"This is ridiculous!!!"
"Even Sekkiseki couldn't stop Bai Chen's slash…"
"And he was only using a wooden sword!"
"If that had been a Zanpakutō, the entire arena would've been cleaved in half!"
In that instant—
As everyone stared at the jagged fissures carved into the ground,
And at the shattered stone fragments still scattered and flying from the sword strike—
The academy's senior officials in the audience erupted in disbelief.
Every single one of them was shaken to the core.
Everyone knew this much:
Sekkiseki was a unique specialty of Soul Society.
A rare mineral capable of completely blocking the flow of reishi and reiatsu.
Because of that—
Any important structure within Seireitei
Was guaranteed to incorporate Sekkiseki into its construction.
And this largest combat arena of the Shin'ō Academy was no exception.
Yet—
What the academy leadership never anticipated was this:
They believed they had prepared an absolutely safe, foolproof stage
For this high-profile assessment.
A venue designed to prevent any possible accident.
But they had miscalculated.
Gravely.
Because Bai Chen himself was the greatest variable of all.
"Ara ara…"
"Even Sekkiseki was cut apart?"
"Bai Chen's sword techniques are truly terrifying."
Ichimaru Gin spoke again, still using his familiar tone—
But this time, his expression was anything but relaxed.
That trademark fox-like smile had vanished.
In its place was a solemn, heavy seriousness.
Clearly—
Even Ichimaru Gin, once hailed as the greatest prodigy of his generation—
Even he, wielding a Zanpakutō like Shinsō, one of the most lethal physical-type blades—
Could not help but feel genuine apprehension toward Bai Chen's sword art.
"Konoha-style sword techniques…"
"How is it that I've never even heard of this school before?"
Kyōraku Shunsui clicked his tongue, disbelief clear in his voice.
Even as he said it, he felt how absurd the thought sounded.
A sword style—
Wasn't something one could just casually comprehend on a whim.
Throughout Soul Society,
Every renowned sword school had been refined and passed down over countless generations.
Yet Bai Chen—
Was clearly just a newcomer.
And still…
"Hoho…"
"Captain Unohana, I imagine even you can't quite make sense of this, can you?"
Kyōraku turned his head and asked with a wry smile.
"No."
"You're mistaken, Captain Kyōraku."
"From beginning to end, I never thought about that at all."
Unohana Retsu answered softly.
But beneath her lowered black hair—
Her eyes burned with unmistakable heat.
This was admiration for the Konoha-style sword art—
And even more so, the thrill of a grandmaster swordsman
Upon encountering a true peer.
To Unohana—
Whether Bai Chen's existence made sense or not was irrelevant.
The only thing she wanted now—
Was to replace the Sixth Years herself
And step onto the field to test blades with him in a fair sword duel.
Meanwhile—
As the entire arena remained drowned in shock and awe—
Bai Chen, the very center of it all,
Held his wooden sword in one hand and calmly raised his arm.
With an elegant motion, he sheathed the blade.
In that instant—
The razor-sharp sword intent that had pierced Sekkiseki—
Retracted along with his reiatsu and killing aura, returning fully into his body.
Compared to the moment he had first taken the field—
Everything now seemed peaceful.
As if nothing had happened at all.
The only difference was this:
Across the shattered ground—
Lay fifty unconscious Sixth Years, sprawled like fallen leaves.
"May we proceed to the next assessment now?"
Bai Chen turned slightly and glanced toward the supervising instructor.
"Yes… yes!"
"Bai Chen—your performance just now was… outstanding!"
"The first assessment is officially passed!"
Only after being addressed did the instructor finally snap back to reality.
Even then, his words came out haltingly.
It was obvious—
Bai Chen's earlier strike had nearly scared him stiff.
Soon after,
Under the academy leadership's direction,
The medical teams rushed in to carry away the unconscious Sixth Years.
Once the debris was cleared and the arena roughly restored—
The second assessment was announced.
Kidō.
"So… it's finally my turn."
Bai Chen looked at the opponent stepping onto the field
And curved his lips into an amused smile.
Perhaps to prove himself.
Or perhaps to conserve their numerical advantage
For the final free-for-all.
In the second round—
Bai Chen would face only one opponent.
The Sixth Year's top student—
Hisagi Shūhei.
"Bai Chen, right?"
Walking calmly into the arena,
Hisagi's short black hair framed a confident, steady gaze.
He looked straight at Bai Chen and spoke frankly:
"To be honest, the pressure you give off…"
"It's stronger than anything I've felt from several high-ranking seated officers in the Ninth Division."
Though he hadn't yet graduated—
He had already earned Tōsen Kaname's recognition
And joined the Ninth Division in advance.
"But—"
Hisagi's voice paused.
Then, suddenly, he raised his arm and assumed a throwing stance.
His eyes sharpened in an instant.
"Thanks to their guidance…"
"Even without relying on a Zanpakutō, my Kidō is more than capable in real combat!"
His confident declaration blended seamlessly into an incantation:
"Bakudō no. 62—Hyapporankan!"
Numerous glowing rods of binding light condensed from reiatsu—
Then shot forward in dense formation, hurtling straight toward Bai Chen!
"Seizing the initiative—wise choice."
Bai Chen remained where he stood.
He watched the binding rods rapidly enlarge in his vision without moving an inch.
Only after offering that brief praise—
Did he finally lift a finger, unhurried.
"Hisagi Shūhei…"
"When it comes to real combat experience…"
"Seated officers are no match for captains."
His words fell.
And in the next instant—
BOOM!!!
A vast surge of reiatsu erupted outward!
A massive pressure wave blasted through the arena—
And within a single breath, it transformed into a torrent of white lightning!
Crashing forward like an unstoppable flood!
"Hadō no. 4—Byakurai!"
The moment the low-numbered spell—
And the name Byakurai—
Left Bai Chen's mouth—
The arena, which had been deathly silent, instantly exploded into chaos!
"Did Bai Chen say that wrong?!"
"This scale! This power!"
"How is this Byakurai?!"
"This is basically a Bankai-level finisher!!!"
Like a world-ending thunder dragon,
The roaring lightning surged forward—
Ripping through the ground, widening the cracks even further!
In that moment—
From the Sixth Years still watching…
To the highest-ranking academy officials…
Everyone felt their sense of reality collapse.
Their worldview—
Once again—
Was utterly, completely shattered.
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