This was completely outside Bai Chen's expectations.
Without the slightest warning—
The space behind him, which should have been utterly empty, suddenly rang out with a deep, thunderous shout.
"An insolent brat from Soul Society…"
"This place does not welcome strangers who trespass at will…"
The voice was low and heavy, carrying unmistakable hostility.
Clearly—
Whoever had spoken harbored no goodwill toward Bai Chen's intrusion.
"You are…?"
Still facing away, Bai Chen felt momentarily startled when he heard the voice.
But almost immediately—
A sense of familiarity surfaced.
A dark, broad face flashed through his mind.
When Bai Chen slowly turned around and looked toward the source of the voice—
He needed only a single glance.
And his expression instantly turned vivid.
"So it is you."
"Urahara Kisuke's partner… the former Grand Kidō Master…"
"Tessai."
At the far end of Bai Chen's vision stood a towering, muscular figure, arms folded across his chest, scrutinizing him from a distance.
Oversized reflective glasses.
Sparse hair nearing baldness.
An old-fashioned work outfit that accentuated his solid build.
At that moment—
Tessai looked exactly as Bai Chen remembered from the anime.
The only difference was this—
To Hachigen, Bai Chen was no longer a harmless visitor.
But an unauthorized intruder.
The former warmth and simplicity were gone.
His tightly furrowed brows revealed just how guarded he was right now.
"…Huh?"
"You actually know who I am?"
The moment Hachigen met Bai Chen's gaze, his seasoned instincts kicked in.
His identity had already been exposed.
The hostility in his eyes instantly sharpened—
Cold, piercing, and dangerous.
In truth—
Even if Bai Chen hadn't recognized him—
From the moment Bai Chen deliberately stepped into this area, Hachigen would never have allowed him to leave freely.
The reason was simple.
First—
The Kidō barrier Bai Chen had detected earlier—
The one blanketing this entire district—
Had been personally constructed by Tessai himself.
And over decades of refinement, its concealment had reached perfection.
Under normal circumstances—
Only someone of equal Kidō caliber, or at least not far behind, could have discovered its existence so quickly.
But the problem was—
In Hachigen's eyes, Bai Chen was simply too young.
More importantly—
He was still wearing the white uniform of the Shin'ō Academy.
As the former Grand Kidō Master—
Hachigen had lectured at the academy countless times before his defection.
He knew exactly what that uniform represented.
Their eyes locked.
A silent standoff formed in midair.
After a brief pause—
Unwilling to risk prolonged uncertainty—
Hachigen spoke first, his gaze icy and unyielding.
"Speak!"
"Who are you?!"
"And why did you deliberately enter this place—what exactly are you searching for?!"
Each question landed like an explosive shell.
Reinforced by reiatsu, the pressure was overwhelming.
Unfortunately for him—
This level of intimidation was completely ineffective against Bai Chen.
After all—
Bai Chen had long since grown accustomed to standing among captain-class Shinigami.
Hachigen's words alone were nowhere near enough to shake him.
"If I said…"
"That I was simply passing by during a Soul Burial internship…"
"You wouldn't believe that explanation anyway, would you?"
At this point—
Bai Chen had already realized something.
His intrusion had triggered Hachigen's deeply ingrained vigilance.
No matter how he explained himself now—
It would only deepen the misunderstanding.
Clearly dissatisfied with Bai Chen's response—
Hachigen's final shred of patience was exhausted.
This time—
He abandoned words entirely.
And chose action instead.
"Kidō Barrier—Activate!"
His calloused palms slammed together.
Hachigen's eyes narrowed—
And in that instant—
As his vast reiatsu surged outward and fused with the surrounding air—
The concealed Kidō barrier Bai Chen had sensed earlier finally revealed itself with a deafening roar.
The air rippled violently.
Though the Human World's reishi density was far lower than Soul Society's—
Under Hachigen's control, the scattered particles condensed rapidly.
Within a few breaths—
They formed a massive, translucent white dome, like glass forged from light.
From afar—
It resembled a curtain descending from the heavens.
Completely isolating this entire district from the rest of Karakura Town.
"A Kidō barrier modeled after the Seireitei's protective wall…"
"That's quite a construction."
Bai Chen lifted his gaze, admiring the arched light above.
Without seeing it firsthand—
He would never have imagined something like this hidden in such a desolate suburb.
It was obvious—
To remain hidden from Aizen's scrutiny—
Hachigen had poured decades of effort into perfecting this barrier.
"Enough of your lies, you brat from Soul Society…"
"No matter your true purpose…"
"Once I subdue you, I'll pry every answer out myself."
Without giving Bai Chen another chance to speak—
Hachigen released even more power.
"BOOM——!!!"
A towering wave of reiatsu erupted.
With the barrier sealing the area—
Hachigen no longer worried about holding back.
His reiatsu—and the Kidō he was about to unleash—
Would not be detected by the Soul Society's Research Bureau.
"Tessai…"
"If you insist on fighting…"
"Then I'll entertain you."
Bai Chen stood unmoved as the pressure washed over his face.
Not only was he calm—
A faint, amused smile curved his lips.
After all—
The sign-in reward was already secured.
The required number of souls for the internship had been completed via Wood Release clones.
And there was still plenty of time left.
If that was the case—
Why not stay and have a proper Kidō match with a former Grand Kidō Master?
A perfect test—
For the newly acquired Four Red Yang Formation.
At that moment—
Seeing Bai Chen remain utterly unfazed—
Even smiling—
Hachigen finally snapped.
He saw it as a blatant insult to his dignity.
Clenching his teeth, he began a full incantation, voice booming with fury:
"O ruler, mask of flesh and blood—
All creation, flutter forth and bear the name of man—
Etch twin lotuses upon the wall of blue fire,
And descend from the abyss of blazing heaven!"
"Hadō No. 73 — Twin Lotus Blue Fire Crash!"
As the incantation ended—
Hachigen thrust his palms forward.
Backed by captain-class reiatsu and centuries of battle experience—
Two blazing spheres of fire condensed instantly in his hands.
In less than a second—
The temperature inside the barrier soared to a blistering peak.
Even the air began to warp.
"As expected of the former Grand Kidō Master…"
"Even after a century in the Human World, with sparse reishi…"
"The moment you enter combat—"
"You immediately return to your prime."
Bai Chen praised him sincerely.
Hachigen roared in response.
"Save it!"
"My mastery of Kidō has never required anyone's approval—"
"Not even Yamamoto Genryūsai's!"
He hurled both blazing spheres forward without hesitation.
Yet—
As the flames rushed toward Bai Chen—
Hachigen's eyes widened.
Bai Chen didn't move.
No reiatsu surge.
No incantation.
No attempt to evade.
As if he had already resigned himself to the hit.
But Hachigen knew better.
He instantly raised his guard.
And just as the fire was mere meters away—
Bai Chen finally spoke, calmly:
"Bakudō No. 81 — Dankū."
No anger.
No raised voice.
No chant.
He spoke the name casually—
Like idle conversation.
The next instant—
A massive, translucent blue barrier manifested before him.
The twin fire explosions detonated violently—
But not a single crack appeared on the barrier.
The flames roared.
The air ignited.
Yet Dankū stood immovable.
Hachigen's expression shattered.
"…Impossible!"
"A chantless Dankū… blocking Twin Lotus Blue Fire Crash?!"
"How did you do this?!"
His worldview collapsed.
Both were high-level Kidō.
The gap in numbers was minimal.
And yet—
The result was absolute suppression.
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
"Surprised?"
"Plenty of captains in Soul Society have worn that same expression."
The truth was simple.
It wasn't that Hachigen was weak.
It was that Bai Chen's control over reiatsu was absolute.
Every Kidō he cast operated at several times its normal efficiency.
And now—
It was his turn.
"Tessai…"
"Defense is over."
"Now—try enduring my Kidō."
As his words fell—
An overwhelming reiatsu burst from Bai Chen's body.
The air screamed.
Dust billowed.
Hachigen's pupils shrank.
"What…?!"
"That level of spiritual pressure—"
"A student?!"
"Three-tier captain-class at minimum?!"
Only now did Hachigen understand—
Why chantless Kidō had been enough.
And as the pressure crushed down on him—
Before Bai Chen even began his next spell—
Hachigen realized one terrifying truth.
This fight had already surpassed his expectations.
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