When he finally regained consciousness, Yuichi groaned, blinking away the dizziness. His vision was blurred, and his eyes still stung fiercely, though the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Slowly, he sat up, clutching his throbbing head. The explosion had left a small crater where the device had been, scorch marks blackening the earth around it.
Miel fluttered over to him, her expression frantic. "My lord! Are you okay? Can you see?"
Yuichi winced, rubbing his eyes as his vision slowly started to clear. "I... yeah. I think so." He glanced around, relieved to find that his sight, while blurry, was mostly intact. "That could've been worse."
Miel shook her head, visibly upset. "You're lucky it didn't take your eyes out entirely. I told you to be careful!"
Yuichi gave her a weak smile, still trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. "Yeah, yeah. You were right." He chuckled, though the sound was strained. "Guess that's another experiment gone wrong."
But even as he said it, Yuichi couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. Despite the pain, despite the danger, he had seen something truly remarkable—something no other soul reaper had likely ever experienced.
"Still," he said, pushing himself to his feet, "it was worth it. I just had an idea that I want to test out."
Miel sighed, but there was a hint of admiration in her voice as she hovered beside him. "You're reckless, my lord. It doesn't help that you're always spending so much time with those insane people. I think they're rubbing off on you but... I suppose that's part of why you're stronger now."
Yuichi discreetly made his way back to his quarters in the 12th Division, wiping the dried blood from his face as best he could. He winced slightly as the remnants of the explosion still left his eyes feeling sore and raw, but he knew he couldn't walk around with blood streaks across his cheeks without raising questions.
"Well, I don't look forward to explaining this. I'll just report the results to Urahara and he can explain this one to Vice-captain Hiyori.," he muttered to himself. The idea of getting scolded by Hiyori for causing another mess wasn't exactly appealing. He'd rather dodge that bullet and lay low for a while.
After cleaning up and changing into a fresh uniform, Yuichi decided it was time to head to the Shihōin mansion. Yūshirō had apparently been pestering Lady Yoruichi for days to have him come over, and if she hit her limit she'd beat him and Yūshirō near death. He wasn't quite sure why—perhaps it was because Yūshirō was bored and wanted to fight him again.
"Well, best to get this over with," Yuichi said under his breath as he stepped out into the bustling Seireitei. The streets were alive with activity as usual, but Yuichi moved swiftly, keeping a low profile as he made his way to the Shihōin mansion.
Upon arriving at the grand estate, Yuichi was greeted at the entrance by Hui, one of the Shihōin family's maids. She bowed respectfully and gave him a polite smile.
"My lord Yuichi, the young master has been eagerly awaiting your arrival," Hui said with a gentle tone. "He's instructed me to bring you to him immediately upon your arrival."
Yuichi chuckled. "That eager, huh? I hope Lady Yoruichi won't mind me barging in like this without greeting her."
Hui's smile widened slightly, though it was laced with a hint of mischief. "Oh, of course, she'll mind, Lord Yuichi. But the young master insisted, so please, follow me."
Yuichi sighed in mock defeat but nodded, following Hui as she led him through the mansion's winding hallways. The Shihōin estate was grand and opulent, though Yuichi had grown accustomed to its size and luxury over the last year. Even so, the mansion's sheer scale still occasionally impressed him.
As they approached the training grounds, Yuichi could already hear the sound of fists cutting through the air, punctuated by the sharp cracks of impact. Yūshirō, the younger brother of Lady Yoruichi, was honing his Hakuda skills—an intense, close-combat style of fighting that focused on hand-to-hand combat. It was one of the areas where Yūshirō excelled, much like his older sister.
When they reached the edge of the training grounds, Hui stepped aside, giving a small bow. "I'll leave you to it. Good luck, Lord Yuichi."
Yuichi smiled, appreciating the well-wishes, though he knew luck wouldn't save him from Yūshirō's enthusiasm. "Thanks, Hui."
As he stepped onto the training grounds, he spotted Yūshirō in the center of the open space, his back turned as he practiced a series of rapid punches and kicks, each movement sharp and precise. The younger Shihōin's focus was impressive, but his skill was no surprise to Yuichi. Yūshirō was a prodigy in his own right, despite often being overshadowed by his legendary sister.
Yūshirō's movements slowed for a moment, and then he glanced over his shoulder with a bored expression. That look quickly shifted into a grin when he saw Yuichi.
"About time you showed up," Yūshirō said, his voice carrying a playful edge. Without warning, he dashed forward, his speed nearly blurring as he closed the distance between them.
Yuichi barely had time to react, raising his arms just in time to block the punch aimed at his chest. The impact was strong, much stronger than Yūshirō's casual demeanor would suggest, and Yuichi felt his feet leave the ground as he was launched backward. He managed to twist his body mid-air, softening the landing as he skidded back several feet before coming to a stop.
He winced slightly but quickly straightened up, rolling his shoulders. The force behind Yūshirō's punch was no joke, but something felt different this time. He wasn't sent flying nearly as far as he had been during their previous sparring sessions.
Yūshirō's grin widened as he crossed his arms, clearly pleased with himself. "You've gotten a little bit stronger again, Yuichi. You didn't fly off as far this time."
Yuichi laughed, shaking his arms out as the numbness faded. "I've been training, though I guess not enough to keep up with you."
Yūshirō tilted his head, his smile fading into a more serious expression. "You should come by more often. You know, to train with me. It's no fun if I'm always training alone. Besides, sparring with someone who is willing to actually hit me is way more interesting."
Yuichi scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with a good response. Training with Yūshirō was no small commitment—his enthusiasm often meant hours of intense combat with little rest. He really didn't learn much from the experience since he was always beaten black and blue. While his hakuda did improve a little and he learned to take a beating the time needed to recover was a waste and better spent elsewhere. Especially since the Shihōin house lacked the healing hot springs that the training room had.
"I'll try to make more time," Yuichi said finally, offering a small grin. "But don't think I'll be a punching bag for you forever."
Yūshirō chuckled, his playful demeanor returning. "We'll see about that. You've got a long way to go before you can make me serious." He raised his fists again, shifting into a fighting stance. "But why don't we see how far you've come now?"
Yuichi let out a small sigh, but it was more from anticipation than reluctance. He stepped forward, putting his blade down and settling into his own stance, his eyes focused on Yūshirō.
"Alright," Yuichi said, his voice calm and steady. "Let's do this."
Yūshirō's grin widened. "Don't pass out on me too soon okay."
With that, the two charged at each other, the clash of their fists and kicks echoing through the Shihōin training grounds. Yuichi's movements and reactions were quicker—but his study of hakuda had been put on the back burner in favor of hohō, kidō, and Zanjutsu. So of course Yūshirō saw through each of Yuichi's attacks and easily deflected them.
As Yūshirō launched another powerful punch, Yuichi barely managed to block it once again, this time launching him till he crashed into the wall. Yuichi emerged a second later wiping the blood on his lips. Yuichi once again took his stance.
"Nice," Yūshirō remarked, the gleam in his eyes showing that he was only just getting started.