Practical Combat Exercise

Time flew, and five years passed in the blink of an eye. Ye Yang and the others had advanced to their sixth year and would graduate in another six months. During that time, the school had offered to let them skip grades more than once, but Ye Yang had politely declined every time. He had two reasons: first, they needed time to build their secret base, and graduating early would leave them with less time to do it. The second reason was personal. He simply did not want to become the center of attention by graduating early. He understood that a tree standing above the forest would be the first to face the wind.

For five years, Ye Yang had lived a leisurely life. He sparred with Urahara and Yoruichi, taught his classmates and younger schoolmates, went drinking in Rukongai, occasionally cut down simulated Hollows during practical classes, and worked on their secret base.

Their greatest accomplishment over those five years was completing the secret base. There was only a hidden entrance aboveground, but inside lay an enormous space. Its terrain imitated as many kinds of battlefield terrain as possible. Beyond the narrow entrance, it was not pitch-dark, but as bright as day. That was Kisuke Urahara's handiwork.

Using some unknown material, he had painted the ceiling of the underground space a deep azure, making it look like the sky. When Ye Yang asked how he had done it, he said it was one of his own inventions. Ye Yang mocked him, saying that if he did not want to tell them, he could just say so instead of fobbing them off with an excuse like that. Kisuke Urahara only smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

Once the secret base was finished, they were clearly less constrained when they sparred. Ye Yang used his martial arts without holding anything back. In Hakuda, he used Tai Chi, Crushing Fist, Bajiquan, and more. In Zanjutsu, he used the supremely soft Tai Chi Sword, the supremely hard Wudang Swordsmanship, and the Nine Swords of Dugu, which had been known as the supreme sword art in his previous life!

Thanks to those techniques, he never lost a sparring match, making Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi repeatedly cry **. The three of them had made astonishing progress over those five years. Ye Yang's Spiritual Pressure was now no weaker than a lieutenant's. Although he had yet to achieve his Zanpakuto's Shikai, with his special martial arts, he was confident he was not inferior to any lieutenant! Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara were not as strong as Ye Yang, but they were at least a match for a high-ranking Seated Officer.

All three had long been strong enough to graduate early, but Ye Yang's failure to find his Zanpakuto had held them back. As it happened, Ye Yang had no intention of graduating early either. Whenever the school brought it up, he used the fact that he had not found his Zanpakuto as an excuse to decline.

Whenever Ye Yang thought of it, he felt frustrated. At the start of sixth year, everyone was given an Asauchi, and their task for the year was to find the name of their Zanpakuto. An Asauchi was the embryo of every Zanpakuto. As its owner's Spiritual Pressure and soul were infused into it, it became a Zanpakuto. Every Zanpakuto had its own name. By learning the name of the Zanpakuto they had been given and holding a dialogue with it in their hearts, Soul Reapers gained power. This was what was known as Shikai.

Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara had found their Zanpakuto's names only three months after receiving their Asauchi. Ye Yang alone had failed. More than once, he had tried to communicate with his Zanpakuto and learn its name, but every attempt had failed.

Yoruichi comforted Ye Yang. "Little brother, the ace always comes out last. Don't worry. With your strength, finding your Zanpakuto is only a matter of time." Yoruichi did not expect those words to be proven true before long.

One day, their teacher called them together and said, "I called you here today because..."

Ye Yang interrupted him. "Teacher, if this is about graduation, please don't say any more. I won't choose to graduate early before I find my Zanpakuto."

The teacher was taken aback. "Ye Yang, that's not what this is about. I called you here today because I have a task for you."

Kisuke Urahara's interest was piqued. "Oh? What task? Tell us." There was no helping it; he had always been intensely curious about new things.

The teacher cleared his throat and said, "You see, the third-year students are taking part in their first practical combat exercise today. You'll serve as their instructors. I'm not worried about your strength, and your Golden Triangle is quite famous at Shin'ō. Let them see what you can do so they'll work hard."

Ye Yang suddenly remembered that a few sixth-year seniors had led their first practical combat exercise too. As he recalled, though, they had not been very strong and could easily have been done without. He had not expected to take over that role himself.

Kisuke Urahara was the first to respond. "Of course, no problem. It's an honor to instruct our junior schoolmates."

Bullshit! Don't you just want to go have fun in the World of the Living? Ye Yang thought. Ever since their last practical combat exercise, Urahara had kept asking when they could go back to the World of the Living. How could he pass up this chance?

Yoruichi followed. "I want to go! I want to go!"

With Yoruichi saying that too, Ye Yang found it hard to refuse. "All right, leave this practical combat exercise to me."

Once Ye Yang and the others agreed, the teacher took them straight to the third-year classroom. Basking in the admiring gazes of the younger students, Ye Yang walked up to the podium with Urahara and Yoruichi.

The students below were already buzzing. "Is that the Shin'ō Golden Triangle? They're amazing!"

"Look, that's Senior Ye Yang Shihoin! I heard he's been strong enough to graduate early for ages."

"And look at that lady. He's Senior Ye Yang's older sister. Even the teachers admit their Shunpo can't compare to hers."

"That Kisuke Urahara beside them is no slouch either. He can already cast a number sixty Kidō. Boo-hoo... I still haven't completely mastered number thirty-three."

"The Shihoin young master! If I married him, I'd never have to worry for the rest of my life," a lovestruck girl said.

A male student beside her interrupted her daydream. "Don't get your hopes up. He's a direct heir of the Four Great Noble Clans. Why would he ever fall for you?"

"Shut up! Can't I even dream?"

Kisuke Urahara scratched his head and whispered, "It looks like we're famous."

Ye Yang merely smiled, then addressed the students. "Hello, everyone. We're your instructors for this practical combat exercise. My name is Ye Yang Shihoin. You can call me Senior Ye Yang." He then pointed at Yoruichi. "This is Yoruichi Shihōin. You're to call her Senior Yoruichi, understood?"

"Yes! Senior Ye Yang, Senior Yoruichi!"

Kisuke Urahara protested, "Why didn't you introduce me?"

Ye Yang said, "This guy is Kisuke Urahara. He's a real creep, so the younger girls should watch out."

The students below were stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. After a while, Ye Yang raised his hand for quiet. "Everyone, quiet down. That was just a joke to lighten the mood."

Kisuke Urahara protested, "Damn it, why make me the joke?"

"Yoruichi is my sister. If not you, who else?" Ye Yang said as if it were only natural.

The room erupted in laughter again. Once everyone had quieted down, Ye Yang continued, "All right, jokes aside, today is your first practical combat exercise. Are you feeling pressured?"

"No!"

"Bullshit. Who doesn't feel pressure in their first real fight? I was nervous during mine, but that's no reason for you to back down. You're going to become Soul Reapers. If you retreat, what will happen to the civilians behind you, to those ordinary Pluses? So you must press forward and protect those who can't protect themselves! Tell me, are you confident?"

"Yes!"

"Too quiet! I can't hear you!" Ye Yang roared.

"Yes!" Their voices rang out loud enough to reach the clouds.

Even the students who had been frightened by their nerves turned red in the face as they shouted the word. That trace of fear in their hearts vanished with the cry, and their young faces showed determination, as though they feared nothing.

"Then let's go." With that, Ye Yang led the way to the Senkaimon.

Behind Ye Yang, Yoruichi whispered, "Little brother, not bad. That speech almost got my blood pumping too. Where did you learn that?"

Ye Yang smiled. "I taught myself."

"Tch..."

After a while, Ye Yang led the students to the Senkaimon and said, "This is the Senkaimon, the passage to the World of the Living. Our exercise will take place in the World of the Living, and your targets are the simulated Hollows kept by Soul Society. Once we get there, don't scatter. Follow my instructions. Understood?"

"Understood!"

With that, they followed Ye Yang into the Senkaimon. The journey passed without incident. When they reached the World of the Living, Ye Yang said, "Although they're simulated Hollows, their strength shouldn't be underestimated. Form groups of three to avoid accidents. We'll help you when necessary."

Hearing Ye Yang, the students formed teams of three. The thirty-six students made exactly twelve groups, and they split up.

Once the students had dispersed, Ye Yang immediately assumed a lazy air. "That was exhausting. I'm never doing this kind of job again."

Kisuke Urahara said, "Ye Yang, you did a great job back there. I admit I couldn't have done as well as you. I'm just not cut out to be in command."

Yoruichi added, "Little brother, you were so cool just now. Other than when you play the zither, this is the first time I've seen you so serious."

"Who'd want this job? Wasn't it you two who dragged me to the World of the Living? Otherwise I couldn't be bothered." With that, he found a tree and climbed up to sleep.

Kisuke Urahara said sheepishly, "Sorry for the trouble, Ye Yang. We'll leave things here to you. Yoruichi and I are going to have some fun. If anything happens, use a signal flare."

Ye Yang waved a hand. "I knew you didn't come to the World of the Living for the assignment. Go on, go on."

Yoruichi also said goodbye to Ye Yang. "We're off. We'll bring you back some sweets." ...