Teacher, Have You Ever Lost?

"Mimihagi..."

Aizen's expression turned puzzled; he had never heard a name like that before.

But judging by the phrase "that which enshrines the right arm of the Soul King," it wasn't hard to deduce that if what Kisaragi Akira said was true, this one-eyed deity named Mimihagi might truly hold a monumental secret.

"Well then, do you believe in gods, young man?"

Kisaragi Akira rolled off the bed and struck a pose like a charlatan, an air of unfathomable mystery washing over him that actually managed to stall the other boy for a moment.

But Aizen quickly regained his composure, reached up to rub his forehead, and sighed helplessly.

He had a feeling that, under someone's influence, his own path was beginning to plummet toward some unforeseeable abyss.

In the classroom, inside the dojo.

Two figures gripped their wooden swords, their auras clashing head-on. A fierce, murderous intent raged between them, as if it were about to carve deep, hideous gashes into the floor and walls.

Of course, all of the above was merely Kisaragi Akira's own imagination.

The reality was that under the merciless pressure of Kaede Junya's aura, he was already contemplating admitting defeat.

But considering the "shrine priest" persona he had worked so hard to establish at the Spiritual Arts Academy, if he just backed down now, how would he go about fleecing the wealthy marks later?

"You brat, it's one thing to swindle the others."

Veins bulged on Kaede Junya's forehead as he wore a ferocious expression, lowering his voice to growl, "But you actually tried to swindle Kuchiki Sojun-sama this time! Do you have any idea how to write the word 'death'?"

"It's fortunate that Sojun-sama didn't hold it against you, otherwise, hmph..."

Kisaragi Akira frowned: "That rich sucker is from the Kuchiki clan?"

"Kuchiki Sojun, such a familiar name."

Ignoring his muttering, Kaede Junya raised his wooden sword, his aura erupting with surging intensity, forming an invisible gale that rippled through the surroundings.

"Preaching is useless. I must give you a profound lesson so you'll remember your mistakes."

"Be careful, Kisaragi Akira. This teacher won't be holding back this time!"

Kaede Junya suppressed his anger, lowering his center of gravity and dropping his shoulders; the previously violent aura suddenly retracted entirely.

The next moment, the contained aura exploded outward.

Kaede Junya lunged forward like a tiger descending from the mountains, his wooden sword raised high, delivering a sharp, cutting strike that seemed as if it would split the very air in two.

As the designated homeroom teacher for the elite class, although Kaede Junya's spiritual pressure was average, his swordsmanship and Flash Step were both considered peerless.

Or rather, if not for his slightly lacking spiritual pressure, he would have at least held a seated officer position, rather than teaching full-time at the Spiritual Arts Academy.

A tremendous pressure bore down on him; the flat wooden sword transformed into the bloody maw of a tiger, and a faint, deafening roar seemed to echo in the air.

Kisaragi Akira gasped, instinctively raising his sword to parry.

Clack!!

The resounding strike plunged the dojo into silence, countless gazes fixed upon the pair.

As for the incident of Kaede Junya beating Kisaragi Akira, the other students had long since grown accustomed to it.

But what was surprising was that Teacher Kaede seemed exceptionally serious today.

What was even more surprising was that Kisaragi Akira's performance seemed to be exceeding expectations.

"He... he actually blocked it?!"

"Kisaragi Akira's hand-to-hand combat skills were already like a monster's, but his swordsmanship is this strong too?"

"No wonder my father warned me never to underestimate anyone. The Spiritual Arts Academy truly hides dragons and crouching tigers!"

Aizen's expression remained calm, though his slightly flickering gaze betrayed a hint of interest.

Before, when Kisaragi Akira sparred with Yoruichi in hand-to-hand combat, it hadn't been enough to determine his true talent.

But if his swordsmanship was as stunning as his hand-to-hand skills...

Then he could be certain that Kisaragi Akira was a genius, just like him!

Kaede Junya's offensive was astonishing; his wooden sword became a torrential storm, weaving a net of inescapable strikes that trapped Kisaragi Akira, threatening to shred him completely at any moment!

Caught within the onslaught, Kisaragi Akira had no words for his plight.

The combat experience between Kaede Junya and Shihouin Yoruichi was not even on the same level.

The gap in age meant that Kaede Junya had experienced more battles than Shihouin Yoruichi had eaten meals.

The method of learning while breaking an opponent's rhythm simply couldn't be applied to the current situation; he could only rely on his own raw combat level to cope.

He was like a lone boat on a turbulent sea, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.

If he hadn't completed the check-in with Unohana Retsu, which had significantly boosted his swordsmanship experience, he might have already fallen during the first exchange.

But what he didn't know was that Kaede Junya was even more astonished at this moment.

As a homeroom teacher, Kaede Junya was well-versed in the abilities of every student, even the Kisaragi Akira who often made people angry.

Kisaragi Akira's hand-to-hand skills had already given him quite a surprise earlier.

To think that in such a short amount of time, this kid's swordsmanship had actually improved by an entire level.

Could this be what they call a genius?

Thinking this, a sense of cherishing talent couldn't help but stir in Kaede Junya's heart, and then...

He struck even harder!

A sapling must be pruned to grow straight; a person must be disciplined to behave.

As an elite teacher, he had to steer every genius back onto the right path!

This was his duty!

The suddenly increased pressure made Kisaragi Akira suffer immensely; gritting his teeth, he struggled to think of a way to break the deadlock.

Admitting defeat was out of the question.

Because even if he surrendered, he would still get beaten—Teacher Kaede was just that straightforward.

"Prepare yourself, kid."

Kaede Junya increased his force once more, his footwork shifting as he forced Kisaragi Akira to retreat repeatedly, until he was less than three meters from the wall.

"Go and repent for your mistakes properly, then walk the righteous path!"

With a roar, Kaede Junya gripped his blade with both hands and swung it downward with the force of a mountain-splitting strike.

It was a move without any frills, possessing only pure power and speed.

And, a negligible hint of spiritual pressure.

Kisaragi Akira held his breath and focused his mind; the Heart of the Divine was pushed to its limit at this moment, his MAX-level talent instantly maxed out.

The world in his eyes seemed to freeze in that instant.

Kaede Junya's technique was decomposed into dozens of parts in a split second—the exertion of force, the flow of spiritual pressure, the strengths and weaknesses—everything was grasped in the shortest possible time.

A light seemed to flicker in Kisaragi Akira's eyes, as brilliant and dazzling as the stars in the sky.

I don't need to be stronger than you; I only need a moment of your negligence to seize the rhythm of victory!

His five fingers tightened, the hilt of the bamboo sword emitting a creaking groan as all his strength was applied to it, causing strands of bamboo fiber to snap and burst apart.

This strike, blocked!

Kisaragi Akira bent his knees slightly, crossed his arms, and blocked Teacher Kaede's sure-fire blow in a strange posture.

Looking at the young face so close to his own, Kaede Junya's gaze suddenly froze; it seemed his teaching objective had failed.

Kisaragi Akira raised his head and grinned:

"Teacher, have you ever been defeated?"

An inexplicable sense of foreboding spread in the depths of his heart. Before Kaede Junya could answer, Kisaragi Akira surged forward, his bamboo sword sliding past, and countless bamboo fibers exploded completely.

Kaede Junya's eyes widened, an expression of disbelief surfacing in his pupils as a violent sound rang in his ears.

The broken bamboo sword landed squarely on his chest.

The next moment, Kaede Junya streaked past countless shocked gazes at the end of the dojo, tracing a graceful parabola before landing against the wooden door at the entrance.

BOOM!!

On this day, Kisaragi Akira became famous throughout the Spiritual Arts Academy.

Thanks to the big boss Mengmengdongdong Huanghuangyouyou for the tip, and thanks to the big boss for the monthly ticket feed!