Space And Time
Within the boundary barrier, Hirako Shinji walked lazily to the center, his posture casual and completely unconcerned with the upcoming sparring session with Saikyō.
After all, as a seasoned captain-class Shinigami, Hirako's strength far surpassed many of his peers. Facing a young academy student didn't seem worth the effort.
"So, you're Saikyō, right?" Hirako yawned, stretching as if he was about to take a nap. "An hour's a long time... why don't we just relax for a bit first?"
His nonchalant attitude immediately shifted the atmosphere into a light-hearted one, almost comical.
---
"Hirako Shinji, the most unreliable of them all..." Saikyō thought to himself, feeling a sudden deflation of his own excitement. His fighting spirit, once high and ready for action, had been doused by Shinji's laid-back demeanor, like cold water extinguishing a fire.
"How about a game of peek-a-boo?" Hirako continued, poking a finger in his ear and looking like he couldn't care less.
"Peek-a-boo?" Saikyō blinked in disbelief, unsure if he had heard correctly.
"Yup. You heard me. We'll play peek-a-boo," Hirako Shinji confirmed, now doing some light stretches as if preparing for a light exercise routine. "The rules are simple: all you have to do is catch me. If you can touch me, you win the game."
---
"Hirako, you've got to be kidding!" voices from the sidelines rang out. The rest of the gathered Shinigami couldn't hold back their exasperation.
"Baldy! If you don't take this seriously, I'll beat you up!" Hiyori shouted from outside the barrier.
"Come on, man! Show some respect for Captain Yoruichi's little brother!" Love Aikawa added with a chuckle.
But to everyone's surprise, Saikyō agreed to the challenge without a second thought.
He wasn't agreeing to humor Hirako. There was another reason—a sound had just echoed in his mind.
Ding!
The familiar tone of the system's notification resonated, marking the start of yet another random mission.
---
"Really? A random mission now?" Saikyō thought, taken aback by the sudden trigger. He hadn't even started the training yet, but the system was already active. Despite his surprise, Saikyō immediately opened the mission prompt.
---
[Random Mission: Earn the Captain's Approval]
Mission Objective: Within one hour, earn the recognition of Hirako Shinji in front of the gathered captains.
Reward: Time and Space Attributes
---
The moment Saikyō read the reward, his heart skipped a beat. Space-time elements?
"This... is unbelievable!" Saikyō almost shouted out loud, barely able to contain his excitement.
The system had never been so generous. Up until now, his Reiatsu had been fused with five elements: fire, water, thunder, earth, and wind. These elemental fusions not only strengthened his Reiatsu but also hinted at the possibility of awakening a multi-attribute Zanpakutō.
However, time and space attributes were on an entirely different level.
In the entire 2,000-year history of the Soul Society, there had never been a recorded Zanpakutō with space-time abilities. Its rarity was beyond imagination. Such a Zanpakutō would transcend even the most powerful elemental weapons.
"The rewards triggered by certain characters really are something special," Saikyō thought, now looking at Hirako Shinji with newfound appreciation. Space-time attributes were too good to pass up.
---
"Captain Hirako, let's play peek-a-boo as you suggested," Saikyō said, his gaze sharpening as his desire to win intensified.
In order to obtain the rewards, Saikyō knew he would have to get Hirako's approval no matter what it took.
"Well, well, look at you! All fired up now, huh?" Hirako grinned, his laid-back demeanor still unchanged. "But I won't go easy on you just because you're a kid."
With that, Hirako's smile widened into a sly smirk as he disappeared in a flash, using Shunpo.
---
The game of peek-a-boo had begun.
Hirako Shinji vanished from Saikyō's line of sight in an instant.
"What incredible speed!" Saikyō's eyes widened. He had sparred with Hiyori before, but Hirako's level of agility was entirely different.
Despite his casual attitude, Hirako's prowess as a captain was undeniable.
"Just staring won't help, little brother. You'll never catch me like that," Hirako's teasing voice echoed from behind Saikyō.
When Saikyō turned to look, Hirako stood there, grinning, clearly enjoying the light-hearted taunting.
---
"Are you really playing around?" Saikyō thought, not responding to the provocation.
Although the gap in strength between them was significant, Saikyō had already maximized his Shunpo through the system's unlimited skill points. This gave him confidence that he could at least keep up with Hirako's speed.
"Alright, let's up the stakes." Hirako stretched again, his tone still playful. "I'll just bind you in place so you can save some energy."
Hirako's voice echoed again as he began to chant an incantation, preparing to cast a high-level Kidō spell.
"Thundering carriage, gap of the spinning wheel, this thing has a light cluster and is divided into six! Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
Six beams of light suddenly appeared around Saikyō, forming a hexagonal barrier, completely trapping him in place.
---
"Baldy! You're seriously using a full chant to cast Bakudō? You're shameless!" Hiyori's voice roared from outside the barrier, expressing her frustration.
The other captains couldn't hold back their disbelief either. Bullying a junior was one thing, but using such an advanced spell to trap him? Hirako Shinji had truly embraced his role as a rogue.
"Huh? What's that? I didn't hear anything," Hirako played dumb, pretending not to hear the outcries from his comrades. He spread his hands in a display of exaggerated innocence, as if nothing was wrong.
This was classic Hirako—unpredictable and shamelessly carefree.
"Alright, I've got you tied up now. I'm going to catch some sleep while you figure a way out." Hirako yawned again, turning his back on Saikyō and walking toward a nearby rock, intending to take a nap.
---
But just as Hirako was about to lie down, Saikyō's voice echoed from behind him.
"Captain Hirako, are you really that eager to sleep? The game's only just begun."
The voice caught Hirako off guard, causing him to freeze mid-step.
"What? That voice... how?" Hirako turned in disbelief.
Logically, Saikyō should still be stuck inside the Rikujōkōrō. Yet, when Hirako turned to look, there he was—Saikyō stood directly in front of him, the hexagonal prison completely undone.
---
"Impossible... how did you break free so fast?" Hirako's confusion was evident. His eyes darted to the remnants of the spell, which should have held Saikyō in place.
This kind of Bakudō wasn't something an academy student could easily escape from, especially without another person's intervention.
But Saikyō had already done the impossible.
"You were too quick to assume I'd be stuck," Saikyō replied calmly, a confident smile playing on his lips.