BLEACH: DRINKING MAKES ME STRONGER

"Is he going to attack us?"

Boa Akagao and Aoi Dai hesitated for a split second.

Still, they didn't stop advancing.

In their minds, no matter how unpredictable Shiba Kuroba seemed—even if he had been oddly effective so far—he was clearly drunk. A drunkard, no matter how wild, could be taken down. And with dozens of candidates surrounding him, they believed numbers would prevail.

That illusion was shattered the very next moment.

Kuroba moved first.

"Swordless Style – Tornado!"

A sonic boom cracked through the air.

An eruption of raw Reiryoku burst from Kuroba's frame. He planted his feet, bent slightly at the waist—and spun. The motion was fluid, almost instinctive. His spiritual pressure twisted violently around him, forming a spiraling shockwave.

The candidates didn't even have time to react.

A cyclone of spiritual energy and condensed wind force exploded from his axis, hurling bodies backward like ragdolls. Those closest to him—Boa Akagao and Aoi Dai—took the full brunt. Their eyes widened in disbelief as their bodies were launched into the air like broken dolls.

They smashed into the ground nearly twenty meters away.

The formal robes they wore for the Shinō Academy entrance ceremony—carefully chosen to highlight their noble lineage—were shredded as if slashed by invisible blades. Aoi Dai coughed blood, the edge of his lip torn, his expression dazed. Boa Akagao's once-pristine dress was in tatters, torn across the sleeves and chest. Her modesty forgotten, she sat stunned in the dirt, surrounded by torn silk and fragments of pride.

And yet, no one dared to comment.

Many male candidates, battered and bruised, instinctively averted their eyes—more out of fear than chivalry. The field was a battlefield now.

All around them, groaning bodies littered the ground.

Some were unconscious. Others vomited blood or lay moaning in pain. The once-crowded charge toward Kuroba had collapsed in an instant.

And standing in the center, slightly swaying from his intoxication, was Kuroba—Zanpakutō still sheathed.

From the observation platform, even the usually unflappable Aizen Sōsuke was caught off guard. His smile froze, if only momentarily.

Kyoraku Shunsui's straw hat tilted forward as he rubbed his chin. "Heh… To think he'd fuse Reiryoku control with unarmed Hakuda techniques like that. That tornado… it wasn't Kido or Zanjutsu. It was something different."

He glanced at Kuroba's waist.

The Zanpakutō remained untouched. That, more than anything, made him wary.

A drunk Shiba Kuroba, unarmed, had just incapacitated dozens of candidates—many from lesser noble families—with a single improvised technique. And earlier, he had resonated with multiple Asauchi. That was unheard of.

Even the Narrow Room—a space designed to force Zanpakutō resonance—had reacted violently to his presence.

A dual soul structure? No, that's impossible… and yet—

Kyoraku frowned. "Even if I saw it myself, I'd still think it was a dream."

He wasn't the only one who thought that.

A low moan came from the field.

"Kill… he's going to kill us!" Aoi Dai shrieked in panic as he staggered upright, wiping blood from his cheek.

"Captain Aizen, stop him! Shiba Kuroba is assaulting examinees! This is sabotage!"

Aizen turned, an amused glint hidden deep within his eyes. But his face remained composed.

Before he could answer, Kuroba belched loudly and tilted his head toward Aoi Dai.

"Huh? What're you yelling about, Aoi... Sora? Soba? Whatever."

He squinted, swaying slightly. "Didn't you say… somethin' about me choppin' ya down?"

A moment of silence passed.

Then Kuroba grinned.

"Should I do it now?"

Aoi Dai paled instantly, his legs turning to jelly.

"It's been a while since I had a good fight. My blade's getting dull… and you said you're tough? Fine, let's see just how tough you are."

Shiba Kuroba staggered slightly, barely regaining his balance as he steadied himself, suppressing a burp. His half-lidded eyes locked onto Aoi Dai, who had one hand nervously resting on his Zanpakutō hilt.

Despite the obvious stench of sake on Kuroba's breath, the spiritual pressure swirling around him was no joke. It didn't matter that he looked like a drunk — the power radiating from him had real weight.

'Is he serious right now?!' Aoi's mind raced. Wasn't he the one asking for help a moment ago? How did this turn into a duel?!

He hadn't even responded yet, and Kuroba was already unsheathing his blade.

Sweat trickled down Aoi's temple. His knees felt weak.

He looked toward the exam proctors — Aizen Sōsuke and Captain Kyōraku Shunsui — silently begging for intervention.

"Kuroba, enough!"

Hinamori Momo stepped forward, her voice sharp with urgency.

"This is the Hazama examination! Violence here isn't just against protocol — it's a direct challenge to the Seireitei's laws!"

The tension in the air was sharp as a drawn blade. With both captains already alerted by the spiritual surge, Hinamori knew Aizen could be held accountable for letting this spiral out of control — and she wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Eh?"

Kuroba scratched his head, pretending to misunderstand.

"You want me to cut him up more? Well, if you insist…"

He gave a lopsided smile and shrugged.

"Since you're my second wife, I'll do it with love."

"W-What?!"

Hinamori staggered, her face flushing red from both rage and embarrassment.

"Stop spewing nonsense!"

"Big guy, blame your luck."

Kuroba turned back to Aoi, cracking his neck.

"My second wife asked me to carve you up, so I'm obliged."

The absurd logic, slurred speech, and sheer confidence stunned everyone in the corridor.

"You bastard!"

Hinamori exploded, her reiatsu flaring slightly.

"If you dare raise your blade again, I swear I'll strike you myself!"

It wasn't just about discipline anymore — it was humiliation. She had been mocked, publicly and repeatedly, in front of Aizen-taichō — the one she admired most.

Kuroba, still swaying, blinked.

"So… if I don't slice you, you won't marry me? Is that it?"

"You're just digging your grave," Aoi growled, his own hand now tightly gripping his blade.

At this moment, the room was a volatile mix of laughter, disbelief, and barely restrained killing intent.

And to Aoi… being mocked as "big villain" again and again was more than a blow to his pride — it was a call to action.

If I time this right, Aoi thought, glancing at Hinamori's fuming form, I might just have the opening I need to take Kuroba down once and for all.

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