You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

That loud shout integrated fighting spirit, pain, and enlightenment, and even indirectly boosted spiritual pressure, making it more active.

His muscles were stretched to their limit by the stimulation, with veins bulging beneath his skin. He seemed to transform into a longbow drawn to its fullest extent, releasing all his power in an instant—

puff!

With a casual flick of her wrist, Iori thrust her wooden sword forward, precisely striking her opponent's exposed armpit just before the slash from the shooting range landed.

"You're full of flaws, senior."

He even offered a casual reminder.

喀~

Unsurprisingly, with a muffled thud, the archer's arm dislocated, like a snapped bowstring; the accumulated force instead became a weapon that harmed him.

It shattered his unified sword stance, causing a suffocating pain that made him lose control of all his muscles. His power dissipated like flowing water, and he lost his grip on the wooden sword.

Snapped!

Then, Iori's slash struck his calf, causing him to grit his teeth, groan, and fall to the ground.

The world spun around him. When he finally regained his senses after shooting, a gentle breeze brushed against his throat, and the tip of his wooden sword stopped three inches from his body.

"..."

"Sheathe your sword, the battle is over—"

The senior judge raised his hand and shouted, "The winner is Aizen Iori!"

Chapter 5: Hot-blooded men are so easily fooled!

The dojo was completely silent. The next moment, the audience, who had all breathed a sigh of relief, burst into applause. The noise drowned out the shouts for medical help.

Several students who considered themselves skilled in "returning to the source" hesitated about whether to enter the treatment area, while the victorious boy stretched out his hand, looking around with displeasure—

The applause quickly subsided.

There were many students present who were more experienced than the two contestants, but the dojo's rule was to respect the strong, and Iori's sharp swordsmanship was enough to earn everyone's respect.

Once things quieted down a bit, the boy named Iori squatted down, pressed down on his opponent's shoulder to signal him not to move, and then reached out and felt around a few times before figuring things out.

"Bear with me."

After a serious yet gentle instruction, the boy suddenly exerted force with his hand, and with a "crack" sound, the injured person's face immediately turned red like a liver color, but the dislocated shoulder was restored to its original position.

This left the shooting range both amazed and disheartened:

The fact that he did not suffer more serious injuries means that Iori was able to accurately control the amount of force he used, making him far more composed in this battle than the desperate Iori himself.

Is this the leisure of a genius?

hum~

As a faint green light emanated from Iori's hand, the tall man's expression gradually relaxed.

"Cough! Thanks... um!" He looked up at Iori, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"It's a return journey!"

"Isn't he only a second-year student? And with such excellent swordsmanship, why would he be distracted by practicing healing-type demonic arts?"

"It should only be a low-level response... but it's still quite remarkable."

The many middle and upper-grade students watching from the sidelines had mixed feelings as they watched Iori diligently treating her opponent.

Those who were able to enter this academy were already considered candidates for death, and their fates would be vastly different from those of ordinary people.

But clearly, even among Grim Reapers, there is a huge difference in their talents...

“Thank you… not just for healing me,” the archer said apologetically, “but also for accepting this impudent challenge.”

Shooting range was filled with unspeakable shame and remorse, looking at Iori under the soft green light, hesitant to speak.

Iori observed the expressions on the faces of those in the shooting range and smiled to himself.

He knew why this tall, rugged man, as rugged as Lu Zhishen, was being so hesitant. Although the man hadn't said it explicitly, Iori had already gathered information through his connections before accepting the challenge.

The answer is "jealousy".

It wasn't that the students were jealous of him, but rather that some so-called "distinguished" students were jealous of Aizen and his sister's excessive prominence. They probably thought that the two, who came from humble backgrounds, were too dazzling, so they joined forces to exclude them in various ways.

Iori and Yuuki knew about this, but they didn't seem to care much:

Should we deliberately hide our talents and make ourselves appear mediocre just because a bunch of scheming idiots have opinions?

May I ask if you all have the surname Yamamoto or Unohana? Do you even deserve to be called that?

In fact, these people did not cause any trouble for the siblings. On the contrary, they suffered many setbacks. Iori's reputation as a kendo genius was gradually established through "friendly exchanges" with them.

They weren't stupid. Realizing they were useless, they changed their strategy and encouraged skilled people to challenge Iori. The one who was manipulated was Iba.

Iba Tetsuzaemon is a passionate and loyal young man who will become the future vice-captain. In the end, after the Thirteenth Squad was severely damaged, he naturally became the captain of the First Squad. He is a character with a significant role in the original work.

Although still young, he already had the air of a middle-aged man, with a fierce appearance that would make him mistaken for a gangster if he walked down the street.

However, he was not like those spoiled brats. Although he also came from a prestigious family, he was down-to-earth and hardworking. He worked harder than anyone else in the dojo, hoping not to bring shame to his family (his mother was the vice captain of a certain team).

The reason he was encouraged was not because he had a problem with Iori, but because he was too straightforward and gullible. A friend of his came to him, saying that Iori was arrogant and had repeatedly humiliated them for no reason, and asked Isaba to teach the kid a lesson.

Because Iori did indeed have a reputation for being "belligerent," the shooting range was misled by them, which led to this contest where the stronger bullied the weaker.

However, after the battle, he realized that if Iori was really an arrogant and domineering guy, how could she have held back in the battle and even helped him?

It should be noted that Iori is the one being challenged, standing on the moral high ground. Even if I break the arms and legs of the archer and humiliate him severely, there is no problem with the rules.

This is the place that trains "Grim Reapers," where the principle of "might makes right" applies!

Looking towards a certain spot, he saw several trainees gathered there, their eyes darting around, looking restless. At that moment, he understood everything.

"actually, I……"

Feeling ashamed, Iori wanted to apologize, but he was interrupted by Iori.

"It was a great competition. I haven't felt this excited in a long time. Senior Shooter is indeed very skilled. He gave me a real scare."

Iori glanced at the group of small figures, her smile unchanged, and turned back to Iori, saying, "Senior, you don't need to say anything more. I understand everything, whether it's their instigation or your unease... However, I won't feel angry because of this. Do you know why?"

"This……"

Feeling the stinging pain as Iori treated his wound, Isaba frowned in confusion: "Why?"

"Thanks to them, I've met a worthy opponent!"

Iori finished her treatment, and the green light on her hand slowly faded.

"You don't need to explain to me, I already know very well what kind of person you are."

"...But we're not that familiar with each other."

"Is that so? I think quite the opposite, because I have already learned everything about you from the battle just now."

For swordsmen, or rather for men in general, the best way to increase understanding is through direct clashes of fists and swords. As long as both sides give their all, they will surely be able to understand each other.

Your swordsmanship is both simple and steady, like a rough gem honed through countless days and nights... So I understand that a swordsman like you must be an upright person, and certainly not one of those petty people.

And you probably already know very well what kind of person I am, right?

Iori stood up with a smile, and in front of all the trainees, amidst their surprised gazes, she stretched out her hand to the shooting range on the ground: "I'm really happy that from now on I have a friend worth making closer to."

"...This time it's truly...a complete and utter defeat."

She shook her head, but then grinned and grabbed Iori's hand tightly, giving him a loud clapping.

"Please continue to guide me in the future... Of course, we'll settle things with swords, my nemesis (best friend)!"

The two swordsmen, one big and one small, looked at each other, paused for a moment, and then burst into laughter. Iori also shook his head and chuckled.

Those who witnessed the two men reconcile with a smile were deeply moved by the atmosphere of mutual respect. Some of the more sentimental female students even covered their mouths, seemingly about to shed tears of emotion.

Ding!

[CG included]

[Writing rival read as close friend]

Category: Bond CG

Tier: B (High item drop rate)

Quality: Elite (Increased occurrence rate of intermediate rewards)

Extraction in progress...

Calculation in progress...

Rewards Overview~

Attribute value:

Physical Strength - Minor Improvement

Endurance - Slightly Improved

Mental Strength - Minor Enhancement

Mobility and Minor Improvement

Avoidance, slight improvement

Talents & Skills: (None)

-

'They gave us so many attribute values!'

Iori was secretly surprised. Although it was a bit of a pity that she didn't get the skill, this was the norm. After all, you can't expect just any random character to contribute a skill. But so many attribute values ​​were really rare... The CG itself was also of a good level, which meant that Iori and Iori's bond value was quite high...

What the hell? This is just a fight!

Is it really that easy to build bonds? You truly are a man of passion!

Just as Iori was thinking about making a profit, another notification sounded in her mind, making her startled and overjoyed:

Finally, a limited edition!

[CG included]

[A true man of spirit!]

Category: Art Style CG

grade:--

quality:--

Rewards Overview:

Art style value +3

Note: Current cumulative art style score is "31".

Converted according to the current worldview.

The current maximum spiritual pressure is "110 + 31 * 10 = 420"!

Current spiritual pressure: 381

(The average spiritual pressure of a vice-captain is around 500-600, excluding a few individuals who have hidden their Bankai.)

Chapter 6: The Human Target Delivered to Our Doorstep

It was still the thirteenth dojo. Three days had passed since the battle that had left the onlookers in awe and made Iori and Iba famous.

It was already dusk, and the students were heading back to their dormitories. The dojo, which should have been quiet and deserted, was now filled with short, crisp claps of air.

The handsome young man had a serious expression, with beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, but his movements were decisive and swift. Every swing of his arm and every step he took was as precise as the hands of a clock.

Made from bitter bamboo and steel wire, this bamboo sword, three times heavier than a real sword, cuts through the air again and again. This is called "Sujin," a fundamental skill in Kendo, and its main purpose is to train the strength of the arms and the correct posture when swinging the sword.

It's so simple that it can't even be called a "technique".

The kendo master once said that the basics are the most important thing. Although swinging the sword hundreds or thousands of times a day is tedious, it will surely reward you when you need it.

However, the students studying here often disagree, because most Shinigami value spiritual pressure and Zanpakuto more, believing that these two are the decisive factors in victory or defeat.

Slash (swordsmanship), White (physical techniques), Walk (flash step), and Demon (kido) – these four techniques are important, but they are merely the methods they use to train their physique and hone their spiritual pressure.