Without a moment's warning, the scene before Soifon's eyes shifted once more, and the familiar scent of medicinal herbs wafted back to her nose.
It seemed... she had been kicked out of her inner world by an embarrassed and enraged Suzumebachi.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Can you give me another chance?"
Lightly stroking the sword's guard, Soifon closed her eyes to meditate again. This time, however, it felt like tossing a small pebble into a deep abyss; she didn't hear so much as an echo.
After a long while, Soifon, who had been meditating on the hospital bed, slowly opened her eyes and let out a tired yawn.
"Sigh, what a heartless woman."
[You bastard!]
Perhaps unable to stand her master's slander, Soifon read that exact sentiment from the sudden pulse of the Zanpakutō.
[Incompetent master! Worthless master! Don't blame my Bankai for being hard to use just because you're a noob!]
This time, the vibrations from the Zanpakutō were even more pronounced.
"Suzumebachi, communicating like this is quite a hassle. Why don't you just let me back in..."
[Heh, come back when you've broken through to a Second-grade Reii.]
Second-grade Reii? That didn't seem too difficult.
With a thought, Soifon called up the system panel to take a look—if only for peace of mind. This was the confidence the system granted her.
However, Suzumebachi didn't seem to know about it. Soifon decided to try acting a bit pitiful first.
"Second-grade Reii?" Soifon bit her lower lip hesitantly. "But... I've only just reached Third-grade. I probably can't do it."
Soifon pressed her hands weakly against the bed. "I... I can't do anything..."
With her head hanging low, a thin mist of unshed tears covered Soifon's eyes. The ringed-braids hanging behind her seemed to lose their vitality along with their master, drooping powerlessly.
'Wait, girl? Your personality wasn't like this before! How did saying one thing make you start dropping little pearls?!'
'That damn Yoruichi Shihōin... look at how much you've corrupted my master!'
Inside the inner world, Suzumebachi was flying around in a frantic panic, yet she couldn't bring herself to swallow her pride and make up with Soifon. One could only say the blade and the master shared the same temperament.
[Soifon, don't be so anxious!]
The Zanpakutō in Soifon's hand sent another message.
[The truth is, a Third-grade Reii just isn't enough to bring out my full power. You have to believe me!]
Receiving this message, Soifon's eyebrows twitched. She bit her lower lip even harder to ensure not a single crack appeared in her expression.
—Hehe, I finally baited her into talking.
"I believe you," Soifon said, taking a deep breath and making her voice sound like she was struggling to suppress her grief. "I've always believed in you, Suzumebachi."
Thump—
Hearing those words, Suzumebachi lost her focus in the inner world and slammed her head into a towering tree.
[Mission Triggered: Enter the Inner World and complete Jinzen]
[Mission Completed]
[Mission Reward: Compatibility with the Zanpakutō Suzumebachi has increased. The consumption for using Bankai: Jashaku Raikōben has been reduced.]
Simply put, the 'mana cost' of her ultimate move had decreased. It went from being able to fire one missile a day to two.
As for why it wasn't 'once every three days' like in the original story, it was naturally because the current Soifon's spiritual pressure had become much stronger.
Click—
Soifon's ears twitched. The sound of a door handle being gently pressed down was exceptionally clear in the quiet ward. She quickly tucked her Zanpakutō under the covers and leaned against the headboard, pretending to gaze at the scenery outside the window.
"Excuse me, Vice-Captain Soifon. Officer Matsumoto, this is your ward."
Pushing the door open cautiously, Isane Kotetsu saw that Soifon was awake and sitting up. She spoke in a low voice to the woman beside her, who was wrapped up like a mummy with orange wavy hair peeking out—Rangiku Matsumoto.
"This is the Vice-Captain of the Second Division, Soifon."
"I won't disturb you two while you recover. If you need anything, please press the button by the head of the bed. Goodbye."
After helping Rangiku Matsumoto lie down in the bed next to Soifon and carefully covering her with a blanket, Isane Kotetsu bowed at the door and left.
With the sound of the door closing, only Soifon and Rangiku Matsumoto were left in the ward, staring at each other.
'Is this the Rangiku Matsumoto who just graduated from the Shin'ō Academy?'
Even wrapped in bandages like a mummy, there was no hiding Rangiku Matsumoto's excellent figure. It was truly enviable.
'But mine isn't bad either. It's better for stealth, which is a plus in the Second Division,' Soifon thought as she looked the other girl up and down.
'What a terrifying gaze! Is this the pressure of a Vice-Captain level?'
"I am the Tenth Division's 7th Seat, Rangiku Matsumoto. Hello..."
Enduring the pain from her bandaged wounds and her fear of Soifon, Rangiku Matsumoto gave a polite, strained smile.
"Ah? Hello," Soifon snapped back to reality, the corners of her mouth curling slightly. "Second Division Vice-Captain, Soifon."
Surprised and flattered by Soifon's smile, Rangiku Matsumoto shrank into her covers and also began pretending to look at the scenery outside the window.
However, since the window was on Soifon's side of the room, it was hard to tell if she was looking at Soifon or the view.
'Vice-Captain Soifon doesn't seem as hard to talk to as she looks on the surface...'
'Maybe... she's just a bit shy?'
Ultimately, Rangiku Matsumoto was still a fresh graduate with a deep sense of reverence for the position of Vice-Captain.
"Officer Matsumoto..."
"Vice-Captain Soifon, just call me Rangiku!"
"Alright. Then you can just call me Soifon as well."
"No, no, no, how could I? You're a Vice-Captain..."
"Vice-Captain isn't that big of a deal."
"How can you say that, Vice-Captain Soifon?!"
Soifon found this green version of Rangiku Matsumoto quite interesting and couldn't help but want to tease her a bit more.
"How did you get injured like this, Rangiku?"
'Aren't you afraid Gin Ichimaru will skewer you for being so bold?' Soifon didn't say that out loud.
She was genuinely curious; the Soul Society hadn't been very peaceful lately, and gathering more intel was always a good thing.
"It was a strange Menos Grande," Rangiku Matsumoto said, pulling back her blanket and tracing a finger over her abdomen. "We were ambushed while performing an investigation mission in the outskirts of the 78th District of Rukongai."
Soifon narrowed her eyes. "A Gillian?"
How could a Menos appear in Rukongai? Even ordinary Hollows were supposed to be rare there.
"No, it was likely an Adjuchas," Rangiku Matsumoto said with lingering fear. "I didn't have time to react at all. Fortunately, Lieutenant Aizen, who was on patrol, arrived just in time..."
"..."
Soifon facepalmed. No wonder a rare species like an Adjuchas appeared in Rukongai; it was Aizen's doing.
The timing matched up perfectly. Perhaps in a few decades, he would even end up creating that 'Ox-head' Hollow.
"What's wrong, Vice-Captain Soifon?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to say... your luck is really something, Rangiku..."
To be targeted twice by Sōsuke Aizen—your luck truly is one of a kind.
____
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