"Whoosh—!"
Night fell right on cue. A crescent moon climbed slowly into the sky, scattering silver light across a sea of stars. A late evening breeze drifted lazily through every street and alley of Runlin'an…
Just as Fūjin Taichi and Fujiwara Tatsuma, under the power of the Royal Seal, were transported to the Hueco Mundo's Menos Forest to settle their score—
—the scene abruptly shifted.
Inside the duty office of the Shin'ō Academy—
"Bang!"
Kurosawa Shinichi slammed the attendance ledger onto the desk, clearly irritated as he complained to Saitō Jūshirō across from him:
"That Fūjin… he skipped curfew again! We can't keep letting him trample over academy rules like this. I'm reporting him to the disciplinary office next Monday!"
"You can't."
Saitō Jūshirō looked up from grading papers, his tone firm but composed.
"Breaking the rules is shameful, yes. But before we pass judgment, we need to understand one thing—why he's breaking them."
"…What do you mean?"
"From what I've seen, Fūjin spends all his time after class studying in the library. Even after being kicked out by Instructor Fujino for staying too long, he kept training by Mirror Lake."
"But still—"
"No 'but,' Kurosawa."
Saitō's voice softened as he continued patiently,
"If his intentions are right, then even breaking the rules should earn the understanding of his teachers."
"…Fine."
Kurosawa hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding. He struck Fūjin Taichi's absence from the record, but his confusion lingered.
"…I still don't get it. Why are you so set on defending him, Saitō-senpai? He's nothing special, is he? Is someone like that really worth your attention?"
He paused, then added:
"And I've also heard… that Tokio Tsunayashiro—the so-called 'number one of this generation' in the Special Advancement Class—is all hype."
"Rumor has it the real top student among the first-years is Fujiwara Tatsuma from Class 2… your student, right? But you don't seem to care much about him. Why is that?"
Saitō adjusted his round glasses and began to explain.
"Kurosawa… the truth is…"
Every year, thousands of Shinigami trainees graduate from the Shin'ō Academy. Among them are prodigies like Shiba Kaien and Ichimaru Gin.
Brilliant. Exceptional. The kind who shine effortlessly.
But in Saitō Jūshirō's eyes, very few of those so-called geniuses ever go on to truly distinguish themselves in the future.
Why?
Because they rely too heavily on their innate spiritual power and talent—and neglect the fundamentals: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō.
And when they finally join the Gotei 13…
Their strengths become their greatest weaknesses.
Against Hollows—or real enemies—their lack of foundational training leads to one thing:
They suffer the highest casualty rates among their peers.
That's why Saitō had little interest in "geniuses" crowned with empty titles.
Instead, he favored someone like Fūjin Taichi—a late bloomer who relied on effort.
Six months ago, Taichi had ranked dead last in the entrance exam. By all rights, he shouldn't have been admitted.
But Saitō noticed something unusual in his paper—
His understanding of Kidō stood out far beyond the rest.
So he made an exception and enrolled him.
Three months later, when Saitō saw him in class for the first time, he immediately sensed something different about the boy.
Born in the Rukongai, yet completely unfazed by noble arrogance or prejudice. He moved through the academy at his own pace—eating what he liked, doing what he pleased.
Unbothered. Unshaken.
Free.
And just as Saitō had predicted—
During the placement assessments, Fūjin Taichi excelled in all four disciplines—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō.
Only in Zanjutsu did he fall slightly behind the "genius," Fujiwara Tatsuma.
In the end, Taichi ranked first in his class and second in his year, transferring into Class 1 and earning a place in the Special Advancement Class.
Saitō was certain of it—
Given time, Fūjin Taichi would claim his place within the Gotei 13.
However…
That would depend on how he performed next Monday.
Because next Monday marked the graduation assessment for the sixth-year students.
On that day, over eighty students from Class 1 would be led into the Human World to participate in a Soul Burial exercise.
Officially, the exercise was meant to evaluate the sixth-years—their combat ability, leadership, and survival skills in the field.
But for the first-years of Class 1—the very best of their generation—
Their performance would also be recorded, forming part of their future graduation evaluation.
In other words—
For both the graduating class and the newcomers…
This exercise carried immense importance.
According to tradition, the exercise would be divided into three phases:
First—
The sixth-year students would secure the designated area in the Human World, eliminate potential threats, and erect a protective barrier—
Creating a safe and stable training environment for the first-years.
Second—
The most outstanding sixth-years of the cohort would lead the first-years through the Senkaimon into the Human World, rendezvous with the advance team, and then spread out to establish a perimeter.
Third—
Under the supervision of the sixth-years, the first-years would form teams of three and operate independently, fending off attacks from simulated Hollows provided by the Research and Development Institute, and purifying every target within the barrier.
And once the exercise concluded—
Everyone would return victorious.
The sixth-years would graduate smoothly.
The first-years would come back safe and sound.
A perfect ending.
But…
Was reality ever that simple?
…
Back to the present.
At the outermost edge of Hueco Mundo—in the Menos Forest—a golden barrier bloomed outward like a sphere, sealing Fūjin Taichi and Fujiwara Tatsuma inside.
"I'm coming at you, Taichi!"
Fujiwara Tatsuma dismissed the Royal Seal and, with a sharp shing, drew his Zanpakutō—Yukihime. His left hand slid swiftly along the blade as he murmured:
"Freeze the galaxy… Yukihime!"
Hiss—!
The temperature inside the barrier plummeted in an instant. It was as if the world had been dropped into an icy abyss—biting cold surged from all directions, and a frigid wind howled to life.
Another ice-type Zanpakutō…
Bracing against the cold, Fūjin Taichi's thoughts raced.
According to the Great Archive, Ōetsu Nimaiya of Zero Division once mentioned that two Zanpakutō capable of influencing the weather had emerged in Soul Society.
One was Hyōrinmaru—its wielder still unknown.
The other…
Was Yukihime.
So that's his blade, huh…
Taichi's eyes narrowed.
I wonder… would it be affected by Genryūsai Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka?
But more importantly—
If I let your Yukihime run wild like this…
Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to every fire-type Zanpakutō?
"Then I guess it's my turn."
Fūjin Taichi drew his own blade—Kyūjūkyū. His thumb dragged hard along the edge, splitting skin as blood welled up and ran down the steel.
"Burn the Eight Desolations, Kyūjūkyū!"
Clang—!
A phoenix's cry rang out.
Flames roared to life around Taichi, wrapping him in a blazing mantle. His blade turned a molten crimson, like steel fresh from the forge.
RUMBLE—!
The freshly formed glaciers began to collapse under the pressure of his scorching spiritual energy. Chunks of ice and snow crashed down in waves, the thunderous echoes rolling endlessly through the barrier.
Above them, searing heat and freezing vapor clashed violently, shrieking as they collided—
—and in the next instant, rain poured down in sheets.
Some say a Shinigami's battle is nothing more than a clash of spiritual pressure.
After all, the stronger side can overwhelm their opponent—crushing their Zanpakutō, nullifying their abilities, even preventing them from releasing their power at all.
But Fūjin Taichi didn't believe that.
Yes—greater spiritual pressure granted a natural advantage.
But that didn't mean the weaker side was doomed to die.
In other words—
Spiritual pressure mattered.
But so did everything else.
Ignoring the torrential rain, Taichi stepped forward with his right foot, drew his left half a step back, and leaned into a forward stance—his body curving like a drawn crescent bow.
"Then let's begin."
"Heavenly No-Mind One-Sword Style —"
"Kuzu Ryūsen (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash)!"
...
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