"If there's anything about us that could catch the attention of the Four Noble Families, aside from our Zanpakutō abilities, it must be our talent."
"But neither of those things—Zanpakutō or talent—can be taken away."
"So, what they're after is likely the result of that talent. Something they mistakenly believe is a concrete thing, something they think can be stolen from us."
As Aizen spoke, he slowly raised his right hand and curled his fingers inward as if gripping something invisible.
That simple, casual gesture gave Aiyan a strange feeling—like Aizen was holding the entire Four Noble Houses in his palm.
"Spirit King fragments…"
Aiyan narrowed his eyes, and those four words quietly echoed in his mind.
He had no doubt about his brother's intelligence.
Even if some hidden system or power cheat gave him strength and talent surpassing Aizen's, it couldn't give him the mind to outmaneuver Aizen in schemes or strategy.
So if Aizen had come to this conclusion, it must be dangerously close to the truth.
Based on Aizen's line of reasoning, the first thing that came to Aiyan's mind was the fragments of the Spirit King that were scattered across the three realms after the King was torn apart.
"Brother, did something come to mind?"
Noticing Aiyan had gone quiet, Aizen narrowed his eyes, suddenly more curious.
"It's nothing," Aiyan replied seriously. "I was just listening to you while walking... and happened to practice another Hadō spell."
He wasn't lying.
While Aizen had been showing off his IQ and breaking down the Four Noble Houses' motives, the aspects of power tied to Aiyan—Kidō, Reiatsu, and Swordsmanship—were all stirred up, seemingly unable to sit still.
[Your Kidō says this is nothing special, just a little warm-up. Two seconds ago, it completed the practice of Hadō #63: Fiery Lightning Howl.]
[Your swordsmanship says: whoever disrespects you, cut them down! It just grasped a new technique—'Dual Slash'—meant to crush any enemy in your path.]
[Your Reiatsu didn't bother with words, it just exploded in raw power, jumping up to 8.5 Reiatsu levels.]
Even Zanpakutō, which hadn't shown any reaction recently, was quietly training its Bankai somewhere unknown. The rest—Kidō, Kendo, and Reiatsu—were already lining up to show off.
"…"
Aizen's smile disappeared for a moment. He walked forward silently, without another word.
'Weren't we supposed to flex our intelligence together?'
'Why did you start flexing muscles instead?'
'I tried to act cool, but he turned it into a Versailles show-off session…'
Aizen made up his mind—he'd finish mastering Shikai tonight.
He didn't want to end up being the brains behind the operation while Aiyan stole all the spotlight.
Intellect and strategy were part of power, true.
But only being the adviser… was not what Aizen wanted.
Meanwhile—
After leaving the gate of the Spiritual Arts Academy, Byakuya Kuchiki returned to the Kuchiki estate, escorted by elite guards hidden in the shadows.
"Grandfather."
"As you instructed, I found a reason to challenge Aiyan Sōsuke to a duel."
"But I was incompetent. I brought shame to the Kuchiki name."
Byakuya quickly knelt when he saw his grandfather, Kuchiki Ginrei—the current patriarch of the Kuchiki Clan—waiting for him in the courtyard. He bowed deeply and reported everything that happened in detail.
"Reiatsu is stronger than most captains."
"And he learned all Kidō below #60 in a very short time."
"This is not the level of an ordinary genius."
Kuchiki Ginrei listened quietly, a flicker of solemnity passing through his eyes. It was clear—even someone of his calm demeanor was shaken by the report.
"It's alright, Byakuya."
"If we see the journey of a Shinigami as a long track… then yes, Aiyan may be sprinting ahead right now."
"But this track isn't 100 or 1,000 meters—it stretches across hundreds, maybe thousands of years."
"If you can keep running steadily, without stalling, without distractions, without arrogance, then no matter how fast others start, they may not finish."
After a moment of thought, Kuchiki Ginrei smiled gently. He could see that Byakuya was still frustrated over his defeat, so he comforted him in a soft tone.
What kind of clan is the Kuchiki family?
Even if their influence had faded somewhat, their foundation was deep and unshakable.
If he truly wished, he could arrange for Byakuya to rise to captain level in no time—but such rapid growth wasn't sustainable in the long run.
"Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō, and even Reiatsu all have limits."
"They're like walls. No matter how talented you are, you'll eventually hit one."
"Let him rush ahead in the first half. You'll have the stamina to finish strong in the second."
Ginrei sipped his tea with a relaxed smile.
"I won't disappoint you, Grandfather."
Byakuya took a breath, resetting his mind, and nodded calmly.
"You've never disappointed me."
"Go on. Begin training your Bankai. Reiatsu can be raised quickly—and once you achieve Bankai, you'll be able to reclaim your honor yourself."
Ginrei nodded with satisfaction and sent Byakuya to the backyard.
Yes, it's true that for most Shinigami from Rukongai, reaching Bankai depended heavily on talent and luck. But for the Kuchiki clan, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, they had their own system—special training methods and secret treasures—to achieve Bankai, long before Urahara Kisuke's "Tenshintai" was even invented.
"Understood!"
A flash of determination passed through Byakuya's eyes.
He had never felt the desire to surpass someone as badly as he did now.
Even when Shihouin Yoruichi used to tease and provoke him, he didn't push himself this hard to master Shunpo. But this time was different.
After Byakuya left, Kuchiki Ginrei sat in silence for a while, then picked up his teacup again.
"Did you hear what Byakuya just said?"
His voice was calm, but directed at the seemingly empty air.
"Of course. I heard it all very clearly."
"What was just speculation before… is now nearly certain."
"A talent like Aiyan's has already surpassed the realm of geniuses. He and his younger brother Aizen… they must have come into contact with a fragment of the Spirit King."
"They're using that power."
The air shimmered faintly as a figure stepped out—dressed in ghostly robes, with sharp green hair and cold slitted eyes.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
The head of the Tsunayashiro family—another of the Four Noble Houses.
"Gotei 13 is already watching them."
"Born civilians. No political baggage. Clean background."
"This is exactly the type of genius the Head Captain loves to recruit."
"In other words, they've already entered the eyes of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni."
Kuchiki Ginrei sipped his tea again, his expression unreadable.
But he understood one thing very clearly—storm clouds were gathering.
And the winds were starting to shift.