This recommendation for the 5th Division's Captain, Aizen, was entirely orchestrated by the Yamamoto faction.
Of course, according to the Captain Succession's rules, even if Aizen was jointly recommended by Kyoraku, Unohana, and Ukitake, he could only officially become the Captain of the 5th Division if Kyoya and the other two did not oppose it.
However, under normal circumstances, Ginrei, Isshin, and Kyoya would not object.
Especially now, when the Gotei 13 was missing so many Captains, the emergence of a new Captain would serve as motivation for many Shinigami and increase their sense of security.
"Enter, Aizen."
Following Yamamoto's words, the meeting hall's doors opened once more, and a middle-aged man with black-framed glasses, tousled curly hair, and a gentle smile stepped inside.
"Aizen Sosuke, greetings to all Captains."
Though, if approved this time, Aizen Sosuke would also become the Captain of the 5th Division.
For now, however, Aizen was still the Lieutenant of the 5th Division. He had no intention of provoking the Captains over something as trivial as 'disrespecting seniors' and risking failure at the final hurdle.
"Lieutenant Aizen."
Yamamoto said solemnly, "To pass the captain selection, aside from requiring recommendations from three Captains and approval from six, you must also demonstrate the strength befitting a Captain."
"Will you choose to showcase your Bankai to us, or would you prefer to select one Captain among us and endure their attacks for half an hour?"
For the Captains, opponents below Captain-level could be defeated within ten minutes even without Bankai.
With Bankai, they could even instantly defeat non-Captain-level opponents.
Only a Captain-level individual could last half an hour against another Captain.
Of course, if the difference in strength was too great, or if abilities countered one another, there were cases where battles could conclude swiftly.
"If you choose to showcase your Bankai, you may first briefly explain its abilities. We will then select a suitable location for you to release it."
A Shinigami's Bankai is their most powerful technique.
If released carelessly, certain Bankai with immense destructive potential could cause permanent damage to the Seireitei.
For example, Yamamoto's Bankai, Zanka no Tachi.
Even if Yamamoto did not attack, merely maintaining his Bankai would evaporate all moisture in the Seireitei, forcing even the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto out of their Bankai state.
Or, the seventh Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki's Zanpakuto, Gagaku Kairo. Once released in Bankai, it could devour and crush everything within a radius of several spirit miles.
It's precisely because of the overwhelming power of Bankai, the Seireitei has a ban on Zanpakuto's release.
This ban specifically refers to Bankai!
Only when the Seireitei faces a crisis, or when permission is granted, may Captains release their Zanpakuto.
If a Bankai is released without permission and the Seireitei is not in danger, the offender would face trial by the nobility of the Seireitei.
This was one way the nobility kept the Gotei 13 in check.
Even for Captain Selections, the location for showcasing or combat would be determined based on the candidate's Zanpakuto abilities.
"As everyone knows, my Zanpakuto is a water-based illusion-type ability. Its Shikai obscures the enemy's vision and disrupts their perception, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe."
"The Bankai expands the range and greatly enhances the ability to disrupt the enemy's perception, making it unsuitable for demonstration."
Hearing this, the Captains nodded in agreement.
Indeed, for direct-attack or Kido-type Zanpakuto, a single release and attack would allow everyone to gauge the strength and effect of the Bankai.
But for illusion-type or rule-based Zanpakuto, their external effects are not visually observable. To understand their true power, one must experience them in actual combat.
"Therefore, I choose to endure half an hour under the attacks of one captain."
"Understood."
"So, which Captain do you wish to challenge?"
Yamamoto asked.
At the same time, his gaze flickered with a trace of concern as it passed over Ginrei.
Among the seven remaining Captains of the Gotei 13, Ginrei was arguably the weakest in terms of combat strength.
There was no helping it… he was simply too old.
Moreover, Ginrei only has third-class Reiryoku.
That is to say, in short bursts, Ginrei could exhibit Captain-level strength.
Or, if not engaged in intense close combat, Ginrei's mastery of Kido allowed him to hold his own among the Captains.
Aizen, based on his previously displayed abilities, was not exceptionally outstanding.
Even among Lieutenants, Aizen was not the most outstanding.
The only thing was that Aizen was the first to complete his Bankai training.
Additionally, Aizen's Reiryoku had also reached the 3rd-class.
This was precisely why Yamamoto and the others had decided to appoint Aizen as the Captain of the 5th Division.
To successfully complete the Captain Assessment, Aizen was highly likely to choose Ginrei as his opponent.
"All of the Captains here far surpass me in both age and strength."
"Only Captain Kyoya is young, so I must ask for your leniency later!"
"Oh?"
Kyoya raised an eyebrow.
Even Yamamoto and the others were surprised by Aizen's choice.
What kind of joke was this?
Did Aizen really believe that because Kyoya had been a Captain for the shortest time, he was the weakest?
Was Aizen really that shallow?
As for Kyoya, the corners of his lips had already begun to curl upward.
Unlike the others-
Well, to be precise, the others didn't truly believe Aizen's reasoning for choosing Kyoya either.
But Kyoya knew exactly why Aizen had chosen him.
Kyoya had once demonstrated the ability to project distant scenes before his eyes in front of Kyoraku.
This ability was a direct counter to Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu.
After all, the essence of Kyoka Suigetsu's ability was to manipulate the five senses of its targets.
But even Aizen Sosuke couldn't simultaneously manipulate the five senses of every Shinigami in the Seireitei.
Kyoya leaned toward the belief that Aizen could only control the five senses of those within a certain range of his Reiatsu.
Ayashiro's ability allowed him to directly touch the blade of Kyoka Suigetsu, rendering him immune to Aizen's illusions. Similarly, Kyoya's ability, to some extent, countered Kyoka Suigetsu.
If Aizen were to use Kyoka Suigetsu to conceal his actions while Kyoya happened to observe him from outside the range of Aizen's ability…
Without fully understanding the extent of Kyoya's abilities, Aizen wouldn't feel at ease.
Taking advantage of this Captain Assessment to probe Kyoya's limits was Aizen's goal.
If possible, Aizen would likely eliminate Kyoya during some future mission.
At the very least, he would ensure Kyoya left the Seireitei, just like Kisuke and the others!
"It's true, compared to the other esteemed Captains, I am still very inexperienced."
Kyoya stepped forward from the ranks and smiled at Aizen, "Even compared with, Lieutenant Aizen, I'm sure I fall short in many aspects."
Kyoraku didn't know what the others thought upon hearing Kyoya's words.
But he was different.
He had interacted with Kyoya many times and knew that Kyoya rarely spoke idly, so if he said something, there was always meaning behind it.
'In other words, Kyoya genuinely believed he was inferior to Aizen?'
Silently lowering his straw hat, Kyoraku glanced at Aizen from the corner of his eye.
In his mind, he reviewed all the information he had on Aizen.
Before, he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
But now, as he revisited Aizen's records, Kyoraku sensed something… off.
It was too perfect.
Every detail about Aizen could be traced back to documented evidence.
This even included his personality as a youth and the events that had shaped his character.
It was as if it had all been deliberately prepared for others to examine.
"It's an honor to be chosen by you, Lieutenant Aizen."
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I am willing to serve as Aizen's examiner and do my utmost to allow him to demonstrate his full strength."
After a moment of contemplation, Yamamoto decided on the location for Kyoya and Aizen's battle.
"Since neither of you has any objections, we shall use the 1st Division's training grounds as the assessment site."
In Yamamoto's view, Aizen's Bankai leaned toward illusion-based abilities, while Kyoya's Bankai enhanced his control over 'light'.
Neither of their Bankai posed significant risks to the environment.
Moreover, this assessment wasn't a life-or-death battle. It was highly likely that neither of them would go all out… it was more of a formality.
Under such circumstances, the 1st Division's training grounds were more than sufficient for their fight.
"Understood."
…
Whoosh…
The wind howled fiercely.
Yamamoto and the other Captains were positioned at various points around the training grounds.
They were not only witnesses to Aizen's Captain Assessment but also safeguards to prevent Kyoya and Aizen's battle from causing excessive damage to the 1st Division.
Their placements ensured that no matter how intense the battle became, they could fully block any residual effects of the fight.
"Captain Kyoya, here I come!"
Drawing his Zanpakuto from his waist, Aizen smiled at Kyoya before his Reiatsu erupted beneath his feet, propelling him toward Kyoya at blinding speed.
It had to be said that Aizen's disguise was flawless.
As the challenger, he naturally wouldn't let Kyoya strike first. Instead, he positioned himself as the 'underdog'.
"Ha, Lieutenant Aizen, isn't it a bit too arrogant not to release your Zanpakuto the moment you engage me in battle?"
Facing Aizen's sudden assault, Kyoya raised his right hand, his index finger glowing with a golden light.
"Laser!"
Whoosh-
In an instant, a golden beam shot forth, streaking straight toward Aizen.
Boom!
The golden laser pierced straight through Aizen's figure, striking the ground behind him with a deafening explosion. Flames erupted, forming a towering inferno over ten meters high.
The surrounding air distorted violently from the sheer heat of the blast.
The image of Aizen that had been pierced by Kyoya's laser warped and shattered, revealing his true form-
Aizen's Shihakusho!
The black Shihakusho, now exposed, was instantly incinerated by the scorching flames, turning to ash before it could even hit the ground.
"Utsusemi?" Kyoya remarked in surprise, "I didn't expect you to have mastered the Shihoin Clan's secret techniques, Lieutenant Aizen."
"Ah, I once had some dealings with Captain Shihoin," Aizen replied, his figure reappearing as he explained, "Thanks to her generosity, I was able to glimpse a fraction of the Shunpo's true essence."
"…"
Kyoya chuckled lightly.
He believed that Aizen had indeed interacted with Yoruichi.
But the idea that Yoruichi had 'generously' allowed him to learn Utsusemi?
Kyoya suspected that Aizen had used Kyoka Suigetsu's power to secretly observe her training.
If Yoruichi were still in the Seireitei, Aizen would never have dared to reveal his mastery of Utsusemi during this assessment.
"Captain Kyoya is truly terrifying."
"You haven't even released your Zanpakuto, yet you can already wield its abilities…"
A Zanpakuto's power wasn't just derived from the Hollow's abilities before it was forged into an Asauchi… it also reflected the Shinigami's own essence.
For prodigies, even without releasing their Zanpakuto, their Reiatsu could carry traces of its abilities.
For example, Hitsugaya's Reiatsu is freezing cold, and even the Reiatsu he released unconsciously can freeze ordinary people to death.
Yamamoto's Reiatsu was explosive and scorching.
Aizen's Reiatsu gave him a natural advantage in learning illusion-type Kido like [Kyokko].
Aizen hadn't expected Kyoya to achieve something similar.
"Hah? Aizen, when did I ever give you the illusion that I hadn't released my Zanpakuto?"
In response to Aizen's compliment, Kyoya chuckled and said, "This is the Captain Assessment, Lieutenant Aizen."
"I'm not arrogant enough to think I can defeat another Captain without releasing my Zanpakuto!"
It had to be said that Aizen's words carried a certain weight.
Even though Kyoya was merely echoing words the future Aizen would say, just speaking them aloud made him feel as if his own 'capacity' had expanded slightly.
At the same time, Kyoya was subtly calling out Aizen's arrogance.
After all, Aizen had attacked him without even releasing his Zanpakuto. While it could be seen as probing, it also indicated that Aizen hadn't taken Kyoya seriously from the start.