"Hm?"
"Besides Hakuda… Bai Chen actually excels in swordsmanship as well?!"
It wasn't just Unohana Retsu.
At this very moment, even Kyōraku Shunsui beside her was taken aback by the sword aura Bai Chen had just released.
A month ago, Bai Chen had once shattered an entire training ground with a single punch.
And over the past week, he had remained at the Onmitsukidō headquarters, growing increasingly close to Soi Fon.
Because of this,
Kyōraku had subconsciously assumed—
That Bai Chen's talent and cultivation leaned more toward Hakuda.
But it was precisely this preconceived notion—
That led Kyōraku astray.
He had never imagined that,
Aside from Hakuda, Bai Chen's aptitude in Zanjutsu would be even more terrifying!
It was simply unbelievable.
"Tsk tsk tsk…"
"Two of the Shinigami Four Techniques, both at max-level talent?"
"The strength Bai Chen is showing… it's hard not to feel jealous."
Ichimaru Gin spoke with his usual ambiguous tone.
It was impossible to tell whether his words were genuine praise—
Or merely polite theatrics.
As for Aizen—
This time, he didn't offer any verbal admiration.
Behind the reflective lenses of his glasses, a subtle change flickered through his eyes.
Clearly—
Even Aizen, who was normally calm as still water,
Had felt a rare ripple in his heart when that razor-sharp sword intent swept past and lifted his bangs.
However…
Aizen did not view Bai Chen's extraordinary talent with hostility.
On the contrary—
The stronger Bai Chen appeared, the more satisfied Aizen felt.
In fact, it still wasn't enough.
This mere glimpse beneath the iceberg was far from sufficient to satisfy Aizen's desire to probe deeper.
"Beyond sword intent…"
"In terms of pure sword technique, you shouldn't disappoint either… should you?"
His dark, profound gaze locked onto Bai Chen from above.
Aizen murmured softly, anticipation glinting in his eyes.
Meanwhile—
Compared to the captains,
The Sixth Years were far less composed.
"This is way too abnormal!"
"That kind of sword pressure—I've never felt it from our sword instructors in six whole years!"
"How can Bai Chen possibly be this strong?!"
At the edge of the arena,
Among the hundred-plus Sixth Years who hadn't entered the field,
Uneasy exclamations rang out nonstop.
Earlier,
When that tangible, cutting sword pressure swept toward them—
Those standing in the front rows had even felt as if the hair on their foreheads was about to be sliced off.
That eerie sensation not only crushed their confidence—
It also planted fear deep in their hearts.
Though the fear had not yet fully spread,
When they looked at Bai Chen again, their eyes no longer held only hostility—
But a deep, unmistakable wariness.
"Everyone, don't panic."
Sensing the rapidly dropping morale,
The previously silent top student, Hisagi Shūhei, finally stepped forward to stabilize the situation.
"Presence alone does not equal combat power."
"Even if Bai Chen's sword intent is overwhelming, it doesn't change the fact that he's surrounded."
"At this distance, unless he has three heads and six arms, it's impossible for him to block the attacks of fifty people at once!"
Holding the wooden sword across his body, arms folded,
Hisagi spoke with calm certainty.
At the same time—
The fifty Sixth Years who were already attacking showed no signs of hesitation.
Rather than slowing down, they swung their wooden swords even harder.
They were determined to use sheer numbers—
To knock Bai Chen down before he could even raise his blade.
However—
What they failed to realize was that,
Even at this short distance,
It was already more than enough for Bai Chen to unleash a Konoha-style sword technique.
He raised his hand.
The blade shifted.
Bai Chen did not swing.
Instead, gripping the hilt, he rotated the specially-made wooden sword clockwise—
Circling it up and down in a smooth, controlled motion.
The next instant—
BOOM!!!
A sword intent far more massive than before—
Instantly condensed along the sword's trajectory, taking on solid form!
It shone brilliantly, like a full moon suspended in the air!
"Konoha-Style Sword Art—"
"Secret Sword · Moonlit Night of Radiance!"
With a low shout,
Bai Chen's sword aura surged to its absolute peak!
When intent and momentum fused—
A dazzling, luminous full moon materialized around him!
From afar,
Bathed in silvery radiance—
Anyone would mistake it for a real moon forged from sword intent!
Unsurprisingly,
When this scene—like a heavenly phenomenon—appeared,
The entire arena erupted into chaos once more!
"Condensing sword intent into physical form!"
"That's something only a grandmaster-level swordsman can achieve!"
"Bai Chen… is he actually a hidden swordmaster?!"
"That's impossible!!!"
In the stands,
The academy headmaster and all instructors stared at the lifelike full moon—
Their pupils trembling violently!
They were utterly shaken.
None of them had imagined Bai Chen was hiding such terrifying depth!
They had thought the sword pressure earlier was already his limit—
But now they realized—
The shallow ones were them.
A limit?
It didn't exist.
Through system-transmitted memories,
Bai Chen's mastery of Konoha-style sword arts had long reached the pinnacle.
In swordsmanship,
He truly possessed grandmaster-level strength.
"No—"
"That's not an illusion!"
"Nor a projection!"
"That full moon is formed from supreme sword intent, fused with tangible reiatsu!"
"That's why we can see it so clearly!"
The academy's most senior sword instructor shouted in horror, his voice trembling.
"From this moment on—"
"The one in danger is not Bai Chen…"
"But the Sixth Years!"
"When that moon strikes, they'll all be instantly defeated!"
As he finished speaking,
The instructor's back was already drenched in cold sweat.
Only now did he finally understand—
Why Bai Chen had remained still from the start, allowing himself to be surrounded.
It wasn't arrogance.
It was impatience.
Dealing with them one by one was simply too troublesome—
So he intended to wipe the field clean with a single strike.
And just as predicted—
What followed perfectly confirmed his words.
CLANG—!!!
Moonlight rang.
Cold radiance flashed.
With a light sweep of Bai Chen's blade—
The enormous moon of sword intent swept violently across the arena!
Because the Sixth Years had already committed to their strikes—
They couldn't withdraw in time.
Even knowing disaster was imminent,
They could only watch helplessly as the gentle moonlight consumed their vision.
In the end—
Those fifty airborne figures froze midair—
Then fell one after another like leaves in autumn!
And yet—
The moonlight slash did not dissipate.
Driven by surging sword energy,
It continued to surge toward the corner of the arena!
Most shockingly—
The gaping fissures carved into the ground along its path—
Cleanly split apart the arena floor made of Sekkiseki!
Which meant—
Bai Chen's secret sword technique…
Was powerful enough to pierce Sekkiseki itself!!!
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