Even invincible Teacher Kaede had fallen.
In Kisaragi Akira's eyes, no one could match Kaede Junya's resilience.
Even though Akira often caused trouble and Class 1-1 had repeatedly been named the worst-behaved class, Teacher Kaede still showed up at the Kendo dojo without fail, come rain or shine.
His skills might have been a little lacking, but Teacher Kaede was more dedicated than over ninety percent of his colleagues.
But now...
Kisaragi Akira stared forlornly at the white-clad figure at the front of the dojo, his expression a mix of dazed bewilderment and complete resignation.
He turned slightly toward Aizen beside him and asked in a low voice:
"Sosuke, tell me..."
"Does Teacher Kaede still have any chance of surviving?"
At that, Aizen fell into thought. After a moment, he gave his assessment:
"Hard to say."
He didn't know Unohana Retsu's true identity, but his instincts told him that this woman was far more than she seemed.
When he'd first met her, he'd felt as if he were looking at a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Even a genius like Aizen had to admit it:
So far, Unohana Retsu of the Fourth Division was the strongest person he'd ever met!
Without a doubt!
Based on that judgment, if Kaede Junya insisted on keeping this Kendo class, Aizen couldn't guarantee he'd come out of it unharmed.
But what he was even more curious about now was what exactly Kisaragi Akira had said to Unohana Retsu.
One thing was clear: she had come specifically for Akira.
Standing at the front of the dojo, Unohana Retsu held a bamboo sword and looked at everyone kindly.
Perhaps it was just an illusion, but the moment she gripped the bamboo sword, her whole bearing turned razor-sharp, as though blades were crossing in the air around her.
"Students, I'm afraid I've just received some unfortunate news. Teacher Kaede Junya has fallen ill and has been sent to the General Infirmary."
"So I'll be teaching this Kendo class instead."
"But don't worry. I'm a tenth-dan Kendo practitioner, so I'm more than qualified to teach you."
"Besides, I've learned from Teacher Kaede Junya that today's lesson is on practical combat."
"And my greatest strength is—"
"Practical combat!"
As the words fell, her sharp gaze swept over and pierced straight through Kisaragi Akira, who was hiding in the crowd, like a pair of swords.
The instant their eyes met, Danger Instinct shrieked its warning. Akira instinctively tightened his grip on the bamboo sword, his whole body snapping into a combat stance.
His fierce aura transformed him completely in an instant!
Aizen watched his friend in astonishment. The way Kisaragi Akira looked now felt strangely unfamiliar.
But Akira quickly came to his senses. After shivering, he returned to normal, as if what had just happened had been nothing more than an illusion.
"Everyone, are you ready?"
Unohana Retsu asked warmly. "Give me everything you've got. Kendo combat practice starts now!"
"Let's begin with you."
The student sitting at the very front froze for a moment, but soon grew excited and charged forward with his bamboo sword, yelling.
No matter how skilled Unohana Retsu was at Kendo, she was one of the captains of the Gotei 13.
Across the entire Seireitei, she was among the most prominent figures.
The chance to spar with someone like her was an opportunity that countless generations of academy students could only dream of.
The student who stepped forward was so excited that his hands trembled around the bamboo sword. His blood was racing, and his face had flushed red.
After bowing, he immediately sprang forward and swung at Unohana Retsu.
As an elite student in Class 1-1, he did have some skill.
But the moment Unohana Retsu took her stance, his fate was already sealed.
After only a few exchanges, she knocked the bamboo sword from his hands, defeating him outright.
"Your movements are too broad and open,"
Unohana Retsu commented. "You can't adapt quickly enough. In your daily training, you should focus on making the fundamentals of Kendo instinctive. When you swing your sword, you should be able to weave several possible techniques into the movement."
"Of course, at your current level, your Kendo is still above the passing mark."
The defeated student had looked crestfallen, but the moment he heard the second half of her comment, his excitement returned.
"Thank you, Captain Unohana!"
Another student stepped forward and took up a stance.
Then one strike landed, and he was defeated in an instant.
After a few words of instruction, she pinpointed his shortcomings and showed him how to improve from then on.
The practical Kendo session moved quickly. One student after another stepped forward, only to have their bamboo swords knocked away within a few moves.
Under Unohana Retsu's guidance, everyone's understanding of Kendo improved by leaps and bounds.
Kisaragi Akira gazed sorrowfully at his classmates and suddenly realized that this whole group of elite students had apparently become Unohana Retsu's fans.
"Sosuke, you're the only comrade left in my camp."
Aizen brushed Akira's hand off his shoulder with a hint of disdain, picked up the bamboo sword beside him, and stood. Without looking back, he said:
"No. We were never on the same side."
Betrayed by his friend once again, Kisaragi Akira's figure seemed to grow even more forlorn.
While Akira was busy losing his mind, Aizen had already walked straight over to Unohana Retsu.
As she looked at the brown-haired boy before her, a thoughtful look flickered in Unohana Retsu's eyes.
She remembered the boy named Aizen Sosuke. Last time Kisaragi Akira had gone to the General Infirmary to have his arm treated, Sosuke had accompanied him.
The friendship between the two boys seemed quite strong.
"Captain Unohana, please instruct me."
Aizen bowed slightly, then gripped the bamboo sword in both hands and assumed a standard starting stance.
Unohana Retsu raised her own bamboo sword and nodded seriously:
"Let's begin."
The moment the words left her lips, Aizen suddenly burst forward at astonishing speed, like an arrow loosed from its bow, his presence sharp and relentless.
At the sight of him, Unohana Retsu's eyes lit up slightly, like a hunter who'd found suitable prey.
The bamboo sword came down like a torrential downpour, filling his field of vision.
In an instant, the wind howled and their auras surged.
Unlike the earlier bouts with the students, Aizen's fight with Unohana Retsu gave everyone the strange impression that they were watching a real battle.
Aizen's bamboo sword came crashing down, but Unohana Retsu slipped aside and countered with a heavy strike, knocking the sword from his hands.
The winner was decided.
The students stared in shock at the two facing each other at the front, suddenly realizing something terrifying.
It seemed that Kisaragi Akira's unassuming little sidekick was a bona fide genius too!
"Your Kendo fundamentals are solid,"
Unohana Retsu praised him. "Just as I thought. Geniuses are drawn to one another."
"Kisaragi, I hope you won't disappoint me..."
Watching the two of them smile at each other, Kisaragi Akira felt as if he'd fallen into an icy pit. An overwhelming wave of malice swallowed him whole.
So betrayal by a good friend really was the most painful kind?
Before you continue