For Kyoya to agree to instruct Byakuya, both Yoruichi and Ginrei felt pleasantly surprised.
From ancient times to the present, those in power have never been a monolithic bloc.
For their respective interests, people from top to bottom naturally form small factions.
The nobles of Seireitei are no exception.
Even the great noble families standing at the pinnacle are no different.
A million years ago, several individuals who ambushed the Soul King and seized his power became the great noble houses standing at the top of the Seireitei.
Among them, the Shiba Clan, for attempting to expose the crimes of the great noble houses, was ultimately expelled through the joint efforts of the other Four Great Noble Houses, nearly erasing the Shiba Clan from Seireitei's history.
Among the Four Great Noble Houses, the Tsunayashiro Clan was undoubtedly the most ruthless and cruel.
Even though they knew the Soul King had willingly become the 'linchpin' stabilizing the three worlds, they still feared he might one day change his mind.
Thus, they severed the Soul King's limbs, hollowed out his internal organs, and turned him into a mere 'human vessel'.
In comparison, the Shihoin and Kuchiki Clans were far more normal.
Both families sought to maintain the stability of the world.
The Shihoin Clan possessed the [Heavenly Gifted Armaments] bestowed by the Soul King, using military might to safeguard the world's peace.
The Kuchiki Clan, on the other hand, upheld the 'nobility system', regulating the conduct of nobles from top to bottom, setting themselves as models to constrain their own behavior.
Thus, for a million years, the Shihoin and Kuchiki Clans shared the same stance. Though they never openly collaborated, there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Why did Yoruichi Shihoin frequently visit the Kuchiki Clan's estate?
Was a several-hundred-year-old woman really just teasing Byakuya for fun?
That was ridiculous.
The truth was, the Kuchiki Clan currently had only Ginrei holding the fort. To prevent other factions from baring their fangs at the Kuchiki Clan, the Shihoin Clan made their stance clear to the other nobles.
However, no matter how much the Shihoin Clan supported them, the Kuchiki Clan still needed a figure capable of standing firm on their own.
Otherwise, if even the Kuchiki Clan, the 'model nobles', collapsed, how could they demand other nobles follow their example?
It would only prove that the 'nobility system' the Kuchiki Clan upheld was flawed, and Seireitei needed reform.
"Come!"
Kyoya extended the index finger of his right hand and beckoned to Byakuya.
If anyone else had treated him with such an attitude, Byakuya would have made them pay for underestimating him.
But the man before him was a 'legend' who had become a Captain of the Gotei 13 in just one year.
Eighteen years had passed since Kyoya's promotion. Given his talent, how much stronger had he grown?
No one knew the answer.
But Byakuya had once heard his grandfather say that within the Gotei 13, very few could rival Kyoya.
In fact, perhaps only Yamamoto could confidently defeat Kyoya.
Given a little more time, it wouldn't be impossible for Kyoya to match Yamamoto in strength.
Faced with such a 'legend', Byakuya didn't feel he had the right to take offense at being 'disrespected'.
Frankly, just standing before Kyoya made Byakuya feel his body trembling.
But he also knew that Kyoya agreeing to instruct him was already an immense honor. Now that Kyoya had issued the challenge, if he hesitated any longer, he might even earn Captain Kyoya's disdain.
"Ha!"
Letting out a shout to bolster his courage, Byakuya gripped his sword with both hands and charged at Kyoya.
At this moment, Kyoya stood a full head taller than the young Byakuya.
When Byakuya swung his sword, Kyoya merely extended the index finger of his right hand, blocking the blade's path.
"A finger?"
Byakuya was stunned to see Kyoya using a finger to block his sword.
How could flesh and blood withstand a blade?
Moreover, Byakuya hadn't mistaken it… Kyoya wasn't even wrapping his finger in Reiatsu.
'Even Grandfather could be injured by my sword if he didn't use Reiatsu to protect himself.'
But his reverence for Kyoya compelled Byakuya to swing his sword down regardless.
Clang!
The Zanpakuto collided with Kyoya's finger, and Byakuya felt as though he had struck steel.
The recoil from his own strike traveled through the sword, numbing his hands and making his grip tremble.
Seeing Byakuya's unsteady hold on his Zanpakuto, Kyoya shook his head.
"Young Master Byakuya, the most important thing when practicing Zanjutsu is to grip your sword firmly."
"With the way you were holding your sword earlier, you might fare well against opponents of similar strength."
"But if your opponent is stronger and knocks your sword away in a single strike, how will you respond?"
"For a swordsman, how can you deliver a powerful slash if you can't even hold your sword properly?"
Byakuya's face flushed red with shame at Kyoya's words.
"Please instruct me, Kyoya-sama."
Seeing Byakuya bow respectfully, Kyoya nodded in approval.
"First, when gripping your sword, you must pay attention to..."
Kyoya stepped forward and began teaching Byakuya how to properly hold his sword.
Every person's hands are different, every sword's hilt is different, and the way force is applied varies… so naturally, the way one grips a sword must also differ. Even Kyoya had spent a month adjusting his grip when he first trained in swordsmanship, truly learning what it meant to 'hold a sword'.
Byakuya was talented. Under Kyoya's guidance, he quickly began experimenting with the most comfortable way to grip his Zanpakuto.
With each slash, Kyoya had him make slight adjustments to his grip. The recoil from clashing with Kyoya's finger forced Byakuya to repeatedly refine his hold, searching for the most stable and natural way to keep his Zanpakuto firmly in hand.
Clang!
Byakuya's Zanpakuto struck Kyoya's finger once more.
This time, the blade did not tremble… it pressed firmly against Kyoya's finger without wavering.
"Good."
Seeing this, Kyoya smiled in satisfaction.
"Young Master Byakuya, you've finally grasped the basics of gripping a sword."
"For the next while, you should engage in as many battles as possible. Through constant combat, you'll internalize this grip until it becomes second nature."
"Only then will you have truly mastered 'holding the sword' and laid the foundation for advancing further in Zanjutsu."
"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Captain Kyoya!"
Byakuya panted heavily, bowing deeply in gratitude.
Though this afternoon's training had only taught him how to properly hold his sword, Byakuya could already feel the difference. With this refined grip, his control over Zanjutsu had grown far more precise.
He could sense that Kyoya's Zanjutsu mastery was unfathomable, and even glimpsing a fraction of it was terrifying.
Byakuya was certain that his strength had at least tripled now that he had learned the basics of 'holding the sword'.
Before, if he faced an opponent stronger than himself, his Zanpakuto might have been knocked away. But now, even if he were sent flying by an enemy's strike, his Zanpakuto would never leave his hand.
Holding a sword wasn't just about holding it tightly… it was about completely neutralizing the recoil from clashing with an opponent's blade, ensuring his hands wouldn't be numbed by the impact and lose their grip.
In essence, mastering the grip meant that unless a swordsman's arms were completely shattered, their sword would never leave their hand.
This was a swordsman's conviction.
Without such conviction, how could one advance further on the path of the sword?
Kyoya suspected that Gin's inability to break through to the level of a Great Swordsman might stem from a lack of this very conviction.
For Gin, if holding onto his sword in battle meant suffering heavier injuries, or even death, he would abandon it without hesitation and resort to other methods.
Kyoya didn't know if Gin would ever overcome this, or if he even wanted to.
But he trusted that Gin would forge his own path.
After all, unlike Rangiku, once Gin set his mind to something, he would never give up until he achieved it.
Just as he had sworn to retrieve what had been stolen from Rangiku by Aizen… no matter the cost.
Even after joining Kyoya's 11th Division as Lieutenant and learning that Kyoya possessed the means to counter Aizen, Gin never once asked for help.
Instead, Kyoya's presence had given him even greater freedom to move in the shadows, gathering intelligence on Aizen, searching for weaknesses… all so he could one day strike the killing blow himself.
Because Gin knew that even if he failed, Kyoya would ensure Rangiku's safety.
Byakuya, however, was different.
Through this afternoon's training, Kyoya could sense an inexplicable trust in Byakuya… one that made him accept Kyoya's words without question.
This unwavering faith would undoubtedly solidify into 'conviction' as he honed his Zanjutsu.
In Kyoya's estimation, if Byakuya continued training like this, he might even surpass Gin in comprehending the [Breath of All Things], becoming the second Great Swordsman in the Bleach World… after Kyoya himself.