Second Match, Please Go Easy on Me

Second Match, Please Go Easy on Me

Blood had been drawn.

Though such things were not uncommon in the dojo, this was a different situation and could not be compared.

It was like dumping a basin of cold water over everyone's heads. The crowd, which had been growing heated, fell completely silent.

Tōsen Kaname clenched his fists. Ise Nanao covered her mouth with both hands, disbelief written across her face.

Yoruichi grinned, as though she were pleased by something.

Aizen, meanwhile, wore a rare expressionless look as he calmly watched Arima Shizuya.

Everyone reacted differently, but then a voice cut through the silence.

"Wait, Lady Yoruichi! Isn't this far too unfair?"

The voice was urgent and tense, yet carried an unyielding resolve.

Whoa, whoa, whoa—who dared defy a noble's will? What expert had spoken up?!

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a tall, thin figure in academy uniform staring nervously in their direction.

Her short silver-white hair curled slightly. Her thick brows were knotted together, her lips pressed tight with anxiety, and her eyes revealed no small measure of fear.

As though her earlier words had escaped her against her will, she trembled for a while before continuing.

"Lady Yoruichi, p-please stop this match!"

The brown-skinned girl merely tilted her head and asked expressionlessly.

"Who are you?"

"Class 6, Third Year. Kotetsu Isane!"

Like a timid little hedgehog, she did her best to stretch herself taller and appear more intimidating.

It looked somewhat comical, and her tone was even more uneasy.

But being able to state her name at a time like this was enough to earn people's respect for her courage alone.

"Never heard of you. You're not some noble, are you?"

Yoruichi's lips curled upward in a deeply mocking expression.

"Then from what position are you saying something so disrespectful to me?"

"Lord Ōmaeda is a Vice-Captain. Just releasing his Fifth Level Spiritual Pressure is enough to suffocate ordinary people. Having someone with that kind of strength compete against Arima Shizuya, this..."

It was plainly bullying.

Everyone present understood that.

Yet Yoruichi showed no reaction upon hearing those words. She merely curled her lips into an inscrutable smile.

"Is it merely so-called unfairness?"

"...???"

Kotetsu Isane blinked in confusion.

Wasn't unfairness enough? As if answering the girl's doubts, Yoruichi stood tall and raised her right hand, making a flat sweeping gesture.

Her face was full of disdain.

"Then that sort of statement is far too immature. Miss, once you graduate, you'll presumably be assigned to your respective posts..."

"Would a Hollow you suddenly encountered, or an enemy during a mission, refrain from attacking just because your strength was limited?"

The answer was obvious.

"Of course not! So not only does this happen frequently, it is also a crucial lesson that you graduates must experience and understand!"

"Always be prepared to engage powerful enemies at close quarters. Even if you are defeated or killed, you must find a way to injure them and curb, interrupt their evil deeds!"

"The Gotei 13 is not such a gentle place, and protecting others is not something that can be accomplished with empty words."

"The swords in your hands are not decorations, so rein in those naive remarks, academy student!"

By the end, Yoruichi Shihouin's words struck the ground with force, plunging the entire area into silence.

Kotetsu Isane, who had been singled out, had gone pale with fright.

She opened her mouth and stammered for a while, but could not force out a single word.

Not only was she outclassed in strength, but even her eloquence was nowhere near her opponent's level.

She was caught between advancing and retreating.

Kotetsu Isane had finally taken a step called courage, only to find herself in such an awkward predicament.

Amid the suffocating atmosphere, Aizen had somehow appeared behind Kotetsu Isane.

Smiling, he reached out and gently supported her by the shoulder.

"My sincerest apologies. This student must have been overly concerned for Arima-kun, which is why she made such confrontational remarks."

"Her disrespect is already a fact and naturally cannot be undone. Kotetsu will receive the appropriate punishment afterward, but..."

"In consideration of her passionate heart, could I ask Lady Yoruichi to forgive her transgression?"

Yoruichi's stern expression suddenly relaxed.

As though the person who had spoken just now had not been her at all...

What a split personality. Gah, this so-called Yoruichi Shihouin was truly such a fickle and terrifying woman! She gave a bright little laugh and spoke casually.

"It's fine. Since she had her reasons, it's understandable. I'm just rather curious—which bastard would make you stick your neck out like this? What exactly is your relationship?"

As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes and revealed a highly teasing smile.

"Are you lovers?"

"...!!!"

Th-this-this, could she really say something like that right now?! Kotetsu Isane's face instantly flushed crimson and burned hot. In the end, she could not help lowering her head with a soft cry of "Ah."

"N-no, no, no, no, no! It's not like that!"

No, no, no—wasn't that attempt at denial way too obvious...? Kotetsu Isane, you were incredible.

Even Aizen, standing beside her, revealed a helpless expression.

Everyone had different reactions.

Meanwhile, in the arena.

The bedraggled youth rose to his feet and calmly wiped the corner of his mouth with his right hand.

He was bleeding...

It had to be said, that blow had been truly heavy.

"I almost died there, Senior Ōmaeda."

He was not joking. The spiritual pressure that had suddenly erupted completely overwhelmed Arima Shizuya's physical abilities. The gap between them was as exaggerated as that between an adult and a child.

Just as Kotetsu Isane had said, as a Vice-Captain, Ōmaeda's spiritual pressure was already beyond anything an ordinary person could compare to.

There was no need to mention himself.

Hearing Arima Shizuya's murmur, his opponent expressionlessly took up a lunging stance again.

"Can't be helped. I hope you won't take it too personally, young man."

"After all, it was Lady Yoruichi's instruction."

"Since the Name of Shihouin is at stake, I must give it my all."

It did not sound wrong.

But it was still not something worth examining too closely.

"Does a noble's honor mean sneak attacks and catching people off guard?"

Ōmaeda fell silent, while Arima Shizuya revealed a faint smile.

"Well, from my perspective, I'm not really in a position to say that either~"

Shinigami had never been righteous figures.

Nor was the Gotei 13 some ally of justice.

From the infamous murderous organization of a thousand years ago onward, what they did had never changed in the slightest.

They would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. This was also the conduct advocated by the First Division Captain, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.

Schemes and plots, deceiving others, even playing petty tricks and doing things despised by others...

Those were merely expressions of willpower.

So then.

"Holding back at a time like this would also be disrespectful... Senior Ōmaeda."

Taking up his stance once more, Arima Shizuya, having regained his composure, slowly exhaled a murky breath thick with the scent of blood.

"For today's second match, please go easy on me."