Due to the "same-group avoidance" principle in the quarterfinal matches, Kana Azashiro and Shinji Hirako, both from the winner's bracket, would not have to draw Sōjun Kuchiki, another powerful opponent from the same bracket.
The drawing for the sixteen students concluded quickly.
"Who did you draw?" Kana Azashiro asked, shaking the slip of paper in her hand and showing it to Shinji. She had drawn Gosuke Ksaōji, who had fought his way back up from the loser's bracket.
"Ugh, you drew that guy too. His sword style is too rigid, like something out of a textbook. He's not very experienced in combat, so he's pretty easy to deal with," Shinji said, showing his own slip of paper. He had drawn Ise Rikka.
Shinji looked into the crowd. She was a girl who didn't seem very aggressive, wearing a pair of glasses with a gentle and serene expression. He had watched her fights; her swordsmanship was very good, and she won every match through technique.
"Ise Rikka... from the Ise family," Kana said, recalling information about the clan. "She seems to be the next head of the family. You should be careful."
"Why, is she hard to deal with?" Shinji asked.
Kana shook her head. "No, the Ise family is special. Their members are generally unable to use an Asauchi, but they are extremely skilled in Kidō. As the next head of the family, she is destined to inherit the family's generational treasure, the 'Hakkyōken'. But the Hakkyōken has been lost, so she definitely hasn't inherited it yet. That means she hasn't undergone Blade Meditation training. You can suppress her with your Spiritual Pressure!"
"Then why did you tell me to be careful?" Shinji asked, puzzled.
"What I meant to say was, be careful not to fall in love with her~" Kana said with a mischievous grin. "There's a rumor in the Soul Society—you have to be prepared to risk your life to love a woman from the Ise family!"
"Huh? What kind of weird rumor is that?" Shinji chuckled.
"No, no, although it's a rumor, it has been verified many times!" Kana said seriously. "The Ise family presides over rituals, but it's as if they are cursed. Many men who married into the family have died young due to this curse."
"Alright..." Shinji said, scratching his head.
"Round four, first match, begin! Please welcome Shinji Hirako and Ise Rikka to the stage."
The two soon stepped onto the stage. They didn't exchange any words, simply bowed to each other and drew their wooden swords. This time, Shinji didn't wait for his opponent to make the first move. He chose to close the distance as quickly as possible, planning to use his Spiritual Pressure to suppress her.
He swung his sword rapidly, delivering three slashes in quick succession. Ise Rikka's fundamentals were clearly excellent, as she blocked all three of his attacks. However, just as Kana had said, she hadn't undergone Blade Meditation training, and her Spiritual Pressure was far inferior to Shinji's. After taking three of his blows, her hand was already numb from the shock.
Shinji showed no mercy and continued his rapid assault. Clang-clang-thwack-thwack-thwack— A continuous stream of impacts rang out. Ise was cautious and never gave him a chance for a blade lock, changing her footwork with each strike. But her stance gradually fell apart, and she soon couldn't withstand his offensive.
"Hah!" Shinji found an opening. His wooden sword came down and struck her directly on the head. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious.
"Whoops, didn't mean to knock her out," Shinji said, scratching his head. The woman's swordsmanship was very good. If it weren't for his superior Spiritual Pressure, winning would have been difficult.
"Shinji Hirako is the winner!" Sora announced the result. Professor Kobayashi came forward to carry Ise away for treatment.
"Congratulations, Professor Katori. Your student really made it to the quarterfinals. Looks like I'll be treating you to dinner," Professor Kobayashi teased.
"Then thank you in advance. I look forward to your cooking," Sora said with a smile.
From the Professors' seats, Head Ashido commented on the fight. "Shinji Hirako's fundamentals are truly solid. To maintain his footwork during such a rapid attack... it's been a long time since I've seen a first-year like this. It's a rare talent. Why didn't I have students like this when I was teaching?" he lamented. "When I get back from Hueco Mundo, I must recruit him into Squad 11. Such combat talent is a perfect fit for us!"
"I think with Professor Katori's guidance, he doesn't necessarily have to go to Squad 11," Nakano, the head of the Hakuda department, laughed. "Squad 2 is also a great place for combat-oriented talent."
"Shinji is only a first-year. He's got years before graduation, and you're already fighting over him," Head Yamada chuckled.
"Well, talent is rare," Ashido laughed.
Tokinada Tsunayashiro's face was grim. The class assignments had been arranged by the vice-headmaster, also a Tsunayashiro, to pave the way for him. But somehow, they had missed three geniuses! "What a fool, can't even handle such a small thing..." he thought.
The next match was Sōjun Kuchiki versus Uemon Tsubakiri. Uemon had performed well in the exam, fighting his way up from the loser's bracket after an initial loss to Ise Rikka. He was fighting for a spot in the top eight, which came with the reward of attending an advanced class for a month. He desperately wanted to join the advanced swordsmanship class.
Unfortunately, he was now facing an opponent far stronger than Ise Rikka. The fight began, and Uemon was quickly defeated by Sōjun. The gap between them in Spiritual Pressure, swordsmanship, and movement was simply insurmountable.
"You did your best. Come find me after school," Sora said, patting Uemon's shoulder to comfort him. Although Uemon's talent was only B+ rank, his hard work and passion for the way of the sword made Sora willing to give him a chance. Besides, he recalled getting a special ability for his first S-rank disciple. He guessed that taking on a disciple of a different talent rank for the first time might also yield a reward.
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