The surrounding light was absorbed by Ichinose, making the sky appear slightly darker. In contrast, after absorbing a vast amount of light, Ichinose's own multicolored Reiatsu erupted in a dazzling radiance, converging onto his Zanpakuto-
"Shimmering Radiance of Rainbow Mist!"
A seven-colored sword light clashed with Kyoya's golden slash, resulting in a violent explosion.
However, Ichinose's sword light ultimately proved no match for Kyoya's flying slash and was completely overwhelmed by the golden wave.
"Aaaaaah-!"
"Pfftt-"
As the slash dissipated, Ichinose Maki plummeted from the air, his entire body drenched in blood, his Reiatsu significantly weakened.
"Hiss-"
"What a terrifying slash!"
"Even Ichinose-sama is no match for Kyoya-sama?"
"He just joined the division and has already challenged his way up to Lieutenant… Kyoya-sama has set a new record for promotions in the Gotei 13, hasn't he?"
"This is insane…"
Witnessing this scene, the members of the 11th Division gazed at Kyoya with newfound reverence.
The 11th Division revered strength above all else!
Here, as long as you were powerful, you would earn the respect and loyalty of the Shinigami. They didn't care about a person's character… only whether the one leading them into battle was truly strong.
Even a brutal person like Gui Yancheng has many supporters in the 11th Division.
Even someone as brutal as Kiganjo had his own followers in the 11th Division.
Well, this culture was likely inherited from the first Kenpachi, Unohana Retsu.
After all, who would expect a woman infamous for slaughter, bearing the title of [The Worst Criminal], to be some kind of saint?
What kind of saint would go around killing people in the Rukongai for fun at night?
Don't be ridiculous.
No matter how cruel Kiganjo was, could he ever compare to Unohana's brutality?
Similarly, Kyoya's battles today, each one had demonstrated his overwhelming strength.
Though Kyoya still appeared small in stature, in the 11th Division, strength was the only truth.
Now that even the Lieutenant, Ichinose Maki had been defeated by Kyoya, from this moment on, Kyoya was no longer just a newcomer to the 11th Division… he was Lieutenant Kyoya!
That said, despite this, all eyes in the 11th Division turned toward Kiganjo, who sat on the ground.
While tradition dictated that Kyoya, having defeated the Lieutenant in front of over a hundred division's members, would now rightfully assume the position of Lieutenant-
Over the years, the practice of Captains appointing their own Lieutenants had become deeply ingrained in the Gotei 13.
No one knew how Kiganjo truly felt about Kyoya… this unexpected disruptor who had suddenly barged into the 11th Division.
None of them were fools.
After today's battles, who couldn't see why a prodigy like Kyoya had joined the 11th Division?
Moreover, Kyoya didn't seem to have any intention of hiding his ambitions.
Otherwise, with his talent, he likely would have needed only three to five years before he'd be strong enough to challenge Kiganjo.
But now...
It wasn't that they underestimated Kyoya… it was just that everyone understood the vast gap between a Captain-level fighter and a non-Captain.
Kyoya had exposed himself too early in front of Captain Kiganjo. How would Kiganjo react?
Of course, no matter how much Kiganjo might resent Kyoya, he couldn't disregard the rules of the 11th Division.
After all, he himself had benefited from these very rules.
If he dared to break them, the other Captains of the Gotei 13 would likely no longer tolerate him.
"Hahahaha…"
"Well done, kid, you're impressive."
Kiganjo grinned savagely, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
Kyoya's appearance had indeed stirred a long-dormant sense of threat within him.
From the battle between Kyoya and Ichinose, it was clear that Kyoya still had a long way to go before reaching Kiganjo's level.
However, Kyoya's youth and his terrifying rate of progress sent a chill down Kiganjo's spine.
Ten years!
That was all Kyoya would need, just ten years, to catch up to him, or even surpass him.
That was Kiganjo's assessment.
And the basis for this judgment came from the records of the Seireitei.
Even the most talented Shinigami required at least ten years to master Bankai.
"I admire your courage."
"So, I'll give you five years to grow."
"Let's see if you can surprise me by then!"
Obviously, Kiganjo believed that dealing with Kyoya's straightforward ambition was far easier than handling a hidden threat that could stab him in the back later.
By declaring that he would give Kyoya five years, Kiganjo was planting a preconceived notion in the minds of the 11th Division members… in five years, Kyoya would challenge him!
After all, he is the Captain of the 11th Division.
The tradition was for subordinates to challenge their Captain, not the other way around!
Kiganjo had no intention of letting Kyoya grow strong enough to truly threaten him.
Five years was the perfect timeframe… long enough to keep the other Shinigami's expectations high, but short enough to ensure Kyoya wouldn't reach Captain-level strength.
If, after five years, Kyoya failed to challenge him, the division would view him as a coward. The resulting scorn and ostracization would force Kyoya to leave the 11th Division.
What Kiganjo didn't know, however, was that some 'geniuses' were so far beyond common sense that their Bankai training periods, if revealed, would shatter the morale of ordinary Shinigami.
Ten years was a timeframe even the least talented could cling to as a distant hope.
But if others achieved Bankai in months, or even days, how many Shinigami would lose their will to fight upon hearing that?
After being rejected by Yamamoto when he wanted to become his right-hand man, Sasakibe Chojiro mastered Bankai in a single month. He even left a scar on Yamamoto's forehead, earning the old man's acknowledgment.
Urahara Kisuke invented something called [Tenshintai] and achieved Bankai in three days.
Well, Ichigo also counts as another three-day Bankai prodigy.
Of course, whether it was Chojiro, Urahara, or Ichigo, their Zanpakuto were either the Strongest or already in their complete forms from the start.
Their Bankai training didn't require them to nurture their Zanpakuto's Spirit to maturity… they only needed to subdue it.
For an average Shinigami, however, they first had to cultivate their Zanpakuto's Spirit to a level capable of Bankai before even beginning the Bankai training.