Clang!
Although only two wooden swords had collided, the strong friction and impact made the sound almost resemble the clash of metal.
No matter their level, everyone present could see how thrilling the sword duel between the two truly was.
Unohana Retsu slightly lowered her gaze. From the moment Arata began to unleash his strength, the corners of her lips had been slightly raised; the smile on her face was hard to hide, as if she were genuinely pleased to witness the outstanding performance of her student.
He constantly absorbed knowledge and grew at an incredible rate, and now he finally had a stage where he could showcase his talent.
The desire within her continued to surface. It was a desire that had been sealed ever since she was defeated several hundred years ago by a small demon, the desire to once again see someone surpass her on the path of kendo.
Arata-kun, this level of strength and skill is likely still far from what you truly possess, isn't it?
Let me keep watching just a little longer.
"I didn't expect you to block even that attack. You truly are worthy of the title Captain Aizen." Arata halted his offensive, lightly jumping back to his starting position, and the way he held his sword shifted once more.
"No, that's actually what I should be saying, Saito-kun." Aizen shook his head.
"Instead of becoming discouraged by the failure of your first attack, you immediately thought about the reasons for that failure and, based on your own understanding, laid the foundation and devised a second attack." He spoke in the tone of a teacher praising a student, completely analyzing Arata's thought process during the fight.
"You tried to blur my vision with speed far exceeding that of your first strike, then patiently waited to spot a gap in my defense, and finally, through careful observation, found an opportunity to deliver a lethal blow. That's like—"
Ichimaru Gin cut in from the side, in a flat, expressionless tone: "Like a viper that lies in wait for a long time, hiding and observing, only to finally kill its prey with a single bite."
All eyes turned to Ichimaru Gin. Some, after a moment of thought, nodded in agreement, while others felt that the description was somehow inappropriate, but couldn't pinpoint exactly why.
Aizen paused for a moment upon hearing Gin's assessment, then smiled and looked at Arata. "Saito-kun, although Vice-Captain Ichimaru's words are a bit sharp, at their core they're similar to what I wanted to express."
"Patience, keen observation, and a sharp mind. In my opinion, while these three traits aren't necessarily prerequisites for practicing swordsmanship, they are qualities an exceptional Shinigami should aspire to."
"And you, Saito-san, perfectly embody all three."
"In the future, there will certainly be a place for you in the Gotei 13."
Aizen delivered the lengthy speech in one breath, using the power of words to the fullest. Most of those present couldn't immediately absorb and understand everything he had said; only a few grasped what he was truly trying to convey.
Among them were Soi Fong, Rangiku, and a few others.
"It's truly incredible that Captain Aizen is giving such high praise to a student of the Spiritual Arts Academy." Soi Fong's voice carried a trace of disbelief.
Aizen had assessed Arata's first attack merely as something that "far exceeds the standard of a typical sixth-year student." As someone highly skilled in Shunpō and Hakuda, Soi Fong could clearly feel that he was slightly stronger than ordinary soldiers.
In the second attack, when Arata unleashed his full speed, he had already stepped onto a higher level. Although Soi Fong hadn't personally fought against him, she could roughly estimate.
Judging solely by his physical movement speed, Arata at that moment was already close to some of the officers of the Second Division.
However, this sparring match used pure kendo. Soi Fong wasn't sure if Arata could use Shunpō, nor what level he could reach if he truly did, and that made her curious.
"Since Captain Aizen has already brought up the matter, Captain Soi Fong, perhaps later you could ask Vice-President Shibata to arrange practical exercises when you hold your Shunpō course, couldn't you?" Unohana Retsu was very perceptive and naturally noticed Soi Fong's curiosity toward Arata. With a gentle smile, she offered her suggestion.
She too wanted to see what level her "half-student" could reach when he truly gave it his all.
After all, it had been a long time since she last personally guided him in training.
"Captain Unohana, you're absolutely right. This has truly enlightened me!" Soi Fong had just been pondering what to do earlier, but after Unohana Retsu's suggestion, everything suddenly became clear to her, and she immediately showed gratitude on her face.
Unohana Retsu nodded indifferently. It seemed the new captain of the Second Division was indeed a bit sharper than the previous one.
Yes, perfectly transparent.
As for Arata himself, after hearing the comments from Aizen and Ichimaru Gin, he didn't get angry. On the surface, what they said did indeed sound like praise for his strength.
But Arata had read the original course of events and knew Aizen and Ichimaru Gin far better than anyone else in this room.
Unnoticed by the others, he felt that something was off in Aizen's words.
Things like [reflect on the reasons for your own failure], [rely on your understanding to find the answer], and similar phrases, on the surface sounded like a teacher's thoughtful analysis of a student's abilities, but between the lines something else was written – pride.
The kind of pride of a being in the heavens looking down on ants on the earth.
Of course, the vast difference in power between Aizen and Arata did give him the foundation for such pride.
But regardless of that, Arata felt deeply uncomfortable, even if he had no rational reason to object.
"Thank you for your comment, Captain Aizen. I've learned a lot." Arata nodded, neither humbly nor arrogantly, accepting Aizen's advice.
If we temporarily set aside his role as a villain, Aizen could indeed be called the perfect mentor and friend.
Looking back on the growth path of the protagonist Kurosaki Ichigo, how did he actually progress?
Wasn't it precisely because his godfather Aizen relentlessly pushed him forward, constantly raising his limits, breaking his supports, and forcing him to grow?
Ichigo had plenty of reason to tell him "thank you."
The same goes for Arata. Even though this was just a clash between two wooden swords, he felt he had gained a great deal from it.
"Saito-san possesses a quality that deserves to be studied by everyone present, including the instructors of the Spiritual Arts Academy." Aizen clearly had a wealth of material in mind. Just moments earlier, he had demonstrated combat with Arata, and in the very next, he skillfully steered the topic back to the essence of the seminar itself.
"Even though you are instructors of the Spiritual Arts Academy, that doesn't mean you surpass all your students in every field. I once read a sentence in a book from the modern world that I would like to share with everyone today."
"A student does not have to be inferior to the teacher, nor must the teacher be superior to the student."
"In other words, students aren't necessarily weaker than their teachers, nor are teachers inherently superior to their students."
"I hope that you all maintain humility and a willingness to learn, constantly improving yourselves and striving to cultivate even more outstanding talents for the Soul Society."
"That is all I wished to say. Thank you for listening."
After finishing his speech, Aizen calmly stepped down from the stage and returned to his seat, ignoring the gazes around him, like those of fans admiring their idol.
At that moment, even Arata could barely resist the personal charisma of that man. Compared to captains who only knew how to swing swords, drink, obsess, or dabble in technology, Aizen, who mastered philosophy, truly felt refreshing in the Soul Society.
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