Long Tao was a pawn, a piece carefully placed by the Noble Alliance to keep the Shihōin clan in check. Suì-Fēng understood this now. The Shihōin had allowed his placement in exchange for Kisuke Urahara's promotion. The reason Long Tao had never risen above the Sixth Seat was simple: by tradition, the top five seats of the Second Division also served as Squad Leaders in the Onmitsukidō, a force the Shihōin had always controlled with an iron fist. It was a tacit agreement between the great noble houses. Long Tao, despite being stronger than the Fourth and Fifth Seats, knew his place and never challenged his superiors. The games the nobles play are truly exhausting, Suì-Fēng thought with a sigh. Even a clan as powerful as the Shihōin couldn't have everything their way.
"But this time is different," Ōmaeda concluded grimly. "What they want now is the position of an Onmitsukidō Squad Leader."
Suì-Fēng nodded, processing the information. After a moment, she looked up and asked, "They're being so aggressive. Doesn't the Captain-Commander do anything about it?"
Ōmaeda seemed a bit surprised by the question but answered earnestly, thinking she was just being naive. "The Onmitsukidō and the Gotei 13 are technically separate organizations on the same level, even though Captain Yoruichi was part of both. Besides, the Captain-Commander doesn't like to get involved in disputes between the noble families. He usually defers to the rulings made by Central 46 and rarely opposes them. From what I've seen, he's a man who follows the rules above all else. He seems to believe these political games are trivial as long as they don't disrupt the overall operation of the Seireitei."
Realizing he had strayed from the point, Ōmaeda stopped and looked at her with a solemn expression. "Suì-Fēng, I have to ask you again. Against the Sixth Seat, Long Tao… can you win?"
Can I win?
Suì-Fēng fell silent. With only twenty percent of her strength recovered, using her Bankai was out of the question. To be precise, she could release it, but it would likely self-destruct. She was about to fight a man who had hidden his true strength for years, a Soul Reaper only slightly weaker than she was at her peak. A quick check of her internal state confirmed it. Hollow Poison: 21%. The status was invisible to Ōmaeda, but it was a grim reality for her.
She gritted her teeth. "I will win."
She had to win. This was a crisis, but it was also her greatest opportunity. As the current "Acting Captain" of the Second Division, Ōmaeda had the authority to apply for a Captain's Assessment for one of his squad members.
…
The atmosphere in the Second Division's main training ground was thick with tension. The rule for Seat Officer Challenges was meant to be a simple, cruel truth: if a subordinate dared to challenge a superior, it was a test of strength and momentum. Now, this rule felt like a death sentence for Suì-Fēng.
Long Tao walked casually to the center of the arena and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. Seeing his nonchalant attitude, the members of the Detention Unit loyal to Suì-Fēng couldn't hold back their anger.
"You bastard! You're the one who issued the challenge!" one shouted. "Are you trying to make Captain Suì-Fēng come to you?!"
Long Tao didn't respond, which only infuriated them more.
"Damn it!" another yelled, though they all knew their Captain's chances were slim in her injured state. Their anger was fueled by helplessness. "Captain Suì-Fēng, you have to defeat this arrogant fool!"
They didn't have to wait long. The chatter died down as Ōmaeda and Suì-Fēng entered the training ground. Long Tao stood up, his gaze locking onto his opponent. He had entered a state of profound calm, his heart still and his mind focused. He didn't even seem to hear Ōmaeda as the acting captain began his speech.
"…The Seat Officer Challenge officially begins!"
The brewing storm of spiritual pressure in the arena made Ōmaeda's speech fall flat. Realizing no one was listening, he, who was never good at public speaking anyway, quickly ended his remarks and announced the start of the match.
The two opponents, who were already staring each other down, released their Shikai at the same instant.
"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"
"Ensnare and devour, Spider Hunt!"
Two powerful waves of Reiatsu erupted from them, colliding in the center of the arena and unleashing a fierce gust of wind in all directions.
"Whoa!"
Many of the surrounding Soul Reapers were blown back several steps, struggling to keep their footing. Some even fell to the ground in shock.
"Is this… a battle between high-ranking officers?"
"We're not on the same level at all!"
For the many Soul Reapers in the Seireitei who couldn't use Shikai, battles were limited to the four basic arts: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. But a fight between seated officers revolved around the unique abilities of their Zanpakutō. For the lower-ranked members, just watching a match like this was an invaluable lesson.
Clang!
The sharp sound of blades clashing echoed through the arena as dust and air vibrated. Two blurred figures flickered apart, reappearing on opposite sides of the field. They had already completed their first high-speed exchange.
"Heh, just as I expected," Long Tao said with a smirk. "Your Shunpo is incredibly fast. Even with your injuries, I have to admit, you're still faster than me." He paused, his tone shifting. "But unfortunately for you, my Zanpakutō is the perfect counter to your speed."
He raised "Spider Hunt." Its grayish-white blade was layered and mottled, as if covered in spiderwebs. He flicked the blade gently. With a faint ringing sound, a massive, shimmering spiderweb pattern appeared on the ground with Long Tao at its center, then vanished into thin air.
Suì-Fēng's expression changed. She had already spotted one of the nearly invisible spider threads wrapped around her wrist.
"Now, what will you do… Third Seat Suì-Fēng?" Long Tao asked, suddenly raising his Zanpakutō.
A faint light traveled down the nearly invisible thread connected to her. It flashed for only an instant, but a dangerous premonition screamed through her mind. Her eyes widened, and she used Shunpo to escape.
But the slash was faster.
"Ugh!"
A pained grunt came from thirty meters away. Suì-Fēng reappeared on the other side of the arena, her left arm hanging limply at her side, bleeding profusely. She hadn't been fast enough to escape the attack completely.
"So you can launch a slash from any point on your invisible web?" she said, gritting her teeth as she tore a strip of cloth from her uniform to bandage her arm. "A terrifying ability, Sixth Seat Long Tao."
"You flatter me, Third Seat," he replied smoothly. "Speaking of terrifying, that 'Suzumebachi' on your right hand is far more dangerous. I just happen to have a slight advantage in this situation. After all… a wasp trying to attack a spider in the center of its web is bound to get hurt."