Renji Abarai despaired, realizing the gap between himself and Kyōraku Callum was widening. At this moment, he couldn't even see his back.
"Renji, what are you thinking?" Kyōraku Callum greeted him with a smile. "No confidence in the Soul Burial internship?"
Their familiarity stemmed from their initial kendo match.
"Impossible!" Renji Abarai's voice rose a few octaves. "I'm going to be a Captain! A little Soul Burial can't stop me!" He was very conscious of appearances.
"Kira, are you confident?" Kyōraku Callum turned to Kira Izuru. Kira Izuru, with his yellow hair falling over his left eye, seemed far more composed than Renji Abarai, though somewhat listless.
"I... I think so," Kira Izuru replied with a strained smile. Kyōraku Callum didn't dwell on it; it was simply his personality.
"Hinamori, you?" Kyōraku Callum turned to Hinamori Momo, standing to Rukia's left.
"Yes, definitely!" Hinamori Momo smiled confidently.
Besides these familiar faces, Kyōraku Callum noticed a familiar 'stranger'.
His messy black hair gave a sharp impression, and the tattoo of the 69 division on his left cheek revealed his identity: the elite Shinigami Academy student, Shūhei Hisagi!
Due to the earlier timing, Shūhei Hisagi wasn't guiding this Soul Burial as a Sixth Seat. He was a newbie, participating in his first Soul Burial internship alongside Rukia and the others. His presence further confirmed Kyōraku Callum's suspicions that something would go wrong.
"Alright, everyone's here," a light voice said, drawing everyone's attention. Gin Ichimaru, clad in a black Shihakusho, with short lavender hair and narrowed, long eyes, appeared behind them.
"Oh? I didn't expect Vice-Captain Kyōraku to be here," Gin Ichimaru said, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "I heard Rukia and the others were going for their Soul Burial internship, so I came to give some advice."
Kyōraku Callum nodded with a slight smile. "After all, even official Shinigami have served in the World of the Living."
Gin Ichimaru's smile widened, his eyes narrowing, making his expression unreadable.
"The Soul Burial location has been personally scouted by the Academy," Gin Ichimaru assured him.
"Please rest assured, Lieutenant Kyōraku; there won't be any problems."
The more Gin Ichimaru spoke, the more certain Kyōraku Callum became that problems would arise.
"Excellent," Kyōraku Callum replied with a conventional polite phrase, making Gin Ichimaru wary. Aizen had mentioned Kyōraku Callum several times in the Third Division – a potential wildcard who could disrupt his plans.
"Everyone, have you prepared your Jigokuchō?" Gin Ichimaru turned to the interns, beginning his duties.
There were scattered responses from the group.
Some interns were apprehensive of this fox-like vice-captain.
"Then, let the Soul Burial internship begin! Please proceed," Gin Ichimaru said, opening the Senkaimon and watching the interns depart.
The interns quickly dispersed, leaving only Gin Ichimaru and Kyōraku Callum.
"Lieutenant Kyōraku, will you be waiting here too?" Gin Ichimaru asked, his smile like that of a sly fox, making it hard to discern his true intentions.
"I have some matters to attend to at home," Kyōraku Callum replied, his smile far gentler. "I'll be going ahead, Vice-Captain Ichimaru."
While waiting by the Senkaimon was a good option, it wasn't ideal under Gin Ichimaru's watchful eye. Kyōraku Callum feared he might be delayed if something unexpected happened.
Missing the opportunity would be disastrous. He decided to use the Senkaimon at the Kyōraku residence.
Kyōraku Callum swiftly returned home. With Kyōraku Shunsui absent, he was the head of the household. The Senkaimon was located in Kyōraku Shunsui's bedroom. Without hesitation, he drew his Zanpakutō and whispered, "Kaijō!"
The Senkaimon opened, releasing a brilliant Kidō light. World of the Living, coordinates 1026. Dozens of Shinigami Academy students, guided by Jigokuchō, poured out. The bustling city seemed unusually quiet.
Simultaneously, on the city's northern outskirts, an unassuming door opened, and Kyōraku Callum, clad in a black Shihakusho, stepped out.
"Completely different from the spirit pressure in Karakura Town," Kyōraku Callum observed, sensing the unusually thin spiritual particle density. It was incomparable to even Karakura Town, let alone Soul Society.
"The interns' spiritual pressure is south, approximately thirty kilometers." Kyōraku Callum judged the direction, his figure dissolving into the air. His peak Shunpo skills offered unparalleled speed for both short bursts and long distances. Thirty kilometers took only a few minutes, even without using his full power.
By the time Kyōraku Callum reached the city center, the intern Shinigami were already scattered, practicing Soul Burial in pre-assigned groups. For these top students, Soul Burial presented little difficulty. Even occasional Hollow encounters were easily handled by their combined strength.
However, as night fell, the atmosphere grew tense.
"Concealing their spiritual pressure?" Kyōraku Callum, perched on a rooftop, sensed a change in the spiritual particles. "But the scent is hard to hide!"
Thump! Rukia used her sword hilt to strike a soul's forehead, a dull sound echoing. As the seal was imprinted, the body dissolved into spiritual particles, returning to Soul Society.
"Soul Burial isn't as difficult as I thought," she said.
A terrifying roar echoed from the distance.
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