Three days later—by the living world's calendar, it was Golden Week.
Soul Society didn't have that holiday, but even they had finally adopted weekends.
At the crack of dawn, Soma dragged Ichigo and Atae back out to Junrinan.
He didn't bother alerting the elders, or even Kūkaku Shiba. Just slipped straight into the woods.
Ichigo couldn't make sense of it at all.
"Soma, what the hell are we doing out here? Did you forget something important last time, so now we're back to pick it up?"
"You actually guessed right—we're here to find something. But not mine. I don't even know what it looks like."
Soma hopped onto a boulder, scanning the lay of the land like he was trying to lock in a search radius.
Ichigo frowned. "What's this supposed to be?"
He turned to Atae for backup, but Atae only shook his head. Sure, he could read people's moods, but mind-reading wasn't part of the deal.
One thing, though, he was sure of: Soma didn't waste time on pointless crap.
"I traded intel with the 2nd Division captain. Finally managed to piece some things together."
Soma's tone landed somewhere between an explanation and talking to himself.
"That hot-tempered, ice queen really just handed you information? You sure she wasn't stringing you along?"
Ichigo's opinion of Soi Fon had already bottomed out. Winning a fight only to get arrested by your supposed allies will do that.
"Why do you think I brought up all those supernatural case studies from the living world?" Soma asked.
"…Those? Weren't they just made-up stories? Okay, maybe she didn't trick you—but you definitely tricked her."
"Art imitates life. People pick up all kinds of knowledge from literature. And then…"
"And then what?"
Ichigo squinted at him, curiosity taking the bait despite himself.
"And then, when you've got someone across from you, you can't help making connections. You toss out a few vivid examples that tie into their own situation."
Soma spread his hands wide.
"See? Just like that, she's giving me intel."
"…"
Ichigo's jaw dropped.
It took him a beat to realize Soma had done it all on purpose—baiting Soi Fon into linking her own findings with his "stories." That spark of recognition would set her imagination racing, make her feel like the case was about to break wide open.
And in the thrill of discovery, she'd attribute it all to Soma, warming up to him without realizing it.
To prove her worth—and back up her authority as captain—she'd throw down real intel. No fakes.
The only way it was false was if she'd been acting from the start. And that woman? No way.
"…Soma, being a folklorist is selling yourself short. You'd make a killer diplomat. You're not far from playing on the world stage."
"Talking to humans is boring. Supernatural's way more fun."
Soma brushed it off like nothing.
"Anyway, back to business. I learned from Soi Fon what those two academy students were doing before they disappeared. Add in what that Hollow muttered before it died, and I've got a pretty solid theory about why they vanished."
"Wait—the Hollow's last words? Didn't it shout someone's name?" Ichigo racked his brain.
"Not the one you shot. The one I killed," Soma cut in.
"Before it died, it said those students showed up in Rukongai because of something. Wrong place, wrong time—they ran into it and got eaten. I'm certain that 'something' is hidden somewhere in Junrinan. And we're gonna find it. Then it's ours."
"…Hold up."
Ichigo squinted at him.
"You said 'ours.' You think the 2nd Division's just gonna let that slide?"
"That's why I'm keeping this to myself."
"…Of course you are."
Ichigo's mouth twitched. Not surprised at all—because yeah, this was exactly the kind of stunt Soma would pull.
And maybe—just maybe—it made him soften toward Soi Fon. If only out of pity.
"Based on where that Hollow was spotted and where the students went missing, the target's gotta be nearby." Soma turned to Atae.
"Atae, can you ask your animal friends to help? No way we find this with normal methods. If the Onmitsukidō couldn't, there's no chance."
"You mean the students' bodies and that thing are together?" Ichigo instinctively scanned the woods, but saw nothing.
Neither did Soma.
Only Atae could.
And he didn't disappoint. He agreed immediately, though it would take time.
After all, none of them knew what the thing even looked like. Best shot was to track down animals who'd seen the students last, then work back from there.
Half the day slipped by before word spread through the forest.
Finally, as the sun dipped low, a skylark fluttered in with news: it had seen the two students. Even watched a monster tail them into a cave.
"If this pays off, I'm buying your bird buddy the best seed money can buy."
Soma's energy shot up.
Ichigo exhaled in relief. Finally, some progress.
"…So this was your plan all along? Doesn't really sound like you."
"How so?"
"Too normal."
"…Then let me ruin the mood for you."
As they followed the bird to the site, Soma casually dropped a truth bomb.
"We're still living off academy stipends. Can't even afford clothes from the living world. Akari treated us to feast after feast, and yeah, she's a friend, but you really wanna mooch forever?"
"The base Shinigami salary's worth maybe two hundred thousand yen. Only seated officers start saving, captains make about ten times that. But for us? That's a long way off."
"So if we could hit financial freedom now—even just steady side income—we'd make life way easier long before hitting captain rank."
His grin turned sly.
"I, for one, would love to hire a few maids to handle chores. Free up time, let me focus on training."
The blunt honesty left Ichigo with no comeback. Hell, he even found himself agreeing.
They pressed on into a cliffside forest—and Soma stopped cold.
"No wonder it's so well hidden. A barrier."
It was masterfully done, far beyond what any academy kid could imagine. The barrier masked the cave entrance so completely, even a sweeping search would miss it. Only by touching the right spot could you sense it.
Beyond that, it offered no resistance. They slipped through and descended the stone steps.
The tunnel opened into a cavern hundreds of meters deep, carved into a chamber as vast as a modern stadium. Jagged rock. Steam curling in the air. Heat and damp, like Yellowstone's volcanic springs.
A waterfall thundered at the far side, feeding a steaming pool.
They searched, cautious but alert, until they ended up by the water's edge.
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak—then froze as Soma pricked his finger and let the blood drip into the pool.
"Hey! Soma, what the hell are you doing?"
Atae's eyes narrowed too, tense.
Soma just held up his finger.
The cut was gone.
Ichigo's eyes blew wide. No Kaidō had been used. Which meant—
Both he and Atae turned toward the steaming pool, realization dawning.
"I think I know what this is."
Soma's voice dropped.
"A hot spring crafted by Tenjirō Kirinji. A masterpiece of Kaidō."
"…Never heard of him."
Of course they hadn't. Not even most captains knew this spot.
And now, by sheer accident, Soma had found it.
His gaze sharpened suddenly.
Floating to the surface—two shredded Shin'ō Academy uniforms.
Expected, but still chilling.
"…Hey, Soma…" Ichigo said softly.
"Yeah?"
"They didn't come here by accident, did they?"
"…No."
Soma's tone was flat, detached, but the truth pressed close.
"The 2nd Division kid was noble-born. The 1st Division kid was from Rukongai. Strangers. But this year, because of us, Class One drew all the spotlight. You saw how nobles look down on Rukongai students."
"Those two ranked about the same in entrance scores. If their places had been swapped, it'd be the noble in Class One instead."
"Resentment turned into hatred. So the noble tailed him, planning to expose him, force him out, take his place."
"But while following, he stumbled on this place. Our guy probably heard of it through luck or rumors."
"Both wanted it for themselves. Neither expected a Hollow on their tail."
"They lost everything. Or… maybe not."
Soma's eyes narrowed.
"That Hollow evaded Seireitei's notice. Hid in Junrinan. Maybe because it devoured a Zanpakutō. Maybe because it soaked in this water."
"…Yeah, now I'm not so eager to take a dip," Ichigo muttered, disgusted.
"Relax. It's living water."
"Still gross. And you were talking about making money off this place on the way here. Looks like your plan's gone down the drain." Ichigo smirked, pun and all.
Soma didn't flinch.
"Who said anything about failure?"
"…Wait. You don't mean opening a bathhouse?"
Ichigo's face twisted.
"Too much hassle. Easier to bottle the water and sell it as medicine. You saw how fast it heals."
A spark of ambition lit his eyes.
"Would anyone even buy that? Sounds sketchy as hell."
"Why wouldn't they? Picture it: someone you care about, bleeding out. You can beat the enemy, but you can't save them. In that moment, you'd use anything. No matter how weird or shady."
"…."
Ichigo froze. The scene hit too close to home.
"…You're not wrong."
"Good. Then you'll handle water delivery. I'll line up the buyers." Soma clapped him on the shoulder like a proud mentor.
"What?!"
"Unless you'd rather I do it myself. But then don't come begging me for cash later."
"…Fine. But who the hell are you planning to sell it to? You don't wanna get reported."
"Simple. Whoever's got money." Soma's grin was calm, inevitable.
"And reported? Not happening. Because the buyer's the one who takes those reports in the first place."
"…."
Ichigo and Atae shared a look.
Both imagining the same unlucky, still-patrolling figure in Rukongai.