Hearing Akira bluntly say that talent was on his side and casually dismiss the status of the Kuchiki family, Byakuya Kuchiki's expression turned frosty.
He had been raised from infancy to be the heir of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, and since his earliest days in the Kuchiki manor, he'd been praised endlessly—genius, prodigy, unshakable nobility.
Yet all of that seemed laughably dim when compared to Akira .
Whether it was yesterday's Reiatsu test, where Akira 's pressure bent the very air, or his earlier Zanpakutō forging, where he achieved Shikai within a day, Byakuya had already recognized it—
—there was a chasm between them. In Reiatsu, in Zanpakutō comprehension, in presence.
"What's going on?"
"Why are Little Byakuya and Akira arguing again?"
"He's really too sensitive, huh?"
"But man, this is getting wild."
"What do you think's gonna happen?"
Rather than step in, Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, and several other prodigies watched with growing amusement, munching on spiritual peaches and enjoying the spectacle.
"Talent, is it?"
Byakuya narrowed his eyes.
"Then show me—what kind of talent allows someone to speak so arrogantly?"
"To toss around the name of the Kuchiki Clan so lightly?"
[Your Kidō says that person named Sōsuke must learn how to 'act cool' properly—otherwise, your act's going to collapse. He's decided to back you up. After serious effort, he's now mastered every Hadō and Bakudō from 1 to 60—all in abandoned-chant form.]
Akira 's lips twitched. His Kidō system was such a tsundere.
Powerful, dramatic, and always eager to flex.
But also… pretty loyal.
"So, how do you want to do this?"
Akira didn't rise from beneath the tree's shade. He simply raised his hand, palm up, fingers open—aiming at the clear blue sky above the Spiritual Arts Academy.
The motion stirred murmurs among the students watching nearby.
All eyes turned toward him, faces filled with curiosity and anticipation.
"The Shinigami way," he said calmly.
"If you wish to defend the Kuchiki family's pride…"
"…then let it be through Kidō."
Byakuya straightened, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword as if ready to switch to Zanjutsu at any time.
"Very well. We'll settle it with a Kidō duel."
"Senior Jūshirō, please be our referee," Akira said with a faint smile.
"Unless, of course, you're worried you'll have one less student afterward."
Byakuya turned to Ukitake, gaze confident.
The white-haired captain shook his head with a sigh.
"Kids these days… So impatient."
Still, his tone was gentle.
"Alright. If it becomes clear who the victor is, I'll end it immediately."
He wasn't just mediating. A part of him was curious too.
Was Akira bluffing, as Byakuya assumed?
Or was there truth in his previous claim—that his power simply wouldn't allow him to train like others?
"Whatever," Byakuya said coolly, already turning back toward Akira .
"Aren't you getting up?"
He frowned.
Akira still sat beneath the tree, back resting against its trunk, expression calm.
"This is a Kidō duel," Akira replied.
"Not a Zanjutsu match. Why waste the effort?"
Byakuya's composure cracked ever so slightly.
"If your goal was to provoke me…"
"Then I can tell you now—you've succeeded."
He lifted one hand, palm facing forward. Reiatsu swelled around him as his voice rang out across the training field:
"Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man!"
"Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws—!"
Students all around froze.
"That's Hadō #33—Sōkatsui!"
Even the students from Rukongai, like Tōsen Kaname, Komamura Sajin, and Hisagi Shūhei, blanched.
They hadn't even reached Hadō #20 yet, let alone dared to attempt #33.
And here was Byakuya Kuchiki, still technically a student himself, casting it with full chant—and deadly precision.
"So this is the power of the Four Great Nobles…"
"This is the Kuchiki Clan."
His beginning is the end of many others."
Tōsen Kaname's heart sank in silence.
The No. 33 Hadō – Sōkatsui cast by Byakuya Kuchiki wasn't just a show of skill—it was a declaration of noble superiority.
To witness such polished Kidō from a mere boy still in training left an indelible impression.
And for someone like Tōsen, who once dreamed of rising beyond injustice… the gap between the noble-born and those from Rukongai felt insurmountable.
If a child of the Kuchiki Clan already possessed this level of power, then avenging injustice would be harder than scaling Sōkyoku Hill itself.
"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui."
While the crowd still marveled at the seamless incantation, Byakuya completed it in mere seconds.
The Kidō spell burst from his outstretched palm as blue flames roared outward, fracturing into jagged branches of energy that streaked through the air toward Akira .
"Surprised?"
"Even Hadō #33 is nothing to me—effortless."
"Don't worry, I've held back just enough. It won't kill you."
"But it will hurt. Enough for you to collapse in pain and shame, and beg for forgiveness for slighting the Kuchiki name."
Byakuya retracted his hand, taking a refined posture.
His every movement exuded elegance, his tone the composure of a victor—confident Akira had already been overwhelmed.
After all, it didn't matter how deep someone's Reiatsu pool was if they didn't have the techniques to wield it.
Unrefined strength was useless in the face of disciplined execution.
BOOM.
With a searing flash of blue, the explosive Kidō engulfed Akira , setting off a small shockwave of searing wind and flame.
"Captain-level control… from a student?" someone whispered.
"Senior Jūshirō," Byakuya said without even looking back at the blast.
"It may be time to prepare a Kaidō incantation."
"If you're not confident, alert the Fourth Division."
"Given his Reiatsu level, there might still be a chance to save him."
He spoke with calm certainty—as though the duel had already ended, and all that remained was damage control.
"Sōkatsui, huh?"
"Go light that on your birthday cake, Kuchiki-kun."
A relaxed, teasing voice floated out of the smoke before Ukitake could respond.
Byakuya's head whipped around. His eyes narrowed.
The smoke began to thin.
There, still seated beneath the tree, untouched and completely unharmed, was Akira .
His posture hadn't changed. He didn't even seem to have blinked.
And on his face was a faint, infuriatingly calm smirk.
"You're confused."
"You saw the Kidō hit—but no damage."
"Let me explain: the battle between Shinigami is, at its core, a battle of Reiatsu."
"Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō—these are just methods to channel Reiatsu more efficiently."
"But if the Reiatsu used to fuel your spell is beneath mine—"
"—I can suppress your Kidō with Reiatsu alone."
Akira watched Byakuya's expression falter, then lifted his hand casually.
A golden glow radiated from his body, and an instant later—
BOOM.
An overwhelming wave of spiritual pressure surged outward like a collapsing star.
The Reiatsu exploded in all directions, a dense, golden torrent that poured over the training grounds like a tsunami.
The sudden burst washed over everyone present—Byakuya, Ukitake, Urahara, Yoruichi, the students from Rukongai, and even those from noble families.
"That… that's Reiatsu?"
"It's even stronger than during the entrance exam yesterday!"
"My bones… are creaking under the pressure…"
"Was he holding back this whole time?!"
Even Urahara Kisuke, whose expression had remained unreadable earlier, found himself momentarily unsettled, adjusting his hat.
The only one who remained entirely composed was Sōsuke Aizen, who narrowed his eyes with growing interest.
The noble students instinctively tried to resist the weight, but their legs trembled.
Even the always-composed Byakuya Kuchiki was visibly affected.
His jaw clenched, breath sharp and shallow.
The crushing pressure pushed at his shoulders like a vice, his muscles tightening as he fought to stay upright.
And Akira ? Still beneath the tree. Still calm.
Still smiling.