After ordering his guards not to follow, Rei went alone with the two captains to the outskirts. The contest had begun the moment they set out: it was a test of speed.
Clearly, the Shunpo Rei had taught himself during his travels fell far short of theirs. They had to hold back for him to keep up, yet those two shameless men still praised his strength. It seemed suspiciously like they were flattering him to set him up for a fall.
Once again, the sun was sinking in the west. Of the three, only Kyōraku was admiring it. He had even brought a flask of wine, intending to enjoy himself while watching the fight.
"Let's begin, young man!"
As Kuruyashiki drew his Zanpakuto, his Reiatsu surged to its peak.
"It's been a long time since I felt this kind of pressure."
Rei drew his Zanpakuto as well and raised his Reiatsu with all his might. The air instantly filled with a murderous tension.
Facing each other across the grass, the two charged. On their very first clash, Reiatsu erupted in every direction. Flowers, grass, and trees caught in its wake were pulverized in an instant, and a layer of earth was torn away.
That first clash was enough for Rei to understand how fearsome Kuruyashiki was. The force of the blow had split the skin between the thumb and forefinger of Rei's sword hand, and blood dripped from it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kuruyashiki wielded his blade with practiced skill, chopping, slashing, thrusting, and cutting. He swung one-handed, every strike packed with monstrous strength. Rei, also wielding his sword in one hand, was utterly suppressed.
Both met force with force, their Reiatsu crashing together. When Rei abandoned defense to thrust at Kuruyashiki, Kuruyashiki likewise gave up dodging, ready to trade wound for wound.
Drip, drip!
Blood dripped from Rei's left hand, which Kuruyashiki had cut. Rei's blade had grazed Kuruyashiki's left chest, leaving only a shallow scratch. Like a finger nicked by a small knife, it had drawn only a token trace of blood.
"Captain Kuruyashiki, the Reiatsu covering your body is really thick!"
"Ha! Nangong, you're the first person who's ever dared to stop my blade barehanded!"
"Thanks for the praise!"
"Let's keep going!"
A remarkably thick layer of Reiatsu covered Kuruyashiki's body. If Rei hadn't concentrated a great deal of Reiatsu at the tip of his blade, even with his Reiatsu already far above the standard Captain-level, he probably wouldn't have been able to scratch Kuruyashiki.
Rei's ruthless moves had also stirred a bit of competitive spirit in Kuruyashiki, who resolved to see just how strong Rei was without releasing his sword.
The two clashed again. This time, Rei swung with both hands and briefly gained the upper hand, his blade nearly reaching Kuruyashiki several times.
But once Kuruyashiki also switched to two-handed swordsmanship, the situation reversed in an instant. After a few clashes, Rei's hands were actually trembling.
"Ha ha, ha ha ha! This is exhilarating! Keep going!"
"Ha ha! It's been a long time since I've gone all out too, not since I killed that Vasto Lorde."
The exhilarating fight made Rei throw back his head and let out a long cry, while Kuruyashiki's Reiatsu had risen to the limit he could reach before Shikai.
Sparring with Maki and the others meant nothing to Rei; it could only be called playing around. Apart from his encounters with Yanis and Zaraki, he hadn't enjoyed a fight this much in a long time.
At the same time, Rei compared Kuruyashiki's combat strength with that of the Zaraki he had fought. This man's strength definitely ranks among the best of all the Kenpachi. Zaraki is no match for him before he fully matures!
Rei's hands had been injured by the impacts, and it would be unwise to keep meeting Kuruyashiki head-on without using Shikai. He used Shunpo to evade a slash and concentrated Reiatsu on his blade for a full-strength strike, but Kuruyashiki could react to it easily; his Shunpo was even faster.
The two entered a contest of speed, using Shunpo again and again. Seeing that he would be the first to get cut if it continued, Rei blocked with his sword, ending the contest. The two crossed Zanpakuto once more.
Kyōraku watched from the side, his gaze sharp. Kuruyashiki can suppress him by going all out. As things stand, his power is still within manageable bounds.
Bakudō #61, Six-Rod Light Prison!
The fight stopped. In the end, Rei was still too far behind Kuruyashiki. Bound by Six-Rod Light Prison, he couldn't move.
This was Kuruyashiki's advantage. He was highly skilled in techniques such as Kidō, which were also very useful in battle.
"Nangong, you really are impressive! I had to give it everything I had just to barely beat you!"
Kuruyashiki praised Rei with a smile, no longer addressing him with a casual term like "young man." He acknowledged Rei's strength, and Kuruyashiki knew very well how strong he himself was.
"You had me on the defensive the whole time. As I am now, I'm still far behind you."
Rei didn't let the praise go to his head. He knew full well that, in a fight to the death, he would be no match for Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.
After all, Kuruyashiki's strength was terrifying. He could kill a Vasto Lorde using only Shikai. After he took part in a test of his Bankai's power, the Seireitei's highest administrative body, Central 46, had ordered him not to use Bankai within the Seireitei.
Even among all the Kenpachi, he ranked near the top. Because of his great strength and his invention of something or other, he had been invited to join the Zero Division, which was responsible for protecting the Soul King.
Unfortunately, he had declined the Zero Division, mainly because he couldn't stand the boring work of standing guard.
"If you became a Soul Reaper, you could learn those things too! You'd gain quite a bit of strength then!"
Kyōraku spoke up at just the right moment. For someone eager to grow stronger, this was the perfect temptation.
They had repeatedly invited Rei to become a Soul Reaper in the hope of assimilating him. Once Rei formed bonds with some of the people in the Seireitei, he would definitely never become their enemy.
No one could see into another's heart. Even someone as powerful as the Captain-Commander didn't know what his subordinates were thinking and could only rely on intuition.
From the beginning, Kuruyashiki had felt that Rei's heart was full of "good," simply because, despite having power, he hadn't abandoned Maki and fled alone, but had chosen to protect the weak...
Now that I think about it, apart from going to Hueco Mundo and having Yanis keep absorbing Reiryoku for me to grow stronger, I don't have many combat skills at all. Maybe becoming a Soul Reaper would be a good choice!
Rei's only combat skills were Shikai, Shunpo, and Sonído. At most, he could add Yanis's abilities, Cero and Bala, which he didn't dare reveal unless it was a matter of life and death.
Seeing Rei's gaze flicker as he fell into thought, Kyōraku and Kuruyashiki tactfully left him to think and stopped bothering him.
"I'll join. Sorry for the trouble, but could you two get me in? I don't want to go to a boring place like Shin'ō!"
Rei's flickering gaze finally steadied. His handsome young face was full of resolve.
"Ha ha, that's going to be tricky. Are you planning to teach yourself Kidō? Still, with your talent, it shouldn't be too hard for you."
Kuruyashiki laughed heartily, making no attempt to hide the delight on his face.
"Kuruyashiki, given Nangong's personality, he's bound to join your 11th Division. He might even challenge you in less than a hundred years!"
Kyōraku took a sip of wine, a faint smile on his face.
"Isn't that wonderful? The greatest wish of my life is for a powerful Soul Reaper to fight me at my full strength, defeat me, and take the title of Kenpachi from me!"
As Kuruyashiki spoke, he looked straight at Rei, making no secret of his fighting spirit. Perhaps he could wait for the young man before him to grow stronger.
"You're exaggerating, Captain Kyōraku. To defeat him... why would I need a hundred years? Give me twenty and that'll be enough!"
Rei neither flinched nor looked away. Since Kuruyashiki wanted to wait until he grew stronger for another showdown, how could he be afraid?
The reason Blood Drink had been unwilling to manifest for so long was the fear in Rei's heart. As long as he cast aside that fear and swung his sword, Blood Drink was confident he could slay any enemy for him!
"What an arrogant thing to say. Just what I'd expect from a young man! Then I'll wait for you to challenge me in twenty years!"
"Then it's a promise!"
Kuruyashiki was still smiling, but he also grew serious. He was making an agreement to fight Rei in the future.
"So, Nangong, when do you plan to report to the Seireitei? We can come welcome you then..."
Kyōraku had watched the two arrange their future battle right before his eyes. Full of helplessness, he brought the conversation back on track.
"It's already late. I'll go tomorrow morning!"
Rei and Kuruyashiki's spar had lasted nearly half an hour, and the sun had completely set. Only now did the three belatedly realize it...
After they declined his invitation to come to his home and drink magical eastern leaves, Rei returned home alone, sat cross-legged, and entered Zan Zen to reflect on what he had gained that day.
Maki had already returned to the academy. He still had several years left in his course. It was said that a genius had emerged at their academy, graduating in just one academic year to become the Fifth Division's eighth seat. Rei knew him too; his name was Shinji Hirako!
At the same time, a great many outstanding students had appeared and had already been claimed by the various Squads. Maki was beginning to seem somewhat ordinary beside them.
Early the next morning, the Seireitei began to stir in the morning light. After receiving their assignments, the Soul Reapers set out through the Seireitei's four great gates and dispersed into the Rukongai.
At that moment, a man in a red shirt appeared at the Seireitei's Black Ridge Gate, the north gate. He walked slowly toward it with a Zanpakuto at his waist.
"Halt! Anyone who isn't a Soul Reaper may not—"
Boom!
Danzōmaru, who had become a guard at the Black Ridge Gate, was tremendously burly and held a Zanpakuto. He was about to carry out his duty and stop Rei, only to find the terrifying Reiatsu pressing down on him so hard that he could barely breathe.
It was a long time after Rei had passed before Danzōmaru recovered. In the Seireitei, the first to appear were two lieutenants. Rei had met the large man named Gosuke, but he didn't know the other, a woman with the appearance of a noble lady.
The two were Kuruyashiki's and Kyōraku's lieutenants, respectively. As captains, the two men had their own dignity and couldn't possibly come in person to welcome Rei, who held no position. Sending their lieutenants was already showing him considerable respect.
Rei naturally understood that as well. He wouldn't get angry over such a small matter.
Rei didn't take any sort of entrance examination. The two simply led him to register as a Soul Reaper, after which he would choose which Squad to join...