Siblings Team Up to Bully Others

Ye Yang brought young Byakuya to their usual spot: the Dream Tavern. Shiro-chan frowned from his shoulders. "Brother Ye Yang, Grandpa

said children aren't allowed to drink."

Ye Yang smiled. "That's right. We'll be the ones drinking. You just drink tea and eat."

"Okay!" Shiro-chan agreed, thinking this was great—all he had to do was eat. But things weren't as simple as he imagined.

Ye Yang had invited a lot of people to today's celebration. The whole Shiba family had come,

including Isshin Shiba, as well as Thirteenth Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake,

Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku and his lieutenant Lisa Yadōmaru, Fifth Division Captain Shinji Hirako, Hirako's friend Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma, and Twelfth Division Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki.

Ye Yang carried Shiro-chan into the room they had reserved. When he opened the door, everyone was already there. Shunsui Kyōraku said, "Yo! You're finally here. Oh,

isn't this the little guy from the Kuchiki Clan? Come on, let uncle hold you."

Shunsui Kyōraku had a broad smile on his face, but why did it look so creepy? Shiro-chan protested, "No! Brother Ye Yang

said people who smile like that are creepy uncles. Byakuya doesn't want a creepy uncle."

The whole room fell silent the moment he said that. Then everyone burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! Captain Kyōraku, Shiro-chan has a point," Hirako said, laughing.

Shunsui Kyōraku lowered his head awkwardly and asked his friend Jūshirō Ukitake, "Ukitake, am I really like that?"

Ukitake cleared his throat twice. "Uh... how should I put this? You really do look the part." Ukitake sold out his friend without hesitation.

Ye Yang merely smiled. "Kids say the darndest things. Actually, Uncle Kyōraku, you're quite good. You take your work seriously, for example."

Everyone laughed again when they heard that. Who didn't know this Eighth Division captain was the worst of all the captains? Ye Yang was clearly making

fun of him.

After the laughter died down, everyone began congratulating Ye Yang and Yoruichi on graduating early. Kaien Shiba was first. "Ye Yang, Yoruichi, congratulations on graduating! I heard you joined the Second Division.

Why didn't you come to the Thirteenth Division and keep me company?"

Yoruichi said, "We're members of the Shihoin family, you know. Of course we joined the Second Division. Besides, we're all in the Thirteenth Division anyway, so

can't we see each other whenever we want?"

"True. But Ye Yang, it's been a long time since we sparred. I heard you can even release your Zanpakuto now. Man, you've got to

spar with me one of these days." Kaien Shiba looked eager to give it a try.

Ye Yang had no choice but to say, "All right, definitely, when we have time."

Kaien Shiba asked, "By the way, what's your Zanpakuto called?"

Everyone except Hirako looked at Ye Yang, clearly interested in the question. Ye Yang didn't hide it. "My Zanpakuto

is called Silver Rend. It's a space-type Zanpakuto, and its ability is... cutting space. I say cutting, but it actually covers the blade with

a tiny spatial rift. You all know how sharp spatial rifts are, right?"

Shunsui Kyōraku was shocked. "That **? Spatial rifts can cut through anything. Cutting space? You could say it's the nemesis of every

direct-attack Zanpakuto."

Ye Yang said, "You could put it that way. But I wouldn't have an advantage against Zanpakuto that aren't direct-attack types. After all, you can't

guarantee that all your future enemies will be direct attackers."

Everyone thought about it and agreed. It only countered direct-attack types. If an enemy kept their distance and refused to fight at close quarters, things would get very difficult.

Shinji Hirako sighed again. "Ah, why won't talent like this come to my Fifth Division?"

While he was complaining, a slipper slapped him right in the face, making his nose bleed. A child's voice rang out: "Baldy

Hirako, you really look like you need a kick when you're not complaining, bastard!"

Everyone was used to it. Hiyori was the only one who would slap Hirako like that. Hirako got up and said, "Damn it, Hiyori, you're the

baldy!"

"Tch! A baldy's a baldy." Before Hiyori could finish, Kensei Muguruma suddenly rapped her on the head. Hiyori cried out in pain, "Kensei, what are

you doing?"

Veins bulged on Kensei Muguruma's forehead. "Hiyori, rein it in when you're out in public." Seeing how angry Kensei was, Hiyori could only mutter, "

Hmph, what's the big deal?"

Seeing the commotion was over, Ye Yang said, "Come on, let's drink."

Everyone raised their cups with Ye Yang. Shiro-chan's childish voice rang out again. "Brother Ye Yang, Grandpa said children aren't allowed to drink.

Can I skip it?"

Ye Yang kindly said to Byakuya, "Then how about you drink tea, Shiro-chan?"

"Mm-hmm." Byakuya's little eyes darted around, and he added, "Brother Ye Yang and the cat demon are the guests of honor today. Shouldn't you drink more

?"

Yoruichi couldn't sit still when she heard that. "Little Byakuya, has it only been a few days since I taught you a lesson, and you're already itching for another?"

Unexpectedly, Byakuya looked as though he were about to cry. "Boo-hoo, uncles, big sisters, the cat demon is going to bully me again."

Little Byakuya was so adorable when he said that that everyone was smitten. The women in particular looked at Yoruichi as if to say, "If you dare bully Byakuya,

you're dead!"

Ye Yang merely smiled. "It's all right. Everyone came here for us, so of course we should drink more. Right, Sis?"

Although Yoruichi didn't know what her little brother was thinking, one look at his smile told her he definitely had another bad idea. So she

agreed. "Of course."

Ye Yang smiled at Byakuya again, thinking who knew what. His gaze made Byakuya uneasy. For some reason, Byakuya sensed danger in Ye Yang's seemingly gentle face,

as though something terrible was going to happen.

Yoruichi knew that smile all too well. Whenever her unscrupulous little brother smiled like that, someone always ended up getting

messed with badly. Yoruichi silently observed a moment of mourning for Byakuya, then looked at him with pity, as though looking at someone who was about to

pass away.

Sure enough, after a round of drinks, Ye Yang said to Byakuya, "Eat, Shiro-chan. You're still growing. How can you go without food

?" As he spoke, he kept putting food into Byakuya's bowl.

Ye Yang had picked every dish himself. They were all incredibly spicy, some of the tavern's signature dishes—the kind that looked good but were

fiery hot. They usually used these dishes as a punishment for losing little games while drinking. Incredibly spicy food washed down with strong liquor wasn't something most people

could handle.

Byakuya, who was here for the first time, obviously knew none of this. He picked up the food and put it in his mouth. The ever-kind Ukitake had only managed to say "Don't

" before the food was already in Byakuya's mouth.

Byakuya's little face turned bright red, apparently from the spice. Ye Yang asked, "How is it, Byakuya? Is it good?"

Byakuya forced himself to hold on, his body trembling, and managed to say, "Not bad."

Suppressing a laugh, Ye Yang picked up a cup and handed it to Byakuya. "Have some tea."

Everyone present could tell at a glance that it wasn't tea. It was clearly Ye Yang's liquor.

Byakuya's mouth was burning, so he didn't even look at what it was. As soon as he heard there was tea, he took the cup and drank it in one gulp. The result went without saying—

disaster...

Byakuya was already burning up from the spice. Once the strong liquor went down, he couldn't take it anymore. He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, tears streaming

from his stinging eyes. Where had his earlier cuteness gone?

Yoruichi clutched her stomach and laughed without a care for appearances. She slapped the table and said, "Hahahaha! Well, little Byakuya? You're still too green to take us on."

Byakuya glared at Yoruichi. "Shihoin cat demon, just you wait..." Shiro-chan swore to himself that he would surpass Yoruichi and

get his revenge. As for Ye Yang, Byakuya added another point to his impression of him—never provoke him! He would make you die without even knowing

how you died...

After the commotion ended and the drinking was done, everyone went home. The first thing Ye Yang did when he returned to his room was take out Silver Rend and enter Jinzen. He hadn't had a Zanpakuto

before, but now that he did, of course he would use Jinzen to cultivate.

Ye Yang sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and entered his consciousness space. It was his first time entering this space. Inside was a silver

ocean, and tiny silver points all around were revolving around a single point. Ye Yang felt as though he had stepped into a starry sky.

Ye Yang came to the center of the vortex. There was a man in the middle of the galaxy. Ye Yang examined him carefully. His silver-white cloth

robes fluttered in the wind, and his nearly perfect face bore no emotion at all, as though he didn't belong to this world. He opened his eyes and looked coldly

at Ye Yang, his gaze unchanged.

Ye Yang spoke first. "You're Silver Rend, right? Hello."

The man in white nodded. "Yes. I've waited a long time for you. Your strength... is too weak."

Ye Yang nearly beat his chest. What kind of Zanpakuto berated its master? Holding back his temper, Ye Yang said, "Then does my coming in here mean I'm strong

enough?"

To his surprise, Silver Rend said something that nearly made Ye Yang cough up three liters of blood. "No. I only let you use Shikai so you could stay alive. Your strength

is still far from sufficient."

Ye Yang didn't know how many times he had cursed him in his heart, but he said, "Yes, I'm still not strong enough. That's why I came to ask you to help me cultivate."

Silver Rend's expression remained unchanged. "Come back when you're a little stronger. You're too weak right now. You can't even use my basic skills.

Right now, you haven't discovered my abilities."

Having been turned away, Ye Yang could only say dejectedly, "Oh, then I'll go back first."

"Mm. Remember! My abilities go far beyond this. What happens in the future is up to you." With that, Silver Rend turned his head, apparently unwilling to speak

to Ye Yang anymore. Ye Yang took the hint and left his consciousness space...