"Finally, there is also the last part of this open practical lesson," said Yamamoto Genryūsai in a deep voice, his powerful voice spreading across the entire training ground.
After hearing this, all the captains were surprised.
"Huh? There's more? How much content did the old man prepare?" Kyōraku Shunsui asked with a surprised expression on his face. He hadn't known the schedule of today's class in advance and thought everything would be over after the two stages.
After all, Arata had already shown almost everything that needs to be learned.
And packed with useful things. If the teachers from their former Shinō Spiritual Arts Institute had held this class, they probably would have divided it into ten separate lessons, and maybe not even then would they have finished it.
How much one can learn completely depends on one's own talent.
"After all, this is the first open practical class, so it's normal to prepare more content. At least future instructors will have something to learn from." His friend Ukitake smiled and explained.
He wasn't as lazy as Kyōraku Shunsui. Out of a sense of responsibility toward training the younger generation, he had inquired in advance with Yamamoto and had a rough idea of how much his teacher valued this subject and what subsequent arrangements he would make.
However, Komamura Sajin, who had been silent from the beginning, suddenly spoke. The muffled voice under the helmet was mixed with helplessness and mild, self-ironic resignation.
"Captain Ukitake, you're really taking this too lightly. I don't know about the other captains, but at least for me. " Komamura Sajin paused for a moment, then lightly sighed and continued.
"No matter how much I learn from Saito-kun, there's no guarantee I'll be able to reach his level in future classes…"
"Am I really worthy of being called one of the thirteen captains who protect the Seireitei?"
Komamura Sajin wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. From the entire array of Arata's teaching methods, which could frankly be called a performance, he had already clearly understood what kind of talent this young man, whom the captain had promoted shortly after graduation, actually possessed.
No, calling him just a "genius" would be an insult to him.
Unshakeable teaching ethics, incredibly solid hit-and-run techniques, mechanically precise combat strategy…
And in the end, extremely smooth, clear instruction and explanations…
Although Komamura Sajin was already one of the thirteen captains standing at the top of the Soul Society, when he looked honestly within himself, he found that there was a huge gap between his level and Nozomi's level in teaching and leading people!
Perhaps because of his origin, a doubt had even arisen within him:
To become stronger, do I need to stop being a wolf and become a man?
"Hahaha! Captain Komamura, you really worry too much. If Arata is our reference standard, I'm afraid no one but the head captain himself has the right to be a captain."
Shiba Isshin stood up, barely reaching to pat him while laughing and trying to comfort him.
"Oh, although what Captain Shiba said sounds a bit harsh, we must admit it's the truth staring us in the face~" Ichimaru Gin squinted and smiled.
"Captain Ichimaru is right. Saito-kun is such an exaggerated genius that he can't even be compared to anyone else." Aizen Sōsuke, with black-framed glasses, met Ichimaru Gin's gaze, then lightly smiled and agreed.
The other captains, who hadn't spoken until then, nodded in agreement.
Especially Unohana Retsu, when she heard everyone praising her student, the already gentle smile on her face became even warmer.
"All right, all right, how did this suddenly become a chorus of praise for this kid? Let's focus and enjoy the last part of the class." Kyōraku Shunsui quickly interrupted the topic.
At that moment, Sasakibe Chōjirō, who was acting as the announcer, timely announced the content.
"Next, we ask the combat team composed of the top students of the sixth year to come out onto the field and face the Hollow group!"
"Second rank of the sixth year, Uesugi Kenmu!"
"Third rank of the sixth year, Sanada Sachiko!"
"Fourth rank of the sixth year, Date Masanaka!"
"Fifth rank of the sixth year, Toyotomi Hidehime!"
Sasakibe Chōjirō's voice echoed through the combat arena, and a commotion suddenly arose in the student seating section.
Five sixth-year students, in Academy uniforms, emerged from the passage beneath the stands, led by Tsunayashiro Kugyo, who had previously lost to Arata.
But now he was pale and all wrapped in bandages, clearly unfit to participate in the fight.
"Since Tsunayashiro-san is injured, his place will be taken by Sato Kentarō, who is ranked sixth in the sixth year." Sasakibe added, giving a signal to the boy with black glasses to join them.
Arata stood off to the side, observing this hastily assembled team.
Besides Sato, the group included two more girls and two boys. They were all top students with excellent grades in various subjects at least in theoretical exams.
But their formation was very loose, there was almost no coordination among them. Some were so nervous their fingers visibly trembled.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, please release the Hollows again." ordered Captain Yamamoto in a deep voice.
"As you command, Head Captain." came the sinister voice of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and the hands with which he operated the console did not stop even for a second.
Clack——
As Kurotsuchi Mayuri pressed the button, five black metal cages rose again from the ground.
As soon as the gates opened, five black shadows shot out like arrows. It was the same group of Hollows that Arata had just dealt with; even their appearance was completely identical.
A six-armed spider Hollow, a porcupine Hollow covered in spikes, and three dog-shaped Hollows.
After brief observation, Arata slightly furrowed his brows.
He sharply noticed that the spiritual pressure of these Hollows was somewhat weaker at least by half than those he had just faced.
In the center of the field, the combat team that had been pushed in front of the Hollow group now faced a powerful enemy.
"Earlier, while I was watching Professor Saito fight, I didn't feel any pressure at all…" Sato Kentarō pushed up his glasses on his nose, and a line of cold sweat slid down his neck.
When facing a real Hollow group, is the sense of pressure really this terrifying?
He didn't even know that the Hollows they were facing were the student version, already weakened by half.
Although he was ranked sixth in the sixth year this year, what he really excelled at was theoretical Kidō research, and his practical experience amounted to only a few simple internships in the real world.
Now, standing face to face with five Hollows that hungrily stared at him, the hand holding his Zanpakutō trembled involuntarily.
"Sato! Don't be afraid!" Uesugi Kenmu shouted, trying to sound calm. "We'll definitely win, as long as we follow the battle Professor Saito just demonstrated. "
Before he could finish the sentence, the six-armed Spider-Hollow suddenly lunged, and all six arms, sharp like knives, simultaneously stabbed toward Sanada Sachiko who stood in front!
"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!" Sanada Sachiko turned pale at the sudden attack of the Spider-Hollow and in panic released the Kidō without incantation.
However, due to nervousness, her spiritual pressure was completely chaotic, the flame that was supposed to erupt turned into nothing more than a thin wisp of greenish smoke in her palm.
"Sachiko-chan! Watch out!" Toyotomi Hidehime wanted to rush to help her, but the rolling Porcupine-Hollow blocked her path.
Just as Sanada was about to be pierced by the Spider-Hollow, a tall, slender figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
Clang!
Date Masanaka blocked all six of the Spider-Hollow's attacks precisely with his Zanpakutō, and sparks flew from the blade.
"Sachiko, are you okay?!" he said through clenched teeth, as tiny drops of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Although Date Masanaka wasn't highly ranked among the sixth-year top students—in fact, he had the worst written scores among the five, he was born in a very low-numbered district in Rukongai and grew up relying on street fights and daily brawls.
So, even though this was his first battlefield of this kind, he didn't panic.
As a result, this young man, who was always at the bottom of the written tests, at that moment showed astonishing practical talent and blocked a deadly blow for his comrade.
Arata, who was originally standing at the edge of the field observing and who had already moved to dash in to help, ultimately just stopped.
It turned out that the "hero who saves the girl" this time, was Date Masanaka, not him.
"Date-kun! I-I'm fine!" Sanada Sachiko suddenly snapped out of her daze, stumbling a few steps back; her face was white as chalk. "I… but, but I've practiced Sōkatsui so many times…"
She was trembling and muttering under her breath, the residue of the failed Kidō still flickering around her.
Ukitake Jūshirō slightly raised his eyebrows in the stands. "Even though it's just the low-level Hadō number 33, for an average student it's still too early to give up on incantation."
"No, that's not the problem." Kyōraku Shunsui contradicted him, his eyes as sharp as knives. "She was too nervous earlier and failed to mobilize her spiritual pressure properly. This isn't a matter of skill, but a weakness in mental readiness."
The chaos on the field continued.
The Porcupine-Hollow curled into a ball and began rolling toward Toyotomi Hidehime, its sharp spikes aimed at her.
"Ah…"
However, that girl, who also had excellent theoretical grades, stood completely still, she had completely forgotten to dodge.
Seeing the enemy getting closer, she became so frightened that her Zanpakutō fell from her hand, and she collapsed to her knees and screamed.
"Aaaa…"
"Hidehime!" Sato Kentarō finally came to his senses from fear, ran forward, and pushed her aside, but the sharp spikes of the Porcupine-Hollow grazed his arm, and blood immediately started to flow.
"Sato-kun!" Toyotomi Hidehime then finally snapped out of it and in a panic tried to activate Kaidō, but from nervousness she failed even the most basic bleeding-stopping technique.
Worse still, the three dog-shaped Hollows used the opportunity and from three different directions charged at the weakest position in the back row, where Uesugi Kenmu was standing.
This outstanding student, ranked second in the theoretical exam, was now in complete panic.
Desperately trying to mobilize his spiritual pressure, he couldn't even perform the simplest Kidō.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" he shouted hysterically, but only a few wisps of greenish smoke came out of his palms.
"Uesugi! Get out of the way!" Date Masanaka wanted to return and help, but the Spider-Hollow in front of him held him firmly pinned down.
The fact that he had even managed to resist the Spider-Hollow this long was already beyond his limits, he had no strength left to protect his comrades as well.
At that critical moment, a purple figure flashed onto the battlefield like lightning.
"Bakudō #37: Tsuriboshi!"
As Arata shouted, three net-shaped pouches of spiritual energy appeared out of nowhere and precisely enveloped the charging dog-shaped Hollows.
Their sharp teeth were only a few fingers away from Uesugi Kenmu's throat, with foul saliva dripping onto his uniform.
"Is this the level you're so proud of?" Arata's voice was cold as ice. "Let alone individual strength, you don't even have basic teamwork!"
With one hand, he pressed down on one of the dog-like Hollows struggling under his foot, and with just a light squeeze of his palm, he crushed its mask.
"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!"
When the other two tried to escape, their limbs were already bound by golden ropes of spiritual energy that appeared out of nowhere.
"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"
Unlike the Sōkatsui that Sanada Sachiko had just tried to cast without incantation, this time Arata performed the full chant. Blue flames erupted and engulfed the two Hollows, instantly turning them to ash.
Kenpachi Zaraki, who had been watching the battle from the stands, spat out in a displeased tone: "Tsk, boring. These kids wouldn't even be enough to fill the gap between my teeth."
"They're still just students after all." Kyōraku Shunsui lowered his straw hat over his eyes, a trace of disappointment flashing in his gaze. "But they really are far worse than we were back in the day."
Soi Fong also quietly sighed from the side. These people had clearly learned Shunpo – so how come none of them thought to use it since the fight began?
Especially that girl named Toyotomi Hidehime, what does she know other than standing still and waiting to die?
Captain Yamamoto gripped his staff a bit tighter, his aged face expressionless.
The remaining spider and porcupine Hollows on the field seemed to sense the danger and suddenly changed direction, trying to flee toward different exits.
"Hmph! Trying to run?" Arata snorted coldly, and his figure appeared like a ghost in front of the spider Hollow.
He didn't even draw his Zanpakutō – just a simple horizontal swing of the sheath shattered the bone mask on its face, and the Hollow instantly disintegrated into spirit particles.
On the other side, the porcupine Hollow, which had only rolled a few meters, was precisely struck by a white lightning bolt from behind; its mask cracked, and it too turned into spiritual energy particles.
Five Hollows were taken out in less than ten breaths.
Silence fell over the field.
The five students sat or knelt, their faces full of shame and fear.
Sato Kentarō's glasses had broken at some point, and the eyes behind the frames were filled with tears.
"Now you feel like crying?" Arata's voice was full of unprecedented sternness. "In the battle you just fought, you made at least seven fatal mistakes."
He raised his fingers and began listing them one by one, as if handing down verdicts in a criminal trial.
"First: when faced with multiple enemies, you had no clear role division!"
"Second: your formation was scattered, with no mutual cover!"
"Third: you threw away the weapon your life depends on!"
"Fourth…"
With each successive reprimand, the students' heads drooped lower. Sanada Sachiko even began to sob quietly, tears soaking her collar.
"What disappoints me the most is... " Arata's gaze swept across all of them, "there are five of you, classmates who spend every day together, but you fight like five completely separate individuals!"
"If this had been a real battlefield, there would now be five corpses lying here!" he scolded them harshly, leaving no room for excuses.
None of the students dared to speak, because they all knew that, however harsh Arata's words were – everything he said was the plain truth.
As if on cue, the captains in the stands exchanged glances. Unohana Retsu sighed softly: "These children have delved too deeply into theory. They have no real sense of combat."
Komamura Sajin said in a deep voice: "It seems the next graduating class of the Spiritual Arts Academy will be very…"
At that point, however, he glanced sideways at the captain and didn't dare finish the sentence.
At that moment, old Yamamoto looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption and without saying a word, it was obvious how furious he was as the academy's headmaster.
"Alright, alright," Shiba Isshin chimed in, "at least that boy named Date Masanaka wasn't bad."
Indeed, among the five present, only Date Masanaka had remained composed.
Although he too had suffered some minor injuries, his gaze remained firm, and he even took the initiative to help his fallen comrades to their feet.
Arata looked at the confused group of students, and his tone softened slightly. "Even though you have many shortcomings, the fact that you endured to the end and didn't run away – that deserves recognition."
Then he turned toward the audience, and his voice rose by a full octave: "Colleagues, this is the final segment of today's practical class. I hope that through this lesson, you can reflect on your own shortcomings and continue to train diligently!"
Captain Yamamoto stood up at the right moment and tapped his staff on the ground. "Today's class is over. All sixth-year students must write a 3,000-word self-reflection and submit it to the academic administration before tomorrow morning's meeting."
As the head captain left the viewing box, the other captains also stood up one by one.
Before leaving, Aizen Sōsuke gave Arata on the field a meaningful glance, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"Professor Saito…" Tsunayashiro Kugyo appeared by the field at some point, with a complex expression on his bandaged face. "I… want to apologize to you."
Arata raised an eyebrow. "Oh? For what?"
"I was too arrogant before." Kugyo lowered his head, his voice growing quieter. "When I saw how you and the others acted today, I finally realized how ridiculous my arrogance was…"
Arata smiled gently and patted him lightly on the shoulder: "The fact that you can realize that already means you've improved. Rest up. I'm looking forward to your performance in next week's class."
Tsunayashiro Kugyo bowed deeply to Arata, then turned and joined the departing crowd.
Rangiku ran up to Arata and clung to his arm, pressing her large breasts against it. Admiration sparkled in her gray eyes. "Arata! You were so cool just now! Especially that moment when you smacked him with the sheath~"
"Really?" Arata smiled and pinched her nose. "I thought you'd say I was too harsh."
"The harsher the better." Rangiku clung to his arm even tighter. "These guys really needed a proper lesson~"
As the two of them talked and laughed, neither of them noticed that in the corner of the stands, Koutetsu Isane was watching their intimately linked silhouettes, her fingers unconsciously clutching the sleeve of her kimono.
[Fate of Koutetsu Isane has moderately shifted due to your actions, you gain 415 fate points.]
[Fate of Tsunayashiro Kugyo has strongly shifted due to your actions, you gain 777 fate points.]
As he listened to the system notifications ringing out one after another in his mind, the corners of Arata's lips gently lifted.
Although today's practical class had been full of twists and turns, the rewards were unexpectedly rich.
Especially that kid Kugyo – he alone gave 777 points at once.
It seems that direct descendants of the five noble houses are indeed more "valuable" than ordinary students.
[Fate Mission: Practical Class Debut (Completed)]
[Type: Side]
[Mission Objective: None]
[Mission Requirement: Demonstrate your abilities in all aspects during the first open practical class following the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy reform]
[Mission Reward: 500 fate points (No complaints received)]
The side mission that had been refreshed before the start of the practical class was also successfully completed.
Moreover, Arata hadn't expected the reward to be the maximum 500 fate points.
Looks like he'll have to hold more of these open classes in the future.
He pulled Rangiku by her slender waist and proudly said:
"Come on! Let's go get something good to eat!"