeled away.
"…!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened.
She had never imagined that such a hidden space existed beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
"This is?"
Gosuke Shigure did not answer immediately. He stepped forward, motioning for her to follow.
They passed through the narrow passage, descending deeper until the air became still and the Reiatsu from the outside world faded almost completely. Finally, the tunnel opened into a secluded mountain training ground, wide, barren, and surrounded by sheer stone walls.
The ground bore faint traces of past battles.
Scratches.
Cracks.
Residual spiritual impressions that had not fully dissipated even after decades.
Gosuke Shigure stopped and turned to her.
"This place was opened up by Shihōin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke back then," he said calmly.
"They trained here for many years."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Urahara Kisuke completed his Bankai mastery in this place."
For Soi Fon, the name Urahara Kisuke was like a thorn.
It was because of that man that Yoruichi-sama had abandoned everything and left Soul Society.
Because of him, the Second Division and the Shihōin Clan had been thrown into chaos.
Normally, even hearing his name would sour her expression.
But this time, she restrained herself.
Gosuke Shigure had no obligation to help her, yet he was still offering guidance. She had no right to show emotional resistance.
She glanced around the desolate training ground and asked quietly,
"Yoruichi-sama… trained here as well?"
"Yes," Gosuke Shigure replied.
"It's a bit neglected now, but it's still usable. More than enough for your special training."
His gaze shifted back to Soi Fon.
"But before we begin," he said evenly,
"I need to confirm something."
Soi Fon straightened slightly.
"What does Gosuke-sama wish to ask?"
"Have you already mastered Bankai?"
Soi Fon was momentarily startled, but she answered honestly.
"I have."
"But I'm not yet proficient with it."
"Do you need me to release it here?"
Her tone was controlled, but there was hesitation beneath it.
She did not like her Bankai.
Her Zanpakutō was small and precise in Shikai perfect for assassination. Yet once Bankai was released, it transformed into an enormous weapon, overwhelming and destructive, completely unsuitable for stealth operations.
Still, she had mastered it.
That alone was proof of her resolve.
After all, mastering Bankai was one of the prerequisites to stand on the stage of a Captain's Proficiency Examination.
Gosuke Shigure shook his head.
"That won't be necessary."
"It's good that you've mastered Bankai."
"Even if you hadn't, it wouldn't disqualify you."
He continued calmly,
"Bankai is commonly used as the benchmark for captain-level Shinigami, but it is not an absolute standard. It's simply that most who achieve Bankai already possess captain-class strength."
"There are exceptions."
He glanced aside slightly.
"For example Zaraki Kenpachi, the current captain of the Eleventh Division."
"He hasn't achieved Shikai."
"Let alone Bankai."
"But his Reiatsu far surpasses that of an average captain, and his raw combat instinct and swordsmanship alone allow him to overwhelm other captains head-on."
"That is why he can bear the name Kenpachi."
Soi Fon was startled.
She knew that Gosuke Shigure had ceded the title of Kenpachi to Zaraki, but because the Second and Eleventh Divisions rarely interacted, she knew little about him.
Now she realized just how abnormal that man truly was.
No Shikai.
No Bankai.
Yet still captain-level.
Strangely, this knowledge made her feel calmer.
If such exceptions existed, then perhaps
She, too, had a path.
Gosuke Shigure continued,
"Bankai is a Shinigami's greatest trump card."
"Since you have it, keep it hidden."
"There will come a moment when revealing it will decide everything."
Soi Fon nodded firmly.
Gosuke Shigure then spoke of the true purpose of today's training.
"The Second Division specializes in Shunpo, Hakuda, and assassination techniques."
"In that regard, it resembles the Eleventh Division—but unlike them, the Eleventh focuses on blade combat, while the Second focuses on speed and lethality."
He looked directly at Soi Fon.
"Since you sought me out, I'll teach you a technique beyond standard training."
"This technique was originally just a theory of mine."
"But the one who truly realized it"
"was Yoruichi."
Soi Fon's eyes sharpened immediately.
"A technique… realized by Yoruichi-sama?"
Gosuke Shigure nodded.
"It's called"
"Shunjō."
The name echoed softly through the hidden training ground.
And Soi Fon felt it.
This was not ordinary training.
This was the threshold of something far greater.