The Hunt Has Begun

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

On this day, Shin'ō Academy, which had been quiet for several months, was bustling again due to the annual "field training."

"Almost all the first-year students are participating, and the scale of this operation is quite spectacular." Saikyō arrived early at the academy entrance to gather with the special training class.

Compared to the usual deserted scene, today was exceptionally lively.

For this field training, a total of five hundred first-year students were taking part. In terms of the number of participants, this year was unprecedented, and the number of instructors accompanying them had also increased significantly compared to previous years.

"You little brats, are you ready? The time is almost up," Hiyori-sensei said, standing in front of the team.

"We will follow the other teams and head to Baidaomon, and from there proceed to the 80th district of West Rukongai."

"Understood!"

The students nodded.

A group of people left the academy in a mighty procession!

---

It took several days, traveling over a long journey.

The field training team finally arrived at their destination: District 80, West Rukongai!

"This place is far more dilapidated than I expected!" Saikyō stood among the crowd, looking at the surrounding scene.

As far as his eyes could see, the land was barren and desolate—no streets, not a single intact building, and certainly none of the usual green vegetation.

The biting cold wind blew in gusts, lifting a thick layer of dust off the ground.

Besides the harsh environment, the area was filled with waste and lacked any source of water, making basic survival impossible.

Strictly speaking, this couldn't even be called a district—perhaps describing it as a ruin would be more accurate.

"Surprised?" Hiyori's voice sounded from behind.

She folded her arms, a playful expression on her face, swaggering over to Saikyō's side.

"Hiyori-sensei." Saikyō greeted her politely.

"Only by experiencing it personally will you realize that such a desolate place exists in the Soul Society," Saikyō said, his tone tinged with emotion.

It wasn't until this moment that he understood why the academy had chosen this place.

Its harsh climate, difficult terrain, and lack of resources made it the perfect assessment location.

"Saikyō-kun, you grew up in the Shihōin mansion and lived a privileged life. It's only natural for you to be surprised." Acting like an older sister, Hiyori continued to enlighten him.

"But there's something important you need to know." Hiyori looked towards the southeast, where the wasteland seemed endless.

"Following that direction, you'll reach the edge of the Soul Society—a place where resentment is thick, and Hollows often appear."

"I understand, but is there an end to that area?" Saikyō asked, puzzled.

"I'm not certain, but since it's the fringe, there should be an end somewhere. However, it's rare for anyone to come to District 80; it's been abandoned for centuries," Hiyori said, her expression becoming more serious.

"I'll be careful. Thank you for the warning," Saikyō replied with a smile.

"Hey, just so you know, I didn't tell you this personally. Don't misunderstand!" Before leaving, Hiyori made sure to emphasize again that she had no hidden agenda.

However, her behavior made it seem like she was trying to hide her true intentions.

"Of course, Hiyori-sensei, I completely understand that you're just concerned about the students." Saikyō smiled slyly.

"Who... who said that!" Hiyori blushed, making an excuse before rushing off in embarrassment.

If the rest of the Visoreds were present, they would have been stunned at this scene.

Oh my god! Has little Hiyori started acting shy?

---

After the instructors gave the orders, each class began setting up their camps.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

---

At noon.

After a brief rest, everyone was ready to move out.

"Listen up, everyone!"

An elderly man named Akita, a senior instructor at the academy and the dean of the first-year students, stood at the front.

As the team leader for this field training, he was responsible for coordinating everything, and his authority was absolute.

"Each of the ten classes will head in different directions—north, south, east, and west—and begin the field training exercise."

Dean Akita's sonorous voice echoed through the crowd as he stood on the podium, his expression serious.

"The mission is to hunt down a certain number of Hollows over the course of one month."

With the mission orders announced, the atmosphere became lively and excited.

"I hope that after a month, each of you will have gained valuable experience."

Akita's Reiatsu-imbued voice clearly reached everyone's ears, inspiring their fighting spirit.

"Hunting down Hollows..." Saikyō muttered to himself amidst the crowd.

This mission seemed simple, but it was actually quite challenging.

The Soul Society was the territory of the Shinigami. Though Hollows did appear, they were relatively rare. The only good thing was that they had plenty of time—a whole month should be enough to fulfill the task.

---

Shortly afterward, each class was assigned its designated area.

The special training class, being the elite class, was assigned the harshest region.

In the southeast direction, the endless desert was the most resentment-filled place in District 80—a hotbed for the breeding of malevolent spirits.

"You little brats..."

"Over the next month, stay sharp! We need to exceed expectations and complete the mission, and we must not tarnish the reputation of the special training class!" Hiyori said sternly, switching instantly to drill-sergeant mode.

"Eh?!"

"Do you mean we need to go above and beyond? Sensei Hiyori, are you messing with us?"

The students groaned in dismay.

Despite their talents, they had grown up in comfortable environments and had never faced a real crisis. They were, in a sense, sheltered children of privilege. Suddenly being thrust into a barren desert and expected to fight Hollows was a lot for them to handle.

But this didn't include Saikyō.

Unlike the other students, he planned to act alone and even hoped to extend the mission beyond the given time.

He needed the chance to use his Asauchi to purify as many Hollows as possible—to help balance the various spiritual energies he had absorbed.