Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

Akira strongly suspected that his master was targeting him — the words "Let me do it" might as well have been written on his face — yet the old man went ahead and appointed Jūshirō.

Seeing his foolish disciple's expression of deep respect, Genryūsai could only sigh helplessly.

It wasn't that he doubted Akira's abilities; he was just worried the young man wouldn't know his own strength and might accidentally knock out the soon-to-be Captain Kensei, just as he had done with Rōjūrō.

After all, a Division leader needed to maintain dignity — if they lost all authority, their troops would lose direction and become difficult to lead.

Jūshirō was momentarily stunned before quickly recovering, his lips curving into a gentle smile.

"Is that so? I understand. Leave it to me."

Seeing his demeanor, almost everyone's gaze turned toward Akira.

It was no secret that Jūshirō had been chronically ill and bedridden — even ordinary members from other divisions knew this.

But recently, he had made a complete recovery. The illness that had troubled him for hundreds of years was eliminated entirely. According to rumors, the person behind this miracle was Akira Kisaragi, who at the time hadn't yet become the Captain of the 11th Division.

Though his time in the Seireitei had been short, every incident he had been involved in could only be described as earth-shattering. Even now, the typically arrogant nobles showed utmost respect when greeting the 11th Division members, their usual haughtiness nowhere to be seen.

This was all thanks to their Captain.

Thinking of this, many of the watching Captains' gazes toward Akira held traces of awe.

Shunsui had his hands tucked in his sleeves, wearing a playful smile that contrasted sharply with those around him.

His thoughts differed from the others — as the 8th Division Captain, Genryūsai's direct disciple, Jūshirō's friend, and Akira's senior. Though his junior brother could be quite inconsiderate at times, he was still happy to witness this scene.

The more brilliant this junior's performance, the more peaceful his own future would be. When Yama-jii became elderly and frail, no longer able to handle his duties as before, he would surely pass the position of Captain-Commander to his young disciple. Then, Shunsui could continue his carefree life of slacking off.

Of course, Jūshirō might barely qualify as well.

It's just that his personality wasn't suited for the role of Captain-Commander. He was often too caught up in formalities and placed too much importance on sentiment and loyalty.

The position of Captain-Commander was better suited for someone as carefree as Akira. Most importantly, unlike others, he held no reverence for Central 46 — to him, their authority didn't even match up to one cough from his Master.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Genryūsai immediately finalized the contents of this Captains' Council and announced its conclusion.

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The next day, all the Captains gathered at the training grounds.

In the spacious arena, two figures stood facing each other, their clashing auras creating visible waves that stirred up dust from the ground.

Kensei looked at the white-haired man opposite him and breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since Tōdō Keiichi had informed him about the 9th Division Captain position, he had been anxious.

It wasn't that he doubted his ability to handle the role. Rather, he dreaded a repeat of the previous Captain Qualification Test.

Though Kensei was confident in his own strength, facing a monster like Akira left him intimidated. After all, Akira had withstood Rōjūrō's Bankai and defeated him completely — an outrageous feat.

Kensei had sparred with Rōjūrō before.

They had been evenly matched at first, with Kensei even holding a slight advantage. But once Rōjūrō released his Bankai, the battle became entirely one-sided, leaving no room for resistance.

Even more remarkable was how Rōjūrō had evolved. Previously, Kensei could counter Kinshara's hypnotic abilities by blocking his hearing. But after being thoroughly defeated by both Akira and Aizen, Rōjūrō — faced with mortal terror — had an epiphany and deepened his Bankai's power.

Now he could hypnotize enemies even when they were completely deaf, and his musical performance had reached the tenth movement.

When Kensei asked if he was confident about defeating Akira in a rematch, Rōjūrō's answer came swift and simple — just one word:

No.

He declared on the spot that he never wanted to face such a monster again. He would rather fight three hundred rounds with granny Chitetsu than take another punch from Akira.

Since then, Kensei had developed Akira-phobia. Though he kept telling himself that Akira was an ally who wouldn't deal lethal blows, he couldn't overcome that mental barrier.

Fortunately, today's Captain Qualification Examiner was the kind, gentle, and peace-loving 13th Division Captain, Jūshirō Ukitake.

"We can begin." Chōjirō announced.

Kensei bowed formally, his face serious, "Captain Ukitake, please guide me!"

Jūshirō smiled gently and nodded, "Kensei, don't be fooled by my appearance. Since this is my first battle after recovery, I'll be giving it my full attention."

Hearing these words, Kensei's heart skipped a beat. An ominous feeling welled up inside him.

He drew his blade from his waist without hesitation, immediately releasing it.

"Blow it Away…"

⤫ Shikai: Tachikaze ⥤ Initial Release: Earth-Severing Wind! ⤬

As the words fell, Kensei's Reiatsu exploded outward, instantly surging to a level far beyond what ordinary Shinigami could achieve. The massive spiritual pressure radiated in all directions with raging winds.

The light faded from the blade, transforming the long sword into a combat knife wrapped in green-tinted wind.

"Hmm, about one Kensei level?" Akira observed thoughtfully, arms crossed as he watched Kensei shouting to boost his courage in the arena's center.

"One Kensei?" Shunsui sidled closer, hands tucked in his sleeves and wearing a mischievous expression, "What does that mean?"

"It's a unit of combat power measurement." Akira explained with a smile, "Since Kensei's name is suitable for calculation, and his Reiatsu and strength are at the standard Captain level, Kensei after releasing his Shikai counts as one Kensei."

{T/N: Kensei (拳西) means Fist (拳) West (西), so it would be roughly equivalent to saying his strength equals one fist.}

Shunsui scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Then after releasing Bankai, would Kensei be at six Kensei power level?"

Akira nodded approvingly, "Senior Brother Kyōraku, you now have one percent of my wisdom. Yama-jii will be very pleased when he hears about this."

Shunsui's face darkened — this kid's insults cut deep.

One percent of Akira's wisdom — how was that any different from being called an idiot?

While the two were conversing, the battle between Kensei and Jūshirō had already begun.

⤫ Air Blades! ⤬

Kensei tested with an opening wind blade, sharp gusts slashing toward his opponent. The fine wind struck nearby stone slabs, instantly creating deep fissures.

Jūshirō drew his sword and countered, effortlessly deflecting the probe.

Seeing this, everyone present was surprised.

Previously, due to his severe illness, Jūshirō had rarely participated in battles, becoming synonymous with the weakest Captain in most people's minds. Yet now, with his first move — while still unreleased — he directly neutralized Kensei's Shikai attack.

Such a display was undeniably powerful.

On the observation platform, Genryūsai nodded with satisfaction.

No one knew his disciple's true strength better than him. Without the illness holding him back, today's Jūshirō stood undoubtedly among the first tier of Captains. Very few could surpass him.

⤫ Air Blades ⥤ Hurricane! ⤬

Seeing this, Kensei immediately stopped holding back. He slashed wildly with his knife, unleashing countless wind blades that filled the training grounds. The ground shattered beneath the assault, howling dust swirling everywhere.

Regardless of his actual strength, when it came to demolition, he was on par with Akira.

"Very solid fundamentals." Jūshirō remarked while effortlessly blocking the wind blade attacks, "But this alone isn't enough to qualify for a Captain position."

Hearing this, Kensei's breathing faltered, and his continuous attacks showed a momentary pause.

Jūshirō seized that precise moment, launching a sword pressure strike that cut directly in front of Kensei's chest. The strike sent him flying backward to crash hard into the training ground's wall, creating a massive human-shaped indentation.

Shunsui drew in a sharp breath, glancing sideways at Genryūsai beside him, muttering quietly.

"Yama-jii, you haven't been giving Ukitake special training, have you?"

"Foolish!" The old man snorted disdainfully, "Ukitake's poor performance was due to his physical limitations. Now that he's recovered, he only needed time to adjust before displaying his full strength. He has achieved perfect control. Kyōraku, if you continue to be lazy, beware of becoming the weakest among the three. If that happens, you'll be sent to the Eleventh Division for training!"

Hearing this, Akira raised both hands and feet in approval.

The 11th Division was already brimming with talent; if they were to take in another Captain, the division members would start worrying about the cold weather and preparing to add more layers.

Upon hearing these words, Shunsui's face turned bitter — like a bitter gourd come to life. When Genryūsai said something, it meant he would definitely follow through.

The 11th Division had always valued martial prowess and maintained a fierce atmosphere, and since Akira became Captain, it had grown even more extreme. Even from his position in the 8th Division, Shunsui could often hear the battle cries.

The worst offenders were a certain demon-faced Seated Officer and the Wolfman Clan member Akira had brought back from the Rukongai. Shunsui couldn't bear to imagine it.

Most terrifying of all, the 11th Division had no female Shinigami — it was full of muscular brutes, completely contrary to his aesthetic preferences.

If he really became one of them, wouldn't that be like falling from heaven into hell?

⤫ Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze ⥤ Final Release: Iron Fist Severing Wind! ⤬

Just as Shunsui was considering training harder, Kensei burst forth from the rubble with powerful Reiatsu.

A massive pillar of spiritual pressure shot skyward, wild winds raging in all directions. The ground beneath his feet cracked instantly, countless rocks surging upward, creating an incredibly imposing sight.

Under the illumination of Reiatsu, Kensei's appearance transformed. The dagger in his hand vanished, replaced by two double-pronged knuckle blades. His arms were wrapped in iron-colored treads extending to both shoulders. Fierce winds raged and exploded around him, ravaging the already strained ground.

"A physical-type Bankai?" Jūshirō pondered thoughtfully, "It looks quite powerful. Haha, young people these days are getting stronger and stronger."

Kensei took his stance and said seriously, "Captain Ukitake, please release your Zanpakutō too. Tekken Tachikaze's ability can be quite dangerous. A slight mistake could cause serious injury."

This was just a Captain Qualification Test, not a fight to the death. He didn't want to hurt the friendly Captain.

"You have a point." Jūshirō smiled, "Then I won't hold back."

"All Ye Waves, Become My Shield. All Ye Thunder, Become My Blade…"

⤫ Shikai: Sōgyo no Kotowari ⥤ Initial Release: Truth of Pisces! ⤬

Under everyone's watchful gaze, he only performed his Shikai.

One sword transformed into two blades connected by a rope, with fin-like protrusions on the blade's spine, wooden tags dangling from the rope in the wind — a rather ordinary appearance.

Kensei frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied, and was about to speak when Ukitake cut in.

"Shikai will be enough. My Bankai isn't suitable for use in a place like this."

Hearing this, Kensei nodded, "I understand. In that case, let's end this quickly. As I am now, I won't waste too much of your time!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the ground exploded with visible shock waves erupting through the air.

He vanished from his position, materializing before Jūshirō with his wind-wrapped knuckle blades striking forward.

To his surprise, rather than dodging, Jūshirō simply swung the blade in his right hand downward.

BOOM!!

The collision between knuckle blade and sword unleashed a devastating impact. Brilliant Reiatsu light flooded the area, crushing the ground and sending ripples through the Kidō barrier surrounding the training ground.

"How is this possible?!" Kensei's face contorted in shock.

Learning from Rōjūrō's example, he hadn't rashly revealed his Bankai's ability at the start. Yet even his full-power strike proved ineffective against Jūshirō's blade.

He stood there, bewildered.

"So that's how it is?" Jūshirō's eyes lit up with understanding, "It's unfortunate, but Sōgyo no Kotowari isn't particularly effective against physical-type Zanpakutō."

With those words, he raised his left-hand blade, familiar blue-green light flowing along its edge. Before Kensei's incredulous eyes, he slashed downward.

Kensei instinctively crossed his arms, attempting to block with the iron-colored treads wrapped around them.

At the moment of impact, a familiar explosive force surged through his body, sending him flying backward to crash violently into the wall, creating ripples in the Kidō barrier.

The spectators inhaled sharply at Kensei's predicament, their faces showing sympathy.

As all eyes watched, Jūshirō maintained his Shikai stance and spoke in his gentle voice.

"Kensei Muguruma, you pass the Captain Qualification Test."

⤫⤬⤫

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