"What?!"
Hiyori Sarugaki's hair stood on end, and her face turned bright red with anger.
Without thinking, she drew the Zanpakutō from her waist with a sharp sound. The bright blade pointed directly at Mirai.
Captains Shunsui Kyōraku, Shinji Hirako, and Kirio Hikifune looked at each other. They smiled like they were watching a show.
They stepped back several paces to give the two enough space. None of them had any intention of stopping the fight.
Mirai's face was as calm as water, but his voice carried a chill that everyone heard clearly.
"First, a Zanpakutō is a Shinigami's most important partner. It is a blade meant to kill enemies."
His voice became even colder.
"At the same time, it is a shield to protect your colleagues. Pointing your blade at a fellow Shinigami is extremely foolish and irrational."
"It means you are treating someone you should protect as an enemy."
"I am not an official Shinigami yet!" Hiyori shouted back angrily while gripping her sword.
Mirai's eyes remained still and emotionless.
"Then, the moment you decide to draw your sword, you must be prepared... to be killed by your opponent."
Right after he spoke, he slowly raised his hand. He pointed his right index finger toward Hiyori's forehead.
That gesture was incredibly insulting.
"He's... he's too arrogant!"
"He's only a fifth seat..."
"Hiyori, show him what you've got!"
Low whispers of anger broke out among the graduates.
Hiyori was so angry that she bared her teeth, showing her sharp fangs. She roared:
"I already know that! You baldy!"
"Ba... Baldy...?" Mirai's expression went blank for a second.
The entire training ground fell into a strange silence.
"Pfft... Hahaha..." Shunsui Kyōraku was the first to lose it. He clutched his stomach and laughed out loud.
"Mirai... actually being called a baldy... Hahaha!"
"Hahaha! Well said! This guy is just an arrogant baldy!" Shinji Hirako laughed along, slapping his leg.
In the Gotei 13, Mirai was famous for his looks and style.
He had a handsome face and wore his black hair in a small ponytail. Combined with his lazy attitude, he looked like a graceful nobleman.
Female Shinigami often blushed when they saw him or secretly gave him handkerchiefs.
Being called a "baldy" to his face by a girl was a first!
A vein popped on Mirai's forehead, but he took a deep breath. He forced himself to stay calm.
"Since you understand the logic but still chose to draw your sword, be ready for the consequences."
"Hmph! You talk too much! Just fight!"
Hiyori gripped her Zanpakutō with both hands. She aimed the tip at his finger and growled like a threatened animal.
She planned to cut off that annoying finger with her first strike.
"Fight back?" Mirai acted like he heard a joke. His tone was casual. "To deal with you, this finger is enough."
"You!" Hiyori felt the blood rush to her head. She couldn't hold back anymore.
She raised her sword high and swung it down with all her strength toward his finger. "Die!!!"
Mirai simply leaned to the side. The blade whistled past him, missing even the edge of his clothes.
"Not bad. You know to use your full strength after drawing your sword," Mirai's voice echoed in her ear like a ghost.
"But... you say you understand, but your heart doesn't truly get it."
"When facing an enemy, you must have the will to kill."
"Do you think fighting is a game? Or just a practice class at the academy?"
"Shut up! Baldy! Baldy! Baldy!" Hiyori's ears were ringing. Her anger completely took over her logic.
She swung her Zanpakutō wildly, using slashes, chops, and stabs. Her attacks were like a storm.
However, Mirai's body was like a leaf in the wind. He moved with the smallest motions and easily dodged every hit.
What made Hiyori even more frustrated was that his finger remained pointed at her forehead. It was a constant insult.
"So... so strong..."
"She can't touch him at all..."
"Is this the power of a seated officer?"
The graduates watched in shock. Their earlier anger turned into disbelief.
They thought Hiyori was strong, but she seemed helpless against a real seated officer.
Lisa Yadōmaru adjusted her glasses. Her eyes were full of surprise behind the lenses.
As a friend, she knew Hiyori's skill and Spiritual Pressure very well. Hiyori was definitely at the level of a seated officer.
Yet, Hiyori couldn't even touch the man's clothes.
Are seated officers really this powerful? Lisa started to feel she had been too arrogant before.
Shunsui Kyōraku noticed Lisa's tight expression. He lowered his voice.
"Lisa, don't worry too much. You are already excellent. You aren't at the Lieutenant level yet, but being a fifth seat is easy for you. Same for Hiyori."
Lisa looked up at him, confused.
Shunsui smiled and explained, "It's just that Mirai... he actually has the strength of a Lieutenant. That's all."
"Even among Lieutenants, his overall strength is quite high. Watch him closely; it will be good for you."
Lisa turned her attention back to the fight with even more focus.
Nearby, Shinji Hirako scoffed in his mind.
Is this kid really only Lieutenant level?
He looked toward the brown-haired young man standing outside the ring, Sōsuke Aizen, who was smiling.
Aizen felt extremely dangerous to him. It was a feeling he didn't even get from facing a Menos Grande.
As for Mirai, he didn't feel dangerous—but how could someone who stays so close to a dangerous guy like Aizen be simple?
It was a pity. Hiyori probably wouldn't be able to force him to show his true skills.
Unable to land a hit, Hiyori's movements became messy. Her breathing was uneven.
Mirai noticed this immediately. His words cut through the air like ice.
"What's wrong? Tired already? You aren't qualified to be arrogant in the Gotei 13 with only this much skill."
"I told you to shut up, baldy!"
Hiyori let out a roar. She gripped her sword tightly, and a huge burst of Spiritual Pressure exploded from her small body.
The pressure turned into a whirlwind, blowing against the clothes of the nearby graduates.
"This... this Spiritual Pressure!?"
"Is Hiyori going to use her Shikai?!"
"She is one of only three students in our year who learned Shikai!"
The crowd gasped.
Hiyori lowered her stance and jumped into the air. Her Spiritual Pressure reached its peak.
The shape of her Zanpakutō changed. It became a large blade that looked like a beast's teeth, full of wild power.
"Slice him—Kubikiri Orochi!"
The Shikai was complete!
Hiyori's Spiritual Pressure increased several times. She swung the massive blade down at Mirai with enough force to crack a mountain.
Faced with this powerful attack, Mirai's expression didn't change at all.
Her Spiritual Pressure increased about seven times after Shikai... She truly has great potential.
Usually, a Shinigami's Shikai only increases their power three to five times.
However... this level is still not enough.
He opened his lips. A clear chant echoed through the violent Spiritual Pressure.
"Spring arrives, cherry blossoms on the sacred branch."
Brilliant pink spirit particles gathered rapidly at the tip of the finger he was pointing at Hiyori.
The air around him filled with the ethereal scent of spring. Faint images of cherry blossoms made of pure energy appeared in the air, swirling gently.
"Lightning flashes, thousand petals dance in the storm!"
In the next moment, the pink spirit particles were replaced by bright golden lightning!
The centers of those cherry blossoms burst with intense golden electricity. It looked like countless petals of pure light were dancing and scattering on the wind.
Lisa Yadōmaru's body tensed up. Her face was full of shock.
"Is... is that a Kidō chant?! I've never seen that Kidō in the textbooks!"
Shunsui Kyōraku lowered his hat and said softly, "We never learned it either, Lisa."
"Hmph, this kid just loves showing off with these 'self-created' things," Shinji Hirako muttered. He looked annoyed, but his eyes were serious.
In the center of the ring, Mirai finished his chant.
"Bloom—"
All the cherry blossoms made of golden lightning shrunk. They gathered at his fingertip, compressing into a single point of light.
"Hadō: Sakura Inazuma!"
Swoosh!
A thin but extremely concentrated beam of golden lightning shot from his finger!
The lightning expanded in the air, instantly turning into a huge, beautiful explosion of cherry blossoms made entirely of violent electricity.
This "lightning flower" carried a destructive aura and a strange beauty. It moved fast and hit the falling Hiyori.
BOOM!
The lightning exploded. Golden bolts of electricity scattered everywhere, accompanied by the visual echo of falling cherry petals.
With a short cry, Hiyori's small body was blasted out of the air. She crashed hard onto the training ground floor.
Her weapon, Kubikiri Orochi, turned back into its sealed form.
She struggled to move, but she couldn't get up immediately.
The training ground went silent.
Every graduate stared at the center of the field with their mouths open.
Mirai was still standing there with one finger extended. His clothes fluttered in the wind, and his expression remained calm.