The scenery is very beautiful.
Looking up at the sky, a brightly shining half-moon is visible. And stars sparkle, decorating the night sky.
I can see them extremely well. They look extremely beautiful.
Because there is no light to obstruct the light of the moon and stars. All that's visible is candlelight at best.
Night views are nowhere to be seen. It's pitch black. It seems the veil of night has concealed various things.
I'm currently on practical training, visiting the Human World.
In the Spiritual Arts Academy, there is a practical training of visiting the Human World to perform Konso (Soul Funeral)—that is, sending the spirits of the deceased to Soul Society.
Originally, ferocious spirits that become Hollows are also included in the target for Konso, but that's that. Since we are still in training.
We only perform Konso on Pluses, which are good spirits—normal spirits that have not yet become evil spirits.
The method is very simple.
Just tap the opponent's forehead with the hilt of the Zanpakuto, with the sensation of pressing a seal.
"Oh, good, good work!!"
When I tap the spirit's forehead, a classmate nearby cheers. And the Plus disappears as if smoke is dissipating.
Well, I'm a former modern Japanese person, after all. The number of times I've pressed a seal is not a hundred or two hundred. If you press it that many times, you inevitably get used to it and become good.
I heard that if an unskilled person does it, the soul suffers pain and screams right before being laid to rest.
And this Konso training is performed much earlier in the advanced classes, but unfortunately, I'm in the normal class. It was postponed and stretched out quite a bit.
I'm already in my fifth year. For the first time, Konso is performed under the guidance of seniors from higher classes, but in the case of our class, the students from the first class act as instructors.
"Alright, next."
While I was thinking that, my turn was over.
Generally two to three times per person, though unskilled students seem to repeat it a few more times.
"That was quite easy."
"It was."
Nodding at the words of my classmate, Ayase-san, I look around the area.
We passed through the Senkaimon (World-Severing Gate) connecting the Human World and Soul Society, guided by Hell Butterflies so as not to get lost in the gate, and arrived in the Human World.
However, the scenery of the Human World was far removed from what I knew.
As I mentioned at the beginning, it's dark. It's night, yet it's pitch dark.
No, I know night is dark. But the night I knew was one where streetlights shone, shops brightly glowed, and car headlights illuminated everything.
The impression that it was okay to have no light sources whatsoever was strangely strong.
But when I actually see it, it's pitch black.
I can see villages, but no light is visible anywhere.
When I strain my eyes to check the buildings, they are all much older architecture than what I know.
I can only judge by appearance, but the Edo period? No, maybe earlier? Azuchi-Momoyama—or perhaps the Muromachi period!?
As expected, I can't judge just by the buildings... I don't have that kind of knowledge either.
In the end, it only became a reconfirmation of what I already knew: that it was a long time ago.
"Speaking of which, is this Konso training useless for Hollow extermination?"
"Fueh? Um... what do you mean?"
"Like, you know... hitting them hard with the hilt during a fight."
"Is that different from just attacking normally?"
"...Ah."
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
I was thinking it would be good if I could inflict extreme pain on the opponent using the Konso technique, but then there's not much difference from just punching them normally.
"Alright, everyone's finished. Let's go back."
The voice of the student instructor echoed, and the Senkaimon was opened nearby.
It seems this practical training session is over.
Goodbye, Human World. I'll come back again.
"Good work. How was your first practical training?"
"Hmm... it felt kinda normal, I guess."
"I feel the same. Oh, but I was praised for being good at Konso."
—The next day.
The usual three of us are chatting while having breakfast. However, since Renjoji-san is in the first class, she has performed Konso training many times already and didn't accompany us as an instructor last night, so she is mainly listening right now.
"That's right! Airi-san was very good at it!"
"Ahaha, but no matter how well I do in training, it's meaningless if I fail in the real thing."
"The real thing, huh..."
As I touched upon yesterday, we are now in our fifth year. We plan to graduate next year and enlist in the Gotei 13.
It is true that many Soul Reapers "failed the entrance exam for several years and finally passed," but the desire to pass on the first try is a constant thought across all eras.
"Speaking of which, which squad did you two hope for again?"
"I want the Fourth Division. I wrote that on the career preference form."
"I'm hoping for the Eighth Division, for now. Um, Kosuzu-san was definitely..."
"I want the Sixth Division. I'd be happy if I could join."
"Ah, the Sixth Division is popular because of its strong connection to the nobles, right?"
Looking at the career preference form we submitted the other day, I suddenly remembered our student life. These kinds of interactions were truly wonderful experiences.
"That's right. Because someone related to the Kuchiki family becomes Captain for generations, even if I get promoted, the Vice-Captain position is my limit."
"No way! Kosuzu-san can even become Captain!!"
"You certainly have that much talent, but it is one of the Five Great Noble Clans, right? Wouldn't the people around be noisy about it...?"
"I appreciate the compliment, but as Yukawa-san said, Vice-Captain or maybe 3rd Seat might be the limit. In the first place, if you want to be Captain, you probably need to have mastered Shikai by this time, don't you think?"
Renjoji-san muttered with a sigh.
Speaking of which, there are rumors about amazing juniors skipping grades, some have awakened Shikai already, and some are about to awaken it, spreading rumors upon rumors.
Since both of them are apparently male, I don't pay much attention to it, though.
"Speaking of which, what is today's class?"
"Mock battles. Since we're approaching the time when it's too late not to seriously focus on graduation and the entrance exam, the number of practical combat sessions increases."
"Mock battles, huh... I'm not good at those. Everyone is taller than me..."
"I'm also a little... not good at it, or maybe I hate it?"
"Oh, why?"
"I'm often made to fight against the boys..."
"Ah..."
"Ah, Airi-san is tall! So I think it can't be helped!!"
My two friends desperately tried to be considerate of my mutter.
I understand the logic that I'm put on the boys' side because I'm tall. But there's another problem... Haa, even though I know about it, it weighs heavily on my mind...
"Next!"
"Please begin!!"
"...Please begin."
The teacher calls out, and the two whose turn has come for the mock battle bow to each other.
One is Airi Yukawa, and the other is a male student belonging to the same class. But Airi has a sullen expression, and the opponent stares intensely as if not wanting to miss a single move or action, completely unaware of her inner distress.
Noticing that, her mood sinks further.
"Begin!"
"Oraaaaaaah!!"
"...Haa."
He attacks with an energetic cry of determination.
Receiving the attack, she sighs—but parries the blow.
"Not yet!!"
The figure repositioning and launching a second strike would sound good if described as single-minded.
But the reality is that he is merely challenging her recklessly, full of openings. Above all, his ugly fighting style clearly reveals his intention to make Airi flail around.
He is aiming for her chest.
However, aiming directly at the chest is sexual harassment—though there's no such word in this era. Even if he were an upstanding person, he wouldn't escape the slander of being a molester. So what the boys came up with instead was making her move around aggressively.
Even if she binds her chest tightly with a cloth and wears clothes easy to move in, there are limits.
The more violently she moves, the more her chest sways. Moreover, because of her height, Airi is often paired against the boys, so the opportunities naturally increase.
For the boys continuing their Academy life, she was a perfect target.
"Yah!!"
"Gueh!"
"That's enough!!"
As expected, being made into this kind of spectacle feels wrong.
However, since she somewhat understood the boys' intentions, she would always concentrate on evasion two or three times as a form of "service," and then end it with an effective blow on the opponent who was full of openings.
Before long, that became the norm.
One might say she's just letting herself be carried along. 'Pull yourself together!'
Putting that aside.
A clean strike lands, and the cessation order is given.
The boy, who had focused too much on "something else" and forgot even his defense, received a direct hit and fainted. The surrounding boys pull him away and retreat.
"Good job!"
"You're a hero!!"
"Don't worry, they were bursting! We watched your share too!! So leave the rest to us!!"
Their mouths praised him one after another—words of tribute to a hero who fell halfway through his ambition.
Why are these guys doing this at such an important time concerning graduation and enlistment?
"Should I sue them...?"
Airi's mutter dissolved into the wind and disappeared into the heavens.
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