Indulgence in Wine and Beauty Has Left Me So Haggard

"Oh, my, Captain Shiba, hasn't the Tenth Division's representative arrived yet?"

Gin Ichimaru, vice-captain of the Fifth Division, shaded his eyes with his right hand and peered into the distance through narrowed eyes.

"So kawaii, Gin-chan! Interested in becoming the Tenth Division's vice-captain?"

The sleazy uncle's starry-eyed look made even Gin uneasy. He opened his eyes, revealing bright silver irises. "Sorry, Captain Isshin. Captain Aizen treats me very well."

Isshin was like a bad uncle trying to lure a child with candy. He even licked his lips as he spoke. "Captain Isshin would treat you very well too. We could send Rangiku to the Fifth Division to experience life there. Weren't you two in the same class?"

Gin narrowed his eyes and smiled like a little fox. "Dame yo."

"Isshin Shiba, please don't waste a great scientist's precious time."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the Twelfth Division, turned his head ninety degrees toward Isshin, his face dark, and spoke in his distinctive tone.

An empty zone surrounded Mayuri Kurotsuchi. No one wanted to go near him.

"Don't worry, Captain Kurotsuchi. He's a trustworthy man." Isshin promptly gave him a thumbs-up, his white teeth gleaming as he vouched for Dōsan.

Privately, though, Isshin's eyelids kept twitching. He had a bad feeling about this.

For all Dōsan's reliability, Matsumoto was just as unreliable.

Isshin remembered how Rangiku, who had been confined for a week, had pleaded with him that day, and the emphatic vow she had made.

He felt he must have been crazy.

For one foolish moment, he had actually chosen to believe Rangiku's nonsense.

"Captain Isshin, if the Tenth Division's representative is still not in position in half an hour, I'll have to rule that the Tenth Division has lost." Chōjirō Sasakibe, vice-captain of the First Division and referee for this fight, made the final ruling.

Isshin had no choice but to hope that unreliable Rangiku-chan could be just a tiny bit reliable this time.

With a whoosh, Soi Fon, the late-arriving Second Division Captain, landed lightly on her toes, her white haori fluttering, and joined the line of captains.

The pressure was even greater now.

Isshin glanced around and thought, This is bad. A whole crowd of captains and vice-captains had arrived.

Chōjirō Sasakibe, vice-captain of the First Division.

Soi Fon, captain of the Second Division.

Retsu Unohana, captain of the Fourth Division.

Gin Ichimaru, vice-captain of the Fifth Division.

Ichimonji Tokinada, first vice-captain of the Sixth Division.

Shunsui Kyōraku, captain of the Seventh Division.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the Twelfth Division.

It wasn't just them. Members of the various divisions, even Central 46 and the nobles, all had representatives present—around a hundred people in all.

So many important figures were watching a battle destined to be recorded in Soul Society's history.

And yet, because a member of his division was absent, the fight wouldn't even happen!

Isshin was speechless. At this rate, he might be nailed to Soul Society's pillar of shame.

[In such-and-such a year, a battle concerning Soul Society's future was lost by default due to the absence of the Tenth Division's representative. The captain of the Tenth Division at the time was Isshin Shiba.]

Dame!

Isshin shook his head frantically.

The main thing was, it had nothing much to do with him!

What the hell kind of suffering is this?

This time, however, Isshin wasn't left in agony for long.

Rangiku-chan had finally come through for once.

Everyone present was an expert. Before Dōsan and his companion came into view, they all raised their heads.

"Nice Shunpo." Shunsui Kyōraku smiled faintly. Perhaps worried that his smile was too sleazy and would frighten Soi Fon beside him, he held down the straw hat on his head.

Almost everyone present had their eyes on Dōsan Hanyū. None of the captains had any impression of the young man whose face was black and blue.

Only two people were looking at Rangiku.

One was Gin Ichimaru, who had opened his beautiful silver eyes, as if worried he couldn't get a proper look at Rangiku through narrowed eyes. The other was Isshin Shiba, whose eyes were blazing.

Rangiku rolled her eyes at Gin, then went to Isshin Shiba's side. Putting on the manner of a little girl, she called sweetly, "Captain."

Isshin gave Rangiku a sidelong glance with dead-fish eyes.

Replace her.

I have to train Dōsan. In five years—no, three—he'll push Matsumoto out and become the Tenth Division's vice-captain.

Isshin fought the urge to unleash his Bankai on the forehead of that bastard Rangiku and forcibly turned his head toward Dōsan on the arena.

Chōjirō Sasakibe, the referee, stood before the two and announced loudly, "Next, Nemu Kurotsuchi, representing the Twelfth Division, will fight Jūzaburō Minamoto, representing the Tenth Division. The match will be decided when one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight."

Jūzaburō Minamoto?

Dōsan was taken aback. Auntie Rangiku hadn't told him about that.

But he didn't give himself away. Using Shunpo, he entered the arena.

Nemu Kurotsuchi was a youthful girl with short hair and a sunny disposition. Wearing white socks and wooden clogs, she was lovely as moonlight, her large eyes seeming to hold countless stories. Her clogs creaked as she walked step by step to a spot opposite Dōsan.

She was well-behaved, gentle, and refined, making people feel close to her at once.

Rangiku had already told Dōsan about Nemu Number Seven.

But now that he was facing Nemu, Dōsan couldn't imagine that this girl, flawless as fine jade, was an artificial soul.

Rather than attack Dōsan immediately, Nemu bowed very politely, and Dōsan returned the bow.

Outside the arena...

When Vice-Captain Sasakibe of the First Division called out the names of the two combatants, Rangiku rapped herself hard on the head with a thunk.

Of course Dōsan couldn't fight under his own name. She had actually forgotten something so important.

And although she had deliberately picked a division member who matched his height, she had forgotten to put makeup on Dōsan.

Luckily, she, Rangiku-sama, had been farsighted enough to give Dōsan the "battle-damaged makeup" that had recently become popular in the World of the Living while they were drinking. Otherwise, he would definitely have been exposed!

This time, plum wine deserved the credit.

But...

Her memory had gotten so bad. Rangiku glared "fiercely" at Gin beside her. "Indulgence in wine and beauty has left me so haggard. From today on, I'm giving up beauty!"

I didn't quite understand that, but I'm deeply shocked.

Isshin stared at Rangiku for a long while, his eyes full of killing intent.

Shouldn't you be apologizing to me right now?

What's with that silly "hehe" grin at Gin Ichimaru?

What?

Rangiku likes Gin?

Impossible. Rangiku only likes alcohol.

Gin likes Rangiku?

Impossible. Unless he never opens his eyes to look at people, how could he fall for this drunkard?

Isshin didn't hate Rangiku at all. Really.

The one he hated most was that old man Yamamoto.

Back when the old man made his request to the Shiba Clan, no fewer than seven divisions had lacked captains.

Yet the old fellow had insisted on assigning him to the Tenth Division.

He really was treating him as cannon fodder.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

His face looking much more careworn, Isshin turned away and forced himself not to look at these people who gave him so much worry. Sooner or later, he would replace this vice-captain.

Sooner or later, I'll replace this captain.

Just thinking about Dōsan calling her "Auntie" made Rangiku angry.

Rangiku felt wronged. Hadn't she only aged because she had been tormented by all that rubbish paperwork from her captain?

Damn it!

Their gazes met in midair, sparks flying, and they both snorted.