Teacher, Have You Ever Lost?

"Mimihagi..."

A look of puzzlement crossed Aizen's face. He had never heard a name like that before.

But from the phrase "the object used to worship the Soul King's Right Arm," it wasn't hard to tell that if everything Kisaragi Akira had said was true, then this One-Eyed Great Deity named Mimihagi might indeed be hiding a tremendous secret.

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

Kisaragi Akira sprang up from the bed and struck a pose like a charlatan, exuding an air of unfathomable mystery. He actually managed to fool the other man, at least for a moment.

But Aizen quickly came back to his senses. He raised a hand to his forehead and sighed helplessly.

He had a feeling that under someone's influence, his path seemed to be plunging toward some unpredictable abyss.

In a classroom, inside the dojo.

Two figures gripped their bamboo swords, their auras clashing head-on. Their fierce killing intent surged wildly, as if it would carve deep, jagged trenches into the floor and walls.

Of course, all of that was Kisaragi Akira's imagination.

In reality, under the crushing pressure of Kaede Junya's aura, he was already thinking about admitting he was wrong.

But after all the effort he'd put into building his Chief Priest persona at the Spiritual Arts Academy, how was he supposed to fleece rich fools in the future if he admitted defeat now?

"Brat, fooling the others is one thing."

Kaede Junya's forehead bulged with veins, his expression ferocious. Lowering his voice, he said, "But you even tried to fool Lord Kuchiki Sojun! Do you have any idea how to spell 'death'?"

"Fortunately, Lord Sojun didn't hold it against you. Otherwise, heh..."

Kisaragi Akira frowned. "That rich fool is from the Kuchiki Clan?"

"Kuchiki Sojun. That name sounds familiar."

Ignoring his muttering, Kaede Junya raised the bamboo sword in his hand. His aura erupted with such force that it seemed to conjure an invisible wind, whipping through the dojo.

"Lecturing you won't do any good. I'll have to teach you a lesson you'll remember."

"Get ready, Kisaragi Akira. This time, your teacher won't go easy on you!"

Kaede Junya suppressed his anger, lowering his body and shoulders. His once-raging aura suddenly withdrew completely.

The next instant, that suppressed aura burst forth.

Kaede Junya raised his bamboo sword and charged like a tiger bounding down a mountain. His fierce slash came straight down, as if it could split the air in two.

As the designated homeroom teacher for the elite students, Kaede Junya had only average Reiatsu, but he was exceptional at both Kendo and Shunpo.

In fact, if his Reiatsu had been a little stronger, he would have at least held the rank of Seated Officer. He wouldn't have been stuck teaching full-time at the Spiritual Arts Academy.

An enormous pressure rushed toward him. The smooth bamboo sword became a tiger's gaping maw, and a deafening roar seemed to ring through the air.

Kisaragi Akira drew a sharp breath and instinctively raised his sword to defend himself.

Smack!!

The loud crack of bamboo striking bamboo plunged the dojo into silence. Countless eyes focused on the two of them.

The other students were already used to seeing Kaede Junya beat up Kisaragi Akira.

But what surprised them was how serious Teacher Kaede seemed today.

Even more surprising was that Kisaragi Akira seemed to be performing above expectations.

"H-he actually blocked it?!"

"Kisaragi Akira's Hakuda is already monstrous, and he's this good at Kendo, too?"

"No wonder my father warned me never to underestimate anyone. The Spiritual Arts Academy is truly full of hidden talents!"

Aizen's expression remained calm, though a flicker of interest passed through his eyes.

Kisaragi Akira's Hakuda match with Yoruichi hadn't been enough to determine his talent.

But if his Kendo was as impressive as his Hakuda...

Then Aizen could be sure that Kisaragi Akira was a genius just like him!

Kaede Junya's attacks were astonishing. His bamboo sword became a storm, weaving an inescapable net around Kisaragi Akira, ready to crush him at any moment!

Caught in the onslaught, Kisaragi Akira was having a miserable time.

Kaede Junya's combat experience was on a completely different level from Shihoin Yoruichi's.

The gap in their ages meant Kaede Junya had been through more battles than Shihoin Yoruichi had eaten meals.

The tactic of learning as he went and countering his opponent's moves was no use in this situation. He could only rely on his own fighting ability to respond.

He was like a tiny boat on a turbulent sea, in danger of capsizing at any moment.

If he hadn't completed a check-in with Unohana Retsu and greatly improved his Kendo experience, he might have already fallen in the first exchange.

What he didn't know was that Kaede Junya was even more surprised.

As the homeroom teacher, Kaede Junya knew every student's abilities well, including Kisaragi Akira, who was always getting on people's nerves.

Kisaragi Akira's Hakuda had already given him a pleasant surprise.

He hadn't expected the brat's Kendo to improve so much in such a short time, too.

Was this what they called a genius?

The thought stirred a trace of appreciation for talent in Kaede Junya's heart. And then...

He hit even harder!

Young trees needed pruning to grow straight, and people needed discipline to keep them in line.

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

It was his duty!

The mounting pressure made Kisaragi Akira's life miserable. Through clenched teeth, he racked his brain for a way to turn things around.

There was no way he'd admit defeat.

Even if he did, he'd still get beaten. That was just how Teacher Kaede was.

"Prepare yourself, brat."

Kaede Junya increased his strength again. As he shifted his footing, he drove Kisaragi Akira back step by step, until he was less than three meters from the wall.

"Repent for your mistakes and get back on the right path!"

With a roar, Kaede Junya gripped his sword in both hands and swung it down with the force of a blow meant to split a mountain.

There was nothing fancy about the move. It relied on pure strength and speed.

And the tiniest trace of Reiatsu.

Kisaragi Akira held his breath and focused. The Heart of the Divine reached its peak, and his MAX-level talent flared to its fullest.

The world seemed to freeze before his eyes.

In an instant, Kaede Junya's technique broke down into dozens of parts. His use of force, the flow of his Reiatsu, the move's strengths and weaknesses—Kisaragi Akira grasped everything in the shortest possible time.

Light seemed to glimmer in Kisaragi Akira's eyes, bright as the stars above.

I don't need to be stronger than you. All I need is one moment of carelessness, and I can seize control of the fight!

His fingers clenched around the sword hilt. It creaked in protest as all his strength bore down on it, splitting and bursting the bamboo fibers.

He blocked that strike!

Kisaragi Akira bent his knees and crossed his arms, stopping Teacher Kaede's supposedly unstoppable blow in an awkward stance.

Looking at the boy's face, so close to his own, Kaede Junya's gaze suddenly froze. His lesson seemed to have failed.

Kisaragi Akira lifted his head and grinned.

"Teacher, have you ever lost?"

An inexplicable sense of dread spread through Kaede Junya. Before he could answer, Kisaragi Akira stepped in close and slid his bamboo sword down at an angle. The bamboo fibers burst apart completely.

Kaede Junya's eyes widened in disbelief. A violent crash thundered in his ears.

The broken bamboo sword struck him squarely in the chest.

The next instant, Kaede Junya flew past countless stunned faces at the far end of the dojo, tracing a graceful arc before crashing into the wooden door.

Boom!!

That day, Kisaragi Akira made a name for himself throughout the Spiritual Arts Academy.

Thanks to the generous supporter who gave a reward, and many thanks for the monthly tickets!