"I changed my route and speed several times, yet at some point, I always ended up meeting you."
"I don't believe that a mere apology would make you go out of his way to create such a scenario."
"Moreover..."
"The level of Reikaku you have displayed isn't something an ordinary Lieutenant could possess."
"Oh?"
Hearing Kyoya say this, Sosuke Aizen raised his head slightly and adjusted his glasses.
From the moment he noticed Kyoya repeatedly altering his path, Aizen had already guessed that Kyoya had sensed something.
However, what Aizen couldn't understand was why Kyoya was so wary of him.
But when Kyoya pointed out that his Reikaku surpassed that of a typical Lieutenant, Aizen immediately understood.
Kyoya had become the Captain of the 11th Division by defeating its former Captain, Kiganjo, in combat.
Naturally, others could also challenge and kill him to claim the position of the 11th Division's Captain.
At this moment, Kyoya was likely at his most guarded against non-Captain-level individuals who possessed Captain-level strength.
Thus, upon realizing that Aizen was not an ordinary Lieutenant but possibly a Shinigami with Captain-level power, Kyoya had grown suspicious.
This also gave Aizen a preliminary assessment of Kyoya's strength.
'Hmm, he has Captain-level strength but lacks combat experience, instinctively wary of anyone who poses a threat. That's normal.'
Aizen himself had gone through such a phase.
However, what he was wary of was not his own strength, but the ability of his Zanpakuto.
Now, however, he had moved past that stage, reaching a level where he could act as he pleased.
Kyoya, on the other hand, was only just beginning to grow wary of non-Captain Shinigami with Captain-level strength.
Believing he had fully grasped Kyoya's mindset, Aizen quickly shook his head.
"Captain Kyoya, you've misunderstood."
"Like you, I was only able to sense your Reiatsu because my Reikaku is slightly sharper than that of an average Shinigami."
"In terms of strength, I'm still far from being the captain."
"In terms of actual strength, I'm still far from being at a Captain's level."
Kyoya frowned.
'Hirako Shinji sent Aizen to find me?'
'Is that true?'
Though Kyoya had met all the Captains during the previous day's meeting, aside from exchanging a few words with Yoruichi and Ginrei, he hadn't interacted much with the others.
"What do you mean?"
"If Captain Hirako has something to say, why wouldn't he come to me himself and instead send the 5th Division's Lieutenant?"
"Is he looking down on me?"
"Not at all. Captain Hirako may seem unreliable at times, but he would never disrespect you, Captain Kyoya."
Aizen waved his hands repeatedly: "The 11th is a combat unit, while the 5th Division is a support unit."
"Previously, due to Captain Kiganjo, there was little communication between our divisions."
"Now that you lead the 11th Division, Captain Hirako wanted me to discuss how our two divisions could cooperate more effectively."
"Until we confirm whether collaboration between the 5th and 11th Divisions is possible, Captain Hirako felt it inappropriate to approach you directly."
These words weren't entirely a lie.
The 11th Division was a combat unit, usually the first to be notified by the 12th Division when a battle situation arose.
The 5th Division, meanwhile, was a support unit.
When other divisions encountered emergencies they couldn't handle alone, they could request support from the 5th Division, which would then dispatch Shinigami to assist.
Generally speaking, the 11th Division, as a combat unit, would be the one most in need of support.
However, during Kiganjo's time as captain, he hadn't cared about the casualties in his own division.
Coupled with the fact that other captains disliked Kiganjo's personality and methods, no one had ever suggested that the 11th Division could request support from the 5th Division.
Now that Kyoya had become the new Captain, though Shinji Hirako had only met him once during the Captains' Meeting, he held a favorable impression of Kyoya.
Thus, Hirako wanted to re-establish cooperation between the 5th and 11th Divisions.
However, since this arrangement primarily benefited the 11th Division, Hirako, as the Captain of the 5th Division, couldn't personally propose it.
After all, if Kyoya refused, it would be a blow to his pride.
Sending his Lieutenant to handle the discussion allowed for more flexibility.
What Hirako hadn't expected was that Aizen wouldn't go to the 11th Division's barracks but would instead use his authority to intercept Kyoya directly.
"I originally intended to visit the 11th Division directly, but on the way, I sensed Captain Kyoya's Reiatsu, so I took the liberty of approaching you first to ask if you had any differing opinions regarding cooperation between our divisions."
Though Kyoya knew Aizen was spinning a tale, his reasoning was plausible.
Even Kyoya couldn't find any flaws in Aizen's explanation.
Kyoka Suigetsu is the Strongest illusion-type Zanpakuto, able to manipulate all five senses.
And Aizen is a man who could see through people's hearts, with far-reaching vision and ideals.
To put it another way, just as Yamamoto and his Ryujin Jakka were inseparable, only someone like Aizen could give birth to Kyoka Suigetsu, the Strongest illusion-type Zanpakuto.
"I see."
Since Aizen had provided a reasonable excuse, Kyoya no longer saw any need to make things difficult for him.
Retracting his Reiatsu, Kyoya walked past Aizen and Gin with Rangiku in tow and said to Aizen, "Matters concerning the duties of two divisions shouldn't be decided so casually."
"Follow me."
"Once we arrive at the 11th Division, I'll have our administrative personnel discuss the details of cooperation with you."
"After everything is settled, Captain Hirako and I can finalize it."
"Yes, Captain Kyoya."
A slight smile curved Aizen's lips as he bowed to Kyoya before following him to the 11th Division's barracks, with Gin trailing behind.
"Captain Kyoya!"
"Captain Kyoya!"
Upon arriving at the 11th Division, many Shinigami greeted Kyoya respectfully.
Seeing this, Aizen's evaluation of Kyoya rose yet again.
After all, Kyoya had only been the Captain of the 11th Division for a single day.
However, the respect these Shinigami showed him was clearly genuine.
It was evident that they had wholeheartedly accepted Kyoya as their Captain, rather than merely offering superficial flattery.
This alone made Aizen stop seeing Kyoya as just a child, but rather as someone on par with the other Captains… someone he needed to take seriously.
No, in fact, Kyoya was someone who demanded even greater attention than the other Captains.
After all, those Captains had all witnessed the release of his Zanpakuto.
If Aizen so desired, he could manipulate their five senses at any time.
But Kyoya was different.
Kyoya had appeared too suddenly, grown too quickly… far beyond Aizen's expectations.
It was as if he had seen a sprouting sapling one evening, only to wake up the next morning and find it had already grown into a towering tree.
It was almost as though a chunk of time had been stolen from him.
'Could it be that Captain Kyoya's Zanpakuto has the ability to seize his own future power, allowing him to grow at such an astonishing rate?'
"Kyoya-sama."
"Ah, Suzuki."
Seeing Suzuki approach, Kyoya stopped and gestured to Aizen: "The one behind me is Lieutenant Aizen of the 5th Division."
"He's here on behalf of the 5th Division to discuss cooperation between our divisions."
"Lieutenant Aizen, this is Suzuki, who handles emergency missions in the 11th Division."
"From here on, the two of you can discuss the details."
"Once everything is settled, come find me at the training grounds."
With that, Kyoya paid no further attention to Aizen or Gin, taking Rangiku to complete her registration, receive her Shihakusho, and then heading straight to the training grounds.
"Rangiku-nee, a Shinigami's combat abilities can generally be divided into four categories: Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda, and Kido."
"Of these, I believe Hoho, Shunpo, is the most important."
"As long as you're fast enough, you can evade an enemy's attack before it lands."
"Similarly, you can strike them before they even react."
"Most importantly, if you realize you're outmatched, you can rely on your speed to escape."
"So, for the foreseeable future, I'll be focusing on training your Shunpo."
"Only once you've reached a certain level of mastery will I teach you other skills, shaping your combat style to prioritize speed while using Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kido as supplementary techniques."
This was a training regimen Kyoya had tailored specifically for Rangiku.
She didn't object, after all, she knew just how vast the gap between her current strength and Kyoya's was.
All she needed to do was follow his instructions.
Without enough strength to protect herself, she wouldn't even dare speak to Gin.
"Hmm?"
Just as Kyoya was instructing Rangiku in her training, Kyoya sensed Aizen's Reiatsu approaching.
No… not just Aizen's. Gin's, Suzuki's, and even the spiritual pressures of many other 11th Division's Shinigami were converging on the training grounds.
In fact, according to Kyoya's Observation Haki, aside from those stationed at their posts, nearly every Shinigami in the 11th Division's barracks was heading this way.
"Suzuki, what are you doing?"
"Captain Kyoya, this was Lieutenant Aizen's idea."