Fire!
Fire!
Still, fire!
At this moment, Kyoya felt as if he had experienced the same sensation as the protagonist of Kung Fu Hustle, Sing, when he opened the door to the world's deadliest assassin, the Beast.
However, while Sing was met with an endless sea of blood, Kyoya was confronted with terrifying flames so intense they seemed capable of reducing the entire world to ashes, like the sun itself, ready to obliterate everything in existence!
It was as though, in the next instant, both his body and consciousness would be utterly annihilated.
"So, you're the Kyoya who became the Captain of the 11th Division just three days after joining the Gotei 13?"
A deep, aged, yet powerful voice reached Kyoya's ears. In that instant, everything he had just perceived vanished without a trace, as if it had all been an illusion.
What reappeared before him was a dimly lit, spacious hall. Standing in the center was an elderly man with an X-shaped scar on his forehead and white eyebrows and beard.
His slightly hunched posture and the wooden cane he leaned on might have made him seem like a frail old man who could collapse at the slightest touch, if not for the Captain's haori draped over his shoulders.
But Kyoya knew that what his Reikaku had perceived earlier was no illusion. It was real.
This was likely a warning from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, a reminder of just how vast the gap in power truly was.
"Yes, Captain-Commander."
Kyoya bowed respectfully to Yamamoto.
Yamamoto, the Strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, the wielder of Ryujin Jakka, the Strongest fire-type Zanpakuto.
In the Bleach World, Yamamoto's strength easily ranked within the top three. The only one definitively stronger than him was Yhwach after absorbing the Soul King and opening his eyes.
Even among the Zero Division, whether its leader, Ichibe, could defeat the old man remained questionable. After all, Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka seemed like a natural counter to Ichibe's Zanpakuto abilities.
Ichimonji could cover things in black ink and rename them… Yhwach himself, before awakening his true power, had been renamed 'Ant' by Ichibe.
But that ink, infused with Reiatsu, would likely evaporate before ever touching Yamamoto, rendered useless by his flames' fifteen-million-degree heat.
Even Yhwach, after resurrecting stronger than ever, had to resort to deception, faking his death and stealing Yamamoto's Bankai, before daring to face him directly.
"You… are not bad."
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed slightly.
The sword intent radiating from Kyoya was something Yamamoto had only ever sensed once before… from the former Kenpachi, Unohana, in her prime.
From this alone, Kyoya's mastery of Zanjutsu was indeed extraordinary.
However, even with such skill, unless an opponent's abilities were perfectly countered, it would only be enough to dominate among Lieutenants. To stand among the Captains, more was needed.
After all, in battles between Shinigami, Reiaitsu determined the majority of the outcome.
The difference between a Captain-level powerhouse with 3rd-class Reiryoku and a Lieutenant with 4rd-class was not just about Shikai and Bankai… it was a fundamental, qualitative gap in Reiaitsu.
It can be said that even an average Captain could effortlessly defeat a Lieutenant even if the latter released their Zanpakuto, all without releasing their own Zanpakuto.
Kyoya's battle with Kiganjo had ended too quickly.
Therefore, even Yamamoto hadn't been able to witness it firsthand, only judging the flow of the fight through the bursts of Reiatsu.
Kiganjo's spiritual pressure had surged first, meaning Kyoya had suppressed him without even releasing his Zanpakuto.
Then, after Kiganjo's Reiatsu erupted, it plummeted almost instantly… proof that Kyoya had critically wounded him the moment he activated his Shikai.
Even if Kiganjo hadn't used Bankai, the fact that Kyoya could instantly defeat a Captain in Shikai suggested that his offensive power was at least on par with a Captain's Bankai.
This intrigued Yamamoto deeply.
He wondered if it due to his Zanpakuto's ability, or something else.
Of course, regardless of how Kyoya had achieved it, Yamamoto had no intention of prying into his secrets.
"Draw your blade."
"Let me witness your Zanjutsu."
"Understood!"
Kyoya was somewhat surprised by Yamamoto's words, but not entirely shocked.
After Zaraki became the Captain of the 11th Division, Yamamoto had also kept him behind for a spar.
Realizing that Zaraki's instinct far surpassed any formal Zanjutsu style, Yamamoto had simply taught him a two-handed Zanjutsu method that better suited his natural strengths.
Now that Kyoya had taken Zaraki's place as the 11th Division captain, it was only natural for Yamamoto to test his abilities.
"Then, Captain-Commander, forgive my rudeness!"
After offering this apology, Kyoya drew his Zanpakuto and swung it toward Yamamoto-
Whoosh!
A slash over ten meters tall shot toward Yamamoto at blinding speed, leaving a scorched trail in the meeting hall's floor.
Faced with this attack, Yamamoto's body trembled slightly. The wooden cane he had been leaning on disintegrated into brown spiritual particles, revealing the purple-hilted Zanpakuto hidden within.
A white light flashed, and the next instant, Yamamoto cleaved the slash cleanly in half, splitting it down the middle. The two halves of the attack swept past him and crashed into the wall behind him.
Boom!
The wall was torn open by two massive gashes, and through the gaps, the remnants of the slash could still be seen extending even further.
"A fine slash."
Yamamoto nodded slightly.
The power behind this attack was already on par with a Captain's casual strike.
Of course, from this slash, Yamamoto could also judge that in addition to his Zanjutsu Mastery, Kyoya's physical abilities were abnormal.
Even with Zanjutsu comparable to Unohana's, an ordinary Shinigami's body would never be capable of producing such force.
The sheer strength behind this slash did not match Kyoya's level of Zanjutsu.
Unless-
Kyoya's raw physical power was dozens of times greater than that of an average Shinigami!
This was not unprecedented in the Soul Society.
Yamamoto knew the boy who had once defeated Unohana possessed physical strength far surpassing even Kyoya's!
However, in that boy's case, his monstrous physique was a result of his innate, overwhelming Reiatsu.