"Ha!!"
Zabimaru came crashing down, and the enemy facing Abarai Renji was finally knocked to the ground.
But it wasn't over yet.
Zabimaru stretched out and wrapped completely around the enemy, then slammed him back and forth against the ground until he could no longer hold on to his Zanpakuto and was forced to drop it.
The enemy had lost the ability to fight, so Abarai Renji could be declared the winner.
Ganjuro announced, "The Seated Officer challenge is over. Aoi, the 10th Seat, has lost to Abarai, the 18th Seat. From this moment on, their positions are reversed."
"Awesome!" Abarai Renji cheered loudly, as if the hole pierced through him by his opponent's Shikai didn't matter at all.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Aoi, the 10th Seat—no, the 18th Seat now—struggled to his feet, coughing.
Ah, to be young, with such determination and ambition... No wonder he'd been a squad member a week ago and had beaten me a week later.
He was so much better than me!
After seeing Abarai's drive to win, even if it meant risking his life, Aoi resolved to make a comeback... He wasn't old yet!
But after the fight ended, just as everyone was about to leave, Ganjuro called them back.
All the Seated Officers were already there, so Ganjuro figured he might as well ask now instead of waiting until dinner... The two injured ones might not even make it to the mess hall for dinner!
"Tomorrow, Lieutenant Shiba Kaien of the 13th Division is getting married. Lord Hyakume has asked me to select three Seated Officers to accompany him to the wedding. If anyone wants to go, raise your hand now!"
Hearing this, Abarai Renji raised his hand at once, not caring that it might tear his wound open further.
But when he turned around, he saw that every Seated Officer had their hand raised.
No one wanted to pass up this opportunity.
After all, everyone knew that Lord Hyakume and Lieutenant Shiba Kaien were good friends.
So wouldn't Lord Hyakume surely bring plenty of fine gifts to the wedding?
Especially some of those high-grade ingredients he rarely brought out...
The Soul Reapers of the 11th Division had all been turned into foodies by Aoto.
Abarai Renji hadn't expected everyone to want to go. His gaze drifted toward Ganjuro, the 8th Seat.
If that was the case, shouldn't they decide by rank?
That was exactly why Abarai Renji had fought so hard to challenge the 10th Seat.
Otherwise, given his current strength, around the 13th Seat would have been the right place for him.
But things didn't go as well as he'd hoped.
This situation seemed to have been no surprise to Ganjuro.
So Ganjuro brought out a box he'd prepared earlier.
It was a lottery box.
Inside were twelve small balls, each marked with a number from nine to twenty.
Ganjuro would draw three of them, and whoever held the corresponding number would get to go.
It was perfectly fair!
But to Abarai, this kind of fairness seemed "unfair."
Then what had he worked so hard for?!
But he couldn't object. All he could do was watch as Ganjuro, the 8th Seat, began drawing the balls.
Three out of twelve... About a one-in-four chance. He still had a shot.
The first ball: number 18!
What?!
━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━
Abarai's eyes nearly popped out of his head!
When Aoi, the 18th Seat, heard he'd been selected, he was overjoyed!
"Hahaha, what a coincidence!"
As the other Seated Officers congratulated him, Aoi, now the 18th Seat, glanced at Abarai, the 10th Seat, feeling grateful for his challenge.
Aoi paid no attention to that and continued drawing.
The second ball: number 13!
Abarai Renji's expression turned even grimmer... That was the position he'd originally planned to challenge for!
The last ball!
Ganjuro drew the final ball and kept everyone in suspense long enough for them to start cursing him, then finally showed them with a grin.
It was... the number 9 ball!
The 9th Seat let out a sigh of relief, while Abarai nearly fainted.
Seeing Abarai's condition, everyone hurried to take him to the 4th Division for treatment.
Kira Izuru had been waiting there the whole time. When Renji was brought in and they called him Abarai, the 10th Seat, Kira knew he'd won his challenge.
But if he'd won, why did he look so miserable?
After Abarai Renji explained what had happened, Kira Izuru could only feel sorry for him.
If he'd had bad luck, there was nothing to complain about.
Was he supposed to blame Ganjuro, the 8th Seat, for being fair?
The squad members ought to feel lucky to have such a fair Seated Officer.
It could only mean that Renji and Rukia were a little short on fate.
"Who told you to distance yourself from Rukia when she joined the nobility? If you hadn't, why go through all these roundabout steps? Regretting it now, are you?"
Hearing Kira's taunt, Abarai Renji ground his teeth in anger.
But Kira wasn't wrong. He'd brought this on himself...
What a regret!
After all, it was the wedding of the head of one of the Five Great Noble Families. Though the family lived in Rukongai, Soul Reapers still came in a steady stream to offer their congratulations.
Everyone in the 13th Division, from Seated Officers to squad members, was helping with the arrangements.
Meanwhile, Captain Ukitake Jushiro had been kept in his seat by two Third Seats, who wouldn't let him wander around... They didn't need his help here, so he should just rest!
Ukitake Jushiro wasn't angry at this treatment. In fact, he was quite content.
Ukitake Jushiro had already decided that as soon as Kaien mastered Bankai, he would retire and hand over the captain's position to him.
With Kaien there, the rest of the Ukitake Family wouldn't fall apart immediately after he retired.
Ukitake Jushiro was determined to take good care of himself after retiring... Maybe he could live a little longer.
Seeing how everything was flourishing at the Shiba House, Ukitake Jushiro was deeply pleased.
It was just... the seat beside him was a little noisy.
That was because Ukitake Jushiro had spotted Aoto, who was being pestered by Kaien's younger sister.
But what happened next left Ukitake Jushiro utterly stunned.
Faced with Kūkaku Shiba's pestering, Aoto punched her in the head and knocked her unconscious.
"Ganju, come drag your sister away!"
Twelve- or thirteen-year-old Ganju Shiba came scampering over, tossed his sister onto a huge fat pig, then carried her back inside.
Aoto turned to Ukitake Jushiro, who was staring in shock, and scratched his head. "Haha, sorry you had to see that, Captain Ukitake!"
Ukitake Jushiro really did laugh.
Like Unohana Retsu, he believed Aoto would become a captain someday.
With Aoto's help, things should be much easier for Kaien in the future, too.
Thinking about their relationship reminded Ukitake Jushiro of his own friendship with Kyoraku Shunsui, his classmate who was just like him.
At their level, having a classmate to support each other through everything was truly fortunate.
As Ukitake reflected on this, more guests began to arrive.
The most distinguished among them was the one Kuchiki Rukia had brought along...
Byakuya Kuchiki!