Sōjun walked back slowly, bamboo sword in hand, and knelt beside Satoru.
He sighed softly. "Captain Unohana is truly an incredible person."
"Because she praised you?" Satoru asked.
"Of course not…" Sōjun gave a wry smile.
Seinosuke had long been restless. The moment Sōjun sat down, he sprang to his feet and strode toward Unohana with the air of someone itching for a fight.
Stopping before the gently smiling Unohana, he lowered his head slightly, eyes sharp. "Yamada Seinosuke. Captain Unohana, I request your guidance!"
Unohana nodded lightly. "Very well. Show me the strength of someone who aspires to master the sword."
At her words, Seinosuke took a deep breath.
Gripping his bamboo sword with both hands, he exploded into motion like a beast unleashed, spinning fiercely as he brought his blade crashing down toward Unohana!
Many of the students in the front rows flinched at the ferocity of his attack.
Though everyone knew Seinosuke was ruthless, no one expected him to dare use such an unrestrained style against a captain.
Facing the incoming strike, Unohana slowly opened her eyes, her gentle smile fading.
Aizen, kneeling properly at the side, suddenly looked surprised.
Sōjun shuddered as if struck by an icy chill in the middle of summer.
Even Satoru couldn't help but tense up.
One moment, Unohana Retsu was as gentle as a ray of sunshine, and the next, an icy chill radiated from her, making him instinctively reach for his sword.
The observing students didn't perceive it as clearly—they only sensed a shift in Unohana's aura.
But Seinosuke, standing directly before her, felt it most intensely.
In his vision, Unohana seemed suddenly enveloped in eerie black energy.
A bone-piercing cold seeped into his body through every pore, reaching deep into his organs.
It was as if… the figure before him wasn't a captain of the Gotei 13, but a terrifying demon clawing its way out from the deepest abyss of hell!
The demon smiled, slowly raising a rusted, bloodstained blade.
Then, it swung down—
Under the astonished gazes of the students, Seinosuke, who had lunged forward like a beast, abruptly froze mid-air.
Unohana lifted her bamboo sword and struck him.
Seinosuke was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily to the ground, motionless.
"Seinosuke!"
Sōjun startled, quickly rising and running over.
He crouched beside Seinosuke, checking his condition—only to find the man completely unharmed.
Lying on the ground, Seinosuke's face was flushed with fervor.
"Seinosuke?" Sōjun frowned slightly.
"Young Master Kuchiki… I've found the division I want to join," Seinosuke murmured dreamily.
Seinosuke was baffled.
Before he could respond, Seinosuke abruptly sat up.
"Did you see it… that demonic figure? That's true strength!"
"Just meeting her gaze felt like being shredded by countless blades, dying over and over!"
"This is the life I want!"
Sōjun: "…"
He didn't know what kind of life Seinosuke was after, but he was certain Seinosuke needed his head examined.
Seinosuke scrambled to his feet and rushed to Unohana, bowing deeply.
"Captain Unohana! I, Yamada Seinosuke, will apply for graduation exams at the end of this term! Please, I beg you to accept me into the Fourth Division—I'll serve you with unwavering loyalty!"
Unohana covered her mouth with a light chuckle. "Very well."
After this passionate declaration, Seinosuke floated back, practically glowing.
Watching his unsettling grin, Satoru felt as if ants were crawling under his skin.
Great… this kid's lost it.
Glancing at Unohana standing calmly with her sword, he suddenly grew nervous.
Could this woman have some strange ability to brainwash people through combat?
Lost in these thoughts, Satoru stood and walked to the center of the dojo.
He resolved to block a few strikes, then deliberately lose and exit the match.
"Satoru Mikami. I look forward to your guidance."
"Oh? I've been quite eager to see your skills, Satoru-kun."
Unohana smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
This boy, personally noticed by Captain-Commander Yamamoto, had piqued her interest.
Originally, she had accepted the Shin'ō Academy's invitation to lecture the entire first-year class on basic fundamentals.
But after hearing of Yamamoto's summons to Satoru, she altered her plans—specifically to teach Class 1-7.
To her surprise, apart from Satoru, she had stumbled upon an unexpected delight.
With the discovery of Seinosuke, Unohana was quite pleased.
This even improved her impression of Satoru somewhat.
Originally, she had only wanted to test Satoru's capabilities, to see what made this kid so special.
But now, she felt she could no longer hold onto such a disrespectful mindset.
As a swordsman, the most respectful way Unohana could think of was to bring forth as much of her strength as possible, leaving both of them with an unforgettable memory!
The moment she made up her mind, she took a step forward and launched an aggressive strike toward Satoru!
Satoru had already braced himself for a beating—mouth open, eyes shut, ready to be humiliated—when suddenly, Unohana charged at him like some primordial beast.
"Holy shit?!"
The terror of life and death made him completely forget his previous plans.
Before his thoughts could even catch up, his body had already instinctively swung the bamboo sword.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!!!
A relentless barrage of bamboo sword strikes, like a storm, assaulted the eardrums of every student present!
Witnessing the scene before them, the students all wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost.
Earlier, when Sōjun and Unohana had fought, their speed and strength were already absurd—ordinary students couldn't even follow their movements.
But now, the intricate trajectories of the bamboo swords between Satoru and Unohana had woven together into an abstract painting.
Forget tracking the path of their swings—they couldn't even tell when the swords clashed or separated!
Seinosuke's jaw dropped. "I… what the hell?! Satoru, this guy… not just his spiritual pressure, but his swordsmanship is this strong too?!"
Sōjun was completely stunned.
Satoru's display had genuinely shaken him.
As the heir of a noble family, he had received elite training from the Kuchiki clan since childhood, including personal instruction from Ginrei Kuchiki, one of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.
Yet compared to Satoru, all his years of effort and the vast resources poured into him suddenly felt like a joke…
A glint of excitement flickered in Aizen's eyes.
Interesting…
Not just spiritual pressure—even in swordsmanship, Satoru was on par with him.
Just how many more secrets was this guy hiding?
Aizen's curiosity couldn't help but be piqued.
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