"Aizen, you go back first."
Ran Yan stepped through the crowd and approached his brother.
"Mm.""Brother, please be careful.""Don't beat Shinji-sensei to death."
Aizen glanced at his older brother, catching the undisguised chill in his eyes. The heart that once aimed to ascend as a god, overlooking all beings and treating people as pawns, suddenly rippled—like still water disturbed for the first time.
Am I feeling... cared for?I didn't expect something like this to make me happy.
"..."
Hirako Shinji's expression was slightly strained hearing that.
To everyone else, it sounded like concern.
To him, Aizen was clearly instigating his brother to kill him.
"Mr. Shinji," Ran Yan said, calm and cold."Kendo?""Or a real Shinigami battle?"
Hirako gave a noncommittal nod, then turned to face Ran Yan, standing opposite him.
"I'm invincible—you can do whatever you want."
His grin was relaxed, but full of confidence.
Yes, Ran Yan had abandoned the chant and cast Bakudō #81: Splitting Void. It had been shocking.
But Hirako could do that too. There was no way a freshman with only a few days of training could actually pose a threat to a captain.
Power is one thing. But the soul of a captain—that's something different.
"Since this is a kendo class, and you were in the middle of sparring with Aizen, let's finish what you started," Ran Yan said, resting his right hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"Sure."
Before the word even finished leaving his lips, Hirako Shinji stepped forward with a burst of Shunpo. His figure blurred, and in a flash he appeared in front of Ran Yan, blade slashing down like a mountain collapsing.
The blade cut the air itself, trembling with force.
It was a simple move.
A vertical slash. Classic. Brutal.
Simple—but in Hirako Shinji's hands, the power was monstrous.
Those watching didn't dare to say they could block it.
Shihouin Yoruichi would need Shunpo to retreat.
Urahara Kisuke? He'd toss all his gadgets and run.
Byakuya Kuchiki? Even if he used Shikai—Senbonzakura—the falling sakura petals would be cleaved in one strike.
That was the gap in Reiatsu.That was the gap in swordsmanship.
But then—
Clang!
Ran Yan stood rooted, calm. He raised his blade in one hand and countered with an upward slash.
The impact exploded in golden sparks. A wave of Reiatsu burst from the center of their clash, ripping through the wooden floorboards of the kendo hall, layer by layer.
Dust rose like a tide.
When it cleared—Ran Yan hadn't moved an inch.
Hirako Shinji's powerful strike hadn't even budged him.
He had blocked it, one-handed, with ease.
"Interesting.""No wonder your brother warned me to be careful."
"But if this is your strength, it's absurd to think you'd kill me."
Hirako's tone was casual, but a flicker of caution had entered his eyes.
That strike was no weaker than the one he'd used against Aizen earlier.
But Ran Yan took it like nothing. He clearly surpassed Aizen in both kendo and Reiatsu.
"Is that so?"
A golden light glinted in Ran Yan's eyes.
Reiatsu ignited from his body, surging like golden flame.
He tightened his grip. A crescent-shaped golden slash erupted from his blade, soaring into the air.
Boom!
Hirako's eyes narrowed. He gritted his teeth and tried to resist the force—only to be knocked back ten meters in a single breath.
Before he could recover, Ran Yan shifted his stance.
Now wielding his blade with both hands, he slashed forward again.
"The Way of the Sword: Two Breaks."
The air itself cracked. Spiritual particles evaporated as golden slashes carved the atmosphere.
Boom!
Hirako braced himself, slamming his foot down into the ground like a nail. He raised his Zanpakutō defensively just in time.
Crash!
The golden energy wave slammed into him.
He was launched backwards, tumbling through the air like a cannonball. Even using Reiatsu as footholds, he couldn't stop himself from being hurled across the kendo hall, scraping along the floor in a ten-meter trail.
"That's it?"
He forced a grin, panting heavily—but his eyes widened instantly.
"The Way of the Sword: Hundred-Step Flying Sword!"
Ran Yan now held the blade in one hand. He drew it back, then hurled it forward with all his might.
Roar!
The sword cry sounded like a dragon's scream.
It wasn't just the kendo hall—the entire Spiritual Arts Academy trembled under its force.
The hurled Zanpakutō morphed into a golden dragon of Reiatsu, coiling in mid-air, roaring toward Hirako with murderous intent.
"What sword technique is this?!"
Hirako raised his sword to block the dragon's upper jaw, bracing his legs and pouring Reiatsu downward to stop the dragon from biting down.
But the overwhelming force still bent his knees and forced his body to curl into a strained arc.
He couldn't stabilize.
He was sent flying—slammed through the air—and crashed straight into the rear wall of the kendo hall with a thunderous boom.