Chapter 217 – Teaming Up
With a snap of his fingers, Ailin closed the Senkaimon and resumed his exploration of the ever-changing World of the Living.
“Damn it!” Yūma Matsubashi kicked a nearby stone pillar, shattering it into pieces.
“My, my, what’s wrong, Yūma? You seem upset." Matsuri Kudo, returning from her patrol, witnessed Yūma’s outburst and asked curiously, “Did Captain Aizen scold you for something?”
"Hahaha...” The surrounding Shinigami burst into laughter.
One of them, after regaining his composure, explained to Matsuri, "Kudo, did you hear what Captain Aizen said earlier?”
“Oh?” Matsuri’s eyes lit up with interest. “Are you involved in this, Yūma?”
“Yes, Kudo. Captain Aizen was talking about the Shinigami who rescued Kitada Yōsuke. He’s been sentenced to three months in detention for being backstabbed by that ungrateful wretch.”
Since everyone already knew, Yūma had no choice but to explain the situation to Matsuri.
“Kudo, I made a mistake. I admit it. But Captain Aizen wants me to protect that bastard? That’s just rubbing salt in the wound! I’d rather see him dead! Why would I protect him?!”
"Hahaha, Yūma, you're misunderstanding Captain Aizen!" Matsuri, hearing Yūma’s complaints, patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t you see why he wants you to 'protect' Kitada?”
"Why?"
“Because he wants you to 'protect' him, of course!" Matsuri emphasized the word “protect,” but seeing Yūma’s still-confused expression, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Honestly, were all Shinigami this dense?
"Yūma, Captain Aizen said that we can only intervene after 'seeing' a distress flare, right? So, if you don't 'see' a distress flare, you don't have to intervene... Think about it.”
With that, Matsuri skipped away, her heart lighter than it had been in days.
What a pleasant surprise! She had never expected Captain Aizen to have such a mischievous side...
“See a flare? Don’t see a flare? What does that even mean?” Yūma furrowed his brows, unable to grasp the meaning behind Matsuri’s cryptic words.
After pondering for a while, he shook his head in frustration.
“Forget it. I’ll figure it out later. I should go find that bastard. If I’m late to the rescue again, Captain Aizen might punish me...”
He looked up, then froze.
“Wait, which way did he go?”
...
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
The voice in Yōsuke’s ear had faded. Captain Aizen had dispelled the Kidō spell.
He clenched his fists in rage. He had never expected Captain Aizen to retaliate in such a manner.
He had exploited the rescue squad member’s compassion to regain his eligibility, but his actions had undoubtedly increased the risk of casualties for the remaining students.
The blow cleaved the Hollow’s mask in two. With a final, agonizing shriek, the Hollow dissolved into reishi.
“Whew...” Momo let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“Kira, Renji, thank goodness you were here. I would have been in trouble without you.”
As the exam progressed, the number of Hollows drawn to the city continued to increase. The strength and size of the medium-sized Hollows were also rising.
Even Momo could no longer guarantee victory against her next opponent. That was why, when Kira and Renji had approached her, proposing a team, she had readily agreed.
They had been close friends at the academy, familiar with each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Momo’s Kidō was the most powerful of the trio, making her the primary attacker.
Kira’s Kidō, while not as potent as Momo’s, was still formidable. He also possessed decent Zanjutsu, making him the team’s support. His primary role was defense and keeping the Hollows at bay.
Renji’s Zanjutsu was unmatched among this year's graduating class. He was the team’s shield, blocking the Hollows' attacks while Momo and Kira sought opportunities to unleash their Kidō.
Their teamwork, thus far, had been flawless, allowing them to defeat numerous medium-sized Hollows.
Undeniably, combat was a catalyst for growth, pushing talented individuals to their limits.
After over twenty days and more than a hundred battles, Renji, Kira, and Momo had improved tremendously.
Their current strength surpassed that of most ordinary Shinigami. They were closing in on the level of elite Shinigami.
“Don't say that, Momo.” Kira shook his head. “You’re invaluable to us.
"Without your Kidō, Renji and I would have struggled to kill that Hollow. It would have taken us at least five minutes."
“He’s right, Momo.” Renji rested his Zanpakutō on his shoulder, nodding in agreement with Kira. “Your Kidō attacks pack a much bigger punch than Kira’s. You severely wounded that Hollow with a single blast. If it had been Kira, he would have needed at least three Hadō spells to achieve the same result.”
“Oh, you two are exaggerating..." Momo waved her hands dismissively.
But the upward curve of her lips betrayed her true feelings. It was clear that she was delighted by her teammates’ praise.
“Still, Kira, Renji, this exam is incredibly difficult. I wonder how many of us will pass."
“I don't know. But if it were easy to become a Shinigami, we wouldn't have left Rukongai and come to the Seireitei, would we?” Renji replied.
“That’s true...”
The people of Rukongai came to the Seireitei to gamble on a chance, a chance to change their destinies.
However, Renji’s words caused Kira’s head to droop even lower.
He had never shared his background with his friends at the academy.
His perpetually gloomy expression had made him appear unapproachable, so only the boisterous Renji Abarai, born and raised in Rukongai, and the cheerful and optimistic Momo Hinamori had befriended him.
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