11th Division, Kenpachi

"He graduated with Fifth-Class Spiritual Pressure. Someone like me with Ninth-Class Rei'i can't compare to him.

Even if I passed the exam and joined the Gotei 13, I'd be a mid-ranking Seated Officer at best."

Tokoyo Misao smiled and waved a hand at the two of them.

"That's true, but Misao, are you really not going to apply for graduation?" Izuru Kira asked again.

In his mind, Tokoyo Misao's strength had long since surpassed the instructors at the academy. Continuing to study here would only be a waste of time.

After all, the three of them had studied under Tokoyo Misao for some time now, and all of them had improved tremendously.

Misao's abilities in every area were more than enough for him to become a Soul Reaper.

Tokoyo Misao rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before answering with a smile:

"Since things worked out so conveniently, I'll go ask the principal to let me graduate.

I hope he approves. Once I become a Soul Reaper, I can also visit Rukia at the Kuchiki Clan.

She must be awfully lonely, living alone with a noble family."

Momo Hinamori leaned closer and said, "What are you talking about, Misao? That's the Kuchiki Clan, the foremost of the Five Great Noble Clans. How could she be lonely? Rukia must be living happily like a princess every day."

Renji Abarai kept his mouth shut and said nothing. He merely put his hands behind his back and clenched his fists tight.

"Misao, if you pass the graduation exam, you could consider joining the Fifth Division.

I can't give you the lieutenant's position outright, but I can make you Fifth Seat.

And I believe that once you've had some time to settle in, you'll become lieutenant very quickly," Aizen said with a smile. "The Fifth Division's lieutenant position is still vacant."

"Wow, you can join the Fifth Division! Misao, hurry up and accept!" Momo Hinamori shouted excitedly.

Tokoyo Misao shook his head gently, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Captain Aizen. You probably know my situation, so I'd rather join the Sixth Division or the Second Division."

"I see. If there's anything you need my help with, just ask." Aizen nodded in understanding.

News that Tokoyo Misao was part of one of the Five Great Noble Clans had long since spread through the Seireitei.

But Aizen had the same doubts as Tokoyo Misao. The nobles' reaction was far too strange: they neither acknowledged nor denied it.

Moreover, the emergence of a great noble clan was bound to upset the existing balance.

Yet Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who valued stability above all else, had made no response either.

Aizen was growing more and more interested in Tokoyo Misao. While searching through records in his spare time, he could take the opportunity to look into the Tokoyo Clan as well.

"That's all for today, then. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Captain Aizen."

At the dormitory, Tokoyo Misao stood alone in the hallway, looking up at the full moon.

A silver thread flashed through his eyes. After confirming that there were no strange Spirit Ribbons nearby, he turned and went back to his room.

He slowly closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, laying his Zanpakuto across his legs as he entered Jinzen.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a boundless space of darkness.

There was nothing here. It was exactly like the space he had been in when he first met old man Tokoyo.

But he was certain that this was not the true appearance of his inner world.

Tokoyo Misao sighed and called into the endless darkness, "World-Crossing Principle, do you like it this pitch-black?"

He called his Zanpakuto by name, but received no answer for a long time. He simply lay back and floated in the darkness, then continued:

"You should know what Aizen is like. How could I reveal all my strength in front of him?

That's why I deliberately used the wrong release command.

Besides, didn't you taking the form of a crowbar prove that you supported me?"

The Shikai Tokoyo Misao had displayed at the academy was a false Shikai.

The World-Crossing Principle was not a crowbar at all.

When he deliberately chanted the wrong command, the World-Crossing Principle had played along, changing its form into an incomparably sturdy crowbar.

Although Tokoyo Misao said it had the title of the holy sword of physics, that crowbar was really just sturdy and tough. Nothing more.

But as long as it fooled Aizen, that was enough.

Suddenly, an ethereal voice drifted out of the darkness:

"I'm strong."

"I know, because I'm strong too." Hearing the World-Crossing Principle's reply, Tokoyo Misao kept his hands behind his head and continued floating through the dark space.

"There's no need to fear Aizen."

"Am I afraid?" Tokoyo Misao asked in return.

The dark space fell silent again.

"World-Crossing Principle, my inner world can't really be nothing but darkness, can it? Honestly, although I'm fairly used to a place like this, I'm not a dark person inside."

"Hmph!"

An ethereal snort echoed through the space.

Before Tokoyo Misao could even react, the blackness around him vanished in an instant.

The sun and the full moon hung together in the deep blue sky.

Black volcanic rock covered the boundless earth, but in the distance stood an enormous tree, its trunk reaching straight into the sky.

Yet crystal-clear spring water flowed from the cracks between those black rocks.

Across from the giant tree that seemed to hold up heaven and earth stood a skyscraper that likewise connected the two.

The entire space was utterly chaotic, with no discernible order.

Tokoyo Misao couldn't help sighing.

"What kind of mess is this inner world of mine?"

Chapter 48: 11th Division, Kenpachi

"Really? I'm quite satisfied with this environment."

The World-Crossing Principle's voice rang out. A blurry figure then descended from the sky, gradually coming into focus.

The figure looked exactly like Tokoyo Misao.

But his hair was grayish white, with half of it covering his left eye and leaving his right eye's scarlet pupil exposed.

He wore an academy uniform, though its base colors alternated between black and red.

"My inner world feels like a complete mess, with no real focus." Tokoyo Misao crouched on the black, cracked ground and sighed.

He had already seen the World-Crossing Principle's appearance while practicing Shikai at the academy.

He reached out and poked the clean black ground. It didn't feel like soil, but somewhat like metal.

The World-Crossing Principle walked over, stood beside him, and said softly:

"In the distance, there's a great tree capable of holding up heaven and earth, and across from it there's a skyscraper.

Crystal-clear spring water flows from cracks as parched as Hell.

There are also the sun and moon in the sky, and even the wind that blows from time to time is refreshingly cool. There's nothing wrong with it."

"As long as you're satisfied. You're the one who spends so much time here, after all." Tokoyo Misao decided not to dwell on it any longer. He looked up and asked the World-Crossing Principle:

"From what I remember, if I want to practice Bankai, I first have to materialize you and then make you submit, right?"

The World-Crossing Principle nodded gently. "According to the memories you shared with me, that's true. But as for whether that's exactly how it works, you'll have to ask the captains.

I don't think you can do it right now, though, unless you raise your Rei'i Grade to Fourth-Class or above."

"Oh, right." Reminded by the World-Crossing Principle, Tokoyo Misao immediately realized.

The reason third-class Rei'i was standard for captains was very likely that such a Rei'i Grade was needed to materialize a Zanpakuto from the inner world.

With exceptional talent, perhaps someone with Fourth-Class Spiritual Pressure could do it too.

The prerequisite for achieving any of this was to raise his own grade immediately.

That was no great difficulty. All he needed was to spend some time absorbing Reishi.

But he didn't want to strengthen his Rei'i to fourth-class or above right now, much less take it straight to a Soul Reaper's limit.

What was the difference between relying solely on stats and using cheats?

There was no fun in that at all.

As Tokoyo Misao's Zanpakuto, the World-Crossing Principle understood his thoughts instantly:

"Then go out and have fun for now. We can talk about this when you decide to use my power or need Bankai."

"That works. Looks like it's about time." Tokoyo Misao stood up, then suddenly turned and asked:

"Do you think I could bring someone else's Zanpakuto into my inner world to keep you company?

Wouldn't it be too boring for you to stay here alone otherwise?"

"I don't want to share this world with anyone else, and neither do you, do you?" the World-Crossing Principle replied calmly.

"If you really think I'm bored, why don't you raise your Rei'i to a Soul Reaper's limit and materialize me?"

"It's not time yet, but don't worry. There'll be a chance."

Tokoyo Misao waved at the World-Crossing Principle, closed his eyes, and vanished from the inner world.

Only then did the World-Crossing Principle look up at the sun and the full moon in the sky.

He raised his right hand and brushed aside the hair covering his left eye.

His left eye had no eyelids at all. There was only an eyeball with a silver pupil sitting in the socket.

The left eye alone looked exactly like the Eternal Eyes mark on Tokoyo Misao's arm.

The World-Crossing Principle thrust out his left hand and grabbed at the air. Reishi gathered in his palm, forming a black eyepatch.

He covered his left eye with the patch and murmured:

"It's not time yet.

I just want him to have fun."

As Tokoyo Misao applied for early graduation, on the balcony of the Captain-Commander's office at the First Division Barracks.

First Division lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe opened the door, stepped onto the balcony, and stood beside the Captain-Commander. He spoke respectfully:

"Lord Genryūsai, Tokoyo Misao applied for early graduation today.

He has successfully learned Shikai, and his Rei'i has reached ninth-class."

After reporting the information on Tokoyo Misao from the past two days, Chōjirō Sasakibe fell silent and stood quietly to the side.

Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai gazed at the setting sun with narrowed eyes, both hands resting on his cane. After a long silence, he spoke:

"Tell the academy that if Tokoyo Misao wants to graduate early, he must join the 11th Division."

What? Chōjirō Sasakibe nearly cried out in surprise, but held himself back. His eyes widened, his pupils trembling.

"Lord Genryūsai, do you want him to inherit the title of Kenpachi?"

Kenpachi was a title that only the captain of the Gotei 13's 11th Division could bear.

It also represented the strongest fighter among all the captains.

Of course, whether that person was truly the strongest was another matter, but bearing the name Kenpachi and becoming captain of the 11th Division was no simple feat.

A special title necessarily came with special responsibilities and duties, entirely different from the normal rules for promotion to captain.

There were no complicated rules for becoming Kenpachi. One only had to kill the previous Kenpachi.

However, for special reasons, the previous Kenpachi had been confined in Muken, the eighth level of the Central Great: The Jail, leaving the 11th Division without a captain.