Facing the stares of every classmate, the teacher, and Fifth Division Captain Aizen himself, along with the crushing force weighing down on him, Moriyasu Tokoyo still stood tall and unbending, like a proud stalk of green bamboo.
Aizen reached up, adjusted his glasses, and continued speaking gently.
“This is a good opportunity.
Let me say a bit more while we’re at it.” His words pulled the attention of every student straining to hold themselves up back to the podium.
“You’ve all had your spiritual power rank tested at enrollment, and you understand it reflects how concentrated a person’s Reishi is.” “Since all of you are apparently determined to aim for captain, there’s no harm in telling you this ahead of time.” “One of the hard requirements for being promoted to captain is a spiritual power rank of three or higher.” “Earlier, when I was just standing up here, none of you felt any pressure at all.
That’s because a captain’s spiritual power rank runs so high that we normally have to keep it reined in, contained within ourselves as much as possible.
Otherwise, just walking around would tear apart the surroundings.” “What you’re feeling now is that normally-contained spiritual power released outward, forming a pressure.
That’s reiatsu.” “A Shinigami’s Shikai releases their power, letting the spiritual power in their body express itself fully, and it comes with an amplification besides.” “Typically, about a fivefold increase.” He smiled and held up the Zanpakuto in his hand, the twin currents of water still spinning rapidly, weaving around each other.
“So, students, if you ever run into an enemy and can’t withstand even the reiatsu they’re putting off, your best option is to run.
Immediately.” “But as Shinigami, we’re bound to run into situations where running isn’t an option.” “So what do you do then?” Aizen said, pointing with his free hand at the students hunched over, struggling to hold themselves up.
“Then you do what these students are doing: let your body absorb and distribute the reiatsu, and conserve your strength to strike back.” As he spoke, he eased off the reiatsu pouring out of him a little, letting the students catch their breath and glance around at one another.
Then he pointed at the students flattened on the ground and said with a smile: “Of course, lying flat like these students does reduce the reiatsu pressure your body has to bear, but it also strips you of any ability to strike back, so it’s not exactly a good solution either.” The faces of those on the ground went red instantly, and each of them scrambled desperately back to their feet.
Luckily, Aizen had already eased off the reiatsu enough that they could get up without trouble.
“And the wrong way to handle it is like that student over there.” “You absolutely must not just grit your teeth and take it head-on like that.
Your body will give out before anything else does.” Aizen said, pointing directly at Moriyasu Tokoyo.
Every student’s head snapped around, eyes going wide instantly.
Moriyasu Tokoyo was still standing tall, not a single bead of sweat on his forehead.
But bright red blood was running from the corners of his mouth and his nose, dripping off his chin and hitting the ground, blooming into little red flowers.
None of them could make sense of it: why, even taking serious injury from a captain’s reiatsu, would this guy insist on staying upright?
Rukia cried out anxiously, “Idiot, don’t push yourself, you’re bleeding from your mouth!” “Moriyasu, please stop forcing it!” Momo shouted too.
She strained to take a step toward him, but the reiatsu pinned her in place, and she couldn’t move an inch.
Moriyasu didn’t answer either of them.
He just kept standing there, ramrod straight, letting the blood keep flowing from his nose and mouth, even his ears now.
Aizen went on, “If he keeps this up, his body might give out completely.” No sooner had he said it than a series of cracking sounds began coming from inside Moriyasu’s body.
The sound of bones fracturing.
Crack, crack, crack, like a string of firecrackers going off.
“Captain Aizen, please, let him go!” Rukia spun around and shouted up at Aizen on the podium.
Aizen smiled and waved a hand, drawing every last bit of the released reiatsu back into himself.
Thud, thud, one after another, the sound of students collapsing to the ground rang out.
Heavy, ragged breathing echoed across the training grounds.
“Idiot, why are you still standing there?” The moment she felt the reiatsu vanish, Rukia spun around, only to find Moriyasu still standing in the exact same spot, back ramrod straight.
She hurried two steps closer to check on him, and at the sight of his perfectly calm face, couldn’t help snapping at him again.
“Are you an idiot?!” “I’m fine.” The moment Moriyasu got those words out, a gurgling sound came from his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Rukia quickly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, grabbed a fistful of his uniform, and yanked hard, bending Moriyasu forward as she wiped the blood from his mouth.
“Why do you have to push yourself like that?
Look, you’ve gone and hurt yourself badly!” Moriyasu answered quietly, “No, I wasn’t pushing myself.” His voice came out muffled, mostly smothered by Rukia’s handkerchief.
“And you’re still talking back!” Rukia’s eyes flashed, and she pressed down harder.
“Hisss…” “If that’s not pushing yourself, then what is it?” “That student’s telling the truth, actually.” Captain Aizen’s voice came from behind them.
Rukia turned around, puzzled.
Aizen didn’t rush to explain.
He looked at Moriyasu Tokoyo and asked with a smile: “What’s your name, student?” “Moriyasu Tokoyo.” Aizen nodded, and only then began to explain.
“Moriyasu here only has a spiritual power rank of nineteen.
By all rights, the instant I released my Shikai, he should have been swept straight to the ground and stayed flat until it was over.” “But he’s remarkably skilled at directing his own spiritual power, concentrating all of it into his shoulders and the upper half of his body, which is exactly how he managed to stay standing without going down.” “That takes a very refined kind of spiritual power control.” “Moriyasu here has real talent.” “Huh, is that really it?” Rukia spun back around.
“That’s right.
It’s just that trying to withstand Captain Aizen’s reiatsu on nothing but rank nineteen was still asking a bit too much.” Moriyasu let out a sigh.
“Well, obviously.
Didn’t you just hear Captain Aizen say it?” Renji came running over too.
“One of the requirements for becoming a captain is a spiritual power rank of three.” “You’re rank nineteen.
Even without ever setting foot in a school, you should know the gap between those two numbers.” Moriyasu lifted his head slightly and looked at Renji.
“Of course I know.
But there’s no better chance than this one.” “Even the homeroom teacher said it himself: a once-in-a-lifetime chance.” “Chance?
What chance?” Renji’s eyes went wide, utterly failing to see what opportunity there was in any of this.
Moriyasu patted the back of Rukia’s hand, gave her a small smile, straightened back up, and turned his eyes to the podium.
“The chance to measure exactly how far away my goal really is, of course.” The training grounds went dead silent in an instant.
Every student just stared blankly at Moriyasu Tokoyo.
“Damn it!” Renji bared his teeth, both hands balling into fists.
He understood exactly what Moriyasu meant, instantly.
That reflexive curse hadn’t been aimed at Moriyasu, hadn’t been meant to put him down.
It was frustration at himself, for not being able to do the same thing.
His gaze landed on Rukia, standing in front of Moriyasu, and he gritted his teeth again.
No.
He couldn’t afford to lose.
Renji roared the words in his own mind.
“Moriyasu, you really are amazing.” Momo walked over too, offering the compliment with a smile.
Kira stared at that straight-backed figure, frozen where he stood.
Clap, clap, clap.
A round of applause rang out from the podium, pulling everyone’s attention back.
Captain Aizen stood there smiling, his Zanpakuto already sheathed at his waist without anyone noticing when, clapping.
“Moriyasu’s resolve here is well worth all of you learning from.” “Being a Shinigami is no simple job.
The risk of losing your life is always there.” “Without a firm mindset, it’s easy to break.” “All of you should learn from Moriyasu here: set yourselves a clear goal, and work toward it.” Everyone fell back into formation without needing to be told, straightened up, and answered together, loud and clear.
“Yes, sir!”