Chapter 41: An Overwhelming Gap

Chapter 41 - 41: An Overwhelming Gap After the quarterfinals, the matchups were no longer determined by drawing lots. At this point in the competition, Asido had already grasped the strength levels of the students. He decided the matchups personally, removing elements of chance to make the upcoming matches more exciting. As a result, Hirako Shinji, Chijō Kana, Kuchiki Sōjun, and Ōmaeda Kishinosuke were all kept from facing each other in the semifinals. And just as Asido had anticipated, the four of them all easily defeated their opponents. The semifinal matchups were: Hirako Shinji vs. Kuchiki Sōjun, and Chijō Kana vs. Ōmaeda Kishinosuke. "...I'm screwed." Hirako Shinji's face fell. "I have to go up against Kuchiki Sōjun?" He had watched Kuchiki Sōjun's matches—this guy was not someone he could hope to defeat. The gap in strength was simply too wide. Hirako Shinji even suspected that Kuchiki Sōjun hadn't shown his true strength in any of his matches. He always let his opponent strike a few times first, and only when they ran out of options would he make a move—taking them out in a single instant. It was as if he were evaluating the opponent's swordsmanship. "You're actually pretty lucky. I had to face that freak in the first round! Ugh—" Muguruma Kensei rubbed his forehead. The bump that Kuchiki Sōjun gave him still hadn't gone down. "My opponent's strong too. That guy's way too violent—he's smashed the floor multiple times." Chijō Kana sighed, seemingly forgetting that she too had wrecked the arena floor more than once. "There's only four of you left now. Anyone who's made it this far is no weakling," Katori Nanatsuki stepped in to encourage them. "I'm proud of all of you for making it here. Don't carry too much pressure—just do your best!" "I'll give it my all! Just one more win and I get to learn a new sword technique!" Chijō Kana pumped her small fists, cheering herself up with energy to spare. "I'll do my best too!" Hirako Shinji nodded. He was already satisfied with his performance—after all, he had never trained in swordsmanship before. In just two months, he had defeated so many students who had been practicing for years. After a short break, the combatants stepped onto the arena one by one. Hirako Shinji locked eyes with his opponent. Kuchiki Sōjun had smooth, shoulder-length black hair, a portion of which was tied back near his left ear with a Hoshiken Clamp, holding it in place. His expression was gentle, with soft eyes and a slight, kind smile. There was none of the oppressive air often carried by upper noble families. He looked harmless—yet Hirako Shinji felt a strange pressure from him. Kuchiki Sōjun had worn the same expression through all his matches, even while defeating his opponents. The match began. Both bowed and drew their swords. Kuchiki Sōjun didn't speak a word of trash talk—he simply gazed at Hirako Shinji in silence, waiting for him to make the first move. Hirako didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, raised his arm, and slashed. Thud— The strike, executed at high speed, was easily blocked. He didn't stop there—he focused his Reiatsu into his legs, crouched, and kicked off the ground, leaping behind Kuchiki Sōjun in a flash. He raised his sword and swung down hard toward the back of Sōjun's neck. Thud— Another sharp impact. It was as if Kuchiki Sōjun had eyes in the back of his head. Without even turning around, he raised his wooden sword over his head and blocked the downward slash. Hirako twisted his wrist, using the clash to rebound off Sōjun's blade. He shifted positions and launched another slash from a different angle. The movement was so fast that, based on his calculations, Kuchiki Sōjun wouldn't have time to reposition his sword to block it. And indeed, Sōjun's blade didn't intercept it. Thud— Yet just as Hirako's sword was about to land, the familiar sound of wooden swords clashing rang out again. Hirako's eyes widened—his sword had been stopped by the butt end of Sōjun's blade! Sōjun had blocked the attack with the very end of the handle! If their Reiatsu and control were equal, that kind of block should've caused the sword to fly out of his hands. But Kuchiki Sōjun merely dipped his torso slightly to absorb the force. His grip on the sword remained firm and steady. Smiling, Sōjun twisted his wrist, shaking off Hirako's blade from the hilt. Then, with a sudden leap, the butt of his wooden sword struck Hirako squarely on the chin. Hirako Shinji blacked out instantly—he lost consciousness before even hitting the ground. "The Kuchiki family really is something else. Every generation has someone so outstanding. This Kuchiki Sōjun is sure to be another captain-level powerhouse someday," said Yamada , sounding a little wistful. He was born into a minor noble family. No one in his clan had ever even come close to captain-class potential. Just becoming a seated officer was considered exceptional. But the Kuchiki clan seemed to produce a genius like Sōjun in every generation. "Looks like this whole generation of students will be living in Sōjun's shadow. Let's just hope it doesn't crush their confidence," Nakano sighed and shook his head. He remembered feeling the same way back in his own academy days, when he was classmates with Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō—they completely stole the spotlight. Those two had already reached captain-level strength as students. If not for Kyōraku Shunsui's carefree nature, the Head Captain would've let him take a squad long ago instead of keeping him close for extended mentorship. Nakano glanced at Tsunayashiro Tokitani and suddenly remembered—they'd been classmates too. But back then, Tokitani had been quiet and unremarkable. Later, while serving in the 2nd Division, Nakano had heard unsettling rumors about Tokitani. Word was, his personality was rather twisted and he enjoyed tormenting Rukongai commoners. 'Someone like you... meeting a student like Kuchiki Sōjun—does it fill you with pride or jealousy?' Nakano wondered. But he was wrong. At that moment, Tsunayashiro Tokitani felt neither pride nor jealousy. What he felt... was disgust. He stared at the gentle smile on Sōjun's face and narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew Soul Society's history well, and he understood exactly how the Five Great Noble Houses came to be. And to him, Kuchiki Sōjun's elegant demeanor was nothing but nauseating pretense. Katori Nanatsuki carried Hirako Shinji off the field, used Kaido to treat his swollen jaw, and—after confirming there was no serious injury—left him in the care of Muguruma Kensei and Kobayashi. "Do your best, Kana! You're Class 2's last hope—I don't want to see a Class 1 civil war in the finals!" Muguruma Kensei shouted. "I'll defeat my opponent!" Chijō Kana nodded firmly and stepped onto the arena.