"What?"
Suzuki was stunned.
'The power Kyoya-sama displayed yesterday... wasn't even his full strength?'
Suddenly, Suzuki noticed that today's Kyoya was noticeably different from yesterday's.
If yesterday's Kyoya still looked like a child at first glance, today's Kyoya, while largely unchanged in appearance, carried an intangible pressure the moment one focused on his face… a feeling as if death could strike at any moment.
At the same time, Suzuki only now realized that Kyoya's Reiatsu had grown exponentially compared to yesterday.
Though he's just a clerical member of the 11th Division, Suzuki was still a Shinigami with 9th-class Reiryoku.
When registering Kyoya yesterday, Suzuki had sensed that his Reiryoku was around 7th-class, similar to most members of the 11th Division.
But after just one night, Kyoya's Reiatsu now felt even stronger than Ichinose's.
'As expected of Kyoya-sama… it's impossible to judge him by common sense.'
'However, even this version of Kyoya-sama couldn't possibly be a match for Captain Kiganjo!'
'No-'
A thought suddenly flashed through Suzuki's mind, recalling what Kyoya had said earlier:
"How do you know that what I showed yesterday was my full power?"
'Those words might apply here as well.'
'Was the strength Kyoya-sama was displaying now truly his limit?'
Realizing this, Suzuki's eyes widened in understanding.
"Understood, Kyoya-sama. I will inform Captain Kiganjo and the other division's members."
Soon, news spread like wildfire.
Just as the shock of Kyoya's seventeen consecutive victories yesterday, earning him the position of Lieutenant, had yet to fully settle, another bombshell dropped:
Kyoya would challenge Kiganjo tomorrow.
The Shinigami were in an uproar.
"This has to be fake news, right?"
"No one denies that Kyoya-sama defeating Lieutenant Ichinose proves his strength."
"But compared to Kiganjo-sama, he's still far behind."
"Kyoya-sama wouldn't be so reckless."
"Exactly. If this were true, Kyoya-sama would've challenged Kiganjo-sama directly yesterday."
"It's impossible for his strength to have grown enough to defeat Kiganjo-sama in just one day, right?"
Well, there were always a few sharp-minded individuals who could guess the truth.
Unfortunately, even the Shinigami who had this thought didn't believe it themselves.
"Then, if not Kyoya-sama, who else would spread such an outrageous rumor?"
"Uh..."
The image of Kiganjo flashed through the minds of some Shinigami.
'Based on Kiganjo-sama's character, it was entirely possible he'd do something like this.'
After all, before Kyoya, the 11th Division had never been able to retain 'geniuses'. Those who showed even a hint of potential either vanished without a trace or transferred to other divisions.
For a 'genius' like Kyoya, being targeted by Kiganjo was practically inevitable.
However, the Shinigami who considered this possibility also had a lingering doubt in their hearts:
'If Kiganjo-sama wanted to take action against Kyoya-sama, why did he say yesterday that he would wait five years for Kyoya-sama to challenge him?'
'Or was someone else trying to sow discord between Kiganjo-sama and Kyoya-sama?'
'But judging by the situation, it didn't seem like a mere rumor.'
'More importantly, there had been no word from Kyoya-sama denying the claim.'
'Could it be...'
'That this was real?'
…
No matter what the Shinigami of the 11th Division thought, they all gathered at the training grounds the next day without fail.
In the 11th Division, some things could be joked about… but challenges were not one of them!
Especially challenges related to the title of Kenpachi.
Kenpachi is the title of the Strongest Shinigami in the Seireitei.
Though the last two Kenpachi had nothing to do with the title of Strongest, it remained the core belief of every Shinigami in the 11th Division.
Without a doubt, compared to Kiganjo, Kyoya had far greater potential to become the Strongest Shinigami.
If Kyoya could truly defeat Kiganjo and become the new Kenpachi of the 11th Division, it would undoubtedly be a massive morale boost for the division's loyalists.
No matter which world it is, only a select few could reach the pinnacle of strength.
However, there are countless people who aspired to reach that pinnacle.
After recognizing their own limits, these individuals would often project their dreams onto others, hoping to assist someone capable of achieving greatness… indirectly fulfilling their own ambitions.
The Shinigami of the 11th Division were like this.
So too were the followers of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the future Sexta Espada.
When the division's members arrived at the training grounds and saw Kyoya already standing at the center, waiting, they were stunned.
'If Kyoya-sama was here… then yesterday's rumor wasn't just gossip… it was real?'
"Hey, do you think because Kyoya-sama beat the third seat Ichinose so easily the other day, he assumed the gap between Captain and Lieutenant isn't that big?"
One of the Shinigami frowned, whispering to his companions.
After Ichinose's defeat, his rank had dropped, making him the 11th Division's third seat.
"Maybe."
"After all, Kyoya-sama just graduated from the Shin'o Academy. Unlike us, he's never actually seen a Captain in action. It's not surprising if he misjudges their strength."
Indeed, the strongest fighters the academy students ever witnessed were their instructors.
However, most instructors at the Shin'o Academy were just Elite Shinigami with 7th or 8th-class Reiryoku.
The teachers of Classes A and B were slightly stronger, possessing 6th-class Reiryoku or higher… equivalent to seated officer-level strength.
But even they were nothing in Kyoya's eyes.
"Should we warn Kyoya-sama?"
"Too late for that…"
"If it were yesterday, maybe it's fine. But now that everyone's gathered, even if it were just a rumor, it's already become fact."
"If Kyoya-sama withdraws the challenge now, it wouldn't just be seen as mocking everyone… it would also tarnish the 11th Division's tradition of challenges."
"How could he possibly remain in the 11th Division after that?"
True enough… the 11th Division was a combat unit.
To maintain its strength, the challenge system was 11th Division's core principle.
Only this way could the 11th Division ensure that every Shinigami, from the Captain down to the lowest-ranked seated officer, was truly the strongest in the division!