Chapter 183 ⥤ A Girl's Dilemma
T/N: Almost a burnout. Sorry for the wait, my dear readers!
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In the training ground, collapsed walls and cracked floors presented a scene of widespread devastation.
The iron treads on Kensei's arms remained intact, but the explosive force had torn through his back, shredding his Shihakushō completely. Blood stained his muscular body, which was covered in wounds.
Pressing his fists against the ground, he struggled to stand. He knew well that Jūshirō had been holding back — if that last attack had been any stronger, he wouldn't even be conscious now.
Sōgyo no Kotowari's left blade absorbed while the right blade released, its wooden tags controlling the speed, power, and direction of the released energy. In that counter-attack, the gentle Captain had carefully minimized the attack's force.
From the observation platform, everyone watched the destruction below in shock.
Though Jūshirō had brought Kensei to his knees, he still spoke of passing the Captain Qualification Test — he was indeed cut from the same cloth as Akira, proof they shared the same master.
The observers shared a common thought upon hearing his gentle voice: How could the "sickly-Ukitake", known for his kindness, sincerity, love of peace, and gentle treatment of division members, turn out like this?
With complicated feelings, they turned to watch the young man arguing with Shunsui.
"See? I called it perfectly." Akira said smugly, "Once Kensei Muguruma released his Bankai, the fight was practically over. Look — Ukitake-senpai hasn't even gotten serious, and this guy's already down."
Shunsui sighed helplessly, reluctant to accept reality.
Despite Kensei's impressive presence when releasing his Bankai — like a protagonist from a novel or shounen manga — his disappointing performance had killed everyone's enthusiasm.
Akira's predictions about those measurements had been spot-on. If Shunsui had to name the weakest among all Captains, it would undoubtedly be the current Kensei.
With Chōjirō's announcement, the Captain Qualification Test officially concluded.
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Since Central 46 remained in a Schrödinger's state, Kensei's appointment papers received quick approval from the 1st Division.
With Senjumaru's promotion, the task of sewing the Captain's Haori fell to the "Central Sewing Chamber" — a tailoring department serving the Five Great Noble Houses, similar to the Central Medical Institute.
A Captain's Haori far exceeded a regular Shihakushō in cost.
According to the Central Sewing Chamber members, crafting a Captain's Haori was not only more expensive than a Shihakushō but also demanded an extremely complex sewing process requiring considerable time and effort.
Its value approached that of the Kuchiki family's exclusive silver-white Kenseikan.
With the Captain Qualification Test successfully completed despite its excitement, Soul Society seemed to return to peace once again.
The only surprise for Soul Society's Shinigami came from several short news items published in the "Seireitei Communication":
"Shocking! The Standard for Captain-Class Power is This Extreme!"
"The Untold Story of Captain Ukitake and Captain Muguruma!"
"Terrifying! Captain Kisaragi's Inside Information Concerns the Future of Soul Society!" ...
While the 9th Division typically handled each issue of "Seireitei Communication", Captain Muguruma's recovery in the 4th Division led to the content being transferred to the 8th Division.
Due to the explosive nature of the headlines, several consecutive issues sold out completely, forcing the publishing department to work overtime to print more copies.
Worth noting is that when Yamamoto saw the "Seireitei Communication" soaring popularity under Shunsui's management, he permanently transferred it to the 8th Division's jurisdiction.
From that point on, the publication was completely severed from the 9th Division.
Upon hearing this news, Shunsui's eyes darkened as he cried out, "Akira Kisaragi has ruined me!" before collapsing backward.
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In a dark alley, silence held sway.
An orange head peeked out cautiously, scanning the Shinigami patrolling the street. Only after confirming she remained unrecognized did she allow herself to relax.
"Just as I planned — I fooled that little brat Yachiru with a simple trick. Once I leave this place, I'll be free as a bird in the sky, free as a fish in the sea."
With freedom within reach, a flicker of doubt crossed Rangiku's clever eyes.
Was freedom really better than life in the 11th Division?
She reflected on her time there. Though the 11th Division rang with shouts of combat and warfare, its members shared an absolute trust, readily protecting one another's backs.
For Rangiku, who had grown up in Rukongai, this was difficult to comprehend. Food scarcity there had taught her early to view the world with suspicion — anyone approaching without cause surely meant harm.
Yet during her stay, that Shinigami — Akira Kisa-something — who had brought her here hadn't appeared once. After leaving her with Yachiru, he'd stepped back completely, as if forgetting someone named Rangiku Matsumoto existed.
The young woman couldn't help but wonder what went through that man's mind.
"Maybe..." Rangiku hesitated, "I should stay in the Eleventh Division a while longer?"
The moment these words left her lips, she startled at her own thoughts.
When she'd first arrived at the 11th Division, she'd craved freedom desperately, attempting escape whenever Yachiru was distracted stealing konpeitō.
But she'd been caught each time. Despite her small size, that little girl was remarkably cunning, always managing to spot her target in a crowd.
Now, having finally escaped the 11th Division with freedom at her fingertips, her resolve began to waver.
"I'll let fate decide!" Rangiku gritted her teeth, glanced around carefully, then plucked a small flower from the roadside grass.
If it's odd numbers she'll go back, if it's even she'll pursue freedom.
"Go back, freedom, go back..." The young woman crouched in an inconspicuous corner, carefully counting petals.
In the blink of an eye, one flower was stripped bare.
"Freedom..." A flash of panic crossed her eyes, "This one doesn't count — it was just a trial run. The next flower will be the real start."
She unhesitatingly plucked another flower from the wild grass.
Soon, a layer of petals carpeted the ground, as if autumn had arrived early.
Looking at the last two petals remaining, despair crossed the young woman's face as she wondered why it always ended up as "freedom".
{T/N: This is the Soul King urging her to run! Run faster than she ever could, can, or will be capable of!}
Just as she wavered in indecision, a large hand suddenly appeared before her, plucking off the final two petals from the flower stem.
Rangiku looked up in shock to see a familiar face with a sunny smile — the first face she remembered seeing when she had regained consciousness.
"You, I..."
"Kekeke, young lady, you didn't think you could escape from my palm, did you?" Akira grinned wickedly, "Eating my food, wearing my clothes, sleeping in my beds—the money you've spent during this time isn't a small sum. Now you want to run away before paying your debts?!"
The young woman pressed herself against the cold wall, looking fearfully at the demon-like youth before her, wanting to speak but holding back. She frantically tried to recall all her expenses in the 11th Division.
Then it hit her — Yachiru had often taken her to various mess halls to eat and drink for free, and to noble-owned shops to spend and enjoy freely. When it came time to settle the bill, she would simply declare:
"Put it on Aki-kun's tab."
Just the expenses from the first day alone were an astronomical figure she could never afford.
Rangiku felt her heart turn to ice. She had prided herself on being clever, accounting for all the brutes in the 11th Division, but had never expected to be thoroughly outplayed by a little girl.
"Besides, pardner." Akira tipped an imaginary cowboy hat and drawled with a grin, "I reckon I'm your boss now! And you know what they say 'round these parts — a ranch hand can't mosey off without the rancher's say-so, or they'll end up in the double stockade!"
"What (the fuck) did you just say..." Rangiku tried hard not to utter the entire phrase, though it still crossed her mind.
"...Nothing, forget about it."
Watching the approaching youth intently, Rangiku had a quick idea and pointed behind Akira.
"Look, what's that?"
Akira instinctively turned around, but the moment he did, the young woman turned to flee.
However, before she could take two steps, she felt a grip on her nape as a large hand caught her.
"Heh, such a cheap trick couldn't even fool Yama-jii, how could it fool me, the Captain!" He lifted the young woman like a kitten, holding her up.
Their eyes met, and Rangiku felt somewhat flustered.
"Hey, I hadn't noticed before, but now that you're cleaned up, you're quite pretty." Akira commented, "Since I'm your Master now, it's time to fulfill your duties. From today on, you're not allowed to disobey any of my orders."
{T/N: In the sense of Master/Disciple, but also jokingly in the Master/Servant.}
With that, he tucked the young woman under his arm and strode brazenly out of the alley.
Having just returned from the Rukongai, he had spotted a familiar flash of orange on the street and quietly approached. There he found young Rangiku squatting, methodically destroying wildflowers.
She had stripped a perfectly good bunch of flowers bare, showing not the slightest regard for their beauty.
So young yet already so ruthless — Akira felt it necessary to help the young woman develop proper values. Otherwise, who knew what kind of troublemaker she might become in the future.
One of himself in the Soul Society was enough; any more would not only give him a headache but would also shorten Yama-jii's life from anger.
With the young woman still tucked under his arm, Akira walked down the street, completely disregarding the stares of others.
Rangiku flailed her limbs, struggling desperately while calling out for help.
"Is there no justice? Are there no laws? The Captain of the Eleventh Division is kidnapping an innocent, cute, and beautiful girl in broad daylight — won't someone do something?!"
Passing Shinigami who saw someone mistreating a young woman initially prepared to intervene, but upon recognizing the perpetrator...
Oh, it's Captain Kisaragi — never mind then.
Any outrageous thing happening around Akira seemed perfectly ordinary. In the minds of the Gotei 13's Shinigami, he was the most outrageous existence of all.
After all, rumors of the 11th Division Captain's rebellious nature had spread throughout Soul Society. Yet he continued to live so comfortably, which said enough.
Seeing the passing Shinigami's indifferent reactions, Rangiku felt somewhat discouraged, but had no choice except to let Akira carry her away.
But in a place no one noticed, a glimpse of relief and subtle comfort flickered in the young woman's light-colored eyes.
Like all children who had struggled to survive in the Rukongai, Rangiku possessed extremely keen intuition, able to judge someone's intentions from the first glance. Although this foolish Captain's behavior was exaggerated and outrageous, she had never sensed even a hint of malice from him.
On the contrary, being near Akira gave her an unprecedented sense of security, much like life in the 11th Division.
Deep down, she didn't want to leave that place where she felt comfortable and relaxed, but stubbornness and pride had driven her to see this pursuit of freedom through to the end.
Now that she had tried and failed, since nothing worked anyway, she might as well enjoy the life ahead. Fighting with those big guys didn't seem like such a bad thing after all.
Just as Rangiku was thinking this, she suddenly realized Akira wasn't heading toward the 11th Division barracks.
"Hey hey, where are you taking me?"
"You'll know when we get there." Akira replied calmly.
Soon, they arrived in front of a magnificent building with tall, sturdy gates standing in an open space. Vigilant Shinigami patrolled the grounds. Above the gates hung a massive signboard with characters written in an elegant, flowing style.
Although Rangiku had no particular talent for calligraphy, even she could sense the dignity emanating from these characters.
[Shin'ō Academy]
She vaguely guessed Akira's intentions, and her expression grew complicated.
"Long time no see, Kaoru-sensei — you're looking as good as ever!"
After being announced, Akira met with his former teacher, Uruoi Kaoru.
Looking at the youth who hadn't changed much, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Uruoi's eyes. Since teaching Akira, he had known this kid would accomplish great things.
And indeed, not long after graduation, Akira had become Captain of the 11th Division and a prominent figure in the Seireitei. Even the most arrogant nobles didn't dare speak loudly in his presence.
Such achievements had already surpassed 99% of Shinigami in history.
"What's this...?" Getting back to the matter at hand, Uruoi curiously looked at Rangiku tucked under Akira's arm.
"I found a promising talent in the Rukongai." Akira set her down, helped straighten her disheveled clothes, and placed his large hand on her head, gently ruffling her orange hair, "Kaoru-sensei, as you know, the 11th Division isn't really suitable for teaching. Since you're accomplished in education, I thought I'd bring her to the Academy. Her name is Rangiku Matsumoto, and she has quite good potential."
He knew well that due to his interference, Rangiku's fate had greatly deviated.
In the original timeline, she would have met Gin Ichimaru, and then by chance, Aizen would have discovered the anomaly in her soul. To complete his experiment, he had taken the Soul King fragment from her soul.
It was because of this that Gin had come to hate Aizen and attempted to kill him through infiltration to retrieve what belonged to Rangiku.
However, the current Rangiku didn't know who Gin was. Akira had effectively intercepted early, yet not only did he feel no guilt, he even had designs on the always-smiling white-haired boy who was still wandering in the Rukongai. Letting such a talented fox-faced boy go would be quite a waste.
He'd have to urge Aizen to patrol the Rukongai more often, to see if they could pick up Gin too.
Coming back to the point: Rangiku, in the future, would have reached Lieutenant level even without the Soul King fragment. Now with her soul intact, her potential must be even greater. Looking across the Soul Society, she was quite a rare specimen.
Teaching her himself would be somewhat wasteful, and he didn't have the time anyway. Better to let the professionals handle it.
"No problem, leave it to me." Uruoi gladly agreed.
Although the enrollment season had passed, given his status, such a small privilege was hardly worth mentioning.
After ruffling her soft orange hair one last time, Akira looked at Rangiku with a serious expression and smiled.
"Didn't you want to escape from here? Study hard — the Academy has everything you're looking for."
With that, he waved goodbye and turned to leave the Academy grounds.
Watching his departing figure, the young woman felt an unexpected twinge of emotion, and she whispered something too quiet for anyone to hear...
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