Chapter 252: Is This Batch of Students Even Teachable?
Vast swathes of silver dust converged wildly, moving in accordance with Rangiku's actions.
The swirling, flowing sand formed a thin yet sturdy shield in front of her.
CLANG!!!
Zaraki's sword descended, striking the shield.
He had initially thought that a shield made of mere dust could be easily sliced through ten layers at once.
Unexpectedly, the rapidly flowing metallic dust generated a powerful force that pushed his blade sideways.
The initial cut felt satisfying enough.
But once half the blade was submerged in Haineko, the force of his swing was almost entirely dissipated.
Feeling the immense power transmitted from the metallic dust, a look of surprise flashed across Zaraki's face.
Then, he broke into an excited grin.
"Ha! As expected, you're strong!"
Saying this, he summoned some inexplicable brute force and yanked his sword out of the metallic dust.
BOOM!!!
A glow of Reiatsu flickered around him.
Because he had suppressed his Reiatsu level to match Rangiku's, the glow was faint, lacking the sky-illuminating ferocity it usually possessed.
Yet, even with just this minimal amount of Reiatsu, the dangerous aura emanating from Zaraki remained utterly captivating.
THUD!
Zaraki brought his sword down again, smashing against the shield.
This time, instead of pressing the blade deeper, he used the shield's recoil to lift his sword back up.
Then, he delivered another strike!
THUD! THUD!! THUD!!!
Each of his descending blows was deflected by the shield.
However, with each deflection, the flowing power of the shield accelerated his sword, making the subsequent strike heavier.
To cope with these increasingly heavy blows, Haineko was forced to flow faster and faster.
Within mere seconds, Rangiku was shocked to discover that her previously invincible Haineko was beginning to flow sluggishly.
CRACK!!!!
Amidst Zaraki's menacing grin, his heavily notched and jagged sword unleashed its accumulated power, instantly cleaving through Haineko.
Rangiku's face paled slightly.
Even Satoru, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but reflect that Zaraki in this moment somewhat resembled Jack from The Shining, axe in hand, breaking down the door.
"WUHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
With a single slash that cleaved through Haineko's shield, Zaraki let out a maniacal laugh.
He swept his large hand, brushing away the metallic ash drifting around him.
Then, brandishing his sword, he moved to strike Rangiku.
Rangiku manipulated the metallic ash, attempting to use these metal particles to slice Zaraki's skin, but in her panic, she struggled to harness the full power of the metallic ash.
Even without Zaraki consciously defending with his Reiatsu, the metallic ash failed to inflict significant damage on him.
After several attempts, she only managed to leave minor superficial wounds on Zaraki, drawing a little blood.
Such trivial injuries only excited him further.
Watching Zaraki's descending blade, Rangiku's eyes widened.
Was she... going to die?
Just then, she was startled to see a blade formed from condensed metallic ash suddenly extend from the remaining hilt in her hand.
The metallic ash gathered together but didn't fully solidify like a normal blade.
Buzz buzz buzz buzz!
A faint vibrating sound emanated from the blade.
Before Rangiku could carefully observe what was happening, the blade, guided by her arm, met Zaraki's descending sword.
Screeeeeech!!
The metallic ash blade clashed violently with Zaraki's sword.
Dazzling sparks, like those from a grinding wheel, continuously flew out.
In the blink of an eye, Rangiku's blade actually cut into Zaraki's sword, creating a three to four millimeter gap and continuing to dig deeper!
"Oh... a new ability? Interesting!"
Zaraki didn't care at all about his damaged blade, grinning widely.
Satoru gently shook his head.
Is this how you treat your Zanpakutō?
No wonder it never grants you Shikai.
Disappointing. So disappointing.
While thinking this, he subtly moved his fingers.
With his motion, the metallic ash blade pulled Rangiku back two steps, creating distance from Zaraki.
Sure enough, halfway through her retreat, Zaraki launched a kick.
Seeing Rangiku dodge his kick, Zaraki became even more pleased.
This kid is more impressive than I expected!
Meanwhile, Aizen, serving as referee, narrowed his eyes and glanced at Satoru outside the arena.
The latter had his hands behind his head, averted his gaze, and whistled innocently.
Rangiku looked at the sword in her hand in surprise.
Only then did she notice that the metallic ash forming the blade was rapidly flowing and rotating.
These spinning metal particles created a cutting effect similar to a saw blade.
No wonder she had so easily cut into Zaraki's sword earlier.
The problem was, she hadn't manipulated it this way.
Why had the metallic ash moved on its own?
As she wondered, she heard Satoru's voice in her ear—
"Feel the Reiatsu fluctuations within, learn them."
"I can only help you briefly. Sōsuke is about to lose his patience and come fight me."
Hearing this, Rangiku showed understanding.
So that's it... Satoru had helped her.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Just like when she was attacked by wolves in the mountains a year ago.
That guy Satoru always pretends not to care but helps at critical moments.
She closed her eyes, beginning to sense how Satoru manipulated the metallic ash within the blade.
Satoru's kindness had saved her.
The only regret was that this kindness wasn't exclusively hers.
Zaraki, Komamura, Kaname...
These people, too, were enjoying Satoru's gentleness.
Though somewhat regrettable, didn't this precisely showcase that guy's dazzling qualities?
Rangiku's eyes snapped open.
Satoru's power had quietly withdrawn from her blade.
Her Reiatsu, replacing Satoru's, seeped into the sword and established a connection with the metallic ash.
The spinning blade suddenly came to a halt.
But soon, it began rotating again.
Watching Rangiku master this technique so quickly, Satoru nodded with satisfaction.
At this moment, he suddenly understood Yamamoto's feelings a little.
Having a disciple who could learn whatever was taught without needing excessive instruction was truly a joyful thing.
And compared to Rangiku, his own genius level was even higher.
Old Man Yamamoto must have been even happier than he was now during all those years of teaching him, right?
He actually felt somewhat envious of that old man.
In the First Division barracks, Yamamoto sneezed.
The old man showed a puzzled expression and tightened his clothes.
Then, he drew Ryūjin Jakka and placed it nearby, letting it emit a comfortable warmth.
After doing this, Yamamoto revealed a pleased expression and continued reading his book.
On the training ground, Rangiku wielded the iron sand sword and engaged in a splendid exchange of blows with Zaraki.
The Soul King's fingertip had granted her formidable power.
This power wasn't particularly noticeable when remotely controlling the iron sand.
But... when swinging the iron sand sword, the power of the Soul King's fingertip was displayed without reservation.
Though she appeared to be just a girl of twelve or thirteen, barely reaching Zaraki's stomach, the force behind each of her slashes was not much inferior.
Add to that the metallic gray ash circling around her, occasionally launching surprise attacks.
Matsumoto Rangiku's combat prowess at this moment was fully on par with a mid-level seated officer!
After dozens of exchanges, Rangiku, exhausted, was ultimately defeated.
Truth be told, she was actually fortunate to be facing Zaraki.
Zaraki's fighting style was straightforward and unrestrained, lacking intricate techniques or fancy footwork.
More importantly, when he claimed to match your level, he genuinely held back exactly to that level, not unleashing a shred of excess power.
Had she encountered a more cunning seated officer, no matter how strong Rangiku was, she likely wouldn't have lasted this long.
She still needs more training.
As Satoru pondered, Rangiku approached him.
The girl lifted her head, revealing a sweaty face with strands of golden hair stuck to her forehead, and gave him a big, bright smile.
"So, Satoru, how was my performance just now?"
Satoru nodded: "Impressive. You could easily take down the wolf packs in Rukongai now."
Hearing this, Rangiku was momentarily taken aback.
Then she couldn't help but laugh.
"What kind of comparison is that?"
"Well, comparing to me would just be too discouraging."
Satoru puffed out his chest proudly.
Rangiku stuck her tongue out at him and ran off.
Watching the girl's retreating figure, Satoru smiled.
He had probably figured out the reason for Rangiku's increased strength.
In the original timeline, the fragment of the Soul King within Rangiku was violently extracted by Aizen, damaging her soul and drastically reducing her potential.
Now, not only was her soul intact, but she also had the assistance of the Soul King's power. The combination of these factors naturally placed her far beyond her original worldline's capabilities.
Thinking about it, with her soul whole, she might even achieve Bankai.
She already has a chainsword; if her Bankai came with a boltgun, that would be perfect.
Imagining the scene, Satoru felt a spark of anticipation.
...
...
Slicking his hair back into a more mature style and donning the newly delivered captain's haori, Satoru glanced in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.
He turned to Kisuke.
"Kisuke, who is more handsome, me or Fifth Division's Sōsuke?"
Without hesitation, Kisuke replied:
"How could Aizen possibly compare to you!"
Satoru nodded contentedly: "Your honesty is what I like most about you!"
Exiting the Eleventh Division barracks, Satoru headed towards the eastern gate of Seireitei.
He had walked this path countless times in the past; it was familiar beyond measure.
Soon, he arrived at the entrance of Shin'ō Academy.
The Shinigami on guard duty, recognizing him, immediately bowed.
"Captain Mikami!!"
Entering the campus, Satoru looked around.
Students in red and blue uniforms were everywhere.
A few years ago, he had been one of them.
He concealed his Reiatsu and stuck to the quieter side paths, so no students particularly noticed him.
Just then, a voice suddenly called out:
"Hey! Satoru!!"
Turning, he saw a man with a surprised, happy smile walking towards him.
Seeing who it was, Satoru grinned too.
"Teacher Kinoshita, I'm not skipping class today."
He flashed a deliberately provocative smirk.
The subtext of this statement was: "Even if I skip class now, you can't do anything about it!"
Kinoshita also laughed.
"Haha, no problem. If you skip class, I'll just report it to the Captain-Commander."
Satoru: "..."
One shouldn't, at the very least, do such things.
With a defeated and dejected mood, he followed Kinoshita into the school building.
Along the way, Kinoshita explained all the changes that had taken place in the school.
Textbooks, teaching standards, training intensity...
Though only a few years had passed, it felt like centuries.
Many things felt fresh and new to Satoru.
While explaining the new teacher regulations, Kinoshita sighed:
"Of course, these are only for full-time teachers to memorize. For an elective teacher like you, a general understanding is enough."
If nothing else, just the haori Satoru wore meant he didn't need to follow too many rules.
Speaking of the haori... Kinoshita was somewhat surprised.
Satoru had been a captain for quite some time now. He had expected the young man's haori to be dirty and tattered.
Unexpectedly, it looked almost new.
Kinoshita felt touched.
It seemed Satoru had grown up and understood how hard-won the captain position was.
After touring the school for a while, Satoru found the lounge and went to sleep.
After all, he had only graduated a few years ago. Once the initial novelty wore off, it wasn't particularly interesting anymore.
He planned to sleep right until his calligraphy class began.
When he opened his eyes again, the timing was perfect.
Satoru gathered Reiatsu in his palm, ran it through his hair, and restored his messy bedhead to its proper state.
At the doorway, he saw Kinoshita waiting for him.
Kinoshita's expression was grave.
"Satoru, there's been a change of plans."
"Later, when you teach, you must remain calm."
"No matter what you see, don't panic... Keep your composure!"
Hearing this, Satoru gave him a strange look.
What did Kinoshita mean by this?
Had the students' attitudes changed so much in just a few years that they no longer listened to teachers?
If that were the case, he would have to take drastic action and showcase the style of a strict teacher!
He curled his lips into a smile.
"Teacher Kinoshita, don't worry. With me here, no matter how turbulent the situation, I'll be the stabilizing force that calms the storm!"
With that, he strode confidently toward his classroom.
Watching Satoru's self-assured back, Kinoshita felt inspired.
No wonder this guy had become a captain just a few years after graduation.
In crucial moments, he was truly reliable!
...
...
"Sorry, Teacher Kinoshita, I have a stomachache. Let me go home!"
A few minutes later, Satoru opened the classroom door, took one look inside, then slammed it shut and turned to leave.
Furious, Kinoshita grabbed him.
"Bastard! How can you retreat at the last moment when we've already come this far?!"
"Are you kidding me? What the hell is going on in there?!"
"What do you mean? Everyone here loves your calligraphy and wants to learn from you!"
"Ridiculous! Why don't you teach them?"
"If I knew how to write properly, I would!"
"Kinoshita, you country bumpkin, you... you..."
Satoru took a deep breath and pulled the door open again.
The small classroom was packed to capacity.
Among the sea of students in red and blue uniforms, several figures stood out particularly conspicuously.
Yamamoto Shigekuni, Retsu Unohana, Ginrei Kuchiki, Shiba Shota, Kirio Hikifune, Jūshirō Ukitake...
A single student class actually had six captains attending.
Including the Captain-Commander.
How could this class possibly proceed normally??