"Not good…" Shiba Isshin panted heavily.
Aizen Sōsuke slowly emerged from the settling smoke—completely unharmed.
Crimson Tide: Getsuga Tenshō was supposed to be his strongest technique!
He had developed this move specifically to defeat Aizen.
Yet it had been blocked with ease.
Worse still, the move consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual power. After unleashing it, his combat strength had plummeted.
Aizen vanished in an instant.
Clang!
Isshin hurriedly raised his blade to block, but the impact still sent him skidding back several meters.
'My strength really dropped hard… If I had used regular Getsuga Tenshō, I could've released it multiple times… but combining it with Crimson Tide unleashed nearly all of my Reiatsu in one go…'
A sinking feeling filled Isshin's chest.
He had gambled everything on that one strike—and it had failed.
His chances of winning were now near zero.
"Right… So this is your true strength, Sōsuke… You weren't even fighting seriously before!"
Predicting Aizen's next position, Isshin suddenly swung to his right—at empty space.
Clang!
Aizen blocked the strike with ease.
He pivoted quickly and whipped his leg into Isshin's stomach, sending him flying.
Isshin spun in midair and landed on one knee with a staggered crouch.
"I've got one more move… though it's still a little unstable…" he said with a grin.
"Oh? A trump card?" Aizen chuckled. "I'm intrigued."
"Watch closely!"
Isshin bit his finger and smeared the blood along his lips—then exhaled a torrent of flames.
The fire burst outward, seeming to feed the flames on his Zanpakutō, Engetsu, intensifying its glow.
At that moment, arcs of lightning crackled across Isshin's body.
"You even learned teacher's 'Thunderfire Wild Blaze'?" Aizen's brow rose as he watched Isshin channel both flame and lightning, briefly mistaking it for that move.
"I can't use 'Crimson Tide' and 'Raikiri' at the same time yet," Isshin said calmly. "But since Engetsu is already a flame-type Zanpakutō, all I have to do is release 'Raikiri' and let it combine with the fire. That way, I can merge the power of flame and lightning!"
The energy surged from Isshin's arms, lightning flowing down into the blade.
In the next instant, the flames and lightning fused—turning into a golden inferno!
The sheer heat radiating from the blade dried out the air in a flash.
The wave of heat curled Isshin's hair and cracked the skin on his hands.
"I see…" Aizen's eyes narrowed. "Teacher's Thunderfire Wild Blaze enhances the body and adds fire and lightning to strikes. But your version… you're planning to release that energy externally, right?"
"Exactly!"
Isshin raised his sword high.
"My body can't handle that kind of internal boost—not yet. If I channeled that power into my soul body, it'd tear me apart… but I can release it through Getsuga Tenshō instead!"
By using Getsuga Tenshō to offload the combined power, he could avoid internal damage. The burden would fall on the Zanpakutō instead of himself.
And Zanpakutō could endure far more than his spirit body.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Isshin swung his sword forward.
A terrifying golden crescent of energy tore through the air.
"Impressive…" Aizen whispered, already appearing behind him with Shunpo.
"But compared to teacher's Thunderfire Wild Blaze—your setup takes too long."
"What?!"
Isshin's eyes widened—
—and then came the sharp impact to his back.
He was sent flying once again.
Meanwhile, the golden crescent slammed into the Reishi barrier and exploded.
BOOM!!
Even with the barrier, the shockwave reached the spectating students.
"The tremor is insane!"
The Reishi barrier couldn't block the vibrations transmitted through the ground, causing the students to topple over in waves.
When the shaking subsided, they scrambled back to their feet.
"If Professor Katori hadn't been holding the barrier, we'd probably be dust right now!"
"Aren't those two first-years? That's terrifying!"
"I swear, they're stronger than most seated officers already…"
"All of Professor Katori's disciples are monsters… Too bad Katori-ryu is so strict about accepting students. Otherwise, I'd train there in a heartbeat!"
The students were left shaken.
This kind of battle was far beyond their level.
As the dust cleared, everyone saw Shiba Isshin lying on the ground—
—completely unable to stand.
After using two consecutive finishing moves, he had drained every last drop of Reiatsu. He didn't even have the strength to lift himself.
Referee Danmu hurried over to check Isshin's condition, and upon confirming he could no longer continue, announced:
"Aizen Sōsuke wins!"
Isshin tried to push himself up—
But it was no use.
He could only lie there, breathing hard.
Aizen walked over and gently lifted Isshin, placing him on a stretcher brought over by the medical team.
"I still couldn't beat you… Sōsuke," Isshin muttered in frustration.
"If you'd been just a bit faster, that last move might've done it," Aizen smiled encouragingly.
"You're right… That was a technique I developed by mimicking our teacher's Thunderfire Wild Blaze!"
Isshin brightened again, already thinking about how to improve it.
Meanwhile, Nanatsuki returned to the guest seats.
"Hahaha! Vice-Captain Shiba, don't leave too fast later!" Kyōraku Shunsui called out gleefully. Someone owed him drinks now.
"You bastard… Laugh again and I won't treat you at all!" Shiba Vice-Captain grumbled, upset both about Isshin's loss and the impending drinking bill.
"Was that move Isshin used something Professor Katori taught him?" Ukitake Jūshirō asked, intrigued.
"That was a serious attack—some lieutenants wouldn't be able to block it."
"It's similar to a move Katori-kun showed in the past," Unohana Retsu mused.
"But Katori's version enhanced himself, while Isshin's technique focuses the power into a single slash."
She, too, had witnessed Thunderfire Wild Blaze before.
"That was something Isshin created himself, building off the sword techniques I taught him," Nanatsuki explained.
"A creative approach."
In fact, it even gave him some inspiration.
Combining Raikiri and Crimson Tide into a Getsuga Tenshō format was quite powerful.
Nanatsuki himself knew how to use Getsuga Tenshō.
He had once got it as a reward after guiding Isshin through Shikai training.
"The four students in the semi-finals were all outstanding: Shiba Isshin, Iba Tetsuzaemon, Kyōraku Munemitsu, and Ichinose Masaki..." Ukitake said thoughtfully. "Honestly, I think they're already at seated officer level."
"Right? The whole top eight this year was great! Leaving them stuck at the academy any longer would be a waste." Kuruyashiki Kenpachi grinned. "Why not just graduate them all now?"
Shinigami were long-lived, so their growth was usually slow.
But a few years ago, during the war against the Quincy in the World of the Living, the Eleventh Division had suffered the heaviest casualties. Kenpachi was desperate to replenish his ranks.
"But according to the current rules, only the champion is eligible for direct graduation," Ukitake said. "Wouldn't that be unfair to remove the incentive?"
"Fair point… It was meant to be the champion's reward," Kenpachi scratched his head.
"Then let's keep the reward for the champion," Nanatsuki offered. "He graduates directly—no exam. But let's add another reward: outstanding performers get the right to apply for early graduation."
There was a clear difference between direct graduation and early graduation eligibility.
Direct graduation didn't require a test.
Early graduation eligibility, on the other hand, meant a student still had to complete an official mission—like Kakyō had done.
"The academy doesn't usually approve early graduation for underclassmen. Only high-ranking students are allowed to apply," said Principal Kotetsu with a nod. "But offering it as a reward for exceptional performance in the live blade Tournament sounds reasonable."
"Agreed," Unohana added. "We can even consider their rankings in the tournament when assigning future positions. I've got my eye on Kotetsu Isane. I want her in Squad Four."
Yamamoto thought silently for a moment.
Students who could rise above all others in such fierce competition didn't need to waste time in the academy.
"This is acceptable," Yamamoto finally said with a nod.
With the Captain-Commander's approval, the matter was settled.
The top eight students would receive eligibility to apply for early graduation.
After receiving treatment, Isshin and the others returned to the dojo, where they were greeted by their teacher—and by a piece of news that hadn't yet been publicly announced.
"All top eight contestants are eligible to apply for early graduation?" Isshin exclaimed in delight. "That means I can apply too?!"
"That's right. We all have a shot at graduating early now," Aizen added with a smile.
Isshin had lost to Aizen just earlier and thought that meant he'd missed his chance—but this announcement was a pleasant surprise.
"You all performed excellently," Nanatsuki told them with a gentle grin. "The captains were quite impressed. Your rankings in the tournament will also be an important factor when determining future positions—so don't slack off just because you qualified for early graduation."
"Hahaha! Then I'll definitely pass the graduation exam!" Isshin roared with laughter. "Sōsuke, just wait—I'll become a captain-level Shinigami before you do!"
This duel had made Isshin realize just how much Aizen had been holding back in their usual spars.
The gap between them… it was painful to acknowledge.
But he wasn't the kind of person who gave up easily.
"Wait, wait—doesn't that mean I'm the only one who didn't qualify for early graduation?!" Azashiro Sōya cried out in despair.
"Then you'd better train harder," Yadōmaru Lisa said flatly, placing a hand on his shoulder with zero emotion.
Their teacher hadn't just taught them swordplay—he had taught them how to banter like people from a different world.
"I get it! I was wrong! I'll train seriously from now on!" Azashiro clutched his head in frustration.
The contrast stung. Everyone else had made it to the quarterfinals. Only he had been knocked out during the group stage.
It was humiliating.
"Green bean soup's ready~" Kotetsu Isane emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming clay pot.
Over the years, she had picked up quite a bit of cooking skill from Nanatsuki.
She especially excelled at making desserts—and was nearly as good as Nanatsuki himself in that area now.
"Isane made green bean soup!" Lisa rushed over immediately. She loved sweets.
"It's way too hot… and it's the middle of summer," Isshin complained. "If only it were cold..."
"Where would we even get ice in this heat?" Lisa rolled her eyes.
"Hey, isn't Isane's Zanpakutō…?" Isshin subtly gestured toward her.
"I only recently learned Shikai," Isane replied sheepishly. "I don't have good control yet. If I use Frozen Cloud, I'll freeze the whole pot into a solid block."
She had only just awakened her Shikai, and her control over the ice-type Zanpakutō Itegumo was still lacking.
"Ice, huh… There is a way," Nanatsuki said, recalling something he'd learned at the Saitō household.
One of the ancestors in the Saitō family had been fond of developing Kidō for daily life hacks—and had created a number of quirky, useful spells.
Nanatsuki had found them amusing enough to memorize.
He pointed at an empty bowl.
Reishi in the air condensed into a swirl of fine ice slush, filling the bowl instantly.
"You can use Kidō to make shaved ice?!" Isane's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Ice water, slush, or even solid cubes—it's a versatile little spell," Nanatsuki smiled.
"I want to learn it!" Isane was thrilled. Mastering this might also help her better control her Zanpakutō's ice element.
"I'll teach you after this," Nanatsuki said as he picked up his own bowl of green bean soup.
"Aahhh, green bean soup really does taste best with ice!" Isshin slurped a mouthful of the chilled dessert, utterly satisfied.
"You're sneaking sweets without me?!"
Katori Batsu'unsai had just woken from her nap—and the first thing she saw was the group in the yard enjoying food.
To conserve her Reiatsu, she spent most of the day asleep, reducing her energy consumption through rest.
"I saved a bowl for you too, Shishō!" Isane rushed back to the kitchen.
"You're the best, Isane~!" Batsu'unsai beamed and skipped after her like a child.