A golden pillar of spiritual pressure shot into the sky, instantly blasting through the dojo's ceiling and piercing the clouds.
Many students in the dojo, unable to react in time, were sent flying by the shockwave, crashing into walls and tumbling across the floor like scattered dumplings.
Kinoshita, who had been point-blank in front of the blast, was sent straight through the wall behind him, landing outside the dojo.
Sōjun raised his hand: "Hadō #39—Enkōsen!"
A circular barrier of spiritual particles instantly formed. Though not as comprehensive as Dankū's defense, it still blocked most of the shockwave, protecting Seinosuke and Aizen behind him.
Staring at Satoru at the center of the pillar, Sōjun's eyes were filled with astonishment.
As the legitimate heir of a noble family, he had been exposed to various powerful Shinigami since childhood and received elite education within his clan before even attending school.
Therefore, he could say with absolute certainty that the spiritual pressure emanating from Satoru was already at the level of a vice-captain in the Gotei 13!
His first thought was joy for his dear friend.
But immediately after, Sōjun fell into confusion.
Satoru had enrolled as a commoner—just half a year ago, he had been an ordinary soul.
In daily life, the strength he displayed was roughly at the level of an apprentice Shinigami, which, to be fair, was already astonishingly fast.
Even among noble children with the advantage of lineage, only a small fraction could achieve such progress.
And yet, Satoru had just proven with his actions that his usual strength was merely a facade—his true power had already reached vice-captain level?
Sōjun couldn't help but wonder if he was dreaming.
Every student who hadn't been blown away by the spiritual pressure was now gaping in shock, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
Behind Sōjun, Seinosuke subconsciously pinched his own arm, wincing at the pain.
Aizen, kneeling in place with his hands resting on his knees, seemed as if he had been struck by a paralysis spell, staring wide-eyed at Satoru.
As a Shinigami of common birth, Aizen hadn't known how to train his spiritual pressure before entering the academy.
Though he was exceptionally gifted, his spiritual pressure at enrollment had only been at the level of an average seated officer.
In just half a year, he had gone from a complete novice, learning spiritual pressure cultivation from scratch, to becoming a powerhouse at vice-captain level.
Though no one else knew it, he had secretly taken great pride in this achievement.
In the Shin'ō Academy library, he had reviewed records of past elite students and could confirm that no one before him had ever progressed at such a speed.
At times, Aizen even wondered if he might be a being of a different order from ordinary Shinigami, merely manifesting in their form due to some unknown reason.
And yet, just as he was indulging in such self-aggrandizement, his seemingly "ordinary" friend had delivered a staggering "surprise."
Right before his eyes, the spiritual pressure radiating from Satoru was undeniably on par with his own!
For a moment, Aizen's emotions were indescribably complex.
He couldn't even determine what he was feeling.
Shame for his own complacency?
Happiness for his friend's newfound strength?
Shock that Satoru had concealed such power all this time?
After a few seconds of contemplation, Aizen took a deep breath.
All these thoughts indeed existed in his mind.
But… more than anything, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
So, he wasn't some strange anomaly after all.
There were others in this world who could grow at such an unfathomable pace.
Aizen inhaled deeply, calming the rising exhilaration within him.
For the first time in a long while, he felt something stir in his heart—anticipation.
Anticipation for how he himself would grow.
Anticipation for how Satoru would grow.
Anticipation to see which of them would prove to be the more extraordinary one.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in his mind.
That morning, outside the academy, Satoru had looked at him with utmost seriousness.
"Sousuke, you must train hard—become a man who stands above all others, unrivaled in this world!"
At the time, he thought Satoru was acting crazy, completely out of the blue.
But now, he suddenly understood.
So that's how it was...
Satoru probably had a vague sense that he was hiding his true strength.
Just as he was looking forward to Satoru, this guy was also looking forward to him.
If nothing unexpected happened, Satoru was likely just as bewildered by this power as he was, unsure of what kind of existence he truly was.
Thinking this, Aizen couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips.
In that case, he had to hide his strength even more carefully.
As Satoru would say—isn't watching others get anxious and frustrated a unique kind of joy?
Compared to Aizen, Kinoshita wasn't feeling nearly as good.
Outside the dojo, he lay sprawled on the ground, covered in dirt like a flipped-over turtle.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
The bamboo sword in his hand had snapped in half at some point.
His clothes had been shredded by the spiritual pressure, hanging off him like tattered rags.
Excruciating pain radiated from every part of his body.
That last hit had probably broken several bones.
Staring at the golden pillar of spiritual pressure shooting into the sky, Kinoshita couldn't help but feel like he'd been screwed over.
That bastard Satoru had been hiding such a terrifying trump card all along.
This guy's spiritual pressure… was at vice-captain level!
How the hell did he even train to reach this point?
Even Sōjun Kuchiki, hailed as a once-in-several-centuries genius in Soul Society, who married into the Kuchiki family as a commoner from Rukongai, hadn't been this outrageous back then.
Using his hands to push himself up, he barely managed to stand and peered through the massive hole he'd crashed through into the dojo.
Looking at Satoru standing within the pillar of spiritual pressure, excitement gradually lit up his eyes.
A genius… this is a real goddamn genius!
Though he didn't know why this kid had been hiding his strength all this time, none of that mattered now.
After teaching at Shin'ō Academy for so many years, he'd finally encountered a true prodigy!
One day in the future, when this kid became a pillar of Soul Society, the world would know—he was the one who had taught him!
At this thought, Kinoshita couldn't help but grin like an idiot.
Under everyone's gaze, Satoru desperately suppressed his spiritual pressure, finally managing to reel it all back in.
After taking a few deep breaths, he turned to look at Aizen.
This guy… was way too good at hiding his strength.
On the surface, he usually displayed power at the level of an apprentice Shinigami, yet his true strength was already at vice-captain level!
If not for the system synchronizing their abilities, he might never have found out until graduation.
So this was Sousuke Aizen… truly terrifying.
The thought that he had once dared to underestimate the legendary Aizen made Satoru's face flush with embarrassment.
Noticing Satoru's gaze, Aizen smirked.
This guy must be silently asking whether his strength could match his.
Well, he wasn't going to answer—let him stew in anticipation.
Seeing Aizen smile at him, Satoru couldn't help but feel moved.
Thankfully, the younger Aizen wasn't as scheming yet and didn't mock him for only realizing his true strength now.
What a kind-hearted guy.