"9th Division, Tosen Kaname, please advise."
On the ring, Tosen, with his dreadlocks tied back, drew his Zanpakuto and pointed it at Aizen.
"Ah, this is quite troublesome..."
Aizen shook his head with a wry smile, "My Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, when released, creates a dense mist that envelops the battlefield, obscuring the vision of enemies and causing those trapped within to lose sight of friend and foe, leading them to turn on each other..."
"But since Kaname here is blind, he is naturally unaffected by my Zanpakuto's ability, making him my greatest counter..."
Though he said this, none of the Captains present believed Aizen stood no chance of winning.
Tosen had defeated 8th Division's Lieutenant, Yadomaru Lisa. While their abilities played a role, there was no doubt that Tosen's strength was at the level of Lieutenant with his 4th-class Reiryoku.
Aizen had a sterling reputation within the Gotei 13, having helped many people. Even Shinji, who harbored reservations about Aizen, had to admit he could find no flaws in him.
In the perception of the Captains, Aizen's Reiatsu was unnervingly steady.
Even as Tosen released his Zanpakuto, causing his Reiatsu to surge and form a towering pillar of energy, Aizen's own Reiatsu remained completely unchanged. This indicated that Aizen had near-perfect control over his Reiatsu.
In fact, what he displayed outwardly might only be what he wanted everyone to see. Beneath that calm surface could lie unfathomable depths!
At this thought, the Captains' hearts stirred.
Perhaps, Aizen's Reiryoku had already reached the 3rd-class, which is Captain-level.
The only question was whether he had completed the training to master his Zanpakuto's Bankai.
"Still, no matter what, I must at least try."
"What if I win?"
Under the watchful eyes of the gathered Shinigami, Aizen drew the Zanpakuto at his waist. Holding the hilt upside down with the blade pointing downward, he uttered his Zanpakuto's release command:
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu!"
Whoosh-
In an instant, in the eyes of the Shinigami, the entire ring was engulfed in thick mist. They could only faintly hear the sounds emanating from within the fog, using them to imagine the fierce battle taking place inside.
"Cry, Suzumushi!"
Humm-
As Tosen whispered, a faint vibration emanated from his Zanpakuto.
The Captains closer to him, like Kyoya, could sense an intangible wave attempting to disrupt their senses and lull them into a hypnotic state.
However, due to the vast gap in Reiatsu, this illusion had no effect on them.
"Illusion-type Zanpakuto?"
"That's quite rare."
"A duel between two illusion-type Zanpakuto users is certainly interesting."
"However, as Lieutenant Aizen said, his ability is completely countered by 9th Division's Tosen Kaname. Securing a victory won't be easy."
On the seating platform, the Captains listened to the commotion within the mist, lost in discussion.
Aizen's Zanpakuto ability truly seemed useless against Tosen.
He could directly locate Aizen's position and close in for combat.
Hearing the captains' discussion, Kyoya's lips curled into a faint smile.
After his Observation Haki broke through to the level of [Future Sight], not only had its range expanded, but its precision had also greatly improved.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve the effect of [Future Sight].
At this moment, what Kyoya saw with his eyes was no different from what the other Captains perceived, which is a ring shrouded in white mist.
But Kyoya's Observation Haki allowed him to clearly sense that Aizen and Tosen's Reiatsu hadn't moved at all on the ring. The sounds they heard and the clashes of Reiatsu they perceived within the mist were all illusions controlled by Aizen.
Kyoka Suigetsu could manipulate the five senses, achieving complete hypnosis.
However, Observation Haki is the 'sixth sense' that goes beyond the five senses of humans.
Not to mention, Kyoya had trained his Observation Haki to an advanced level.
As long as Kyoya activated it, he naturally wouldn't be deceived by Kyoka Suigetsu.
It was precisely for this reason that Kyoya had personally stepped into the game, directly confronting Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu.
This way, he could divert Aizen's attention away from himself.
At most, Aizen would only observe him through Gin.
Of course, Kyoya also knew that this might not be the limit of Aizen's abilities.
From beginning to end, Aizen had never revealed his Bankai.
Perhaps Kyoka Suigetsu's Shikai controlled the five senses, while its Bankai manipulated the sixth sense?
But since Shinigami rarely possessed such a sixth sense, Aizen's Bankai had no opportunity to be used.
Or perhaps Kyoka Suigetsu's Bankai could materialize the damage from illusions, turning fantasy into reality… but since that ability was inferior to Aizen acting directly, he simply never used it.
Regardless, at the very least, Kyoya now knew that his Observation Haki was immune to Kyoka Suigetsu's illusions.
Once he further refined his Observation Haki to achieve [Mind Reading] or [Hearing The Voice of All Things], he would be able to completely disregard Kyoka Suigetsu's influence.
Before fusing the complete Hogyoku, Aizen's strength wouldn't undergo any major changes.
This phase would last at least another hundred years or more.
And what about Kyoya?
As long as he completed the corresponding achievements, his strength would change almost every day, with tremendous growth.
A hundred years was more than enough time for Kyoya to develop!
After deactivating his Observation Haki, Kyoya joined the other Captains in 'appreciating' the theatrical performance orchestrated by Aizen.
"I admit defeat..."
As the white mist dissipated, Aizen shook his head with a bitter smile.
Tosen's Zanpakuto was pressed against his neck.
"9th Division's Tosen Kaname wins!"
Seeing that none of the Captains spoke up, Sasakibe stepped forward, separating Tosen and Aizen before raising Tosen's hand and declaring the final victor of the exchange tournament.
"Ooooh!"
"Tosen!"
"Tosen!"
Instantly, the Shinigami in the arena erupted into cheers for Tosen.
Though the final victor wasn't from their own divisions, judging from the battles, Tosen was undoubtedly far stronger than all the Lieutenants.
Out of all the matches, only Kotsubaki Jinemon and Tosen had managed to defeat two Lieutenants in succession.
Clearly, Lisa and Aizen's performances carried far more weight than Hiyori and Mashiro's.
Those who knew them understood that their promotions to Lieutenant were closely tied to their Captains.
"Then, I hereby declare this exchange tournament-"
"Wait, Lieutenant Sasakibe..."
Just as Sasakibe was about to announce the successful conclusion of the tournament, Aizen spoke up.
"What is it, Lieutenant Aizen?"
"Lieutenant Sasakibe, it's rare for the Gotei 13 to hold such an exchange."
"Under normal circumstances, the Captains seldom gather like this."
"Why not take this opportunity to let everyone witness the strength of the Captains?"
"After all, we only know the Captains are powerful, but we don't know just how far behind we truly are."
"If we could catch even a glimpse of their abilities, it would give us a clearer goal and direction for our training."
"This..."
Sasakibe hesitated, glancing at the thirteen Captains seated above.
He was merely a Lieutenant, so whether the Captains were willing to step onto the battlefield wasn't his decision to make.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, what are your thoughts?"
Seeing this, Aizen turned to address the old man directly.
Their conversation wasn't hushed, and with the Captains' keen senses, every word reached them. Their reactions varied.
6th Division's Captain, Ginrei, frowned deeply, clearly finding the idea of fighting in public beneath his dignity.
2nd Division's Captain, Yoruichi, and 9th Division's Captain, Kensei looked eager, itching for action.
7th Division's Captain, Aikawa, remained expressionless, his thoughts unreadable.
12th Division's Captain Hikifune Kirio yawned lazily. After all, among the present Captains, only Yamamoto and 4th Division's Unohana posed any real threat to her, and she had no interest in bullying the others.
13th Division's Captain, Ukitake, showed a troubled expression. While he wanted to give everyone a taste of a Captain's strength, his frail health made it risky. If he collapsed mid-battle, it would only undermine the Captains' image of reliability.
"If Captains of similar strength fight, it could take hours, even days, to determine a winner."
"If we have everyone participate, we might still be fighting by tomorrow."
At this moment, Kyoya spoke up.
He stood, then flashed onto the ring in an instant.
"This exchange tournament was originally initiated by the 11th and 5th Divisions."
"So, let Captain Hirako and I conclude it with a friendly duel."
"What do you say, Captain Hirako?"
"Ha! Couldn't ask for better."
Shinji grinned, his teeth gleaming white as he vaulted from his seat and landed opposite Kyoya.
Seeing this, Sasakibe, Aizen, and Tosen swiftly retreated from the ring, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire of a Captain-level battle.
Kyoya's proposal to end the tournament with a duel between himself and Shinji earned him even more goodwill from the other Captains.
Captains were figures of prestige, so no matter how much they desired battle, they wouldn't put on a public spectacle like street performers.
But now that Aizen had made the suggestion, refusing outright would disappoint their subordinates.
By stepping forward and framing it as an 'exchange' between their divisions, Kyoya satisfied the curiosity of the rank-and-file while preserving the dignity of the Captains.
It's a perfect compromise.