I mean, everyone here is trash!

BOOM!!

A hurricane erupted, howling and churning as a violent shockwave exploded in front of Kisaragi Akira, transforming into chaotic currents that battered the surroundings.

Matsushita Takeo's heavy punch missed, leaving his guard wide open. Kisaragi Akira seized the opportunity, landing a direct punch squarely against his sturdy chest.

There was no burst of spiritual pressure; there was only the raw power of the physical form—what is known as spiritual body strength.

The world of the Shinigami is a strange one; the souls of those who die in the living world shed their physical bodies and arrive in the Soul Society.

But to assume that the souls in the Soul Society are purely spiritual would be a grave mistake.

Most things in the Soul Society are composed of reishi, while most things in the living world are composed of kishi.

When a soul arrives in the Soul Society, its body is reconstructed from reishi.

In other words, whether they are commoners or nobles of the Soul Society, their primary components are reishi and the soul itself.

When not utilizing spiritual pressure in combat, the strength contained within the spiritual body becomes the deciding factor in victory or defeat!

Matsushita Takeo felt as if he had been struck head-on by a charging rhinoceros.

The violent power contained within Kisaragi Akira's knuckles was not inferior to his own; it even exceeded it.

In an instant, his eyes bulged, countless bloodshot veins filling them and adding a peculiar color to his gaze.

His thick, massive feet dug firmly into the ground, carving two deep furrows as he was pushed back by the immense force.

"Cough, that really packs a punch!"

Matsushita Takeo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and tore off his blue-and-white school uniform, revealing his hulking physique. A sense of intense pressure, like that of a giant beast, surged forth.

"But I am the man who is going to become a captain!"

His roar was like thunder, echoing throughout the combat arena and leaving everyone moved by his stance.

In contrast, Kisaragi Akira stood opposite him with a blank expression, staring at his own right fist in bewilderment, as if it were his first time fighting and he couldn't make sense of the situation.

This dismissive attitude immediately enraged Matsushita Takeo's friends, whose cheers and curses filled the air, creating a noisy commotion.

Aizen watched the figure inside the kido barrier with a calm gaze, a flicker of contemplation passing through his eyes.

He did not understand.

Why had Kisaragi Akira undergone such a massive transformation after communicating with his Asauchi?

Not only had his spiritual pressure multiplied, but his spiritual body seemed more condensed, and the power contained within his frame had doubled, far exceeding what it had been before.

What, exactly, had happened?

Clearly, Kisaragi Akira was pondering this same question.

But with his meager knowledge and slightly empty brain, he couldn't figure out what had occurred.

Even though the change had originated from within himself.

"Forget it, I won't think about it."

Kisaragi Akira gave up on the act of killing more brain cells.

He clapped his hands together and beckoned to Matsushita Takeo, signaling:

"Come on, big guy, let's continue."

Matsushita Takeo's nostrils flared, exhaling two thick plumes of white steam. Like an enraged bull, he channeled his seat-level spiritual pressure, which wrapped around his body and bolstered his already formidable strength.

With a violent stomp of his massive feet, his hulking frame turned into a cannonball, hurtling straight toward Kisaragi Akira.

Matsushita Takeo bent his right arm, launching a heavy, crushing elbow strike toward the relatively shorter Kisaragi Akira.

The momentum was fierce and ferocious, giving off an unstoppable feeling.

He was pushing his advantages to the limit; this would be the strongest attack of his life!

Watching the massive black shadow rushing toward him, Kisaragi Akira did not meet it head-on as he had before. Instead, the moment Matsushita Takeo gathered his strength, he stepped back and bent his knees.

Then, to the astonishment of the onlookers, he launched himself into the air, perfectly dodging the vicious elbow strike.

Matsushita Takeo looked up, his expression savage and his face twisted, immediately attempting to strike the figure in the air who had no way to change direction.

The explosive power hidden within his tall frame, combined with his extraordinary arm length, was enough for him to easily reach several meters high.

However, Kisaragi Akira did not give him that chance. The moment he leaped into the air, an excited voice rang out:

"Eat this--"

"Crow Takes Flight!!"

Matsushita Takeo widened his eyes, unable to clearly hear what Kisaragi Akira had shouted.

But the intense pressure suddenly reminded him of the first time he had encountered a Hollow.

A terrifying body several times larger than his own, the strong scent of blood, violent, cruel, and suffocating!

Instinctively, he crossed his arms in front of him, attempting to block Kisaragi Akira's strike.

The next moment.

CRACK!

BOOM!

A meteor crashed down, whipping up a gale that churned the dust and smoke into a roiling torrent, much like magma erupting from a volcano. The violent impact sent shockwaves rippling out in every direction.

Matsushita Takeo's arms snapped the instant they collided, bruising into irregular, unnatural shades. His hulking frame collapsed with a thunderous crash, cratering the ground beneath him.

When the dust finally settled, silence reigned over the surroundings.

Shock, bewilderment, disbelief, incomprehension...

Expressions and gazes of this ilk flickered across the faces of the onlookers.

Aizen sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead with a look of helplessness in his eyes.

It seemed things were spiraling out of control once again.

"Who's next?"

As he grew accustomed to his surging power, Kisaragi Akira's confidence soared to unprecedented heights.

Everyone present, every last one of them, was nothing but trash!

Meanwhile, atop a building to the north of the dueling barrier, two figures—one tall, one short—stood by the railing, watching the scene unfold.

"He certainly is full of vigor."

The speaker was a bald old man with a gray beard hanging down to his chest and long white eyelashes drooping over his gaunt cheekbones. His demeanor was calm and imposing, radiating an air of authority that required no anger to command respect.

"Is this the boy, Kisaragi Akira, who destroyed the Central Male Dormitory?"

Beside him, a middle-aged man with white hair and golden eyes, looking every bit the gentleman, bowed his head respectfully.

"Yes, Captain-Commander."

"Kisaragi Akira hails from East Rukon District 76, Nikotsu, and serves as the priest of the local shrine."

The imposing old man lowered his gaze, fixing it on the youth within the Kido barrier. His half-closed eyes made it impossible to discern his mood.

"The Spiritual Arts Academy is flourishing, and Okikiba Genshiro deserves much of the credit."

"Whether it be Matsushita Takeo or Kisaragi Akira, in the near future, they will both become members of the Gotei 13, defending the justice of the Soul Society."

"Geniuses should be treated differently."

Sasakibe Chojiro frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled by the Captain-Commander's meaning.

Just as he was about to ask, he heard the old man speak once more:

"True geniuses cannot be raised in a greenhouse."

"Perhaps witnessing cruelty early on will be more beneficial to their growth."