"Yo, Kaelith! I came to visit—"
Yoruichi stood at the doorway, her face lighting up with a big smile.
Mid-sentence, her eyes caught sight of Aizen standing inside the room.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize someone else was here."
She gave Aizen a friendly smile, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
"You're one of Kaelith's classmates, right? I'm Shihōin Yoruichi, a friend of his. Nice to meet you!"
Aizen looked at her for a couple of seconds before bowing slightly.
"Aizen Sōsuke, a first-year student at Shin'ō Academy. A pleasure to meet you."
"Sōsuke?" Yoruichi blinked, then suddenly seemed to recall something.
"Ohhh, you're *that* Sōsuke! Kaelith talks about you all the time!"
Aizen raised an eyebrow.
He didn't need to think hard to guess that whatever Kaelith had said about him was unlikely to be serious or respectful.
Yoruichi continued with a laugh. "Kaelith always says he wouldn't be where he is today without your help."
"Honestly, I've never heard him speak that highly of anyone—not even Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
For a moment, Aizen's eyes flickered with surprise.
Looking at the cheerful, dark-skinned girl in front of him, he bowed slightly again.
"I'm just an ordinary student, and I don't deserve such high praise."
"The academy has afternoon classes, so if you'll excuse me, I should take my leave."
With that, Aizen stepped back, straightened up, and left the room.
As she watched him leave, Yoruichi scratched her head again.
"Kaelith, your friend… he seems like someone with a lot on his mind."
Kaelith grinned. "Of course. He's the most thoughtful person in all of Seireitei."
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow but didn't voice her true thoughts.
To her, Aizen seemed like a man who was exceptionally good at hiding his true self—someone who exuded a subtle but dangerous aura.
However, considering his apparent closeness with Kaelith and their friendly relationship, she decided to keep her observations to herself.
Shaking off her musings about Aizen, Yoruichi walked to Kaelith's bedside.
Kaelith tilted his head, watching her with a curious expression as she took a deep breath and suddenly bent forward in a formal bow.
"Hey, hold on! I'm not dead yet—no need for a funeral!" Kaelith leaned against the headboard and said with mock annoyance.
Yoruichi ignored his quip and spoke earnestly, "Kaelith, on behalf of the entire Onmitsukidō, I thank you for your help."
"Without you, the Second Division would have been completely overrun."
"Not only would Shinchira Renzosuke have escaped, but countless other prisoners would have fled as well."
"You protected everyone's lives and honor. For that, as the Commander of the Punishment Force, I offer you my deepest gratitude."
Seeing Yoruichi bowing her head, Kaelith hurriedly reached out to lift her up.
In Soul Society, where lifespans stretched for centuries, many Shinigami adhered strictly to formal rituals and etiquette.
For Kaelith, however, such rituals were nothing but awkward and unnecessary.
But as he reached out, his hands stopped mid-motion.
He wiggled his bandaged hands in front of Yoruichi's face.
"Yoruichi, if you don't get up, I'm going to have to use *these* hands to lift you. If you can live with that guilt, go ahead and stay like that."
Yoruichi looked at his hands, and a pained expression crossed her face.
She had already heard about the extent of Kaelith's injuries, but seeing it in person filled her with guilt.
If she had been stronger, Kaelith wouldn't have had to push himself to such extremes and break past his limits.
But her regret was soon replaced by a sly smile.
"Kaelith, I didn't just come here to thank you—I came for your hands."
Kaelith raised a brow in confusion.
She leaned in and whispered, "You've forgotten, haven't you? What we got from the Twelfth Division."
Kaelith's eyes widened in realization.
The Red-White Hot Springs!
If Kirinji Tenjirō's claims about its healing properties were true, not only could it heal his hands, but it could also fully restore Shaolin Fēng's shattered arm!
"I remember you mentioned that you've already found a place to set up the springs," Kaelith muttered, gears turning in his mind.
"Now we just need the materials… though I remember most of them are pretty rare. Maybe I can ask my teacher—he's the Captain-Commander, so he probably has some of the rarer stuff."
Watching Kaelith mumble and plan, Yoruichi couldn't help but smirk.
She crossed her arms and said smugly, "Idiot. Have you forgotten who I am?"
"I'm the head of the Shihōin family, one of the Five Noble Houses."
"A few rare materials? You think I can't get those?"
She lifted her chin proudly. "Come on. I've got a surprise waiting for you!"
Yoruichi led Kaelith out of the room, carefully avoiding the Fourth Division nurses as they made their way to Shaolin Fēng's room.
Inside, the short-haired girl sat by the window, staring quietly outside with a vacant expression.
It wasn't until Kaelith and Yoruichi entered the room that she turned her head, suddenly aware of their presence.
Upon seeing Yoruichi, Shaolin Fēng's eyes instantly reddened.
"Y-Yoruichi-sama…"
She quickly lowered her head.
"I deeply apologize, Yoruichi-sama. I have failed you and brought shame upon myself!"
Biting her lip, she seemed to struggle internally for a long moment.
Before Yoruichi could respond, Shaolin Fēng bowed even deeper, her face nearly touching the bed.
"Yoruichi-sama, I am now crippled and can no longer fight for you."
"Tomorrow, I will submit a request for exile to the Punishment Force headquarters."
"I have betrayed your trust… I am truly sorry!"
At first, her voice trembled with sadness.
By the end, it was utterly calm.
As a child of the Fēng family, her sole purpose was to join the Punishment Force and devote her life to serving the Shihōin family.
According to her family's code, any Fēng who failed to serve in the Punishment Force faced exile.
With one of her arms irreparably damaged, her fate was sealed.
Only now did Shaolin Fēng realize that her greatest despair and pain didn't come from the prospect of exile.
It was the thought that she could never again repay Yoruichi-sama for her kindness.
Watching Shaolin Fēng bow so deeply, Kaelith opened his mouth, intending to say something.
"Kaelith Yurei!!!"
Still bowing, Shaolin Fēng suddenly raised her voice.
"Yes! I'm here!"
Startled, Kaelith instinctively nodded.
"Once I'm gone… Yoruichi-sama… is in your hands!!"
Gritting her teeth, Shaolin Fēng forced the words out, her voice trembling with emotion.
Kaelith: "…"
That's so heavy… and terrifying!
Kaelith couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly, ready to explain that things weren't as serious as she made them sound.
But before he could speak, he noticed something odd about Shaolin Fēng's breathing.
Walking closer, he exchanged a helpless look with Yoruichi.
Still in her bowing position, Shaolin Fēng had fainted.
---
In the end, it was quite a sight: Yoruichi, her shoulder wrapped in bandages, carrying Shaolin Fēng, whose arm was in a sling, while Kaelith, both hands heavily bandaged, followed behind.
The three invalids sneaked out of the Fourth Division and made their way toward Rukongai.
Thankfully, despite their injuries, Yoruichi and Kaelith were still mobile enough to travel quickly.
By nightfall, they finally reached their destination.
Under Yoruichi's guidance, Kaelith entered a cavern.
At first, the path was narrow, but after walking several hundred steps, it suddenly opened into a spacious, hidden paradise.
Kaelith gazed in awe at the small but stunning hidden realm before him.
And there, waiting for them, was someone Kaelith did not expect.
Yoruichi smiled and said, "Let me introduce you, Kaelith. This is Tessai Tsukabishi, and he—"
"Whoa, the Grand Kidō Master?!" Kaelith blurted out in shock.
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T/N: It looks like we will finish as top 2!!!!
Everyone will get 6 extra chapters today, whoooo. Going to post it soon don't worry.
Thanks everyone for your stones. Couldn't have done this without you!