The captain's test chamber's a place most folks don't ever get to see. Big enough to drown in, walls made of thick stone and kido barriers tighter than a banker's coin purse. No sky here — just flickerin' light from those old lamps hangin' overhead, throwin' long shadows.
Feels like a stage.
And I'm the only one actin'.
At the head, Yamamoto-soutaichou sits cross-legged, like a mountain what grew a beard. Unohana stands to his left — quiet, her eyes unreadable, like a calm pond ya know's got somethin' nasty swimmin' underneath. Kyouraku's on the right, that straw hat tilted like he ain't payin' attention, but those eyes don't miss a thing.
I bow low.
"Gin Ichimaru, former vice-captain o' the 5th Division, present an' accounted for."
Yamamoto grunts, voice like gravel.
"Proceed."
Unohana steps forward, scroll in hand.
"The first test is kido demonstration. You will cast Bakudō #81: Dankū and Hadō #63: Raikōhō in rapid succession without incantation."
She says it like she's askin' me to boil water.
I smile, lips curlin' lazy.
"Well now, ain't that a tall order. But reckon I'll give it a shot."
I raise my hand. The kido formulas spin through my head easy, muscle memory now. No chant. No tell.
A shimmer snaps into place — a solid wall of blue light, cracklin' and holdin' steady.
"Dankū."
Not a hitch.
Before it fades, I swing my other hand up.
"Raikōhō."
A burst o' golden lightning tears through the chamber, slamming into the far barrier with a crack like thunder.
Unohana nods once.
"Acceptable."
I let my grin linger.
"Glad it tickled yer fancy."
Next is swordsmanship.
And that's when Kyouraku steps up, drawin' his twin blades, lookin' like a man about to ask ya to dinner or kill ya — could go either way.
"Hope ya don't mind me bein' your dance partner for this one, Gin-kun."
I laugh, unsheathin' my blade.
"Ain't no one else I'd rather cross steel with, Kyouraku-taichou."
He flicks his gaze down, eyes gleamin' under that hat.
"Funny thing though… your sword's no more than fifty centimeters long, yet that sheath's well over a meter. Bit of a mismatch, huh?"
Bastard's sharp.
I keep smilin'.
"Ah, reckon it's just fashion, ya know? Gotta look the part."
He chuckles.
"Well then — come show me your moves."
We clash. His dual blades move like water, unpredictable. I parry, dart, feint. Ain't about winnin'. This is about showin' 'em what they wanna see. Enough skill to pass. Not enough to scare.
But then I flick my wrist.
"Shoot to kill… Shinsō."
My sword blurs forward — a silver streak, extendin' in a heartbeat, aim straight for his chest.
He twists, barely dodgin' as the blade retracts.
"Fast one, ain't ya."
"Got places to be."
We trade a few more blows, my Shinsō snappin' out like a snake, him deflectin' with the ease of a veteran. Finally he steps back, tappin' his blade against his shoulder.
"Good enough for me."
Unohana's eyes linger a little longer, but she nods.
Last test now.
Bankai.
This is where it gets tricky.
Yamamoto leans forward, beard shiftin'.
"Final requirement. Reveal and demonstrate your Bankai."
I close my eyes a moment. Pretend like it takes effort, like it ain't been mine for lifetimes.
Then I speak.
"Bankai… Kamishini no Yari."
The room warps.
My blade stretches, its length vanishing into the air faster than sight can track. The pressure surges, enough to rattle the lanterns overhead. Even Kyouraku stiffens.
I let the blade retract, spinnin' it lazy in my fingers.
"Same as my Shikai," I grin. "Just faster. And I can make it reach a fair bit farther, too."
I don't mention the poison.
Never do.
Aizen don't need 'em knowin' that card yet. None o' them do.
Unohana studies me, but says nothin'.
Yamamoto grunts.
"Display acceptable."
He stamps the approval seal on the parchment without ceremony.
"It is done."
I bow deep.
"Obliged, Soutaichou."
They dismiss me, but Kyouraku catches my gaze as I leave. A flicker of somethin' like warnin'. Or curiosity.
Can't tell which.
Outside, the night's cool again. The wind carries the scent of ash from the soutaichou's pipe.
Captain Gin Ichimaru.
Another title. Another mask.
I grin up at the moon.
Still his loyal hound, huh?
For now.