The Challenge Begins

Marechiyo Ōmaeda was the head of the lower-nobility Oomaeda Family.

At the dawn of the Seireitei's founding, the Oomaeda Family had merely been an ordinary family.

However, after Marechiyo Ōmaeda was born, the Oomaeda Family underwent tremendous changes.

First, Marechiyo Ōmaeda possessed considerable talent and graduated from the True Zero Spirit Arts Academy with outstanding results.

Second, after joining the Second Division, Marechiyo Ōmaeda threw the full weight of his family behind the Shihoin Family. He used the Oomaeda Family's centuries-old commercial channels to support the Shihoin Family with all his might, becoming their retainer. Through Shihoin Sennen's efforts, the Oomaeda Family became lower nobility.

Third, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's personal strength grew rapidly. In less than a century, he had become Shihoin Sennen's right-hand man and the Vice-Captain of the Second Division.

After Shihoin Sennen stepped down, Marechiyo Ōmaeda continued serving Shihoin Yoruichi.

Even when the strength of her childhood friend, Urahara Kisuke, surpassed Marechiyo Ōmaeda's, Shihoin Yoruichi did not replace Marechiyo Ōmaeda as Vice-Captain.

Of course, part of the reason was that Urahara Kisuke himself had been unwilling.

However, nearly two centuries as Vice-Captain had not made Marechiyo Ōmaeda arrogant.

Rather, those two centuries had allowed Marechiyo Ōmaeda to thoroughly recognize his own limits.

To this day, Marechiyo Ōmaeda had not the slightest clue how to materialize his Zanpakuto.

A century ago, his spiritual pressure had stopped growing, and Bankai was beyond hope.

He would probably have to retire in a few decades.

Before then, Marechiyo Ōmaeda wanted to pave the way for his son.

This little fellow named Ailin was still young, reportedly not even forty yet, but he had already made quite a name for himself. He was someone worth investing in.

After learning that Ailin wanted to challenge him, Marechiyo Ōmaeda thought even more highly of him.

Anyone who challenged a Vice-Captain was either a fool or had already completed the first-stage release of their Zanpakuto—and had a very powerful Zanpakuto ability.

If their Zanpakuto ability was not strong, even becoming a Seat Officer would be questionable.

Before meeting Ailin, Marechiyo Ōmaeda had considered holding back to let Ailin retain some dignity. But after truly meeting Ailin, he felt that if he did not go all out, the one losing his dignity might be himself.

After serving as a Soul Reaper for more than three hundred years, Marechiyo Ōmaeda might not have improved much in other areas, but his eye for people was keen.

On Ailin, Marechiyo Ōmaeda faintly sensed traces of the presence carried by Lord Sennen, Lord Yoruichi, and that Third Seat named Urahara Kisuke.

And those three...

Good heavens, could this Ailin possibly be...?

At the thought, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's advancing steps nearly gave way beneath him.

Still, as someone accustomed to grand occasions, Marechiyo Ōmaeda quickly steadied himself.

After walking to a point ten meters in front of Ailin, Marechiyo Ōmaeda turned around, folded his arms, and quietly waited with Ailin for Captain Yoruichi to arrive.

When the others in the training ground saw Marechiyo Ōmaeda arrive, they too stopped talking and silently watched the two of them.

They were not kept waiting long.

After a gust of wind swept through, Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke appeared between Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

"Lord Yoruichi."

"Lord Yoruichi."

Everyone, including Ailin, bowed to Shihoin Yoruichi.

"Hahaha, looks like we didn't arrive late."

After laughing heartily with her hands on her hips, Yoruichi gave Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda a serious look. "Ailin, I'll confirm with you once more. Will you proceed with the challenge?"

"Lord Yoruichi, I choose to challenge him."

"Very well. Then good luck."

"I hereby announce that the challenge between Second Division member Ailin and Vice-Captain Marechiyo Ōmaeda begins now!"

"Whoosh!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke flashed away, instantly moving outside the training ground and leaving the open space to Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

"Vice-Captain Ōmaeda, please instruct me!"

As the challenger, Ailin was the first to draw his Zanpakuto.

"Hmm?"

Upon seeing Ailin's Zanpakuto, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's expression became even more solemn. He did not dare let his guard down in the slightest and instantly drew his own Zanpakuto as well.

Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto abilities came in countless strange varieties, but before release, their Zanpakuto generally took similar forms.

Yet the Zanpakuto in Ailin's hand somehow gave off a feeling of age and ruin.

Its blade was worn, its edge chipped...

If this had not been such a serious battle, everyone would probably have laughed at Ailin's Zanpakuto.

But in a battle like this, the Second Division members would not underestimate Ailin or assume his Zanpakuto was simply damaged.

It was more likely that Ailin's Zanpakuto possessed some special ability that caused its appearance to be so battered.

"Come!"

"Haah!"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda let out a great shout as immense spiritual power erupted from him. White spiritual flames even rose from his body.

"Hmm?"

"Strange. The battle has only just begun, yet Vice-Captain Ōmaeda is taking it this seriously?"

"Vice-Captain Ōmaeda is actually going all out from the very start?"

Seeing Marechiyo Ōmaeda's appearance, the Soul Reapers watching the battle were all greatly shocked.

His spiritual power was radiating outside his body. This meant that aside from not releasing his Zanpakuto, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was prepared to fight with everything he had.

"Boom!"

Like Marechiyo Ōmaeda's son, Ailin also unleashed his spiritual pressure.

"This..."

"Unbelievable. Ailin's spiritual pressure is not weaker than Vice-Captain Ōmaeda's at all..."

Ailin's outburst likewise exceeded everyone's expectations.

After Ailin became famous, everyone knew that he had joined the Second Division only thirty years ago.

In just fifty short years, Ailin had attained Sixth Seat Reiō comparable to Vice-Captain Ōmaeda's. Such talent was rarely seen.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda vanished from everyone's sight.

"Boom!"

"Clang!"

"Clang, clang!"

"Clang!"

Roars rang out as sparks burst around the training ground. Only afterward did the sound of weapons clashing reach everyone's ears.

"So fast!"

Someone among the spectators could not help crying out.

Those who could join the Second Division might be weaker in other aspects, but their Shunpo was certainly not poor.

Yet in the battle between Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda, many of them could not even see either man.

Whether Ailin or Marechiyo Ōmaeda, both possessed Shunpo mastery far beyond the others.

They could only use the sparks bursting across the training ground and the sounds of colliding Zanpakuto to track Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

However, when their gazes turned toward where the sparks had erupted, the two had already appeared elsewhere.