Chapter 40: Gillian

The night was deep and cloudless, with a waning moon hanging high above.

Several figures darted across the rooftops. Renji Abarai, gripping his Asauchi, pursued a Hollow about the size of a man with excitement in his eyes. It resembled some sort of crawling beast, yet under the coordinated assault of Renji, Hinamori, and Kira, it was sent scurrying in panic.

The three of them were among the top students of the first-year class, and their performance during this field training was quite impressive.

Hinamori intercepted from the front, a precise "Red Fire Cannon" striking the Hollow square in the face. However, given the limitations of her spiritual pressure, the blast did little substantial damage. As the smoke cleared, Renji and Kira attacked from both sides, slicing the creature into three pieces.

Watching the corpse slowly dissolve into spirit particles on the ground, Renji sheathed his Asauchi. "You're fast, Kira, but I could have handled that easily on my own."

Izuru Kira chuckled, "Don't say that; it was everyone's teamwork that did it."

Renji, however, said with self-satisfaction, "I'm at a level where I can truly fight Hollows. This level of field training is just too simple."

Hinamori, who had walked over, rolled her eyes. "Your mouth is certainly impressive."

Renji looked slightly annoyed. "I'm serious!"

Momo Hinamori did not give him any face. "It's always the three of us working together, but you insist on taking all the credit. Are you going to praise only yourself when we submit our report, too?"

Renji fell silent, glancing toward the senior students stationed on a high platform nearby. He changed the subject, saying, "They sure are relaxed."

Kira replied, "This is training prepared for us. The seniors don't need to interfere; they will only step in if we are in danger."

Renji scoffed, "How could there be any danger with Hollows of this level?"

Hinamori sighed, bracing her forehead. "Here we go again."

Not all students were as fortunate as them; some were facing Hollows for the first time, overwhelmed by fear and nervousness, causing them to nearly forget everything they had learned. Fortunately, senior students were protecting them from the shadows, preventing any injuries. Aside from providing help when necessary, the seniors were also responsible for recording the performance of each student.

As for Shin’s group:

The large Hollow from earlier had been slain by Shin before it could even reveal itself, so it had not drawn much attention. Shin and his two companions had no intention of making a scene about it for the time being. As for the response from the barrier team, they had chosen to believe it for now.

"Kira and Hinamori’s group is performing well." From their vantage point, Shuhei Hisagi had been observing them.

Hinamori's mastery of Kido was already far ahead of her peers; the girl was incredibly talented, limited only by her spiritual pressure. While Renji appeared reckless, his combat skills were actually very strong; his only weakness was Kido. Izuru Kira was balanced in all aspects, with swordsmanship, Kido, and Flash Step all equally impressive.

Shuhei Hisagi held a document, noting down their performance and adding brief comments. Kani-sawa was also fully focused on the scene. Aside from that large Hollow that shouldn't have appeared earlier, everything had gone smoothly, leading both her and Hisagi to gradually conclude it had truly been an accident.

Shin remained silent, his gaze fixed on the heavy night.

"Shin?" Hisagi, receiving no response after speaking at length, looked at him strangely. "What are you looking at?"

It was normal for Kani-sawa to be taciturn, but that was not Shin's nature.

"Nothing, just looking around," Shin said.

Hisagi was thoughtful. "Are you worried about something?"

Shin did not commit to an answer. Hisagi pondered for a moment, deciding that Shin’s caution was no bad thing. It was only the first night, and there was still a long time before the training ended.

Shin was monitoring every fluctuation of spiritual pressure within the barrier, vigilant against any further anomalies.

By the second half of the night, the exhausted students gathered at the rendezvous point to rest and eat. A class of students was excitedly discussing their experiences; for them, this field training in the living world was a novel and stimulating experience, though some looked dejected and dispirited.

Shin and Hisagi arrived as well. Hisagi offered words of encouragement and praise for everyone's performance, warning them not to lower their guard in the upcoming battles.

While everyone was resting, Momo Hinamori approached Shin.

"Squad Leader!" She greeted him with a grin, then turned to Kani-sawa, "Senior Kani-sawa."

Kani-sawa nodded indifferently.

Hinamori looked eager for praise. "Did you notice our group's performance, Squad Leader?"

A faint smile appeared on Shin’s face. "I did. Your coordination was good."

Hinamori took the opportunity to complain. "We were working well, but that guy Abarai keeps trying to show off. He often ignores us and chases after Hollows on his own. I’ve warned him many times, but it’s no use."

Shin raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Call him over."

Hinamori’s spirits lifted at the suggestion, but she hesitated. "Actually, never mind. I'll talk to him myself later. If you reprimand him for me, he’ll definitely curse me in his heart."

Shin couldn't help but chuckle, thinking the girl was quite thoughtful.

"Keep up the good work, and be careful."

Hinamori nodded earnestly. "I will try my best! And I’m not afraid! Because..." She beamed, her face bright with a radiant smile, "...the Squad Leader will definitely protect me!"

But the next instant, her smile froze. In her field of vision, a long, narrow horizontal tear opened in the air behind Shin and Kani-sawa. A giant white mask emerged from it, its glowing red eyes wide and terrifying.

What is that...

Her mind went blank for a second before she reacted. Among the Hollows, some powerful ones possessed special abilities—opening a Garganta! Similar to the Senkaimon used by Soul Reapers to travel to the living world, the Garganta was used for traversing space.

Shin felt the massive surge of spiritual pressure from behind at the exact same moment. He spun around, only to see a giant hand descending upon him like a collapsing mountain.

BOOM!

The hand, as large as a house, slammed into the ground, shattering it instantly.

"Squad Leader!" Hinamori screamed.

Kani-sawa was thrown aside, crashing heavily into a nearby wall. When she lifted her head and looked back at the spot, her pupils contracted sharply.

The hand had smashed a deep crater into the ground. Aside from the flying rubble and bricks, there was no sign of anyone. She remembered that in the final second, Shin had grabbed her and thrown her out of the way.

But what about Shin?

Shin?!