Unbeknownst to Makoto, the appearance and departure of Kisuke Urahara, the former Captain of the 12th Division and current head of the *Shinigami Research and Development Institute, had completely escaped his notice.
*(Eng name: Technological Development Department)
At this moment, Makoto's entire attention was fixed on Fon.
Strong!
That was the first word that came to mind—Soi Fon was undeniably strong, but also raw in certain ways.
"Raw" referred to her mindset, conduct, and temperament.
She not only harbored pure admiration for Yoruichi, treating her as the most important person in her life, but her defenses had also been easily breached by Makoto's gentle demeanor. She had quickly come to regard him as a vital friend.
"Strong," on the other hand, described her skill and power.
Despite possessing the spiritual physique of someone barely beyond a girl's age—perhaps slightly older than Gin—she had already achieved the Shikai state of her Zanpakutō. Her proficiency in Shunpo and Hakuda was... nothing short of terrifying.
Based on Makoto's current understanding, not only was she leagues above Ikkaku, but even the late third seat of the 10th Division couldn't match her mastery of Shunpo and Hakuda.
Under Yoruichi's orders, Fon launched relentless waves of attacks on Makoto, closing in on him step by step.
Although Makoto felt himself entering a strange state, where his usual cluttered and detailed thoughts dissipated and were replaced by a certain physical instinct, he still found himself overwhelmed.
Through his vision, he could see the microscopic interplay of spiritual particles with unprecedented clarity. The subtle spiritual fluctuations Fon produced during her Shunpo were vivid, allowing Makoto to grasp the intricate details of her movement techniques.
His body instinctively absorbed one technique after another under this high-pressure training, with his Shunpo speed, agility, and explosiveness visibly improving.
However, the glaring gap in their Hakuda skills ensured that Fon's slim yet precise Zanpakutō, Suzumebachi, occasionally left behind an ornate bee crest on Makoto's body.
The black marks, cold and beautiful, were a chilling reminder: if struck in the same spot again, death was certain.
Seeing that Makoto was gradually adapting to Soi Fon's relentless pace, Yoruichi, sipping sake and munching on snacks from the sidelines, couldn't help but call out in a teasing tone:
"Hey, Soi Fon, what's going on? Are you playing some kind of game with Makoto? Don't slack off, Soi Fon!"
Bang!
Another clash. Makoto, his improved Shunpo finally matching Fon's speed, caught her wrist in a firm grip. His other elbow collided with hers, locking them in a stalemate.
For the first time, their gazes met.
Makoto, disheveled and stripped of his usual elegance, seemed sharp and unyielding. Fon, dressed in the black uniform of the Punishment Force, had her youthful and delicate face partially obscured by a mask, leaving only her resolute yet sorrowful eyes exposed.
Under Makoto's gaze, devoid of resentment, Soi Fon's eyes unexpectedly brimmed with tears. Her voice trembled as she whispered:
"Makoto-kun, I'm sorry. Truly sorry. But Lady Yoruichi's orders are absolute... even if it costs me my life, I must fulfill them."
"But no matter if it's a hundred, two hundred, five hundred, or even a thousand years from now... I'll never forget you. You'll always be my one and only true friend in this life."
"When Lady Yoruichi no longer needs me, I'll come to atone to you immediately..."
What?
Makoto froze. What was this farewell that sounded suspiciously like a deathbed confession?
Could this foolish Soi Fon truly believe that Yoruichi intended to kill him? Wasn't it obvious this was just Shunpo training?
Wait... knowing Yoruichi's mischievous nature... maybe she hadn't told Fon.
"Ah..."
The thought made Makoto's scalp tingle as he instinctively sucked in a breath.
Fon's Zanpakutō ability, Nigeki Kessatsu (Double Strike Finisher), was terrifyingly straightforward: once it struck a target, it marked the spot with a bee crest. A second strike in the same location would bring certain death.
Of course, the effect could be nullified if the target's spiritual pressure vastly outclassed Fon's.
But Makoto's spiritual pressure was far from sufficient to cancel the ability outright.
Though theoretically, his "Spiritual Particle Manipulation" might allow him to reconstruct his spirit body to counter the mark's effect, this was only feasible if he retained consciousness.
However, his Zanpakutō, Shinro Banshō, was currently in Yoruichi's possession, leaving him without even a rudimentary safeguard.
Moreover, Makoto had no way of knowing just how far the "certain death" aspect of Nigeki Kessatsu could go. Would his consciousness and even his soul be obliterated?
Danger!
Could it be that those nicknamed "Brother Makoto" were destined to meet their ends at the hands of adorable young women?
"Wait—"
Before Makoto could voice his thoughts, Soi Fon, her resolve seemingly solidified, suddenly vanished. Her speed had reached a new peak.
"Makoto-kun, hate me all you want..."
The next moment, Fon's figure reappeared behind Makoto in a flurry of afterimages. Her reddened eyes glimmered as she murmured to herself, her Suzumebachi aiming for the lower right side of Makoto's back—where a bee crest had already bloomed.
Once struck, it would all be over.
"It's over."
Fon bit her lip, her speed accelerating further.
She couldn't bear to let Makoto endure this torment any longer. She had to end it now, to free him from this agony.
However, just as Yoruichi's eyes narrowed and she unleashed terrifying speed to intervene, Fon's wrist was suddenly ensnared by what seemed to be two tendrils of green grass, halting Suzumebachi inches from Makoto's back.
Yoruichi froze in surprise, her gaze landing on Makoto.
Even without his Zanpakutō in hand, he had managed to use its ability.
"Shinro Banshō is a semi-permanently released type. Even without Shikai, I can still utilize some of its powers," Makoto explained calmly.
Yoruichi, intrigued, marveled at the rarity of such a Zanpakutō type. This detail hadn't been in any of the intelligence gathered by the Second Division.
In Soul Society's history, semi-permanently released Zanpakutō were rare, but in Yoruichi's view, the truly fearsome ones were like the 8th Kenpachi, Soya Azashiro, whose Zanpakutō maintained Bankai indefinitely.
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