"Kyoya brat, I won't go easy on you."
Shinji drew his Zanpakuto, tilting his body slightly as he looked at Kyoya, "If you start crying after this, don't expect me to comfort you."
Kyoya's expression stiffened.
'This guy really knew how to piss people off with his words.'
Though Kyoya knew Shinji didn't mean any harm, he still couldn't help feeling annoyed.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it.
Even Hitsugaya, who had been a Captain for years, was still treated like a kid by the other Captains.
And Kyoya was even younger than Hitsugaya. He estimated it would take him thirty to fifty years for his body to grow into a young adult's form.
For an ordinary human, thirty or fifty years might be enough to turn into an old man, but a Shinigami's soul had a high essence… the stronger their Reiatsu, the longer their lifespan, and thus, the slower their growth.
If Kyoya's progress stagnated, it might take thirty years.
But Kyoya had no intention of holding back his Reiryoku just to wait for his body to grow.
He is different from Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya couldn't fully handle his own power, often ending up in a [Partial-Bankai] state. Kyoya, on the other hand, had perfect control over his abilities.
Besides, Kyoya's strength wasn't just limited to Reiatsu. His physical prowess, Haki, and various combat techniques all greatly expanded his potential.
"Captain Hirako, I hope you'll still be smiling when this spar is over."
Originally, Kyoya had planned to keep things casual with Shinji.
But now, he felt like making Shinji cry would be much more satisfying.
With that, Kyoya drew his Zanpakuto and swung it down toward Shinji.
"Whoosh!"
A flying slash over ten meters tall shot out, crossing the distance between them in an instant as it tore toward Shinji.
Clang!
Shinji raised his sword to block, his previously careless expression instantly turning serious. The sheer force behind the flying slash forced him to grip his sword with both hands.
Even so, Shinji was pushed back by Kyoya's attack.
Despite reinforcing the soles of his feet with Reishi, he couldn't stop himself… his feet dug deep grooves into the ground as he skidded backward.
"What a monstrous Kenatsu!"
Every Shinigami watching, including the Captains, widened their eyes in shock.
Shinji had been the captain of the 5th Division for decades. His Reiryoku was among the highest, just shy of the 2nd-class.
Even without releasing his Zanpakuto, his strength ranked in the middle among Captains.
Yet now, Shinji was being forced back by a casual slash from Kyoya…
While everyone knew that Kyoya was a Zanjutsu prodigy, and even back at the Shin'o Academy, he had been able to unleash Kenatsu, showing such power still far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Before this, many had assumed Kyoya's victory over Kiganjo was just because Kiganjo was weak-
But if they were in Kiganjo's place… they probably wouldn't have fared much better.
Boom!
Finally, Shinji erupted with his Reiatsu, his body shrouded in a white aura as he let out a low shout and deflected Kyoya's slash upward.
Boom!
The slash spiraled into the sky before exploding, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
"Incredible… Is this the power of Captain Kyoya of the 11th Division?"
Outside the ring, many Shinigami shielded their heads with their arms, bracing against the violent wind pressure.
They never expected that a single casual slash from Kyoya could unleash such destructive power.
And this was just the residual force from the explosion… after the flying slash had traveled an unknown distance into the sky.
A casual strike from a Captain was already a peak that Lieutenants could scarcely dream of reaching.
At this moment, many Shinigami felt a mix of frustration and despair.
But at the same time, others found their fighting spirit burning even fiercer.
The members of the 11th Division, in particular, howled with excitement.
They had already received guidance from Kyoya and had begun training in the Zanjutsu he taught them.
According to Kyoya, if they trained hard enough, even if they couldn't reach his level, they could still learn to cut through steel, refine their Reiatsu, and unleash impressive Kenatsu of their own.
"Hey, are you serious right now?"
Shinji had barely deflected the slash when Kyoya appeared right in front of him in an instant, forcing him to hastily block.
Clang, clang, clang-
A flurry of sparks erupted around Kyoya and Shinji with each clash.
Every time their blades met, a shockwave rippled outward, and the ground beneath their feet cracked under the immense force.
"Captain Hirako, what are you talking about?"
"Can't you see that I'm only holding my Zanpakuto with one hand now?"
Kyoya blinked innocently at Shinji before glancing down at Shinji's sword hilt:
"Oh? Captain Hirako, did you mistake this for my full strength because the force was too much for you?"
"My apologies, Captain Hirako, I didn't realize you were this weak!"
"Damn brat! How the hell are you so strong?!"
Shinji gritted his teeth.
Despite having the height advantage, every time their swords clashed, Shinji was forced to stagger back.
And this was after he had unleashed his Reiatsu!
Even with increased power from his Reiatsu, he was still at a disadvantage against Kyoya.
Not to mention, Kyoya's Zanjutsu was terrifyingly refined.
Though Kyoya's attacks weren't particularly fast, Shinji found himself completely on the defensive, unable to counterattack.
"This guy… is he really just a teenager?"
As someone who had reached the level of captain, Shinji had naturally been a 'genius' in his own right.
However, it had still taken him over two hundred years to reach his current strength.
Kyoya's Zanjutsu, in Shinji's estimation, should have required at least a century of training to reach this level of skill and combat instinct.
Yet, Kyoya's growth was well-documented.
Just a year ago, when Kyoya first entered the Shin'o Academy, he had known nothing.
But in just three months, his talent in Zanjutsu had become apparent… and from then on, his progress had been unstoppable.
Shinji had known Kyoya would eventually surpass him… but he never expected Kyoya to overwhelm him this easily right now.
Of course, even as these thoughts crossed his mind, Shinji's mouth refused to admit defeat.
"Tch, what kind of joke is that?"
"Who the hell do you think you're fighting?"
Shinji leaped back, evading Kyoya's next slash, before calling out his Zanpakuto's release command-
"Collapse, Sakanade!"
Boom!
His Reiatsu erupted, and in an instant, the world in Kyoya's vision flipped upside down.
Shinji now stood inverted in midair, his head below his feet.
At the same time, Shinji's Zanpakuto underwent a transformation… its hilt morphed into a golden ring that rotated around his wrist.
Whoosh!
Kyoya swung his sword, but the flying slash that should have struck Shinji inexplicably veered backward instead.
"Not good!"
On the captains' platform, those familiar with Shinji's Zanpakuto's ability, such as Kensei, Otoribashi Rojuro, and Aikawa Love, realized the danger instantly.
None of them had expected Shinji to be forced into Shikai so quickly in his fight against Kyoya.
When they saw Kyoya's flying slash suddenly reverse direction, the three of them were the first to react.
Otoribashi stood and immediately released his own Zanpakuto.
"Play, Kinshara!"
In an instant, his Zanpakuto transformed into a long, golden whip with a diamond-shaped guard and a four-pointed star at its tip. With a flick of his wrist, the whip lashed out to intercept Kyoya's flying slash.
Boom!
The flying slash sent Otoribashi's whip recoiling but continued flying toward the spectators outside the ring.
Given the destructive power Kyoya's flying slashes had already demonstrated, if this one landed in the crowd, it would cause heavy casualties.
Fortunately, Otoribashi's intervention bought just enough time.
9th Division's Captain, Kensei, and 7th Division's Captain, Aikawa, flashed into position using Shunpo.
"Blast Away, Tachikaze!"
"Crush Down, Tengumaru!"
Two bursts of Reiatsu erupted as their Zanpakuto released.
"Bomb Thrust!"
A condensed sphere of white energy formed at the tip of Kensei's short blade before he hurled it forward.
Boom!
The explosive shockwave collided with Kyoya's flying slash, unleashing a deafening blast. The resulting gale sent nearby Shinigami stumbling back.
Yet, despite being weakened, the flying slash still hadn't shattered… it continued forward, though now significantly diminished.
But Aikawa was already in motion.
Boom!
His massive spiked club, Tengumaru, slammed into the flying slash, finally dispersing it completely.
"Tch… That was one hell of a slash."
Though none of them had gone all out, the fact that it took three captains releasing their Zanpakuto to fully neutralize Kyoya's attack gave everyone a stark reminder of his strength.
Seeing this, several other Captains rose from their seats, flashing to strategic points around the arena.
It was clear now… the aftermath of Kyoya and Shinji's battle could easily endanger the surrounding Shinigami.
If the two of them really went all out without supervision, the Seireitei might suffer devastating losses.
"As expected of the Captain of the 11th Division..."
"But… what just happened?"
"Why did Captain Kyoya suddenly slash backward?"
While everyone was stunned by Kyoya's power, they were even more baffled by his strange attack.
"Was it an effect of Captain Hirako's Zanpakuto?"
"That had to be it… why else would Captain Kyoya's strikes suddenly veer away from Captain Hirako the moment he released his Shikai?"