Is Matsumoto Rangiku beautiful?
Beautiful!
If we say Orihime is the beauty of the Living World, then Matsumoto Rangiku can be considered the beauty of the Gotei 13.
So, does Kyoya like Rangiku?
He does, but not in a romantic way.
At first, Kyoya was taken care of by Rangiku, who treated him like a younger brother.
After Kyoya grew stronger, he began to see Rangiku more like a younger sister… a family member.
Besides, Kyoya always felt regret over the original fate of Gin and Rangiku. Now that he has the power to protect such a poignant bond, he naturally wouldn't let it become a regret again.
Hearing Rangiku say that he likes her makes Kyoya wonder if she's been reading too many of those modern 'strong female lead' stories.
"Let's go. I'll give you some special training to clear your head!"
"No…"
"Kyoya, I was wrong, spare me…"
Ignoring Rangiku's cries, Kyoya grabs the back of her Shihakusho and drags her toward the 11th Division's training grounds like a dead fish.
The other division's members who witness this scene all look on with envy.
Perhaps only Rangiku can enjoy the personal guidance of Kyoya.
As for her screams…
Isn't that normal?
Who among them hasn't cried and begged for mercy during Kyoya's training?
But the harsher the beating, the greater the improvement.
Only under Kyoya's relentless 'guidance' do they realize how many weaknesses they have and receive tailored training methods to overcome them.
"Ah, that felt good!"
Watching Rangiku collapse onto the ground, Kyoya stretches lazily.
As expected, happiness is transferable.
The smile that was once on Rangiku's face has now completely shifted to Kyoya's.
"By the way, Rangiku."
"I'm going to check out this year's potential recruits at the Shin'o Academy. Want to come along?"
Clapping his hands, Kyoya looks down at Rangiku.
"I'm exhausted, I don't want to move. You go by yourself!"
Rangiku waves her hand weakly, indicating she just wants to lie there.
There's no helping it… Kyoya's training intensity is just too brutal.
Right now, Rangiku's Reiatsu is nearly depleted, and her Shihakusho is the special training uniform worn by the 11th Division's members, weighing over a 100 kg.
Without Reiatsu to enhance her strength, she can't move at all.
"Fine, then stay here and rest."
Since Matsumoto Rangiku doesn't want to go, Kyoya leaves her be and heads off toward the Shin'o Academy.
At the end of last year, Xia Ye attended the wedding of Ginrei's daughter, Haruko, and her husband, Koga.
It was during his conversation with Ginrei that Kyoya learned Koga had been personally recruited by Ginrei directly from the Shin'o Academy.
According to Ginrei, when he visited the academy at the time, there were two other individuals whose Reiatsu rivaled Koga's.
However, one was too effeminate, and the other was too hot-blooded, and neither suited to be the face of the Kuchiki family, so Ginrei ultimately chose Koga.
From Ginrei's words, Kyoya deduced that the 'too effeminate' and 'too hot-blooded' individuals were likely Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku, whom he had once encountered in the Rukongai.
Both of them possessed considerable talent, with the potential to reach Captain-level strength.
Among them, Ikkaku had already achieved Bankai training before the original plot unfolded.
Though often mocked by fans as the 'weakest Bankai', Bankai is still Bankai… a Captain's standard. Ikkaku could still be considered a formidable fighter on par with captains.
As for Yumichika…
His Zanpakuto, Ruri'iro Kujaku, had the true ability to absorb an opponent's Reiatsu and bloom flowers that restored his own.
Once ensnared by Ruri'iro Kujaku, even a Captain-level opponent would have their Reiatsu drained completely, leaving them helpless.
Moreover, in the future, both of them would join the 11th Division, becoming its third and fifth seats, respectively.
Now, though they hadn't yet met Zaraki, they had already been utterly defeated by Kyoya in an overwhelming display of power.
Combined with the words Kyoya left them with before departing, he had every reason to believe their admiration for him wouldn't be any less than their future reverence for Zaraki.
Because of Kyoya's influence, not only had Zaraki arrived in the Seireitei earlier, but Ikkaku and Yumichika had also enrolled in the Shin'o Academy ahead of schedule.
Naturally, Kyoya wanted to check on their current progress.
As someone who rose from the Rukongai, Kyoya also needed to understand their attitudes toward the district.
After all, what Kyoya planned to do in the future wouldn't just affect a handful of people.
If he didn't have helpers by his side, accomplishing such a feat alone would be nearly impossible.
Even the Strongest Shinigami, Yamamoto, had to establish the Gotei 13 to protect the Seireitei.
Before the Gotei 13 was formed, the Seireitei had once been breached by Hueco Mundo.
The King of Hueco Mundo at the time, after defeating Yamamoto, even stormed the Soul King Palace.
However, he was ultimately defeated by Ichibe, who erased his name and forged him into a Zanpakuto, rebranding him as Ikomikidomoe.
Another King of Hueco Mundo was also wounded by Ichibe's Zanpakuto, Ichimonji, sealing away half of his power.
Even so, this King of Hueco Mundo remained the strongest being in Hueco Mundo.
Though now, it was possible that this King of Hueco Mundo had already been recruited by Aizen.
After all, Aizen had already completed the creation of the Hogyoku and had begun experiments on Hollowfication.
After forming the Gotei 13, Yamamoto faced the Seireitei's second crisis, the Quincy invasion from the Lichtreich, and ultimately defeated them.
Well, even Aizen assembled a force like the Espada.
Right now, Kyoya's strength still lagged behind both Aizen and Yamamoto.
If even they needed factions to achieve their goals, then Kyoya, whose ambitions surpassed theirs, would need to ensure that the faction he built could at least rival, if not surpass, the Gotei 13 and the Espada. Only then would there be a sliver of hope for change.
Thus, Kyoya made sure to keep an eye on anyone with Captain-level potential, gauging whether they could be bound to his cause in the future.
"Hah!"
"Hah!"
When Kyoya arrived at the Shin'o Academy, Ikkaku and Yumichika were sparring in the training grounds.
By now, three years had passed since the two enrolled in the academy.
Given their abilities, they had naturally completed the six-year curriculum ahead of schedule and were now sixth-grade students.
Throughout these years, their focus had been on mastering the Zanjutsu techniques Kyoya had left them.