"What?"
Kyoya was shocked.
Having mastered Observation Haki to the point of foreseeing the future, he had already seen countless golden beams connecting these mirrors, forming "paths" for Borsalino's light-speed movement.
Borsalino's figure would appear instantaneously in front of these mirrors, launching near-simultaneous attacks against him.
This move was essentially an enhanced version of the Flying Thunder God Technique from the Naruto World!
Sure enough, the future unfolded exactly as Kyoya's Observation Haki had foreseen.
Borsalino, moving at the speed of light, appeared almost simultaneously in front of hundreds of light mirrors, each version of him gathering golden light at his fingertips.
In the next instant, hundreds of powerful laser beams would pierce through Kyoya's body.
At this critical moment, a red light flashed in Kyoya's eyes. His Observation Haki radiated outward, instantly locking onto Borsalino's own Observation Haki. With a single thought-
[Observation Killing]
Humm-
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
As Kyoya's Observation Haki completely masked his presence and erased Borsalino's perception, Borsalino's countless figures instantly dissipated.
The half-formed laser beams exploded mid-air, creating a series of deafening blasts.
In theory, Borsalino could move at the speed of light.
However, if he were to enter true light-speed movement without control, he wouldn't be able to manage his velocity properly. The slightest misstep could send him flying beyond the planet, leaving him to die in the vacuum of space.
Thus, Borsalino's speed was tied to the strength and range of his Observation Haki.
The maximum distance he could move was the range his Observation Haki could cover.
Beyond that range, he would have to revert from his elementalization and reposition himself using Observation Haki.
Yata no Kagami was a technique Borsalino developed to create genuine light-speed movement.
By using reflected light beams as pathways and each mirror as a node, he could traverse these paths at the speed of light.
But now, Kyoya had completely sealed Borsalino's Observation Haki. Without it, Borsalino could no longer accurately locate the mirrors, rendering the technique useless.
"Scary, scary..."
Borsalino's voice echoed through the smoke.
"Kyoya-kun, your physical combat skills, swordsmanship, and Haki have already far surpassed mine..."
"But what I rely on to survive has never been those things… it's the power of the Pika Pika no Mi!"
Kyoya swung his sword, dispersing the smoke from the explosions, then looked up at the sky.
There, Borsalino stood with his arms crossed, slowly raising them above his head—
"Let everything return to nothingness."
"Tch, as expected of my Zanpakuto."
On the bed, Kyoya opened his eyes and looked down at the Zanpakuto resting on his knees.
Though Kyoya's Zanpakuto's abilities originated from the Pika Pika no Mi of the One Piece World, this wasn't the One Piece World.
Borsalino wasn't the Marine Admiral from that world either.
He was the 'spirit' of Kyoya's Zanpakuto, born from Kyoya's soul and the Devil Fruit's power under the rules of the Bleach World, with the system's assistance.
Throughout their battle, Kyoya had treated Borsalino as the Marine Admiral from his memories.
But at the end of their fight, Borsalino had given him a surprise.
The power of light wasn't limited to what the real Borsalino had demonstrated.
No matter what, Kyoya was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, the anime he had watched, the games he had played, and the novels he had read… countless among them featured abilities related to 'light'.
If Kyoya put his mind to it, recreating those techniques in this world wasn't impossible.
"That really gave me a huge surprise."
Kyoya placed his hand on his Zanpakuto, and in the next moment, the blade dissolved into golden light, merging into his body. Feeling the completeness of his power, a satisfied smile curled on his lips.
Like the Eighth Kenpachi, Azashiro Kenpachi, Kyoya's Zanpakuto could remain in a permanent Bankai state.
Azashiro's Zanpakuto, Urozakuro, would disappear after its Bankai, allowing him to maintain that form indefinitely. This enabled him to fuse his Reishi with the environment, granting him control over anything his Reishi permeated.
Honestly, it was a ridiculously overpowered ability. Given enough time, Azashiro could even fuse his Reishi with the very fabric of Soul Society, effectively gaining control over the entire world.
Kyoya's Zanpakuto could also remain in a permanent Bankai state.
This didn't surprise Kyoya.
After all, his Zanpakuto's power originated from the Pika Pika no Mi of the One Piece World.
Its complete form turned Kyoya into a 'Light Human', and upon awakening, he could fully manipulate the energy of light itself.
Thus, unlike Azashiro, whose Zanpakuto's Bankai state prevented him from physical training, leaving his spiritual body no different from an ordinary human's, Kyoya could revert from his elemental form at will, restoring his physical body.
Therefore, maintaining a permanent Bankai state was Kyoya's strongest form.
At this point, Kyoya estimated that he was, for all intents and purposes, 'invincible'.
Well, at the very least, even powerhouses like Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Aizen, Yhwach with his eyes closed, or Ichibe couldn't kill him outright.
As long as he wasn't instantly erased from existence, he could always escape.
After adjusting for a while, golden light seeped from Kyoya's body, coalescing back into the form of his Zanpakuto on his lap.
"Heh…"
"Stay low-key, stay low-key…"
After removing the Bankai state, Kyoya stroked his Zanpakuto and chuckled softly to himself.
If not for his self-control, his laughter might have echoed throughout the entire 11th Division's barracks.
After spending over a year in the Bleach world, Kyoya finally felt like he had solid footing… no longer plagued by the constant fear of imminent death.
It was as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off his shoulders, leaving him lighter than ever before.
…
"Rangiku-nee, if you're tired, take a break."
The next day, seeing Rangiku grit her teeth while practicing Shunpo, Kyoya couldn't help but speak up.
"Huh?!"
Hearing Kyoya say this, Rangiku's head snapped toward him in shock.
"Kyoya… are you okay?"
"You're not Kyoya! Whoever you are, get out of his body right now!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Seeing Rangiku's reaction, Kyoya was stunned.
'What was the big deal? I was just telling her to relax a little… was that really so surprising?'
"No, it's just… you seem really different today."
"Do I?"
Kyoya was puzzled.
He was aware that after mastering Bankai, his sense of urgency had vanished, naturally altering his demeanor.
'But was it really enough to shock Rangiku-nee this much?'
"Absolutely!"
Rangiku nodded vigorously: "The old Kyoya would've wanted me to train nonstop, pushing me to get stronger as fast as possible… like we were on the brink of some catastrophe."
"And now, you're actually telling me to take a break?"
"Uh…"
Kyoya awkwardly turned his head away.
Indeed, knowing the future crises that awaited them, Kyoya's sense of urgency had pushed not just himself but also Rangiku to train relentlessly.
For someone as young as Rangiku, that kind of pressure had been far too heavy.
But Rangiku also understood that if she didn't want to become a burden to Kyoya and Gin, she had to grow stronger. Ideally, strong enough to fight side by side with them.
That was why, no matter how grueling the training or how exhausted she felt, Rangiku had never slacked off.
"I'm sorry, Rangiku-nee."
"I put too much pressure on you before."
Now that his mind was at ease, Kyoya suddenly realized just how much of a mental burden his strict supervision had placed on Rangiku.
"But now..."
Kyoya patted the Zanpakuto at his waist and smiled, "Last Last night, I completed my Zanpakuto's Bankai Training."
"In other words, I'm now fully capable of protecting you, Rangiku-nee."
"So you don't have to push yourself so hard. You can take your time with training and enjoy spending time with friends."
"Really?!"
Rangiku's face lit up with joy.
Of course, she wasn't happy just because she could relax now… she was elated for Kyoya's growth.
She wanted everyone to be happy.
"Really."
Kyoya nodded.
"In two months, our division will have a sparring match with the 5th Division."
"At that time, I'll personally invite Gin to join the 11th Division as my Lieutenant."
"At that time, Rangiku-nee, you and Gin can finally be together openly."
"Mhm!"
Stars practically sparkled in Rangiku's eyes as she daydreamed about the future.
"Hehe… hehehe…"
She believed in Kyoya!
Even before mastering Bankai, Kyoya had already defeated the Captain of the 11th Division.
Now that he had completed his Bankai Training, his strength had reached even greater heights. If he could protect her, then he could definitely protect Gin too!
"This is so great…"
Seeing Rangiku's radiant smile, Kyoya couldn't help but smile as well.
This feeling of being able to protect his family is intoxicating.
'Since I've already reached out my hand…'
'Gin and Rangiku's happiness… I'll be the one to safeguard it!'
'Even Aizen won't be allowed to take it away from me!'
Seeing Rangiku finally took a break, Kyoya shifted his gaze to the 11th Division's members training hard in the courtyard.
Over the past month, nearly every member of the 11th Division had received Kyoya's personal guidance.