Click.
The sound of the tsuba (handguard) locking against the scabbard's mouth. The blade was sheathed.
But... no one had even seen the blade leave the scabbard.
The attack was over before they could react.
For a quick-draw, that was as it should be.
...It should be.
But... could you really call this a 'quick-draw'?
What kind of iai-jutsu could wound an opponent from over ten meters away... with no sword pressure, no Reiatsu... and make them bleed?
"..."
Unohana looked at her wrist.
Her posture was also completely different. Ichigo and the others hadn't even seen her move into a defensive stance, her sword held horizontally.
It was as if, in the instant Takeru drew, time itself had been cut for one second. And in that second, the two of them had completed an exchange.
The result was:
Takeru, calmly sheathing his blade.
And Unohana... on her white wrist... a red line slowly appeared, and blood spurted out.
"Captain?!"
The sight of blood snapped Isane back to reality.
As she rushed forward, Unohana raised a hand to stop her.
"Kurosaki-kun."
"Ah! Yes!" Ichigo yelped, snapping to attention.
"Watch closely. When this happens... do not rush to pour Reiatsu into the wound. First, stabilize your own Reiatsu... and your mind. You must not waver. Be as calm and detached as an outsider. This will aid in the wound's regeneration. This is the only 'experience' I can teach you at this stage."
"I... I understand."
Ichigo watched, shaken, as Unohana, without flinching, gave a live demonstration. The wound was healing before their very eyes.
He was awed, not just by her unfathomable Kaidō skill, but by her sheer state of mind.
"As for you, Shigū-kun... I must take back what I said. Your foundation in swordsmanship may be weak... but... it will not be an obstacle for you."
Unohana's mind was reeling, but her face only showed a helpless smile.
"No, Captain Unohana, you were right about some things."
Takeru relaxed his stance.
There was no pride on his face. In fact, he looked thoughtful.
"「Seven Flashes」 aside, 「Solitary Flash」 is very demanding on the body. Strength alone is not enough. Even if I forge an 'unbreakable blade' with Kido... without the skill to wield it, I can't cut anyone."
That was right.
What he had just used was not 「Seven Flashes」, but 「Solitary Flash」.
A true iai-jutsu.
It was no longer just 'using the draw as a Kido catalyst'.
Unohana had only been able to react correctly because she'd perceived the difference between the two.
Takeru had been advancing his Kido so he could master this very move.
"To 'forge an unbreakable blade with Kido'... a very apt description. And, indeed, it is not as simple as just 'fusing' Kido and swordsmanship."
Unohana was lost in thought, recalling that "flash"... invisible to the eye, felt only as a vague, indescribable presence.
"「Solitary Flash」... is it?"
Simply coating a blade in Kido to enhance an attack wasn't all that different from a normal Shikai. But Takeru's 「Solitary Flash」 was something else entirely.
From the stance to the swing, every step was swordsmanship. But it was also the ritual to cast a Kido spell. A complete ritual... to unleash an "unbreakable" attack.
It was Kido. It was swordsmanship.
The stronger the Kido, the stronger the attack.
The stronger the swordsmanship, the higher the precision.
It had broken the boundary between the two, a complete product possessing both natures, fused into one.
This... was an unknown realm that no one in the Soul Society's million-year history had ever cared to, or dared to, step into.
It was still nascent... but it was blindingly brilliant.
If he continued to sharpen this blade, one day, he would surely "cut" what pure swordsmanship could not, and "cut" what pure Kido could not. He would make everyone... falter.
In that moment, Unohana had an absurd thought.
If there was an "ultimate" form of the sword... it might look something like this.
"This trip... has been most fruitful. And it is all thanks to you, Shigū-kun."
Of course, Unohana wasn't just paying lip service.
She gathered her thoughts and, as promised, began to teach him practical, real-world iai training methods.
These were the kinds of secrets that would never be taught outside a martial arts school in the human world.
But Unohana gave them away freely.
Takeru was a sponge, soaking up the elder's experience. Even if he didn't understand the "why" behind a technique, he memorized it, filing it away to explore later.
Time passed. Two hours flew by.
The sky began to dim.
Unohana prepared to return.
Takeru and Ichigo escorted the two 4th Division officers to the Academy gate.
"If you have time in the future, Shigū-kun, Kurosaki-kun... please come and visit the 4th Division. Well, we'll be going."
"Please wait, Captain Unohana."
"Is there something else, Shigū-kun?" Unohana turned, puzzled.
Ichigo and Isane also looked back.
"I... must apologize to you." Takeru said, unexpectedly.
"As I understand it, you are the most senior Captain after the Captain-Commander. You've seen everything. It was impossible... that you would have a 'shallow understanding' of the 11th Division, as I claimed."
Unohana smiled slightly. "I know you were just saying that to provoke me. It's a standard business tactic. You don't need to apologize. I... wasn't truly offended. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you call Kurosaki-kun over for me to... 'vent' on."
"???"
Ichigo's eyes went wide.
His knee, which had been fully healed, suddenly throbbed with a phantom pain.
"I'm glad you weren't offended," Takeru said, looking relieved, while ignoring the death-glare from Ichigo.
"I wouldn't say I was completely unbothered," Unohana said suddenly.
"I still remember what you said. But I wasn't angry. In fact... I was happy. Happy for the 11th Division. That someone... could understand them."
"Ms. Unohana, you're so compassionate. Unlike some people..." Ichigo sighed.
Takeru's expression didn't change, completely unaffected.
They said their goodbyes. Isane couldn't help but look back at the two bickering boys, amused. "They really are... interesting. And so gifted. They're a lot like Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake were, back in their Academy days."
"Only on the surface."
"Huh?"
"Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake... as the Captain-Commander's students... were the 'shining pair' of the first graduating class. While their situation is similar, their 'essence' is completely different," Unohana explained calmly.
"You're right... If I had to say, Kurosaki-kun is more like a combination of those two. While Shigū-kun... is more like the Captain-Commander was. Back when he was young."
Isane froze.
The first part, she could understand. The second...
The Captain-Commander... when he was young? What... what was that like?
She stole a glance at her own Captain's youthful, beautiful profile... and silently swallowed her question.
-------
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