Making an Enemy (1)

Time flew, and the years passed like a song—if he ignored getting up at four every morning, sprinting with two hundred jin on his back, being used as a punching bag by his own Zanpakuto, and having to pretend to be a dead last at the academy, Liu Ziyun's life in Soul Society was fairly... fulfilling?

In the blink of an eye, the sixth academic year at Shin'ō Academy began.

For more than five years, Liu Ziyun's life had run like clockwork:

Four in the morning: get up, sneak out of the dormitory, slip into the underground training ground behind the mountain, and begin his "self-torture" training.

Morning: return to the academy for class and perform his signature act, "How I Mispronounced a Kidō Incantation and Blew Myself Away."

Afternoon: attend more classes and perform a series of short skits at the training ground, "How I Got Beaten by a Wooden Post and Thrown Around by My Classmates."

Evening: visit the Fourth Division to "see family," have Tazawa Kentarō treat his hidden injuries while secretly learning Kaidō and sneaking looks at Captain Unohana—no, wait, reporting his progress to the captain.

Late at night: sneak into the underground training ground again, practice Blade Zen, and enter his inner world to "spar" with Tulu—although most of the time, that so-called "sparring" was a one-sided beating.

"Yo, you're here?"

Arms folded, Tulu leaned against the wall of the familiar Skyscraper in the inner world and watched Liu Ziyun fall from the sky, his voice dripping with mockery.

Liu Ziyun picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I'm here, I'm here! How are we fighting today? Warm up first, or get straight to it?"

Tulu glanced at him. "Warm up? You? Even if we get straight to it, you won't last three minutes."

"Not necessarily!" Liu Ziyun protested. "I lasted four and a half minutes last time!"

"Oh, right, four and a half minutes." Tulu nodded. "Then you passed out like a dead dog, and Life-Taker dragged you off for three hours of treatment."

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Can you stop bringing that up?!

He took a deep breath and drew his Asauchi (he could only use an Asauchi in his inner world; Tulu wouldn't let him use Shikai). "Cut the crap! Here I come!"

He charged forward with a Shunpo—

"Too slow."

Tulu didn't even draw his blade. He simply turned sideways and stuck out a foot.

"Bang!"

Liu Ziyun fell face-first onto the ground, getting a mouthful of dust.

"Slow reactions," Tulu commented. "Messy footwork. Unsteady breathing. Openings everywhere."

Liu Ziyun got up and spat out the dust. "Again!"

He'd learned his lesson this time. Instead of charging straight in, he circled first, looking for an opening.

"Your tactical sense isn't bad." Tulu nodded. "But—"

He suddenly vanished from where he stood.

The next second, he appeared behind Liu Ziyun.

"—when the difference in strength is absolute, tactics aren't worth shit."

He struck Liu Ziyun's back with his palm.

"Pfft!"

Liu Ziyun flew away like a kite with its string cut and crashed through a wall.

"Cough, cough..." He crawled out of the rubble. "I haven't lost yet!"

"Is that so?" Tulu tilted his head. "How about this, then?"

He drew his Tang Dao and casually swung it—

"Flying Blade: Shattered Blade Slash, Modified, Special Enhanced Edition!"

Liu Ziyun: "Wait! How did the name of that move get even longer?!"

"Because I feel like it." Tulu grinned.

Then a storm of blade light engulfed Liu Ziyun.

Three seconds later.

Liu Ziyun's consciousness was kicked out of his inner world.

The real world, underground training ground.

Sitting cross-legged, Liu Ziyun snapped his eyes open and gasped for breath.

Lost again...

How many minutes did I last this time? Two and a half? I've gotten worse again...

But he wasn't discouraged.

Instead, he grinned.

But... I think I understood the trajectory of that last move?

Next time... I should be able to dodge the first wave?

He dusted himself off, stood up, and continued training.

Occasionally, Liu Ziyun also entered his inner world not to get beaten up, but to... chat.

"Life-Taker! I'm here!"

He ran excitedly to the roof of the familiar Apartment Building—Life-Taker always liked to sit there, swinging her legs as she watched the sunset.

Life-Taker turned around, her eyes curving into crescents beneath her veil. "You're here? How was the academy today?"

"Pretty good!" Liu Ziyun plopped down beside her. "In Kidō class today, I 'accidentally' recited Hadō #33: Sōkatsui as Hadō #3: Shakkahō. I ended up producing a little fireball the size of a fist, and the instructor's face turned green with anger."

Life-Taker covered her mouth and chuckled. "You're always so mischievous."

"I have to hide my abilities." Liu Ziyun spread his hands. "If they knew I could cast Kidō below number forty without an incantation, wouldn't they drag me off and slice me up for research?"

Life-Taker looked at him gently. "Thanks for all your hard work."

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Liu Ziyun waved a hand. "It's just a little... stifling. Sometimes I really want to cut loose and fight them."

"You'll have a chance," Life-Taker said softly. "When the day comes that you're truly strong."

"Yeah!" Liu Ziyun nodded emphatically. "By the way, where's Tulu? Off wandering somewhere again?"

"Him?" Life-Taker looked into the distance. "He's over there, chopping up a mountain for fun."

Liu Ziyun followed her gaze. Sure enough, a mountain peak in the distance was... shrinking before his eyes.

On the mountain, a figure clad in armor was swinging a Tang Dao, shaving away at the peak one stroke at a time.

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Does my Zanpakuto... have a bit of a violent streak?

He was still thinking when suddenly—

"Hey! You!"

Tulu's voice came from afar.

The next second, he was already on the roof, killing intent pouring off him. "Who said you could come here and chat?!"

Liu Ziyun: "...Can't I come see Life-Taker?"

"No!" Tulu glared at him. "This is the inner world! It's a training ground! Not a chat room! If you want to chat, do it in the real world!"

"But..."

"No buts!" Tulu grabbed him by the collar. "Get out! I'm sick of the sight of you!"

"Wait! I haven't even—"

"Out!"

Liu Ziyun was sent flying with a kick, his consciousness once again expelled from his inner world.

The real world, underground training ground.

Liu Ziyun opened his eyes and rubbed his nose.

Kicked out again...

Tulu's temper is getting worse and worse...

Yet he smiled.

He smiled happily.

Because although Tulu had said, "I'm sick of the sight of you," when he'd grabbed Liu Ziyun's collar just now, his grip had clearly been... much lighter than it was a month ago.

And although he always drove him away, every time he went in, he was there.

As if he were... waiting for him?

Tsundere... Liu Ziyun muttered inwardly. My Zanpakuto is a tsundere...

But he liked it.

In the sixth academic year at Shin'ō Academy, there was an important arrangement: grouping students for mock battles.

The students would be divided into several small teams and conduct simulated combat training under their instructors' supervision. Their results in this training would directly affect their graduation evaluations and future division assignments.