“Yoruichi-sama…” “Wait.” Akira Kawasaki’s gloomy voice suddenly rang out.
“What right do you have to stay by Yoruichi-sama’s side?
Do you think having Reiryoku (Spiritual Power) and a Zanpakuto is enough?
You’re nowhere near worthy.” As he spoke, Akira raised the heavy blade in his hands and brought it down viciously.
“Stop!” “Stop, Akira Kawasaki!” Kai Kawasaki and Yoruichi Shihōin shouted almost simultaneously.
But it was already too late.
The blade struck Shadow directly across the back.
Yet the vicious grin on Akira’s face abruptly froze.
His pupils dilated, disbelief flooding his expression.
Yoruichi and everyone around her stared in equal astonishment.
“N-No…
impossible!
How is this possible?!” Akira shouted with a pale face.
His blade had unquestionably struck Shadow’s back, yet there wasn’t the slightest wound.
Even Shadow’s clothes remained completely undamaged.
Akira, on the other hand, was bleeding heavily from the hand gripping his weapon.
“There’s nothing impossible about it.” Shadow reached out and grabbed Akira’s blade, then casually swung it aside.
Boom!
What looked like a careless flick sent Akira’s entire body crashing into a nearby wall.
Shadow’s cold voice followed.
“You’re too weak, and your blade is too dull.
More importantly, unless you’re prepared to die, you’ll never be able to hurt me.” Tansei Shihōin frowned.
He alone had seen what had truly happened.
That tremendous strength had come entirely from Shadow’s physical body.
No Reiryoku.
No special technique.
Just raw physical power.
Suddenly, a possibility occurred to Tansei.
Could the Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) from earlier, the one approaching captain-class, have belonged to Shadow?
If it really had…
Then this boy was extraordinary beyond belief.
Calling him a genius wouldn’t even be enough.
He was a monster.
Then another thought entered Tansei’s mind.
If Shadow possessed this kind of strength, could his sudden devotion to Yoruichi be part of some hidden scheme?
But the thought lasted only an instant before Tansei dismissed it.
There simply couldn’t be that many coincidences in the world.
Besides…
“Yoruichi,” Tansei said quietly.
“Father?” Yoruichi turned toward him in confusion.
“Accept him,” Tansei said.
“You wanted to take him in earlier anyway, didn’t you?” “I know.” Yoruichi nodded before reaching out and pulling Shadow to his feet.
A huge smile spread across her face.
“I’m definitely surprised that you actually have Reiryoku, but we already made a deal.
So from now on, I’m counting on you.” “Yes, Yoruichi-sama.” Shadow lowered his head respectfully.
“Understood.” “Thank you, Lord Shihōin.
Thank you, Yoruichi-sama, for giving my son the opportunity to serve you.” Seeing which way the situation was going, Kai Kawasaki immediately jumped at the chance to ingratiate himself with them.
He completely ignored the unconscious Akira lying nearby and seemed to have forgotten just how much he had despised Shadow only moments earlier.
“I have no father,” Shadow said coldly from behind Yoruichi.
“What are you talking about?
Your name is Shima Kawasaki!
You are my son, Kai Kawasaki’s son!
You are a member of the Kawasaki Family, and in the future you’ll become the head of the Kawasaki Family.
You are…” “When Mother died, she told me she didn’t hate you.” Shadow’s voice was icy.
“She asked me not to take revenge.” His black eyes shifted toward Kai.
“Otherwise, do you really think you’d still be alive?” “…” Kai Kawasaki fell silent.
“I already made myself perfectly clear.” Shadow’s voice remained emotionless.
“My name is Shadow.
I am Yoruichi-sama’s shadow, nothing more.” He bowed toward Yoruichi.
“If there’s nothing else, Yoruichi-sama, I’ll take my leave.” Before his words had even fully faded, Shadow vanished.
There was no sound.
No trace of movement.
It was as though he had never been there in the first place.
So fast.
Tansei Shihōin stared at the place where the boy had disappeared.
That child had given him far too many surprises in a single day.
…
Only after they had traveled a considerable distance from the Kawasaki Family estate did Marenoshin Ōmaeda finally voice the question he had been holding back.
“Captain, are you really comfortable letting him stay beside Yoruichi-sama?” “Why wouldn’t I be, Ōmaeda?” Tansei smiled before asking in return, “What was your first impression of him?” “My first impression?” Marenoshin thought for a while before finally answering.
“Cold.
Proud.
Powerful.
Mysterious.” “Exactly.” Tansei nodded, his expression becoming more serious.
“People like him possess talent, discipline, and the heart of someone strong.
Precisely because of that, they don’t pledge themselves to others easily.” He paused.
“But once someone like that gives their loyalty, they usually never betray it.” “Captain…” Marenoshin still looked somewhat confused.
“How can you tell?” “Instinct.” Tansei smiled.
“Just a feeling I can’t quite explain.
With him beside Yoruichi, I can actually feel at ease.
When Yoruichi eventually succeeds me, he’ll undoubtedly become one of her greatest assets.” …
Over the next several days, Shadow remained faithfully at Yoruichi’s side.
Wherever she went, he followed.
Whatever Yoruichi did or said, Shadow obeyed without hesitation.
After hearing from Tansei that Shadow was extremely strong, Yoruichi suddenly had someone backing her up.
And within just a few days, she caused no shortage of trouble.
She never made any truly serious mistakes.
But small incidents?
Those happened constantly.
The Shihōin estate hadn’t known peace since.
Yoruichi was having the time of her life.
Her father, Tansei Shihōin, however, spent his days looking increasingly miserable, with nowhere to vent his frustration.
Yes, having Shadow obediently follow orders was a good thing.
But being too obedient was another matter entirely.
Especially when the only person he listened to was Yoruichi.
…
Soul Society.
Seireitei.
The estate of the Shihōin Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans.
Yoruichi Shihōin’s private courtyard.
Inside one of the rooms, an elderly man stood in front of a blackboard with a book in his hands, lecturing about Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) and Kidō (Demon Arts).
Sitting below him was Yoruichi.
Her eyes were open.
Unfortunately, her mind was very obviously somewhere else entirely.
Eventually, the old man closed his book and slowly turned around.
“Did you understand?” “What?!” If nothing else, his voice successfully dragged Yoruichi’s wandering mind back into the room.
“I asked whether you understood.” The old man reluctantly repeated himself, although he had clearly already guessed the answer.
“It’s noon already!” As expected, Yoruichi’s response had absolutely nothing to do with the question.
After thinking for a moment, she turned toward the door and shouted, “Shadow, hurry up!
I’m hungry!” “Yes, Yoruichi-sama!” The door slid open.
Shadow entered first, followed by an elderly steward who had already prepared the meal.
They placed the trays of food on the table and stepped aside.
“But Yoruichi-sama, today’s lesson still hasn’t…” “Get out.” Shadow’s cold, emotionless voice seemed to explode directly beside the old man’s ear.
The tutor froze in terror.
He didn’t dare say another word.
Snatching up his book, he immediately fled the room.
What kind of joke was this?
If he stayed any longer and angered that terrifying boy, he might genuinely lose his life.
He wasn’t ready to die yet.
Yoruichi couldn’t have cared less whether the tutor stayed or left.
She had already started devouring a chicken drumstick, eating so quickly that grease covered her fingers and the corners of her mouth.
Her crude table manners bore absolutely no resemblance to what anyone would expect from the daughter of one of Soul Society’s greatest noble families.
The elderly steward standing nearby watched with an increasingly strained expression.
He simply couldn’t accept behavior so unbecoming of a noble.
Eventually, unable to endure it any longer, he spoke.
“Yoruichi-sama, please mind your etiquette.” The instant the words left his mouth, before the old steward could even react, the pitch-black tip of a blade was already resting against his throat.
The icy killing intent radiating from the Zanpakuto caused cold sweat to bead across his forehead.
Only then did the steward regret speaking.
How had he forgotten that this terrifying boy was still here?
“Get out.” The same two words.
Shadow didn’t even bother looking at him.
He withdrew his Zanpakuto, picked up a damp towel, and handed it to Yoruichi.
The old steward immediately fled with Shunpo, not daring to say another word.
The moment he disappeared, Yoruichi, who was still chewing on her chicken drumstick, burst out laughing.
She raised a greasy thumb toward the expressionless Shadow.
Her golden eyes shifted mischievously as a sly grin spread across her face.