Renaissance

In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived—the day of the Captain's lecture.

After tidying his uniform, Tenshin Ichiro bid farewell to the still-sleeping Urahara and set off for Squad 4.

Sometimes, however, thanks to the actions of idiots, trouble finds you all on its own. Like right now...

"Do you seniors need something? I'm in a bit of a rush."

"Hmph, kid, don't play dumb. We heard you've been bullying Sugou by cozying up to a couple of nobles. We're here to settle the score. We're all from Rukongai, so there's no need to be so ruthless, right?"

That's right, Ichiro had been cornered. A classic setup...

The men were sixth-years, also from Rukongai. Ichiro recognized them; when he'd gone to ask his teachers about Kido, he'd often heard their names: Tencheng Shiro, Yeyu Katsuragi, and Murashita Kazusuke. They came from the lowest-numbered districts of Rukongai and were notorious for brawling.

Ironically, they were currently being incited by Sugou to preach about "unity" because they were all from Rukongai, yet they were the very same people who bullied students from those districts.

Glancing with disdain at Sugou standing behind the trio, Ichiro smiled.

"Bakudo #4: Crawling Rope!" x4 (Incanted in under a second.)

(The gray rope was an early mistranslation.)

In an instant, four ropes condensed from spirit particles bound the men. Ichiro continued without pause.

"Bakudo #26: Curved Light."

As the light and shadows distorted, Ichiro's figure vanished from the spot, leaving them behind. Under normal circumstances, he might have been interested in playing along, but right now, he had better things to do. The Captain's lecture was more important.

A moment later, the ropes dissolved into spirit particles, and the four broke free. But before Sugou could say a word, their leader, Tencheng Shiro, slapped him hard across the face!

"Smack!"

"You dare provoke a second-year who has mastered the Incantation Abandonment of #26? Are you tired of living?"

"I... I'm sorry, Boss Tencheng. I know I was wrong." Sugou kept his head bowed low, not daring to retort.

Does he really know? A flash of killing intent crossed Tencheng Shiro's narrowed eyes. He knew this type all too well; after all, that was how he had climbed his way up, so he wouldn't give Sugou a chance...

"As long as you know, get lost!" Tencheng Shiro kicked Sugou and left with his two lackeys.

After turning a corner and leaving Sugou's sight, Tencheng Shiro's expression turned gloomy.

"Boss, are we just going to let that guy Sugou go?" Murashita Kazusuke stepped forward slightly and asked in a low voice.

"Do you think that's possible? If he can come to us to settle a classroom dispute, he'll eventually drag others into our business for the same reason. He can't stay. Find a way to get him sent back to Rukongai, and then have the brothers..." Tencheng Shiro made a throat-slitting gesture, the implication clear.

"Understood, Boss. What about that Tenshin Ichiro?"

"Go find out what he likes later. We'll go to their classroom tomorrow to apologize."

"This... is that really necessary, Boss?"

Murashita Kazusuke wasn't questioning the apology itself, but doing it in the classroom would severely damage their reputation at the academy.

"It must be done. Didn't you see just now? Incantation Abandonment for a #26 Kido, and four #4 Kido cast in under a second. Do any sixth-years have that kind of ability? Give it up. We can't afford to provoke a monster like that..." Tencheng Shiro touched the massive scar on his chest with a deep gaze.

He had once been a hegemon in Rukongai. Having long met the requirements for enrollment, he had chosen not to enter the academy, instead expanding his territory in Rukongai and acting as a local warlord!

Until that day...

A man had walked from one end of the village to the other, blade in hand, cutting down the hundreds of lackeys he was so proud of all by himself. He had even left a scar on Tencheng's chest, leaving him near death!

He would never forget the look of disappointment in that man's eyes as he walked away...

It was because of that experience that he understood clearly: in the Soul Society, strength was everything! Only the strong could possess anything!

As for Sugou?

Trash like that might as well die. One "Tencheng Shiro" was enough...

On the other side, under the cover of Curved Light, Ichiro hurried toward the Squad 4 barracks. The Captain's lectures were precious; he gained significant insights every time.

For instance, the technique he had just used was something he'd realized during a previous lecture. The "Four-Fold Abandonment"—casting multiple Kido with Incantation Abandonment within a single second—was a weakened version of another Kido technique.

Before long, Ichiro arrived at Squad 4. Like the academy, Squad 4 was on break for the weekend, though they operated on a rotating shift since medical duties still had to be performed. Regardless of the holiday, if an emergency arose, all members were required to report immediately!

Thus, even though it was the weekend, the barracks were quite full. Most people wouldn't pass up this opportunity; after all, the Captain only lectured once every few years.

"Ichiro, you're here. Come over, we're about to start." The Captain beckoned to Ichiro as he walked in, drawing envious glances from the others.

If the Captain had previously only been subtly grooming Ichiro, then after the Kaido incident last week, it had become blatant favoritism. Outside of lecture hours, the Captain would often call Ichiro over during normal work to teach him hands-on, treating him almost like a personal disciple.

Soon, the lecture began. It was as simple and easy to understand as ever, but Ichiro began to feel a sense of worry. The Captain was still focusing on the accumulation of experience, with less and less related to technical skills.

This signaled a serious problem: the Captain might not have much left to teach him regarding Kaido...

Admittedly, he could research it himself, but nothing compared to learning from the results of others. Only by standing on the shoulders of giants could one touch the higher heavens.

When the lecture ended, the Captain called Ichiro aside as usual and asked with a smile, "How did it feel?"

Ichiro poured a cup of tea and handed it over, smiling. "Simple and easy to understand. The Captain's experience is as profound as ever."

"Heh, you've got a silver tongue. But you're right—all I can really teach you about Kaido now is experience. It was to be expected. Come with me to meet someone later; he should be able to teach you better when it comes to Kaido." The Captain took a gentle sip of tea.

"Is there someone even better at Kaido than you, Captain? Could it be the Great Kido Chief of the Kido Corps?"

The Captain shook his head with a smile. "The Great Kido Chief's Kaido is decent, but it's not necessarily stronger than mine. The person we are going to see is someone else."

"Someone else..." Ichiro's eyes flickered, a trace of surprise surfacing. "Could it be the Royal Special Forces?"

The Captain wasn't surprised that Ichiro knew the term, a faint smile still lingering on his face. "It seems you've been reading plenty of books at the academy. That's right. We are going to meet the founder of Kaido, a member of the Royal Special Forces—also known as one of the captains of the Zero Division: Kirinji Tenjiro."

It really is the Zero Division!