Fourth Attribute
"No way!"
"Ganju actually lost?"
Shiba Kūkaku was about to voice her disbelief, but after seeing the figure still standing in the center of the field, she swallowed her words.
That was because the person still standing was Saikyō—meaning he had won the contest!
Indeed!
One move had decided the outcome.
Saikyō was the victor, taking advantage of the improved version of Kaze Retsu (Gale Wind Break) to defeat his opponent in an instant. He had easily claimed the title of "Strongest Brother."
"Yoruichi, you said he's only been training for less than a month?!" Shiba Kūkaku asked in astonishment, recalling what her best friend had mentioned before.
Less than a month of training, yet such formidable combat prowess? The talent and strength Saikyō displayed made Kūkaku's eyes sparkle with admiration. She had to admit—even her elder brother, Shiba Kaien, paled in comparison to Saikyō in terms of pure talent.
"That's correct, it's been less than a month," Yoruichi confirmed with a grin. "Why, Kūkaku, are you interested in him now?"
"Pfft!!!"
Kūkaku nearly choked.
"Come on! I'm his big sister—how could I fall for a brat like that?" she retorted.
"Just kidding, given your personality, I doubt you'd fall so easily," Yoruichi chuckled at her friend's reaction. "But seriously, it looks like Ganju might have passed out."
Yoruichi tried to sense Ganju's condition using her perception of Reiatsu. She picked up on a faint pulse—sure enough, after being hit by Kaze Retsu, Ganju had collapsed into a deep state of unconsciousness.
It clearly illustrated the gap in power between him and Saikyō.
"That idiot Ganju, losing to a brat like that… He'd better not try to run away from home after this!" Kūkaku growled, her frustration showing.
On the other side of the training ground, as the two sisters talked, Saikyō wore a smile of satisfaction.
"Finally, the task is complete," he thought to himself.
The corners of Saikyō's lips turned up as he looked forward to the system's rewards for winning the "Strongest Brother" contest.
As expected, a few seconds later, the system's notification sounded in his mind.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host, for completing the random task: The Strongest Brother."
"Mission Reward: Shiba Family Secret Technique!"
Hearing the mission prompt, Saikyō was overjoyed. He immediately opened the attribute panel to take a look.
With the newly acquired reward, the attribute panel had some major upgrades:
---
Name: Shihōin Saikyō
Identity: Young Master of the Shihōin Family
Reiatsu: 350
Shunpo: 515
Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship): 226
Hakuda (Hand-to-Hand Combat): 202
Hadō (Destructive Arts):
Shō (Max)
Byakurai (Max)
Raikōhō (Max)
Fuhō (Max)
Kaze Retsu (Max)
Shiba Family Secret Technique
Bakudō (Binding Arts):
Sai (Max)
Hainawa (Max)
Seki (Max)
Special Abilities: Shiba Family Mysteries
Talents: Thunder Affinity, Fire Affinity, Wind Affinity, Reiatsu Boost, Hadō Boost
Skill Points: @#￥%*@#
---
To Saikyō's surprise, there was a new column called "Special Skills" in the attribute panel.
"It looks like in the future, whether through mission rewards or training, I'll be able to master more special skills," Saikyō inferred.
The addition of special skills opened new doors for Saikyō's growth.
Without hesitation, following his usual practice, Saikyō used his "unlimited skill points" to upgrade the Shiba secret technique to its maximum level!
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host, Shiba's Secret Skill Level has been raised to LV2!"
"Congratulations, Host, Shiba's Secret Skill Level has been raised to LV3!"
"Congratulations, Host, Shiba's Secret Skill Level has been raised to LV4!"
"Congratulations, Host, Shiba's Secret Skill Level has been raised to LV99!"
---
In one go, Saikyō maxed out the level and even awakened an additional talent.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host, for acquiring an extra talent: Fusion of Earth Attribute!"
The moment the system prompt sounded, Saikyō stood there, stunned for a while.
He had to wonder if he had heard it correctly.
"No way... Earth Attribute Fusion? Have I really awakened a fourth attribute so easily?" Saikyō couldn't hide the delight on his face; the happiness came almost too suddenly.
Awakening a fourth attribute meant his Reiatsu strength would rise to an even higher level, and his Kidō would become even more formidable!
"Shiba Ganju, you're truly a good person," Saikyō thought, closing the attribute panel and looking at Ganju's unconscious form lying amidst the debris.
By sending him attributes and skills, Shiba Ganju had effectively delivered a huge "gift pack" that instantly elevated Saikyō's combat power.
"Saikyō, you hit Ganju so hard he fell into a deep coma. I'd say he probably won't wake up for at least half a month," Yoruichi's voice rang out behind him.
"Sister Yoruichi, I didn't mean to. I actually showed mercy at the very last moment," Saikyō said, spreading his hands in mock innocence.
At ten times the power boost, with his skills maxed out, Kaze Retsu was bound to be incredibly destructive.
Even Urahara Kisuke would barely manage against it, let alone the much weaker Shiba Ganju.
"What else could I do? I'm helpless here!"
"It's not Saikyō's fault—Ganju is just too weak," Kūkaku, surprising everyone, actually spoke up on Saikyō's behalf.
"Hey... Kūkaku, do you actually have a thing for Saikyō?" Yoruichi eyed her friend with a teasing smile, feeling that something seemed off.
"Yoruichi, you're reading way too much into it," Kūkaku replied, her gaze wavering as she quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, where's the infirmary? I need to get this brat Ganju there."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Yoruichi continued to look at Kūkaku with a playful expression. She was savoring this rare opportunity to tease her best friend and wasn't about to let it pass so easily.
In the end, Kūkaku, unable to meet Yoruichi's eyes, picked up her unconscious brother and made her way out of the training field, a hint of embarrassment visible in her movements.
Thus, the competition came to an end.
"Saikyō, there are still two months left before the entrance exams for the Shino Academy of Spiritual Arts. Mastering low-level Kidō should be no problem for you by then, right?" Yoruichi asked, her tone returning to its previous gentleness as the Shiba siblings left.
The titles of "Captain of the Second Division" and "Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force" meant nothing to her when it came to Saikyō. Only in his presence did Yoruichi shed all her masks.
"Sister Yoruichi, according to the training plan given to me by Mr. Urahara, I should be able to master most intermediate Kidō by the time of the autumn enrollment at Shino Academy," Saikyō responded confidently.
"What?! Master most intermediate Kidō?" Yoruichi's jaw nearly dropped in shock, as though she had heard something inconceivable.
Three months.
To achieve that level of proficiency?
Such a speed was enough to put the entire Soul Society to shame!