Boom!!
A hurricane erupted, howling as it surged. A violent shockwave burst out in front of Kisaragi Akira, sending turbulent air crashing in every direction.
Matsushita Takeo's heavy punch missed, leaving him wide open. Kisaragi Akira seized the opportunity and drove a straight punch into his broad chest.
There wasn't the slightest release of Reiatsu—only the pure strength of his body, what was known as physical strength.
The world of the Shinigami was strange. When people died in the Human World, their souls left their bodies and came to the Soul Society.
But it would be a grave mistake to think that the souls in the Soul Society were nothing but spirits.
Most things in the Soul Society were made of Reishi, while most things in the Human World were made of Reishi.
When a soul came to the Soul Society, its body was reconstructed from Reishi.
In other words, whether commoners or Nobles, the main components of their bodies were Reishi and souls.
When Reiatsu wasn't used in battle, the strength held within one's spiritual body became the key to victory or defeat!
Matsushita Takeo felt as though he'd been hit head-on by a charging rhinoceros.
The ferocious power packed into Kisaragi Akira's knuckles was no less than his own—if anything, it was even greater.
In an instant, his eyes bulged, countless blood vessels filling them and giving his eyeballs a strange new color.
His massive, thick-soled feet dug into the ground. Under the force pushing him back, they carved two deep furrows.
"Cough, you've got quite a punch!"
Matsushita Takeo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then tore off his blue-and-white uniform. His burly frame was revealed, and an oppressive presence, like that of a massive beast, bore down on everyone.
"But I'm going to be a captain!"
His roar rang out like thunder across the entire battleground, moving everyone with his fierce display.
By contrast, Kisaragi Akira wore a bewildered expression. He stared at his right fist in astonishment, as if he'd never been in a fight before, completely unable to make sense of the situation.
His dismissive attitude immediately angered Matsushita Takeo's friends. Their cheers and curses rang out, filling the surroundings with a cacophony of noise.
Aizen calmly watched the figures inside the Kido Barrier, a thoughtful look flickering in his eyes.
He didn't understand.
Why had Kisaragi Akira changed so drastically after communicating with his Asauchi?
It wasn't just that his Reiatsu had doubled. Even his spiritual body seemed denser, and the strength within him had multiplied, far beyond what it had been before.
What had happened?
Clearly, Kisaragi Akira was wondering the same thing.
But with his limited experience and somewhat empty head, he had no way of figuring out what had happened.
Even though the change had happened to him.
"Never mind. I'll stop thinking about it."
Kisaragi Akira gave up on killing any more brain cells.
He clapped his hands, then beckoned to Matsushita Takeo.
"Come on, big guy. Let's keep going."
Matsushita Takeo's breath came out in two thick streams of white vapor. He looked like a raging bull, and his seated-officer-level Reiatsu wrapped around him, bolstering his already formidable strength.
He stomped his massive foot against the ground. His burly frame shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling straight toward Kisaragi Akira.
Matsushita Takeo bent his right arm and drove his elbow down at the shorter Kisaragi Akira in a crushing blow.
The attack was powerful and ferocious, giving the impression that nothing could stop it.
He brought his strengths to bear to the fullest. This would be the strongest attack he had ever unleashed!
Watching the massive shadow charge toward him, Kisaragi Akira didn't meet it head-on as he had before. The moment Matsushita Takeo gathered his strength, Kisaragi Akira stepped back and bent his knees.
Then, to the astonishment of everyone watching, he leaped into the air, narrowly dodging the savage elbow strike.
Matsushita Takeo raised his head, his expression vicious. He immediately tried to attack the airborne figure, who couldn't change direction.
The explosive power packed into his towering frame, combined with his exceptionally long arms, was enough to let him reach several meters into the air with ease.
But Kisaragi Akira didn't give him the chance. The moment he leaped into the air, his excited voice rang out:
"Take this—"
"Crow Sits on Plane!!"
Matsushita Takeo's eyes widened. He hadn't heard what Kisaragi Akira had shouted.
But the crushing pressure brought back memories of the first time he'd encountered a Hollow.
A terrifying body several times larger than his own, the overpowering stench of blood—ferocious, savage, suffocating!
His instincts made him cross his arms in front of himself, trying to block Kisaragi Akira's attack.
The next moment.
Crack!
Boom!
Like a falling meteor, the impact sent a gale surging up from the ground. Dust churned in thick clouds, as if lava were erupting from a volcano. The shockwave roared outward in every direction.
Matsushita Takeo's arms snapped at the moment of impact, bruising in irregular patches. His burly frame crashed to the ground, leaving a huge crater.
When the dust settled, the surroundings fell silent.
Shock, astonishment, disbelief, confusion...
Looks and expressions like these spread across the faces of the spectators.
Aizen sighed and rubbed his forehead, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
Things seemed to be spiraling out of control again.
"Who's next?"
As he gradually got used to his newfound strength, Kisaragi Akira's confidence soared higher than ever.
Every single person here was trash!
At the same time, two figures—one tall and one short—stood by the railing atop a building north of the Kido Barrier, watching the scene.
"He certainly is full of energy."
The speaker was a bald old man. His grizzled beard hung down over his chest, and his long white eyelashes fell beside his gaunt cheekbones. His bearing was calm and imposing, inspiring awe without the need for anger.
"Is that the Kisaragi Akira who destroyed the Central Male Dormitory?"
Beside him, a white-haired, golden-eyed man with the air of a gentleman lowered his head respectfully and spoke.
"Yes, Captain-Commander."
"Kisaragi Akira is from District 76 of East Rukongai, Nikotsu. He's the Chief Priest of the Local Shrine."
The imposing old man lowered his gaze to the boy inside the Kido Barrier. His half-lidded eyes made it impossible to tell how he felt.
"The Spiritual Arts Academy is flourishing, and Sho Genshiro deserves much of the credit."
"Whether it's Matsushita Takeo or Kisaragi Akira, both will join the Gotei 13 in the near future and defend justice in the Soul Society."
"Geniuses should be treated differently."
Sasakibe Chojiro furrowed his brows slightly, puzzled by what the Captain-Commander meant.
Just as he was about to ask, the old man beside him spoke again.
"You can't raise a true genius in a greenhouse."
"Letting them experience some hardship early on may help them grow."
Before you continue