Unohana Retsu—originally known as Yachiru Unohana. A millennium ago, she was the most fearsome criminal Soul Society had ever seen, before being defeated and taken in by the Captain-Commander himself.
She was the founder of both the 11th Division and the very ideology of the 11th Division.
She was also the first ever to hold the title of Kenpachi.
And Kenpachi—that title wasn't honorary. It meant one thing: the strongest swordsman among all Shinigami.
Yachiru Unohana—Yachiru signifying mastery of all known sword styles in existence.
Standing beside this woman, Shin could only feel her gentleness, poise, and quiet grandeur. As for the rumors about her terrifying cunning? So far, none of that showed.
Shin didn't believe that Unohana's interest in him stemmed from his Zanpakutō being of the healing type. That seemed too shallow for someone of her stature. Especially when he glanced at the system prompt:
[Unohana Retsu – Favorability: 1]
After becoming Student Council President, Shin had access to his own full records. His swordsmanship grades were marked as: "Exceptional innate talent".
Most likely, the words Unohana had spoken earlier were just part of her responsibilities as a captain—nothing more.
Around the dueling platform, a small crowd had gathered. When Renji landed his finishing blow, cheers broke out.
Several Shinigami watching from the sidelines even offered applause.
Renji let out a breath, then reached out to help the older student he'd just bested, politely asking, "You okay?"
Inside, he was smug.
Sure, his Kidō was terrible—but when it came to everything else, he was no slouch.
The upperclassman muttered nothing in reply, declined his consolation prize, and walked away stiffly, ignoring reminders to claim his reward. Losing to a first-year was humiliating.
One of the first-years at the booth called out enthusiastically, "Anyone else want to try? There's a mystery prize waiting for the lucky winner!"
But the gathered students looked at each other uncertainly. Seeing an upperclassman get bested had clearly shaken their confidence.
As for the watching Shinigami, sure, they could win easily—but there was no honor in thrashing a student.
Then someone called out, calm and clear:
"What's the prize?"
Heads swiveled. It was Tachikawa Shin, and he wasn't alone—Captain Unohana stood beside him.
The crowd held its breath.
The student manning the booth gulped. "Uhm… It's a secret! You'll only know if you win…"
Shin stepped forward and leapt lightly onto the stage.
"Then I'll give it a try."
Renji stiffened.
They'd never formally met, but Renji had heard about this Student Council President countless times—from Rukia, mostly.
"President Shin is so kind,"
"I want to be like the President,"
"He's so strong and reliable."
All this praise. Constant. Relentless.
Renji hadn't thought much of it at first. But over time… envy, then irritation crept in. Maybe he hadn't even realized it himself.
Now, seeing the guy in person—cool, elegant, flanked by the most powerful healers in Soul Society—Renji's blood surged.
Beat him.
He's a top-ranked genius at Shin'ō Academy. Captains were watching. Everyone was watching.
Renji, still high from his last duel, tossed Shin a wooden sword.
"Sure. Let's do it."
Shin caught it easily. "Need a break first?"
Renji grunted. "No need!"
He crossed to the other side of the platform, readied his stance.
"Bring it."
Shin adjusted his grip on the wooden blade, relaxed but poised. Renji stared him down. No pressure. Plenty of openings.
He charged.
With a roar, Renji came in fast, aiming directly for Shin's chest. A basic thrust—just to test him.
Shin lifted his sword, slowly, almost casually.
Renji narrowed his eyes.
Too slow.
He feinted—twisting his stance into a horizontal sweep aimed at Shin's ribs.
CRACK.
A sharp snap echoed through the air.
Pain exploded across the back of Renji's hand. His sword flew from his grip, clattering to the ground.
Before he could react, Shin's blade was at his throat.
Renji froze. Wide-eyed.
He'd seen everything. Every motion, every shift in Shin's footing, the arc of the strike—
He'd seen it.
But he couldn't react.
Couldn't block.
Couldn't stop it.
One move.
That was all it took.
Shin withdrew his sword with a slight smile. "Thank you for the match."
The crowd erupted.
They had watched the whole thing. Shin's movements hadn't been fast. Not really.
But his technique—every strike honed, every choice deliberate—had hit Renji's weakness with surgical precision.
"…That was fast," Isane murmured, startled. She'd expected Shin to win, sure—but not like that. Not this decisively.
Unohana's eyes shimmered with quiet interest, her lips curving.
"Shin-kun is impressive," Isane added.
Unohana's voice was low, almost amused. "He's much more impressive than you realize."
"Eh?"
"He didn't rely on strength. Didn't use brute force. He won with pure technique—his swordsmanship is refined. That one strike… It was all compressed into that."
A masterstroke.
And yet… he was so young.
Shin handed back the wooden sword and moved to leave the platform.
"Wait—!" Renji's voice rang out, full of emotion. "Can we go again? Just once more!"
He wasn't being a sore loser. Shin was his senior, a known genius. Losing wasn't the issue.
It was that Shin's strike had exposed something deep—something Renji needed to fix.
He wanted to lose again.
He wanted to learn.
Shin chuckled. "If you didn't notice it the first time, ten more wouldn't help."
At that moment, a first-year student stepped forward, box in hand. "Congratulations, senpai! Your prize is—"
Shin waved him off. "No need. Keep it for the next challenger."
Renji watched him go, jaw clenched, resolve burning behind his crimson eyes.
Next year. I'm joining the Student Council. No matter what.
Shin returned to Unohana's side.
"I won, Captain Unohana."
"Not bad," she replied mildly. "Shall we continue?"
No lavish praise. No smile beyond the usual.
[Unohana Retsu – Favorability: 2]
Shin sighed inwardly.
This woman was going to be a tough one.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !