Chapter 23

"Aizen, you go on ahead. I'll be right behind."

"Aizen, am I blocking your view of the blackboard? If so, just let me know; don't hesitate!"

"Aizen, you go get your food first; I'll wait until you're done!"

Aizen: "…"

Standing by the cafeteria window, Kaelith Yurei wore a serene smile, practically radiating a holy light. Aizen couldn't help but furrow his brows.

He was used to Kaelith's eccentric behavior, but this was taking it a bit far.

After a moment's thought, he spoke up, "Kaelith, if you need something from me, just say it."

Kaelith laughed. "What are you talking about? Do I look like the kind of person who only acts nice when I need a favor?"

"You do."

"…"

After a brief silence, Kaelith smiled again.

"So, Aizen, would you say we're friends?"

Aizen looked at him with a hint of confusion, then nodded.

He held himself in high regard and rarely acknowledged others as "friends." Although Kaelith often gave him headaches, he did consider him a friend. Even as a joke, he wouldn't deny that.

Seeing Aizen nod, Kaelith looked touched.

"That's great! Since we're friends, Aizen, there's something I'd like you to promise me."

"If you ever turn into a villain, promise me you'll let me off the hook and won't do anything weird to me."

Aizen shook his head, amused.

"Kaelith, if there's something wrong with your head, Fourth Division is available."

He said this as he finished getting his food and turned to leave.

Kaelith quickly stopped him. "Wait, wait, don't go yet. Promise me first."

"Fine, fine, I promise."

Without even a second thought, Aizen humored him and walked away.

Watching Aizen's back, Kaelith chuckled.

So what if he mastered Kyoka Suigetsu? So what if he's all-powerful?

In the end, he still signed an unfair treaty under Lord Kaelith's authority.

A feeling of superiority swept over him.

Having secured his "get-out-of-jail-free" card, Kaelith was in a fantastic mood.

Meanwhile, on Aizen's side, seeing Kaelith back to his usual carefree self put him at ease.

He's still got his wits about him; that's good.

---

Over the next few days, Kaelith kept practicing Hakuda techniques.

Though he hadn't yet awakened his Zanpakutō, even if he did, Kaelith didn't want to rely too heavily on its abilities. In the world of Shinigami, too many factors could influence one's Zanpakutō.

Like Muramasa, which could incite Zanpakutō to betray their wielders—who could guarantee another blade like that wouldn't appear?

And during the Thousand-Year Blood War, the Quincies stripped Shinigami of their Bankai, which was chilling to even think about.

Besides external factors, Zanpakutō were inherently fragile. If damaged during Bankai, they could never fully recover, permanently losing a portion of their power.

Is it a weapon meant for battle or a delicate artifact to be revered?

Kaelith hoped his Zanpakutō would be like Aizen's—a specialized ability type. In battle, he'd only need to use it for a skill and then put it away. Wouldn't that be ideal?

Between his training, he'd occasionally stroll around near the Kuchiki household. He didn't know how Kuchiki Sōjun was faring, but at least the Kuchiki family hadn't displayed any mourning clothing, so Sōjun must still be alive.

He had thought about asking Yoruichi Shihōin for information, but even by the weekend, she hadn't reached out to him.

---

Following a familiar stone path, Kaelith arrived at the First Division training grounds.

When he got there, he noticed someone had already arrived before him. There were three pairs of straw sandals left at the entrance.

Inside the dojo, he could hear faint voices. Seeing this, Kaelith considered leaving and returning later, to avoid wintessing anything he shouldn't. (t/n My god I did not need that mental image..)

But before he could turn around, Yamamoto's voice came from within.

"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Get in here."

Kaelith scratched his head, slipped off his sandals, and opened the door to step inside.

He was greeted by the sight of Yamamoto standing with his cane in the center of the hall.

Opposite him were two familiar faces.

One wore a pink robe over his shoulders, sporting brown wavy hair under a straw hat adorned with two hairpins.

The other, with a single white ponytail, had sharp eyebrows and a striking gaze, draped in a white captain's haori.

Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku.

Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jūshirō Ukitake!

Seeing Kaelith walk in, both of them looked at him with curiosity.

Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat and grinned. "Yo, you must be the new prodigy Yamamoto's taken on."

"I'm Shunsui Kyōraku. You can consider me your senior."

At this, Yamamoto shot him a quick look.

Before the old man could say anything, Kaelith quickly clasped his hands and saluted. "Disciple Kaelith Yurei, greetings to Senior Brother!"

Seeing Kaelith's quick response, Ukitake couldn't help but be taken aback.

Looking at this junior, memories of certain mischievous incidents came to mind.

Kyōraku laughed.

This junior of his had some spunk.

He had heard about Yamamoto taking Kaelith under his wing from the beginning.

Back then, he was curious what kind of genius had managed to catch the attention of the old man, who hadn't taken a disciple in centuries.

Today's meeting had been a pleasant surprise.

To Kyōraku's knowledge, Yamamoto hadn't officially accepted Kaelith as a disciple, merely shielding him from political backlash under the guise of instruction.

If Kaelith had any sense of humility, he would hesitate or refuse to call him "Senior Brother."

But this junior just went for it without a second thought, right in front of Yamamoto. No hesitation.

It reminded him of himself in his younger days.

Ukitake smiled and said, "Hello, Kaelith. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Jūshirō Ukitake, also a disciple of Yamamoto-sensei. I look forward to working with you."

Kaelith saluted once more. "Senior Brother Ukitake!"

Hearing this title, Ukitake smiled, nodding approvingly.

"Ahem!"

Just as Ukitake was about to say something more, Yamamoto coughed twice.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Kaelith, you haven't forgotten last week's agreement with me, have you?"

As he spoke, the old man radiated a sense of authority.

He had made up his mind to give Kaelith a lasting lesson to keep him grounded and not overly ambitious.

If Kaelith played dumb or made excuses, he wouldn't mind letting him experience his teaching methods from centuries past.

Feeling the aura coming from Yamamoto, Kyōraku, and Ukitake both glanced at Kaelith with slight nervousness.

Kyōraku looked over at his junior.

This junior of his was something else—barely through the door, and he'd already managed to provoke the old man.

Ukitake swallowed.

In some respects, this junior seemed even bolder than Kyōraku…

Under their gaze, Kaelith was momentarily stunned.

Then he seemed to remember something and nodded. 

"Captain-Commander, you're referring to the 'If I learn all the basics of Hakuda in a week, you'll teach me advanced techniques' agreement, correct?"

"I think that's no longer necessary."

Hearing this, Yamamoto displayed a dangerous smile.

Ukitake and Kyōraku both widened their eyes in surprise.

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