It wasn't until Naraku Sora's voice echoed across the training grounds that the crowd finally snapped out of their dazed shock.
As it turned out, the battle just now had merely been a Captain Proficiency Test.
It wasn't a life-and-death struggle between blood-sworn enemies.
However, the terrifying, world-shaking disturbance had completely redefined the worldviews of the Soul Reapers present.
To think that a Captain-level Soul Reaper's full power could be this terrifying!
But wasn't this Captain Proficiency Test a bit too much?
The proctor seemed fine, but the candidate looked like he was at death's door.
Aside from the spectating rank-and-file Soul Reapers, some of the Captains who had come to observe wore complex expressions as they looked at that tall, upright figure.
Although they had heard Naraku Sora's name frequently lately and knew exactly how many major incidents he had been involved in within the Seireitei...
at the end of the day, he was still just a seated officer.
The Soul Society was a place where strength was paramount; only truly powerful Soul Reapers earned the respect of others.
They had thought Naraku Sora was merely a genius who needed time to grow.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had transformed from a top student who had just joined a squad into a bona fide Captain-level powerhouse.
While the ordinary soldiers enjoyed the spectacle, the Captains looked at the underlying skill.
If the other soldiers were shocked by the grand scale of the battle, the Captains were shocked by Naraku Sora's raw, unadorned stats.
Even though Kensei Muguruma's Reiatsu was clearly much stronger, he had been beaten so thoroughly he couldn't even fight back.
Up until the moment he collapsed, he hadn't managed to inflict any meaningful damage on the proctor.
Naraku Sora's performance was so exaggerated it hardly seemed like that of a Soul Reaper.
Shinji Hirako, once a victim himself, subconsciously replayed the fight in his mind.
'If I put myself in Kensei Muguruma's shoes, could I have done any better?'
'Like defeating the proctor and taking office in a blaze of glory?'
Soon, Shinji Hirako shook his head.
The conclusion was that it was impossible.
He had witnessed Naraku Sora's combat prowess during the Zanpakuto rebellion; Sakanade's Shikai was completely useless against him.
Without the advantage of his Zanpakuto's ability, defeating a monster-like Soul Reaper was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
To this day, he still didn't understand why Naraku Sora was immune to Sakanade's power.
'Is it because the hypnosis effect isn't as strong as before after the Zanpakuto rebellion?'
'Or is this guy such an outlier that he can suppress his ingrained combat instincts?'
Watching that tall figure, Shinji Hirako sank into thought.
Beside him, Aizen's gaze swept over his Captain with little concern before turning to Naraku Sora in the training arena, a trace of sentiment flashing in his eyes.
It seemed his dear friend was the type who bloomed late.
Keeping a low profile in the Spiritual Arts Academy, but once he joined a squad, he was like a dragon entering the sea—unrestrained and soaring into the sky.
How long had it taken to rise from Grade 12 Reii to Grade 3?
It probably hasn't even been half a year.
A trace of daze appeared on Aizen's face.
He had thought his own spiritual talent was unique in the Soul Society, but he hadn't expected someone to be even more absurd than him.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he was overtaken.
At that thought, Aizen frowned as a strange sense of urgency began to grow and spread in his heart.
'Perhaps I've spent a bit too much time on scientific research.'
But upon closer reflection, the most exaggerated thing about that guy didn't seem to be his Grade 3 Reii.
It was his combat power, which was completely mismatched with his spiritual rank.
An ordinary Grade 3 Reii Soul Reaper would have returned to the cycle of rebirth long ago if they were beaten by Yamamoto every day.
This guy, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened.
Then there was that unexplained perfect Hollowfication, High-Speed Regeneration comparable to an Adjuchas, and even the Sonido exclusive to Menos...
The more Aizen thought about it, the heavier that sense of urgency became.
If the day ever came when Naraku Sora caught up to his level of Reii, it would be a terrifying sight.
At the thought of someone potentially crushing him in a duel and then showing a hideous smirk...
Aizen felt completely uneasy, unable even to sit still.
"Captain, I just remembered there are two official matters I haven't handled yet, so I'll be heading back first."
Without waiting for Shinji Hirako's response, Aizen stood up and left the spectator stands, heading toward the squad barracks.
Shinji Hirako scratched his head.
"He's not even staying to console his good buddy? Just up and left?"
"Could it be that the ship of friendship has capsized?"
Although his initial impression of Aizen hadn't been good for some unknown reason—promoting him through the seats primarily to keep a closer eye on him...
after the Zanpakuto rebellion, Aizen's performance didn't seem like that of someone with ulterior motives.
After all...
how bad could the heart of someone who hung out with a kid like Naraku Sora really be?
Shinji Hirako shook his head, focusing his attention back on the training arena.
After Naraku Sora announced that the test was passed, Retsu Unohana, who had been prepared for a long time, immediately used Shunpo to rush into the arena, using Kido to stabilize Kensei Muguruma's condition.
During the examination, she suddenly discovered that while Kensei Muguruma's injuries looked horrific, they weren't actually that severe.
More interestingly, the burst wounds showed perfectly level slash marks with no excess energy leakage; even the severed edges were smooth.
Utterly perfect.
Retsu Unohana's calm breathing became slightly labored as she subconsciously looked up at Naraku Sora, who was walking toward her.
An undisguised fervor appeared in her dark eyes.
'Has his Zanjutsu improved significantly again?'
'This child, truly...'
"Cough... cough cough!"
A violent coughing fit pulled Unohana's thoughts back. She had almost forgotten there was a patient present. She lowered her gaze, calmed her surging emotions, and then—
—subconsciously increased the intensity of her healing Kido.
Intense pain surged through his nerves, causing the barely conscious Kensei Muguruma's vision to go black once more as he passed out.
Naraku Sora: "..."
He seemed to have arrived at a bad time.
"Sora, could I trouble you to take Captain Muguruma to the relief station?"
Retsu Unohana offered a gentle smile, warm as the spring sun.
However, Naraku Sora, who knew her well, felt a strange chill when he saw that smile.
It was as if something very unfortunate was about to happen.
But if he refused, that misfortune would instantly increase tenfold.
With no other choice, he braced himself and followed the other Squad 4 members.
He helped transport the agonizing, face-contorted Kensei Muguruma to the Squad 4 barracks.
But what he couldn't understand was why Kensei Muguruma's endurance was so poor.
He had clearly held back on the final strike.
On the way, Yoruichi suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and joined the group.
Naraku Sora was somewhat surprised to see the girl standing beside him.
Unlike her usual sleek, tight-fitting clothes, Yoruichi was now wearing a Captain's haori with the Shihouin clan crest embroidered on the white hem.
A pure white sash was tied around her Shihakusho, highlighting her slender waist.
Under the haori, the sleeveless Shihakusho revealed her healthy, wheat-colored skin.
Though she wasn't very old, she already possessed a figure that surpassed her peers.
"Hmph, though I'm not a big fan of this outfit..."
Seeing Naraku Sora's expression, Yoruichi flashed a playful smile.
"...it seems to be quite effective on a certain someone."
Naraku Sora grinned, unbothered. "Do you need something from me?"
"To express my gratitude, of course."
Yoruichi's smile became much more sincere. "If it weren't for you, the Tsunayashiro family wouldn't have fallen, and the Shihouin family wouldn't have been able to recover so quickly."
"As I should have."
"?"
"To show our gratitude, the elders asked me to find out... when are we going to fulfill our engagement?"
Seeing Naraku Sora's eyes suddenly widen, Yoruichi's lips curled up.
"You wouldn't be thinking of breaking the agreement, would you?"
"The application has already been submitted to the Council of the Golden Seal. Violating it is a serious crime of deceiving the nobility."
Naraku Sora was silent for a moment before decisively changing the subject.
"We'll talk about that later."
"I just remembered something very important regarding the Tsunayashiro."
Hearing the name Tsunayashiro, Yoruichi's attention was immediately diverted.
"Before we surrounded the Tsunayashiro, Tsunayashiro Tokinada, the lowest seat of a branch family, likely sensed something and left the Seireitei in advance."
"In Kakyo's words, that guy is pure, absolute evil—a far more terrifying existence than Tsunayashiro Taketori."
"She originally planned to slowly influence and change him with her own personality, but the Tsunayashiro clan met its fate before she could act."
"If possible, it's best to have the Onmitsukido find his whereabouts as soon as possible."
Yoruichi looked thoughtful.
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada? I think I have some memory of that name."
"I saw a dossier earlier mentioning he was in the same class at the academy as Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake. They all received instruction from Head Captain Yamamoto."
"Technically, he's your fellow student in a way."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora showed undisguised disgust.
"Treating the torment of others as a game... Old Man Yama probably regrets teaching someone like that."
Despite the mild wording, one could still perceive Tokinada's character from Kakyo's description.
Describing him as pure evil wasn't an exaggeration at all.
Other villains usually have reasons for their actions.
Either to break old ideologies and build a new order, or because of past suffering and a desire for revenge.
But Tsunayashiro Tokinada is different.
He torments others purely for his own satisfaction and seeks to spread his malice to the entire world.
Yoruichi nodded seriously, agreeing.
"In that case, let's set finding Tsunayashiro Tokinada's whereabouts as a Rank 1 mission."
"Leaving someone like that wandering around is indeed quite dangerous."
"By the way, I've been practicing a new technique lately that's quite similar to what you showed during the test. If you have time, come to Squad 2 and help me refine it."
Naraku Sora readily agreed.
...
...
In the World of the Living, above a certain city.
Dead silence seemed to be the only tone of the night, but the quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken by a shattering sound from the sky as countless cracks slowly emerged.
Darkness spread continuously from the cracks as a man in luxurious clothing with dark green hair stepped out, walking upon the air.
With a faint, fleeting smile on his lips, he surveyed the city before him and whispered to himself:
"Losing my power also meant losing my shackles. This will be a long process... I'll start with this high-density spiritual ground."
A crescent moon hung high amidst the hazy clouds, faintly visible...