Nejibana, you wouldn't want...

Rukia and Toshiro both wielded ice-type Zanpakuto, so, truth be told, they actually had quite a lot in common.

This was the first time Toshiro had been qualified to teach someone else.

However, their exchange had barely begun before it was forced to a halt.

Because Aoto and Shiba Kaien had started arguing!

Both of them were slightly tipsy, and after failing to see eye-to-eye on a single point, they both stood up, grabbed each other by the lapels, and wrestled.

Then, fists started flying toward each other's faces.

Toshiro and Rukia watched, completely dumbfounded.

Hitting each other with such force—wasn't that something only sworn enemies would do?

After trading blows for a while without either managing to knock the other down, they simultaneously drew their Zanpakuto and bolted out of the house.

Damn it! This is going to be trouble!

Dropping the food they hadn't finished, Toshiro and Rukia scrambled to give chase.

These two couldn't just go around fighting like this!

Especially if they released their Zanpakuto; they would definitely be punished for that.

However, upon realizing that the direction they were heading was the Rukon District, Toshiro and Rukia both breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that despite being drunk, they still possessed enough of their wits.

That was a relief!

West Rukon District, Third District.

This was the very place where Shiba Kaien had taught Rukia how to achieve Shikai.

It was also where Shiba Kaien usually trained.

And right now, Shiba Kaien was locked in an incredibly intense battle with Aoto.

The two men's Zanpakuto clashed repeatedly, and by the looks of it, neither was holding back in the slightest.

The spiritual pressure of two top-tier lieutenant-level combatants collided, causing a violent surge of spirit particles to roil in the vicinity.

Toshiro, who had followed them, was able to steady himself easily amidst the tide of spirit particles, but Rukia could not; she needed Toshiro to support her, or she would have been blown away.

Toshiro felt helpless—his master's impulsive behavior while drunk would surely have drawn the attention of the Correction Corps or the Twelfth Division the moment they drew their blades. It wouldn't be a surprise if he had to write a lengthy report once he sobered up tomorrow.

However, he couldn't afford to miss a battle of this caliber.

These were the people walking ahead of him, and they served as excellent benchmarks that could provide him with a direction for his future growth.

After one particularly violent collision, both combatants retreated a distance, then, with perfect tacit understanding, raised their Zanpakuto and performed their Shikai.

"Turn the tides, Nejibana!"

The Zanpakuto in Shiba Kaien's hand transformed into a steel trident longer than he was.

The water-type Zanpakuto, Nejibana. During an attack, it could stir up a powerful tide of spirit particles as it spun, imbuing the power of that tide into the next direct strike of the trident.

The tide of spirit particles stirred up by their earlier clash had now become a part of Shiba Kaien's current power.

It could be considered an environmental buff.

As for Aoto... he used yet another new Shikai incantation.

"Repent and find salvation, Ryuki!"

Aoto's Zanpakuto transformed into a single-headed steel spear.

Though it was a steel spear, it swayed back and forth with great elasticity under Aoto's wielding.

"Lone Dragon Emerges!"

Although the tide of spirit particles had put him at a disadvantage, Aoto was the first to strike.

With his left hand gripping the end of the spear, he thrust it forward gently, the steel spear stabbing straight toward Shiba Kaien.

Though the distance was great, a Dragon Shadow formed from spiritual pressure erupted from the thrust, instantly crossing the space between them and charging toward Shiba Kaien.

Shiba Kaien remained unhurried; he gripped the center of the trident with both hands, spun it with ease, and then, carrying the immense power of the tide, smashed it directly into the head of the Dragon Shadow, shattering it into fragments.

Then... Aoto was already closing in on Shiba Kaien.

Spear thrust after spear thrust—Aoto, who was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of raw power, was now the one on the offensive.

Meanwhile, Shiba Kaien, whose power was growing stronger with the tide of spirit particles, was forced into a constant defensive.

An average person really wouldn't be able to make sense of this.

Rukia was somewhat confused, so Toshiro explained to her that his master was using offense to substitute for defense...

Since it was the power of the tide, there would always be a difference between the ebb and the flow.

Master Aoto was attacking precisely when Lieutenant Shiba was gathering his power, and if Lieutenant Shiba didn't want to be run through with a hole, he had no choice but to use that gathered power for defense.

And at those moments, Master Aoto would take the opportunity to retract his spear, refusing to clash head-on with Lieutenant Shiba, leaving only the Dragon Shadow for him to destroy.

"But this method cannot be sustained forever!" Toshiro frowned. "Because this tidal force is growing stronger and stronger. This power must be capable of both offense and defense. If the attack power of Dragon Shadow becomes unable to break through the opponent's defense..."

Speak of the devil; before Toshiro could even finish his sentence, Dragon Shadow was washed away by the tidal force!

The power Shiba Kaien had gathered finally came crashing down upon Aoto.

Facing such an attack, Aoto turned and retreated a few steps, perfectly dodging the main body of Nejibana.

However, the tidal force continued to surge toward Aoto as if it had physical substance.

At this moment, Aoto had not even turned his body around.

Yet, even without turning, his counter-strike with the steel spear had already arrived!

Returning Horse Spear!

The dragon-like spear tip swept from above Aoto's head to his back, the immense force and spiritual pressure carried within the contraction colliding head-on with the tidal force, shattering it directly after a brief stalemate.

And this spear tip was now thrusting toward Shiba Kaien, whose momentum was spent.

The strongest power of this Shikai variation of Aoto's lay entirely in this Returning Horse Spear!

Every enemy who experienced this move for the first time had been pierced through without exception.

Coincidentally, Shiba Kaien had already tasted this move in the past... the notch on his left ear was caused by this very technique.

Therefore, the now-sober Shiba Kaien instinctively tilted his head, letting the spear tip graze past his ear... following the same trajectory as before, unchanged.

Although he had dodged it, Shiba Kaien's ear was still shaken to the point of bleeding.

Retracting his steel spear, Aoto, who had also fully sobered up due to the hot sweat, looked at Kaien's bleeding ear with considerable annoyance.

Causing a groom to bleed before his wedding was hardly a good omen!

But Shiba Kaien himself felt quite exhilarated.

There were very few Shinigami in Soul Society who used long-handled weapons, and even fewer who could fight him with such composure.

Although he had sparred with Aoto many times, Aoto had never used Ryuki again since the first time he nearly skewered Kaien's head with it.

This battle between long weapons, despite the loss, truly made Shiba Kaien feel invigorated.

He could feel Nejibana's displeasure... Nejibana, you don't want to lose to Ryuki for a third time, do you?

Then hurry up and tell me your full name!

Shiba Kaien felt that he was now closer than ever to his Bankai!