The Captain-Commander's Invitation to a Night Meeting

"Huff, huff..."

Rizukihime's chest heaved violently, her eyes were somewhat dazed, and her body went limp, involuntarily wanting to lean to one side.

She had never done such intense training before.

No, if I fall down now, wouldn't that bastard Dōsan Hanyū make a fool of himself?

Let me introduce you. Rizukihime Kasumiōji ranked first in her grade in the second-year graduation exam. If she was this exhausted, you can imagine how tired the other students were.

The group of classmates were lying haphazardly, their eyes practically glazed over.

Only the Hikaru was slightly better.

Rizukihime glanced at her follower. She could sense that Hikaru's state was very different when she was with Dōsan Hanyū.

At this moment, Hikaru's eyes seemed to be filled with stars, no longer as lifeless as usual.

Although Hikaru was also trembling from exhaustion, he still had the strength to breathe steadily, even in this state.

But Hikaru knew that Dōsan was carrying weights, and that Dōsan was consciously slowing down the training pace.

"Dōsan, I need to check your physical data."

Mitsui-san picked up the briefcase again, and systematically examined Dōsan's body, one instrument after another.

'He's really sick!'

Almost every trainee had two swear words flash through their minds.

Seeing that Dōsan showed no sign of resting, the students exchanged glances, and then one of the bolder ones spoke up, "Dōsan, isn't it getting too late? We should get some rest so as not to affect tomorrow's training."

"Yes, yes," the others chimed in.

"I'm alright, everyone please get some rest."

Before leaving, they all bid farewell to Dōsan earnestly.

They have done their best in terms of attitude.

However, everyone was already quite disdainful and determined to sever ties with Dōsan Hanyū immediately.

Dōsan Hanyū is someone they admire, but how good is he really?

Ten years to become vice captain?

No, even if Dōsan Hanyū is exceptionally talented, it would still take him five years to become a vice-captain.

He's just a vice-captain. Even if their family is in decline, they shouldn't be so poor that they can't even make contact with a vice-captain.

It will take at least a hundred years for Dōsan to become the captain, right?

By then, the Seireitei will have been completely transformed, with a new generation replacing the old. Will Dōsan Hanyū still be the coveted prize of many captains?

Or rather, it's uncertain whether I'll still be around a hundred years from now.

They fawn over Dōsan Hanyū to gain benefits, hoping to make their future lives as Soul Reapers more comfortable.

I don't want to suffer with Dōsan Hanyū.

Dōsan didn't seem to mind. His gaze swept over the group and then landed on Sōji Sanjō.

"Sanjō -kun, you..."

At this moment, Sanjō's condition was extremely poor. His face was deathly pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his Spiritual Pressure was barely perceptible.

Sanjō's chest heaved violently and erratically.

This means he is no longer able to calm his Spiritual Pressure in a short period of time.

Given his condition, it's quite normal for him to faint at any moment.

Sōji Sanjō's performance was only behind Rizukihime and Hikaru, but his post-training performance was the worst.

Because compared to the classmates who have already left.

The Sanjō trainees are extremely dedicated, almost to the level of Rizukihime, striving to do their best in everything.

"It's alright, Dōsan- sama, I can still manage." Sōji Sanjō tried to calm himself down, revealing a forced but determined smile.

That's amazing.

Mitsui-san, putting away the equipment, secretly praised it once more.

Hikaru also glanced at her sect leader, a rare occurrence for her. "Miss Rizukihime, do you need to rest?"

Damn it.

Rizukihime cursed Hikaru under her breath, then coughed lightly twice. "No need. What are you talking about? I'm not tired at all!"

'Spiritual Pressure and Shunpo are not weaknesses.'

Rizukihime secretly memorized it.

"Then, let's continue our cultivation of the Kidō."

The Kidō is great! The Kidō is my forte!

Rizukihime forcefully controlled her swaying body, her eyes flashing, preparing to compete with Dōsan Hanyū.

With a sudden, unfamiliar surge of Spiritual Pressure, everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

"You are...?"

Rizukihime Kasumiōji was the first to speak, but despite her notoriously bad temper, she dared not say anything more and simply lowered her head.

In the eyes of these nobles, the vice-captain of the First Division was, in some ways, no less important than the other captains.

At least according to the pattern, the captains of each squad change every few decades, but Chōjirō Sasakibe has always held the position of vice captain of the First Division.

"Vice-Captain Chōjirō Sasakibe."

The newcomer was none other than Chōjirō Sasakibe, who had come in accordance with the orders of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

Chōjirō Sasakibe, who originally intended to take Dōsan Hanyū away directly, suddenly remembered what Captain-Commander Yamamoto had told him.

Spanning a career spanning thousands of years.

It's now very difficult for the current Captain-Commander to experience any fluctuations.

The last time this happened was during Kisuke Urahara's Hollowfication Experiment.

This time, it's because of a boy.

It was unusual; the Vice-Captain Sasakibe, who always followed the orders of the Captain-Commander, didn't directly mention the mission this time. Instead, he started talking about other things, such as, "Are you guys training?"

Chōjirō Sasakibe could sense a faint Spiritual Pressure emanating from the earth.

Several people knew that Chōjirō Sasakibe was asking about Dōsan Hanyū, and no one dared to answer.

Everyone, including Rizukihime, looked at Dōsan, waiting for his answer.

"Yes, Vice-Captain Sasakibe."

Sasakibe nodded, hesitated for a moment as if he couldn't find a topic, and then spoke again, "Your spiritual body is not yet fully developed, so don't overexert yourself with Spiritual Pressure training."

At the age of the Sasakibe, they were no longer used to such evasive language.

"I understand."

Dōsan had been thinking of helping Rangiku -san with team affairs recently, so he didn't explain further and agreed.

Chōjirō Sasakibe looked at the others beside him. Kasumiōji was obvious, but compared to the unremarkable watermelon-headed Hikaru, Sasakibe's attention was more focused on Sōji Sanjō, who was breathing rapidly and whose Spiritual Pressure was disordered.

It's not terrible to lack talent; as Soul Reaper and a warrior, one cannot lack the spirit of courage and determination to move forward.

"Young man, what's your name?"

"Sōji Sanjō, Vice-Captain Sasakibe, my name is Sōji Sanjō!"

Chōjirō Sasakibe nods, indicating that he has made a note of the name.

Sōji Sanjō clenched his fists excitedly, not daring to look up, his whole body trembling slightly with excitement. That was Chōjirō Sasakibe, the vice-captain of the First Division!

Turning back, Chōjirō Sasakibe looked at Dōsan Hanyū once more.

"Dōsan Hanyū, the Captain-Commander requests to see you."

Several people had anticipated this, especially those who had heard of Chōjirō Sasakibe's great name. They knew that only that gentleman could command Chōjirō Sasakibe at this time.

When Chōjirō Sasakibe actually admitted it, the group was still quite shocked.

That's Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the strongest Soul Reaper in Soul Society in a thousand years!

The Captain-Commander Dōsan Hanyū.

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe, may I ask if there's anything the Captain-Commander needs?"

Chōjirō Sasakibe gave Dōsan a deep look, then turned around. "It's going to be an interesting battle. The opponent is the 11th Division Captain, Kenpachi Zaraki!"