The first Hollow that appeared in Mibu Town happened to land precisely within Zone Seven, the zone under Kyoya's responsibility.
As someone designated as a 'villain' by the Shinigami's decree, it was no surprise that, according to the still-active One Piece Achievement System Kyoya's has, Hollows were undoubtedly classified as equivalent to 'pirates'.
In other words, slaying the first Hollow would undoubtedly unlock a new achievement within the Marine faction.
New achievements = new abilities or greater training results = enhanced strength.
Although, given the scale of Mibu Town in this era, it was inevitable that Hollows from Hueco Mundo would be drawn here to prey on human souls.
But who could say when a Hollow would actually descend within the area Kyoya was responsible for?
What if a neighboring zone failed to handle a Hollow and had to lure it into Area Seven?
Kyoya had already made plans: if no Hollow appeared in his designated area within twenty days, he would forcibly take down any Hollow that appeared in other zones starting from the twenty-first day.
After all, given the talent he had displayed, the examiners would likely just scold him at most, without revoking his qualification.
Now, however, the first Hollow to descend upon the city had appeared in Zone Seven, saving Kyoya the trouble.
With that thought, Kyoya activated Shunpo, launching himself through the air toward the Hollow.
Whoosh!
A distance of over two hundred meters was crossed in less than five seconds under Kyoya's burst of speed.
"Groooowl—"
Kyoya's approach naturally caught the Hollow's attention.
If this had been a freshly corrupted soul in the Human World, it might still retain its memories and intelligence.
But this Hollow had returned from Hueco Mundo, where it had devoured other Hollows, polluting its soul with multiple conflicting memories and plunging it into mental chaos.
In more severe cases, some even lost all reason, retaining only the instinct to consume souls.
Now that Kyoya was releasing his Reiatsu, the Hollow immediately fixated on this new 'delicacy', paying no further attention to the nearby humans.
Slash!
Without wasting words, Kyoya swung his Zanpakuto from a distance of over ten meters.
Shhhk!
A crescent-shaped white slash cleaved the Hollow cleanly in half, dispersing it into white Reishi before it could even let out a death cry.
Boom!
The slash didn't stop after killing the Hollow… it continued onward, striking the ground and carving a several-meter-deep gash into the pavement.
[Ding-]
Just as Kyoya expected, the moment the Hollow perished, a soft chime echoed in his mind.
"Kyoya-kun."
At this time, Fujita finally caught up, calling out to him.
"As expected of you. The Hollow had only just appeared, and you've already taken it down."
"If it were me, I'd probably have needed much more time."
Though Fujita's Reiryoku barely reached the 10th-class, slightly weaker than this Hollow, his six years of training at the Shin'o Academy had honed his mastery of the Shinigami's four fundamental combat arts: Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda, and Kido.
This gave Shinigami a far more refined combat style compared to the straightforward brutality of Hollows.
A Shinigami of equal Reiryoku could defeat a Hollow one-on-one.
Of course, this situation no longer holds true once the Hollow reach the Adjuchas level.
Every Adjuchas-class Menos that evolves to this stage has endured countless battles, devoured hundreds of lesser Hollows, and forged a dominant consciousness from the countless conflicting wills within it. Their Reiryoku firmly sits at the 2nd-class.
Ordinary captains, in terms of pure Reiryoku alone, still fall slightly short compared to an Adjuchas.
As for Vasto Lorde-class Menos, they possess 1st-class Reiatsu.
In battles at the Captain level and beyond, Shinigami and Hollows stand on equal footing… victory or defeat depends entirely on the individual.
There have been Captains who have slain Adjuchas, just as there have been Adjuchas who have killed Captains.
"But Kyoya, next time a Hollow appears, could you hold back a little? Let me and Otomo get some actual combat experience against them?"
"Honestly, if we never get to fight a Hollow for real, even if we pass the graduation exam and become full-fledged Shinigami, we won't have any confidence."
"Alright."
Kyoya nodded at Fujita's suggestion without refusal.
After all, the achievement he wanted had already been unlocked.
He figured that when it came to the lowest-tier small Hollows, aside from unlocking the first kill achievement, he'd probably need to slay a certain number before triggering any new accomplishments.
And that 'certain number' was likely no less than a hundred.
In that case, Kyoya might as well let Fujita and Otomo gain some combat experience.
"I'll keep it in mind."
"As long as you two are still capable of fighting, I won't intervene."
"Great, thanks, Kyoya."
Fujita was overjoyed after receiving Kyoya's assurance.
Not every Shinigami was like Shiba Kaien, believing that a man's pride outweighed even death itself.
Kyoya understood and respected that kind of resolve, refusing outside help even at the cost of one's life.
But Fujita and Otomo clearly didn't share that mindset.
Naturally, Kyoya wouldn't just stand by and watch them die in battle against a Hollow.
If they weren't in the same division later, that would be one thing.
But right now, letting a teammate die would undoubtedly reflect poorly on Kyoya's abilities… a potential stain on his record.
After parting ways with Fujita, Kyoya returned to his training spot.
However, instead of continuing his usual exercises, he sat cross-legged and assumed the posture for Zanzen.
Now that he had unlocked a new achievement, he had no intention of leaving it unused.
The sooner he claimed the reward, the sooner he could grow stronger.
Greater strength would make it easier to complete more achievements, earn more rewards, and grow even more powerful… creating a virtuous cycle.
The other Shinigami trainees who saw Kyoya's stance didn't think much of it.
Though this was the first time in days that Kyoya had practiced Zanzen in front of everyone, for those who hadn't yet achieved Zanpakuto's Shikai, this kind of training was undeniably a top priority.
After all, releasing one's Zanpakuto marked a significant leap in a Shinigami's strength.
Those who mastered it were, at the very least, guaranteed a position as a seated officer within their division… placing them firmly in the mid-to-high ranks.
The fact that Kyoya was only now beginning Zanzen showed just how seriously he took swordsmanship.
'First Blood is a purple-tier achievement?'
After immersing his consciousness into his soul, Kyoya was pleasantly surprised by what the One Piece Achievement System revealed.
A violet-hued orb, radiating a soft glow, floated before him.