"Hey, how did your match go?" Arata approached and patted Renji on the shoulder.
The red-haired boy grimaced as medics bandaged the wound on his arm. When he heard the question, he lifted his head and forced a smile.
"Arata–senpai! I lost. My opponent was the squad officer of the Eleventh Division. I wasn't his match at all..."
Squad officer of the 11th Division?
Arata took another careful look at the match list, and a look of understanding appeared on his face.
"Abarai Renji VS Madarame Ikkaku."
It turned out to be that guy named Ikkaku, so it wasn't really unfair that Renji lost.
In the entire kendo tournament, if you exclude the favorites for the championship title, Kuchiki Byakuya, Zaraki Kenpachi, and Arata himself, who are in Tier 0, the next Tier 1 powers are vice-captains and high-ranking officers like Kaien and Ikkaku.
Under Arata's teaching for over a year, Renji's strength, along with that of the other students, had increased significantly compared to the original story, but they still couldn't challenge Madarame.
Even though this guy hadn't yet mastered Bankai, he wasn't any weaker than an average vice-captain. He was still too strong for a student like Renji.
"Did that Ikkaku guy happen to use his Shikai?" Arata raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Was he so serious that he drew his released sword against a student like you?"
Renji bowed his head in shame. "No, Arata–senpai, I'm just too weak… I couldn't even force Madarame–san, the third seat, to use his Shikai."
"Don't get discouraged." Arata ruffled his red hair. "The fact that you fought a squad officer before graduation is already a rare experience. It'll help you a lot in your future progress."
"By the way, where are Toushirou and Kusaka?"
"Toushirou won! And brutally!" Renji suddenly lit up, and his previously forced smile turned into a truly bright one.
"That guy didn't even give his opponent a chance to react. Knocked him out of the ring with a single move. He's resting now in the contestant area. As for Kusaka..."
His voice faded. "He had bad luck like me. Lost to the squad officer of the Eighth Division..."
Arata looked in the direction Renji pointed, and indeed, he spotted a dejected Sojiro Kusaka in the corner.
The black-haired boy sat on the steps, knees pulled to his chest, while Toushirou sat beside him, head bowed, clearly trying to comfort his friend.
"Kusaka, don't blame yourself so much." Arata approached the two, squatted down, and patted the black-haired boy on the shoulder. "Your opponent was the squad officer of the Eighth Division. There's no shame in losing to someone like that."
Kusaka raised his head, his eyes red. "But, Arata–senpai, if only I had mastered my Shikai like my opponent..."
"Idiot!" Toushirou suddenly cut him off, a flash of anger in his emerald eyes. "Do you think mastering a Shikai is that easy? They're all veterans buried in the Gotei 13 for years!"
Arata watched the two arguing and couldn't help but recall his younger days at the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy.
He reached out and grabbed both their heads, gently rubbing them.
"Toushirou is right, releasing your Zanpakutō isn't something that can be achieved overnight." His voice was gentle but firm.
"The most important thing for you now is to build solid foundations. As they say—haste brings waste."
Although Kusaka understood Arata's words, he still clenched his fists with a hint of bitterness. "But Arata–senpai, we really are trying as hard as we can…"
"As your teacher, of course I know how hard you're trying." Arata smiled, then changed the subject. "But training with your Zanpakutō requires the right timing. If you force it, you'll only get the opposite effect."
"When the time comes, sensei will personally guide you through training to release your Zanpakutō."
As he said that, he stood up and glanced over the three boys, finally stopping on Toushirou.
"Now what you need to do is carefully observe the next matches, especially you, Toushirou. Your opponent in the second round won't be nearly as easy as in the first."
Toushirou nodded seriously. He was a smart child and clearly understood the meaning of Arata's words.
After one round of eliminations, the remaining participants were either elite fighters from various divisions or bodyguards of noble houses. None of them were weak.
As the last to qualify from the academic group, and without mastering his Shikai, he was likely the weakest among the 165 remaining participants.
Of course, there was still a small chance of advancing to the next round, if he drew a "bye" and automatically skipped the second round.
But that would completely defeat the purpose of his signing up for the kendo tournament. Toushirou had entered the competition precisely to fight as many masters as possible and discover his own shortcomings.
"Saito–sensei, I'll do my best to win!" Toushirou clenched his fists, and a fighting spirit flared in his eyes.
At that moment, Shiba Isshin's voice echoed over the loudspeaker:
"Match sixty-nine is about to begin. Will participants Zaraki Kenpachi and Raio Yabanhara please come to ring number 3 and prepare to fight!"
…
In the evening, after watching the day's matches, Arata arrived, as agreed, under the cherry blossom tree on the west side of Noble Street.
Since the identity of Tsunayashiro Akutagawa had already been used, and Kasumiōji Kumoi had already met that "person" in private, it was very likely that they had already discovered someone was impersonating him and causing trouble, so disguising as the same character no longer made sense.
Because of that, this time Arata chose to disguise himself as an unknown minor noble, someone who wouldn't be recognized even if he passed by on the street.
"Arata, you finally arrived." Kūkaku stepped out from the shadow of the cherry tree. Her black outfit clearly emphasized her slender, feminine figure, but at this moment, complex emotions flickered in her beautiful eyes.
She deliberately kept some distance, her voice soft. "According to the intel, the captains have already arrived at the Kasumiōji family residence and the dinner is just about to begin."
"The Onmitsukidō and Kidōshū troops have already been deployed around the perimeter. If anything happens, they'll move in immediately."
Arata nodded and cast a glance at the lavishly lit Kasumiōji family mansion in the distance.
The magnificent structure was covered with a barrier, and inside, he could feel spiritual pressure stirring.
"The captain didn't give us any specific orders?"
"No." Kūkaku bit her lower lip nervously. "Uncle Isshin only said to act according to the situation, but..."
She suddenly pulled out a metal orb the size of a palm from her chest. "I brought an improved version of the spirit bomb. As soon as I get a chance to approach Kasumiōji Kumoi…"
Arata grabbed her wrist, and at the moment of contact with her smooth skin, both of them shivered. Dark red lines briefly appeared beneath her skin, then vanished immediately.
"Don't rush. If you detonate it now, you'll only alert them. First, we need to confirm the exact location of the Bakkōtō."
Kūkaku suddenly pulled her hand away, and as she turned, her black hair brushed against Arata's face. "Follow me, I know a secret passage."
Under the cover of night, the two of them moved through the winding alleys of Noble Street.
Kūkaku's shunpo was light like a cat's step, each movement perfectly calculated to avoid the gaze of patrol guards.
Arata followed behind her and noticed a bite mark on her neck that hadn't fully faded—a mark he had left that night.
"Here it is." Kūkaku stopped in front of a stone wall covered in vines, pressed one leaf with her finger, and the wall silently shifted aside, revealing a dark passage.
"This is a secret passage the Shiba family built long ago for emergencies. It leads directly into the wine cellar of the Kasumiōji family."
"But why would the Shiba family's emergency escape tunnel lead directly to the Kasumiōji residence?"
"I don't know either. Uncle Isshin just mentioned it in passing."
Arata didn't dwell on the political intrigue behind it, simply accepting it as a byproduct of noble interests and alliances.
After all, no matter how far they were from the center of power, the Shiba were still one of the Five Great Noble Families.