Chapter 56
"Call!"
A pale golden flame shot out, instantly engulfing the remaining Haien in mid-air; not a single trace of Reiatsu was superfluous.
Who's meddling in other people's business?
The student saved by the Ōkasen was looking at Haruto with gratitude. Unfortunately, having just faced Soul Reaper, he was drenched in sweat and so frightened that he could barely speak.
The user of the Haien, however, the Roar at Haruto and his group of "uninvited guests" without any politeness—the brat with blond spiky hair looked younger than Byakuya... no, even younger than Nanao.
"..."
Haruto and Byakuya exchanged a silent glance.
It wasn't that they were being presumptuous; in the current Shin'ō Academy, it would be strange if there were any students who didn't recognize them.
"Leaving aside your attitude when speaking to your seniors..."
"Using such Hadō as 'Haien' in a competition between classmates, don't you think your behavior is a bit excessive?"
Haruto dislikes putting on airs based on seniority or age.
However, considering that he would soon be receiving work from Ms. Mutsuki, he felt it was better to get used to it in advance.
"Cut!"
The brat spat out a mouthful of saliva in disdain.
"How could I not understand my own Hadō?"
"That attack will at most send him to bed for ten days or half a month, it won't kill him... I heard that this class representative election was actually Live-Blade Match. If they don't even have that much awareness, and still dare to issue a challenge, I think calling it a 'price' is too lenient."
This answer surprised Haruto somewhat:
Although the other person had an arrogant expression, what they said actually made some sense.
But!
Their duel was not Live-Blade Match.
Knowing full well that the other party was inferior, why resort to such drastic measures to save face for the sake of so-called aristocratic pride?
This kid has very problematic values.
"Tall."
He ignored the kid's defeated opponent and rushed to Haruto in two strides.
Even though he was looking up at Haruto, his expression seemed completely reversed:
"You seem to have some merit; you're not the kind of fool who just uses your seniority to spout nonsense in front of me."
The little devil glanced at Haruto's Zanpakuto at his waist.
Haruto's movements were incredibly fast; fewer than ten people at the scene managed to catch him flicking his knife.
He happened to notice Haruto releasing the Ōkasen.
The little devil was well aware of the strength of his own Haien. Even the weakened remnants of the flame could be so easily hit and destroyed by a level 30-something Hadō at a distance of tens of meters. This strength should not be much weaker than his own.
"Clap clap."
The other person patted Haruto's chest forcefully—since he didn't sense any malice, Haruto didn't flinch.
"I am Gyōkaku Kumoi."
"Follow me, and I'll guarantee you a captainship in the Gotei 13!"
Kumoi's words caused Haruto and Byakuya to exchange another glance.
"Whose subordinate is this?"
Haruto had never even heard of this surname. Only a high-ranking nobleman at the height of his power would dare to utter such arrogant words.
But boasting is boasting, and even the Four Great Noble Clans wouldn't dare to promise a captain's position so readily.
This question was clearly not directed at Kumoi, Byakuya, understanding the implication, took over the conversation:
"This lad is the only son of the Kasumioji Clan's matriarch."
"The Kasumioji Clan nominally sides with the Shihoin Clan, making them one of the few upper-class nobles to be headed by a woman."
The lineages of the upper-class noble families in Soul Society are usually very long, and each family practices different systems; the Kasumioji Clan adopts a system where the head of the family and the elders jointly govern, with the head of the family having more power.
As for why the head of the family doesn't have the surname Kasumioji, Byakuya didn't explain, so Haruto didn't ask further, assuming it was another story of internal grudges among the nobility.
At this point, Byakuya, who hadn't bothered to lower his voice, suddenly leaned close to Haruto's ear and said, "I heard that the head of the Kasumioji Clan is almost a thousand years old. Everyone thought he didn't have many years left to live, and then this kid came along."
"..."
It's not surprising that a child born late in life would develop such a personality.
"Oh~"
Gyōkaku Kumoi didn't hear Byakuya's mutterings, but he heard the entire preceding description clearly.
"You seem to know quite a lot. Why don't you swear allegiance to me too? At least you could become a staff officer someday."
"..."
The impact of Gyōkaku Kumoi's speech was far more shocking than the competition itself.
He quickly sensed from the unusual atmosphere around him that something might be amiss.
"To pledge allegiance to you?"
Byakuya had to work very hard to hold back his laughter.
"This is not something to be taken lightly. You dare to accept the Kuchiki Clan's allegiance? Aren't you afraid the Shihoin Clan will smash your brains out?"
"..."
Byakuya had made himself clear enough. Gyōkaku Kumoi was no fool, so he naturally understood who was speaking.
"Are you Byakuya Kuchiki?"
"So, you're Haruto participated in the Live-Blade Match?"
Haruto nodded readily:
"... right."
"Tsk, that was quick."
With things having progressed this far, Gyōkaku Kumoi naturally gave up the idea of taking him in. Self-awareness is an essential quality for upper-class nobles—his status was certainly noble, but compared to the young master of the Kuchiki Clan, the gap was still quite large.
"Since that's the case..."
"Come and fight me."
Instead of turning away, Gyōkaku Kumoi spoke to Haruto.
"A contest?"
Haruto asked rhetorically.
"Yes, I heard that the Live-Blade Match have reopened at the Shin'ō Academy, which is why I specifically transferred to the fifth grade."
"It's just that the order is a bit off."
He entered the Shin'ō Academy in the same way as Byakuya, by transferring in directly without taking an exam.
Of course, someone of his rank as a high-ranking nobleman would certainly meet the admission requirements... even if he wasn't very bright.
"These guys are no fun."
Gyōkaku Kumoi didn't even glance at his classmate.
"The 'top student' that the fifth-graders talk about is only good at using the Shakkahō; he's not even as durable as my sparring partner."
"I've read descriptions of Live-Blade Match in books. Since you dared to bring it up, you must have some skill."
"The Ōkasen just now is enough to prove that I didn't see wrong."
"Hurry up--"
Before Haruto could finish his request—or rather, his demand—he interrupted the other person.
"Gyōkaku Kumoi."
Haruto addressed him by his given name.
The title is neither "classmate" nor "young master": the former is used by students in the same grade, and the latter is exclusively used by Byakuya in Haruto... even when teasing him.
"The training ground is not a venue you own."
"If we really have to trace the usage rights, I'm sure your father wouldn't have any complaints against Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Haruto rarely used such a blunt manner when speaking to nobles, let alone to a high-ranking noble family like the Kasumioji Clan.
The way he was addressed by his first name not only stunned Gyōkaku Kumoi, but also made Haruto's classmates, who were "familiar" with him, feel unfamiliar.
"It's best to be respectful of the rules when dealing with seniors."
"As for the contest you desire..."
"Call!"
A purplish-red flame ignited at the tip of Haruto's raised finger.
"I might consider it when your Haien reach that level."
"Call out--"
Haruto flicked his finger, and the miniature Haien, without even a single utterance of a chant, landed steadily on the open ground behind Gyōkaku Kumoi.
"Bang!!"
(The 500-word thank-you note will be provided tomorrow.)
Volume 1: Chapter 37, Swoosh
The Kasumioji Clan is nothing to fear.
Besides, Gyōkaku Kumoi is only the son of a family elder.
If they were aligned with the Tsunayashiro Clan, Haruto wouldn't have been so direct; he would have definitely spent some time on the art of language.
But since the other party is using their connections with the Shihoin Clan—
Given the relationship between the Kuchiki Clan and Shihoin Clan, the fact that Gyōkaku Kumoi didn't kowtow to Byakuya today is already considered a sign of the Kuchiki Clan's magnanimity.
As Byakuya's "sidekick," Haruto's remarks just now will likely be seen more as Byakuya expressing his dissatisfaction.
And.
As the flames of the Haien subsided, an explosion, identical in magnitude to the one that collided with the Shakkahō, immediately occupied the very center of the training ground.
"..."
Feeling the impact behind him, Gyōkaku Kumoi fell silent instantly.
The explosion wasn't particularly large, but only a handful of people could discern its significance.
Using Reiatsu far less than his Kidō level to create the exact same explosion marks was beyond Gyōkaku Kumoi's comprehension.
"Hanki Saisai?"
"No, no, no..."
"It's definitely not just that. The explosion just now was entirely caused by the Haien... Is Haien a kind of Kidō that can be used like that?"
His thoughts were somewhat confused.
Compared to the information he had heard from his servants and retainers, the "Haruto" who had restarted the Live-Blade Match was far more powerful than any of the intelligence reports mentioned.
The Kuchiki Clan...
It must be said that the Kuchiki Clan's ability to discover talent far surpasses that of the upper-class nobles and even other great noble families.
With the assistance of Kōga Kuchiki Sōjun, Byakuya Kuchiki now has another right-hand man with immense potential.