It was the height of August summer, with a blazing sun.
In the northern forest of Mt. Hokutan in Rukongai's West 3rd District of Rukongai.
The usually silent forest, where few people tread, was uncharacteristically noisy this day.
In a clearing within the woods, two figures, one tall and one short, both clad in pitch-black shihakushō (Shinigami uniforms), clashed fiercely.
The buzzing of cicadas was like a never-ending background sound, combining with the clanging of blades to form a summer symphony.
Clang!
It was another straightforward, hard impact. A crisp metallic sound rang out, and the shorter Shinigami gritted his teeth, barely managing to hold his ground. The immense force transmitted through the blade made his hands numb.
The standoff lasted only a moment before, unable to hold on, he was sent flying backward like a kite with a severed string.
Boom!
A dull thud sounded as he landed. Dirt and grass clippings flew up, and the ground was forcefully indented into a shallow pit.
"Ugh... Kaien-sama, I... I can't do it anymore."
His voice was slightly hoarse from exhaustion. Lying in the pit, the shorter Shinigami tremblingly raised his hand in surrender.
"Not bad, Mitaka. You've improved greatly lately."
"That's enough for today."
The tall Shinigami in the clearing, with his tall stature, slightly long, scattered black hair, and a hearty smile, gave a thumbs-up in praise.
The unique black tattoo of the 'Shiba family crest' on his arm declared his identity—
Lieutenant Shiba Kaien of the Thirteenth Division of the Gotei 13.
As Captain Jūshirō Ukitake was often physically ill, Kaien was in charge of all division affairs.
To bridge the distance with his subordinates, he often used his personal free time to take his team members on outdoor training exercises.
This northern mountain forest, a death zone for ordinary souls, was in his eyes a perfect natural training ground.
Standing on the sidelines were two other close subordinates: Third Seats Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu.
Sentarō Kotsubaki had a voluminous black spiky haircut pointing upward, wore a white headband, and had a burly build with a serious, solemn expression.
In stark contrast to his appearance was Kiyone Kotetsu next to him. She was petite, with fresh orange-gold short hair and a neat fringe across her forehead.
Her lively and adorable face, though equally serious, was not as rigid as Sentarō Kotsubaki's and was decorated with a bright smile.
However, their serious expressions instantly crumbled when Shiba Kaien announced the end of the training.
"Aiya, Mitaka, you're so lame, ha ha ha."
Sentarō Kotsubaki roared with laughter, a wide grin on his face, seeing the embarrassed figure of Fifth Seat Hikaru Mitaka lying in the pit, completely devoid of his previous seriousness.
"So... so cool, Kaien-sama."
"Exactly, exactly. Mitaka is so lame, so lame, pfft~~~."
Kiyone Kotetsu clapped her hands, praising the strength of her Lieutenant, then changed her tune and delivered a follow-up jab, waving her hand with a light chuckle.
"Kiyone, Sentarō, what kind of nonsense are you two talking?"
"It's obviously Kaien-sama who is too strong. You two didn't even hold on for much longer than me!"
Having suffered such merciless mockery, veins instantly bulged on Hikaru Mitaka's forehead. He struggled to prop himself up from the pit, angrily refuting their words.
"Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you~."
"Mitaka is so lame, Mitaka is so lame, la la la."
First, Sentarō covered his right ear, pretending to have poor hearing. Then, the two of them held their hands out and raised them above their heads in unison, singing an off-key tune while dancing a strange dance.
The two of them, both Third Seats of the Thirteenth Division, often bickered over who was stronger. Yet, at this moment, they displayed remarkable synchronicity.
"Aaaargh, you're so annoying! I'm going to kill you!!!"
Faced with such taunting, a rush of blood went straight to Mitaka's head. He leaped up from the ground, roaring as if ready to fight them to the death.
Flames of anger erupted from his eyes, making it seem as if the two on the sidelines were not his comrades-in-arms but sworn enemies.
"Alright, alright, Mitaka, ignore them."
"You two, that's enough! Stop it now!"
Seeing the situation, Shiba Kaien darted forward, quickly pulling Mitaka into a tight hug to calm him down, while simultaneously shouting at the two clowns to stop their duet dance.
And thanks to his hard efforts, the outbreak of bloodshed was successfully averted.
After a while, looking at the still-indignant Hikaru Mitaka, Shiba Kaien wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared at the other two.
Due to the antics of those two, the short period of commotion had made him more exhausted than the half-day's worth of training instruction he had given.
With the training over, the group of four, led by Shiba Kaien, quickly moved through the dense forest.
Suddenly, Sentarō Kotsubaki behind him sped up, skillfully moving with a few steps to come alongside Shiba Kaien. He smiled and gestured with his hand as if holding and drinking a cup of sake.
"Kaien-sama, let's go for a drink together on the way back."
"There's a place called Teradaya in West 3rd District that's become very famous around here. Let's go check it out."
"Teradaya, huh? Sure!"
Although the Shiba family was noble, their mansion was not located in Seireitei due to historical reasons, but in the West 1st District of Rukongai.
Teradaya had been operating in West 3rd District for many years, and he had been a regular customer even before joining the Gotei 13.
Hearing the familiar name at this moment, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.
There was no reason to refuse his subordinate's suggestion.
"Hehe, but you might have to treat us, Kaien-sama. Last month's paycheck is almost gone."
Receiving the affirmation, Sentarō Kotsubaki rubbed his hands together, his face plastered with a flattering smile.
"I want to go, I want to go!"
"I want to go too!"
Hearing the word 'treat,' the other two sharp-eared individuals chimed in, unwilling to be left behind.
"No problem."
Shiba Kaien was long accustomed to the nature of his comrades and agreed heartily.
Gathering for a drink now and then was part of their daily life.
"Oh yeah! Long live Kaien-sama! Long live! Long live!"
After a hard day of training, being able to snag a free meal felt like the best thing in the world. The three of them cheered in unison.
Amidst the laughter, the four continued towards the West 3rd District.
As they were either a Lieutenant or high-ranking Seats, they traveled extremely fast.
"If I remember correctly, it should be here."
Just as he spoke, the bustling Teradaya appeared before them.
Shiba Kaien had led the way according to memory, but the similar-yet-different sight before him made him doubt himself.
The three behind him looked up. The crowds were surging in front of Teradaya's entrance curtain; the business was incredibly booming.
While Rukongai was vast, few establishments were truly famous. Since Suō Tsukasa took over the management of Teradaya three months ago, the old shop's reputation had grown immensely.
His cooking skills first made a name for him in the West 3rd District. Then, through word-of-mouth, many Shinigami squads on missions or returning from duty often chose to patronize Teradaya.
Nowadays, the surrounding souls were already quite accustomed to passing a squad of Shinigami on the street.
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