Looking at the building in front of him, Kaelith stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Soif… uh, young lady, who is currently the General Commander of the Correction Corps?"
He instinctively almost called her "Soifon" before realizing that she hadn't adopted that name yet.
However, calling her "Shaolin Fēng" felt a bit awkward, so he settled on "young lady."
Shaolin Fēng blinked in slight confusion.
Hadn't Vice-Captain Ōmaeda just said this person was about to join the Second Division?
How could someone so close to joining not even know who the General Commander was?
Although puzzled, her professionalism stopped her from voicing her thoughts.
Straightening her posture, she responded with a touch of pride in her tone: "The General Commander is Lady Shihōin Yoruichi, the future Captain of the Second Division and someone destined to leave her mark on the Soul Society!"
So it really was Yoruichi.
Kaelith wasn't particularly surprised.
Though Yoruichi's strength and age weren't fully there yet, she was still the head of the Shihōin family.
Even if she wasn't yet captain, she'd be granted a high-ranking position in the Second Division—anything less would hurt the Shihōin family's reputation.
"Have you met the General Commander?" Kaelith asked.
Shaolin Fēng didn't find the question surprising.
Most Correction Corps members admired Yoruichi deeply, and she assumed Kaelith's question stemmed from the same sense of reverence.
"I met Lady Yoruichi after joining the reserve team for her Personal Guard."
At the mention of Yoruichi, Shaolin Fēng's gaze softened.
"Lady Yoruichi praised my talent and said that one day, I'd stand by her side as her trusted lieutenant!"
Recalling the scene, Shaolin Fēng's large eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks.
Seeing the happiness radiating from her, Kaelith shook his head subtly.
Ah, admiration is limitless, yet it so often goes unfulfilled.
Of course, "unfulfilled" didn't just refer to physical matters.
While certain tools and techniques could mimic harmony between partners, the emotional aspect always seemed to fall short.
Kaelith had always been curious: given Yoruichi's personality, had she really never done anything to Soifon in the original timeline? (t/n I always wondered as well...)
Picturing such a scenario, Kaelith couldn't help but show a look of longing similar to Shaolin Fēng's.
Snapping back to reality, he was about to say something but noticed Shaolin Fēng's expression dim slightly.
"Although Lady Yoruichi is amazing… she's so busy. I'm only a reserve member of the Personal Guard, so I rarely get the chance to meet her."
"Especially recently—Lady Yoruichi seems to have been caught up in some incident. She hasn't been to the Second Division in days."
Realizing she might have said too much, Shaolin Fēng quickly stopped herself.
"Apologies, I misspoke," she said, bowing slightly in apology.
From a perspective where she couldn't see him, Kaelith's expression turned slightly nuanced.
Was Yoruichi really that busy?
That woman spent most of her time sneaking out of duties to train or hang out with him at Shin'ō Academy.
Calculating how much time he and Yoruichi had spent together goofing off or training, Kaelith couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Soifon.
Yoruichi was utterly incorrigible.
Leaving a girl who idolized her waiting while running off to play with another man? Completely heartless!
With these critical thoughts in mind, Kaelith followed Shaolin Fēng as she showed him around the Second Division.
After the tour, Kaelith couldn't help but marvel.
As one of the busiest divisions in the Soul Society, the Second Division's sheer scale, number of personnel, and variety of departments were astounding.
A sudden thought crossed his mind: could Yoruichi's determination to recruit him be because she was short on manpower and wanted him to do all the grunt work?
Lost in thought, Kaelith barely noticed when Shaolin Fēng stopped walking.
"Report: all sections of the Second Division have been reviewed. Awaiting further instructions!"
Kaelith smiled lightly.
"I'm good for now. You can go about your duties."
"Understood!"
Shaolin Fēng bowed slightly.
Straightening up, she instinctively glanced toward Training Ground No. 1 before turning and heading toward her designated training area.
Watching her retreating figure, Kaelith raised an eyebrow.
"Wait a second."
"?!"
Shaolin Fēng turned back, awaiting instructions.
Pointing toward Training Ground No. 1, Kaelith said, "I've spent the whole day wandering around, wasting time. I feel like sparring with someone now."
"You're about to train anyway. Let's head over there and have a match."
Shaolin Fēng hesitated for the first time.
"But that area is…"
"I'm Vice-Captain Ōmaeda's guest. Don't tell me I can't use the training grounds?" Kaelith said with a smile.
Shaolin Fēng frowned slightly.
If Kaelith were just a guest, the answer would definitely be no.
But Vice-Captain Ōmaeda had said Kaelith would soon join the Second Division.
Given Ōmaeda's attitude and the special treatment Kaelith had received, it was clear he wouldn't be an ordinary member.
After a moment's hesitation, she bowed. "Please wait a moment."
She quickly approached the guards at the training ground entrance and spoke to them.
Initially, they shook their heads, but upon recognizing Kaelith, they paused and nodded.
The guards cleared a section of the field and motioned for them to proceed.
Shaolin Fēng returned, still looking a bit surprised.
"Report: the training ground is ready!"
She hesitated before adding, "However, for a sparring partner, it might be better to choose someone already promoted to the Personal Guard."
Kaelith shook his head. "If they want to spar with me, I'll give them a chance later."
"But right now, I only want to spar with you."
Shaolin Fēng blinked, slightly taken aback.
Leading the way, Kaelith stepped into the training ground.
The trainees, who had been observing from a distance, turned their full attention to him.
Seeing Shaolin Fēng escorting an "outsider" into the field sparked curiosity among the group.
Standing at one end of the field, Kaelith nodded at Shaolin Fēng.
The girl bowed respectfully in return.
Among the onlookers, a young man with straw-colored messy hair, appearing slightly older than Kaelith, observed quietly.
"Hmm... So this was Kaelith Yurei, the Shin'ō Academy prodigy at the center of the recent Twelfth Division incident."
He had been curious about this figure for some time.
By sheer chance, he now had the opportunity to watch firsthand.
The young man smirked faintly, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Noticing that Kaelith wasn't making the first move, Shaolin Fēng made up her mind and launched the first attack.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.
*Whoosh!*
Her figure vanished.
--
T/N:
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Here is your extra chapter! Currently on 53/120 to the next chapter meaning we need 67 more!
Also we are near top 5! We are top 8 currently!
So close.....
Anyway hope you enjoyed your extra chapter!