"Third…Third Grade!"
"Quickly report to Vice-Captain Aizen!"
Coming back to his senses, he rubbed his eyes vigorously, and only after repeatedly confirming the data was accurate did he hurriedly shout to his companion beside him.
"No, that's not right, Captain-Commander Yamamoto must also be called!"
Third Grade…What kind of concept is this?
A natural Captain candidate!
If properly nurtured.
He might even be able to join the ranks of the Captain-Commander.
One must know that even Captain-Commander Yamamoto, as the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, had a disciple who only scored Fourth Grade on the entrance exam.
Now they possess First Grade spiritual power.
Serving as Captain of the Eighth Division and Captain of the Thirteenth Division respectively.
Their status is above all others.
They are existences that all Shinigami find difficult to even approach in their entire lives.
Similarly.
This Rukongai named Tsugikuni Yoriichi might also be the same.
No wonder everyone lost their composure…
…
Aizen, with brown hair, an armband on his shoulder, dressed in a black Shinigami uniform, and a gentle smile on his face, rushed over and led Tsugikuni Yoriichi away from the area.
The Shinigami in the back, seeing this, couldn't help but show envious expressions.
However…
Aizen's inner emotions were completely different from theirs.
He only felt troubled.
"Third Grade spiritual power…"
"This is difficult to handle…"
Pushing up his glasses, a strange glint flashed in his usually amiable and refined eyes. Standing in front of Yoriichi, his thoughts surged like a tide.
Aizen initially planned to cultivate a confidant, and for this, he had set his sights on Ichimaru Gin, who was participating in this assessment.
He had seen this child, Ichimaru Gin, before.
He was patient.
He was silent.
He was intelligent.
He knew what to say and what not to say, making him very suitable to be his assistant.
However, the sudden appearance of Tsugikuni Yoriichi caught him off guard.
After a brief interaction, Aizen found that his personality was extremely similar to Ichimaru Gin's.
Thus, Aizen was wavering.
In a direct comparison.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi was undoubtedly more suitable, but unfortunately, he was too conspicuous; the old man Yamamoto would not let him go.
If it were Fourth Grade spiritual power, it would be fine; the upper limit would only be First Grade or even Second Grade, and even if the old man Yamamoto noticed, he wouldn't take it to heart.
But…
Why was it Third Grade?
Just a hair's breadth cost him an excellent assistant…This made Aizen feel extremely regretful.
Harboring these thoughts, he led Tsugikuni Yoriichi into a pure white building. The building resembled a palace, magnificent and grand.
At this moment, an old man, shirtless, sat quietly in the centre.
The old man's body was covered in hideous scars, some even spanning his entire chest.
Yoriichi glanced at him and immediately felt a sense of awe.
"He's an old senior…"
At the same moment he had this thought, the old man slowly said:
"You've arrived…"
"Aizen. You may withdraw first."
"Let me have a good talk with him…"
"Yes." Aizen bowed his head in acknowledgement, turned, and withdrew.
Once there were no outsiders present, Yamamoto Genryusai's gaze was like a torch, fixed on Yoriichi, his voice as majestic as a lion about to awaken: "I've generally looked at your file."
"It's not bad."
"However…"
"Do you know swordsmanship?"
"Your life history states that in the early stages of your entry into Soul Society, you once defeated a Gillian-class Hollow with a Kenpachi."
"Although Gillianis the lowest rank of Menos Grande, ordinary Shinigami are by no means their opponents."
"At that time, you shouldn't have mastered the use of spiritual pressure."
"Were you a sword master in your previous life?"
"…"
Yoriichi nodded.
However…
"I wouldn't say a master."
"I just swung my sword purely by instinct."
"That Hollow was full of openings, far inferior to the enemies I encountered in my previous life."
"…Is that so?" Yamamoto Genryusai frowned, always feeling that there was something off about this young man's words, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
He also couldn't explain it.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to abandon further inquiry, stretched his limbs, and then said: "Since that is the case, let's have a match, old man and you."
"Let this old man see your true swordsmanship skill."
"Third Grade spiritual power still makes your enrollment too difficult. The teachers in the school won't be able to teach you anything."
"Instead, they will hinder you…"
Yamamoto Genryusai was stern, his entire body's knotted muscles like rocks, clearly defined.
He looked at Tsugikuni Yoriichi and casually tossed a real sword from in front of him to him.
"Come!"
A chilling glint instantly flashed into his vision, and Yoriichi naturally caught it.
The atmosphere gradually grew heavy as Tsugikuni Yoriichi accepted the challenge.
In a short while, the battle officially began.
Yamamoto Genryusai instantly vanished from his spot, and a strong sense of danger immediately surged into Tsugikuni Yoriichi's heart.
Reflected in the Touhou Sekigan was the image of Yamamoto Genryusai drawing his sword and unleashing a horizontal slash.
Its momentum was fierce, the sword light like a swimming dragon.
Yoriichi subconsciously raised his blade.
Clang!
The drawn horizontal slash swept upwards, narrowly avoiding Tsugikuni Yoriichi's body.
The wind pressure formed by the sword energy blew away the fragmented hair on his forehead. Yoriichi's eyes narrowed, and seizing the moment Yamamoto Genryusai adjusted his posture, a thrust imbued with immense power suddenly pointed towards the opponent's waist!
The tip of the blade even ignited a circular, ripple-like illusory flame!
This was the application of momentum.
—"Sun Breathing, Seventh Form: Solar Halo Thrust!"
The thrust was as fast as lightning; at the moment the flame spread, Yamamoto Genryusai had already adjusted his state.
Facing the attack at close range, he pushed down the sword hilt with a backhand.
Although the wooden sword hilt instantly shattered into fragments upon contact with the blade, it still managed to deflect the direction of the thrust due to the sudden impact.
In the nick of time, it grazed Yamamoto Genryusai's body. Yoriichi, seeing this, followed up with a horizontal slash, and a circular fiery slash once again appeared in Yamamoto Genryusai's eyes.
"Strange swordsmanship…"
Yamamoto Genryusai considered himself well-travelled and knowledgeable, yet he had truly never seen Yoriichi's swordsmanship, which came with its special effects…
Flame should be the ability of a Zanpakuto.
Raising his blade, he unleashed a powerful slash to neutralise Yoriichi's "Round Dance," and the battle resumed.
Clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, a series of clanging sounds like metal striking stone echoed through the spacious hall, and the sparks that flew off formed an orange-red lightning bolt.
The vibrating air ripples stimulated one's eardrums, as if being caught in a raging storm.
Just hearing it was enough to imagine the danger within.
—A small boat drifted on the sea, huge waves rolled, yet the boat narrowly and skillfully survived.
Since it was a test of pure swordsmanship, Yamamoto Genryusai did not use his Zanpakuto.
Therefore, with Yoriichi's keen dynamic vision and powerful intuition, the two were evenly matched.
However…
During the battle, Yoriichi suddenly found that he could not break through Yamamoto Genryusai's defence.
Whenever his blade narrowly grazed the edge of Yamamoto Genryusai's skin, it would abruptly stop at three units of distance, unable to advance further.
Witnessing this, Yoriichi immediately knew he had no chance of winning.
But he was not disheartened by this; instead, he focused even more on the current confrontation, immersing himself wholeheartedly in it.
Until, after a long time.
Yamamoto Genryusai's weapon was completely ruined, to the point where he had to channel his spiritual pressure and grab Tsugikuni Yoriichi's slash with his bare hands, and only then did the battle gradually conclude.
One could see with the naked eye that the blade was covered in honeycomb-like notches.
Yamamoto casually crushed it, puffed out his chest, and exclaimed: "Exhilarating! You truly are a sword master!"
"This old man acknowledges you."
"Although your use of spiritual pressure is still unrefined, you can improve it through diligent training in the future."
"As for Hakudo... you can learn it in acadamy."
"As for Shunpo and Kido…"
"These two subjects will be personally taught to you by the Vice-Captain of the Second Division, Marechiyo Oomaeda, and the Vice-Kido Chief, Hachigen Ushōda."
"They are both leaders in these fields."
"This old man looks forward to the day you shine brightly in Seireitei."
Speaking of this, he paused slightly, seemingly pondering if there was anything else he had forgotten. Then he waved his hand forward:
"…If there are no other questions, you may withdraw."
"After school starts, remember to go to the academy to obtain your asauchi. As a Shinigami, your Zanpakuto and spiritual pressure are everything."