We Want to See It!

"He's here!"

A deep, powerful voice came from behind the crowd. A tall, burly man parted the people in front of him and slowly approached the field.

He stopped beside Yoruichi. Arima Shizuya looked up at him, and all he could do was marvel.

So tall.

He had to be over two meters.

He wore a topknot, and his face was broad. His build was so exaggerated that he seemed as large as two Arima Shizuyas put together.

He had a brown pompadour, and his expression did not change, as though he was helplessly resigned to Yoruichi Shihouin's summons.

Yoruichi's originally eager expression immediately gained a touch of disgust when she saw him.

She folded her arms and kicked him in the back.

"Ōmaeda! Pull yourself together!"

His face twisted in pain. After baring his teeth and grimacing for a while, he finally pulled himself together again.

"O... oh! I'm here."

"Good. You'll be Arima Shizuya's opponent next!"

...Huh?

I'm fighting the Second Division's Vice-Captain/a first-year Academy student? Seriously? Both of them looked stunned as they turned toward Yoruichi in confusion.

She merely maintained that half-smiling expression, her eyes narrowed like a feline's as though she were sizing up prey she had taken a fancy to.

"What's so strange about that?"

"I already told the old man that such mild, leisurely teaching methods are simply ridiculous~ For geniuses with exceptional talent, you need to give them a strong dose for it to have any effect."

Yoruichi Shihouin raised both hands high, like a swallow greeting spring, and shouted in a spirited voice.

"Ōmaeda, standing before you is this year's most talked-about new student, a prodigy who severely injured a Seated Officer after only half a month of training!"

"Arima Shizuya, the Second Division's Vice-Captain and deputy commander of the Stealth Force. Wouldn't facing someone like that make your blood boil?!"

Would it?

Was that really how it worked?

Not at all! What a pain! ×2 Yoruichi, however, clearly had the sort of temperament that got more excited the bigger the crowd was.

Before either of them could respond, she had already turned around with a cheer and shouted at the surrounding spectators.

"After watching boring matches for so long, don't you want to see something more exciting? Hey! Give me a reaction!"

With her spirited tone and animated expression—and given that Yoruichi was already skilled at stirring things up—the effect was twice as good.

"W-we want to see it!"

No one knew who had shouted that.

Soon, the infectious atmosphere spread through the entire crowd like a virus.

Fight! Hurry up and fight!

"Senior Ōmaeda is Vice-Captain level. There's no way he'd lose, right?"

"No, this is a contest limited to Hakuda techniques. Doesn't that mean Arima Shizuya has a chance to win instead?"

"Either way, as long as it's a good show, that's all that matters~"

"Hehe, what a sweet smell of blood!"

No one knew where several bloodthirsty spectators had slipped in from...

In any case, judging from the current situation, neither side seemed to have any 'way out' left.

Yoruichi Shihouin turned back and gave the two standing in the field a delighted smile.

"Well? Are you at least feeling a little more motivated now, Arima Shizuya?"

Not at all.

If anything, he had never had any such intention in the first place...

But he could not bring himself to say that.

In the end, he could only scratch the corner of his mouth helplessly and give the figure before him a slight bow.

"In that case... Arima Shizuya. Please go easy on me."

"The same to you. Ōmaeda Marechiyo. Please go easy on me."

Huh? Was this guy really that mild-mannered?

Arima Shizuya was somewhat surprised, but after a brief moment of thought, the boy understood.

Ōmaeda Marechiyo was Yoruichi's Vice-Captain from a century ago. He was also Chikane's father, the Vice-Captain serving under Soi Fon in the original storyline... The two were father and son.

Honestly, they looked far too alike.

If this guy had not worn a pompadour, Arima Shizuya would have had trouble telling them apart.

"Arima-kun, although this is our first meeting, I never expected it to be in a setting like this. It truly is regrettable."

With his square face and sunglasses, Marechiyo's attitude was remarkably calm.

"I heard that Arima-kun is this year's New Talent? Now that I've seen you, you truly are extraordinary."

Being praised to his face did not make him float away with pride, but it did make him feel something... Arima Shizuya smiled politely and waved his hand.

"You flatter me. I merely got lucky."

"Haha, being well-spoken is a skill too."

Marechiyo put away his sunglasses. He leaned his head forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"To be honest with you, I'm not confident in my Hakuda skills. When we start, please don't hit too hard..."

As he spoke, he forced an awkward smile onto his serious face.

"Otherwise, if I embarrass myself in front of so many people, Lady Yoruichi won't let me off."

This guy was pretty humorous.

Arima Shizuya could not help letting out a couple of awkward laughs. Just as he was about to say something, Yoruichi, having roused the entire crowd, returned.

She reached out and heavily slapped Ōmaeda on the back. The dull sound made even Arima Shizuya's cheek twitch.

"Ōmaeda, you're the deputy commander of the Stealth Force, at least. Don't let people think you only got into the division because of your status!"

She had already pinned a huge label on him.

He could only reveal a thoroughly helpless expression.

"U-understood... Captain Shihōin!"

"That's more like it!"

Yoruichi smiled and turned to Arima Shizuya, her gaze carrying a hint more teasing.

"You don't want to work under me, do you? Fine, no problem! As long as you can defeat Marechiyo, in the Name of Shihouin, I'll definitely give you a benefit you won't be able to refuse."

What could that be...? It sounded rather mysterious.

Though he was not particularly interested.

At this point, however, it was basically just an extra bonus. He could simply treat it as a perk.

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Yoruichi."

"Very good. Then the two of you had better give it everything you've got!"

As Yoruichi left the field, Arima Shizuya saw her return to Aizen's side. The two of them seemed to be talking about something...

It seemed his earlier doubts had found their answer.

Gah! Dora Aizen, what are you plotting now?!

Hiss...

A faint sound came from beside him. When he turned his head, he saw Marechiyo taking up his stance.

He spread his legs shoulder-width apart, raised his shoulders high, and slightly opened his fan-sized hands, adopting a posture as though he were about to pounce.

It looked somewhat comical.

But it was indeed a viable fighting method.

He wanted to rely on the difference in their size and win through sheer weight, huh.