Mang Jian unsheathed his sword with one hand.
It looked nothing extraordinary, but was a double-edged sheet of beaten steel.
But the Blind Executioner of 100 Zanpakuto School hadn't unsheathed his sword to show Kai the blade.
With his Zanpakuto in the open, it unleashed the Reiatsu that Mang Jian had been holding within.
And it hit Kai with the force of a world.
His entire body shuddered as if he had regained his ordinary body and stepped into a bath of ice-cold water.
Kai let out a breath, and his breath misted.
Even the golden armor, granted by the Interesting Mongrel Standalone Title, rattled.
A heaviness settled on his eyes, like the one a man experiences before succumbing to cold… slowly accepting the embrace of death.
"… Immeasurable," Kai commented, his white hair flowing like water. "No wonder…"
Mang Jian, for the first time, showed an expression other than blankness, his brows tilting up by the slightest degree.
The System measured Reiatsu, or Spiritual Pressure, as Spiritual Class, and it had six levels — Basic, Average, High, Great, Immense, and Immeasurable.
Reiryoku, or Spiritual Power, was measured as Spirit Class instead, ranging from 1 to 20, with 1 being the densest.
During his Side Mission in the Pirates of the Caribbean Bubble, when Kai had unleashed his Reality Marble for the first time, he had also gained Ayin as his Zanpakuto, unlocking these two stats.
In one go, Kai had achieved Immeasurable Spiritual Class, his Spirit Class standing at 1 as well.
However, only with time did he realize that, in the grand scheme of things and on the level of top players, Reiatsu was the greatest defining feature of an individual.
Reiryoku, or Spiritual Power, was nothing but internal spiritual energy, like Od was an individual's innate Mana storage. The Spirit Class being on level 1 meant that the said individual had the densest and largest possible reserves of Reiryoku. It was ideal, but not something one would exclusively seek after, as with time, the Spirit Class was bound to rise anyway.
Reiatsu, or Spiritual Pressure, on the other hand, was what differentiated the Strong from the Weak.
It was the externalized presence of one's spirit.
It was not neutral, like Reiryoku, lacking any taste.
Reiatsu carried personality, intent, trauma, discipline, experiences, emotions, and… will.
What the Conqueror's Haki was in One Piece Bubble, Reiatsu was for Bleach. However, the latter was much more personal and innate, as it grew with an individual like a lifelong companion.
Mang Jian raised his brows not only because the full brunt of his Reiatsu was enough to paralyze any 12th Floor Contestant, but also because… Red had recognized its level.
Kai took a deep breath.
His arms were crossed regally against his chest.
His slitted hazel eyes, donning purple demonic rings, pulsated, involuntarily fighting the cold embrace.
Slowly, Kai raised his forefinger.
BOOM!
The Cursed Vault of Fear reeked of blood.
Despair, Destruction, and a will to Devour all and everything pervaded the surroundings.
Tears of blood streamed down the corners of Mang Jian's closed eyes, the sword in his hand rattling in the same way Kai's golden armor had.
Mang Jian's feet shuffled.
His left leg was forced to lift off the ground.
But before he could stumble back, Mang Jian flicked his sword ever so slightly.
It was as if someone, far beyond galaxies, had ripped a piece of paper.
With a BANG, Mang Jian put his left foot down, regaining his stance.
Opposite him, Kai uncrossed his arms and touched his face with the same finger he had unleashed his Reiatsu.
When he brought his finger away from his face, there was a drop of blood on it, a tiny, bloody scar on his face healing instantly.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
Joy, from the depths of his heart, came exploding out, making even Mang Jian frown.
This was it, Kai realized, not hiding the smile on his face. The Compass of Desire hadn't lied to him.
"Why didn't you go to other Vaults first?" Mang Jian asked, as if the clash of two Reiatsu had never taken place. "There are two with lesser bounties than me, and one with higher."
Kai noticed that Mang Jian had misread his smile.
The Blind Executioner must have thought that Kai now knew the identities of the rest of the four Contestants at Hogwarts. In his opinion, Red had purposely sought him out, knowing his background.
"Haha!" Kai laughed at that misunderstanding. "I… just wanted to fight the strongest."
"…" The corner of Mang Jian's mouth lifted slightly. "Why do you think I am the strongest?"
Even after years, Kai still had no idea who the rest of the Contestants were at Hogwarts. If he wanted to, he could perhaps ask Purple Mist, but that would take the fun out of it. And, for him, fun mattered as much as victory.
Also, if it were anyone else in Mang Jian's place, then Kai perhaps would have never recognized him.
However, he had always been interested in the 100 Zanpakuto School since his earliest days in the Primordial Tower.
It was unlike any other faction, existing solely for Power.
No political schemes. No underhanded deals. No betrayals or backstabbing for personal gain.
It was the haven where all swordsmen gathered to walk on their individual paths with only one thing in mind — to keep moving forward!
This could be one of the rare times when the 100 Zanpakuto School had decided to send a Contestant along with others, Kai believed.
"Mang Jian, the Blind Executioner of 100 Zanpakuto School," he said, Murasame and Sounga appearing in his hands. "Bounty — $1,800,000,000 berries."
"As I said," the blind swordsman replied, "it's not the highest…"
Kai cut off his sentence and continued. "A Bounty gained in one sweep," he said. "With one step, you entered the Billion Club, remaining bountyless till the 10th floor…"
Mang Jian's brows now rose as high as they could. "… how?"
Kai smirked, reading the most secret piece of information directly from Betty Shaw's mind, who didn't mind sharing it.
"You are the strongest—," The Emperor said, pointing the blade at him, "—because you killed a Glitched Order's Contestant…
"… a Floor higher than you, Mang Jian!"
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