Chapter 204
In the medical room of the 4th Division, Hirako Shinji and the other members of the Visored were receiving treatment, and their bodies had almost fully recovered.
"Thank you," Hirako Shinji said to Unohana Retsu, who was about to leave.
Unohana Retsu did not turn back as she replied, "There is no need to thank your companions."
"Companion…?" Hirako lowered his head, repeating the word quietly as he thought about it. "If it were Hiyori, she would definitely insist that we aren't companions at all."
He raised his head again and added, "So, I still want to say thank you, Unohana-san."
...
When passing by the 1st Division's barracks, Hideki Yuta heard Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's roar echoing from within.
"You fools, what do you take Captain Yuta for!?"
After hearing the hesitant answers from several captains, Yamamoto's voice grew even louder. "Fools!"
The tremor in his voice shook the barracks.
Ukitake Jūshirō and several others crouched at the door, too tense to move.
Yuta heard Yamamoto's voice from a distance and gave a small sigh. "It seems old man Yamamoto has recovered well. He sounds full of energy."
It was a pity, Yuta thought, that Yamamoto still refused Inoue Orihime's treatment, leaving his arm permanently severed. If there was another opportunity, Yuta would see if he was willing to accept his own methods of healing.
Not long after, Yuta arrived at the 4th Division's barracks.
"Wow, is that really Captain Yuta? He's so handsome."
"Just seeing him is enough to make me happy."
"So he's the one who defeated that terrible enemy…"
Members of the division lined up to greet him, voices rising in excitement.
At that moment, the 4th Division's lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane, appeared. She coughed lightly before speaking in a serious tone. "Why are you blocking the road here instead of returning to your duties?"
"Run, the lieutenant is here!" The members quickly scattered, each rushing back to their stations.
Kotetsu Isane gave Yuta an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, Captain Yuta."
"It's fine. Everyone seemed spirited and cheerful," Yuta replied calmly as he continued forward.
Kotetsu Isane's eyes lingered on his back for a moment. She caught herself staring and quickly lowered her head with a flustered expression before silently following after him.
She led Yuta into a tea room where Unohana Retsu was already seated at the table. Yuta removed his footwear and stepped onto the tatami mat, taking a seat beside her.
"Come… have some of the tea I prepared," Unohana said gently as she pushed a cup toward him with a serene smile.
Yuta accepted it and replied, "Since this is tea brewed by Captain Unohana herself, I must try it."
"You flatter me," Unohana said softly. "Yuta-dono, you are the hero who saved Soul Society. Brewing tea for you is no trouble at all."
Yuta took a sip of the tea. It was warm against his throat, smooth at first like clear water, before leaving behind a lingering bitterness on his tongue.
He set the cup aside and glanced at her. "Captain Unohana's tea is excellent. But doesn't Captain Unohana wish to fight me?" His voice had shifted slightly from casual to direct as he spoke.
Unohana's hand paused over the teapot. A brief flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
"So, Captain Yuta knows," she said after a moment. Her voice was calm, but there was a faint edge of tension beneath it.
Her deeds of the past were buried in centuries of silence. Most of the current generation of Shinigami knew only of her reputation as a healer. To hear Yuta speak so plainly of it disturbed the still waters of her composure.
Her gaze settled on him, steady now. "Since Captain Yuta wishes it, I will answer with my blade… though you've only just fought a great battle. Has your body fully recovered? It would be unfortunate if you were to lose to me now." A light of anticipation burned in her eyes.
Yuta answered simply, "That will not be a problem."
Unohana tilted her head slightly, her expression sharpening with excitement rather than doubt.
"But if we are to fight," she said quietly, "this place is not suited for it…"
"This is easy," Yuta interrupted.
At that moment, spirit particles shifted in the air. A pulling force expanded, like a black hole drawing them inward, displacing them in an instant. Both Yuta and Unohana vanished from the tea room, drawn into another space altogether.
They reappeared on a vast grassy plain beneath an empty sky. Nothing stretched out in every direction but open land.
Unohana's pupils narrowed. "What is this…?" Her voice held a trace of genuine astonishment.
Yuta explained evenly, "One flower, one world; one grain of dust can contain the sea. Even a single reishi particle can contain a world within it." His eyes swept over the emptiness of their surroundings. "This is space created inside spirit particles themselves."
The technique resembled the hidden territory of the Quincy a thousand years ago, but this was his own creation.
Unohana studied it in silence for a long moment before speaking, her voice steady. "Remarkable." Soon after, a faint smile touched her lips. "In that case, I can fight you without concern."
She reached up and untied the braid at her chest. The scar beneath her collarbone was revealed as her hair began to fall loose, her expression shifting entirely.
Her eyes sharpened until they appeared almost pale, stripped of softness. As the faint sound of steel rasped against a scabbard filled the air, Unohana slowly drew out her Zanpakutō. The presence before Yuta was no longer the gentle healer of the 4th Division, but the first Kenpachi.
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