"But now, tell me—what exactly did you teach Rukia?"
"One year..."
"Do you not know that this is the period when Rukia should be growing the fastest?"
"If Rukia had been taught by me this past year, what level do you think her Zanjutsu would have reached?"
If he had not just seen Rukia's performance, Byakuya Kuchiki would only have thought that her talent for Zanjutsu was terribly poor. Perhaps even after Rukia completed her Zanpakuto's release, her mastery of Zanjutsu would barely be comparable to that of an ordinary Soul Reaper.
But Rukia's performance while fighting Teacher Ailin just now stood in stark contrast to how she performed when fighting him.
Hearing Uncle-in-law Ailin's questioning, Byakuya Kuchiki fell silent for a few seconds before speaking. "At the very least, Rukia should have been able to defeat some elite Soul Reapers with swordsmanship."
"Yes, elite Soul Reapers."
"You know they're elite Soul Reapers?"
"Then tell me, before I arrived, what stage was Rukia at after receiving a year of your instruction?"
What stage had Rukia's Zanjutsu been at yesterday?
Byakuya recalled it, but could not bring himself to say it.
In training, Rukia's swordsmanship had nearly reached the standard of an ordinary Soul Reaper.
But once a battle began, Rukia's panicked state of mind would cause her to perform abnormally. In the end, she might not even have been able to defeat an outstanding first-year student from the True Zero Spirit Arts Academy.
"It seems you've grown quite lax these past years, Byakuya."
"You seem to have forgotten something I always emphasized to you."
"Dignity exists only upon the edge of one's blade."
"When your blade cannot reach your enemy, your dignity can only be trampled beneath others' feet."
Looking at Byakuya, a trace of heartache flashed through Ailin's eyes.