"Beyond Captain-level?" Yamamoto asked, puzzled.
Seeing his confusion, Toshiro realized 'beyond Captain-level' was his own classification for better distinguishing power levels, and it wasn't an official Shinigami concept. He explained, "It's like this. Since even among Captain-level, strength varies immensely, I added the 'beyond Captain-level' concept above Captain-level to differentiate more precisely."
Yamamoto nodded in understanding. "I see. Beyond Captain-level… indeed a good idea to better understand each Captain's strength."
Toshiro continued, "Whether it's Captain-level or beyond Captain-level, I feel my strength has reached the limits of a Shinigami. Now, every time I train, making further progress feels extremely difficult, as if an invisible barrier restrains me. Without breaking through this barrier to a higher level, my strength can hardly improve significantly."
"So, my question is: what is this higher level, and how can one break through to it?" Toshiro looked intently at Yamamoto.
"Ah, so that's what you wish to know," Yamamoto said.
"Yes. I believe no one understands this better than you, Sensei, the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years," Toshiro replied.
After a long pause, Yamamoto spoke, "Regarding a higher level... strictly speaking, it does exist."
"Oh? What exactly is this realm level Toshiro eagerly asked.
"This realm has never had a fixed name. If forced to give one, you could tentatively call it… God-level! Or perhaps Soul King-level," Yamamoto stated solemnly.
"God-level? Soul King-level?" Toshiro exclaimed, surprised. "The Soul King? Isn't that—"
"Correct. The very Soul King you've heard of," Yamamoto affirmed gravely.
The Soul King was the nominal ruler of the Shinigami world, the supreme existence. Nominally, the Gotei 13, the Royal Guard, all nobles and Shinigami in the Soul Society pledged allegiance to the Soul King.
However, the Soul King remained secluded in the Royal Palace, rarely appearing, shrouded in mystery. Even Toshiro knew little about him, with only limited knowledge from the original manga.
In the manga, the Soul King made a brief appearance before being easily killed, with no extensive portrayal. Toshiro didn't fully understand what kind of existence the Soul King truly was.
"So, what is God-level or Soul King-level like?" Toshiro inquired.
Yamamoto pondered before answering, "As known, a Shinigami's power manifests in Reiatsu strength and combat styles like Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho, and Kido. Through training, Shinigami enhance their Reiatsu and refine these abilities."
"However, no matter how much a Shinigami trains their Reiatsu and abilities, they eventually encounter the inherent limit of their soul's strength. Upon reaching this limit, further training yields no significant improvement. You could call this the Shinigami's limit… precisely what you're facing now."
"But if one can break this Shinigami's limit, they gain god-like power… akin to becoming a God. Since the only known entity with such divine might is the Soul King, this realm is also called Soul King-level."
"However, breaking the Shinigami's limit to become a God-like existence like the Soul King is nearly impossible. Throughout the Soul Society's countless years, numerous brilliant talents have emerged, yet none have succeeded." At this, Yamamoto sighed with emotion.
"Sensei, have you not broken the Shinigami limit to reach God-level either?" Toshiro asked.
"Correct. Even I cannot achieve it," Yamamoto admitted.
"But that doesn't seem right..." Toshiro frowned, puzzled.
"What seems off?" Yamamoto asked.
"If Sensei hasn't broken the Shinigami's limit, wouldn't that mean we're at the same level? Then our strengths should be comparable. But I don't believe my current strength matches yours," Toshiro reasoned.
From his recent battle with Aizen, Toshiro knew a gap still existed between him and Aizen, let alone Yamamoto, who was even stronger.
With his monstrous talent and Hyorinmaru's power, Toshiro believed he was at least unmatched within the same level. If Yamamoto and Aizen were truly at the same level, Toshiro was confident he'd be their equal, if not stronger. Hence, he suspected they were one level higher.
But Yamamoto claimed he hadn't broken the Shinigami's limit either, which confused Toshiro.
Hearing Toshiro's reasoning, Yamamoto explained, "It's true I haven't broken the Shinigami's limit to reach a higher realm. However, strictly speaking, my level is indeed half a level above yours."
"Half a level?" Toshiro questioned.
Yamamoto nodded. "Yes. Ultimately, while your strength has reached the Shinigami's limit, you've only recently reached it. I, however, reached this limit over two thousand years ago."
"Over these two millennia, although I couldn't advance further to break the limit and reach a higher realm, I've taken half a step forward. I'm only half a step away from God-level."
"God-level grants divine-like power. Since I'm half a step away, you could call my current realm 'Demi-god level' if categorized separately."
"Demi-god?" Toshiro mused.
'It seemed both Genryusai-sensei and Aizen were at this level.'
"Then how can I become a Demi-god?" Toshiro asked.
Yamamoto replied, "To become a Demi-god..."