Ōmaeda's life was going splendidly.
He was making so much money his hands were cramping, but that wasn't important. He was already rich.
More than wealth, Ōmaeda craved fame and influence within the Gotei 13. To put it bluntly... he wanted everyone to see him in a new light, and it would be even better if they were a little more respectful.
Ōmaeda felt he was very close to this goal.
After all, he had already "conquered" the most difficult and stubborn faction!
"Hehe, those bastards in the 11th Division. At first, they looked down on my 'medicine.' Now, every time they see me, they have to force a smile, just to buy more than the next guy. I thought they were all brainless brutes, but it turns out they can be pretty clever."
"But this is better. If they were true brutes, I wouldn't dare sell to them. Only clever guys know how to keep a secret, which makes it easier for me to slowly 'conquer' the other divisions."
"When the time comes, and this all blows up... when I, Lord Ōmaeda, am forced into the spotlight, I wonder how many jaws will drop? Even if the business goes bust, it'll be the biggest news in years! Fame and popularity, here I come!"
Just as Ōmaeda was lounging on his chair, basking in the sun and the joy of his impending stardom, a cold, clear voice dispelled the warmth of the sun and his happiness.
"—Ōmaeda. Can you explain to me what this 'medicine' is all about?"
Ōmaeda, terrified, tumbled right off his lounger, landing in a heap on the ground. He was covered in dust but was too scared to care.
"C-Captain?! What are you doing here? Wait, weren't you at a meeting?!"
"I was at the regular Captains' meeting. If I hadn't gone, I would never have known that you were secretly dealing illegal drugs."
Soi Fon strode over, her expression thunderous.
"Illegal drugs?! It's a misunderstanding! It's just a laxative! I was just sharing a homemade remedy out of the goodness of my heart! Besides, I wasn't trying to sell it! They forced the money on me as a 'thank you'! It wasn't a transaction!"
Ōmaeda nearly wet himself. He did not want to go to prison.
"You really are from the Onmitsukidō. You've learned the 'laws' quite well," Soi Fon sneered.
"But that excuse might work on others. It won't work on me."
Seeing that Soi Fon looked ready to strike, Ōmaeda's face paled.
"Please wait, Captain Soi Fon."
Suddenly, another voice cut in.
Unohana Retsu, accompanied by Isane, appeared, walking down the same path Soi Fon had taken.
Despite her gentle nature, beautiful face, and the compassionate burden of being the chief healer... Ōmaeda's first reaction upon seeing Unohana was even greater terror.
"C-Captain... Unohana?!"
"Ara, good afternoon, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda. What lovely weather we're having."
Unohana's beaming smile could rival the sun's, but it made Ōmaeda tremble. His legs, which had been about to run, turned to jelly.
"Such fine weather is perfect for a chat. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about the source of this medicine. I hope you'll be so kind as to enlighten me."
"..."
Ōmaeda's mouth hung open. He silently apologized to Takeru and Ichigo. It wasn't that he wasn't "clever." It was that no one—brute or genius—had the guts to lie in this situation.
A few moments later, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, he had spilled everything.
"To think it was two first-year students... This has become quite a complicated matter."
Outside the 2nd Division barracks, Isane sighed as she descended the steps.
Faint noises echoed from behind her.
Something like, "Captain, I was just trying to improve the Onmitsukidō's reputation!"
And, "Improving our reputation... with a laxative? Do you have any idea what kind of horrible nickname that bastard Kenpachi has given me now!?"
She pretended not to hear.
"Yes, it is complicated. But in a way, it's also a relief. At least it's not a malicious crime. At worst, it's just... a prank?" Unohana mused.
A prank...?
Isane heard a shriek from the 2nd Division barracks and shivered. This was not a prank most people could survive.
"In any case, we must go and see those two young men now."
Unohana looked up. The sun, with no shade to block it, was a bit blinding. She squinted, her gaze fixed in the direction of the Academy.
...
Shinigami Academy, Training Grounds.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Cannon)."
Shigū Takeru held a orb of golden lightning in his hand.
Electric serpents danced around him, converging into a single beam that shot forward, tearing a hole straight through the line of "puppet enemies."
These were special Shikigami used by the Academy. When destroyed, they reverted to paper dolls. They were used for student combat drills.
"OORAAAAH!"
Ichigo charged through the gap, deep into the enemy ranks.
Yayahara and Rindo Itaru covered his rear, preventing the enemies from surrounding him.
This way, he would always have an escape route.
But while the tactic was sound, with their level of strength, there was no need to retreat.
In a flurry of motion, they wiped out all one thousand puppets.
Under the god-struck gazes of the other students, the four of them once again took the top scores.
"Shigū, your Kido is improving way too fast. Is Teacher Aizen's guidance really that effective?" Yayahara asked enviously after class.
"His guidance is effective, but my progress still isn't fast enough." Takeru shook his head.
"The power is less than a third of the original when I skip the incantation... Kido is hard. Hakuda and Zanjutsu are much more straightforward."
"You can say that again," Ichigo teased.
"With your strength, which even a Grand Hollow would lose to, the Zanjutsu master gets a complicated look on his face whenever he sees you, and the Hakuda master doesn't even dare to spar with you for real."
"I don't think you even need 'technique.' You just need to swing your fist or your sword."
Takeru wasn't offended at all. Instead, he seemed to have an epiphany.
"Hearing you say that, I feel like I'm perfectly suited for the iai (quick-draw) style. 'Quick-draw fist' and 'quick-draw sword'... the technical skill seems pretty high."
"?"
Ichigo paused.
Honestly... that actually makes sense.
"Sigh," Yayahara let out a heavy sigh. "You guys are all getting stronger, while Rindo and I are just treading water."
"If the rest of the class heard you say that, they'd cry," Takeru glanced at her.
"Am I wrong? Rindo and I haven't even seen a hint of our Shikai! If I'd mastered mine earlier, I could have given that Hollow a good beating that night, too~"
"That... might still have been a long shot," Ichigo's cheek twitched.
It was a Grand Hollow, after all.
He and Takeru were both Level 4 Rei-i—equivalent to a high-tier Vice-Captain—and it was only because their Shikai were so unique that they won.
Rindo Itaru nodded, typing that just being able to help was his limit.
"Besides, you're not interested in Zanjutsu. Even if you got Shikai, you wouldn't be able to use your Zanpakutō to its full potential."
"Th-that... What if my Shikai is a Hakuda-type!" Yayahara retorted.
"Is... that a thing?"
Ichigo paused, instinctively looking to Takeru and Rindo.
He genuinely wasn't sure. But to Yayahara, this was blatant mockery.
"It's hard to say," Takeru's words cooled Yayahara's temper a bit.
"After all, my Zanpakutō glows. Who's to say it's not a 'Light-type'?"
"Mhm, mhm! Shigū's right!"
"???"
[???]
Ichigo's face was a mask of question marks. Rindo Itaru, too, found it hard to stay silent. But looking at the two of them engaging in mutual flattery, they didn't know what to say.
"Shigū, your Zanpakutō is definitely the strongest Light-type Zanpakutō!"
"And Yayahara, yours is definitely the strongest Hakuda-type Zanpakutō."
...
Takeru, carrying the "praise" of having the "strongest Light-type Zanpakutō," returned to his dorm, changed clothes, and grabbed a thermos as he headed out again.
His destination was the hill behind the dorms.
It was close and rarely visited, so their group had claimed it as a private training ground.
It wasn't that the Academy lacked training fields, but those were full of other students, and they didn't want to attract attention.
Besides, it felt bad to keep destroying the Academy's property.
Training on a barren hill saved the Academy a lot in repair fees.
"Hooo..."
Perhaps it was because he was secretly training while Ichigo was out hauling water... but Takeru felt like he was in top form today.
He sank into a low stance, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. He was like a cheetah, coiled and ready to pounce, every muscle fiber aligned.
His spiritual pressure, far stronger than his peers', was deliberately refined and condensed. It flowed from the "emission port" in his wrist, into the hilt, and then into the scabbard, forming seven Kido-threads.
At this moment, all he had to do was nudge the tsuba (handguard) with his thumb. The threads would snap, fly from the scabbard, and slice the enemy to pieces.
It was the very essence of an "American-style" iai draw (i.e., using a gun).
Just as Takeru was waiting for that perfect moment when his body's "gears" would click into place, he heard a rustling sound.
Instantly, his thumb twitched reflexively.
But it was... caught... by another, slender hand, as if it had anticipated the move.
It was pressed down.
And his 「Seven Flashes」 was stopped.
-------
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