No one had expected Sixth Division to hit rock bottom — and with a record of twelve straight losses, no less.
Yes, it was because their fighter had been eliminated in the very first round due to severe injury, but given the current situation, one couldn't help wondering… would Sixth Division actually finish dead last in this exchange tournament?
The team with the worst record would have to take over Fourth Division's Seireitei cleaning duties.
Would those dignified noble lords of Sixth Division… really be sweeping the streets?
When the results for the lower-tier matches were announced, Matsumoto Rangiku and Shiba Kaien kept glancing toward Nobu.
Tomorrow would bring the middle-tier bouts — battles between seated officers, mostly Sixth and Seventh Seats — naturally more exciting and worth watching than today's.
Head Captain Yamamoto rose and left, but several captains stayed behind to exchange a few words.
The captains of Eighth, Tenth, and Thirteenth Divisions weren't in any hurry to go.
By this point, many people were beginning to see the problem.
Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jūshirō, and Shiba Isshin stayed on almost as if by agreement, all turning their eyes toward Nobu.
"Do the three captains have instructions for me?"
"Nobu-kun," Ukitake said, looking worried, "don't you think you went a bit too far?"
Nobu couldn't help but smile. "What exactly did I do?"
Kyōraku went straight to the point: "That Kasumioji Kōgorō being injured and forced out means twelve automatic losses. Under this tournament's rules, Sixth Division now has to place high in both the middle-tier and upper-tier matches if they want to avoid finishing last."
Nobu followed his words smoothly: "Then Sixth Division will have to work hard."
Kyōraku's face showed exasperation. "Tachikawa… do you have a grudge against Sixth Division?"
A look of confusion came over Nobu. "Captain Kyōraku, what are you implying? Did I do something wrong?"
Kyōraku was silent for a moment, studying him, then turned and left without another word.
Ukitake seemed as though he wanted to say something, but in the end he left with Kyōraku.
"Kid."
Shiba Isshin spoke up. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Nobu sighed. "Why do I feel like I've become the great criminal of the day?"
Isshin didn't react to his expression. "You're still seeing all this far too shallowly."
"What do you mean, Captain Shiba?"
"You'll find out tomorrow." Isshin gave him a light smile. "You've done some good for the Shiba clan, and you delivered a genius to Tenth Division, but there are things I can only hint at."
Once everyone had left, Nobu went to Unohana Retsu's office.
"The Head Captain is… not very pleased," she said.
Nobu blinked. "Is that so?"
He thought for a moment. "Because of Sixth Division's complete loss today?"
"That's part of it," Unohana said. "But mainly, as Head Captain, he doesn't want any disturbances in Seireitei."
Nobu was quiet for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "Seems I really have become some kind of criminal."
"If you were truly a criminal, you wouldn't be standing here safe and sound," Unohana replied with a smile. "In the eyes of a very few, you're just someone trying to challenge the rules."
By "a very few," she meant the handful of people — Kyōraku, Ukitake, and the like — who knew the tournament had been Nobu's idea.
"And what about you, Captain? How do you see me?"
"Me?" Her smile didn't change. "Aren't you just a Third Seat under my command?"
"…"
Leaving her office, Nobu headed to Kasumioji Kōgorō's hospital room.
Kōgorō was awake, but there wasn't a single attendant by his side. Since the match, Sixth Division hadn't even sent anyone to check on him.
"Here to mock me?" Kōgorō said flatly when he saw Nobu enter.
"I'm not one to kick someone when they're down."
"What was the result?"
"Sixth Division was ruled to have lost all matches."
"…" He fell silent, then after a long pause said, "That Aoshika fellow is suspicious. What's going on — were you pulling strings?"
Nobu didn't admit it. "When your Captain Kuchiki left, his face didn't look very good. Think he'll take it out on you?"
Kōgorō sighed. "It's my fault to begin with. And Captain Kuchiki is a man of great composure. You still haven't answered my question."
"We just wanted Fourth Division to place well," Nobu said.
Kōgorō nodded calmly, as if accepting the answer.
"Get some rest," Nobu said after a moment.
He hadn't known the participants ahead of time, so he hadn't expected Sixth Division to send Kōgorō. But it couldn't be helped — no matter who they sent, Aoshika had to act.
...
The next day.
The middle-tier matches began.
For Fourth Division, the fighter was Ninth Seat Yajima Teru. Most of the division's higher-seated officers were dedicated medical specialists, so Yajima, as Ninth Seat, was actually the most combat-capable below Sixth Seat.
Nobu hadn't given him any special instructions — just told him to do his best.
The battles between seated officers were far flashier than the previous day's among ordinary members. Most had already awakened their Zanpakutō, and kidō use was frequent.
The first defender was from Eleventh Division, but he was beaten after a single match by a Sixth Division fighter.
The Sixth Division man then took over as arena defender.
Yajima didn't hurry to go up. To Nobu's surprise, the Sixth Seat from Sixth Division began racking up wins, one after another.
Something felt off. Watching closely, Nobu realized that other divisions' fighters were holding back.
He immediately recalled Shiba Isshin's words from yesterday.
Only Eleventh Division had gone all-out — and simply lost on merit.
Nobu's eyes darkened. He glanced at Kuchiki Byakuya sitting there, cold and composed as the day before, like a block of ice.
Yajima went up third from the end, and even fighting full out, he was soundly defeated.
There was still a gap between Sixth and Ninth Seat — and Yajima's "combat skill" was only by Fourth Division standards.
Fortunately, in the next bout, the Sixth Division fighter finally lost to Tenth Division from exhaustion.
That made it ten straight wins out of eleven matches for Sixth Division.
By the end of the day, even with one loss to Twelfth Division, they still topped the middle tier with ten wins.
Yajima managed just one win in twelve matches — the most he could.
Counting both days, Sixth Division's overall rank now sat mid-pack.
Fourth Division, with four total wins, was dead last.
Just above them was Third Division with five wins — a result that left Togakushi Rikū more than a little uneasy.
First place was Tenth Division with seventeen wins — mostly thanks to Hitsugaya's twelve crushing victories yesterday.
After the matches, expressions around the arena were mixed.
Some captains left at once; others lingered to chat.
Yajima came to Nobu looking embarrassed. "Sorry… I embarrassed Fourth Division."
Nobu clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry, senpai — you still won a match. That's already good."
Kotetsu Isane also told him not to take it to heart — battle wasn't Fourth Division's specialty.
"But this tournament is hosted here, and the punishment is our own cleaning duty," Yajima said. "If we lose, it'll be a real joke. If I'd just won one more, we'd tie with Third Division."
"The tournament's not over yet," Nobu said with a light smile.
"But tomorrow's opponents are mostly vice-captains… Third Seat Tachikawa, your pressure will be worse than mine…"
As Tenth Division was leaving, Matsumoto Rangiku sidled up to Nobu and murmured with a grin, "Want me to throw the match for you tomorrow? Call me 'good big sister' and I might think about it."
Nobu shot back without hesitation: "Miss Rangiku, you'd need to actually be stronger than me for that offer to make sense. You so sure you can beat me?"
She looked at him with open disdain. "Beating you would be easy. You might be a Third Seat, but I've been a vice-captain for over twenty years. You got a few lucky hits last time and think you're stronger?"
Nobu drawled, "I wonder how old you really are, Miss Rangiku… Twenty years ago, I wasn't even around."
Her face changed instantly. "You little brat — looking for trouble?"
"Tell you what," Nobu said, unbothered, "if you beat me tomorrow, I'll call you 'good big sister.' If I win, you call me 'good big brother.'"
Her hand went to her Zanpakutō, chest rising and falling in a wave — clearly provoked.
But then she gave a dazzling smile. "Fine. I'll be waiting. Let's see if your skin is as tough as your mouth."
After she left, someone else approached Nobu — Kanisawa. She'd been here both days, always as an observer at Ise Nanao's side.
"I heard from Vice-Captain Ise that your opponent from Fifth Division — Ichimaru-fukutaichō — has already achieved bankai," she said at once.
"I know," Nobu replied lightly.
"Then you'd better be careful tomorrow."
"It's not life or death — just a spar."
"…I'm going."
Kanisawa seemed to have nothing more to say, leaving as briskly as she'd come.
That evening, Kotetsu Isane sought Nobu out again, bringing a file — information on tomorrow's opposing fighters.
It was all from official records, so not overly detailed. For example, Gin Ichimaru's entry had no mention of bankai.
"Thanks, Isane-nee," Nobu said.
She'd seen his fight with Madarame Ikkaku and knew his strength was already at vice-captain level, so she had some confidence in him.
"If you face Fifth Division's Ichimaru, there's no need to push for victory," she advised. "You can step down to conserve your strength. From the list, Togakushi-san from Third Division is the weakest tomorrow — if we can get three wins, we'll probably avoid last place. So our odds are good."
Nobu said, "If we avoid last, does that mean Third Division gets it? They don't even have a captain or vice-captain right now. Wouldn't making them sweep the streets be too pitiful?"
Her expression tightened. "That's just how it is. If you can't match others, you accept the loss. There's no such thing as 'should' or 'shouldn't' when it comes to cleaning Seireitei."
Nobu glanced at her, then tucked the file away. "Got it, Isane-nee. I'll do my best."
But her worry lingered. After a pause, she asked, "Nobu… I didn't think much of it before, but these past two days… Did you have another reason for setting up this tournament?"
"My biggest reason is so Fourth Division stops sweeping the streets. As for who does it instead — like you just said, let the weaker ones do it."
He added with a wink, "And my other reason is… for that promise between us."
Isane's ears went hot, and she stammered, "Why would you even remember that…"
She felt he was getting more and more presumptuous, joking about things that felt… less respectful.
After all, she was his senior.
And in terms of age, the gap between them was far greater still.
Nobu smiled. "A promise is something to remember. You brought me these files because you want me to win, right?"
"I want you to win for Fourth Division," she said quickly, avoiding his gaze. "Not for… that promise. I'm going!"
She almost fled, walking so fast her footsteps echoed.
Not until she was out of the barracks did she stop, heart still pounding — whether from hurrying or something else, she couldn't tell.
After she left, Nobu sat looking at the file, lost in thought.
All he'd done was set a small thing in motion — and yet it had startled so many. Stability might be the default in Seireitei, but that didn't mean it was always good.
Someone would have to sweep the streets.
But why should it always be the same group?
---
T/N: so many names guys my brain is cooked @_@
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