"Wait… fight who?"
Satoru turned toward the high platform in confusion.
There, standing beside Chōjirō, was Yamamoto, silently watching him.
From Yamamoto's narrowed eyes, Satoru inexplicably sensed a murderous intent.
Then, Yamamoto's voice suddenly echoed in his ears—
"If you can't win, go train under the waterfall for three years."
Satoru: "???"
His eyes widened in disbelief, feeling as if he'd just been screwed over by a cat.
Thinking quickly, he hastily raised his hand:
"Vice-Captain Chōjirō! My hand is injured! The bones inside are shattered! Captain Unohana of the 4th Division can testify!"
"I request a simpler graduation assignment!"
Hearing this, Chōjirō looked surprised.
He turned to Yamamoto.
Yamamoto let out a derisive snort.
The old man slowly spoke:
"Captain Unohana has already informed me of this matter."
"She applied a secret healing technique from the former 2nd Division Captain to your hand."
"To prevent you from recklessly using it, she didn't tell you the truth."
"Why don't you unwrap the bandage and see if your hand is completely healed now?"
Satoru: "..."
Though Yamamoto didn't send another telepathic message, the blatant threat in those narrowed eyes was unmistakable.
Under everyone's gaze, Satoru removed the bandages, flexed his fingers twice, and forced an awkward smile.
"Ah, hah, it really is healed… As expected of Captain Unohana…"
In the crowd, Seinosuke—who had been mentally preparing himself—wore an expression as if he'd seen a ghost.
What the hell… Satoru's hand was healed?!
Captain Unohana knows such a secret technique?
For a moment, he couldn't suppress his excitement.
Once the exam was over and he joined a division, he'd definitely ask about this technique.
At that moment, a tall girl stepped onto the field one deliberate step at a time.
In truth, she wasn't particularly tall—it was just that her legs were so long they created the illusion of height.
The girl wore her hair in a thin braid, with slender-framed glasses perched on her nose. On the sleeve of her Shinigami robes was fastened a wooden tag bearing the character for "Eight."
But what drew the most attention was the hem of her uniform.
Originally meant to reach the ankles, the wide-legged hakama of her Shinigami attire had been altered into a short skirt.
The Eighth Division's vice-captain, Lisa Yadōmaru!
Looking at Satoru, she curled her lips into a smirk.
"The prodigy of the Shin'ō Academy, Satoru."
"Your name has been ringing in my ears so much they're starting to ache."
"My captain talks about you all the time."
At this, Satoru perked up with interest. "Oh? What does he say?"
Lisa tilted her head in thought.
"Plenty of things... Like how you're the newest junior disciple of the school, incredibly talented, full of potential."
"And that you're terrible at drinking, so he needs to teach you properly when he gets the chance."
"Of course, there's also the time you faced two captains alone, not only survived, but even wounded one of them."
She grinned. "You're pretty famous among us vice-captains, you know."
Satoru blinked in realization.
"Is that so? I didn't realize I was that impressive."
Lisa nodded.
Just as she was about to say more, Satoru suddenly made a pained expression.
"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.
Satoru shook his head wearily. "Nothing. Just being threatened by some unreliable old man."
Slowly, he drew his sword.
"Vice-Captain Yadōmaru, let me say this first."
"If I end up going a little too hard, don't hold it against me."
Just moments ago, Yamamoto had sent him another private message.
"Win decisively. No dragging it out."
Satoru couldn't quite grasp Yamamoto's reasoning.
Did the old man really think his student couldn't afford to embarrass their school?
Though he didn't understand, under the threat of the old man's wrath, he had no choice but to comply.
Hearing Satoru's words, Lisa flashed a bold smile.
"Perfect!"
"Even if you hadn't said that, I would've warned you."
"I'm pretty strong, you know."
"If you let your guard down, you might just get wrecked."
As she spoke, she unsheathed her Zanpakutō.
Seeing both combatants ready, Chōjirō loudly announced:
"Graduation exam—begin!"
The moment his voice fell, the two vanished from their spots.
Clang clang clang clang!!!
In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged over a dozen blows at the center of the field.
Feeling the force transmitted through their blades, Satoru was surprised.
He had assumed Lisa, much like the future Nanao Ise, was just a fledgling sheltered under Shunsui Kyōraku's wing, unable to grow.
But this girl's strength far exceeded his expectations.
Her spiritual pressure had already reached the peak of vice-captain level.
All she needed was to master Bankai, and she could become a captain at any moment.
Thinking this, Satoru couldn't help but sigh.
Despite her considerable strength, her underwhelming performance during the Karakura Town arc was likely due to her Zanpakutō's lackluster abilities.
For most Shinigami, releasing their Zanpakutō was like a lottery that determined their fate.
Unless one possessed monstrous spiritual pressure like Aizen, or could carve their path through sheer combat prowess like Yoruichi or Yamamoto, the power of their Zanpakutō essentially dictated how far they could go.
Shikai like Gogeotsu and Hōzukimaru, which merely change the shape of the Zanpakutō, are practically designed to cause trouble.
Most Shinigami train in swordsmanship from childhood. When you release a new weapon, you have to figure out how to use it all over again.
Just thinking about it is a headache.
After gauging Lisa Yadōmaru's abilities, Satoru stopped testing the waters.
He knew Yamamoto's temper all too well.
If he said he'd send you to train under a waterfall for three years, he meant it literally.
Cough @certain senior brother.
Under Lisa's astonished gaze, Satoru's speed suddenly increased by half.
The slashes that had been within her visual tracking range instantly vanished from sight.
Despite her shock, Lisa demonstrated considerable combat experience.
Unable to see the incoming strikes, she angled her sword defensively and channeled her spiritual pressure into it.
This way, no matter how Satoru attacked, she'd have time to react...
The moment this thought formed, Lisa's eyes widened in shock.
An overwhelming, irresistible force suddenly transmitted through her Zanpakutō.
Before she could even react, she was sent flying across most of the arena, crashing into the defensive barrier erected by the Kidō Corps!
The massive impact sent ripples cascading across the barrier.
The Kido Corps members maintaining the barrier paled, barely managing to keep it stable.
Lisa slid down the barrier wall and collapsed at its edge.
Staring at Satoru standing calmly at the center of the arena, her eyes filled with disbelief.
On the high platform, Shunsui Kyōraku winced, unable to bear watching.
The hundreds of kneeling Shinigami spectators nearly popped their eyes out in shock.
One strike to send a vice-captain flying... and not just any vice-captain, but the famously powerful Lisa Yadōmaru of the 8th Division!
Could this still be called a student?!
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