Those Kept in the Dark

Wang Xun had killed Hollows before, but they had never dropped any fragments.

Yet this was a Hollow Reiatsu fragment.

Was it because he had unlocked Hollowfication, allowing fragments to drop when he killed Hollows too?

As Wang Xun pondered, the third-year students behind him finally came to their senses as the reality of having survived the ordeal sank in.

Satō's mouth hung open as his gaze darted between Wang Xun and the empty space where the giant Hollow had vanished, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Where's the Hollow? It was huge, so where did it go?"

Satō's voice was full of disbelief.

As a third-year student with reasonably good grades who aimed to join the Gotei 13, he knew exactly what that Hollow had meant.

It was a powerful enemy that, after becoming a full-fledged officer, he might only have been able to defeat with several teammates, careful planning, and a hard-fought battle.

Yet before this fifth-year senior, it had been as fragile as a block of tofu.

Satō staggered and barely managed to steady himself by grabbing Yoshida beside him. His face was pale as paper, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

He saw Yoshida staring fixedly at Wang Xun's back.

The fear that had lingered in Yoshida's eyes had been replaced by an almost fanatical admiration.

"Wang Xun, you're so strong..."

Yoshida's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

On the other side, Kobayashi sat slumped on the ground, utterly dumbfounded.

She was the youngest, and the terror of the Menos Grande's attack had nearly shattered her mental defenses.

Now, the exhaustion of surviving the ordeal mingled with the incredible reality before her, leaving her mind a complete mess.

She sat slumped on the ground, her fingers unconsciously clawing at the roof tiles beneath her, her eyes fixed blankly ahead.

Then she suddenly shuddered several times, as though she had just been pulled from icy water.

She looked at Wang Xun, then at the place where the Hollow had disappeared. Suddenly, she covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably as tears poured out.

"We... we survived..."

By comparison, the fifth-years Harada and Nanao reacted much more calmly.

After the initial shock, Harada forcibly suppressed his astonishment, took a deep breath, and steadied his emotions.

He then began to fulfill his duty as a senior, comforting the younger students who were still shaken.

Nanao did the same, walking over to Kobayashi and gently patting her shoulder to help her calm down.

Yet inwardly, neither of them was nearly as calm as they appeared.

Harada was also a fifth-year, and his overall grades in class were even slightly higher than Wang Xun's.

He could not comprehend the strength Wang Xun had just displayed, and the blow to his understanding left him bewildered.

Nanao, meanwhile, felt as though the man she had spent the better part of four years with was almost a stranger.

She suddenly recalled how often Wang Xun had disappeared some time ago, and the training he had supposedly done with Kaien Shiba.

Even then, she had sensed that Wang Xun was growing stronger.

But could he really be this strong?

At that moment, Nanao felt a little shaken.

It seemed she... didn't know the real Wang Xun.

The thought quietly surfaced, giving Nanao pause.

But the next moment, Wang Xun, some distance away, seemed to notice her gaze. He met her eyes and returned a faintly lazy smile.

Wang Xun's usual laid-back manner overlapped with the powerful, composed figure before her.

Nanao could almost still feel a touch of warmth on top of her head.

In that instant, the fear and bewilderment in her heart vanished.

Warmth and a sense of safety, mingled with a faint, indescribable flutter, quietly spread through her heart.

Wang Xun hadn't changed.

He was still himself.

He was the one who had protected them.

Nanao took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs and helping her suppress the heart still pounding in her chest.

She forced herself to focus, quickly regaining her composure.

This was no time to let her thoughts wander. She had to do what needed to be done.

As for Wang Xun...

Once they returned to the Seireitei, she would have him explain everything he had hidden from her.

With that thought, Nanao immediately put aside all her unnecessary emotions, and some of her usual composure returned to her face.

Only her slightly pale cheeks betrayed the turmoil that had yet to settle within her.

She quickly took the Denreishinki from inside her robes and contacted Hasegawa, the instructor overseeing their Konsō practicum.

After reporting to Hasegawa, she put away the Denreishinki and looked at Wang Xun again.

Under the moonlight, his white hair seemed to shimmer with a faint glow.

Nanao's heart stirred slightly, and those complicated feelings welled up again.

Once Kobayashi had calmed down, she silently got to her feet and unconsciously took a few steps toward Wang Xun.

It was as though she were subconsciously drawing closer to the source of that sense of security.

In another place not far from the area, among shadows the moonlight could not fully reach.

Hasegawa switched off the device in his hand and looked to his side.

"Lord Aizen, that student is much stronger than expected. It seems he doesn't need my help."

Sōsuke Aizen stood quietly beside him, his eyes behind his glasses calmly watching everything unfold in the distance, as though enjoying a carefully staged play.

The night wind stirred his brown hair.

Wang Xun had given him more surprises than he had expected.

"My lord, Captain Hirako has been making many moves in secret lately. I'm afraid he'll trace them back to me soon. There are some things we won't be able to hide much longer."

Hasegawa's voice rang out again.

Only then did Aizen turn his gaze to him.

"What do you intend to do, Shinjirō?"

Hasegawa looked at Aizen, a trace of nostalgia appearing in his eyes.

"Back when I was still a nobody in the Rukongai, you saved me from the nobles' oppression."

"And you promoted a lowborn man from the Rukongai like me all the way to my current position."

"With my help, my older brother found work as a guard in the Seireitei, and my younger sister found a good family to marry into. These were things we never would have dared to dream of before."

"I am already content with my life. I have no way to repay your kindness."

Hasegawa knelt on one knee and lowered his head slightly.

"My lord, you wish to test the depths of this student's abilities. If this Hollow cannot accomplish that, then let me do it."

"The Fifth Division's sixth seat, Hasegawa Shinjirō, dissatisfied with being excluded by the nobles, colluded with Hueco Mundo to murder his colleagues. After attacking Spiritual Arts Academy students in the World of the Living, he sought an opportunity to defect and perished in the Dangai."

"All the clues will end with me. Once I'm dead, there will be no one to testify against them."

"For the time being, please keep a low profile, and do not rush the experiments with the Hōgyoku. As for Captain Hirako, forgive me for speaking frankly, but he should be eliminated as soon as possible."

Aizen looked quietly at the man before him and sighed softly.

"You were a good assistant. What a pity..."

Aizen raised his head slightly and gazed at the deep night sky.

Stars filled the sky, bright yet distant.

He turned and gently patted Hasegawa on the shoulder.

"I will remember your sacrifice, Shinjirō."

Hearing this, Hasegawa bowed his head deeply.

"I only hope, my lord, that in the end you will stand proudly upon that throne in the heavens."