On the open ground outside the 11th Division Swordsmanship Dojo.
With a flash of bright silver blade light, Chōjirō Sasakibe was once again cut down by Unohana Retsu...
"Ugh..."
This made Araki, who spent every day neglecting his duties and tirelessly advancing along the path of slacking off, sigh again and again.
"No, seriously, can you even do this, Sasakibe?!"
Just as usual, Araki leaned against the ventilating window of the 11th Division Captain's Office, looking outside while shaking his head.
Sasakibe Chōjirō was not Ryū Terui. Could he stop making him worry all the time or not?!
Cough, cough...
There was no helping it. The sight of Araki's dear friend Sasakibe getting cut down was simply too miserable...
After Sasakibe and Unohana Retsu had fought for some time!
Sasakibe's gray slicked-back hair, which he meticulously groomed every morning no matter how busy he was, had become covered in sickening bloodstains. His originally neat, dry gray hair had curled up from the blood, making him look utterly disheveled!
Not only that, the haori and shirt that Chōjirō Sasakibe took such pride in keeping spotless and tidy had now been dyed a dark red-black by blood...
Even Chōjirō Sasakibe himself had no idea whether the blood staining his haori came from himself or from Unohana Retsu's Zanpakuto.
As for whether any of that blood belonged to Unohana Retsu, Chōjirō Sasakibe had never dared consider it. Up until now, the blade in his hand had not touched Unohana Retsu's body even once~
Where was Sasakibe's usual gentlemanly appearance now? Calling him some beggar from the streets would not have been an exaggeration~
"Though I don't want to admit it! The gap in our strength is truly too great!"
"So great that even if I fought Unohana Retsu another hundred times, the one who lost would still only be me!"
"Heh, all I can say is that Captain Unohana truly deserves to be the woman who founded the Gotei 13, 11th Division and created the name Kenpachi! Her strength is simply unreachable, with no end in sight~"
"So then, Araki, who defeated such a terrifying existence as Unohana, just how far have you reached?!"
Lying in the Sea of Blood, Sasakibe stared at Unohana's figure, like a female war god of Asura, and sighed helplessly again and again. Though he had already given his all, he could not even touch the edge of Unohana's clothes! For Sasakibe, who had stepped into the threshold of captain-class Soul Reapers, that was still an unreachable, overwhelming power...
Sasakibe knew very well that if Unohana Retsu did not possess this level of strength, she could never have founded the Gotei 13, 11th Division by herself and created the title of "Kenpachi"! At the same time, Sasakibe was utterly shocked by Araki's true strength after defeating Unohana! Sasakibe knew that Araki had still held back during their earlier fight...
"Sasakibe, is this truly your limit?!"
Compared to Chōjirō Sasakibe, who lay in the Sea of Blood and gasped for breath, Unohana Retsu, holding her sword in one hand, appeared far more relaxed! Yes, Unohana Retsu had not needed much effort at all to cut Sasakibe down...
It had to be said that the gap between Sasakibe and Unohana was indeed enormous! Unohana Retsu had not even gotten to enjoy the fight, nor had she finished warming up, before Sasakibe was already down...
"At least force out the hidden blade in my left hand before you fall, will you?!"
Unohana Retsu looked at Sasakibe, who remained on the ground without getting up, her eyes carrying a trace of pity...
Yes, Sasakibe's weakness even made Unohana Retsu feel a little sorry for him.
In truth, Unohana Retsu was not a swordswoman who fought with only one hand. Concealed within the sleeve of her left arm was a hidden blade that could be used as a throwing weapon!
Unohana Retsu was not some "pure" swordswoman~
Unohana Retsu had been born for battle, not for the sword. In Unohana Retsu's view, "How could something like a blade possibly be so inconvenient?!"
So long as it allowed her to defeat her opponent, whether it was a hidden blade or the sword in her hand, Unohana Retsu would use it without hesitation...
The reason Unohana Retsu had not used her hidden blade against either Araki or Sasakibe...
Was that when fighting Araki, Unohana had simply not had the time to draw the hidden blade in her left hand. Even the slightest distraction would have been enough to cause her defeat.
And when Unohana Retsu fought Sasakibe, she likewise had not had time to draw the hidden blade in her left hand!
But unlike when Unohana had fought Araki...
When Unohana fought Sasakibe, it was not because their battle had been so intense that she could not spare attention to use her hidden blade. Rather, before she had even had the chance to use it, Sasakibe had already been cut down by her slash.
The difference between them was like that between Unohana Retsu fighting Kenpachi Zaraki, who had sealed himself to the extreme, and fighting a young Kenpachi Zaraki at full strength for the first time!
No, Sasakibe's performance right now was even worse than that of the self-sealed Kenpachi Zaraki...
At the very least, the self-sealed Kenpachi Zaraki had successfully forced out Unohana's hidden blade from her left hand.
"I absolutely cannot stay down like this!"
"I am a man who will follow Lord Genryūsai for the rest of my life!"
"Take this! This will be my final..."
Just as Unohana had become thoroughly disappointed in Chōjirō Sasakibe, he rose from the Sea of Blood once more. Gripping his Zanpakuto and aiming it at Unohana Retsu, his heart filled with the desire to fight Unohana to the very end!
As someone who had sworn to follow Lord Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto throughout his life, how could he fall here?! He was going to become Captain-Commander Yamamoto's "shadow," make following Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto the creed of his life, and uphold it for his entire lifetime!
"Hehe~"
In response, Unohana merely smiled lightly at Chōjirō Sasakibe, who had risen from the ground once again.
"Whoosh!"
With the sound of air being torn apart, two hidden blades flew from Unohana's left sleeve and shot toward Chōjirō Sasakibe.
"Huh?!"
By the time Chōjirō Sasakibe reacted, Unohana's hidden blades had already pierced straight through his abdomen, their momentum nailing him directly to the outer courtyard wall of the 11th Division Barracks.
Sasakibe: "I got up! Then I got instantly defeated. Nothing more to say..."
"Tch~"
By the Captain's Office window...
Watching the scene before him, Araki could not help turning his head away. He truly could not bear to watch any longer.
No, seriously! Sasakibe, it wasn't like you were some "Fairy Tail guild wizard." Why were you suddenly powering up for no reason? Was it useful? Tell me, was that power-up useful? Look, you got instantly defeated again, didn't you?!
"Looks like we'll end things here today!"
Unohana looked at the fallen Sasakibe, withdrew the river of blood she had released, then activated her Zanpakuto's Shikai to treat Chōjirō Sasakibe's injuries...
At that moment, Sasakibe lightly covered his abdomen with his left hand, still wearing an expression of utter disbelief. Could she not even let him finish speaking?!
"Ugh, sleep, sleep..."
Araki pulled shut the curtains over the Captain's Office window, curled up on the sofa, and closed his eyes for an afternoon nap.
From then on, Araki never again watched Unohana Retsu's special training of Sasakibe!
Time flew by. As Araki grew older, he increasingly felt that each day passed faster and faster.
In the blink of an eye, two and a half months had passed since Chōjirō Sasakibe came to the 11th Division for special training...
It was also time for Chōjirō Sasakibe to return to the 1st Division. After all, he was no ordinary division member, but the vice-captain of the 1st Division, holding an important post...
"Thank you, Captain Unohana, for your teachings these past days!"
"I have truly benefited greatly..."
After the noon training session ended, Chōjirō Sasakibe deeply bowed to Unohana Retsu, his Soul Reaper fundamentals instructor.
"There is no need to be so polite!"
"Honestly, you are the most challenging student I have ever taught."
"Of course, I actually think highly of you! It's simply that everyone has their own path to walk."
After sheathed her Zanpakuto, Unohana Retsu returned to her "girl-next-door big sister" image. She first looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe with emotion, then did not forget to praise him a little, lest she completely crush his self-esteem.
"I understand!"
"Once the affairs of the 1st Division are no longer so busy, I will come seek your guidance again! I hope Captain Unohana will not mind!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe humbly nodded at Unohana while making it clear that he would not give up here. He would return again.
"..."
Upon hearing that, Unohana Retsu fell silent.
"You are also the person I have seen with the greatest 'perseverance.'"
After a long while, Unohana Retsu's lips moved as she affirmed Chōjirō Sasakibe's formidable perseverance.
"Then I shall take my leave! Oh, please inform Captain Araki that I have departed. As for me, I will not disturb Captain Araki..."
As Chōjirō Sasakibe spoke, he turned around in what he considered a rather dashing manner and headed for the gates of the 11th Division without looking back. It had to be said that Unohana Retsu's special training had indeed been effective. In just these two and a half months, he had improved tremendously!
If the outcome of Chōjirō Sasakibe fighting Unohana Retsu before his training had been one-to-nine, then after undergoing training, he was now confident that he could fight Unohana Retsu at a four-to-six ratio...
Mm, at first, Unohana Retsu could cut him into nine pieces within a single second. Now, he could barely manage to be "killed" by Unohana Retsu only six times within four seconds! This progress could be called a tremendous leap!
Cough, cough...
Chōjirō Sasakibe swept all the random thoughts from his mind! He prepared to return to the 1st Division and properly handle all the work he had neglected in order to train...
Just as Sasakibe reached the gates of the 11th Division Barracks, he suddenly saw Araki, who had been hiding in the Captain's Office ever since he entered the 11th Division for training, seemingly chatting and laughing with someone.
"Hm? That is... Araki? He came out of the Captain's Office?"
"The person with him... could that be Captain Katori of the 8th Division?"
Sasakibe froze for a moment, then rubbed his eyes and looked carefully.
He saw Araki walking beside Katori Bakuunsai, captain of the 8th Division, with a smile on his face. Politely, he said, "Captain Katori, please come this way. Watch your step; the roads in our 11th Division are rather uneven~"
"Mm~"
The visitor was none other than Katori Bakuunsai, captain of the Gotei 13, 8th Division.
She was petite and soft-looking...
Yet she possessed an exceptionally full chest that was completely at odds with her delicate body...
A pair of round glasses rested on her tiny nose. She was an adorable person whose entire "art style" looked utterly different from the other captains of the First Generation Gotei 13~
After hearing Araki's words, Katori Bakuunsai lightly nodded her small chin.
"No, Araki! Araki..."
"When I came to the 11th Division, I didn't see you come out to welcome me! Bastard!!"
Seeing Araki personally come out to greet Katori Bakuunsai, captain of the 8th Division, Chōjirō Sasakibe's eye twitched slightly.
So, Araki actually could leave the Captain's Office...
So, the friendship and brotherhood between him and Araki, which had lasted for centuries, even millennia, could fade away after all, right?!
Before you continue