The only player in the world of Bleach

She opened her mouth slightly and took a deep breath.

In this delicate yet almost boiling state, Matsushita Yusuke, standing in the conference room, slapped the back of his head and said in a rather helpless tone.

"Well, it's just that... Soi Fon, the vice-captain of the Eleventh Division, needs to take a leave of absence for a while due to her pregnancy. During this time, her duties will be transferred to..."

"Why!!!"

The burst of screams completely interrupted the rest of the narration.

Or to put it another way, everyone's concern for Yusuke Matsushita ends here... The true protagonist is Soi Fon.

Matsumoto Rangiku charged straight at her.

She suddenly hugged Soi Fon's left arm and asked with sparkling eyes.

"This is so sudden?! But I can't see any belly fat at all... So how many months pregnant are you?"

Unohana Retsu casually slipped her hand inside her clothes, placed her palm on her lower abdomen, and gently pressed up and down while closing her eyes.

Hmm, I see.

"As expected, it's not quite a month yet. Although it's hard to detect, people who exercise regularly can easily notice changes in their bodies... You should start to take care of your body from this point on."

Not far away, Renji Abarai and Kaien Shiba sighed with regret, while Nanao Ise covered her mouth with both hands and jogged over to the crowd, muttering to herself.

'Huh? So they already have a baby? But what about the wedding and all that…'

Hitsugaya Toshiro stood behind her with his arms crossed, looking helpless.

"That was five years ago."

"But why has it taken so many years for anything to happen? Could it be that the couple's relationship is strained..."

"Why are you asking me? Do you think I'd get involved in something like this?!"

all in all.

"This is a good thing for us, the Gotei 13."

Yamamoto chuckled as he summarized the situation and, in an extremely unusual move, issued an order that 'exceeded' his duties.

"While the appointment of a vice-captain is, in itself, a reflection of the squad's will and administrative orders, making occasional changes can also bring a sense of vitality."

Yamamoto said with a smile.

"Soi Fon, I have granted you your administrative leave... Go and rest well, and don't overwork yourself."

Although I finally got permission to rest, the process was completely different from what I expected.

Soi Fon blushed as she was surrounded by a group of female Shinigami, who were chattering away, offering explanations that were sometimes understandable and sometimes not...

For her, the pressure was no less than carrying out a mission with a near-certain death.

Why did things develop to this point?

If she had known it would attract so much unwanted attention, she probably wouldn't have come to this meeting even if you beat her to death.

Thinking of this, she glared hatefully at someone's back.

The latter couldn't help but shudder, and at that moment revealed a grimacing expression.

Don't blame me... I'm a victim too!

275: Merit Arena

Although it happened a long time ago.

But to be honest...

Even just thinking about it now, Kotetsu Isane can't help but show that kind of aunt-like smile.

Because the atmosphere of the Gotei 13 is inherently oppressive and restrained, people are adept at hiding their emotions and conveying them in a more subtle way.

Therefore, the joy of a newborn's arrival, even after many days, is still like sweet rain... allowing people to experience a vivid and real vitality.

Kotetsu Isane was probably in that state at that moment.

Just thinking back to those moments makes me incredibly happy.

Also, another thing...

Although thinking about these things at this time may seem illogical.

But just thinking about how the aloof and arrogant vice-captain Soi Fon would show that happy expression... it would be a lie to say that Kotetsu Isane wasn't moved.

'It might be a bit too late, but I wonder if there's still a market for blind dates now?'

That's what they said, but the person involved quickly rejected the idea.

After all, being tall is a disadvantage in some ways.

'And he doesn't have a figure like Vice-Captain Matsumoto's, so he's not exactly charming at all...'

Although Unohana Retsu often praised her and said that Kotetsu Isane could be more confident.

However, it's not hard to see...

This kind of thing is a 'burden' for the person involved, and it is already very difficult for Kotetsu Isane to muster up his courage!

As she was lost in thought, another voice came from afar, growing louder until it seemed to be right next to her ear, shouting at Kotetsu Isane.

"Vice-Captain Kotetsu, Vice-Captain Kotetsu?!"

"Ouch... Ah!!!"

The person involved trembled with excitement, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She quickly turned her head and saw that several of her colleagues were looking quite concerned.

"Vice Captain Kotetsu, are you alright?"

"He was wearing that weird, disgusting smile the whole time..."

"It's like you're feeling unwell somewhere. Would you like to take a break, Lieutenant Captain Kotetsu?"

The person involved looked away somewhat awkwardly, let out a soft sob, and casually raised their right hand to wave gently.

I just suddenly thought of some sad things...

"Sorry, I was a little distracted just now."

She raised her hand and gently patted both sides of her cheeks. Forcing herself to cheer up, Kotetsu Isane returned to work mode.

Where are we?

"The venue for today's arena competition is just ahead..."

Looking in the direction the soldiers were pointing, Kotetsu Isane saw a colorful place not far away, where various lights were intertwined.

—Although she had prepared herself mentally beforehand, Kotetsu Isane still felt a little guilty after seeing it in person.

Perhaps it is because the Gotei 13's control is also very strong.

Even with all the events that have occurred in the past century, nothing too tragic has happened in Seireitei.

This is not only a symbol of the operation of the rules, but also a kind of adherence to bottom-line logic.

Within the Seireitei, it is strictly forbidden for anyone of the rank of vice-captain or higher to release their Zanpakuto without authorization.

The destruction caused by the manifestation of immense spiritual power is absolutely unacceptable within the Seireitei... and so it should be.

However, this is clearly not the case right now.

As shouts rang out, two streams of spiritual energy, interlocking and rubbing violently together, burst forth in the air.

Even before getting close to the edge of the ring, Kotetsu Isane could already feel the literal 'absolute pressure'.

"Ha! Is that all you've got?!"

With an extremely arrogant shout, a bright yellow stream of spiritual energy suddenly rose from the ground, leaping high into the sky like a tsunami.

"...!!!"

Kotetsu Isane, who was still charging forward, suddenly stopped.

Just like lemmings that forage at night, after witnessing their predators engaging in a 'venting' activity, they instinctively choose to flee.

This is a conditioned reflex in the literal sense.

"All of you, step back behind me!"

As he shouted sternly, Kotetsu Isane mustered his spirits and took half a step forward.

A vice-captain should act like a vice-captain; she would never allow her junior to stand in her way at a time like this.

However, the spiritual energy that soared into the sky did not strike down as hard as expected when it fell, but instead crashed down onto the street in front of it.

These bright yellow streams of spiritual energy seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force field, rushing and crashing within the transparent barrier, finally evaporating like moisture after a rainstorm in the afterglow of the sun...

Seeing what had happened, it seemed that Kotetsu Isane was only just now coming to his senses.

Oh, right... the arena tournament.

The exact date it was created is now somewhat unclear.

But in general, they can all be categorized into special 'activities' compiled in the last decade.

As for the organizers... naturally, it was led by the famous 11th Division Captain, who established a fighting arena that is measured in years.

Every year at this time, the Eleventh Division sets up a tournament, welcoming participants from other divisions to spar and exchange skills.

According to the person involved, this was probably to prevent the members of the Gotei 13 from forgetting the necessity of fighting... Although theoretically a violent organization, in practice, there weren't many situations where they actually had to take action.

This kind of activity was naturally admired by many old-fashioned people.

Kotetsu Isane is obviously on the opposing side, but it's said that both her own captain and the captain-commander seem to be in favor of her...

all in all.

After much discussion and correction, this is the final form that has emerged.

Even so, I never expected the way it was presented to be so exaggerated... Kotetsu Isane was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat!

When people are overly anxious, they tend to lose their ability to think.

This statement couldn't be more fitting for the current situation—Kotetsu Isane, realizing the problem wasn't serious, turned his head slightly and shouted to the people around him.

"No, it's nothing... Everyone hurry up, let's get to the vicinity of the venue first!"

Although the interlude was rather subtle.

But this can also be seen as the current state of Soul Society in another sense.

Although they are both individuals, the variations in spiritual power they can use are so vast that they have formed a relationship that is almost like that of natural enemies.

Filled with trepidation and unease, Kotetsu Isane led the group forward, finally reaching the edge of the venue.

Looking at it from a distance.

A group of very conspicuous figures had already gathered there.

But before that, the figures lying on the ground, screaming in pain, still drew away most of Kotetsu Isane's attention.

A doctor's compassion, especially in this situation... made her feel like she couldn't quite process what was happening.

Calm down... Just follow Captain Unohana's instructions and do exactly what's described in the manual!

Kotetsu Isane waved his hand and gave the order in a calm and unhurried tone.

"The fifth and sixth squads, go and check on the specific conditions of the wounded! The rest of you, come with me... First, greet the captains in the ranks."

276: Seeking advice

Kotetsu Isane led his men forward.

There were several crooked benches placed on the road, indicating that there must have been a lot of people watching.

But now they've run almost all the way... Although it's a bit of a mess, this is actually something that happens every year.

The reason is also very simple.

Even an ordinary vice-captain like Kotetsu Isane would feel fear and want to retreat after witnessing that level of spiritual energy.

And what about ordinary soldiers?

Moreover, this kind of thing is an intuitive reaction—even though it wasn't the first time Kotetsu Isane had experienced it, it was still inevitable that he would show some weakness...

Every year new people participate, and naturally, every year some people will flee in defeat.