As the dust settled, everyone saw a deep trench that had been carved into the ground.
Swoosh—
Hōkagesa's figure appeared above the trench.
The Zanpakutō in her hand was gone. A sphere formed of air currents, so dense they were visible to the naked eye, enveloped her.
"Where is the Captain's Zanpakutō?" Shunsui Kyōraku asked, puzzled. "Could it be... Bankai?"
Shunsui was one of the younger captains and was seeing Hōkagesa fight for the first time today, so he was unfamiliar with her abilities.
"That air surrounding Captain Hōkagesa is her Zanpakutō," Retsu Unohana, a first-generation captain, was more knowledgeable. "After she activates Bankai, her Zanpakutō transforms into air and wind currents. It is an ability that integrates both offense and defense."
"This shield..." Sora's eyes narrowed, observing the barrier of air around Hōkagesa. "Captain Hōkagesa must be using the properties of the air currents to deflect Yoruichi's attacks."
Based on Sora's senses, this type of shield likely used the properties of airflow to neutralize attacks.
Hōkagesa was already breathing heavily.
"I've grown old after all... Just using Bankai once is already tiring," she sighed softly. "I must hurry. Little Yoruichi, let me see your 'Shunkō'."
"Heh~ Then let me show you the move the Professor and I developed the other day!" Yoruichi's Spiritual Pressure surged, and a violent, turbulent flow of reishi erupted from her shoulders.
After the war in Hueco Mundo ended, she had been preparing for today's captain proficiency test.
She had even spent some time in closed-door training with her professor.
This was because she wanted to solve the control issue with her Shunkō form.
When she entered that state, influenced by the power of Naruneko, her instincts were amplified to an infinite degree, making it impossible to think rationally.
In a battle between equals, this state was actually very dangerous, as it could easily reveal an opening to the enemy.
Therefore, for the past half-month, she had been fighting her professor every day in her advanced Shunkō form.
But the process was quite difficult.
Once Yoruichi entered that state, she couldn't control her instincts.
Every time she fought her professor, the spar would take a strange turn.
The next moment, the two thunder beast claws emerging from her short blades intertwined with the turbulent Spiritual Pressure on her back.
After combining, with the reishi as a frame and arcs of lightning as feathers, they quickly transformed into a pair of wings made of Spiritual Pressure and lightning.
Shunkō: Ra-jū no Tsubasa!
Yoruichi had only recently mastered Bankai. Even after a period of intense training with her professor, she couldn't achieve flexible use of her advanced Shunkō.
However, her professor helped her develop a simplified version of Shunkō that incorporated her Bankai.
This form combined the power of Naruneko with the turbulence created by Shunkō.
By not merging Naruneko's power into her body, her reason was not affected.
"Watch out!"
Yoruichi's figure vanished in an instant.
The speed she displayed caused Hōkagesa's pupils to shrink slightly.
Yoruichi appeared at Hōkagesa's side, her short blade thrusting fiercely into the air current shield.
Zzzzzzt—
The friction between the air and the blade produced a sound that made one's skin crawl.
The short blade instantly passed through the shield and continued towards Hōkagesa.
The air shield had been directly pierced!
Speed is power!
Although 'Shunkō: Ra-jū no Tsubasa' was a simplified version of her advanced Shunkō.
Yoruichi's speed in this form was several times faster than her 'Shunkō: Raikiri' form.
The next moment, Yoruichi felt an incredibly strong resistance.
The inside of the air shield appeared empty, but under Hōkagesa's control, the air currents could turn from intangible to solid. The entire shield was effectively a solid mass.
After piercing the surface of the shield, Yoruichi's speed slowed, and the force at the tip of her blade was quickly dissipated by the air currents.
Hōkagesa raised her hand and pushed, and the short blade scraped past her shoulder.
Just then—
"It's not over yet!"
The golden lightning wings on Yoruichi's back suddenly spread, pressing down on Hōkagesa.
The wings were essentially lightning created by Yoruichi's Bankai and could also be used for attack.
The two were too close, and Hōkagesa couldn't react in time.
At the moment of contact, the lightning from the wings was conducted through the opening pierced by the blade and onto Hōkagesa's body, instantly paralyzing her and ruining her attempt to readjust her position.
Hōkagesa was sent flying by the golden lightning wings.
"Oh dear, Captain Hōkagesa isn't in a good situation..." Shunsui Kyōraku frowned.
Everyone could sense that Hōkagesa's Spiritual Pressure was dropping.
"Captain Hōkagesa is tired. Let's end it here. I believe Yoruichi Shihōin's ability is sufficient to serve as captain of the 2nd Division. Does anyone have any objections?" Yamamoto sighed inwardly. Hōkagesa was old, and her strength was not what it used to be. Her condition had started to decline after such a short fight.
"Yoruichi Shihōin's strength is indeed sufficient to be a captain," Retsu Unohana nodded.
"I think so too."
The other captains had no objections.
"Then she passes."
On the other side, Yoruichi helped Hōkagesa up.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm not as good as I used to be. Just a short fight and I'm already out of breath," Hōkagesa grasped Yoruichi's hand, once again showing a kind smile. "Little Yoruichi, you are a strong fighter now. The 2nd Division is in your hands."
"Please rest assured, Captain Hōkagesa. I will definitely be able to support the 2nd Division!"
Meanwhile, a new notification appeared on Sora's panel.
[Disciple Yoruichi Shihōin has passed the captain's proficiency test. Rewards settled.]
Received 100,000 general experience points.
Received Hakuda: Gorai Hidō (Beginner level).
"A Hakuda move?"
Sora invested the general experience into Shunpo, raising it from level 80 to 83, then looked at 'Gorai Hidō' and activated his thought.
A stream of memories regarding the training of 'Gorai Hidō' flowed into his mind.
Sora sorted through the memories.
'Gorai Hidō' was a technique of moving with lightning, detonating lightning force brought into the body to achieve a speed comparable to teleportation.
Perceptually, it was close to the teleportation of 'Sonído', but it was actually displacement at an extremely high speed.
Furthermore, using 'Gorai Hidō' in combat would leave a trail of lightning, making it a Hakuda technique that combined movement and offense.
Because it required detonating lightning within the body, it placed a certain burden on one's spiritual body and couldn't be used continuously. At the beginner level, it could be used two or three times in a row.
"Professor, I'm a captain!!!"
Yoruichi leaped over.
"You're a captain now, yet you're still so impulsive," Sora said helplessly.
"Hehe, but I'm still the Professor's disciple!"
The excited Yoruichi, disregarding the stares of others, hung directly onto Sora.
...
After returning to the dōjō, Sora couldn't wait to test his newly acquired move, 'Gorai Hidō'.
"Back so soon? Did Yoruichi pass her test?"
Batsu'unsai Katori sat on a swing hanging from a red maple tree, her hands tucked into her sleeves.
When one is idle for too long, they start looking for things to do.
She had made the swing herself.
"With Yoruichi's strength, passing the test was not an issue. It was just a formality," Sora said with a light laugh.
"She's really grown up!" Batsu'unsai exclaimed. "Counting you, the Katori dōjō now has two active captains. This is a first in history!"
When she handed the dōjō over to Sora, she never imagined it would be revived so quickly and flourish.
Now, it was even home to two sitting captains.
The Katori dōjō could now even call itself the number one dōjō in the world!
Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Genryū dōjō had not achieved the feat of producing two captains from one school before it was converted into the academy.
"This sort of thing will happen more and more," Sora said.
"Yes... you really have a talent for taking in disciples. The ones you've chosen are all quite gifted." Batsu'unsai felt that entrusting the dōjō to Sora was one of the best decisions she had ever made.
"There are still many vacant captain positions in the Gotei 13. At this rate, many future captains will be disciples from our dōjō. Doesn't that mean..." Batsu'unsai began to daydream. "When Head Captain Yamamoto retires, it will be the popular consensus for Sora to take over. Ha~ So I taught a Head Captain!"
"The Head Captain is still very healthy. He's a long way from retirement," Sora shook his head gently.
"But there's hope!" Batsu'unsai pushed off the ground with her feet. "I hope I can see the day you become Head Captain!"
"Since that is your wish, then I'll have to work hard for it," Sora gave her a gentle push from behind.
"Mmm Although I've never been a Head Captain, the feeling of teaching one sounds pretty good too" Batsu'unsai swung back and forth.
"By the way, why didn't Yoruichi come back with you? Weren't we supposed to celebrate for her tonight?" Batsu'unsai asked, puzzled.
"Captain Hōkagesa was a bit tired, so Yoruichi is escorting her back. She'll be here later," Sora paused, remembering he wanted to test his new move. "I had a flash of inspiration while watching the fight. I have some ideas for a new technique."
"Hm? Another new sword technique?" Batsu'unsai swung her legs out, landed on the ground, and asked excitedly, "What kind of move is it?"
She had seen several of Sora's Kidō-swordsmanship techniques. They were all extremely advanced, no less impressive than the Katori style's signature 'Ryūkō'.
Therefore, she was very much looking forward to Sora's new move.
"It's a Hakuda technique."
Sora looked around the courtyard and felt it was a bit too small to practice in, so he leaped into the air.
The next moment, Spiritual Pressure surged within him, and faint arcs of electricity flashed across his skin.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, leaving three nets of lightning in its wake.
Only then did three consecutive thunderclaps boom out.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—
"So fast! I couldn't even see the path of the lightning, and you were already on the other side!"
Batsu'unsai covered her ringing ears and shouted loudly.
"This move puts a heavy strain on the spiritual body," Sora frowned.
He could even smell a faint burning scent. The explosion of lightning within his body had caused some damage.
'Gorai Hidō' was extremely fast. While using it, he couldn't even see his surroundings clearly with his eyes.
His dynamic vision couldn't keep up with the speed.
However, the damage to his spiritual body was also significant.
This move had a high threshold. If he weren't already a captain-level fighter with a strong spiritual body, he would have exploded the moment he detonated the lightning inside him.
"It seems I can flash more than just three times," Sora thought.
A faint glow of healing Kidō was already on his body, repairing the internal damage.
He had the 'Kaidō Self-Heal' and 'Born Berserker' abilities, making his tolerance for injury much higher than that of an ordinary Shinigami.
"Four or five consecutive flashes should be fine. Any more than that and I'll be seriously injured," Sora estimated.
He turned to look. The three electric nets left in his path had not yet dissipated.
These were the sparks of lightning that had been thrown off when he detonated the power within his body.
Each net was about ten meters in diameter, with power comparable to a mid-tier Hadō, an offensive measure that came with using 'Gorai Hidō'.
Having a general understanding of the power and side effects of the move, Sora returned to the ground.
"You can't use that move around allies!"
Batsu'unsai shouted.
Her ears were ringing from the sudden thunder, and her voice had unconsciously become much louder.
Sora raised his hands and covered her ears, a faint healing glow emanating from his palms.
"My ears are better now," Batsu'unsai quickly asked, "Quick, tell me about this move. What's it called?"
It was the first time she had seen such a fast technique, reaching a speed that was almost teleportation.
She hadn't even been able to track Sora's path.
By the time she saw a flash of lightning appear in the air, Sora was already on the other side.
"This move is called 'Gorai Hidō'. The key is to detonate lightning introduced into the body and use the explosive force to move with the lightning," Sora explained.
"Detonate lightning inside the body?" Batsu'unsai frowned. "Wouldn't that put a huge burden on the spiritual body?"
She was knowledgeable and quickly understood the danger.
"Indeed, so this move cannot be used many times in a row. But I have healing Kidō to treat myself, so this move is very suitable for me," Sora nodded.
'Gorai Hidō' was a very practical move and was a good fit for him.
Extreme speed wasn't just about being fast.
If combined with other sword techniques and moves, extreme speed could make them even more powerful.
"That's true. Your healing Kidō is superb, you can treat minor injuries yourself. A move just needs to suit you," Batsu'unsai sighed. "Incredible. Your new moves are truly endless!"
Developing useful new techniques was not a simple matter. Batsu'unsai was shocked at the speed with which Sora developed new moves.
After testing his new technique, Sora went to prepare the ingredients.
With Yoruichi's promotion to captain, he naturally had to hold a celebration feast.
Group activities helped maintain the dōjō's atmosphere and the bond between the disciples.
-----------------------------
Access more than 400 chapters across more than 7 different novels on Patreon!
For this novel, there are already more than 100 chapters available, and we are only 3 subscribers away from unlocking up to chapter 150!
And many more projects in progress!