Kiganjo was the tenth Kenpachi. Regardless of whether his Zanjutsu truly was the strongest in the Soul Society, bearing the title of Kenpachi meant he had to shoulder both its glory and its responsibility.
To offer his life as a stepping stone for the next generation, ensuring that each successive Kenpachi grew stronger… this was the fate of a Kenpachi.
The first Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru, was such a figure.
The seventh Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, was no different.
Unohana chose Zaraki as the next Kenpachi after her, and so, in the end, she sacrificed her own life to awaken Zaraki's power, allowing him to truly become the Strongest Zanjutsu Master among the Shinigami."
Because Kuruyashiki was forbidden to use his Bankai within the Seireitei's three spiritual barriers, he was ambushed by Azashiro Kenpachi's Bankai, and both he and Azashiro were injured.
Yet, even in the end, Kuruyashiki did not resort to his Bankai to take Azashiro down with him. Instead, he calmly accepted his death and passed both the title of Kenpachi and its duty into Azashiro's hands.
Therefore, for a thousand years, the Shinigami had taken pride in following the Kenpachi, willing to lay down their lives for [Kenpachi].
This was the 'will' that had been passed down through the 11th Division for centuries.
But now, Kiganjo was actually begging Kyoya for mercy?
Without a doubt, such behavior was nothing short of a disgrace to the title of Kenpachi!
"Damn it!"
Already humiliated by his defeat at Kyoya's hands, Kiganjo's mood only worsened when he heard the murmurs of the surrounding Shinigami. His face twisted in fury as he turned and roared at them, "Shut up!"
"Who's the Kenpachi here… you or me?!"
"If I hear another word out of any of you, I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
Suddenly, all the Shinigami in the 11th Division fell silent.
None of them could have imagined that Kiganjo would sink to such shameless depths.
Faced with Kyoya, who was stronger than him, he groveled and begged for his life.
However, against those weaker than him, he lashed out with threats of death to silence them.
Unfortunately, Kiganjo had underestimated just how much the title of Kenpachi meant to the 11th Division.
Even under threat, countless Shinigami stepped forward, shouting at Kiganjo in outrage-
"Kiganjo, you don't deserve to be called Kenpachi!"
"You're a disgrace to the 11th Division!"
"Kyoya-sama, kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
The curses soon unified into a single, thunderous chant that echoed across the training grounds.
"You… you're all asking for death!"
Kiganjo was furious. Regardless of his own injuries, he raised his Zanpakuto, ready to slaughter every last one of these insolent Shinigami-
"Bankai-"
Before Kiganjo could even finish his release command, Kyoya's figure suddenly appeared behind him.
Squelch-
With a spray of blood, Kiganjo's Binding Chain and Soul Sleep were severed. His Reiatsu erupted from his body like a bursting dam, rapidly dissipating into the air.
"Flash Blossom!"
This was a technique that combined Shunpo with Zanjutsu.
The principle was simple: use Shunpo to close the distance in an instant, draw the blade, and deliver the first strike.
Then, with a 'spinning Shunpo', move behind the enemy and deliver a second strike.
These two strikes targeted the Shinigami's Binding Chain, the organ that controlled Reishi, and the Soul Sleep, the node that stored them.
Once a Shinigami's Binding Chain and Soul Sleep were destroyed, they lost the ability to store and control Reishi within their body.
In simpler terms, a Shinigami who lost these would lose their Shinigami powers entirely.
In the Soul Society, only those at Captain-level could execute the [Flash Blossom].
Kyoya's ability to execute this technique was not just due to his mastery of swordsmanship at the level of a Master Swordsman… the Rokushiki's technique, Shave, also played a crucial role.
Shunpo combined with Shave allowed Kyoya to seamlessly merge the two movement styles, achieving a technique no less refined than 'spinning Shunpo', even without formal training in it.
"H-how… is this possible?"
Kiganjo's pupils contracted violently before he collapsed to his knees with a thud.
His black Shihakusho gradually turned white.
This was the sign of his Shinigami powers dissipating.
Without his Shinigami powers, Kiganjo could no longer suppress his injuries. The white robes were quickly stained crimson with his own blood.
"Kiganjo, I think you misunderstood something just now-"
Kyoya sheathed his Zanpakuto with a soft click, his back turned to Kiganjo as he glanced down at him coldly: "The moment you lost to me, the title of Kenpachi, and the position of 11th Division's Captain, became mine."
"You dared to misuse my title, attempted to attack my subordinates..."
"Why would I ever spare you?"
The despair in Kiganjo's eyes became even more intense.
"Please… save me…"
"I don't want to die yet…"
"I'm sorry, Former Captain Kiganjo."
Kyoya shook his head. "With wounds like yours, even if Captain Unohana of the 4th Division were here, she couldn't save you."
"Enjoy what little time you have left."
Hearing Kyoya say this, the despair in Kiganjo's eyes instantly turned into madness: "Hahahaha..."
"Kyoya, you brat… the name Kenpachi is a curse!"
"From the moment this title was born, not a single Kenpachi has met a good end."
"Whether it was Kuruyashiki-sama, Azashiro-sama… or even me-!"
"You're next!"
"I curse you, Kyoya brat!"
"You'll become the stepping stone for the next Kenpachi… a failure even more wretched than I was."
"I curse you to fall into Hell after death, to suffer for eternity with no salvation!"
"Hahahaha… hahaha… ha…"
As Kiganjo's Reiatsu vanished completely, the Shinigami of the 11th Division stood in silence for a brief moment… before erupting into cheers, raising their fists in celebration of their new Kenpachi.
"Long live…!"
"Long live Captain Kyoya!"
"Long live Kyoya Kenpachi!"
Some called him Captain, others Kenpachi… but regardless of the title, every face in the crowd was alight with joy.
Under the leadership of a volatile and cruel captain like Kiganjo, the 11th Division had become nothing but a laughingstock among the other twelve divisions.
It can't be helped. Among the Gotei 13, the Captains of other divisions may not be that good, but at least they are qualified leaders and will not bully the Shinigami in their division at will.
In fact, it was quite the opposite… if any of their own were wronged, the Captains would stand up for them without hesitation.