"Ha!"
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
On the training grounds of the Shin'o Academy, dozens of young students gripped bamboo swords, diligently practicing their Zanjutsu.
The academy's Zanjutsu Instructor walked among them, hands clasped behind his back, occasionally adjusting a student's stance.
"Listen up, brats! Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda, and Kido… these are the four foundational skills of a Shinigami."
"Over twenty years ago, this academy produced a Zanjutsu Prodigy who revolutionized Zanjutsu, elevating it above Shunpo, Hakuda, and Kido, making it the undisputed strongest of the four core skills!"
"You've all been here long enough to know that Captain Kyoya mastered Zanjutsu to such a degree that, upon graduation, he defeated the former Captain of the 11th Division and took his place."
"Even after leaving the academy, Captain Kyoya hasn't forgotten about you all. He left behind his foundational Zanjutsu techniques for the academy."
"And now, the Shinigami of the 11th Division regularly come here to teach you all the way of the sword."
"If you train hard enough, maybe you too can become a swordsman capable of unleashing Kenatsu like Captain Kyoya before you even graduate!"
Among the students, Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika, dressed in white training uniforms, practiced with rigid discipline.
Normally, Ikkaku and Yumichika would scoff at the basic Zanjutsu taught at Shin'o Academy. But upon learning that these techniques had been refined by that man, they poured their full focus into every movement.
This training also deepened their understanding of Kyoya.
Since enrolling, they had, willingly or not, learned fragments of Kyoya's past.
The stories all pointed to one fact: Kyoya was a Zanjutsu Genius, going from knowing nothing to mastering Kenatsu in just three months.
Yet when they had faced him, Kyoya hadn't even drawn his sword… just a flick of his finger had sent a shockwave powerful enough to critically injure Ikkaku.
They hadn't even been worthy of making him unsheathe his blade.
If they wanted to close the gap between them and Kyoya, they had no choice but to train as if their lives depended on it.
Unbeknownst to the students, a group of observers watched them from a distance.
"Are these this year's new students?"
Standing alongside the academy's instructors, Ginrei gazed at the trainees on the field.
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki. These are the students of Class A."
The academy's head instructor, the same one who had once processed Kyoya's grade-skipping application, smiled as he stood beside Ginrei.
"This year's batch has quite a few promising talents. Three of them already possess 6th-Class Reiryoku."
Without needing the head instructor to point them out, Ginrei's eyes settled on three students.
The first had a rugged, masculine aura, his head smooth and gleaming under the sunlight.
The second stood beside the bald youth, clearly familiar with him.
If the first was the epitome of masculinity, the second was his opposite… effeminate, with shoulder-length hair, delicate movements, and a habit of frequently pulling out a small mirror to admire himself.
The third had a much more refined demeanor.
"Madarame Ikkaku… Ayasegawa Yumichika…"
"Also, Hoshino Koga."
Ginrei's gaze lingered on the three.
The first to be dismissed was Ikkaku.
Though his presence was the most overwhelming among the three, and his future achievements would undoubtedly be significant, his appearance didn't align with Ginrei's expectations.
Sojun's health was deteriorating rapidly.
By Ginrei's estimates, he might only have a decade or so left.
Meanwhile, Byakuya would need at least another century to mature.
During this period, Ginrei needed to secure a new pillar for the Kuchiki Clan.
Inspired by Kyoya's rise, Ginrei turned his attention to the students of Shin'o Academy, searching for untapped geniuses with Captain-level potential who could be brought into the Kuchiki Clan.
Unfortunately, over the years, aside from that boy from the Shiba Clan, no other student had caught his eye… until now.
"Bring me the records of the student named Hoshino Koga."
In the end, Ginrei made his choice.
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki!"
Unbeknownst to Kyoya, Ginrei had already found his candidate… a young man he intended to bring into the Kuchiki Clan through marriage to his youngest daughter, molding him into the clan's next successor.
Currently, Kyoya kept his daily schedule packed.
In the mornings, he would maintain his Zanpakuto's Bankai, sensing and comprehending the 'waves of light' to evolve the range of his Observation Haki.
In the afternoons, he would wander the Rukongai, waiting for that man to come find him.
Every morning's failure was tempered by the thought that perhaps, in the afternoon, he might finally encounter Zaraki.
But unfortunately, even after scouring the last few districts of the Rukongai multiple times, Kyoya still hadn't found him.
Truthfully, unless Kyoya actively used his Observation Haki to search for Zaraki and Yachiru, the chances of them meeting were slim.
Zaraki's 'battle intuition' was a trait no less formidable than Ichigo's 'instincts'.
However, under normal circumstances, Zaraki's path was dictated by Yachiru's sense of direction.
And Yachiru's sense of direction… well, it was about as reliable as a certain green-haired swordsman's from the One Piece World.
"Another wasted day…"
As dusk approached, Kyoya glanced at the desolate wasteland ahead before turning back toward the Seireitei.
Around his wrists and ankles, Kyoya wore purple metal rings. These are the gravity devices crafted by Kisuke.
These rings could generate a 'gravity field' around Kyoya based on the intensity of the Reiatsu he channeled into them.
Since equipping them, Kyoya had kept them active at all times.
Currently, the gravity multiplier was set to three times normal.
But considering Kyoya was already wearing weighted clothing that added up to thirty tons, the threefold gravity meant he was effectively carrying ninety tons.
Under this immense pressure, Kyoya's physical abilities improved almost daily.
One could say that even if Kyoya did nothing, his strength would still grow.
…
"So, the strong guys they were talking about… are in here?"
At the White Road Gate of the Rukongai, a towering man with wild, spiky hair stopped in his tracks.
Perched on his shoulder was a small girl, no older than seven or eight.
If Kyoya were to see these two, he would recognize them immediately.
These were none other than Zaraki and Yachiru, whom Kyoya had spent years searching for in the Rukongai but never encountered.
Ever since feeling defeated by Unohana Yachiru, Zaraki had spent the past few centuries wandering the Rukongai, seeking out strong opponents to fight.
Unfortunately, none of the countless battles he engaged in brought him the same exhilaration he had felt when clashing with Unohana.
Time and again, Zaraki was tempted to seek out Unohana once more, to engage in an even fiercer battle.
Yet, every time this thought arose, he suppressed it.
Unohana was the one he most desired to fight.
But, like Unohana herself, if he couldn't bring his opponent the joy of battle, Zaraki considered it his own defeat.
Compared to hundreds of years ago, he felt he hadn't made any progress.
If he were to face Unohana in his current state, there was no doubt he would be defeated again.
Moreover, Zaraki had a gut feeling that his performance this time might be even worse than it had been centuries ago.
As a battle maniac, Zaraki trusted his instincts implicitly.
Because of this, he repeatedly approached the Seireitei, only to turn away each time.
He needed to find more and stronger opponents, defeat them all, and only once he was certain he had grown stronger would he stand before that woman again for a truly thrilling fight.
Some time ago, a group of thugs had approached Zaraki, claiming that a powerful Shinigami had come to the district and defeated all the strong fighters.
They begged Zaraki, the strongest in their area, to confront this Shinigami, lest the outsider think the Rukongai was full of weaklings.
Zaraki had no interest in the pleas of these Rukongai gangs.
But he is very interested in the prospect of fighting a 'strong opponent'.
So, under Yachiru's 'guidance', Zaraki began his journey to find Kyoya.
For months, Zaraki and Yachiru wandered through the districts beyond the 70s, yet they never found Kyoya.
Eventually, Zaraki grew tired of Yachiru's slow searching and decided to head straight for the Seireitei.
Since this guy was a Shinigami, he'd definitely be in the Seireitei.
Besides, even if he couldn't find that guy, the Shinigami in the Seireitei would surely provide plenty of entertainment.
"Will I run into that woman this time?"
Zaraki's mind flashed with the image of that demon-like woman's face.
Then, his lips curled into a grin.
"Hey, Yachiryu."
"Let's go!"
"Yeah, go get 'em, Ken-chan!"
Yachiru raised his right fist high in the air, cheering Zaraki on.
Boom
Clack-clack-clack...
In the dead of night, Kyoya was abruptly awakened by an emergency alert from the Seireitei.
"What happened?"
Sitting up from his bed, Kyoya used Shunpo, arriving in front of the 11th Division's Captain's office.
Soon, the members of the 11th Division, led by officers like Gin, Ichinose, and Rangiku, gathered before Kyoya.
"Captain Kyoya."
"Good. Everyone, be ready to move out at any moment!"
After nodding to them, Kyoya focused, waiting for further intel from the reconnaissance teams to assign combat duties.
"Emergency alert, emergency alert-"
"Ryoka have breached the Seireitei through the White Road Gate. All divisions, prepare for combat."
"Emergency alert, emergency alert-"
"Ryoka have breached the Seireitei through the White Road Gate. All divisions, prepare for combat."
The same announcement repeated three times, sending shockwaves through the Seireitei.
"How is that possible?"
Even Kyoya was stunned upon hearing the news.