Show Me Your Shikai

That evening, in the dormitory, Lu Li was deep in thought.

He had heard Aizen's analysis as well. Combined with the upper limit of this mission's difficulty, he felt Aizen had a point.

Barring any surprises, Head Captain Yamamoto might really find a Captain to teach him a lesson.

If he were required to defeat a Captain with the same Reiatsu as him during the examination, it would undoubtedly be extremely difficult. That would conveniently keep him in the Spirit Arts Academy.

They could even say that it was not as though they had not given him a chance—it was simply that he was not good enough.

The Captain-Commander's intentions were good... provided he really was someone from this world.

But in reality, he was a traveler sent into this world by End Space. If he failed this speedrun, he would be erased outright. How could there be any chance for further study at the True Spirit Arts Academy?

"Sōsuke, which Captain do you think will serve as my special Examiner?"

Lu Li had hit a bottleneck in his thoughts, so he decided to ask his classmate Aizen, whose mind worked better than his.

This time, Aizen did not brush him off with vague nonsense. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Judging by the schedule, I believe three Captains could possibly be your Examiner."

"Which three?"

Lu Li asked curiously.

"The first is the Captain of the Fifth Division. I am fairly acquainted with one of the Fifth Division's Seated Officers. He mentioned some time ago that the Fifth Division has been quite idle lately, so their Captain may come serve as an Examiner."

Aizen analyzed, "He also said that their Captain is very powerful and belongs to the combat-oriented faction. If Lu-kun runs into him, it could be troublesome."

The current Captain of the Fifth Division was someone Lu Li had never heard of in the original work, named Akimoto Yoshitaka. However, he knew the Seated Officer Aizen had mentioned. He had met him when the man came to the academy some time ago—it was Hirako Shinji.

Hirako was still only a Seated Officer. He probably would not become a Captain until a century later, and Aizen would screw him over once after that.

"What else?"

Lu Li pressed.

"The other is Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, Captain of the Eleventh Division. According to my intelligence, he is not busy lately either. However, everyone in the Eleventh Division is a battle maniac who loves slaughter, and they have no sense of restraint when they strike. If he examines Lu-kun, that would truly be the worst possible draw."

Aizen's expression was grave as he analyzed the situation. Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's strength was known throughout Soul Society. No one bearing the name Kenpachi could be weak. Rumor had it that he had slain a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande alone and had even received an invitation from Zero Division.

"That sounds pretty good. So is there a best possible draw?"

Lu Li nodded.

Aizen gave Lu Li a strange look. He had nearly forgotten that his roommate was also a battle maniac who loved slaughter. Perhaps he would get along well with those Brutes of the Eleventh Division.

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "There is. Recently, the casualty rate among Gotei 13 soldiers has not been high, so the Fourth Division is not busy either. You can tell from how often Captain Unohana has come to teach recently. Captain Unohana has a gentle temperament, and she is a support Captain, so her combat strength should not be very high. If she serves as the Examiner, Lu-kun should have an easier time."

Lu Li's expression turned somewhat strange. This was supposed to be the best possible draw?

In a certain sense, she really was an opponent he liked, but when it came to how hard someone struck, Teacher Unohana was the most terrifying one, wasn't she!?

The hell did he mean, 'her combat strength should not be very high'? Other than the Captain-Commander, Teacher Unohana, the first Kenpachi, was probably the strongest in the entire Gotei 13 right now!

And Kyōraku Shunsui was not yet seasoned enough in this era. It was hard to say whether he was even a match for Unohana.

Seeing Aizen's serious expression as he analyzed things, Lu Li knew that Aizen probably was not messing with him. He could only say that even Aizen was not The Almighty.

At the very least, Aizen, still a student at present, did not know about Captain Unohana's "dark history."

After thinking about it, Lu Li asked again, "Sōsuke, what form do you think the examination will take?"

"Other than Reiatsu, it will most likely be an unrestricted fight. That is why I advised you to abandon the idea of graduating early."

Aizen said, "If they want to assess you comprehensively, they will have the Captain exert as much of their strength as possible. And Lu-kun, your combat ability being too strong is not necessarily a good thing."

Lu Li understood what Aizen meant. Because his combat ability was too strong, even a Captain would be unable to hold back.

Blades had no eyes. He might very well die directly during the examination.

Although the Captain-Commander seemed to appreciate him, this was the path he had chosen. If he truly lacked the strength and was killed by the Examiner during the examination, then he would merely be a minor episode in the history of the Spirit Arts Academy.

A dead genius had no value.

If he chose to take the special graduation examination, he would be tacitly signing a waiver of life and death.

"If their Reiatsu is at Sixteenth Grade, a Captain can still use Shikai, right?"

Lu Li mused.

Aizen nodded. "Of course. As for Bankai, you need not worry. Without using Reiwei above Third Grade, it is impossible to release Bankai."

Lu Li now truly understood the difficulty of "Nightmare." According to what Aizen had explained before, even if a Captain restricted their Reiatsu, the invisible enhancements brought by their attributes would not disappear.

Their displayed speed and strength might indeed be roughly the same as his, but they could see through all of his movements and react in time with countermeasures.

Under such circumstances, defeating a battle-hardened Captain was as difficult as ascending to heaven. If he drew Captain Unohana, it would be a nightmare within Nightmare difficulty.

He had always believed in his martial arts skill and combat instincts, but if he wanted to complete this mission, he needed other assistance.

Time was short. If he still wanted to improve significantly, he could probably only start with his Zanpakuto.

Moreover, although Aizen had not mentioned it just now, the geniuses in history who had graduated early had all done so only after mastering Shikai. This was most likely an unspoken requirement as well.

"Sōsuke..."

At this thought, Lu Li looked up at Aizen and made a certain decision. "Can you demonstrate your Shikai for me?"

He had figured it out. No matter what Aizen might become in the future, at least for now, they had a pretty good relationship. There was no reason for Aizen to harm him.

Setting aside whether Aizen would use Complete Hypnosis on him, even if he did, End Space should be able to help him resolve it after his return.

But if he failed the mission, he would be erased directly. He had no time to worry about trivial matters concerning Kyōka Suigetsu.

Right now, he had to master his Zanpakuto's Shikai!

"Lu-kun has finally remembered that you still have a hidden trump card."

Aizen smiled. "Do not worry. I will find a way to teach you Shikai within the next two days."

As he spoke, the Zanpakuto resting before his knees slid from its sheath. Its blade, fluid as flowing water, possessed a gentle beauty beneath the moonlight outside the window.

"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."

As Aizen murmured in his magnetic voice, an ethereal mist appeared over the Zanpakuto in his hand. Light refracted through the flowing water, irresistibly drawing in the eye and intoxicating the viewer.

Thanks to Detective Pikachu for the reward of 1,500 Points, and thanks to Heartless Iron Hand for the reward of 100 Points.