The two drew their blades at the same time.
Whoosh! — Azashiro Sōya's figure vanished instantly from his original position.
Clang! — Tōsen Kaname, eyes tightly shut, intercepted the incoming strike without the slightest error.
Although Tōsen had already demonstrated his blind-fighting prowess throughout the tournament, the audience still erupted in gasps of astonishment.
"I've already figured out how to expose your weakness, Kaname!"
Sōya let out a loud laugh and raised his left hand in Tōsen's direction.
As his hand moved, Tōsen used the rebound from parrying to quickly leap backward.
But Sōya hadn't been aiming at Tōsen directly.
"Bakudō #37: Tsuriboshi!"
A sphere of Reishi appeared in his palm and rapidly spread into a net over the ground.
He cast multiple Tsuriboshi in succession. In no time, the entire arena floor was covered in a Reishi web.
Sōya stood atop the net and carefully suppressed his Reiatsu signature.
His plan: disrupt Tōsen's spiritual perception using the web itself.
Tōsen's combat heavily relied on sensory awareness. If Sōya could rob him of that, the match would be decided.
"Trying to interfere with my perception like this, huh..."
Tōsen saw through the tactic immediately.
But he didn't interrupt.
His perception wasn't limited to spiritual sense alone.
Though blind, his other senses were far more acute than the average person's.
He detected an almost imperceptible sound coming from the right — the sound of moving air.
Clang! — Tōsen blocked again, this time parrying a slash aimed at his waist.
"You blocked that?!"
Sōya's eyes widened.
But in that split-second of shock, Tōsen retaliated with a swift kick, landing it squarely in Sōya's abdomen.
Sōya's face twisted in pain.
Tōsen didn't give him a moment's rest. He swept Sōya's blade aside and swung again.
Slash!
Sōya, gritting his teeth and trying to evade, still couldn't fully dodge the attack.
A deep cut now stretched from his right shoulder to his chest.
"Sōya's tactic failed!" Kyōraku Shunsui laughed heartily.
Everyone in the guest seating — captains and vice-captains alike — could tell what Sōya was attempting.
"The kid overthought it. Kaname probably picked up his position through sound," Nanatsuki said, shaking his head.
"He had a decent shot if he'd just fought clean. Trying to be clever only handed Kaname an opportunity," Yoruichi said flatly.
"Kaname's rapid progress lately must have put pressure on him," Nanatsuki added.
"To catch even that faint sound... what a prodigy."
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi rubbed his chin in admiration.
Sōya had hoped to use Tōsen's blindness to his advantage — minimizing movement noise — but it hadn't been enough.
On the arena, Sōya tried to widen the distance.
Tōsen gave him no such luxury, pressing the attack relentlessly.
Clang! Clang! Clang! — Sōya was forced to parry again and again.
"Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!"
In a rare opening, Sōya seized his chance — several rods of Reishi light rained from the air, forcing Tōsen to retreat.
Once Tōsen backed off, Sōya quickly resheathed his sword.
This motion was immediately familiar to any disciple of the Katori-ryu.
A streak of flowing light burst forth.
Clang! — The light crashed into Tōsen's blade, driving him back mid-air.
The Live Blade Tournament was fought on a large arena stage, but there were still boundaries. Falling outside meant disqualification.
"Your senses are sharp, but I still found my opening!"
Sōya laughed. "When it comes to raw Reiatsu, I won't lose to you!"
Reiatsu surged violently through his body and into his blade, reinforcing the force of the Reiatsu Blade driving Tōsen backward.
Tōsen was being pushed rapidly toward the arena's edge.
Sōya had always had a slight edge in Reiatsu compared to Tōsen.
At this rate, Tōsen wouldn't be able to stabilize himself mid-air before being flung out of bounds.
Yet, there was no trace of panic on Tōsen's face.
"Cry... Suzumushi."
His Zanpakutō vibrated with a sudden surge of spiritual pressure.
A strange buzzing filled the air — like the wings of an insect.
The vibration ran down the length of his Zanpakutō and into the forceful Reiatsu Blade pressing against it.
Crack! — Tiny fractures spread across the front edge of Sōya's Reiatsu Blade — then it shattered completely.
"What?!"
Azashiro Sōya's face froze in disbelief.
Tōsen Kaname had secretly achieved Shikai!
And his Shikai could destroy Reiatsu Blades!
Having shattered the pressure holding down his blade, Tōsen raised it high overhead.
"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō!"
Countless razor-like blades rained down from the sky, falling like a storm upon Azashiro Sōya's position.
The sheer volume of blades made Sōya's scalp tingle.
There was no way to block them all head-on.
"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"
A circular Reishi shield appeared in front of him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of blades striking and scraping echoed as the barrage hit.
Fortunately, Sōya was well-versed in Kidō. He could cast Enkōsen without incantation — otherwise, he might've been overwhelmed by the attack.
But Tōsen wasn't finished.
As the rain of blades ended, he followed up with a close-range slash.
Sōya barely sidestepped and responded with his own counter:
"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"
Flames of thunder burst from his palm.
The Reishi web from earlier still remained on the ground.
The blue fire struck the Reishi net and spread rapidly through it.
"Rise!"
He lifted his arm — and with it, the Reishi web covered in flame surged upward.
A net of searing flame swept in from all directions, enclosing Tōsen like a trap.
This was Sōya's true finishing move.
"So the Reishi web on the ground had this purpose too?"
Kyōraku Shunsui's eyes gleamed. "This kid's sneakier than he looks."
Sōya had sparred with Tōsen countless times at the dojo.
Tōsen's perception was so sharp, it felt like an invisible wall surrounded him. Every time Sōya got close, he was discovered.
Combined with his terrifying reflexes, breaching Tōsen's defense was nearly impossible.
In the past, Sōya's only wins came from overwhelming Tōsen with raw Reiatsu.
But recently, Tōsen's power had been growing rapidly. It was becoming harder and harder to win through brute force.
So Sōya had devised this setup — a situation that Tōsen couldn't escape with perception alone.
"Take this! This move was designed by Kakyō herself!"
Sōya shouted with pride.
Tōsen's blade trembled slightly.
The burning net of lightning bore down upon him like a tidal wave.
Sōya's words stoked a strange fury in Tōsen's heart.
Though he didn't want to admit it, part of his coldness toward Sōya stemmed from watching Sōya grow closer to Kakyō.
Every time Kakyō went to Rukongai, she took Sōya with her — never him.
But he had been the one to know her first!
"You dare use Kakyō's technique... against me?!"
Suzumushi buzzed violently, its blade trembling with rage.
Anger erupted from Tōsen's core.
He swung Suzumushi with all his fury.
A wave of fire surged forward, slamming into the flaming net.
The lightning-web shattered under a storm of bladed flame.
Flames laced with blades burst through, tearing the net apart — and kept surging straight toward Sōya.
Suzumushi Sanshiki: Crimson Tide!
The flaming wave engulfed Azashiro Sōya in an instant.
Moments later, the Reishi web scattered and collapsed.
Sōya could no longer maintain it.
Tōsen stood still, silently, making no effort to dispel the flames.
Only when he felt his teacher's Reiatsu from the guest seating did he scatter the fire.
"...Did I go too far?"
Feeling Nanatsuki's spiritual pressure, Tōsen suddenly jolted back to awareness.
When the flames dispersed, Sōya lay on the ground — scorched black and unconscious.
"Tōsen Kaname is victorious!"
Danmu Zōsuke announced, stunned:
"What a breathtaking battle! The tide turned so many times — I honestly thought Azashiro Sōya was going to win. But Tōsen ended it with a terrifying final technique!"
Sōya was carried away by the medical team.
Tōsen, standing still, sensed Kakyō behind Hoshino Rie, and the thought he had moments ago vanished.
Most of their classmates had come to watch, since Sōya looked seriously injured.
But Tōsen only focused on Kakyō.
She knelt beside Sōya, checking his injuries.
Tōsen's fists clenched tighter.
In the guest seating.
Nanatsuki frowned deeply.
He could tell Tōsen had intentionally gone overboard — so he released pressure on him to cool his head.
But he didn't understand where Tōsen's hostility came from.
As a captain now, he had more duties than before and didn't have as much time to speak with his students like when he worked at the academy.
Yoruichi glanced at Kakyō, then at Tōsen and Sōya, as if putting the pieces together.
"Come to think of it... Kakyō mentioned something once..."
She stroked her chin.
Everyone turned toward her.
"Kakyō said... she thought Tōsen might have feelings beyond friendship for her. But she didn't feel the same..."
Yoruichi sighed. "I told her to talk it out clearly with him... but now it seems like that might've made things worse."
As the one Kakyō confided in, Yoruichi had tried to help. But relationship advice wasn't her strength.
"This sort of thing really is hard to handle," Nanatsuki muttered.
Tōsen had resentment, but Sōya hadn't done anything wrong.
Kakyō was gifted in Kidō. Sōya was deeply interested in it. Naturally, they had common ground and grew close.
Based on what Nanatsuki knew, Sōya probably just enjoyed being around Kakyō. There was no romance involved... not yet anyway.
But who knew what time would bring? Boys grow up eventually.
"Let them handle it themselves," Kyōraku said with a knowing tone. "They're young. That kind of fire is normal. When you're our age, you never feel that way again."
"I don't get it... just fight it out and be done with it."
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi shook his head.
If it were him, a single brawl would clear everything up.
"Once they graduate, we should assign them to different squads. These petty grudges will fade with time."
"Yeah... I can take one of them. Squad 13 still needs a good vice-captain."
Unohana Retsu and Ukitake Jūshirō began making suggestions.
"I remember Sōya saying he wanted to join the Kidō Corps... probably because of Kakyō," Nanatsuki said, raising a brow.
"In that case, it's doomed," Kyōraku sighed, throwing up his hands.
Sōya joining the Kidō Corps would only pour oil on the fire in Tōsen's heart.
"As their teacher, it's not my place to interfere in their feelings..."
Nanatsuki sighed.
Even parents could barely manage such things, let alone a mentor.
All he could do was keep an eye on them, and make sure no lasting damage was done.
System Notification
[Live Blade Tournament concluded. Disciples' results finalized.]
[Azashiro Sōya: Runner-up — Rewards: 10,000 General Ability EXP, +1 random skill proficiency level.]
[Tōsen Kaname: Champion — Rewards: 20,000 General Ability EXP, +3 random skill proficiency levels, +1 disciple binding slot (one-time reward per student year).]
Nanatsuki received a total of 30,000 General Ability EXP and 4 skill level-ups.
He opened his skill panel.
Tōsen's champion rewards had gone entirely to:
Hadō #78: Zangerin
The skill jumped straight from Basic to Mastery level.
Zangerin was a slashing-type Hadō technique, somewhat overlapping with Nanatsuki's swordsmanship — so he rarely used it.
But now that it had reached Mastery, he could cast it using Post-Chanting, which gave it new tactical value.
Meanwhile, Sōya's runner-up reward had leveled:
Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui, from Proficient to Expert.