When Kisaragi Akira first spotted Kiyozaki Sōjun lying in the bed beside him, he had actually been a little surprised — even happy, for a moment.
But the moment Akira opened his mouth, any trace of Sōjun's enthusiasm evaporated on the spot.
Still, years of impeccable upbringing and his naturally gentle disposition prevented Sōjun from taking offense. He sighed softly, shifted his gaze toward Akira, and asked curiously:
"What in the world happened to you?Don't tell me… the classes at the Spirit Arts Academy have gotten this dangerous?"
The question struck home. Akira immediately nodded — vigorously — clearly ready to unload an entire ocean of grievances. And so he began ranting nonstop about Dean Kamihara Genjirō and Instructor Kaede's "utter disregard for human decency."
"Look, if they want to give me demerits, fine — but why does it have to be announced to the entire academy?"
"And even that's not the worst part! Even the mistakes that Instructor Tessa made somehow got pushed onto me!"
"But forget those. Instructor Kaede even blamed me for the food theft incident in the academy cafeteria! Tell me, Sōjun — is that something a normal human being would do?!"
"And as for why I'm lying here today? Yet another mission she personally assigned me."
Akira raised a hand and gestured dramatically.
"We were sent to clean out some 'Black-Eater Hollows' near Zennō Temple."
He took a deep breath.
"I took down two… and then an entire swarm crawled out."
"And to top it off, an Adjuchas-class Hollow popped out like it owned the place."
At that, Kiyozaki Sōjun froze, visibly shaken.
Unlike a certain someone in the next bed, Sōjun actually retained basic common sense. He knew exactly what an Adjuchas meant. While not as terrifying as the textbook dramatizations, a Hollow of that class still required a vice-captain-level Soul Reaper at minimum to handle. If it was a particularly strong Adjuchas, then even a captain might be required.
And yet the boy lying beside him had survived such an encounter with only moderate injuries.
That alone… already placed him among the once-in-a-century prodigies of the Soul Society.
"Then, with Sōsuke backing me up, I unleashed my full power. Three punches — bam, bam, BAM — and that Adjuchas exploded into a rain of eyeballs!"
Akira's voice suddenly rose with excitement as he continued embellishing the tale. He proceeded to recount the battle in excruciating detail — every strike, every flash, every exaggerated flourish.
But Sōjun's mind had stopped processing words several sentences ago.
His expression went blank. His eyes unfocused. His brain was stuck looping the phrase:
Three punches… to kill an Adjuchas…?
What did Akira think an Adjuchas was?A roadside weed?
It wasn't that Sōjun believed Akira was lying — the boy had proven himself capable of unreasonable things before — but this was so absurd that reality itself felt like it was peeling apart at the seams.
An academy student killing an Adjuchas…
In any era, that would be downright insane.
Sōjun unconsciously lowered his gaze to his bandaged hands. Memories surged — of that day fighting the rebel faction, surrounded by enemy officers. Kido blasts and flashing blades filled the air, each strike promising instant death.
At the decisive moment, a black, single-eyed charm had flared to life before him, blocking the fatal blow and granting him a sliver of life — and a chance to turn the tide.
Wait…
Could it be…?
Sōjun's eyes widened.A sudden realization hit him.
The charm!The power of the ritual!
His bewilderment finally dimmed, replaced by deeper shock.
If the talisman Akira casually handed him had been enough to change the outcome of a battle…
Then Akira going all out and killing an Adjuchas wasn't impossible at all.
Terrifying…The boy was genuinely terrifying.
"It's a shame you weren't there, Sōjun. You should've seen the faces of the cleanup team!" Akira bragged shamelessly.
Just then, a graceful white silhouette entered the infirmary.
"Kisaragi-kun… it seems your spiritual pressure is stronger than the last time we met."
Captain Unohana Retsu's gentle voice filled the room the moment she sensed Akira's fluctuating reiatsu.
"Though… your injuries also appear more severe this time."
"Captain Unohana," Sōjun said quickly, snapping out of his thoughts and bowing respectfully.
She nodded in return.
"Most of your injuries have healed, but you still need two days of rest," she advised warmly."Your body is naturally fragile — it recovers more slowly than others."
Sōjun could only offer a helpless smile.Genius or not, being born with a frail constitution meant every injury took forever to heal.
Once she finished advising him, Unohana's eyes drifted back to Akira.
Her brows knitted gently.
"Lacerations, perforations, blunt-force damage, sonic trauma… a Black-Eater Hollowswarm? Why were you fighting something like that?"
Clearly, the incident at Zennō Temple had yet to reach the captains.
And Akira?He was always happy to share.
Under Unohana's expectant gaze, he recounted — in vivid detail — the entire saga of how he "unleashed divine might" and "reduced an Adjuchas to fine particles."
Two reactions occurred simultaneously:
Sōjun nearly fainted.
Unohana's eyes shone with dangerous interest.
"Cloud-Breaker… Wave-Reversal…? Those are forms from my Deadblade Style."
Her tone shifted, amusement and astonishment mixing together.
"Kisaragi-kun, you truly are a rare swordsmanship prodigy. If I recall correctly, I only demonstrated those maneuvers once during the last kendo class… and yet you've completely mastered them."
Her mind dissected his descriptions instantly, extracting the technical details she needed in mere moments.
Her gaze grew hotter.Much hotter.
Akira felt it immediately.
His smile stiffened.His eyelids twitched.
This scene…He had lived through something like this before.
Sōjun, completely oblivious, watched Akira's sudden shift from lively exuberance to the saggy despair of a dried salted fish.He couldn't fathom what impossible conversation had just transpired between those two.
The world was moving too fast.His mental processing speed simply couldn't keep up.
Unohana took a seat at Akira's bedside, her white hands glowing with soft green reiryoku. She gently pressed a palm against his chest.
Her small, cool hands traced over his injuries — each touch sending a tingling wave of numbness through him as she carefully treated every wound.
When she finally finished, Unohana leaned in slightly, her lips almost brushing his ear.
"…There are even stronger techniques in the Deadblade Style.If you'd like to learn them…"
A soft whisper.
"Come to the Fourth Division's dojo."
After giving him the time and place, she glided out of the room with serene grace.
Sōjun watched her leave, awe replacing shock on his face.
So that's the kind of relationship he had with Captain Unohana…
Meanwhile, on the other bed:
Kisaragi Akira stared up at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.
He looked like a man whose soul had ascended.
Completely overworked.Completely done.