"Mimihaki…"
I furrowed my brow in confusion. I had never heard a name like that before.
But judging from Akira's words—dedicated to the right arm of the Spirit King—it was not hard to imagine that if what he said was true, this so-called One-Eyed God Mimihaki might hold some enormous secret.
"So… do you believe in gods, young master?"
Akira rolled off the bed and struck a pose of profound mysticism, exuding an aura that somehow managed to impress, if only briefly.
I quickly snapped back to reality, resting a hand on my forehead and sighing helplessly.
Somehow, under this idiot's influence, it felt like the path I was walking was spiraling toward an unpredictable abyss.
The dojo, classroom of the academy.
Two figures faced off, shinai raised, their auras almost tearing the air apart. Invisible threads of violent intent seemed ready to carve deep rifts into the floor and walls.
Of course, that was all in Akira's imagination.
The reality was far less dramatic. Under Kaede Jun's overwhelming presence, Akira was already reconsidering his life choices.
But he couldn't just admit defeat. After all, he had spent so much effort building the "head priest" persona in the academy. Confessing now would ruin all future opportunities to fleece gullible students.
"You brat! Normally you can get away with deceiving others, but this time you tricked Master Sōjun? Do you not know the meaning of death?!"
Kaede's forehead bulged with veins as he scowled, lowering his voice into a menacing growl.
"Luckily, Master Sōjun didn't make a fuss—otherwise…"
Akira furrowed his brow. "Wait… that noble is from the Kuchiki family?"
"Kuchiki Sōjun… that name sounds familiar."
Kaede ignored the muttering and raised his shinai, unleashing a force so fierce it seemed to bend the surrounding air.
"Words won't teach you anything! You need a lesson to truly remember your mistakes!"
"Watch out, Akira! This time, I won't go easy!"
Suppressing his rage, Kaede's body tensed, his shoulders dropping slightly, collecting the storm into controlled precision.
Then, like a coiled spring released, his power exploded.
Kaede lunged forward with his shinai, descending like a mountain tiger, cutting through the air as if splitting it in two.
As the elite-class homeroom instructor, Kaede's spiritual pressure alone was formidable. His swordsmanship and Shunpo (instant step) were peerless.
Or rather, if his spiritual pressure were slightly stronger, he might have held a seat of official rank—but here, he taught full-time.
The sheer pressure washed over Akira like a tsunami, his shinai slicing through the air like a tiger's gaping maw, accompanied by phantom roars.
Akira took a deep breath, instinctively bracing with his own shinai.
Clang!!
The loud strike sent a shockwave through the dojo, drawing countless eyes to the two of them.
For most students, Kaede striking Akira wasn't unusual. But today, Kaede's intensity was exceptional.
Even more shocking, Akira's response seemed… above the norm.
"H… he blocked it?!"
"Akira's hand-to-hand skills were already monstrous, but his swordsmanship… this strong?!"
"No wonder Father warned me never to underestimate anyone—this academy truly hides dragons!"
I maintained a calm expression, but my eyes gleamed with interest.
Previously, Akira's hand-to-hand combat with Yoruichi hadn't been enough to gauge his talent. But if his swordsmanship was equally impressive…
Then it was confirmed. Akira was a genius, just like me.
Kaede's relentless assault painted a web of lethal steel around Akira, aiming to crush him completely. Trapped inside, Akira had no room to breathe.
Kaede's combat experience far surpassed Yoruichi's. His years of training had given him far more real fights than most could imagine.
Learning techniques mid-battle wouldn't work here; only his innate skill could see him through.
Akira felt like a fragile boat on a storm-tossed sea, on the verge of capsizing.
If it weren't for the recent sign-in at Unohana Retsu's exclusive infirmary, which had boosted his swordsmanship experience, he might already have fallen in the first exchange.
Yet Kaede himself was equally surprised. He knew each student's capabilities intimately—even someone as annoying as Akira.
Previously, Akira's hand-to-hand skills had already impressed him.
Now, in such a short time, his swordsmanship had risen by an entire level. Could this really be… genius?
With that thought, Kaede's respect deepened—and so did his determination.
"No pruning, no straight growth; no discipline, no progress!"
As an elite instructor, it was his duty to guide every genius back to the proper path!
The mounting pressure made Akira wince. He clenched his teeth, searching desperately for a way out.
Surrender wasn't an option. Even losing meant punishment—Kaede was that straightforward.
"Prepare yourself, brat."
Kaede increased his force, moving with deadly precision, forcing Akira back until barely three meters separated him from the wall.
"Repent your sins properly, and walk the righteous path!"
He swung downward, pure power and speed in every stroke, with barely a trace of spiritual pressure.
Akira held his breath, his "Divine Mind" reaching its peak, MAX-level talent fully unleashed.
The world around him seemed to freeze.
In an instant, he analyzed Kaede's strike: flow of force, spiritual pressure trajectory, strengths, weaknesses—all dissected in a heartbeat.
His eyes glimmered like stars in the night sky.
No need to be stronger—just a single lapse, and I control the rhythm of victory.
Gripping his shinai tightly, the hilt groaned as he funneled every ounce of strength into it. Bamboo fibers snapped and exploded under the force.
And he blocked it.
Akira crouched, arms crossed in a bizarre stance, holding Kaede's decisive blow at bay.
Kaede froze, staring at the youth before him. His lesson… seemed to have failed.
Akira tilted his head and grinned:
"Teacher… have you ever lost?"
A chill ran down Kaede's spine. Before he could answer, Akira surged forward, sliding his shinai in a chaotic motion, splintering countless bamboo fibers.
Kaede's eyes widened in disbelief as the shattered shinai landed squarely on his chest.
The next moment, Akira's body arced gracefully across the dojo, eyes of stunned students following him as he landed at the door.
Boom!
That day, Akira's reputation at the Spiritual Arts Academy skyrocketed.