"Rukia, Renji, let's go."
As he spoke, Gilgamesh turned and headed out of the classroom.
Renji Abarai and Rukia, who held Yoruichi Shihouin in her arms, did not hesitate either and followed him at once.
Byakuya Kuchiki silently watched them, his hand tightly gripping Senbonzakura, which had somehow returned to its sealed state. He did not speak to stop them, nor did he have the mind to think about Rukia for the moment.
The scene of the battle just now resurfaced in his mind.
After Senbonzakura's Bankai had been unleashed, if Gilgamesh had not held back at the end, Byakuya Kuchiki would have been seriously wounded and lying on the ground by now.
Byakuya Kuchiki understood this clearly himself, which was why his feelings were so complicated.
He had never imagined that he would lose to a newly enrolled student—and lose so decisively.
Of course, if it had merely been a defeat, then after witnessing Gilgamesh's mystery and power, Byakuya Kuchiki would only have felt unwilling to accept it. He would have found a way to improve himself and win the next time.
But Gilgamesh had held back at the crucial moment. To Byakuya Kuchiki, that was pity and charity, and it filled him with humiliation.
As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans, he could allow himself to suffer a miserable defeat, but he could not allow himself to accept an opponent's pity and charity.
It was the dignity and pride engraved into his very bones.
Byakuya Kuchiki wanted to wash away this humiliation, but he was powerless to do so.
He knew that even if he still had the strength to fight, seeking out Gilgamesh now would only be asking for more suffering.
That fact made him feel even worse.
Byakuya Kuchiki's