Just as Shinji expected, the moment he spoke, the two panicked, clearly flustered, and huddled even closer together.
He even faintly heard the girl mutter something like, "Hurry, put it away!"
Shinji turned his back to them with practiced ease, politely giving them time to "compose themselves," though he shook his head in quiet amusement.
Men are men, what's there to be embarrassed about? These kids sure are innocent.
Had Soi Fon known what Shinji was thinking at that moment, she would've charged over and attacked him on the spot, regardless of whether she could win.
Shirō had just entrusted her with a secret even Lady Yoruichi didn't know.
Soi Fon, deeply moved, had instinctively tried to protect that secret, hence her urgent whisper for him to put his weapon away.
If others found out, it could no longer be a trump card in battle.
Who could've guessed that her good intentions would only reinforce Shinji's misunderstanding?
Not long after the two of them finished "tidying up," Kensei arrived on the scene as well.
Soi Fon couldn't help but wonder silently at how deftly Shirō had concealed such a large object.
Even now, she couldn't figure out where he'd hidden it.
Kensei looked at Shinji. "That commotion earlier, was it you?"
"Me? Come on, you know my spiritual pressure better than that,"
Shinji replied, casually pointing toward Shirō and Soi Fon. "It was those lovebirds."
At the word "lovebirds," Soi Fon's expression twitched slightly.
But she said nothing, because technically, she was Shirō's fiancée.
Still, both she and Shirō found it a bit odd. How did Shinji know about their engagement?
Of course, they didn't realize Shinji had guessed it purely based on what he'd just seen.
And their lack of denial only confirmed it in his mind.
Ah… the world these days...
Caught in the act, and all they do is blush a little. These kids have nerves of steel.
Kensei glanced between the two of them and gave a small nod.
Given that they were both top-ranking students, it wasn't impossible for them to cause such a disturbance.
But it would depend.
If that technique earlier had been a fully chanted mid-level Kido, it would've been understandable.
But if it had been a spontaneous, unchanted spell under pressure,
Even Kensei and Shinji would have been impressed.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Kensei turned to Shinji. "Why are you even here? You're supposed to be guarding the breach. What if a high-level Hollow shows up there?"
"Oh, come on. I've been there for ages and haven't seen even a single weakling."
Shinji waved dismissively.
"If anything big shows up, we'll feel it instantly anyway. Besides, I was bored, and this side looked fun."
Kensei could never win against Shinji's personality.
And to be fair, the man had a point.
Still, he frowned and said, "Just head back. If something does happen, we'll be the ones held responsible."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. But hey, there is a bit of a situation here," Shinji added.
He and Kensei both turned their eyes to Shirō and Soi Fon,
their intense stares making the two instinctively straighten up.
What now?
Did we do something wrong?
"Why are only the two of you here?" Kensei asked bluntly.
"Crap!"
Shirō and Soi Fon's faces turned pale in unison.
They had completely forgotten about their assigned group.
"You idiot! You left them behind to come scold me?!"
Soi Fon kicked Shirō without hesitation.
It was true, even before they got caught up in fighting the Hollows, Shirō had already left his team behind.
All Shirō could do was smile bitterly.
It had been a judgment call, and he didn't regret it.
"They're six people together. I'm sure they'll be fine," he offered.
"Which direction?"
Kensei's tone was sharp. He wasn't here to lecture them, his priority was those six students' safety.
Even if they turned out okay, this was already grounds for serious demerits.
The Gotei 13 existed to protect the Soul Society.
If you couldn't even protect a few juniors, how could you be trusted with the whole Seireitei?
While Soul Society didn't always prioritize morality over strength,
the very existence of the 3rd Division of the Stealth Force already told you what mattered.
The four of them immediately doubled back in the direction Shirō and Soi Fon had come from.
But before long, their expressions changed.
Only three students were found,
and they were all battered and bruised.
They really had run into Hollows?
"What happened?! Where are the other three?!"
Soi Fon rushed forward, recognizing them as her assigned team.
"Senpai…"
The three burst into tears on the spot.
"Don't tell me… you three abandoned the girls and ran?!"
Soi Fon's expression darkened.
How else could these three be here, while the other three were missing?
Shirō, meanwhile, was puzzled.
Wait, those three girls? Died? No way.
If anyone were going to get killed off here, it should've been these three background characters.
Eventually, after piecing together their scattered explanations, the truth left them all stunned, and exasperated.
Turns out, their injuries weren't from Hollows at all.
They'd been beaten up by Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki.
Here's what happened:
The group had split into two opinions.
These three goody-two-shoes wanted to regroup with Shirō as instructed.
But Hiyori and Lisa had other ideas, they wanted to hunt Hollows solo.
They knew that if they followed Shirō, they'd be forbidden from attacking anything.
So they chose to ditch the group.
These three tried to stop them, urging them to stick together…
and were promptly beaten up for their trouble.
"Absolutely disgraceful,"
Soi Fon muttered, disgusted.
Even if this was just a temporary team assignment,
the fact that her team got bullied by Shirō's team, and lost?
Three guys getting beat up by two girls?
She'd never live this down.
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter