It would have been interesting enough-but it wasn't.
It had been some time since he last went to Shino Academy to check on the students. This seemed like the right opportunity to observe Yuta closely.
With a slight push of his glasses and a confident smile in his eyes, it was clear that everything was within control for him.
…
Shino Academy.
Yuta showed up like always after getting up for the day.
The first lesson was Kido training led by Rukia Kuchiki. She had the class revisiting yesterday's spell: Shakaho.
Despite her small stature and attractive appearance, Rukia commanded full authority as she stood in front of the students.
"Ahem." After clearing her throat, she spoke. "Today we'll review what we covered yesterday to deepen your memory..."
She stepped aside to give everyone space to practice properly.
Mikami Asui extended her right hand and began chanting softly under her breath-
"O King! Mask of flesh and blood, fluttering wings, bearer of man's name! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait for the crimson princess' arrival…"
"Hadō #31: Shakaho!"
She hadn't expected anything to happen. As far as she was concerned, number thirty-one on the Hadō list was considered entry-level intermediate Kido-not something she could use after only one day in class.
Yet something stirred inside her. Her spiritual pressure shifted and burst outward through her wrist. Warmth swept along her arm, collecting above her palm until the temperature grew hot enough that she thought it might burn her skin off.
With a loud roar, a red fireball blasted from her palm and slammed straight into the target downrange with enough force to tear it apart completely.
The blast left her ears ringing. She stared at her hand, stunned by the spell's success and overwhelmed by how surreal it felt.
Had she really learned Hadō #31?
Had she skipped number 30 entirely?
Yesterday she hadn't sensed anything like this at all.
And it wasn't over. Two loud explosions went off nearby moments later.
When she turned toward the source of the sound, she spotted Kanae and Juri standing near her-with fresh scorch marks rising from their palms too.
That couldn't be right... had all three of them cast it?
Around them, others were already reacting-
"No way! All three of them nailed Shakaho in one day?!"
"They mastered Jinzen yesterday, and today they're already on Shakaho? That's crazy!"
"Hmph… It's only Shakaho. They're nothing compared to us nobles..."
Juri and Kanae stared at their own hands in disbelief. There was no excitement in their expressions. Only confusion and hesitation at what had happened.
The two exchanged glances. The same thought entered both of their minds at once.
"Did our unique talents awaken after joining Shino Academy…?"
Even as they asked themselves that question-it was obvious neither believed it entirely. The theory felt flimsy at best.
Standing off to the side, Rukia Kuchiki rubbed her chin thoughtfully while watching them. She hadn't expected anything quite like this today either.
One genius was rare enough-but three showing up at once?
If Yuta had picked it up because he had previous Kido experience, then Mikami and the others were true naturals. She'd taught them personally yesterday. That much she remembered clearly-and they'd walked in acting like civilians who had no contact with ghosts or spiritual techniques beforehand. That kind of ignorance couldn't be faked-not easily.
Yuta was different. He had knowledge hiding behind his eyes-a calm that suggested he'd already walked these roads before. He wasn't ignorant; he understood everything too well already. And that's why it made sense that he might learn faster than others.
Although Mikami stared forward as though focused on practice, her mind was already somewhere else entirely. Her pupils blurred as the surrounding scene faded from clarity-the present moment overlapping with old memories faintly surfacing again.
It came back to the same question they all had: Did something inside them awaken after they entered the academy?
More importantly, did each one of them awaken with different strengths?
If so... what caused it?
She tried digging through everything they'd done recently-and then there was noise around her again.
"Hey! Isn't that our group instructor, Kuranosuke Kiyota? Who's following him?"
"No way-isn't that Captain Unohana from Squad Four? And... isn't that Captain Mayuri from Squad Twelve?!"
"Seriously? He looks creepy as hell with that weird mask…"
Despite keeping a pleasant look on his face as they walked in together, Kiyota himself was full of questions inside his head. Everyone knew how busy captains were on regular days-they barely had time to teach classes at all. So what were two captains doing walking in together?
They hadn't shared their reason for visiting either… only instructed him to escort them to today's class directly.
Could this be about Rukia Kuchiki? As part of one of the Four Great Noble Houses-and being the only one among them qualified to host these two-it wouldn't have been strange for that to be their reason. Right?
Rukia greeted them calmly, but with some curiosity-
"I wonder what brings both Captains out today?"
She glanced past them briefly toward Kotetsu Isane and Nemu-their vice-captains and colleagues she was far better acquainted with than the captains themselves.
Nemu answered almost instantly and with clear tone-
"I didn't expect this to be your Kido class today, Miss Kuchiki. Apologies for intruding-we're actually looking for a student."
"Oh?" Rukia focused herself. "Which student could possibly bring both captains out together?"
"His name is Yuta," Nemu answered. "The reason is confidential."
Mayuri and Unohana headed toward him without delay. Yuta stood off near the wall with his eyes shut-a picture of complete calm before they reached him and started speaking directly.
Rukia frowned slightly as she watched them talk to him.
What had Yuta done to attract this kind of attention?
Had someone found out about his mysterious insight-the way he picked things up so quickly?
Could this somehow put him at risk?
She watched silently as both captains led Yuta away from class.
Everyone else erupted with whispers across the training yard-
"What's happening?! Why did the captains come looking for Yuta?!"
"Did he do something wrong? Why would both captains show up over that?"
"What did he do? What kind of crime needs two captains?!"
Kuranosuke cleared his throat loudly and waved for silence-
"Enough talking. Back to class."
Mikami Asui watched Yuta leave and lit up like something suddenly clicked in her head.
When he'd guided them through Jinzen yesterday-that had been the first time any of their strange talents showed themselves at all...
If that was when things changed-it had to have happened yesterday or sometime right before that...
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