Mirai turned around suddenly. His eyes shot toward Yoruichi Shihōin, who was still leaning lazily against the door frame.
"Oh? Mirai, did you leave something behind?" The corners of Yoruichi's mouth curled up uncontrollably.
She even reached out and patted her flat, firm stomach. It made a slight "thud" sound. She had a mischievous smile on her face.
"What are you looking for? Tell me, and I'll help you 'find' it~" She purposely stretched out her words.
"Hiss!" Mirai felt a cold chill go up his spine!
When did she do it?! I didn't notice at all!
Her speed... has it improved again since two years ago?! Is this the power of the "Goddess of Flash"?
Mirai's mouth twitched. He suppressed his anger and panic. He tried to speak with a gentle tone.
"Yoruichi... can you give the manuscript back to me?"
While speaking, the spiritual pressure inside his body began to move silently. He focused it all into his legs.
"Manuscript? What are you talking about?" Yoruichi looked very innocent, as if she didn't understand him at all.
Then, like a magic trick, she slowly pulled a folded piece of paper from the chest of her Shihakushō. She waved it proudly in front of Mirai.
"I just 'found' this little booklet at the door. I don't know which careless person dropped it here."
She tilted her head and acted like she just realized something.
"Could this be... what you just called your 'writer's pride' that is more important than life?"
...
Yoruichi's face became serious. She spoke in the tone of a senior lecturing a junior.
"Mirai, Mirai! This is your 'pride' as a writer! How can you just drop it on the floor?"
"If some bad person finds it and publishes it first, they might sue you for copying them. You would be in big trouble!"
She spoke with a righteous tone. Then, she acted like she was going to hand the manuscript over.
The veins on Mirai's forehead were throbbing. He resisted the urge to blast her with a Hadō. Mostly because he couldn't win.
He spoke through gritted teeth. "Thank you very much, Captain Yoruichi. Otherwise, my 'pride' would have been taken by someone 'bad'."
He reached out again. His fingertips were about to touch the paper...
Yoruichi's hand suddenly pulled back like she was shocked by electricity!
Her golden eyes sparkled in the sunset.
"That's right" She dragged out her words. She tapped the paper with her finger. "This is your 'pride'"
The smile on her face became even more "evil." She said each word slowly:
"The pride of Soul Society's first noble son... is now in my hands~"
Mirai's mouth twitched. He quickly lowered his stance and spoke gently.
"Miss Yoruichi... please, have mercy. Give the manuscript back to me, okay?"
"Do you want it?" Yoruichi tilted her head with a bright smile.
"Yes!" Mirai nodded hard.
"If you really want it..." Yoruichi's figure disappeared instantly without warning!
In the next second, she appeared on the high courtyard wall. She stood on one foot on top of the wall.
The night wind moved her purple hair and her Captain's coat. She looked very cool.
"Then come and catch me!"
She looked down at Mirai. She had a very mocking smile.
"If you catch me, I'll consider giving it back~" She shook the paper in her hand.
"If you don't chase me... or if you can't catch me... I'll finish reading it. Then I'll give it to Soi Fong and Kuukaku to enjoy!"
As she spoke, she lowered her body. She got into a sprinting pose. Her golden eyes burned with excitement for a fight.
"Boom!"
Mirai had already compressed his spiritual pressure into his legs. The moment she stopped talking, he exploded!
Small cracks appeared on the ground. His figure became a black arrow, shooting toward Yoruichi on the wall!
"You bastard! Don't run! Give it back!!"
Mirai's angry shout echoed over the Second Division.
"Hahaha! Come on! Let me see how much you have improved over the years!"
Yoruichi laughed loudly. Her figure melted into the wind.
She flashed across the roofs and walls. She was already far away, leaving only the sound of her laughter.
"Stop right there!!"
The two figures moved across the sky, which was turning red from the sunset. They left two fast trails behind them.
In the courtyard, only Kisuke Urahara was left.
"He looked at where they disappeared. He had a smile on his face, like he was watching a good show."
"My, my... the two of them still get along so well."
He adjusted his hat. A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
"Also..."
He thought back to the manuscript he had seen for a brief moment.
"That manuscript is also very strange."
...
Mirai grit his teeth. He poured all his compressed spiritual pressure into his legs.
He chased the figure in front of him. They charged into the Forest of Swords to the west.
However, even though Mirai was trying his best, the speed gap was still huge. It felt hopeless.
What made him even angrier was that Yoruichi would stop on purpose.
She would fold her arms and look back at him while he was panting.
She looked like a cat playing with its prey.
"What's wrong, Mirai?" Yoruichi smiled at him. "Why aren't you using that... strange acceleration method? What was it called?"
She acted like she was thinking. She tapped her chin and moved her eyes around.
"Ah! I remember. Was it 'Soru' or 'Geppō'?"
As she spoke, she lifted one foot. She tapped the ground incredibly fast. It left afterimages and made small sonic boom sounds.
"Using explosive power to kick the air or the ground is quite useful for straight lines!"
She commented on it. Then, her tone changed to one of natural pride.
"But, compared to real Shunpo that uses spirit particles and the environment... it's crude~"
Mirai's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.
He remembered his time at the Spiritual Arts Academy. He wasn't satisfied with normal Shunpo.
He had the crazy idea to develop a more explosive movement technique called "Soru."
He also tried to make "Geppō" for moving through the air.
Because of this strange training, he had attracted this "trouble" in the first place!
"Compared to the 'Goddess of Flash', these are indeed just simple tricks."