"What… is this?"
Soi Fon was rattled by Shinomiya's little performance.
"You mean who's speaking?"
"…Of course not. That's clearly Fifth Division Captain Aizen Sōsuke—your teacher. I'm asking what this recording is."
"Oh, that. Well… this goes back to the Academy."
Shinomiya set the device on the table, picked up a piece of tempura, chewed, swallowed, and went on lazily. "Ever since word got out that Aizen had taken me as a disciple, girls from calligraphy class have been coming nonstop to 'ask what he taught me.'"
"I knew what they really wanted, so to get rid of them I racked my brains and summarized a few 'insights,' then begged my teacher to record some lines to make it sound convincing. He happens to appreciate my literary flair, so he agreed."
"Unsurprisingly, the girls started treating them like cautionary maxims. I hear the Captain's fans in the Gotei 13 picked them up too—someone even wants to collect them and submit them to Seireitei Communication."
"Now nobody bothers me. They even keep others away so I can 'summarize' more insights. Sometimes they pass me fresh intel… it's starting to feel like I could raise a sect if I lifted my arm."
"I can't even hear the nobles' snide whispers anymore. Takes some getting used to."
"…"
Soi Fon's face went stiff.
"Honestly, you're playing with fire. Someday I might have to invite you in for a friendly chat—as the head of the Stealth Force."
"No problem. Wouldn't be the first time."
He was all easy grace.
That only made her temples throb.
"Forget it. Back to the point—you're going to use this recording to fob me off the way you did those students?"
"Setting aside how it was made—doesn't the line itself explain your situation rather well?"
"Hmph. It sounds persuasive, that's all. I hear speeches like that all the time interrogating criminals—they lay down grand 'truths' to assert their righteousness and wriggle free. I'm bored of it. And bottom line, you don't know the facts and still think you can sway me with fluff. It's laughable."
She sneered, like an adult indulging a child's logic.
Then she stopped laughing.
Because Shinomiya, face unchanged, hit play again.
"Do not be quick to boast. It only reveals your weakness."
"…"
Hearing Aizen's voice again, her breath hitched; she shot Shinomiya a mortified glare.
"Central 46 should make Aizen principal of the Academy. Just give him cue cards and he'll enthrall the whole hall. Put him on a podium and he'd have the place in tears."
"I'll thank you on his behalf, Captain."
Shinomiya dipped his head, politely enough to choke off the rest of her sarcasm. She tossed back a cup of sake and changed the subject with a stiff tone.
"So… any progress?"
"?"
"Don't play dumb. My patience is limited."
"Progress… Your story, especially the line about 'the first half of my life ended,' shook something."
"Oh?"
"It's just a stir, though. I haven't remembered yet."
He pivoted.
"I see…!"
Curiosity gave way to disappointment; the look she gave him turned thorny.
"Then starting tomorrow, report to Second Division… until you remember."
"…"
"Problem?"
"No. Training for Bankai is over, and I don't need to be at my teacher's every day. It's fine."
He shook his head.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been out wandering.
"Settled, then. Report to Second tomorrow."
Soi Fon rose. Small and slender as she was, a don't-argue authority rolled off her. The frost between her brows and the ghost of a smile at her lips made her seem… radiant.
She wasn't overbearing. The light she let off in this seat no longer yielded to that person she'd once treated with deference.
"Training, is it… Good. I've been working on a technique, almost finished. I'll show you what 'beyond imagination' means—hey! Stop that!"
Under her bark, Shinomiya regretfully put the denreishinki away, not playing the third recording.
"Tomorrow, then."
"Good."
She nodded, satisfied. She'd taken another step toward drawing this talent into Second.
Yes, mastering Bankai qualified you to be a captain. But there were no open chairs. Ukitake clearly favored that blond brat. The Kidō Corps had declined for years; there was no point trying to resurrect it for a grand chief position that didn't even shine anymore…
The next morning.
Shinomiya stepped out of the Academy gate and ran into an old face.
"Ōmaeda?"
"We might be close, but I'm still a vice-captain on the clock. Use my title!"
He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and huffed, "Let's go. Captain sent me to fetch you."
"Lead on."
"…You're not even going to ask why?"
"I know the way, but outsiders aren't free to come and go in Second's compound. I don't know the layout inside. A guide's perfect. And you… have patrol, right? You're just showing me the way. You're not trying to wring a favor out of me, are you?"
Shinomiya looked puzzled.
"You're too damned sharp. No wonder the captain was off last night."
Ōmaeda subconsciously edged a step away, eyeing Shinomiya like he might catch whatever the captain had.
"She seemed fine when we split after dinner. Don't you trust my read?"
"That's what you say… but I was slacking and she only glanced at me—didn't even yell!"
"…That is off."
"So I volunteered to bring you so I could ask what happened—so I don't blunder into a storm. I've never seen her like this. If she snaps, she will chop me."
"Relax. If she ignored your mistake, her mind was elsewhere. Just don't parade in front of her and you'll be fine."
Shinomiya slipped into analysis on reflex.
"That so…? Whew. Hey, why do you look unhappy?"
He noticed Shinomiya's twitching mouth.
"What do you think I'm going to do right now?"
"See the captain… uh… sorry. Let's skip that topic."
He should have laughed, but since it was his own captain, pity beat out schadenfreude.
-------
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