The night was still long.
Suō Tsukasa and Tōshirō had both finished changing their clothes, preparing for their subsequent daily Kidō training.
"Tsukasa, could you help guide me in my training?"
"I can, but... are you sure?"
Tsukasa froze slightly, doubting his own ears as he sought confirmation. Had the sun risen from the west today? This didn't seem like the Matsumoto Rangiku he knew; something felt off.
"Yes," Rangiku nodded decisively.
Seeing him and Tōshirō training so diligently had sparked a sudden motivation in her. Coupled with the lingering impact of the Metastacia incident, which had left a mark on her heart, she felt a desire to strengthen herself. Her attitude was serious, not a whim or a joke.
"Alright, no problem. Follow me."
Tsukasa looked at her. While the Rangiku before him possessed the same curvaceous and sultry figure, she was indeed quite different from the version in his memories. He nodded without hesitation. Regardless of her motivations, he wouldn't refuse such a request. Besides, it wouldn't take up too much of his own training time.
Tōshirō stood to the side, glancing at Rangiku and then at Tsukasa. He said nothing, simply walking over to a different section of the training grounds. Usually, his and Tsukasa's Kidō training was conducted separately anyway, so this didn't interfere with his plans. Furthermore, he had no interest in standing around and watching.
Tsukasa led her to the center of the training field and spoke seriously.
"Use your Zanpakutō directly. I don't have a wooden sword here that matches your usual weight, and using the real thing makes it easier for me to spot issues. Don't use Shikai yet; let's start with the most basic offense and defense."
"Alright, Tsukasa. I'm in your care."
Rangiku first gave a formal bow and then took several steps back. Gripping her sword, she settled into a standard Chūdan-no-kamae (middle-guard stance). Her posture was disciplined, befitting someone capable of holding the position of Vice-Captain. However, Tsukasa spotted several issues at a glance, noting them in his mind to summarize later.
"Here I come!"
As soon as Tsukasa finished speaking, he drew his blade—Clang!
The two blades collided in mid-air, ringing with the sound of clashing steel. Rangiku felt that the strength transmitted through the sword wasn't particularly overwhelming, yet it still left her wrists feeling slightly numb.
"Continue."
Tsukasa sheathed his blade and retreated, giving her time to adjust.
Over the next dozen seconds, the training ground echoed with rapid clashing sounds as two figures moved swiftly across the floor. After dozens of exchanges, Tsukasa withdrew his blade from where it rested against her shoulder and analyzed her performance earnestly.
"If you secure your chest a bit tighter, I expect your performance would improve further."
"?"
Faced with this sincere advice that sounded well-intentioned yet bordered on harassment, Rangiku's brow arched, her expression briefly clouded by confusion. Tsukasa, however, remained entirely composed.
He continued his analysis. "Every time you make a large swing or move quickly, your center of gravity shifts because of the movement of your chest. While the impact isn't massive, in a real battle, that slight opening is enough to be fatal. Your swordsmanship might have been fine during your time at the Academy, but as your body matured and you lacked a master to continue guiding you, your basic movements have actually become somewhat distorted."
He spoke bluntly, discussing purely technical matters. Lust was a fundamental part of human nature, but as someone who had seen countless "hemispheres" from every direction, he wasn't about to start flirting just because of the deep cleavage before him. As a friend, Rangiku was delightful; as a sparring partner, she was somewhat lacking, possessing technical flaws that needed correction.
He paused for a beat before offering specific advice. "You might consider ordering a custom-fitted inner lining. I don't mean a chest binder—that would actually hinder your breathing and power generation. Rather, you need to reduce unnecessary shaking to make your center of gravity more stable. Of course, I'm not suggesting you focus entirely on swordsmanship to become a master. Your Haineko excels at mid-to-long-range control and harassment. If you can hold your own in close quarters and use Hoho to create distance, your tactics will become much more flexible."
From the moment their blades first met, he had confirmed one thing: within her sword, Tsukasa felt only hesitation and uncertainty. She did not possess the heart of one who sought to become truly strong. Though it was a cliché, in battle, the heart is vital. Combat means injury; it means death. Only sufficient conviction can unleash true power. Moreover, close-quarters combat had never been the mainstream choice for female Shinigami, save for a select few.
"...What you say makes a lot of sense. I never noticed that before, and no one ever bothered to point out such details to me."
Rangiku listened intently, her confusion having long since turned into realization, and she nodded in agreement.
"That's probably because they either didn't notice, or they were too embarrassed to say it directly. Actually, your strength isn't bad; it's just that if you want to get stronger, these small details must be adjusted."
Rangiku nodded, temporarily switching her sword to her left hand while her right hand adjusted the sash of her Shihakushō. Though it was only a temporary fix, when she resumed her stance, her entire presence felt significantly more grounded.
"Let's try again!"
This time, her movements were noticeably more fluid. The openings caused by an unstable center of gravity no longer appeared as frequently.
Throughout the remaining time, Tsukasa conducted a thorough assessment of Rangiku's other skills. Her Hakuda was, unsurprisingly, poor due to a lack of practice, so he skipped over it. However, when it came to Kidō, the situation was entirely different.
"Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens.! Hadō No. 73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"
Her incantation was clear and steady, and her spiritual pressure rapidly condensed in her palms into two streaks of pale blue flame. The flames spiraled and merged into one, turning into a scorching pillar of light that roared forth, piercing through a distant stone pillar. The speed of her spiritual pressure condensation, her power control, and the stability of the trajectory were all flawless.
It could be said that among the female Shinigami Tsukasa knew, with the exception of Unohana Retsu, Rangiku's strength could rank in the top two. She was a Vice-Captain in both name and reality.
"How was it?" Rangiku finished her stance and turned around, a hint of expectation on her face.
"Very good," Tsukasa said truthfully.
"Of course! Back at the Shin'ō Academy, my Kidō grades were top-tier!" Finding her performance recognized, she became quite boastful. She wiped the light sweat from her forehead and lifted her chin proudly, her blonde hair fluttering, exuding confidence and vitality.
"I can tell!" Tsukasa replied with a smile.
There were still points that could be improved, but he didn't mention them. Their relationship was close, but Tsukasa was still her junior. His previous bluntness regarding her flaws would have dampened her spirits to some extent. A proper amount of affirmation would make her more willing to accept further advice in the future.
"The 'praise tactic' still works," Tsukasa thought with a knowing smile as he watched Rangiku regain her confidence.
He glanced at the clock on the rock wall and said, "Let's call it a day. Training should be taken step by step."
"Alright!"
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