"Isn't the Fourth Division good?"
"Well..."
Yoruichi truly didn't expect Ethan to want to join the Fourth Division. She had assumed he might choose the Third Division, which, as a support unit, handled all sorts of tasks. After spending some time there, Ethan could figure out what kind of work suited him and apply for a transfer later.
If he had shown interest in the Fourth Division at that point, it would have suggested that he found medical work more appealing, which wouldn't have been strange. But now, he wanted to join the Fourth Division straightaway.
"Of course it's not bad. The Fourth Division is very important."
All medical work in the Seireitei is handled by the Fourth Division. Providing medical support during battles and post-battle treatment is also their responsibility. The Fourth Division plays a vital role in Seireitei. Only hotheaded fools would look down on these medical personnel—and even they only dare to make a few comments. No one would actually try to bully a member of the Fourth Division.
"Then I'll just join the Fourth Division."
"..."
Yoruichi had originally planned to introduce the other divisions, but she didn't expect Ethan to make up his mind so quickly.
"That's it? Isn't that a bit rushed?"
"It's basically the same whichever division I join. If I can't adapt, I'll just transfer later."
"That's true."
Hearing this, Yoruichi couldn't find any fault in his reasoning. Usually, if someone actively requests a transfer, the request is approved unless there's a special reason.
What she didn't expect was that Ethan had already made up his mind to stay in the Fourth Division unless something exceptional happened. After all, the Fourth Division usually kept a low profile, and their work mostly took place within Seireitei, meaning they didn't need to run around constantly.
Other divisions like the Third Division's support unit, the Fifth Division's rescue squad (responsible for aiding Shinigami or students in the Human World), the Seventh Division's inner court patrol, the Eighth Division's intelligence unit, the Tenth Division's patrol team, the Eleventh Division's combat unit, and the Thirteenth Division's purification squad all had a lot of daily tasks to handle.
Unless a large-scale war broke out that caused many casualties requiring treatment, the Fourth Division didn't have much troublesome work. It seemed like the perfect place to slack off.
To join the Fourth Division, one needed sufficiently excellent Kaidō skills. That was the basic requirement. Fortunately, Ethan had strong learning abilities. He had already mastered everything that could be learned so far, and he was even regarded as the best Kaidō user among this batch of graduates. Most students aimed to become combat personnel, and very few focused on Kaidō during their time at the academy.
In fact, the most outstanding graduates this year were Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Ethan.
Compared to Yoruichi, who would definitely join the Second Division, and Kisuke, who would likely follow her, Ethan was the one that various divisions were actively trying to recruit. It was just unfortunate that he completely ignored those invitations, only thinking about which division had the least work.
"Oh, right!"
"Something else?"
"The final practical combat class before graduation is in two days."
"So..."
Ethan realized that Yoruichi had been talking to him this whole time not to help him understand the different divisions, but because of what she was about to say next.
"After we join our respective divisions, we won't have as much free time as we do now. So, I want to have a match with you during the upcoming combat class."
The Shin'ō Academy had many practical combat courses. Combat techniques only became truly effective for Shinigami through hands-on training.
For graduating students, the last practical combat class held additional meaning: it was a test of everything they had learned over the years.
In other words, if you had someone you wanted to surpass, this was your final opportunity to challenge them.
For example, Yoruichi wanted to use this chance to wipe away the only blemish on her academy record. As the proud young lady of the Shihōin family, basically set to become the next head and widely recognized as the strongest student in this batch, she had lost to Ethan in a confusing encounter. Yoruichi wouldn't feel at peace until she avenged that loss.
"Do you need to say something like that in advance?"
"It's a reminder for you to prepare yourself. I won't be holding back this time."
It was also a signal to Ethan that if anyone else challenged him, he could ignore them and conserve his energy for their match.
Yoruichi didn't lower her voice when issuing this challenge. In fact, she said it quite loudly. The classroom, which had been as noisy as a marketplace, immediately fell silent. Every student turned their attention to Ethan and Yoruichi.
They realized something exciting was about to happen.
As the daughter of the Shihōin family and the academy's strongest student, Yoruichi was rumored to be at least at seated officer level—possibly even close to a lieutenant.
Most thought someone like her wouldn't find any true opponents in the academy. It was already surprising that she had a childhood friend with comparable strength, but then a commoner student from the Rukongai appeared and beat her in a Hakuda class.
Although Ethan's grades were excellent and his talent was widely recognized, no one had expected him to surpass Yoruichi. In the Soul Society, background meant a lot.
It wasn't until Ethan defeated Yoruichi while seemingly spaced out that people started to realize he was far stronger than they had assumed.
Unfortunately, the two hadn't faced each other again in any combat class—until now. And now they would fight just before graduation.
Some gossip-loving students had already begun making predictions. Would Yoruichi redeem her past defeat? Or would Ethan win again and claim the title of strongest graduate this year?
"What's the use of a title like that?"
"It sounds impressive."
Because of Yoruichi's deliberate "announcement," Ethan and Yoruichi were surrounded by spectators on the day of the class. Many lower-grade students and teachers without class also came to watch.
"I don't think it sounds impressive at all."
Yoruichi smiled smugly. It was only now that she revealed her true intent.
"If I hadn't done this, I'm sure you'd have just gone easy on me and brushed off the match."
Kisuke stood on the sidelines with his face covered from the beginning. He had already seen through Yoruichi's plan but thought she had miscalculated one thing.
"You think if you gather a crowd, I'll be forced to go all out so I don't embarrass myself?"
"Uh-huh."
Ethan smiled. That kind of manipulation wasn't a big deal, but Yoruichi had clearly misjudged his personality.
"If I really wanted to brush it off, I wouldn't care even if you invited all the captains and lieutenants to watch."
"..."
The crowd around them booed loudly, clearly dissatisfied with Ethan's shamelessness.
Hearing the jeers, Ethan suddenly felt he might have overestimated his own thick skin. Maybe he really couldn't afford to be humiliated in front of this many people.
"Alright, you win. I really can't just slack off."
Yoruichi smiled triumphantly, then lowered her crossed arms. "Then let's begin!"
The two had been classmates for years. Though they hadn't fought often, they understood each other well enough. There was no need for warmups or probing. They could get straight to the action.
Ethan took a deep breath. From the stance Yoruichi assumed, he immediately understood why she was so determined to fight.
As the future head of the Shihōin family, and destined to become Captain of the Second Division and Commander of the Executive Militia, Yoruichi took great pride in her Hakuda skills.
Losing to Ethan in that manner had been unacceptable to her. Over the past few years, she had trained relentlessly just to erase that disgrace today.
"This is a practical combat class, not limited to Hakuda. You're free to use any combat technique."
These words weren't a reminder from Ethan to Yoruichi, but rather Yoruichi reminding Ethan—she wanted to prove that her Hakuda was still superior, and that she could defeat her opponent using it, no matter what method they used.
However, Ethan completely ignored her comment. Though his Zanpakutō was hanging at his waist, he had no intention of drawing it. He assumed a hand-to-hand combat stance, just like Yoruichi.
"You bastard."
Yoruichi suddenly felt inexplicably angry. He was just a commoner from Rukongai, who had only started learning Shinigami skills after enrolling in the academy, and his Reiatsu wasn't even that remarkable. Yet this guy always acted so confident. She often wondered where that confidence came from.
Unfortunately, even after all these years, she still hadn't figured out the source of Ethan's absurd self-assurance. Still, his strength was undeniable, and he was an interesting person—someone who treated her as an equal rather than a noble. Other than Kisuke, he was someone she considered a friend.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Yoruichi set all those thoughts aside. At this moment, only one thing mattered to her: defeating Ethan.
As the next head of the Shihōin family, Yoruichi had her pride. That pride demanded this match.
Her figure vanished. In the next second, she appeared behind Ethan.
The future Yoruichi would be known as the "Goddess of Flash," and while she hadn't reached her peak yet, her Shunpo was already extraordinary. The large crowd of spectators was stunned by her speed. This was the first time they had seen Yoruichi display her Shunpo so clearly.
"So fast!"
Against someone this fast, most would be taken out before they even realized what had happened, let alone react or fight back. Only a very small number of people in the academy could keep up with her speed.
Ethan was one of those few.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
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