Chapter 25: The Drunkard's Final Word
Kuroha helplessly rubbed his nose. It was all because of that slip of the tongue.
No— To be precise, even speaking honestly was wrong.
It seems that as a steel-straight man, sometimes he still needs to learn how to tell some well-intentioned lies.
However, in Kuroha's eyes—having personally experienced the system's power—he felt that completing mastery of all four arts (Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō) within one year under Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni was not difficult at all.
According to his own estimation, half a year would be more than enough.
"Shiba Kuroha, why aren't you speaking? Where did all that confidence from earlier go?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni glared with round eyes and barked loudly.
An aura that was imposing even without anger swept through the entire hall, instantly tightening every nerve in the room.
Everyone was dying to know: Facing such harsh graduation conditions, would this rule-breaking drunkard finally back down?
"Kid, hurry up and admit your mistake—let old man Yamamoto calm down. Some words are better left unsaid. Being honest makes more people like you," Shunsui Kyōraku whispered urgently.
"Being honest makes more people like you?" Kuroha raised an eyebrow. That went completely against his original intention of telling white lies. "Does being honest really make things better? I'm worried old man Yamamoto will cut me down."
"What nonsense are you spouting? It's only if you're dishonest that old man Yamamoto will cut you. If you answer honestly and he still wants to cut you, I'll take the hit for you."
Shunsui—desperate to complete the mission—had completely thrown caution to the wind.
The thousand-year vintage had indeed been drunk by Kuroha, but he also didn't want Yamamoto coming after him later.
"Alright then."
Kuroha hesitated, then agreed.
Watching this arrogant, talented youth finally soften his tone, many of the onlookers showed gloating expressions.
Even Aizen and Gin couldn't help but smile.
After all, this kid had caused too much chaos and completely disrupted their plans.
Now seeing Shiba Kuroha finally fall into Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's hands and take a loss… Aizen believed that recruiting this variable into the Fifth Division later would become much easier.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto… a-actually, I think I can graduate in half a year."
Kuroha rubbed his head helplessly and said: "I was originally planning to tell a little white lie, but it's all Captain Kyōraku's fault—he told me to be honest."
Arrogant!Utterly, boundlessly arrogant!
That was the only thought in everyone's mind right now.
Whether it was the peanut-gallery examinees or Aizen and the others—the smiles on their faces froze like old chrysanthemums, stiff and ugly.
The expected scene of backing down didn't happen—instead, he shortened one year to half a year.
In anyone's eyes, this was clearly a direct challenge to Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's thousand-year-old temper.
BOOM!
A violent surge of reiatsu exploded inside Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni like a raging tide.
His robes billowed without wind as the massive spiritual pressure climbed higher and higher.
The floor beneath his feet cracked instantly.
Everyone in the hall felt as though an invisible weight was crushing down on them.
The weaker examinees turned deathly pale, staggered a few times, and some couldn't even stay on their feet—they collapsed directly.
As the strongest Shinigami in Seireitei history—even without releasing Shikai or Bankai— the reiatsu he unleashed was completely beyond what ordinary examinees could withstand.
Standing within this violent spiritual pressure felt like being an insignificant speck, like a tiny boat on the verge of capsizing in a raging storm.
"Kid—be careful!" Shunsui shouted in alarm.
Seeing Yamamoto's gaze sharpen, he completely forgot his urge to kick Kuroha. He could only rush forward, intending to help shoulder the overwhelming, tsunami-like reiatsu that Yamamoto was deliberately unleashing.
BANG!
The furious reiatsu slammed toward Kuroha.
A wave of spiritual pressure—not inferior to Yamamoto's—suddenly erupted from within Kuroha.
The two invisible forces collided head-on without yielding an inch, transforming into a massive beam that shot straight toward the ceiling of the testing hall.
BOOM!
The thick ceiling cracked with a deafening sound.
Spiderweb-like, horrifying fissures spread rapidly outward.
Examinees who were already struggling under Yamamoto's reiatsu pressure let out muffled groans—some rolled their eyes and fainted.
The floor—already cracked from Yamamoto's earlier stomp—continued fracturing outward in all directions.
"This… this is automatic reiatsu resistance? This kid's spiritual pressure can actually stand against old man Yamamoto before he unseals his power?"
Shunsui's face was full of shock.
No— Everyone present was stunned.
Even Yamamoto's right eyelid twitched slightly. His gaze toward Kuroha gained a trace of surprise.
After all, without roughly equal reiatsu, one would be instantly suppressed under such a dominant assault.
Now Kuroha's spiritual particles were actively defending.
This proved his ten-bamboo reiatsu was no bluff.
"Ahem… Captain-Commander Yamamoto, it's time to go meet His Majesty the Soul King. If we delay further, we'll be blamed—and it will break your thousand-year unbroken routine," Chōjirō Sasakibe coughed dryly.
As Yamamoto's trusted right-hand man, only he dared speak up in this situation.
"Time already?"
Yamamoto still had both hands overlapping on his cane.
But the fierce light gradually faded from his wide-open eyes. His eyelids drooped again, returning to their usual narrowed state.
The raging tide of reiatsu that had surged outward rapidly receded back into his body.
In an instant, the violent clash of spiritual pressures dissolved.
"Kid—hurry and withdraw your reiatsu," Shunsui urged urgently.
In his eyes, Chōjirō had just given Yamamoto a perfect way to step down.
Kuroha should take this chance to back off as well.
"Ahem… can I say that only by drinking do I know how to control my reiatsu?"
Kuroha coughed dryly, face slightly red as he spoke.
He actually hadn't wanted to say this.
At the very least, his ten-bamboo reiatsu had come entirely from drinking in the black prison.
Only after sobering up did he realize his genius attributes had gained another heavy stroke.
If not for Alcohol God's Hand accidentally waking him up, Kuroha wouldn't even have known he'd become even more monstrous.
The small voice echoed in the testing hall like a demonic chant—lingering for a long, long time.
Shunsui's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.
In fact, everyone present was the same.
Even the good-natured Chōjirō—who had stepped in to smooth things over—now regretted it.
He regretted not letting Yamamoto draw his blade and cut this madman down.
--------------------------
You can support me here patreon.com/inkroxx
Your support boosts my motivation and confidence, helping me focus and release chapters more consistently.
Every bit of support inspires me to keep creating better content.