Chapter 18: Kaien
Time passed into August's height of summer. The sun blazed like fire.
Rukongai West District 3, Rifuku Mountain, northern forest.
The mountain forest that should have been silent and rarely traveled by humans became uncharacteristically noisy this day.
In a clearing among the trees, two figures dressed in jet-black shihakusho—one tall, one short—clashed fiercely.
Cicada cries formed a never-ending background accompaniment, together with the sounds of blade strikes composing a midsummer symphony.
Clang—
Another direct collision without any fancy technique. The crisp metallic clash rang out. The shorter Shinigami gritted his teeth, barely supporting himself. The tremendous force transmitted through the blade made his grip go numb.
The stalemate lasted only moments before he couldn't hold on. His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
Boom!
A dull landing sound erupted. Dirt and grass fragments scattered as his body forcibly smashed a shallow crater in the ground.
"Ugh... Kaien-dono, I... I can't go on."
His voice carried slight hoarseness from exhaustion. The short Shinigami lying in the crater tremblingly raised his hand in surrender.
"Not bad, Mitaka. You've improved a lot recently."
"That's enough for today."
The tall Shinigami in the clearing was powerfully built with slightly long black hair ending in tousled strands. His face wore a hearty smile as he raised his thumb in praise.
The distinctive black 'Crumbling Fallen Heaven Vortex' tattoo on his left wrist revealed his identity—
Thirteenth Division Lieutenant Shiba Kaien of the Gotei 13.
Due to Captain Ukitake Jushiro's weak health, Kaien usually managed all division affairs with full authority.
To close the distance with his squad members, he often used his personal free time to lead subordinates in outdoor training.
This northern forest—a forbidden zone of death for ordinary souls—was in his eyes an excellent natural training ground.
Two more of his close subordinates stood at the clearing's edge, both Fourth Seats of the Thirteenth Division: Kotsubaki Sentaro and Kotetsu Kiyone.
Kotsubaki Sentaro sported a head of black hair bristling upward like an exploding hedgehog, wearing a circle of white bandana. His build was robust, his expression serious—completely stern and unsmiling.
Beside him, forming a stark contrast to his appearance, was Kotetsu Kiyone. She was petite with refreshing orange-gold short hair, her bangs trimmed very neatly.
Though her lively, cute face also wore a serious expression, it wasn't as rigid as Kotsubaki Sentaro's, carrying a bright smile.
However, both their serious expressions completely collapsed the moment Shiba Kaien declared training over.
"Wow, Mitaka, you're really too pathetic, hahaha."
Looking at Fifth Seat Mitaka Hiko's disheveled figure lying in the crater, Kotsubaki Sentaro opened his mouth in loud laughter, his face showing none of his earlier seriousness.
"So... so cool, Kaien-dono."
"That's right, that's right. Mitaka's really pathetic, so pathetic, pfft~~~."
Kotetsu Kiyone clapped her hands praising her lieutenant's strength, then suddenly changed topics to follow Kotsubaki Sentaro's jab, waving her hand with a light laugh.
"Kiyone, Sentaro, what the hell are you two saying!"
"It's just that Kaien-dono is too strong! You two didn't last much longer against him than I did!"
Suffering such merciless mockery, cross-shaped veins instantly crawled across Mitaka Hiko's forehead. He struggled up from the crater, his voice angry as he refuted them.
"Eh? What did you say? Can't hear you~."
"Mitaka's so lame, Mitaka's so lame, la la la."
First cupping his right hand over his ear pretending to have bad hearing, then both spread their hands and raised them overhead in unison, singing an out-of-tune little ditty while dancing a strange dance.
Both held the same Fourth Seat position in the Thirteenth Division. Though they constantly argued about who was stronger in daily life, they now displayed transcendent coordination.
"Ahhh, shut up! I'll kill you both!"
Facing such mockery, blood rushed straight to his head. Mitaka Hiko leaped up from the ground, looking ready to fight them to the death as he roared.
Flames of rage spewed from his eyes, as if the two at the clearing's edge weren't comrades who shared life and death with him, but mortal enemies.
"Alright, alright, Mitaka, ignore them."
"You two, that's enough! Stop it!"
Seeing this, Shiba Kaien rushed forward in one swift step, quickly pulling Mitaka into a tight embrace to calm him while simultaneously shouting at the other two troublemakers to stop their dual dance.
Through his diligent efforts, he successfully prevented a bloodshed incident.
After a while, looking at Mitaka Hiko's still somewhat indignant expression, Shiba Kaien wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and glared at the other two.
All because of these two troublemakers' fooling around. This short struggle had made him more tired than conducting half a day's worth of training guidance.
Training over, the group of four led by Shiba Kaien moved rapidly through the dense forest.
Suddenly, Kotsubaki Sentaro behind him accelerated, nimbly closing in beside Shiba Kaien with a few bounds. Grinning, he made a hand gesture of holding and drinking from a cup.
"Kaien-dono, let's go have a drink on the way back."
"There's a place called Terada-ya in West District 3 that's become really famous around here lately. Let's check it out."
"Terada-ya? Sure!"
Though the Shiba clan was also nobility, due to certain historical reasons their estate wasn't within the Seireitei but located around West District 1 of Rukongai.
Terada-ya had operated in West District 3 for many years. Even before joining the Gotei 13, Kaien had been a regular customer there.
Hearing this familiar name now, a wave of nostalgia surged up immediately.
For his subordinate's suggestion, he naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Hehe, though it might need to be your treat, Kaien-dono. Last month's salary is almost gone."
Receiving approval, Kotsubaki Sentaro rubbed his hands together, his face piling on an ingratiating smile.
"I want in! I want in!"
"Me too!"
Hearing the words "treat them," the other two sharp-eared troublemakers weren't about to be outdone.
"No problem."
Shiba Kaien was long accustomed to his people's nature and agreed readily.
Occasionally gathering together to drink and chat was part of daily life.
"Yeah! Long live Kaien-dono! Long live! Long live!"
After a hard day of training, getting to mooch a free good meal—nothing under heaven felt better than this. The three cheered in unison.
Amid the laughter, the four continued toward West District 3.
Among their group were either a lieutenant or upper seated officers. Their pace was extremely fast.
"If I remember correctly, it should be here."
The words had barely fallen when the bustling Terada-ya appeared before them.
Shiba Kaien had led the way according to memory, but the scene before him—familiar yet somehow different—made him doubt himself slightly.
The three behind him looked up. Crowds surged before Terada-ya's entrance curtain. Business was ridiculously prosperous.
Though Rukongai's territory was vast, truly famous establishments weren't many. Since Suoh Tsukasa had begun managing Terada-ya three months ago, this old shop's reputation had grown even greater.
His skills had first made a name in West District 3. Later, through word of mouth, many Shinigami squads on missions or returning often chose to patronize Terada-ya when passing through.
Now, even passing a squad of Shinigami on the road, the surrounding souls had long grown accustomed to it.