My Anime Girlfriends

Looking at Kuchiki Byakuya who had admitted his mistake, I nodded slightly and said, "Well... Byakuya, you should know that Kaien isn't unqualified to enter the Shinigami Academy, but rather that he has to take care of Kukaku and Kogane!"

Upon hearing what I said, Kuchiki Byakuya immediately nodded and said, "Yes, I understand, brother!"

Kaien hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Forget it, no need to say anything, Tian! Let's talk about your life these past two years! Kukaku often asks me about you!" As soon as Kaien finished speaking, Shiba Kukaku, who was practicing Kido on the side, immediately trembled, and a fireball the size of an egg hit Shiba Kaien on the head.

The entire Shiba residence was immediately filled with Kaien's screams: "Waaaaaah... water..."

Shiba Kukaku immediately looked at Shiba Kaien, who was frantically patting the flames on his head, and said with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, brother! My hand slipped!" After saying that, he blushed, glanced at me, and then ran to the side to practice his Kido.

After Kukaku left, Kaien, soaking wet to the bone, slumped onto the table in front of me and said pitifully, "I'm saved..."

Seeing Shiba Kaien like this, Byakuya and I were speechless for a moment. After a quarter of an hour, I finally spoke up: "Kaien, I know you haven't entered the Shinigami Academy because of Kukaku Kakeru, but you also need to consider the future. Anyway, I'll be waiting for you in the Gotei 13... Well, that's all for today. I'll come again later." With that, I stood up and walked out the door.

After Byakuya and I left, Shiba Kaien looked in the direction we had gone and couldn't help but give a wry smile.

Chapter 75: The Opening of the Challenge

One month later

The vice-captain challenge was held as scheduled. Apart from the Shinigami who were on official business and those who had no interest in the competition, almost all the members of the Gotei 13 were present.

Around a square arena measuring 100 square meters, all the Grim Reapers were neatly divided into thirteen teams, and all the captains, except for a few who were absent, sat on the east side of the arena, while the vice-captains stood behind them.

From left to right: First Division Captain Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, and Vice Captain Sasakibe Jōjirō.

Second Division Captain Rei Shihōin, Vice-Captain Yoruichi Shihōin.

Third Division Captain Vice-Captain Rojuro Hōhashi.

Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana, Vice-Captain No.

Fifth Division Captain Hirako Shinji and Vice-Captain Aizen Sousuke.

Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Ginrin, Vice-Captain Daimon Rokuro.

The 7th Division Captain Aikawa Raibu and Vice Captain Yagyu Kyubei.

Eighth Division Captain Kyoraku Shunsui and Vice-Captain Yadomaru Lisa.

The Ninth Division Captain Kensei Rokusha and Vice Captain Haku Nagato.

Captain of the 12th Division, Shigure Hikifune, and Vice-Captain, Hiyori Sarugaki.

Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the 13th Division and Vice-Captain Mu

Nineteen captains, ten captains, and nine vice-captains of the Gotei 13 were present. The Eleventh Division, which is responsible for combat, and the captain of the Tenth Division, who is currently fighting on the border, were not present.

This time, in addition to the vice-captain challenge, there was also a seat officer challenge, making it particularly lively. At the start of the seat officer challenge, no one was willing to go first, as no one wanted to be the first to step forward. Then, a voice broke the silence. A Shinigami who looked to be about thirty years old slowly walked onto the stage, looked at me standing in the seat officer's place, and said, "Fourth Seat of the Fourth Division, Yuta Kawaji! Challenges Kuchiki Ten, the Third Seat and Vice-Commander of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13!"

Upon hearing this voice, everyone was surprised. As everyone knows, in the Seireitei, only the Kuchiki clan, the head of the four noble families, uses Kuchiki as their surname. Nobles are born with powerful spiritual energy, so everyone turned their attention to me, the one being challenged.

I calmly walked onto the stage, looking at everyone's gaze, and said in a flat tone, "Kuchiki Ten, nice to meet you!" As I spoke, I looked up at the middle-aged man in front of me who seemed quite composed. As Captain Unohana had said, he had been a member of the Fourth Division for nearly a hundred years. Although he was a Shinigami with decent strength, he seemed to value fame and fortune too much.

The match began at the signal from the referees below.

The moment the barrier opened, Yuda Kawaji immediately raised his hand and shouted, "Hado #33: Azure Fire Drop!" A ball of blue flame shot towards me instantly. Although he skipped the incantation, its power was still considerable.

Seeing the fireball hurtling towards me, I slowly raised my right hand, spread my fingers, and whispered, "Crimson Fire Cannon!" A ball of crimson light shot out from my hand and collided with the blue 'Azure Fire Pendant'.

A bizarre scene unfolded instantly: the blue 'Azure Fire Pendant' and the crimson 'Crimson Fire Cannon' collided but did not explode. Instead, they became entangled in mid-air and then disappeared into the air, transforming back into spiritual energy.

Upon seeing this scene, Yuda Kawaji paused slightly in his chanting, then continued: "Bone fragments of beasts scattered like stars, spires, red crystals, steel wheels, movement is wind... stillness is emptiness, the sound of spears clashing fills the void city, the sixty-third thunder roar cannon of the Hadō!" Instantly, white lightning ripped through the sky and struck me.

While everyone was pondering how I would dodge the attack, my calm voice echoed throughout the hall: "Binding Path Eighty-One: Severing the Void!" A transparent wall appeared in front of me, blocking all the lightning.

"Boom..." A violent explosion, accompanied by a strong gust of air, swept outwards, kicking up a cloud of dust on the arena, making it almost impossible for outsiders to see what was happening on the stage.

On the dust-covered arena, Yuda Kawaji immediately drew his Zanpakuto from his waist and whispered, "Sweep across, Flowing Water!" As soon as he finished speaking, the Zanpakuto in his hand emitted a pale blue light, and the blade slowly changed, finally transforming into a pale blue iron fan like a maple leaf, with ripples like flowing water engraved on both sides of the fan.

Upon successfully releasing my initial release, Yuda Kawaji immediately waved the Flowing Water in his hand, and a strong gust of wind suddenly blew up, dispersing all the dust on the arena and revealing the figure standing opposite him. After discovering my location, he chanted again: "Thunderous chariot, the gap of the spinning wheel, divide this into six parts with light... Binding Spell Sixty-Six Staff Light Prison!" As soon as he finished speaking, I was frozen in place.

Looking at me bound by the Six Staffs of Light Prison, Yuda Kawaji's face revealed a victor's smile. He slowly raised the iron fan in his hand and said, "My Flowing Water ability, besides being able to create powerful air currents, can also gather moisture from the air. Water is the mother of all things, and besides being used to heal the wounded, it is also... the most terrifying weapon. As long as it is launched through the power of wind, its power is absolutely immense!" He forcefully swung the iron fan in his hand.

As Yuda Kawaji spoke, a dozen water spheres the size of human heads appeared in front of him. As he swung his iron fan, the water spheres transformed into a dozen spinning water spears that attacked the bound man.

The spinning water spear pierced my body in an instant, causing some of the more timid female Shinigami below the stage to scream. But at that moment, everyone noticed that I, with my chest pierced, was slowly disappearing from the arena, while Yuda Kawaji, who had been in the lead, was being held to the neck by my Zanpakuto.

Looking at the astonished Yuda Kawaji, I slowly asked, "Do we need to continue the competition?"

Upon hearing my question, Yuda Kawaji's eyes widened suddenly, and he slowly asked me, "How did you manage to break my Kido?"

"It's very simple. Use a demonic path of the same quality and quantity as yours to destroy or neutralize your demonic path," I said calmly.

Hearing this, Yuda Kawaji's face was filled with astonishment. A master of Kido, he knew all too well how difficult it was to neutralize an enemy's Kido with the same quality and quantity in battle. Yet, I had done it with effortless ease. Although the Fourth Division's officers were generally weaker than those of other divisions, in his specialty, Kido, officers of the same rank from other divisions held no advantage against him. His mastery of Kido surpassed even his own achievements as a Shinigami for over a hundred years. Thinking this, he lowered his head, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, and said, "I lost. I lost completely!"

Chapter 76 Becoming the Vice Captain

After I left the arena, things got lively. The challenges continued, and even Urahara joined the ring. Because of Yoruichi, Urahara had joined the Second Division right after graduation, but Yoruichi immediately became the Third Seat of the Second Division and passed the test within a month to become the Vice-Captain, replacing the original Vice-Captain. Urahara, on the other hand, was still just an ordinary Shinigami. Although he had become a Seat Officer with Yoruichi's help, the naturally lazy Urahara was already quite content. He didn't care about his rank at all; besides his drinking money, all he cared about were his recent strange inventions. Even his participation in this Seat Officer Tournament was forced upon him by Yoruichi.

The challenge for the seat commander continued, and although most of the challengers failed, it was a very good experience for them. With the end of the seat commander challenge, the vice-captain challenge officially began.

At the start of the match, someone had already used Shunpo to get onto the stage. It was a male Shinigami, around thirty years old, with a crescent-shaped scar over his left eye. Upon seeing his face, I couldn't help but be stunned, because I knew that he was Akakabe Yokoichi, the former vice-captain of the Second Division who had been replaced by Yoruichi and was now the third seat. It seemed that he was definitely going to cause trouble for Yoruichi by coming onto the stage.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped onto the stage, he looked in Yoruichi's direction and said, "Yokoichi Akakage, the third seat of the second division of the Gotei 13, challenges Yoruichi Shihōin, the vice-captain of the second division of the Gotei 13!"

The battle began. As the former vice-captain of the Second Division, Shunpo was no less skilled than the captains of other divisions. Although Yoruichi's Shunpo was also quite good, the two were roughly equal. Therefore, the key to victory lay in their remaining hand-to-hand combat and Kido techniques. Whether intentionally or by tradition, neither of them used Kido at the start of the match, opting instead for pure hand-to-hand combat, constantly attacking each other. Initially, Akakabe Yokoichi had more combat experience than Yoruichi, so he focused more on defense, making Yoruichi the primary attacker. However, because Yoruichi had learned some power control and agile movement techniques from me, she didn't expend too much stamina. As time passed, Akakabe Yokoichi realized he was becoming passive and began to counterattack, hoping to turn the tables and suppress Yoruichi.

"Looks like Yoruichi's going to lose!" Urahara said, appearing behind me without my noticing.

I glanced at him and said calmly, "Why do you say that?"

Urahara immediately smiled and pointed at Yoruichi, who was forced to the edge of the ring, saying, "It's obvious, isn't it?"

I didn't answer and just kept watching the two on the ring. At that moment, Akagami Yokoichi was about to knock Yoruichi, who had been forced to the edge of the ring, down with a heavy blow, shouting, "Die!"

Upon seeing this, I immediately exclaimed, "We won!"

Urahara asked in confusion, "What?"

At this moment, Yoruichi, who had been considered the loser, smirked slightly, revealing a smug smile. She unexpectedly charged forward, grabbing Akakabe Yokoichi's hands tightly. Simultaneously, another Yoruichi appeared behind Akakabe Yokoichi, her right hand enveloped in dazzling electricity. With a single punch, she sent the captured Akakabe Yokoichi flying. Then, looking at the convulsing Akakabe Yokoichi on the ground, Yoruichi smiled and said, "Sorry, it seems you don't have that ability yet!"

"What kind of move is that?" Urahara asked, pointing at Yoruichi, who had already won.

“Lightning Fist! A combination of Kido and Hakuda techniques, its power is equivalent to a Hadoku technique between 30 and 40! It's a close-combat technique that can be used without chanting, which is perfect for Yoruichi!” I replied casually.

Hearing me say that, Urahara feigned sadness and said, "That's really too much! Why didn't I know she would do that? Do you know how worried I was about Yoruichi? Tenten!"

As soon as he finished speaking, I placed my hand on his shoulder, and then my hand was surrounded by electricity. After the electricity swirled around Urahara, I looked at him and slowly said, "I forgot to tell you, this is a move I taught her!" After saying that, I released my hand from his shoulder and stepped onto the ring with a Shunpo.

"Kuchiki Ten, the third seat of the fourth division of the Gotei 13, challenges the vice-captains of the fifth, sixth, and seventh divisions!" My words immediately caused an uproar in the audience. At this moment, the captain of the first division, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, stood up, tapped the floor with his cane, and shouted in a stern voice: "Silence! Because the vice-captain of the fourth division died in the battle against the Hollow, no one has taken over the position. In order to complete this challenge, if Kuchiki Ten, the third seat, can remain undefeated for ten minutes under the combined attack of the three vice-captains, he can assume the position of vice-captain of the fourth division. So... let the battle begin!"

Looking at the three vice-captains standing in a fan shape in front of me, I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword and said, "Kuchiki Ten, nice to meet you!"

First, a Shinigami wearing square-framed glasses spoke up: "The Fifth Division Captain assists Aizen Sousuke. Nice to meet you!"

Then a slightly overweight Shinigami spoke up: "Sixth Division Lieutenant Rokuro Daimon (Sage: He seems to be Daimon's ancestor!), nice to meet you!"

Finally, the more serious-looking Shinigami spoke up: "Captain of the Seventh Division, assisting Yagyu Kyubei, nice to meet you!"

"The barrier is ready...! The match begins!" shouted the Kido members responsible for setting up the barrier after it was completed.

The instant they said 'begin,' I unleashed a spiritual pressure far exceeding that of an ordinary captain. In the instant Aizen and the others were surprised, I raised my hand and shouted, 'Hado #63: Thunder Roar Cannon!'

After I unleashed the 'Thunder Roar Cannon' without needing to chant, Aizen and the other two reacted immediately, using 'Instant Step' to dodge the attack. But how could the attack end there! Amidst the thick dust created by the 'Thunder Roar Cannon', my voice rang out again: "Binding Spell Sixty-Six: Staff Light Prison!"

The three of them, Aizen and the others, who had just dodged my attack, all thought to themselves, "Who will be the one attacked next?"

When the dust settled, all that could be seen were three vice-captains bound by the demonic path, with 'I' holding a knife to each of their necks.

The entire venue fell silent. What was happening was utterly unbelievable; no one could understand why there were three 'me's. At that moment, the leader of the Kyoraku band lazily asked from below the stage, "Kuchiki-kun, can you explain... what's going on here?"

Two of the three "me" on the stage disappeared instantly, leaving only one with a knife to Aizen's neck. The remaining "me" spoke, "In the instant of 'Shunpo,' I add a few special footwork techniques, so that I can leave a real afterimage! At the same time, the afterimage also has a certain attack power."

After I finished speaking, Aizen, with a knife to his neck, smiled and asked, "A very impressive Shunpo technique! I wonder what it's called!"

As I sheathed the sword, I said casually, "Excuse me, Lieutenant Aizen, I call it 'Shadow Step'!"

After I finished speaking, the old man Yamamoto stood up again and said, "Then... Kuchiki Ten, the third seat of the fourth division of the Gotei 13, officially becomes the assistant to the captain of the fourth division of the Gotei 13!"

Chapter 77 Time Reversal

When I arrived at the office from my dormitory early in the morning, Unohana was already sitting inside reviewing documents. I immediately bowed and said, "Good morning, Captain Unohana!"

Unohana immediately smiled and said, "Good morning! Vice-Captain Kuchiki! Kuchiki-kun, you're here so early again today. You really are hardworking!"

I immediately said, "That's what I should do, Captain! I'm still far behind you!" With that, I walked to my seat and sat down.

Unohana looked at me as I was reviewing documents and asked with a smile, "Are you getting used to the job, Vice Captain?"

I nodded immediately, gave a smile, and said, "I'm used to it, Captain Unohana!"

The morning passed quickly, and Unohana seemed to have already finished her work. When I finished reviewing all the documents assigned to me, she immediately said, "Now that you've finished your work, how about we go for a walk together?"

"Yes, Captain!"

Just as I was about to leave with Retsu Unohana, a team member suddenly opened the door to the captain's office. Upon seeing Unohana and me, he immediately knelt down and exclaimed, "Something terrible has happened! Captain Unohana, Vice-Captain Kuchiki, an emergency...!"

"what happened?"

"The patrol team members were attacked by phantoms. Some of them were seriously injured and are currently receiving emergency treatment in the medical ward! We need the captain and vice-captain...!"

Upon hearing his explanation, Unohana immediately said, "Let's go! Quickly...!" She then used Shunpo to dash out, and I followed closely behind.

When we arrived, the wounded male Shinigami had just breathed his last. His chest had been pierced by a Hollow's claw; it was a miracle he had held on this long. Yuta Kawaji, who was in charge of treating him, stood by, a look of deep shame on his face. Although death was inevitable for Shinigami, as a member of the Fourth Division, he couldn't forgive himself for failing to save his comrade. At that moment, a female Shinigami ran up from the side, grabbed the dead Shinigami's hand, and began to cry, pleading, "Rai-kun... Rai-kun, wake up... Please, you must save him...!"

Unohana slowly walked to the female shinigami, placed her hand on her shoulder, and gently said, "I'm sorry...!"

I walked directly to the male Shinigami's corpse, glanced at his slowly collapsing spirit, slowly drew my Zanpakuto from my waist, and said to the female Shinigami who was still holding his hand, "Let go!"

Because of my identity, the female Grim Reaper, though deeply saddened, still looked up at me and asked, "Wh...what?"

Seeing her like this, I turned to Unohana and said, "Captain Unohana! Please pull her away and step back a little. This male Shinigami... can still be saved!"

When Unohana Retsu heard what I said, she was slightly taken aback, but she still pulled the female Grim Reaper away and then told all the team members to step back.

Looking at the crowd already standing ten meters away from me, I slowly raised my Zanpakuto and said, "Wither, cherry blossoms!" As I uttered the release incantation, the blade instantly transformed into countless petals, which gradually enveloped the man, forming a shield of light. Then, a powerful spiritual pressure erupted from my body, rising to a terrifying level over time. Apart from Unohana and Yuda Kawaji, the other Shinigami couldn't withstand it and retreated.

"What is this spiritual pressure...!"

"No wonder Lieutenant Kuchiki told us to retreat, this spiritual pressure is really...!"

Looking at the Shinigami surrounded by flower petals, sweat gradually appeared on my face. The white light slowly faded, and my spiritual pressure gradually decreased until it completely disappeared. My Zanpakuto had also returned to its original form. I slowly sheathed the Zanpakuto, now in its original form, at my waist and said to the tearful female Shinigami protected behind Unohana, "He's healed!" After saying that, my body slumped to the side due to exhaustion.