The piercing shriek of Byakurai roared forth, engulfing Yamada Seinosuke in an instant.
Although he had already been completely pinned down by Gochūtekkan, leaving him utterly unable to resist, Unohana made no move to stop Shimo's follow-up attack.
Beneath her gentle exterior was a heart as dark as ink.
Seinosuke had previously used Hadō #33: Sōkatsui on Shimo when the latter had no ability to fight back.
Now the situation had simply reversed.
The crackling lightning drowned out Seinosuke's screams of agony.
Within the blinding flash, all the watching squad members could see was his twisted, contorted face.
Shimo's control over Kidō was exquisitely precise.
And while Hadō #4: Byakurai wasn't particularly destructive, it inflicted ample pain without threatening his opponent's life.
Moments later, the lightning faded.
Seinosuke knelt on the ground, scorched black and hollow-eyed, barely conscious.
His mouth hung open slightly, black smoke curling out between his lips.
"Captain Unohana, it seems Liutenant Seinosuke can no longer continue."
Shimo glanced somewhat helplessly toward Unohana beyond the barrier. Internally, he thought:
"Bruh. That's all it took to knock you out?
I've still got over a dozen Kidō I haven't even used yet."
Looking at Seinosuke with a tinge of regret, he silently waited for Unohana to announce the result.
Unohana dispelled the Kidō barrier on the platform and approached Seinosuke.
After a quick inspection and confirming that he was in no mortal danger—only unconscious—she turned to the gathered onlookers and declared:
"The winner of this Seat Challenge Duel: Kyoraku Shimo."
Several squad members quickly climbed onto the platform to carry the unconscious Seinosuke away.
If there was one thing the Fourth Division never lacked, it was medical resources.
With treatment, Seinosuke's injuries would be fully healed within a day.
After the duel concluded, Shimo successfully received the Liutenant's badge, officially taking on the role of Fourth Division Liutenant.
As for Seinosuke—he did not assume the position of Third Seat.
According to Unohana, he had already submitted a request for transfer, choosing to leave the Fourth Division entirely.
Despite the dramatic duel, the overall structure of the Division remained mostly unchanged—only the Liutenant's position had been replaced.
Shimo now turned his attention to the one standing before him—the current Third Seat of the Fourth Division.
To his surprise, the figure was a tall woman—tall even by male Shinigami standards. Her short, ash-blonde hair was tied into thin braids that fell over her shoulders. She peered at Shimo nervously with timid eyes, hiding slightly behind Unohana.
Kotetsu Isane, Fourth Division, Third Seat.
If Shimo weren't already quite tall himself, he might have actually felt intimidated standing before her.
Even so, the height difference between the two was marginal at best.
"H-Hello, Shimo-kun…"
Her naturally shy personality caused her to shrink behind Unohana as she shyly greeted him.
The scene of the duel earlier had clearly left a deep, lingering impression on her young heart.
Never had she imagined that someone of Liutenant level could be utterly defeated in mere moments.
"It's alright, Isane."
Unohana offered her a comforting smile. "Shimo-kun is a very easy person to get along with."
In response, Shimo returned a gentle smile of his own.
But seeing that only caused Isane to shrink back even more, practically disappearing behind Unohana.
A vein twitched on Shimo's forehead as several black lines metaphorically appeared above his head.
Do I really look that scary? I literally smiled at you!
Nah, it must be her problem. Definitely.
Having comforted himself thoroughly, Shimo looked at Isane again—now calm and accepting.
"Since you've just joined the Fourth Division," Unohana continued with a smile, "you're still unfamiliar with most of our internal duties."
"So for now, Isane will assist you with your Liutenant responsibilities."
"That's perfectly fine."
After all, he was never the type to enjoy doing too much work.
In fact, laziness seemed to run in the Kyoraku bloodline.
"However," Unohana added with a devilish smile, "you will still be in charge of the Sixth Relief Unit."
"Your handling of that case with Kurikashima Daiki was quite good."
"I've already judged his crimes and had him sent to the Sekkiseki (Repentance Cell)."
Shimo's lips twitched slightly. He hadn't expected that.
The Sekkiseki—located in the heart of Soul Society, on the southern hill behind the Gotei 13 barracks—was a prison reserved for high-level criminals.
Now he was genuinely curious what Kurashima had actually done to deserve that.
To provoke even Unohana Retsu, known for her gentleness, into throwing him into such a place?
"The Sekkiseki, huh?"
"Well, looks like the Kurikashima Clan needs a new heir now…"
Shimo shook his head, sighing with playful regret.
"I should be thanking you, Shimo-kun," Unohana said with the same serene smile—though now, it carried a chilling undercurrent.
"Due to my past negligence, corruption and misconduct have taken root within the Fourth Division."
"Soon, I'll begin a complete internal cleansing."
Those within earshot felt a subtle pressure descend upon them.
But everyone could sense—she wasn't joking.
The Fourth Division… was about to change.
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