[Character Logged In: Azashiro Soya]
[Kenjutsu Level +1, Current Level: Lv. 64]
[Reiatsu Level +3, Current Level: Lv. 52]
[Obtained Exclusive Entry: Kido Mastery]
[Kido Mastery: A qualified Shinigami shouldn't just wield a broken sword and slash at their enemies. A true Shinigami should be—
Elegant!
The height of elegance: blanketing the battlefield with firepower while chatting and laughing, drowning your enemies in an endless torrent of Kido. Kido consumption reduced by 50%, power increased by 100%!]
Boom!
The breakthrough in Reiatsu made Kisaragi Akira's assault several times more fierce.
His Reiatsu flared like tendrils, swirling around him, while blades crisscrossed from every direction, each strike aimed straight at his opponent's vital points.
His body darted and flowed between the Reishi blades like water, as nimble as a swallow in flight.
His fierce, icy aura erupted without restraint, as if venting the anger in his heart.
Azashiro Soya furrowed his brow slightly, sensing something amiss with Kisaragi Akira. A trace of regret surfaced in his heart.
Perhaps...
Using the Nikkotsu District to provoke this young man had been a little too much.
"The gap between us can't be made up with skill."
Azashiro Soya remained calm as he said evenly, "There's an insurmountable chasm between our levels of Reiatsu."
"Akira, you can't stop me from doing anything."
The only answer was a vicious slash, fierce enough to cleave even the air before him in two.
The moment the blade fell, a sharp cracking sound rang out.
Mercy of the Death Sword!
The Kendo he had secretly learned from Unohana Retsu shone brilliantly in Kisaragi Akira's hands.
The blade's unpredictable trajectory shifted so cunningly that even Azashiro Soya, who controlled every strand of Reishi in the execution grounds, faltered for an instant.
Blades of Reishi crossed and wove into an inescapable net that descended over the battlefield. The air trembled, groaning under the strain.
Death Sword Style: Parting Clouds!
The crossing blades reflected a frigid face. Beneath the moonlight, the night became a vast curtain, and the First Kenpachi's sword style made a dazzling entrance from the execution grounds, steeped in the stench of blood—
A dazzling debut!
The Zanpakuto came down, as if an invisible hand had swept everything before it aside. The shattered blades scattered into countless particles of Reishi, and a bone-deep chill shot straight toward Azashiro Soya's face!
Clang!
The clash of metal rang through the execution grounds.
An invisible barrier stood firmly before him. No matter how much power and Reiatsu Kisaragi Akira unleashed, it remained unmoved.
The difference was plain to see!
Gazing at the scene before him, Kisaragi Akira tilted his head back slightly, his eyes ice-cold. His parched lips parted:
"Hado #33: Sōkatsui!"
Azashiro Soya looked startled, his pupils contracting.
He wasn't surprised by Kisaragi Akira's grasp of Kido. At such close range, however, the power of a Number Thirty-Three Hado would reach its peak.
But it would engulf them both!
A brilliant azure flame welled up along the blade. The instant it lit the execution grounds, scorching heat erupted!
The flames licked upward, instantly melting a loose strand of hair.
When he realized the young man before him had no intention of holding back, Azashiro Soya activated his own ability.
A torrent of Reishi became a raging storm, sweeping through the execution grounds until it completely extinguished the blazing azure fire.
The hard ground collapsed with a roar, turning into surging waves that rolled over one another. In an instant, they rose dozens of meters high, trapping and sealing the young man inside like a living creature.
"Though this may be a little presumptuous."
"Please forgive me for resorting to such a crude method."
Azashiro Soya ended the fight in an instant, as if he had done nothing of consequence.
He walked slowly up to Kisaragi Akira and explained apologetically:
"When I saw my sister, I changed my mind."
"Eradicating Hollows is the duty of the Shinigami, not the residents of Rukongai."
"When I forced a burden that didn't belong to them onto their shoulders, I may have become the very thing I used to despise most."
"Those Nobles who sit high above us and look down on us with disdain..."
Kisaragi Akira's expression shifted. He seemed completely unprepared for things to unfold this way.
"And the reason I said what I did earlier,"
Azashiro Soya sighed, "was simply to understand what you thought."
Kisaragi Akira knitted his brows. His violent aura eased somewhat as he asked suspiciously:
"So you were just trying to provoke me?"
"Then hoping I'd beat the crap out of you?"
At that, Azashiro Soya hesitated.
That was more or less the idea, but why did it sound so strange put that way?
"Please forgive me."
Azashiro Soya sighed and humbled himself.
He was a man of strong principles.
Kisaragi Akira had let him see his sister, yet he had tested him in such an insulting manner.
To some extent, that had already gone against his principles.
But for the future of the Soul Society, and the future of the Shinigami, Azashiro Soya would rather bear the blame for being misunderstood.
Though they hadn't known each other long,
Kisaragi Akira had already surpassed every genius of the past century.
If someone like him went astray, the destruction he could cause might even exceed Azashiro Soya's own.
But after this test,
Azashiro Soya believed that someone with such convictions couldn't stray too far, no matter how crooked the path ahead might be.
Perhaps, before long,
the name Kisaragi would spread throughout the Soul Society!
Azashiro Soya looked at the young man trapped by the raised earth, a thoughtful glint in his eyes:
"After I became captain of the 11th Division, all the property taken from the Azashiro Clan was returned to us—and we even got more than we had before."
"To thank you for everything you did tonight,"
"if you don't mind, please accept these worldly possessions."
At that, Kisaragi Akira's eyes lit up.
He hadn't expected this bonus. Azashiro really was a good guy!
First trust, then a fortune.
After all that, the acting he'd put in tonight had paid off.
"It's getting late. Time to head back."
Azashiro Soya glanced at the brightening horizon and released Kisaragi Akira from his restraints. "Someone will come to the Spiritual Arts Academy to discuss this with you."
"Goodbye, you two."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure shattered, dissolving into countless particles of Reishi that vanished into the air.
Just as Kisaragi Akira was congratulating himself on fooling everyone,
a calm, familiar voice sounded beside him.
"Akira, you've really worked hard."
Aizen walked slowly up to him, a teasing smile playing on his slightly raised lips:
"Such brilliant acting. You must have put in a lot of practice, haven't you?"
"Then let's take a guess..."
"Was I the one you've been deceiving with that performance all this time?"
At those words,
Kisaragi Akira's heart gave a sudden lurch. Looking at the gentle smile before him, he suddenly felt as if cold sweat were running down his back...
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