Elegant Combat

"You think I'm like you?"

Gaoyu said without holding back, "You dump your work on the Captain every day and run off. I take my job seriously. I've got plenty to deal with lately."

"!" Rangiku's eyes widened, as if she'd never seen anyone so shameless.

"And you've got the nerve to say that about me!"

Rangiku said in shock, "Toshiro told me you even make Hinamori, a Soul Reaper who just joined the division, handle your assignments!"

"Wait, wait!" Gaoyu looked confused. "Never mind why Toshiro knows about that. How come you heard all this from Toshiro?"

"Because I've never given up on my plan to lure Toshiro over to the Tenth Division~" Rangiku giggled.

"Toshiro." Shunsui Kyoraku spoke up. "Oh, that genius kid. You're all close to him?"

"Of course we are, Captain Kyoraku. Didn't you know? Toshiro was brought to Seireitei by Gaoyu."

"Really? I had no idea," Kyoraku said in surprise.

Toshiro Hitsugaya was the most famous child prodigy around these days. Plenty of divisions wanted to recruit him in the future.

But now that he'd seen them together, there was no point in competing for him. He was bound to end up in the Fifth Division.

"Actually, I'm not saying he absolutely has to join the Fifth Division." Gaoyu sighed. "To be honest, with Toshiro's talent, he's destined to become a Captain someday."

"Which means he's destined to leave the Fifth Division eventually. Maybe he'll join the Tenth Division and become your superior, Rangiku."

"Pah!" Rangiku scoffed indignantly. "Who wants to be that brat's subordinate? Besides, our Captain only took office recently. Retirement is a long way off."

"If anything, I'm the one who should retire," Shunsui Kyoraku said with a wistful sigh. "I'm probably one of the oldest Captains in the Gotei 13."

"Not at all." Gaoyu smiled. "Captain Kyoraku is Captain-Commander Yamamoto's prized student. If Captain-Commander Yamamoto retires, I think you'll be the next one to take his place."

"Give me a break," Shunsui Kyoraku replied with a wry smile.

He had no interest in becoming Captain-Commander.

Besides...

"That old man Yamamoto is nowhere near retirement."

Yamamoto might look old now, but he wouldn't change much even a thousand years from now.

Who knew what Soul Society would look like a thousand years later?

Gaoyu and the others didn't continue the conversation. They'd come to enjoy a drink together, after all. It would be a downer to spend the whole evening talking about retirement.

They were there to drink, chat about happy things, and shoot the breeze. There was no point in dwelling on gloomy topics.

A little after nine that evening, the three of them finished eating and drinking and prepared to leave.

Shunsui Kyoraku paid the bill. Compared with Gaoyu and Rangiku, he was an adult, and what kind of adult would make a child pay?

As they stepped out of Daruma House, they saw a group of people walking by.

Gaoyu froze. The man at the front wore a kimono that was obviously expensive, and the hairpin on his head was one only the highest-ranking nobles could wear. Combined with his Soul Ability, "The Noble's Self-Cultivation," it immediately gave away his identity.

The Captain of the Sixth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Elegant Combat: When used in battle, it allows the user to fight elegantly."

Heh. That was the whole skill description.

It sounded completely useless. Was it actually just as useless in practice?

Gaoyu was sure of one thing, anyway.

Using this skill would definitely make him look cool.

He also began to wonder about something else.

What did it mean to fight elegantly?

Would getting injured in battle ruin his elegance?

If so, would using this ability mean he couldn't get injured?

Would getting beaten up in battle ruin his elegance?

If so, would using this ability mean he couldn't get beaten up?

It seemed pretty useless, but Gaoyu could see some potential in the ability.

Ahem. Never mind. He'd wait until he actually got it before testing it out. What if it only gave him a noble air and did nothing else?

"No wonder. We're near the Kuchiki Family's shrine. That explains why we ran into Captain Kuchiki." Kyoraku rubbed his chin. "Is today the Kuchiki Family's day of worship?"

"Now that's impressive." Rangiku watched Byakuya Kuchiki pass by, struck by his commanding presence. "No wonder he's a member of a great noble family."

"Yeah. He's nothing like us commoners. What a grand entrance," Gaoyu added.

"Heh, that's a bit much." Kyoraku chuckled. "You're no commoner anymore, Gaoyu. If you're a commoner, how many people in Seireitei aren't?"

"Heh..."

Gaoyu said nothing. In the eyes of the powerful and influential, wasn't he just a commoner?

"Let's call it a night." Gaoyu said, "We've got work tomorrow."

The three of them parted ways. Gaoyu headed home, and his drunken eyes soon cleared.

He couldn't wait to begin training with Hollow Power.

Though it wasn't really training. The "Hollowfication" ability he'd obtained only required him to break through the boundaries of his soul and accept Hollow Power to become Hollowfied.

It wasn't like the systematic training of the Quincy Inheritor.

Using the Quincy Inheritor had truly given Gaoyu the Quincy training system. He'd gained not only the ability to form a Spirit Bow, but also some of the Quincy's knowledge.

He could expect to master more of the Quincy's power system later on, such as Saint Cantus, Saint Training, Shadow Power, Blood Power, and even the Quincy Final Form.

Hollowfication was different.

The Quincy Inheritor had given him a complete system, but he had to cultivate the power himself.

Hollowfication, on the other hand, had directly given him Hollow Power. How to control it was up to him.

Still, it was a Soul Ability, so becoming Hollowfied wouldn't make him lose control like the Visored Legion.

The greatest advantage of Hollowfication was that as soon as he used it once, the boundary between his Soul Reaper soul and a Hollow's would be permanently broken.

Though he couldn't transform into a Hollow at will without permanently obtaining the Soul Ability, if he slowly mastered this power, sooner or later he'd be able to Hollowfy on his own without relying on a Soul Ability.

With that thought, he entered his Safe House.

He adjusted the scene inside the Safe House to show himself going home, washing up, and going to bed as usual. Then he stood in the room and pressed one hand to his face.

"Hollowfication..."

Gaoyu whispered.