บท 103: Chapter 103
"How is that possible?" Kuchiki Sōjun couldn't hide his astonishment as he watched Kaelith Yurei block his sword strike with just a finger.
Kaelith gently pushed away his sword.
"Hey, no need to be that surprised.
"Your swordsmanship is indeed strong, but you pulled back at the last moment.
"After all, I am a third-class spiritual power; blocking a strike like that isn't so strange."
Hearing this, Kuchiki Sōjun was even more shocked.
"What? Third-class spiritual power?"
His eyes widened, as if he was questioning whether he was dreaming.
Seeing his reaction, Kaelith Yurei asked curiously, "How long has it been... Haven't you received any news?"
His display of third-class spiritual power occurred during the captain's examination ceremony of Rokujō Kensei.
Such big news should have reached everyone, not just the Kuchiki family, but even ordinary Soul Reapers should have heard about it by now.
Upon hearing this, Sōjun instinctively responded, "I haven't received any outside news for a long time... Lately, every day has been filled with training and battles, and no one has mentioned this to me..."
Suddenly, he came back to his senses.
"Wait, never mind that for now, Yurei, you have a third-class spiritual power now?!"
Third-class—that's captain level!
"I've only been isolated for training for a few months, right? Could it be that I've completely lost track of time and it's been decades outside?"
Kaelith chuckled.
"So, aren't you tempted to worship your brother now?"
Sōjun: "…"
With so much information coming from Yurei's sudden appearance, he didn't know what to say.
Seeing him like this, Kaelith patted his shoulder.
"Relax, no rush, we have plenty of time.
"Come, sit down and talk. First, tell me how you've been."
Saying this, Kaelith casually sat down on the grass.
His posture was not formal; he simply sat down with one leg tucked in and the other stretched out, looking very relaxed.
Seeing his demeanor, Kuchiki Sōjun paused for a few seconds, then smiled.
This guy, although it's been a long time, he's still the same as before.
Seeing Kaelith so leisurely, he couldn't help but relax as well.
With a determined heart, Sōjun also cast aside any noble demeanor and sat down on the ground like Kaelith.
Under the latter's gaze, he shared what had been happening to him.
In truth, there wasn't much to tell.
Since returning to the Kuchiki family, Kuchiki Ginrei had started intensive training for him.
During training, Kuchiki Ginrei personally taught him combat techniques.
Then, it was time for independent practice.
Throughout this process, Kuchiki Ginrei often sent the best fighters in their squad to launch surprise attacks on Sōjun.
Under his strict orders, these officials were particularly ruthless. Initially, Sōjun, being too nice, held back and ended up bedridden from the beatings.
Over time, Sōjun, the perennial good guy, was pushed to his limits.
Like the strike he just aimed at Kaelith Yurei, he had started to retaliate fiercely against every sneak attack.
Each victory meant that the next attack would be stronger, forcing him to fight harder.
Hearing Sōjun's story, Kaelith was astounded.
"That's really harsh.
Luckily, old man Yamamoto wasn't that ruthless, or would I ever have good days again?"
Seemingly guessing Yurei's thoughts, Sōjun smiled.
"Yurei, don't think father is being too harsh.
"As the heir to the Kuchiki family and the next head, I must grow.
"If I can't stand on my own, the Kuchiki family's legacy of a million years could be destroyed in my hands."
He remarked somewhat emotionally, "As you know, I was born frail, and if given the choice, my father would have preferred that I not become a Soul Reaper and simply lead a normal life.
"Unfortunately, my generation has few members, and besides me, there is no one else in the family who can inherit the headship.
"Whenever I think about this, I can't help feeling anxious, afraid that I'll let everyone down...
"Therefore, the harsh training from my father actually gives me some comfort because, at least, I know I'm constantly striving."
As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Kaelith with a complex expression.
"After all the effort, it turns out I still can't catch up to your rate of becoming stronger..."
Kaelith scratched his head and laughed heartily.
Kuchiki Sōjun had said so much, yet he hadn't really caught the latter half.
Hearing about the 'million-year-old legacy,' he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
The world of Soul Reapers really was absurd.
Before he had crossed over, he had thought that the history of the Soul Society was only a few thousand years old.
Little had he expected that a million years ago, the five great noble families were already serving the Soul King.
This setting truly shattered his worldview.
After Kuchiki Sōjun finished speaking, he also shared his own experiences of recent times.
Listening to Yurei's story, Sōjun's eyes widened, listening intently.
Prison attacks, graduation ceremonies, captaincy exams...
Hearing about Yurei's fierce battles, Sōjun couldn't help but clench his fists, his gaze tense.
Hearing that Kaelith was unharmed, he relaxed, showing a relieved expression.
His empathy was strong.
After hearing Yurei's story, Sōjun was somewhat excited.
"Yurei, you've really become extraordinary... That's wonderful!"
Kaelith slightly tilted his head back, showing a proud smile.
"Oh, keep praising me, just a bit more!"
---
As they were chatting, Kaelith suddenly raised his eyebrows.
He sensed a well-hidden spiritual pressure approaching the courtyard.
No doubt, it must be the attacker Sōjun mentioned, sent by his father.
As the spiritual pressure grew closer, Sōjun also sensed something.
He stood up, placing his hand on the blade of his Zanpakutō.
"Yurei, step back a bit."
Kaelith Yurei nodded and, with a flash, moved to the edge of the courtyard.
Then, he saw a Soul Reaper appear in the courtyard using Shunpo.
Seeing Kuchiki Sōjun, the Soul Reaper didn't waste words and charged with his sword drawn.
Instantly, Kaelith gauged the opponent's strength.
A high-ranking officer, with spiritual might between level seven and six.
Nowadays, as all divisions are short-staffed, an officer of this level could barely be promoted to vice-captain.
Faced with the attack, Sōjun's expression didn't change.
He drew his Zanpakutō, attacking like a tiger breaking free from its cage, rushing forward immediately.
In a moment, the flashing blade and surging spiritual pressure filled the courtyard with a cold, steely aura.
Watching for a while, Kaelith was somewhat surprised.
"Old man Kuchiki's special training really did something.
The spiritual pressure of Teacher Sō, already approaching a seventh rank.
A proper high-ranking officer!
Combined with the mysterious and unpredictable Kuchiki family swordsmanship, dealing with an officer of level six or seven was really not an issue."
---
Sure enough, in less than a minute, Kuchiki Sōjun had overwhelmed his opponent.
Swinging his Zanpakutō, he appeared behind the officer in a flash.
Blood spurted from the officer's body!
Kaelith stood up, clapping his hands.
He was about to go over and heal the officer when he saw Kuchiki Sōjun, standing there, suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood.
Kaelith: "?"
As he watched in astonishment, Kuchiki Sōjun spat out blood again and then collapsed to the ground.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง