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Chapter 69: Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Third Seat of the Fifth Division
🕑 Added 2025-07-08 14:54:07 +0000 UTC
"Spiritual Pressure... Level Eight."
The Soul Reaper proctor stared at the glowing tool with his mouth open. He had to read the result twice to believe it. Eighth level. It was almost unheard of for a new soul from the Rukongai who hadn't been tested yet.
Russell had carefully chosen this number. He knew that a Soul Reaper's fighting power grew by leaps and bounds when they let go of their Zanpakutō. Levels eight through six on the standard scale were the domain of seated officers. Lieutenants were at level four or five. Three or more people were captains. To start at level eight meant you were a genius, but not so much of a monster that it would make the story hard to believe. It would be amazing if there were no war. Because the Gotei 13 is so desperate for talent right now, he was a valuable asset.
【Someone was sent right away to tell the dean.】
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 and the academy's founder, got the report. "Yoriichi Tsugikuni, huh?" When Yamamoto heard the name, he remembered something a scary woman had said to him when he was still in his middle years. "Just do it like you always do," the Head Captain said. It was only a level-eight spiritual pressure. He doesn't have to go in person. He had seen prodigies who had learnt Bankai in just one month.
【And so, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was able to get into the Shino Academy and become a Soul Reaper apprentice.】
Russell told a story of quiet discipline. In the story, Yoriichi moved through the academy like a ghost, completely focused. The four main parts of Soul Reaper combat were Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. His Zanjutsu was perfect, and his sword was a natural part of him. He learnt the art of high-speed movement, Hohō, with an instinctual grace. But when he tried to use Hakuda, he felt clumsy, and the Kidō spells sounded like a foreign language to him. He worked hard to learn them, but only got the basics down. Russell felt a pang of helplessness as he wrote this. He was purposely making Yoriichi's skills more specific and not putting any magic into them.
[Time flew by, and the day came when Yoriichi was given the most basic power of a Soul Reaper: an Asauchi, a nameless, pure-white blade that would one day become his own Zanpakutō. He did his first Blade Zen meditation with the help of his teacher. He wanted to hear the name of his sword. Sadly, he only found silence. The days went by, but he still hadn't made any progress towards Shikai.
[Up until that day. A woman with black hair who called herself Retsu Unohana came to the school. "Captain Unohana!" Some of the teachers were scared, while others were polite. She just nodded and called Yoriichi to the kendo field. Once again, she beat him with brutal efficiency. But this time, she stayed. She stood over him, who was bleeding, and spoke in a voice that sounded like ice. "You have the skill of a master, but the heart of a lost child. You look for your wife's ghost, but you've forgotten how to fight. How can a man this weak ever hope to find anything?]
Her words hit Yoriichi harder than her sword while he lay in a pool of blood. The Fourth Division's expert healing Kidō helped his body heal quickly. That night, he went back into Blade Zen. His mind was clear, and he had a new goal. And this time, he finally got an answer. A strong voice, like a fire, echoed in his soul.
"Get rid of all evil spirits! Set fire to everything! My name is—
"Hirin (Ring of Fire)!"
His Zanpakutō was a fire type, just like the Head Captain's. The moment he first released its Shikai, the wild power burst out of him and burned everything in his room to ashes. The academy was nice enough not to blame him. He was able to graduate early because he did so well. Under the cold, watchful gaze of Captain Unohana of the 11th Division, Yoriichi chose the 5th Division, which was the rescue and support squad. He was given the Third Seat right away when he joined because there were open spots in their ranks and he had already shown that he could do Shikai.
Russell thought he had finally reached the end of the materials he had used after writing this. He let out a long, tired sigh and waited for the space's final decision.
He came back to reality after a while. The Yoriichi card that was floating in front of him now had a brand new picture. His heart finally calmed down.
[Third Seat of the Fifth Division · Yoriichi Tsugikuni]
Rank: Bronze
Red for quality
Type: Creature
Abilities:
[Hakuda]: Good at fighting with their hands.
[Kidō]: Can cast Kidō spells with serial numbers lower than ten.
[Hohō (Flash Step)]: Can make spirit particles move quickly in a straight line.
[Sun-Style Zanjutsu]: A more advanced style of sword fighting that he created after joining the Soul Society. It combines his old techniques with Soul Reaper rules.
[Transparent World]: Lets the user see the flow of spirit particles and muscle contractions, which makes it much easier for them to guess when and where an attack will come from and avoid it.
[Zanpakutō: Shikai]: Yoriichi can let go of the first form of his sword's true power by giving a command.
Features:
[Mark of the Sun]: The marks on his body make him much stronger.
[Reaper]: Makes spirit-type and demonic monsters take a lot more damage.
Introduction: The ghost hunter who fell into hell has been given a second chance at life.
Bonds:
When you see the [Kokushibo · Michikatsu Tsugikuni] series, it activates [Brotherly Bonds].
When it shows up with the [Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni] series and others, it turns on [First Generation Gotei 13].
When the [Retsu Unohana] series comes out, it turns on [Monsters of the Soul Society].
Russell looked at the new card without saying anything. The difference was huge compared to the Iron-grade Yoriichi. He now had the basic skills of a Soul Reaper, his Sun Breathing had turned into a real sword style, and most importantly, he could now use Shikai.
He didn't think about it anymore and called up his newly evolved card.
The Yoriichi that showed up in front of him was different. The red haori he used to wear was gone, and in its place was the black shihakushō that all Soul Reapers wear. Russell looked at the katana at his waist as he appeared. It looked like any other weapon.
He smiled and said, "You have to admit, the Soul Reapers have the best style." And in this world, style points have a direct effect on how well you fight.
(End of this chapter)
Comments
Ritesh Jadhav
Yes you will see it in future chapters
Raphael Espinoza Angulo
Can you bring waifus? I understand that some card creators develop relationships with their characters, right?
