Chapter 114

"I haven't graduated from the Shin'ō Academy yet. Since Teacher Mutsuki... Dean Mutsuki has given us the right to choose our courses freely, then the Zanjutsu is perfectly normal, right?"

"... Are you kidding me?"

Nagaki wasn't quite sure what Haruto was thinking.

While Zanjutsu is indeed the foundation of Soul Reaper, the extent to which one can unleash combat power is inevitably closely related to Reiatsu. As a lower- Seated Officer of the Tenth Division, his limits are limited, and he can no longer teach Haruto.

As for Jinzen, there's no need for him to cultivate here... The younger students are always making a lot of noise.

Putting everything else aside.

No matter how skilled Nagaki Zanjutsu, he would still be killed in one strike if he was weaker in both strength and speed than his opponent.

Not to mention Haruto, whose exploits have been occasionally reported outside the Shin'ō Academy recently, and whose specialty is Kidō; even if the Shin'ō Academy no longer has a teacher who can teach him Kidō, he wouldn't come here to have his own fun.

How could that be!

Haruto smiled and shook his head.

Haruto still held Nagaki Sōshū Tetsu in high esteem.

After all, when he first started learning Asauchi, this teacher specifically helped the physically weak Haruto develop a training plan for Zanjutsu. Even when he joked about wanting to learn the draw sword technique, Teacher Nagaki accompanied him through the training.

"I'm here to bring you something."

Haruto took a small package from behind him and handed it to Teacher Nagaki.

"Oh?"

"This is..."

Despite his burly appearance, Teacher Nagaki had a remarkably sensitive nose.

"Tobacco from the World of the Living."

The two spoke in hushed tones, like underground party members making a rendezvous.

"... It's not cheap, is it?"

I happen to have some extra money on hand recently.

"Good!"

Teacher Nagaki quickly and efficiently packed away the small package.

"Tell me, what do you need my help with?"

Are you sure you can still help me now?

Haruto teased cheekily.

"If I could beat you, I would have given you a couple of whacks on the head by now... I should have done it more often back then."

Nagaki raised the wooden sword in his hand, swung it twice in the air, and then slowly put it down.

As a former teacher who had taught Haruto, Nagaki Sōshū Tetsu felt quite proud of such a brilliant student.

"Cough."

Haruto cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and said:

"I do need your help with something."

"Speak."

Do you know any other masters of Zanjutsu?

"..."

Haruto was very blunt, practically saying that Teacher Nagaki could no longer teach anything new.

"Know."

However, Nagaki himself didn't seem to care.

During his decades of teaching at the Shin'ō Academy, he taught countless talented students, each one brimming with arrogance.

Haruto are rare these days.

"That..."

Haruto, do you still remember my origins?

"Um."

Haruto nodded.

These were all topics he had discussed with Teacher Nagaki in casual conversation.

Like Haruto, Nagaki Sōshū Tetsu is Soul Reaper from the Rukongai in the District 66 ward, which is why he takes good care of Haruto.

"Seventh Division Lieutenant, Jin'emon Kotsubaki."

Nagaki mentioned a name that sounded somewhat familiar to Haruto, but he couldn't quite place it.

"That was my master, the man who guided me onto the path of Soul Reaper... and also the Zanjutsu Instructor of the Gotei 13."

"If you have any questions about Zanjutsu, I can write you a letter; if you're lucky, he might be able to offer some help."

Thank you, teacher.

"Hmph, these are all minor matters."

Even at his age, Nagaki can still be a little proud.

"Oh, right."

"Try to visit in the afternoon, and it would be best to bring some good wine with you. My master has a habit of having a couple of drinks after his afternoon nap."

Nagaki held Haruto back for a moment before he was about to leave and added a couple of sentences.

"Okay!"

Kotetsu Clan...

The neighbor's neighbor.

"That's true."

Haruto, holding the address provided by Teacher Nagaki, arrived at this familiar street.

"I knew I'd heard that name before."

"Kotsubaki Clan..."

"Isn't that Sentarō Kotsubaki's father?!"

The main issue is that Teacher Nagaki doesn't seem like someone who knows such accomplished people.

Just then--

"Squeak."

The wooden door, made of subpar material, slowly opened.

"Well?"

As luck would have it, Sentarō Kotsubaki came out of his house.

"Haruto?"

"... Yo, Sentarō."

Haruto's greeting was slightly awkward.

Sentarō Kotsubaki rushed over to Haruto, taking three steps at a time, and glanced at his front door several times.

Did you go to the wrong door?

"No, I've come to visit your family."

Looking for me?

Sentarō Kotsubaki pointed to himself in disbelief.

Although he is a full member of the Thirteenth Division, there seems to be no reason for Haruto to look for him.

Sentarō Kotsubaki knew his own abilities very well. Although he had been trained by his father to be at the level of a lower- Seated Officer, he was nowhere near Haruto's level. The speed at which information spread within the Thirteenth Division during the Konsō internship a few days ago was much faster than outside.

"Looking for your father."

Haruto took out Teacher Nagaki's letter from his pocket.

"Teacher Nagaki from the Shin'ō Academy recommended me to come and consult him. Since we've run into each other... Is the Thirteenth Division very busy?"

As soon as Haruto finished speaking, he knew it was all nonsense.

In the Soul Society right now, the 11th, 12th, and Thirteenth Divisions are all working non-stop, but the areas they're busy with are quite different.

"Really."

Sentarō Kotsubaki is also an honest person.

"Ah! Let me take you to find Dad first!"

"He's like this right now..."

Sentarō Kotsubaki took the things from Haruto's hands.

"He should have just woken up."

The dojo floor is covered with wooden flooring.

"Sentarō, you go ahead and get busy. I'll take care of Haruto."

In the center of the room, after reading the letter handed over by Haruto, Jin'emon Kotsubaki Sentarō Kotsubaki.

He also knew that his son's Thirteenth Division had been quite busy lately.

"Okay, Dad!"

Sentarō Kotsubaki nodded to Haruto and then headed towards the Thirteenth Division's headquarters.

"..."

The atmosphere inside the dojo instantly quieted down.

It has to be said.

Jin'emon Kotsubaki is very different from what Haruto originally imagined.

Red sunglasses, a small mustache, a pointed nose, a long, thin, spiky ponytail, and a knife scar that almost runs across his left cheek—

Just sitting there, a sharp and fierce aura emanated from him.

Compared to swordsmen.

Haruto felt that he looked more like a yakuza boss.

However, in stark contrast to his image, his attitude and tone of voice in dealing with people were... far too gentle.

And.

Jin'emon Kotsubaki lived and worked within the dojo.

Near the wall, Haruto was startled to see a rolled-up quilt and a porcelain bottle containing sake, warmed with hot water.

This homebody setup adds a touch of unexpected charm to the middle-aged man in front of me.

"Haruto."

"Lieutenant Kotsubaki."

Haruto knelt down opposite him and bowed slightly in reply.

"You're used to fighting with Zanpakuto?"

Although his eyes were hidden by sunglasses, the sharp edge that swept across his hands still caused Haruto a stinging sensation, like being pricked by needles.

"Yes."

Haruto nodded seriously.

The subtle killing intent and oppressive aura that the other party consciously controlled and exuded made the feeling of being stared at by a ferocious beast linger around Haruto.