Cherry Blossoms Fly, Swords Dance

When Cilian returned to Soul Society, it was already dark.

As soon as he Senkaimon, he saw two figures supporting each other. One had red hair, and his Shihakusho was covered in dust and tatters; the other had black hair, and his Shin'ō Academy uniform was also in tatters, with several bruises on his face.

A girl with short black hair, dressed in Shihakusho, spoke briefly with the two men before brushing past them and entering the Senkaimon.

Cilian recognized the red-haired one— Sixth Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai. The other one...

"Amber?"

Hu turned his head to the side, his face bruised and a bloodstain at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. When he saw Cilian, he grinned.

"Instructor Cilian!"

Cilian frowned as she looked at his disheveled appearance.

"Isn't today your school entrance ceremony? What happened?"

Koko scratched his head, looked at Renji looked equally miserable, and gave him a thumbs up.

"I fought with the captain of the Sixth Division!"

Cilian: "..."

He was silent for three seconds, then turned his gaze to Renji beside him. Renji's expression was complicated, as if he wanted to explain something, or as if he didn't know where to Shikai.

"Instructor Cilian, you have no idea, this afternoon—"

Let's rewind to this afternoon.

In Fon Shaoling's office, Byakuya pulled Koko out, also bringing Renji and Marechiyo Ōmaeda, who were chatting in the corner, along with them.

"Renji, since you and Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda seem to have so much to talk about, why don't you join us?"

Renji responded and followed. He was used to being trained by Byakuya, so he didn't find anything strange about it.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda tried to slip away, but was kicked away by Fon Shaoling.

"Aren't you going to follow them!"

The five of them passed through the Second Division's barracks, making several turns, and arrived at a spacious training ground.

Hu stood at the entrance, slightly taken aback.

The training ground was much larger than he had imagined. It wasn't an ordinary flat area, but rather a replica of a mountainous terrain. There were undulating slopes, several steep cliffs, and a large, protruding rock in the distance. The ground was paved with a special Reishi material that felt even more solid than solid soil.

Byakuya and Fon Shaoling stood at the entrance, not in a hurry to go in.

"Captain Soi Fon," Byakuya's voice was calm, "Is this person truly worthy of your high regard?"

Fon Shaoling glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

You'll find out soon enough.

Byakuya didn't ask any further questions and strode into the training ground.

Fon Shaoling watched his retreating figure, she added, "Just don't get scared."

Byakuya paused for a moment, but did not turn around.

In the training field, Kou, Renji, and Marechiyo Ōmaeda were already standing in the center of the field.

Koko watched as Renji skillfully moved his wrists and ankles, stretched his legs, and twisted his waist, performing a set of warm-up exercises with effortless grace.

"Renji- senpai, are you often trained by Captain Kuchiki?"

Renji smiled and said, "One of the advantages of Lieutenant is that you can train with the captain. Captain Byakuya often asks me to be his sparring partner and occasionally gives me some pointers. It's pretty common."

Amber nodded, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards Marechiyo Ōmaeda beside her.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda was also warming up—or rather, he just jumped around a couple of times, his belly fat jiggling.

Hu's gaze stopped.

Renji's gaze also stopped.

They both looked at Marechiyo Ōmaeda at the same time, then at each other, and then fell silent.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda's face flushed red.

"No, different squads have different situations!" he explained, his face flushed. "Our Second Division mainly handles intelligence gathering and assassinations, so we don't need so much direct combat! Besides, the captains are different, and each Lieutenant gets different tasks!"

Neither Kou nor Renji spoke.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda's voice trailed off. "... I mainly manage logistics."

Are you all warmed up?

Byakuya's voice came from the entrance.

The three of them stood up straight at the same time.

Byakuya walked to the center of the field, his gaze sweeping over Kou, then over Renji, and finally landing on Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

"Since this is training instruction, let's do it one by one," Byakuya said. "Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, and then Shikai. Let me see what you're capable of."

"In that case, you two should tell the captain about your Zanpakuto and areas of expertise, that way..."

Renji was about to say something, Byakuya raised his hand to stop him.

"It's alright. It's normal not to know your opponent's abilities and strengths in battle. Let's go straight for it."

Renji shut up.

Byakuya looked at Renji.

"As an example, you go first."

Renji walked to the center of the field and stood opposite Byakuya.

Get into a fighting stance.

"Captain, please guide me!"

Renji made the first move.

Shunpo, sidestepped, and threw a punch at Byakuya's face. Byakuya dodged it and retaliated with a palm strike to Renji's shoulder. Renji blocked, but was knocked back two steps.

"The intention is too obvious. Anyone except Hakuda with a confused mind could easily deal with this kind of free-for-all," Byakuya said.

Renji gritted his teeth and charged forward again. This time he increased his speed, using both fists and feet, each strike accompanied by the sound of wind breaking. Byakuya neither dodged nor evaded, meeting the powerful attacks with one hand, which Byakuya slapped down one by one.

Renji's offensive grew increasingly fierce, but Byakuya remained relaxed.

"Renji, how's your Kidō training going?" Byakuya suddenly asked.

Renji moment, then immediately stepped back and raised his hand—

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

The iconic red ball of the Shakkahō didn't even get fired; it exploded right in the palm of your hand.

Renji's face was covered in smoke...

Byakuya sighed, "As a Lieutenant, you can't even unleash Kidō of Sequence 31 without chanting? Renji, you need to increase your Kidō training."

"Shikai, let me see the results of your recent training," Byakuya said.

Renji Zanpakuto, and his Reiatsu began to surge.

"The Roar, Zabimaru!"

The blade transformed into a snake-belly sword, stretching out segment by segment, like a long whip of steel.

Renji his sword, Zabimaru, which swept towards Byakuya with a whooshing sound. Byakuya drew his sword and parried with a raised hand.

The back of the blade collided with the edge of the Zabimaru, sparks flying. Zabimaru was deflected.

Renji seized the opportunity to swing his sword again, but Zabimaru slashed from another angle. Byakuya Shunpo retreat, and Zabimaru grazed past the hem of his clothes.

"Not bad," Byakuya said, "The second attack was much faster than before. But..." Byakuya blocked the third attack once again. "The limitation of only being able to launch a three-hit combo remains unaddressed."

Renji was now waiting for Zabimaru's blade to retract, practically frozen in place.

Byakuya gave him no further chances. He stepped forward and struck Renji in the chest with a palm strike. Renji flying backward and crashed to the ground.

"Next," Byakuya said, looking at Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda's leg trembled slightly, and he shakily stepped onto the field.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda stood in the center of the field, his forehead covered in sweat.

Byakuya looked at him without saying a word.

"Well then, Captain Kuchiki, excuse me!"

Despite his large size, he was still quite fast due to the power of the Cilian. After Shunpo, he threw a punch at Byakuya's ribs. Byakuya dodged to the side, but Marechiyo Ōmaeda's second punch followed immediately.

Byakuya's brow twitched slightly.

"Your Hakuda was better than I expected."

Marechiyo Ōmaeda could even feel happy, Byakuya's counterattack arrived. A palm struck his shoulder, Marechiyo Ōmaeda staggered backward.

"But that's only true for someone your size."

Marechiyo Ōmaeda gritted his teeth and charged again. This time he increased his speed, but Byakuya still easily deflected his attacks. Gradually, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's breathing became erratic, and the continuous barrage of blows left him breathless.

"Kidō Kido? Captain Soi Fon is outstanding in Hakuda and Kidō. As her adjutant, you don't even know how to use Kidō?" Byakuya suddenly spoke up.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda immediately raised his hand:

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

A fireball was launched. Byakuya dodged it to the side, and at the same time, he slapped Marechiyo Ōmaeda in the stomach. Marechiyo Ōmaeda clutched his stomach and bent over, almost vomiting up his lunch.

"My use of the Kidō without chanting is so-so, but physical stamina is a big problem. Shikai!" Byakuya said.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda gritted his teeth and Zanpakuto tightly.

"--Smash it, Gegetsuburi!"

His Zanpakuto transformed into a giant Meteor Hammer, its head covered in spikes, and the chains rattled in his hands.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda swung his hammer, and the Gegetsuburi whistled as it smashed towards Byakuya.

"It's powerful, but too straightforward." Byakuya leaped over the hammer. "With such a heavy weapon, you should choose the timing of your attack more carefully. If your opponent avoids a direct confrontation, your weapon becomes a burden."

Byakuya Shunpo and struck him in the chest. "Timing choice, slow reaction. How long has it been since you've been on the battlefield?"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda rolled out and landed next to Renji had just gotten up.

"Next," Byakuya said, looking at Koko.

Hu walked to the center of the field.

Byakuya looked at him calmly.

Hu did not rush to attack. He stood still, adjusted his breathing, and his Reiatsu began to slowly condense.

Byakuya waited a moment.

"Aren't you going to make a move?"

Amber didn't answer. He was using his Concentration state to sense Byakuya's Reiatsu, his breathing rhythm, and the distribution of his center of gravity in his stance.

A flash of blue light appeared in Amber's eyes.

With Shunpo and a sidestep, he struck Byakuya directly at his weak point. Byakuya hadn't fully reacted to this sudden attack and could only meet Ko's punch with a palm strike. Ko, on the other hand, turned and kicked Byakuya's knee.

Byakuya took a half step back, dodging the kick.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. The attack was very fluid, and the shift in his center of gravity was very natural.

"Again."

Amber continued forward, each strike imbued with Beowulf's blue light. The blue light was both real and illusory, like a thin layer of flame covering the surface of his fists and feet, or like a phantom.

Amber's attacks grew increasingly fierce, but Byakuya's Hakuda was no pushover either. While defending against Amber's attacks, Byakuya would also seize any openings to strike back. Byakuya noticed that Amber's attacks were gradually intensifying, and that traces of compressed Reishi were beginning to appear on his hands and feet.

However, while Amber's attacks are becoming stronger, her attack speed is gradually slowing down.

"Your Reishi compression has a high upper limit, but it's not a good thing to compress Reishi to make attacks heavier. Excessive compression makes it difficult to maintain the frequency of your moves, which will only give your enemy an opportunity." Byakuya used speed to defeat slowness, and with a swift palm strike, he pushed Amber several meters away.

After absorbing the impact, Hu immediately raised his hand.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"

Lightning shot from his fingertips. Byakuya dodged to the side, but Amber's second shot had already arrived.

"Hadō #1: Charge!"

An invisible shockwave struck Byakuya. Byakuya raised his hand to block, but the force of the impact made his hand tremble.

A hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Not bad. He can use Kidō at the right time, and the effect is quite good. Finally, I've seen someone who truly knows how to use Kidō in battle."

Upon hearing this, Renji and Marechiyo Ōmaeda instinctively averted their gazes, even though Byakuya didn't look at them or speak to them.

Meanwhile, Hu did not stop. He conjured Phantom Blade in his left hand, and blue sword light flickered in his palm.

Byakuya looked at the sword, his brow twitching slightly.

Koko swung his sword down. Byakuya dodged to the side, drawing his own blade and shattering the Phantom Blade. At the same time, he kicked at Koko, but Koko didn't retreat; instead, his right fist, already charged, met Byakuya's incoming kick head-on.

Beowulf's light exploded on his fist, Byakuya was forced back a step.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Amber gripped the Jiku'a tightly, and his Reiatsu began to surge.

"Break free from your cage and soar high, Jiku'a!"

Blue light flew from the blade, trapping Amber in a blue birdcage. Then, it tore through space, and once the spatial rift healed, the Jiku'a Shikai was complete.

Byakuya's pupils contracted slightly.

Hu once again condensed the Phantom Blade. This time, the sword was as solid as real iron, with blue light flowing across its blade. Byakurai was injected into the sword, and the lightning danced on the blade, emitting a crackling sound.

Beowulf was also changing. The ethereal blue light solidified into armor, covering his fists like a second skin.

Byakuya looked at the young man before him, his surprise turning into seriousness.

Hu rushed forward.

Jiku'a slashed down, the air itself seemed to tear apart where the blade passed. Byakuya dodged to the side, but the edge of the blade still grazed his sleeve—the fabric of his sleeve tore silently, leaving a clean, mirror-like cut.

Space Slash.

Byakuya stepped back and raised his hand—

"Hadō #4: Byakurai".

Lightning shot out. Hu did not dodge; Jiku'a slashed horizontally, the blade splitting the lightning in the middle, blue arcs of electricity flashing past his sides.

Amber gave him no chance to breathe. Phantom Blade in her left hand, Jiku'a in her right, switching between the two styles in turn. Jiku'a's slashes tore through space, while Phantom Blade, imbued with Kidō, unleashed bizarre slashes that disrupted the rhythm. In close combat, Beowulf's fists and feet came crashing down from tricky angles.

Renji stood on the sidelines, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit a fist.

"This... this is..."

Marechiyo Ōmaeda was stunned. "This is incredible..."

"Isn't this your captain's new recruit?" Renji glared at him.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda blushed. "I... I've never heard of anyone being that strong!"

In the arena, Byakuya took a few steps back to steady himself.

He glanced at his slashed sleeve, then at the amber that was hurtling towards him.

Then he raised his hand and grasped the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"

The blade transformed into countless tiny blades, which, under the moonlight, resembled cherry blossom petals fluttering in the air.

Amber's eyes suddenly filled with a cherry blossom-colored light.

This is Senbonzakura.

Countless blades surged from all directions, densely packed and overwhelming. As Amber dodged with her Shunpo, Summoned Swords materialized around her—

Five blue short swords appeared around him, hovering in mid-air and spinning, blocking some of the blades for Hu.

Byakuya had never seen this move before and assumed it was a variation of Phantom Blade.

Amber offered no explanation. With a wave of his hand, a Summoned Swords shot out, piercing through the gaps in the petals. Byakuya merely tilted his head slightly to dodge the incoming Summoned Swords. But just as Byakuya was about to comment, Amber vanished from his spot.

Byakuya's pupils suddenly contracted.

Amber appeared in front of Byakuya the instant the Summoned Swords in, while the tip of Jiku'a's Crow was already pressed against Byakuya's throat.

The training ground fell into a deathly silence, and the cherry blossoms that were fluttering in the air also fell down because of Byakuya's surprise.

Renji was stunned. Although it was just training, he really didn't expect someone to outmaneuver his captain like this.

Byakuya stared at the blade pressed against his throat, remaining silent for two seconds.

Amber didn't stab. He jumped back, sheathed his sword, and grinned. "I never thought I'd be able to replicate Ichigo Kurosaki day."

"Captain Kuchiki, your Senbonzakura won't come near you on its own, will it?"

Byakuya looked at him.

"There wasn't a single petal in the area of about half a meter. If I'm not mistaken, this is to make it easier for Captain Kuchiki to manipulate. After all, controlling thousands of blades is quite troublesome; I'm exhausted just controlling five Summoned Swords. So as long as you stay close, those petals are just for show. Haha--haha--"

The training ground was filled with Hu's smug laughter.

Renji stared, unsure what to say: It's hard to say whether Kou is just a fearless newborn calf or if he's really that reckless, getting so carried away after winning just one game. The captain's self-control is far superior to yours; how could he not control himself?

Byakuya remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Beautiful," Byakuya praised. "That move just now truly exceeded my expectations. If this were on the battlefield, I might have actually lost to you due to underestimating you."

He paused and said

"As for the range you mentioned, you are very perceptive. This is indeed Senbonzakura's basic protective mechanism. It won't approach me unless I control it personally. I must commend you for this. Someone like Renji, who has practiced with me for years, still hasn't discovered this. You figured it out just from a few exchanges. That's truly impressive."

Renji's face turned bright red, and he couldn't speak.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda stood to the side, covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking.

Byakuya didn't continue the topic. He looked at Kou again, the petals of the Senbonzakura in his hand gathering together once more.

"However, this is not a big problem."

His voice was calm.

Even though you have gotten close, I am not without the power to fight back.

Byakuya lightly stepped on Shunpo

Amber's pupils contracted, and he instinctively retreated—but Byakuya had already appeared behind him.

"Your Shunpo is not bad; it's clear you've put in the effort," Byakuya's voice came from beside me. "But it's not enough. Also, your Zanpakuto is quite interesting."

Petals poured in from all directions.

Amber gritted his teeth, and the Summoned Swords materialized again, pinning itself to the distance. He teleported there, but Byakuya was already waiting.

"This Summoned Swords —it corresponds to 'walking,' right?"

Petals surged forth again.

Amber teleports again, Byakuya catches up, still right behind her. Amber draws her Phantom Blade to retaliate, but Byakuya blocks it with flower petals.

"This greatsword, capable of being filled with and unleashed Kidō —corresponds to 'Oni' (demon). And I'll tell you something else: Senbonzakura will not approach me; she will only exist when I allow her to act independently. And the thousand blades..."

Amber Jiku'a for the third time, Byakuya catches up for the third time, still behind him. Amber draws his Toki Crow and unleashes Judgment Cut. Byakuya dodges with Shunpo and continues, "For me, I can easily manipulate every blade." This time, Amber's Judgment Cut not only fails to harm Byakuya, but it doesn't even damage a single petal of Byakuya's Senbonzakura. "This Zanpakuto, named Jiku'a Zanpakuto, which can easily cleave even space—corresponds to 'Slash'!"

Koko teleported for the fourth time, Byakuya caught up for the fourth time. This time, Koko knew that Byakuya would still be behind him, so he directly condensed the Beowulf Armament and threw a punch behind him, but Byakuya blocked it with the Bakudo #81: Dankū Breaker, which was not chanted.

"And this Reishi Armor, constructed through Reishi compression, corresponds to the 'fist'."

Hu had no way out.

Byakuya stood before him, surrounded by a shower of flower petals.

"Four styles, corresponding to Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. It's rare to find Zanpakuto that can so comprehensively enhance the four Soul Reaper techniques, demonstrating your exceptional talent."

Byakuya raised his hand, and the petals closed up like a giant fist, directly knocking Amber away, sending him flying right next to the other two.

"However, your temperament remains unstable. With such talent, if your temperament remains so unsteady, I fear you will stumble in the future." Byakuya said, recalling the son-in-law of the Kuchiki Clan a hundred years ago...

The three will continue their training...