To die under my Zanpakutō’s Shikai...isn’t that an honor

"Captain Isshin, is it the same for Shunpo, Hakuda, and Kendo?"

Aiyan slowly lowered his palm, causing the eight Reiatsu swords that had pinned the Menos Grande to the ground to vanish into particles of light. Then he turned and asked Isshin Shiba calmly.

"..."

Isshin opened his mouth but said nothing.

What could he say?

At this point, any sort of test felt pointless.

Judging by Aiyan's current strength, not only had he surpassed any need for a graduation assessment—he was already at a level fit to be a Gotei 13 Captain.

Wait…

That's exactly what's next for him.

Once this graduation was official, Aiyan would step up as the Captain of the Fifth Division.

As for Hirako Shinji—his disagreement wouldn't last. Isshin was sure the man would step aside soon enough.

"No assessment needed. You pass."

"Except…"

His sentence was interrupted by the tap of a cane.

"Except for the Zanpakutō."

The deep voice of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto echoed through the grounds as he brought down his staff lightly. Instantly, all eyes turned to the Supreme Commander.

"Your Kidō mastery surpasses even high-level incantations."

"Your swordsmanship rivals the legacy of the original Kenpachi."

"Shunpo and Hakuda… there's no need to test them. I believe you've already surpassed even veteran Captains in those fields."

"But this is tradition."

"To become a Gotei 13 Captain, one must show that they've achieved Zanpakutō release."

The gathered Captains, lieutenants, and high-ranking officers all nodded in silent agreement. No one objected. It was standard procedure.

"Yes, Captain-Commander," Isshin replied, then turned back to Aiyan.

Several Kidō Corps members left and returned shortly, bringing with them two things:

One, a blue-haired Shinigami with a tall figure and a calm demeanor: Hoshigaki Nanzō, vice-chief of the Kidō Corps.

And two, an Adjuchas-class Menos Grande, bound in powerful Bakudō restraints.

"This is your final test," Isshin said.

"These Adjuchas invaded the Soul Society recently. He's your target."

"Normally, this would be a brutal exam—only lieutenant-level Shinigami are cleared to face enemies of this class."

"But for you…"

He gave a helpless smile.

"This is just going through the motions. A formality. The real goal is to prove that you've unlocked your Shikai."

Isshin glanced at the crowd. Most of the Seireitei's high-level officers were present.

"If you'd rather keep your Zanpakutō's power hidden, I can clear the field and leave only the Captains behind."

"They'll need to stay. Proof of Shikai mastery must be shown to at least two Gotei Captains to be official. That's the rule."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Don't worry. Most Captains already know each other's Shikai. Whether that knowledge is real or faked... well, you get the idea."

Aiyan smiled faintly. "No need to clear the field," he said calmly.

He had no intention of hiding anything.

After all, his Zanpakutō Kōfūin didn't just have one ability. Its Shikai alone had multiple forms, and none of them were simple.

Not to mention… even if someone knew what Kōfūin could do, they couldn't necessarily counter it.

Some Zanpakutō were just like that—powerful and terrifying, impossible to resist even when fully understood.

Kōfūin was one of them.

"I'm ready," Aiyan said.

As if on cue, Nanzō waved his palm, releasing the Bakudō bindings.

A sharp, twisted voice filled the air.

"You damn Shinigami…"

"I'll make you pay for this disgrace."

The Adjuchas snarled as he stepped forward, spiritual pressure flaring wildly.

"You dare mock me—Copper—like this?!"

Most Adjuchas-class Menos were intelligent and emotional, and Copper was no exception. He had listened to everything said before the fight. He understood he was just here to be a demonstration piece—and that enraged him.

A surge of dark energy exploded from him, flooding the courtyard and drawing gasps from many Shinigami.

Even some lieutenants looked uneasy.

But then…

A voice, calm and steady, entered his ear.

"You should be more careful."

"You're the one underestimating me."

Suddenly, a wave of spiritual pressure far stronger than his own descended.

Aiyan's Reiatsu crashed down like a collapsing mountain, shattering Copper's aura in an instant and replacing it with a suffocating force.

CRACK.

The sound of breaking bones echoed through the air.

It came from Copper.

PAK.

The Hollow's knees hit the ground.

The entire battlefield went silent.

The fearsome Adjuchas—just moments ago radiating raw power—was now trembling, pale-faced, sweating, kneeling.

The gathered Shinigami could hardly believe what they were seeing.

"He… he crushed an Adjuchas… with Reiatsu alone?"

"That's impossible…"

"No wonder they call him the greatest genius in the past 2,000 years."

"He's on a different level than us."

Even among the Lieutenants, whispers and disbelief ran rampant.

Meanwhile, Aiyan calmly walked toward Copper.

His footsteps echoed in the silence.

Copper, sensing his approach, trembled harder. His body shook uncontrollably, like a man sentenced to death.

Aiyan lowered himself slightly.

"No need to be afraid," he said softly.

"To die under my Zanpakutō's Shikai... isn't that an honor?"

Then he placed a finger on Copper's forehead.

"Close your eyes—Kōfūin."

A black mist curled upward from his fingertip.

It spun slowly in a tight spiral, forming a small but terrifying black vortex—a darkness so dense that even light could not escape.

The nearby air twisted and shimmered. Even space itself bent.

What followed was silence.

And then—

CHI CHI.

A horrifying, wet grinding noise filled the air.

The sound of matter being shredded, bones collapsing, flesh crushed.

The black vortex expanded slightly and devoured Copper, from head to toe, inch by inch.

There was no struggle.

No chance to resist.

The Adjuchas' famed Hierro, known to block even Zanpakutō slashes, was meaningless.

In the face of this gravity-based Shikai, Copper was erased from existence, piece by piece—until nothing was left.

Only the sound of wind.

Only silence.

...

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