Chapter 862: Chapter 863: Dispatching
As soon as Ethan spoke, Yoruichi suddenly felt her entire body go weak and limp.
She could not even hold the short sword in her hand, and it fell aside.
Her legs could not support her body either, and she collapsed forward.
At that moment, if Ethan had taken a step forward, he could have easily pulled the limp Yoruichi into his arms.
With the quiet, beautiful, and deserted grove around them, something indescribable might have happened.
Even if he had stayed where he was, he could have waited for her to fall onto him, taking advantage while blaming her for it.
However, Ethan chose neither option.
He turned and stepped back, so the weak Yoruichi fell face-first onto the ground, clean and solid.
Powerless, Yoruichi hit the ground directly.
Ethan waited until the dust had settled before squatting down.
With one hand, he rested the invisible long sword on his shoulder. With the other, he gently poked the back of Yoruichi’s head with his finger.
"..."
Although her body was weak and limp, her mind was unaffected, and she could still speak.
Using the little strength she had left, Yoruichi slightly turned her head and looked at Ethan from the corner of her eye.
"Is this your Zanpakutō’s ability?"
"How does it feel experiencing it firsthand?"
"Someone like you really should have joined the Second Division."
Yoruichi’s combat awareness and reaction speed were both extremely sharp.
She had already realized that this weakness was the effect of Ethan’s Zanpakutō.
Since she had never actually touched the blade, she had not been cut or even grazed. The only physical contact had been the gust of wind at the beginning.
"By the way, aren’t you going to release the effect?
Or are you planning to do something to me?"
"..."
"It seems this young lady has no way to resist and can only let you do as you please."
"Do as I please?"
Ethan felt the corners of his mouth twitch uncontrollably.
Yoruichi often made inappropriate jokes.
Did she not realize that saying something like that in this situation could easily lead to misunderstandings?
"Do as you please?"
At that moment, another voice sounded nearby, startling Ethan.
When he turned his head, he saw Captain Unohana had somehow spread out a picnic mat on the ground.
She was holding a cup of hot tea, kneeling on the mat, smiling as if watching a show.
"Young people should take care of their bodies."
"..."
Ethan covered his face, speechless.
It was not strange for someone of Unohana’s strength to appear silently nearby, but what was she doing looking like she was on a picnic?
Not only was Ethan speechless, but even Yoruichi, still lying on the ground, blushed slightly. Joking with close friends was one thing, but being seen by an outsider was embarrassing.
The current Yoruichi was not as thick-skinned as she would be in the future.
"Hurry up and release the ability."
Ethan looked at Yoruichi lying face-down and could only explain that he had already sheathed his sword, but the weakness would take some time to fade completely.
"Didn’t you see that I already put it away?"
"How could I see in this position?"
"Alright, my mistake."
He reached out and turned Yoruichi over.
Still weak, she could not use any strength, so Ethan had to carry her and place her onto the mat Unohana had prepared.
"Oh? Not continuing?
You can pretend I am not here."
"..."
How could he pretend such a large presence did not exist?
What made Ethan even more speechless was that Unohana took out a basket.
"Would you like some snacks?
After all, you just used quite a bit of energy."
"..."
Looking at his captain’s smiling eyes narrowed into slits, Ethan felt a wave of malice.
Why had he chosen the Fourth Division?
He had completely forgotten that Captain Unohana only looked like a gentle older sister.
"Oh.
These snacks are delicious."
Ethan turned his head and saw Yoruichi, who had recovered some strength, eating enthusiastically.
He was not sure whether she was deliberately changing the subject to ease the awkwardness or if it was simply her personality.
He picked up a snack and put it into his mouth. He was certain it was the former, because it was not that delicious.
At that moment, Unohana suddenly asked a question that almost made Ethan choke.
"I remember when Lieutenant Ethan applied to join the Fourth Division, he said his Zanpakutō had healing abilities?"
"..."
Ethan had completely forgotten about that.
When he first joined the Fourth Division, everyone had been curious.
With his strength and reputation, and invitations from several divisions, why would he choose the Fourth?
To avoid trouble, he had used that excuse.
When most people heard that his Zanpakutō was healing-type, they were surprised but did not doubt it.
In fact, many thought it made sense.
"Ahem, well..."
Ethan noticed that not only Unohana but also Yoruichi were staring at him, waiting for an explanation.
Yoruichi was wondering why he had chosen such an easily exposed excuse.
"My Zanpakutō does have healing abilities."
"Is that so?"
Zanpakutō abilities were varied and strange. It was not impossible for a single blade to have multiple abilities.
No one could be certain what kind of Zanpakutō might exist.
Unohana could only sense that the ability he used earlier seemed related to wind. Whether it was truly as she suspected could not be determined without a full explanation and demonstration.
"That’s right."
No matter what, insisting on that point was safest.
Fortunately, Unohana did not pursue the matter and changed the subject.
"By the way, the stance you took when you released your Zanpakutō looked like the beginning of an impressive technique."
"Ah, that was just a random pose."
"It did not look random."
As a master swordsman, Unohana could clearly distinguish between a casual stance and a true starting posture.
"Lieutenant Ethan has never used that stance during practice."
Ethan felt the malice around him increase slightly.
It seemed his daily practice was about to become even harsher.
"I look forward to seeing Lieutenant Ethan’s wonderful swordsmanship in future sessions."
"..."
Ethan silently drank his tea.
It was fortunate they were not sparring today.
Perhaps the busy captain would forget by tomorrow.
As it turned out, although Unohana was old, she was far from forgetful.
The next day, during practice, she deliberately increased her speed and strength, solely to force out Ethan’s so-called true strength.
That was not even the worst part.
His daily life in the Fourth Division already consisted of being suppressed by the captain.
Now, however, a member of the Second Division occasionally came to watch.
Even worse, sometimes that member brought another person from the Second Division and even cheered for Captain Unohana.
Was it really necessary to hold such a grudge over a small matter?
Feeling a surge of frustration, Ethan grabbed two bamboo swords during one session.
Using dual-wielding, he caught the captain off guard and gained a slight advantage, only to be suppressed again when she increased her strength.
"I did not expect Lieutenant Ethan to be so proficient with dual-wielding."
"..."
She did not say, "Aren’t you still being suppressed anyway?"
Instead, Ethan was curious about how much strength Unohana was actually using.
At the moment, he could not determine it, and she would never tell him.
In any case, the correct path was to continue improving and become stronger as quickly as possible.
For Shinigami with long lifespans, time passed unnoticed.
Ethan lived a steady life in the Fourth Division, and before he realized it, two years had gone by.
By now, he had fully adapted to Shinigami life.
On this day, he was having his usual sword practice with the captain.
After such a long time, he no longer felt overwhelming pressure. The session was no longer one-sided suppression but a genuine back-and-forth exchange.
Only now could it truly be called practice.
However, today’s session seemed to be canceled.
"We’re deploying?"
The person delivering the message was not only a Fourth Division member but also a messenger from the Second Division’s Onmitsukidō, quietly reporting something to Unohana.
"Mm."
When dealing with official matters, Unohana no longer wore her gentle smile.
She turned to Ethan and gave an order.
"Lieutenant Ethan, you will be in charge of this mission."
Ethan was momentarily stunned.
In the past two years, he had rarely gone on field missions.
Usually, the more senior lieutenants led medical squads on such assignments.
This unusual arrangement made him sense something special.
Unohana did not explain much.
After giving a few instructions to Seinosuke Yamada, she signaled Ethan to follow.
The two left the training hall and headed to the captain’s office.
Only upon arriving did Ethan realize someone was already waiting there.
"Yoruichi?"
Yoruichi was not surprised to see him.
She smiled and waved.
"I didn’t expect we’d be assigned to the same mission."
After two years of training, Yoruichi had been promoted to Sixth Seat and had become a squad leader.
It seemed she would be leading this mission.
"Let’s move immediately.
If we delay any longer, that person from the Shiba family won’t last."
(To be continued.)
