Ichigo leaves and takes up residence in Soul Society!

Also be prepared to be aware of the corresponding implications.

As long as the task is completed and the responsibilities are fulfilled, what does it matter if one suffers a little criticism?

But it seems there is still a lot of room for improvement.

From aversion and rejection to deep respect...

Soi Fon believes she has grasped the essence of justice, and under her leadership, the Onmitsukido and the Second Division will surely flourish, far surpassing the era when her predecessor was in charge.

Overjoyed with a sense of accomplishment, Soi Fon inadvertently discovered a talented individual who provided her with many great ideas.

"Four Palaces?"

Seeing the other person looking down with a troubled expression, I wandered aimlessly along the main street of Seireitei.

Soi Fon frowned slightly, casually dismissed her followers, and strode towards the other party, blocking his path.

"—Shinomiya, what are you doing in the Second Division's territory all of a sudden?"

Chapter 54 [Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding]

"Captain Shattered Bee?"

My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden greeting.

The Four Palaces Lord snapped out of his daze and looked at the woman in front of him, who stood with her arms crossed, exuding her usual aloof and dignified air.

"Who else could it be but me... To ignore even approaching spiritual pressure, even though it's in my territory, is far too lax. This isn't like you... What happened?"

Soi Fon's eyebrows furrowed even more, and her words, though sharp, were filled with unresolved doubts.

The Four Palaces Lord did not answer. He first looked around, as if he understood something.

"It's nothing serious, I just came out of the Spiritual Arts Academy for a walk."

"I'm used to thinking about problems this way. Maybe it's because I've been to the Second Division before, so I subconsciously chose the familiar path and ended up here without realizing it."

"I see."

Soi Fon nodded slightly, accepting the explanation.

"But you've really gone quite far. You haven't figured it out even after such a long journey, which means it's clearly not a trivial matter."

Even resourceful people can struggle when their memory fails them.

The Four Palaces Venerable sighed.

"...So, you mean you're not thinking, but trying to recall?"

"That's it."

Seeing that Shinomiya no Mikoto's expression didn't seem fake, Soi Fon felt relieved and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"For a death god with a long lifespan, a bad memory is a no-no. I don't want you to develop a forgetful habit after you become a captain."

"Perfect timing. I don't have anything urgent to do right now, so would you like to experience the Second Division's interrogation methods? They're very effective for memory recovery."

"...Should I have shown up when you were angry...?"

The Four Palaces Lord's expression froze.

"Just kidding. I'm not angry. In fact, I'm in a pretty good mood. Thanks to you, the Second Division's reputation has improved. It would be even better if I could take this opportunity to repay your favor."

“I appreciate Captain Soi Fon’s kindness, but I feel that interrogation might backfire.”

"I already said it was a joke!"

Soi Fon snorted coldly, glared at him fiercely, and then turned her head away.

"follow me."

The Fourth Prince looked up at the sun in the sky. From the scorching midday sun to the setting sun, he had indeed walked for a long time without realizing it, which seemed to foreshadow his tragic fate.

however.

That's not the case.

Soi Fon led him to an izakaya (Japanese pub) in the Second Division's territory.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention... thanks to you, this store used to have a lot of customers, but now it has visibly decreased significantly."

"Captain Soi Fon, even if you try to frame me, I will not be blackmailed into joining the Second Division and being at your beck and call."

"...I really want to use the same method I used before to help you now."

Soon, the waiter served sake, tempura, and other Japanese dishes.

After she respectfully withdrew, the Fourth Prince glanced thoughtfully at the unremarkable dish, then picked up the sake and took a light sniff.

"I think I understand what Captain Soi Fon means."

"The food at this restaurant is so-so, but the drinks are really good. It's just that because the reputation of the Second Division has improved, everyone is busy with work and doesn't have time to come to the restaurant to relieve work pressure, which has led to a decrease in customer traffic."

"Judging from the fact that you remain sharp, there is really nothing to worry about regarding your mental state."

Soi Fon's words made Shinomiya-sensei look at her with new respect.

They've even learned to use this method to test someone... No, maybe they always knew how, but there's rarely a need to do it this way.

"Captain Soi Fon is really thinking of me. Let me treat you to this meal."

"No need, this is also part of my repayment of a favor... Rather, tell me about the trouble you've encountered, I'm more interested in that."

"..."

Seeing the other person squint their eyes like a cat, Shinomiya could sense the restless curiosity beneath that stern and serious exterior.

"Yes... To put it simply, I'm only one step away from mastering Bankai, and I'm currently stuck at that step."

"My Zanpakuto asked me a question, asking what I fear most so far..."

"Although the best way to overcome fear is to face it, I can't think of how to face it, and maybe I'm not even afraid anymore."

"So I've spent the whole day trying to recall the past, trying to find any clues, but so far I've come up empty-handed."

Hearing this frank advice, Soi Fon felt a sense of satisfaction at being respected and recognized, but at the same time, he was also bewildered that he had reached this point so quickly.

Just one step away... just one step away from having my name etched in the history of Soul Society, just like mine.

It hasn't been long since the tea party.

It's only been half a month at most, right?

I really have to learn Bankai as if I were reborn.

Another brat named "Kurosaki Ichigo" probably won't be much slower.

Rather than saying the world has undergone tremendous changes, it's more accurate to say it's accelerating towards the next era, at such a rapid pace that even I, still quite young, am almost becoming a remnant of the old era.

"call……"

Soi Fon exhaled, forcing herself to focus on the important matter at hand and stop her mind from wandering.

"The thing you fear most so far...? Logically, such a thing should leave a deep impression on you, and even if you are no longer afraid of it, you should not forget it, just as you would not forget a powerful enemy you once defeated."

"If you can't remember it, it only means one thing... that you want to forget it."

"maybe."

The Four Palaces Venerable readily admitted it.

After all, a life of luxury and the powerful inner strength that come with power are not things one is born with.

He can now undoubtedly face everything head-on.

There is no escape or fear.

No one can make him bow his head.

The more this is the case, the harder it is to connect with that ordinary version of yourself from the past and recall the things you feared back then.

"This is troublesome. If you can't understand your own heart, you can't grasp the full picture of Bankai, and you can't... accept your own Bankai."

"I've experienced similar situations before."

Soi Fon seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, and her expression turned somewhat gloomy.

"But my experience certainly won't be of much help to you."

"Not necessarily. If we knew what Captain Soi Fon's greatest fear was, we might be able to make some connections. However, I won't pry into matters that touch on personal privacy."

Soi Fon, who hadn't originally intended to answer, said with displeasure upon hearing Shinomiya's words, "You said it yourself, the best way to overcome fear is to face it directly. There's no need to hide this level of privacy; it only makes people think... I'm afraid of being known that I've never overcome it!"

"Calm down, Captain Soi Fon, I'm not trying to provoke you."

The Four Palaces Venerable said helplessly.

"Of course I know. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Covert Mobile Command, how could I not be able to tell whether someone is telling the truth or lying?"

"...Then I'm all ears. Rest assured, once I leave this room, I'll pretend I was never here."

"...It doesn't have to go to this extent."

These words reassured Soi Fon quite a bit, and with Shinomiya-no-Takashi's gesture of pouring her wine and showing her respect, she was less resistant to what he was about to say.

Soi Fon composed herself and slowly recounted the relationship between the Shihouin family and the Soi Fon family, as well as her relationship with Yoruichi Shihouin.

But she still unconsciously covered up some of the facts.

He only mentioned that a close friend whom he wanted to help no matter what abandoned him when he encountered difficulties, betraying the precious friendship between them.

boom!

The wine glass was slammed onto the table.

Soi Fon's eyes flashed with murderous intent. She had originally intended to tell Shinomiya-no-Tsurugi as reference material, but she got more and more carried away as she spoke, her teeth grinding together.

"That bastard didn't take me seriously at all. I valued her so much, admired her, and longed for her... but she chose to face it all alone, and it just so happened to be for another bastard I hated to the extreme!"

"In other words, in her eyes, that bastard is more important than me, more important than our relationship."

"Otherwise, even if they did something wrong, they shouldn't have left me out."

“I know she didn’t want to drag me into this... but it’s this self-righteousness that makes me furious... What a joke, how could she make a decision without even asking me, showing no respect for my personal wishes.”

"They never... considered me a friend at all!"

"My promise, my belief... there is absolutely no chance of it being fulfilled."

"On that day, I felt a fear I had never felt before."

"It was on that day that my first half of life came to an end."

Shinomiya-no-Mikoto remained silent, watching Soi Fon's pretty face, flushed red whether from anger or from drinking, until she gradually calmed down before speaking:

"Although I don't want to comment on Captain Soi Fon's past, I think this outcome was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Are you saying she would betray us sooner or later? Shinomiya, you may not know her background. If she hadn't been implicated by that bastard, she would never have betrayed us."

Soi Fon's eyes turned cold, her face filled with murderous intent.

"What I mean is... your relationship isn't developing healthily. If it continues like this, problems will arise sooner or later. Even if it's not because of anyone else, there will be ideological conflicts due to certain things. Think back to whether the other person has been particularly impatient with you."

The gentle, flowing words of comfort from the Fourth Prince completely dispelled Soi Fon's murderous aura, causing her to unconsciously furrow her brow in deep thought.

"It seems... there really is such a thing, and it can't even be said to be occasional anymore. She... seems to have a hard time listening to what I say, and always avoids my advice and suggestions. Isn't this another bastard stirring things up behind the scenes?"

"I don't think it has anything to do with that jerk, but rather the way you two interact is the problem. As for where the problem lies..."

As Shinomiya-sama spoke, he slowly took out a communication device from his robes and, under Soi Fon's questioning gaze, started playing a recording.

A deep, resonant, magnetic, infectious, and distinctive male voice immediately came through the microphone.

[Longing... is the emotion furthest from understanding].

Chapter Fifty-Five: Aizen's "Words of Warning"

"What's this?"

Soi Fon was greatly shocked by the way Shinomiya took action.

"Are you referring to the identity of the person who owns the voice?"

"...Of course not! This is clearly the voice of Aizen Sousuke, the captain of the Fifth Division, your teacher...I'm asking about this recording."

"Oh, this...it all started with the Academy of Spirit Arts."

The Four Palaces Venerable placed the Divine Messenger on the table, picked up a piece of tempura, took a small bite and swallowed it, and slowly said, "Ever since the news of me being accepted as a disciple by the teacher spread throughout the Spirit Arts Academy, girls in the calligraphy class have been coming up to me one after another to ask for advice, wanting to know what the teacher has taught."