Aiyan Sōsuke…In Kidō, he is already beyond me

RUMBLE—!

A thunderous explosion echoed in all directions. The sound shook the entire Shin'o Academy.

In a flash, the terrifying beam of Reiatsu vaporized the Menos Grande and the Cero it had just finished charging. Both were broken down into pure spirit particles. The beam shot straight up, piercing the clouds over the academy and tearing open a massive hole in the sky. Like a divine pillar, it connected heaven and earth before finally fading away.

"Bakudō #81: Danku."

"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō..."

"Oh my god!"

"H-He used Kidō spells above #80 without chanting... and the power is terrifying!"

"Is this really a student who's only been at the academy for a month?"

"Even some captains can't do that!"

The Shinigami watching from Gotei 13 were completely stunned.

"Jūshirō, did you see that?" Kyoraku Shunsui asked, his tone serious for once.

Ukitake, equally shocked, nodded. "I did. But there's more than what most saw."

While regular seated officers and lieutenants were shocked by the fact that Aiyan had cast high-level Kidō without incantation, the captains saw something deeper.

"Not only did he skip the chant," Kyoraku said, lowering the brim of his hat to hide his eyes, "but he reshaped the structure of the Kidō.

"Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō is already a spell that only captain-level Shinigami can use effectively without chanting, but this boy didn't just cast it. He changed the form entirely—made it erupt from beneath the enemy like a volcanic blast."

He paused.

"This isn't just raw power. It takes incredible knowledge of Kidō theory and technique to modify the spell itself."

Even Kyoraku, with all his battle experience, couldn't do that.

Normally, Kidō has strict forms: whether cast with one hand, two hands, or aimed in a particular direction. But Aiyan had restructured everything. He cast a long-range Hadō spell from beneath the opponent's feet, making it nearly impossible to dodge.

"This isn't something you can do just by having high Reiatsu. It means he's already a true master of Kidō."

Kyoraku let out a breath. "Aiyan Sōsuke… in Kidō, at least, you're already beyond me."

He was impressed before. Now, he was quietly in awe.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, watching nearby, opened his eyes slightly, a rare show of emotion from the legendary captain.

In his thousands of years, he had seen countless so-called "geniuses."

But if he had to think of one who matched Aiyan… no one came to mind.

Not one.

As he admired Aiyan again, the old man recalled the night he first met the boy.

Do I regret it?

Yes.

Although his lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe had explained everything afterward, every time Yamamoto witnessed Aiyan's talent, a small part of him felt regret.

"No wonder he doesn't care about the title of 'Kenpachi'…"

"If he's this good at Kidō, it's no surprise he treats kendo mastery as just another stepping stone."

Unohana Yachiru was similarly astonished.

She finally understood why the title of "Kenpachi," longed for by so many, seemed meaningless to Aiyan.

Because he had already surpassed the title itself.

"Captain Isshin, do I pass the first assessment now?" Aiyan asked casually, walking back over.

Shiba Isshin, still frozen in shock, blinked.

"You're joking, right?" he said, forcing a laugh and shaking his head.

He had only asked Aiyan to use Kidō below #80.

Instead, the kid ignored the instruction, cast above #80, without chanting, and still had more power than many captains.

Even Isshin wasn't sure he could outperform what he'd just seen.

And thinking about that hurt his pride.

He was the head of the Shiba family's branch house, a veteran Shinigami who had trained his entire life.

Yet this boy, after only one month in the academy, was already ahead of him.

It made Isshin feel like everything he'd worked for had been… for nothing.

"Lucky me…"

He sighed.

"At least we used a Menos Grande for the exam instead of a regular Kidō dummy."

"Otherwise I'd be the one paying for the academy's repairs."

He muttered quietly, thankful that the early graduation test had more difficult criteria—otherwise Aiyan might've blown up the entire Kidō hall.

"Alright. Next round—Zanjutsu assessment."

"Same rules as before. Defeat the Menos Grande using only swordsmanship."

As the Kidō Corps brought out another restrained Menos, Isshin announced the second part of the test.

"…Why are you still standing here?"

He noticed Aiyan hadn't moved from his side.

"No need to walk over," Aiyan replied calmly.

At that moment, the Kidō restraints were removed from the new Menos.

Aiyan slowly raised one palm to the sky.

Clang—!

A high-pitched sound echoed like a thousand blades being drawn at once.

Suddenly, a suffocating sword pressure swept over the crowd.

Everyone present felt like their skin was being cut by blades, and their hair stood on end.

Then—

Shink! Shink! Shink!

Eight glowing swords of spiritual energy rained down from the sky, piercing through the Menos head, chest, legs, and other vital points, pinning the monster to the ground before it could even charge up a Cero.

"…It's the same technique from when he fought Hirako Shinji," Isshin murmured, eyes narrowing.

Though he hadn't witnessed the match himself, he'd heard the story from Shiba Kaien.

That duel wasn't really a duel—it was a one-sided defeat.

Hirako had been skewered to the wall of the kendo hall with just three of these blades.

But now?

There were eight.

More refined.

More powerful.

More precise.

"Compared to two weeks ago, his sword technique has already evolved again…"

Unohana Yachiru's sharp instincts picked up on the change immediately.

She had once faced this move herself—and lost.

But now, she could tell Aiyan's control over the technique had become even stronger.

"He's growing again," she whispered. "Even I can't beat him now."

"Jūshirō…" Yamamoto Genryūsai turned toward Ukitake.

"You were right."

"Even if I personally taught him, there's nothing more I could offer."

In just one month…

Aiyan Sōsuke's mastery of Kidō and kendo had already surpassed the level of most seated captains.

Even among captains, there were very few who could teach him anything anymore.

...

[If you're enjoying the story, please leave a power stone and comment. I really appreciate your support]