Soi Fon had chosen to head off alone into the quietest region she could find.
Why? Because she didn't want anyone tagging along. She didn't want cooperation. She was determined to complete this exam using her own strength.
And not just by slaying one Hollow, she intended to take down several, to prove her power.
If she had to team up with someone like Shirō to pass the exam, how could she possibly live that down? She was the top student in the entire year! Needing help to finish the assessment? That would be humiliating.
Maybe Shirō could tolerate that kind of embarrassment, but she couldn't.
That was why she got so angry.
She knew Shirō was following her because he was worried.
But that worry, in her eyes, was just another way of saying,
"I don't think you're strong enough."
And that was something Soi Fon couldn't accept.
Just as Shirō was racking his brain for some clever excuse to stick close without being kicked away, Hiyori Sarugaki piped up beside him.
"Tch. Are you even a man? What a coward! If you're scared to fight alone, don't worry. I'll protect you!"
To Hiyori, who already thought Shirō was weak, this just confirmed her assumptions. Clearly, he was clinging to Soi Fon, the top student, hoping to team up and sneak through the exam.
But while Hiyori only saw things on the surface, Mashiro Kuna was a different story.
Despite her bubbly personality, she was surprisingly sharp.
Before Shirō could even respond, Mashiro tilted her head innocently and declared:
"That's not it! I think Shirō-senpai just likes Soi Fon-senpai! That's why he wants to stay close and keep her safe, right, Shirō-senpai?"
Then she turned to him with wide, sparkling eyes, waiting for praise like a puppy who'd just performed a trick.
By now, Soi Fon's face had gone completely red, then green, then red again.
"Wait, Soi Fon, just hear me out, "
Shirō quickly tried to explain, but before he could say more, Isane Kotetsu spoke up shyly from the side:
"Mashiro, even if you're right, you shouldn't say things like that out loud… Everyone kind of already figured it out. But now you've made it so awkward for Shirō-senpai."
"Huh? But I only said it because Hiyori didn't get it! Now she knows too!"
Mashiro replied, blinking innocently.
That, of course, made Hiyori blow a fuse.
"Who says I didn't get it?! I totally figured it out first. I was just pretending I didn't know! You're the one who ruined everything by blabbing!"
"You didn't know! You definitely didn't!"
Mashiro puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"I did! You're just making things up now!"
"Please stop fighting…!"
Isane tried her best to calm them down, caught between the verbal storm.
Meanwhile, Shirō was already cursing in his heart.
What the hell is this?! Did you three rehearse this ahead of time?! Are you seriously doing a comedy skit right now?!
He looked toward Soi Fon, whose face was now an unreadable palette of embarrassment, rage, and shame.
Without a word, Soi Fon stomped her foot in frustration, spun around, and bolted, leaving even her own first-year team behind.
Yep. She's officially lost it.
Shirō sighed. This wasn't good.
He knew better than anyone, when Soi Fon got stubborn, she didn't care about rules or context.
Which only made him more worried.
"Soi Fon! Wait! This is still part of the exam!"
He shouted and immediately ran after her. But before taking off, he turned back to the remaining three first-years and gave them quick instructions:
"The six of you stick together. If you run into trouble, don't try to fight it, just run and call for help!"
"Leave it to me!"
Hiyori puffed out her chest and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Go ahead, Senpai! You won't catch up if you delay any longer!"
Mashiro chirped supportively.
What sweet girls…
Too sweet.
In fact, it was because they were so sweet that Shirō was very, very unsure if he should leave them alone.
But first things first.
He needed to catch Soi Fon.
Shirō was confident she'd return for her team eventually, not because of sentiment, but because of duty. The exam required her to lead and protect them, and Soi Fon was the kind of person who took that responsibility seriously.
So he just had to calm her down, get her back on track, and regroup with the others.
With that, he dashed after her without hesitation.
Meanwhile, up ahead…
"RAAAHHH!! GRRRR!!"
A Hollow appeared, snarling and lumbering through the forest.
The Hollow suddenly froze, tilting its mask to sniff the air.
"What's that smell? Smells delicious… Must be something tasty nearby!"
It turned and waddled happily toward the bait source.
But then…
A blur shot past its vision.
"Who- ?!"
CRACK.
Its mask shattered in an instant. Its body dispersed before it could even process what had happened.
Soi Fon's figure reappeared, calmly sliding her Zanpakutō back into its sheath.
"Tch. At this level? I could take ten of them."
She scoffed dismissively.
Of course, if Shirō had seen this scene, he definitely would've had something to say.
"That was just a glass cannon with no armor… and you sneak-attacked it. Try that on the type of Hollow Yoruichi and I fought, armored skin, frontal assault, and we'll see how easy it is."
After all, even Rukia, later a seated officer, was nearly killed in a real fight against a Hollow in the Human World.
And Ichigo? He wiped out a Hollow right after awakening his powers.
Just how strong did that make her enemies?
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter