"Again!"
"Clang!"
The sound of two blades clashing echoed across the training grounds.
After several days of relentless training, Kazuma was no longer just passively taking hits.
Although he still spent most of his time flying backward, he was gradually able to exchange a few blows with the Captain-Commander.
"You've made great progress, kid. Both your Flash Step and your physical strength have improved considerably," Yamamoto noted.
Kazuma smiled. "Thank you for the praise, Captain-Commander. But I'm still a long way from your level."
Yamamoto let out a rare, hearty laugh. "Don't be modest. With your current strength, you can hold your own. By the way, was there something you wanted to discuss?"
"Captain-Commander, I'd like to request a few days of leave. My swordsmanship has hit a bottleneck. I plan to wander around the Rukongai to temper my spirit and achieve the unity of man and sword."
Yamamoto nodded slowly. "A sound idea. However, the Rukongai is not an easy place to navigate. It is a melting pot of factions and complex dynamics. Be careful."
"Don't worry, Captain-Commander. I'll be careful. I believe this trip will take my Zanjutsu to the next level."
"I approve your request. With your current level of swordsmanship and Flash Step, you should have no problem protecting yourself. I hope that when you return, your blade will have reached proficiency."
"Thank you, Captain-Commander. I will not disappoint you."
With that, Kazuma turned to go.
"Wait a moment, kid," Yamamoto suddenly called out.
'This old man is so fickle. Is he going back on his word already?'
Seeing Kazuma's crestfallen expression, Yamamoto didn't make the connection.
Kazuma turned back stiffly. "Is there something else, Captain-Commander?"
Yamamoto smiled. "I haven't signed your pass to exit the Seireitei. How do you expect to get back in?"
"Oh, right. I forgot about that." Kazuma's expression instantly brightened.
He was faster than a master of face-changing!
"Let me remind you one more time: when you get to the Rukongai, do not seek out trouble. If you encounter a danger you cannot handle, send a distress signal to the Gotei 13 immediately."
"Thank you for your concern, Captain-Commander. I'll remember."
"Today is a good day~ Everything I wish for will come true~" Kazuma hummed a little tune as he left, clutching his pass.
In truth, his trip outside the Seireitei wasn't just to temper his swordsmanship, it was to hide from Batsu'unsai!
She had already stormed the First Division several times, though Yamamoto had turned her away.
But the Captain-Commander wasn't always around, and there was no guarantee she wouldn't drag Kazuma out and execute him one day.
It was best not to risk it.
"Rukongai, here I come!"
The day he was reborn in the Soul Society, Batsu'unsai dragged him straight to the Seireitei.
He hadn't even experienced the sights of the outer districts.
'Last time I entered the Seireitei, it was through Kokuryōmon, the North Gate. This time, I'll leave through Hakutōmon, the West Gate. When I watched the anime, Ichigo always used the West Gate. I might as well meet Jidanbō.'
Speaking of which, the lifespans in the Soul Society were absurd.
It was still over a thousand years before the main storyline began, and Jidanbō was already guarding the gate.
"Halt! State your purpose!" A towering giant appeared before Hakutōmon.
"You must be Jidanbō. I'm Satou Kazuma of the 8th Division. I'm heading to the Rukongai on a mission. Here are the Captain-Commander's orders."
"So you're a Shinigami-sama on a mission. I will open Hakutōmon at once."
"Thanks, Jidanbō. And I'm no sama, just an ordinary Shinigami. Call me Kazuma."
"Yes, Kazuma-sama."
'Jidanbō is so formal. I guess he'll loosen up over the next thousand years.'
Rumble...
As Hakutōmon opened, Kazuma stepped out into the Rukongai.
The first thing he did was suppress his Spiritual Pressure. Inside the Seireitei, everyone was a Shinigami, so leaking Reiatsu had no effect.
But in the Rukongai, ordinary Souls couldn't withstand the crushing weight of a Shinigami's aura. Leaking it could injure them, or worse, cause their souls to dissipate entirely.
Just as Kazuma began his journey...
"Is Kazuma here? I've come to drag him back to the 8th Division." Batsu'unsai had marched into the First Division yet again.
"Captain Batsu'unsai, Satou Kazuma has applied for leave to travel in the Rukongai," a squad member sighed. The Captain was truly obsessed.
"What! When did he leave?"
"Just a little while ago."
"That damn bastard! He went to the Rukongai to hide from me! Do you know which gate he used?" Batsu'unsai ground her teeth.
"I don't know."
"Fine, I'll find him myself."
Batsu'unsai didn't need a pass to leave.
As a Captain, she had the authority to come and go as she pleased.
After checking two gates, she finally learned at Hakutōmon that Kazuma had left through the West.
...
Kazuma weaved through the bustling crowds of the Rukongai.
"It's so lively. The Seireitei doesn't have this kind of energy."
For the Soul Society, the Rukongai was the true heart.
The Seireitei was just the political and military stronghold for a fraction of the population.
Suddenly, a suffocating Spiritual Pressure erupted from a village up ahead.
Kazuma instinctively rested his hand on his Zanpakutō.
'This Reiatsu feels foul. Heavy and oppressive.' Kazuma turned toward the source.
A jagged, black tear ripped open in the sky. Violent Spiritual Pressure poured out of the void.
A massive, bone-white mask with a long nose poked through the rift.
Kazuma's pupils contracted.
That enormous size, that iconic silhouette—it was a Gillian-class Menos Grande.
Although Gillians were the lowest class of Menos and lacked intelligence, they were still genuine Menos Grande.
'Holy crap... I hit the jackpot! I just left and I'm already fighting a Menos.'
Weighing his Asauchi, Kazuma decided to test himself.
He would use this Hollow to measure his strength. He had been training relentlessly but had yet to face a real enemy.
Kazuma immediately flared his Spiritual Pressure, aiming to bait the Menos. Hollows hungered for Shinigami Reiatsu.
The richer the soul, the faster they evolved.
'I'm so kind. To save the ordinary Souls in the village, I'm luring the Menos away all by myself. I deserve a medal.' Kazuma gripped his sword with both hands, his eyes locked on the towering beast.
'My Reiatsu is at the sixth rank, and I've survived the old man's Zanjutsu and Hohō training. Killing a single Gillian shouldn't be an issue.' He took a deep breath, brimming with confidence.
With a sharp draw and a rush of wind, Kazuma vanished.
He reappeared like a phantom in front of the Menos.
Without hesitation, he swung his blade, slashing violently at the Hollow's mask.
However, the Menos reacted with terrifying speed. It roared and swiped a massive claw, intercepting the strike.
With a deafening clang, steel met bone, sending sparks showering down.
"An interesting Shinigami. I haven't even hunted you, and you serve yourself on a platter. Allow me to devour you!" the Menos growled, its eyes burning with greed. It unhinged its cavernous jaw, preparing to swallow Kazuma whole.
Kazuma sidestepped the bite and slashed at its massive leg.
But the Menos's skin was like iron, the blade only carved a shallow scratch.
Enraged, the Menos lunged.
Kazuma continuously fired off Flash Steps, dodging the heavy strikes and searching for an opening.
Kazuma struck again, aiming for the Hollow's torso.
'Something's wrong.' The blade sliced through empty air.
The Menos vanished.
Kazuma instantly turn around, bringing his sword up to block. The Menos materialized behind him and swatted him with a massive backhand.
'Impossible! It used Sonído!'
Kazuma didn't even have time to process the thought as he was launched through the air.
A blinding red light began to gather in the Menos's mouth, aiming straight for Kazuma's trajectory.
'Crap, a Cero! I misjudged! This isn't an ordinary Gillian—it's on the verge of evolving into an Adjuchas!' Kazuma twisted in mid-air, bracing for impact.
BOOM!
The Cero hit Kazuma head-on!
The blast sent him hurtling backward, tearing through a dozen trees before he finally crashed into the dirt.
"Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His Shihakushō was scorched and shredded.
Struggling to his feet, Kazuma looked at the Menos in the distance.
A crushing weight settled over him.
'This is bad. I might actually die here.'
"Not bad, Shinigami. To survive that blast... you've earned the right to know my name. Listen well. The one who kills you is Reizack, a lord destined to become an Adjuchas."
Reizack fired off Sonído, instantly closing the distance to finish Kazuma off.
Facing the lethal strike, Kazuma emptied his mind and released every ounce of his Spiritual Pressure.
The surrounding air warped under the sheer density of his power.
'I'll risk it all. If I die, I die.' Kazuma gripped his Zanpakutō and charged.
His speed broke the sound barrier, arcing like a bolt of lightning.
Faint tendrils of blue Reiatsu crackled along the steel of his blade.
This time, Kazuma was ready. Relying on his sharpened instincts, he predicted the Hollow's trajectory and slashed at empty space.
Blood erupted like a geyser.
Reizack's sharp claws tore a deep gash across Kazuma's chest, but the Menos's massive body was cleanly severed at the waist.
The two halves crashed into the dirt!
Looking down at the stunned Reizack, whose body was slowly dissolving into spirit particles, Kazuma smiled through the pain.
"Reizack, was it? The one who cut you down is Satou Kazuma. The man destined to become the greatest Captain in the Soul Society."
Kazuma panted heavily, watching the Hollow fade into nothingness.
"Hiss! That hurts..." He glanced at the gruesome wound spanning his chest, blood soaking his robes.
"What a mess. But I survived."
A crushing wave of exhaustion washed over him.
The brief exchange had completely drained his stamina and Reiatsu.
"I need to find a place to recover..."
Dragging his heavy legs, Kazuma took a single step before his vision spin.
He collapsed.
In his hazy state, Kazuma thought he heard Captain Batsu'unsai's voice.
'Its just a hallucination. Why would she be here?'
Before slipping into darkness, Kazuma saw Batsu'unsai sprinting toward him.
He felt himself being lifted, his head resting against something soft and warm.
It smelled faintly of jasmine.
Unconsciously, he nuzzled deeper. 'So comfortable.'
"You bastard. You're still a pervert even when you're half-dead. I'll cut you down as soon as you recover," Batsu'unsai muttered.
She adjusted her grip on the unconscious Kazuma and launched into a Flash Step toward the Seireitei.
It was a bizarre sight: the petite Captain carrying the tall, bleeding recruit, whose face was buried squarely in her big boobs.
In truth, Batsu'unsai had tracked the battle.
It was impossible for such a massive clash of Spiritual Pressure to go unnoticed in the Rukongai, especially since she recognized Kazuma's Reiatsu.
She arrived just in time to see Kazuma cleave the Menos in two before passing out.
...
A day passed.
Kazuma slowly opened his eyes.
He recognized the ceiling of the 8th Division captain's office. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain ripped across his chest.
"Don't move. Your wounds haven't healed," Batsu'unsai commanded.
Kazuma looked up.
Remembering what had happened right before he passed out, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward her chest.
His face flushed. 'They really were soft. I miss that feeling.'
"You were lucky. If it had been a normal Shinigami, they would have been erased. That was a Gillian on the verge of evolving into an Adjuchas," Batsu'unsai said sternly.
Catching Kazuma's wandering gaze, she brought her fist down hard on his head.
"You bastard!"
"Ow, ow! I'm a patient, Captain!"
Still rubbing his head, Kazuma smiled. "Thank you, Batsu'unsai... I'll be more careful."
"Call me Captain Batsu'unsai!" she snapped, her face flushing crimson as her voice jumped an octave.
"Hmph. There better not be a next time. As for the Menos... I reported it to the Captain-Commander. He'll handle the fallout. Focus on your recovery."
She tossed a scroll onto his chest. "This is your official report. I submitted it for you. For single-handedly executing an evolving Menos Grande, Central 46 has granted you a special promotion. Once you recover, you will be assigned as a Lieutenant."
"Central 46 got involved? But I don't even have Shikai yet. Can I really be a Lieutenant?"
"You killed a Menos Grande on the verge of becoming an Adjuchas. Do you think that's a small fry? It's a special promotion. It doesn't matter if you have Shikai."
Kazuma's shock morphed into a grin. "Thank you, Batsu'unsai. I'll work hard!"
Batsu'unsai looked away, a trace of panic in her eyes. "You performed well. But take care of yourself. I don't want you getting killed."
Kazuma nodded, silently vowing to master his power so Batsu'unsai would never have to worry again.