The Shikai was complete!
Hiyori Sarugaki's spiritual pressure instantly surged several times over. With a momentum that felt like it could split mountains and shatter stone, she swung down from the air toward Mirai!
Facing this terrifying strike, Mirai's expression didn't flicker.
Her Reiatsu increased nearly sevenfold after Shikai... as expected of someone with such raw potential.
Usually, a Shinigami's Shikai increases their output by three to five times. But this... was exceptional. Still, if this was all she had, it was nowhere near enough.
His lips moved slightly, and his clear, melodic incantation cut through the roaring wind of her spiritual pressure:
"At winter's end, the cold plum blossoms proudly on the branch."
At the tip of his right index finger—the same one he had been pointing at her forehead—azure Reishi began to gather at an incredible speed. The air around him turned frigid, as if the heart of winter had suddenly descended. Faint, ethereal silhouettes of plum blossoms made of ice crystals began to congeal in the air.
"A bolt of lightning pierces the sky; a thousand birds fall to the branch!"
In the next heartbeat, the icy blue Reishi was replaced by a blinding, golden crackle of lightning! At the center of those frozen plum blossoms, brilliant golden sparks erupted, sounding as if ten thousand lightning-birds were suddenly chirping on the branches.
At the edge of the field, Lisa Yadomaru's body went taut, her serious face twisting into shock. "Is... is that a Kido incantation?! I've never seen that Kido in any of our textbooks!"
Shunsui Kyoraku pushed his straw hat down slightly and whispered, "We haven't learned it either, Lisa-chan."
"Hmph. The brat just loves using these 'self-created' things to show off," Shinji Hirako muttered, looking annoyed, though a flash of solemnity crossed his eyes.
In the center of the field, Mirai finished his chant:
"Bloom—"
All the plum blossom phantoms swirling with golden lightning shriveled and condensed into a single, microscopic point of light at his fingertip.
"Hado: Meirei Jinka!" (Plum-Lightning Swift Blossom)
Zing—!
A thin, condensed beam of golden lightning shot from his finger! The lightning unfurled elegantly in mid-air, instantly transforming into a massive, dazzling plum blossom made entirely of violent, crackling electricity.
This "Lightning Plum Blossom," carrying an aura of both destruction and tragic beauty, struck first. It intercepted the descending Hiyori Sarugaki mid-flight.
BOOM!!
The lightning exploded. Golden electric snakes hissed in every direction. With a short, sharp cry, Hiyori's petite frame was blasted out of the air. She slammed hard into the training ground floor, and her Kubikiri Orochi reverted to its sealed Asauchi form.
She struggled for a moment, but ultimately couldn't scramble back to her feet immediately.
The training ground fell into a deathly silence. Every graduate stood frozen, staring at the center of the field.
Mirai remained standing with one finger extended, his robes fluttering in the residual wind, his expression entirely indifferent.
______
Yandera Mirai slowly lowered his finger. He looked down at Hiyori, who was still struggling to sit up, and spoke calmly.
"The Kido I just used utilized less than half of your spiritual energy output. And yet, it defeated you."
"Do you know why?"
Hiyori gritted her teeth, finally pushing herself up into a cross-legged sitting position. She glared at Mirai with ferocious eyes, her voice trembling with frustration.
"It shouldn't be like this! Aikawa said: 'A battle between Shinigami is a battle of spiritual pressure! As long as the Reiatsu is strong enough, any 'rules' or 'variable' abilities lose their effect!'"
Her expression was still furious, but her tone had softened, laced with genuine confusion.
"Ai... Aikawa?!" At the sound of that name, specifically that very famous "quote," Mirai's brain went buzz. He felt momentarily stunned.
The muscle in his eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Out of the corner of his eye, he instinctively glanced at the brown-haired youth standing quietly nearby—Sosuke Aizen.
Holy crap! That really is a line I wrote! It's the dialogue Aikawa used in the book when he defeated an arrogant senior during a duel!
Aizen was currently looking down slightly, his expression impossible to read. Mirai's mouth twitched twice as he forced his gaze back to Hiyori.
Is this girl... a fan of my book?!
Hiss! Beating up your own fan in a 'live' event... if word gets out, my career is over!
He quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and reached out a hand to Hiyori. His tone became more serious. "That quote itself is not wrong."
"Hmph! Then why was I the one who lost?!" Hiyori stared at the palm offered to her. After a second of hesitation, she placed her hand in his.
A gentle strength pulled her up from the ground. Though her legs were still a bit shaky, she stood firm and immediately swatted Mirai's hand away.
Mirai didn't mind. He pulled his hand back and continued explaining. "That is because, at the specific point where I attacked you, the 'intensity' of the spiritual power condensed in my Kido was far higher than the 'intensity' of the spiritual power in your defense. That is all."
"Huh?" Hiyori tilted her head, her face screaming "I don't get it."
Mirai's face remained calm. Like a patient teacher, he gestured with his hands. "Let's use an analogy. Let's assume the total spiritual power you outputted just now was a '10.' When you attacked, you subconsciously funneled most of it—about a '6'—into your hands and your Zanpakuto to maximize your striking power."
"The remaining '4' units of power instinctively covered your entire body as a baseline defense."
"Most people aren't even aware this instinctive defense exists, let alone how to control it precisely."
His gaze swept over the other graduates, who were all listening intently. Seeing their thoughtful expressions, a sense of "authorly satisfaction" welled up in him, and he continued his lecture with even more gusto.
"However, spreading those 4 units of power across your whole body doesn't mean every part of you has a defense of 4." He pointed his finger vaguely at Hiyori's heart and throat. "You instinctively allocate more power to protect these vitals."
"But I attacked your thigh," Mirai said, his finger shifting to her outer leg. "At that moment, the defensive spiritual power covering that spot was likely only a '1'."
"Therefore, even though I only used a Kido with a power level of about '2', by concentrating it on a single point, I could easily pierce a defense of '1'. In that localized spot, my 'intensity' was higher than yours. Do you understand now?"
As he finished, he looked at the blonde girl, his internal confusion finally clearing. So she attacked me in that specific way just to get my attention because she likes my book?
Tch. I hope I didn't hit her too hard. I need to salvage this valuable reader... every reader who spends money on a subscription is my literal lifeblood! I can't afford to offend them!
Hiyori Sarugaki looked down, her fingers subconsciously twisting the hem of her sleeve. In a tiny, reluctant mumble, she whispered: "...I get it."
Mirai let out a mental sigh of relief. Narrowly avoided a PR disaster. I think I won her back.
But he felt that wasn't enough. He needed to provide some "fan service." He let a charming, gentle smile spread across his face and reached his hand out to Hiyori again, palm up this time.
"If you have the latest issue of the Seireitei Bulletin... I could give you an autograph? Using my pen name, of course."
Hiyori snapped her head up. Meeting that handsome, smiling face so close to hers, a sudden rush of heat surged to her brain. Her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. She violently slapped Mirai's hand away and bared her fangs.
"Wait... wait until you actually publish a real Tankobon (collected volume) before you think about giving autographs! You baldy!!"
Having shouted that, she spun around and bolted, hiding herself behind the broad, protective figure of Captain Kirio Hikifune.
Mirai: "..."
His hand hung frozen in mid-air. His smile was completely petrified.
Baldy...?! She called me baldy again?! Is this girl's eyesight purely decorative? Can she not see this thick, lush head of hair tied in a ponytail?!
Don't get mad. It's just a reader's banter. 'To hit is to care, to scold is to love.' It just means she loves me deeply! Yes, that must be it! Mirai comforted himself.
The atmosphere on the training ground had become heated thanks to the spectacular "teaching duel." The graduates looked at Mirai with eyes full of admiration, whispering about the theory of spiritual power he had just revolutionized for them.
Lisa Yadomaru was also deep in thought, adjusting her glasses. "So... spiritual power control can be refined to that degree?" She was already beginning to simulate how she could mimic Mirai's precision.
Shunsui Kyoraku gently patted her shoulder, reminding her in a low voice: "Lisa-chan, don't get too stuck in the weeds."
"Mirai-kun's method isn't wrong, but you must realize that if you concentrate almost all your power into an attack, it means you've abandoned your own defense. It's extremely dangerous. And..." He paused, his tone gaining a hint of depth. "To do what he does, one must not only overcome physical instinct but also the natural fear of being 'defenseless.' That's not something you learn overnight."
Lisa looked up, her glasses reflecting a cold light. "Captain, could you please remove your hand? Otherwise, I may consider reporting you to the Central 46 for workplace harassment."
"Eh?!" Shunsui pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned, his face a mask of panic. "Lisa-chan! A mistake! A terrible misunderstanding! I was truly just showing Captain-like concern!"
Now, of the three most exceptional graduates, two had already found their destination. Only Sosuke Aizen—the one who had graduated top in Kido and was still wearing that gentle smile—remained.
Aizen walked with a steady, graceful pace into the center of the field, stopping directly in front of Yandera Mirai.
Mirai kept his face cold, trying his best to maintain the dignity of a senior officer. However, his hands, hidden behind his back, were opening and closing uncontrollably. A cold sweat began to prickle his palms.
No way, man! Aizen-sama, don't tell me you're actually going to pick the 9th Division?! Go to the 5th Division and play high-level mind games with the old fox Shinji Hirako! That's your stage! I'm just a low-level player in a starter zone, please have mercy! Don't do this to me!
Despite his internal screaming, Mirai's feet felt like they were rooted to the spot.
Aizen's smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze. He began to speak: "5th Seat Yandera, actually, I—"
"Hey, Sosuke Aizen."
A voice with a bit of a punk edge—yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority—suddenly cut in, interrupting Aizen.
Mirai felt almost moved to tears of gratitude as he stepped aside. He watched as Shinji Hirako walked over, hands shoved in his pockets.
Captain Hirako! My savior! Your timing is perfect! Quick! Take this ultimate disaster away! Only you can handle him!
Shinji walked up, his dead-fish eyes lazily scanning Aizen. Finally, they flickered toward Mirai, his lips twisting into an unreadable smirk, before he looked back at the graduate.
"How about coming to the 5th Division instead?"
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