Bleach : I Need To Rizz To Become Stronger ?!-Chapter 108: Just One Strike

The third day of the Exchange Tournament — and the final showdown.

Half of today's participants were Vice-Captains, and the others, though not all officially holding the title, were elite-ranked Shinigami, either on par with or surpassing the typical Vice-Captain in power.

The roster was as follows: First Division 5th Seat Hokusaiji Tsukasa, Second Division Vice-Captain Ōmaeda Marechiyo, Third Division 3rd Seat Hōin Rikū, Fourth Division 3rd Seat Tachikawa Shin, Fifth Division Vice-Captain Ichimaru Gin, Sixth Division 3rd Seat Saitō Hisaya, Seventh Division Vice-Captain Iba Tetsuzaemon, Eighth Division 3rd Seat Enjōji Tatsufusa, Ninth Division 3rd Seat Uchida Takashi, Tenth Division Vice-Captain Matsumoto Rangiku, Eleventh Division 5th Seat Ayasegawa Yumichika, Twelfth Division Vice-Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi, Thirteenth Division 3rd Seat Kotobuki Sentarō.

The current standings from the first two days placed the Tenth Division at the top with 17 wins, followed by the Eleventh Division with 15. The Sixth Division held seventh place with ten wins. Fourth Division, with only four wins, remained dead last.

Today's audience was noticeably larger than the previous day. Every division had brought additional members — Vice-Captain-level battles were rare spectacles.

Before the event began, the Captains engaged in casual chatter.

"If you mess this up, I'll carve the fat off you and feed it to the dogs."

That was Soifon, Second Division Captain, threatening her own subordinate.

Ōmaeda looked pitiful. "Captain, none of them are pushovers... especially the Sixth Division guy. Even if I wanted to win, I don't know if I can..."

Soifon snorted coldly. "Second Division is currently in third. If you cost us that ranking, I'll show you what pain really is."

Ōmaeda shivered. His Captain probably wouldn't kill him, but she'd absolutely make his life hell.

He glanced at the participant board, calculating which opponents he might beat — and which were unwinnable. At least, by his reckoning, only the Fifth Division was a guaranteed loss.

Elsewhere, Kyoraku was asking Gin — seated beside Aizen — how his Bankai training was going.

Among the Captains, Gin's mastery of Bankai wasn't a secret. Most already saw him as the inevitable future Captain of the currently leaderless Third Division.

Gin replied with his usual sly smile. "Still working on it."

Even after unlocking Bankai, mastering it took years of use and experience. The Gotei 13 was merely waiting for Gin to reach full proficiency.

Kyoraku chuckled. "Isn't it a little unfair for you to be in this tournament?"

Gin's smile didn't fade. "Captain Aizen said I should enter."

Aizen added calmly, "Our division's budget's a bit tight. Winning might help cover that."

From afar, Rangiku watched them with complicated eyes, stroking the hilt of her zanpakutō across her lap.

How would you face me on the battlefield, I wonder...?

Shin sat quietly beside Unohana, who wore her usual serene smile, waiting for the battles to begin.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto leaned toward Sasakibe Chōjirō and whispered something.

Sasakibe promptly approached Unohana. "Captain Unohana, there may be serious injuries today. Please be prepared."

Unohana replied softly, "No worries. Shin has already taken care of that."

Sasakibe glanced at Shin, then nodded and added, "Also, if any match becomes life-threatening, Captains must intervene immediately."

With that, he turned to deliver the same instruction to the other Captains.

In the center, Isane Kotetsu stepped forward and called for silence.

Shin leaned toward Unohana and said quietly, "Captain, the matches are about to start. Aren't you going to give me a word of encouragement?"

She glanced at him with a smile. "Like what?"

"'Don't disappoint me,' maybe?" he chuckled. "I overheard Captain Soifon motivating her Vice-Captain earlier."

Unohana answered lightly, "Then perhaps first give me a reason to expect something."

After Isane finished reciting the rules, she asked if any participant wished to be the first to defend the ring.

Everyone knew the first position was the toughest — you'd face opponent after fresh opponent.

Shin rose, drawing his plain asauchi, and murmured to Unohana, "I wonder if, after today, you'll expect more of me."

First into the ring: Fourth Division's Tachikawa Shin.

The Captains showed no outward reaction, but among the seated squad members, there was a ripple of surprise.

Shin scanned the crowd — HIsagi, Kaisawa, Kasagarō. Familiar faces.

Then, his gaze locked onto one man:

Saitō Hisaya, Third Seat of the Sixth Division.

A noble. His family served under the Kuchiki clan. It was said the very first Captain of the Sixth Division a millennium ago had also been a Saitō.

Being stared at so openly, Saitō scowled and leaned toward Byakuya. "Captain?"

Byakuya remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Seeing Shin take the field seemed to deter other contestants from stepping up.

Eventually, Saitō rose.

"Third Seat, Sixth Division. Saitō Hisaya. I request your guidance."

A cold-faced, middle-aged man, not particularly tall. After Byakuya's promotion to Captain, Saitō hadn't advanced to Vice-Captain — an unspoken commentary on his strength.

Shin smiled. "Tachikawa Shin, Third Seat, Fourth Division. Apologies in advance — I might hit a little hard. Hope you won't mind, Mister Saitō?"

That was unmistakably a taunt.

Saitō's expression darkened. Of course he knew who Shin was — the prodigy who rose to fame before even graduating the Academy. And as a subordinate of the Kuchiki family, he also knew that the current Student Council President at Shin'ō Academy was a young lady from the Kuchiki clan.

At first, Saitō had seen Shin as someone worth associating with.

After Isane withdrew from the field, Saitō unsheathed his zanpakutō.

Shin made no move, merely stood at ease, waiting.

The tension rose. Saitō's face was grim.

Then— "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

Flames exploded toward Shin's location, blazing white-hot at the center.

Spectators flinched. No one had seen Shin dodge.

Saitō watched the smoke, unconvinced he'd scored a hit.

From the haze — a streak of lightning burst forth.

A narrow dodge saved Saitō. The Byakurai veered off at the last second, pulled by one of the spiritual current guiding devices planted around the field — Soul Reishi magnets that redirected stray attacks into Killing Stone pillars.

Back in the smoke, a silhouette formed. Same posture. Same mocking smile.

Saitō snapped. He charged in.

His blade sliced through the mist—

Clang.

He'd imagined a clash of blades. Instead, it sliced only air.

The gust from his slash blew the smoke clear — and Shin stood just a meter ahead.

Saitō struck again. Shin easily evaded.

"So slow," Shin whispered, just for him.

Schwing.

A flash of white. A streak of red.

Pain seared through Saitō's arm. His blade dropped to the ground.

He stood frozen, staring at his limp hand.

Just one strike.

A strike he hadn't even seen.

Whispers spread among the crowd.

"What just happened? Is it over already?" Ōmaeda asked, confused.

Soifon glared at him, then muttered, "That slash likely pierced his Reiketsu."

"You mean you saw it?"

She didn't answer.

After a long silence, Isane approached and examined Saitō's arm — visibly shocked.

His spiritual core at the arm had been severed — disabling the limb entirely.

It could be healed, but not easily.

Saitō knew it too. But he hadn't even managed to call out a surrender.

"Do you wish to continue?" Isane asked.

"...No. I've lost."

He stepped down in shame.

Isane declared the result, explaining his injury to the audience.

"Forgive me, Captain..." Saitō murmured to himself as he ignored approaching medics and walked straight to Byakuya.

Byakuya glanced at the blood. "Go get treated."

A single slash — through the Reiketsu.

Couldn't have been an accident.

If the first day was chance... today was intent.

Did this man have some grudge with the Sixth Division?

Kyoraku and Ukitake exchanged glances. Was it his method — or his power — that left them speechless?

Saitō had never reached Vice-Captain rank. But even so, to be defeated so cleanly...

Tachikawa Shin's strength had already surpassed the average Vice-Captain.

Fortunately, even if Sixth Division lost all twelve matches today like on the first day, their ten wins yesterday kept them from dead last.

Fourth Division had Shin — likely to win at least six today.

Third Division's Hōin Rikū couldn't hope to win five.

As long as Sixth Division wasn't at the bottom, the Exchange Tournament could conclude peacefully.

On the field, Shin ignored the stares. He scanned the names of remaining opponents.

That was one down. Four to go.

Let's see — if I defeat the next four ranked above Sixth Division...

Those teams would each gain one extra win.

Third Division included.

That would push Sixth Division to the very bottom.

The names:

Seventh Division's Iba Tetsuzaemon.

Twelfth Division's Nemu Kurotsuchi.

Second Division's Ōmaeda Marechiyo.

And—

Ichimaru Gin.

He was clearly the strongest among them.

Shin could've gone for easier targets: Matsumoto or Ayasegawa.

But this wasn't only about him going after others.

Some were here to come after him.

His gaze locked onto the silver-haired Vice-Captain.

And in that moment, the always-smiling Ichimaru Gin...

Stopped smiling. And opened his eyes.

---------------------------------------------------------------

New translation : Naruto: I Can Use Corpse Release ! 

Give power stones to that new story if you want bonus Chapter in all current translated fanfics ! 

300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter