The next match drew the most attention from the guests seated in the VIP section.
"Captain Kuchiki, you truly raise them well. I wouldn't be surprised if Kuchiki Sōjun takes up the post of your lieutenant before long."
Kyōraku Shunsui sighed with a touch of admiration. Even among the long-prestigious Five Great Noble Houses, there were highs and lows. In the past hundred years, only the Kuchiki clan had consistently retained a captain-level combatant.
Judging by Kuchiki Sōjun's performance, he was a promising junior with potential befitting that title.
If things stayed this way for a few centuries, the Kuchiki family might well become the head among the Five Houses.
"My son still needs some seasoning. I plan to have him graduate next year and spend some time training at the base level of Squad Six," Kuchiki Ginrei said with a light smile.
The goal of sending Sōjun to the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy had mostly been fulfilled.
This cohort included a large number of noble heirs. Most of them would be assigned to Squad Six upon graduation. Having Sōjun build friendships with them during school laid the groundwork for the future.
Sōjun was sociable and had already formed good relationships with his classmates. There was no reason to keep him at the Academy any longer.
"His opponent made it to the finals during the last assessment?" Ginrei glanced at Azashiro Kana's record and looked slightly surprised. "A child of the Azashiro clan… Has that family finally started to take martial strength seriously?"
"They're still mostly the same... then again... maybe things changed a little after that incident," Kyōraku Shunsui mused, recalling what he'd observed at the Katori-ryu Dojo. "That girl Azashiro Kana... I actually know a little about her."
"She's Katori-kun's top disciple. You could say he taught her personally, hand to hand."
"Before that, her swordsmanship was just average among the new students."
"So you're saying she only really began her sword training after meeting Katori Nanatsuki?" Ginrei raised an eyebrow. "The last assessment took place only two or three months after the semester began, right? That's a very short time to grow that much."
Kyōraku chuckled. "Exactly. Katori-kun really knows how to teach. Of the four students we'll see today, only Azashiro Kana had any formal training. The other three are from Rukongai. For them to achieve this level—it's quite impressive."
"Having a talented teacher is a blessing for gifted students," Kyōraku added, his expression turning playful as he glanced at Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
Tokinada seemed to sense it and met his gaze with a cold look, saying nothing, though the chill in his eyes deepened.
Ginrei stroked his chin thoughtfully. These students of Katori Nanatsuki would all likely reach lieutenant-level at the very least. He should ensure that Sōjun built ties with them before graduating.
Katori Nanatsuki was clearly a remarkable individual. Ginrei even considered inviting him to the Kuchiki estate to serve as a personal instructor—perhaps building a master-disciple bond with Sōjun.
The match began. Azashiro Kana and Kuchiki Sōjun stepped onto the stage.
Sōjun's appearance was met with a wave of cheers. The prestige of the Kuchiki name and his handsome appearance earned him the adoration of the noble spectators.
He smiled and waved like a star stepping onto the red carpet.
"You're pretty popular, huh? I wonder if you'll still look that graceful after I beat the crap out of you." Azashiro Kana placed a hand on her sword.
"Let's hope your strength lives up to your mouth," Sōjun replied as he immediately unsheathed his Zanpakutō the moment he saw her hand move—he wasn't about to let his guard down.
He still remembered the iaijutsu Muguruma Kensei had used against him. That single motion had left a deep impression.
Since Kana and Kensei shared the same teacher, he had to stay on high alert.
Sōjun kept his eyes on Kana's feet. At this distance, she couldn't strike him with that storm-like iai technique—she'd need to close the gap first.
He had spent time thinking about how to counter it without Shikai.
Maintain distance. Don't let her get close. Or move quickly—stay out of her iai range.
"Looks like that match with Kensei taught you to be cautious… but—"
Kana drew her blade in a flash as she spoke:
"My sword's even faster than his!"
"Taste this—Shishoku!"
Katori-ryu: Flowlight!
Clang! A pale blue gleam burst from her sheath like lightning.
Too fast!
Sōjun's pupils dilated. The moment that azure light reached his vision, he knew it was already too late.
Zzzz—
A harsh screech of metal on metal rang out.
Sōjun had raised his Zanpakutō just in time. The glowing slash scraped along the edge of his blade.
Even so, it left a thin gash along the side of his neck. A faint trail of blood began to trickle out.
Sōjun felt as though a wave of icy cold had washed through him.
Had he not been guarding against Kana's every movement, and reacted in the final instant to shift the blow just slightly aside, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
Even though this was a sparring match and Kana would likely have pulled her strike at the end, it still would've ended in an instant KO.
Flowlight couldn't be sustained for long. The blue gleam quickly vanished.
"Terrifying swordsmanship..." Sōjun muttered with lingering dread. "What was that technique called?"
"That was 'Flowlight,' something my teacher taught me." Kana looked a little disappointed. "Too bad you blocked it."
"Katori-ryu's iaijutsu really lives up to its reputation." Sōjun nodded. Katori Batsu'unsai hadn't fought publicly in ages. He'd heard the stories but never seen it for himself—until now.
"You activated your Shikai just now, didn't you? The sword's appearance didn't change, but your Reiatsu definitely did." Sōjun raised his Zanpakutō and said softly, "Blossom—Chiecho."
The blade scattered into countless colorful butterflies that fluttered through the air.
"I didn't expect so many powerful fighters in this round of real-blade matches," he said, lifting his hand. The butterflies swirled into a blade formation and surged toward Kana.
He didn't know the nature of Kana's Zanpakutō. The unknown was dangerous, so he didn't dare underestimate her—he chose to release his own Shikai immediately.
"Not gonna chat a little longer?" Kana looked regretful. She had been planning to stall.
That was a tactic her teacher had taught her—use banter to delay the fight and secretly deepen Shishoku's effects.
After refining her Zanpakutō, she had come to understand more about Shishoku.
She discovered that slashes made using Flowlight could also trigger Shishoku's effects.
More precisely—after activating Shikai, any technique that used Reiatsu could carry Shishoku's effects, including Kidō.
Unfortunately, her talent in Kidō was average.
Otherwise, she could've used large-scale spells to trigger those effects as well.
Kana used Shunpo to dodge the wave of butterfly blades.
Her movements were nimble, and the formation couldn't catch her right away.
But counterattacking was hard—Chiecho's blade swarm remained between her and Sōjun. It was nearly impossible to break through that colorful storm and strike him.
Then Sōjun lifted the hilt of his now-bladeless sword. Half of the butterflies immediately swirled toward it and condensed into a new, multicolored blade.
The other half curved around Kana in a wide arc—blocking her movement completely.
Now wielding a blade and a butterfly storm, Sōjun closed in to flank her.
But this left him temporarily unguarded.
Kana returned her sword to its sheath, ready to counter.
Sōjun noticed this and canceled his attack—the blade in his hand dissolved back into butterflies and rejoined the formation in front of him.
Clang! Kana slashed again—another burst of blue energy.
The light pierced the swarm, but the butterflies quickly converged and tangled it.
Zzzzzzz—
That harsh screech rang out again.
The blade swarm successfully neutralized the attack.
Just then, the outer portion of the formation closed in from behind.
Whip! Kana reacted quickly and dashed toward a thinner portion of the swarm—but her arm was still grazed by a butterfly blade.
She glanced at the wound and froze slightly. A rash was already forming around it.
Poison.
She quickly channeled Reiatsu to block off her blood vessels and stop the spread.
But the itching—intense and maddening—had already begun.
"Chiecho's pollen causes allergic reactions. The itching is unbearable once you're hit," Sōjun said coolly.
Kana gritted her teeth and sliced off the rash-covered skin with a swipe of her blade.
"You didn't use pollen against Kensei. Are you trying to end this quickly because you're feeling unwell?"
"Don't your senses feel a little duller?"
"My Zanpakutō, Shishoku, interferes with perception."
"'Shishoku no Dan' affects senses tied to appetite."
"'Shishoku no Shoku' influences pleasurable senses."
"...So my instincts weren't wrong," Sōjun said. "My emotions do feel oddly muted."
"But why do my vision, hearing, and touch seem dulled too? It's subtle, but I can still tell."
Kana smiled faintly. "Because those are all tied to pleasure—sight, sound, and touch all bring joy."
"A terrifying power... Luckily, its activation takes time. You're trying to stall." Sōjun raised his hand—the butterfly swarm closed in.
Unseen, the butterflies had already surrounded Kana. Now, they formed a spiraling vortex around her like a beautiful but deadly cyclone.
Kana stood at the center. She used Shunpo to leap upward—but that was the one gap Sōjun had left on purpose.
Seeing her move into it, he narrowed his eyes—only to see her resheathing her blade.
"You won't have time to draw again." He raised his hand. "It's over."
The vortex of butterflies transformed into the head of a massive dragon—and lunged to swallow her whole.
Kana smiled faintly—and let it happen.
Splurt splurt—
A storm of blood burst from within.
But for some reason, that smile made Sōjun uneasy.
And then—
Clang clang clang clang—
A barrage of piercing strikes erupted from within the vortex, tearing a massive hole from the inside out.
A flood of azure blade-light exploded from the center.
Senmai-Oroshi: Flowlight!
Sōjun's heart clenched. He tried to call the butterflies back, but it was too late. The barrage arrived in an instant.
Splurt splurt splurt—
His body was pierced—over a dozen wounds bloomed across his lower half.
They weren't fatal, but Sōjun collapsed, his eyes losing focus.
He felt his consciousness being pulled away. His thoughts slowed to a crawl. Reality twisted—like a veil now separated him from the world.
"Shishoku no Shi..." Kana muttered, her hand trembling. In that final instant, she had combined Senmai-Oroshi with Flowlight. But the move was too much. Her hand could no longer lift—she couldn't even release her grip.
Her skin was lacerated all over. Blood flowed freely, soaking her in red.
Rashes broke out across her body. The itching was maddening.
"Azashiro Kana wins!" Nanatsuki announced, then immediately used Shunpo to catch her.
"Sensei… I won… Katori-ryu is the strongest..." Kana gasped. Her mind was slipping. Exhausted, hurting, itching—she felt worse than dead.
"You did very well. You even managed to combine Senmai-Oroshi with Flowlight," Nanatsuki said gently.
He checked her arm. Her bones and tendons were shattered.
"You won't be able to fight in the next round," Nanatsuki sighed. Kana had paid a steep price to win. It would take months of recovery.
"It's fine... As long as Katori-ryu defeated Kuchiki Sōjun..." Kana murmured.
She had lost in the finals before. That defeat had weighed on her.
In the previous exam, Sōjun had beaten her, Muguruma Kensei, Hirako Shinji, and Kobane Jin'emon in one go.
The four of them had trained so hard—just to defeat him this time.
"You've all improved so much. Now get some proper rest." Nanatsuki's hand glowed with the light of Kaido as he began treating her wounds.