"How is this possible?!"
"The Captain-Commander is not only bleeding…"
"his injuries are actually this severe…"
"This has to be the first time in the last thousand years!!!"
"It's unbelievable!!!"
In that instant, everyone's gaze locked onto the Captain-Commander.
Every Shinigami who saw the horrifying bloodlines carved across his aged body—
was shaken to the core.
Wounded in public—battered and torn.
It was too surreal.
"Th-this is insane…" Kyōraku Shunsui swallowed hard.
Every face wore the same expression—utter stupefaction.
No one could accept that this had happened to him.
To the Shinigami, the Captain-Commander was a totem—
a symbol of absolute authority.
For a thousand years, he had forged an undefeated myth—
the man "who could never be defeated."
And now, for the first time in history…
if you let the blood keep flowing, he'd practically become a "blood man."
"With my memory… ever since over a thousand years ago…"
"when the Captain-Commander founded the Genryūsai private school and began teaching Shinigami power…"
"it feels like… he's never been injured even once."
Kyōraku's brain was still reeling from the visual shock.
Even forming words was difficult.
He forced himself to speak, voice strained.
"Yes…"
Sasakibe Chōjirō frowned, his expression heavy.
"Even a thousand years ago…"
"when that evil man—Yhwach, the Quincy King…"
"sparked the Thousand-Year Blood War that swept across Seireitei…"
"the Captain-Commander slaughtered countless enemies—his hands drenched in blood…"
"yet until he drove the pure-blood Quincies to extinction…"
"he still didn't carry a single wound…"
"And now…"
Chōjirō couldn't continue.
As the Captain-Commander's closest attendant—
the person who'd followed him for two thousand years—
watching blood seep along those wrinkles…
made his chest ache.
"More than being stunned that he's injured…"
"I'm worried about his mood."
Ukitake Jūshirō stepped forward, joining the discussion.
Under his falling white hair was a face full of anxiety.
"No strong person—especially one standing at the peak—"
"will tolerate failure in battle."
"And the Captain-Commander is the acknowledged strongest for a thousand years."
Ukitake drew a breath, fear deepening.
"If he tries to save face…"
"and releases even more of Ryūjin Jakka's power…"
"What if he truly loses his temper?!"
That final question made everyone break out in cold sweat.
Ryūjin Jakka's next stage…
was Bankai.
If the old man snapped and activated Bankai here—
it wouldn't be "watching and being scared" anymore.
It would be: how do we stop Seireitei from being destroyed?
"He won't…"
"The Captain-Commander isn't impulsive…"
"He'll keep his boundaries—he'll stop in time…"
No one dared step into the battlefield.
All they could do was pray—
that Yamamoto would restrain his anger,
and that this "fire-type strongest" clash would end before something worse happened.
On the Battlefield
The plain was still littered with embers.
Yamamoto stood with one hand on his blade, back straight.
Blood flowed from his wounds—
but before it could drip to the ground,
the heat evaporated it into steam.
"Bai Chen…"
"You've truly surprised me."
Yamamoto raised his eyes.
Flame lived in that gaze as he looked straight at Bai Chen.
His voice was low—
but there was no hostile rage in it.
Instead, he praised him openly:
"At first, I did not fight seriously…"
"I only intended to 'guide a junior'…"
"But as you saw…"
"that surging solar fire ring was my full defensive effort."
"And yet…"
"I was still injured."
Despite bleeding in public—
a blow to the dignity of the "thousand-year strongest"—
Yamamoto didn't hide it.
He didn't make excuses.
He admitted it plainly—
and by doing so, he implicitly acknowledged Bai Chen's near-flawless performance.
Across from him, seeing the Captain-Commander's emotions stable—
not exploding in fury—
Bai Chen quietly exhaled in relief.
He then put away the flame fan, bowed slightly, and replied with sincerity:
"You praise me too highly, Captain-Commander…"
"I only exploited the advantage of the first exchange—when my abilities were unknown…"
"and took the chance to close in when you were slightly off guard."
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
"If it happened again…"
"the one who'd be critically wounded… would definitely be me."
There was humility in that—
but it was also true.
Against a man with two thousand years of battle experience,
the same trick wouldn't work twice.
Even in the original history—
Aizen and Yhwach didn't dare confront Yamamoto head-on without schemes and traps.
Then Yamamoto spoke again:
"I believe…"
"your Hao Fire Fan has limitless potential."
"Given time to grow…"
"its ultimate height will not be inferior to my Ryūjin Jakka."
A direct acknowledgement.
Praise from the thousand-year strongest, face-to-face.
That alone shook Seireitei once more.
"So it's confirmed…"
"If even the Captain-Commander says so…"
"then it's undeniable—Hao Fire Fan!"
"A supreme zanpakutō with an upper limit rivaling Ryūjin Jakka!"
"And with two such blades…"
"Bai Chen's future ceiling is beyond imagination!"
Wood Dragon.
Hao Fire Fan.
Either one alone would make someone captain-class.
But Bai Chen held both—
and he'd been in the Gotei 13 for less than a year.
That meant…
given enough time…
one day, after awakening Bankai—
Bai Chen could truly stand alongside the Captain-Commander,
becoming another Shinigami at the very peak.
With both sides withdrawing their powers and sealing their blades,
this world-shaking "fire-type strongest" clash ended safely—
without disaster.
Bai Chen—once again—stole the spotlight.
After stunning the captains in Squad One's courtyard with Wood Dragon,
he now shook all of Seireitei with the overwhelming might of Hao Fire Fan.
From that day onward,
his two dual-aspect zanpakutō became known throughout Soul Society—
and he truly rose to fame.
Shortly After — Squad One Headquarters
Inside the antique, solemn office,
the Captain-Commander stood at the head.
The captains—except Mayuri Kurotsuchi—lined up on both sides by division order.
As for Bai Chen…
as a mere Third Seat,
he stepped forward alone.
"Bai Chen…"
"That battle is now concluded."
"What we will discuss next…"
"is your contribution to this purification operation—"
"defeating and executing the invading Arrancar on your own."
Yamamoto's gaze held clear approval—
and a rare hint of satisfaction.
Long ago, he'd already favored Bai Chen.
He had even made an exception—
assigning Isshin Shiba and Rangiku Matsumoto to guide him personally.
And Bai Chen had not disappointed him.
His achievements now were more than enough to justify promotion beyond the seats.
"So…"
"To reward your merit in this crisis…"
"you may make one request."
"As long as it does not violate regulations…"
"I will satisfy it as much as possible."
The words sounded shocking—
but the captains weren't surprised.
They had clearly expected this.
All eyes shifted to Bai Chen—
waiting to see what he would dare ask for.
"Captain-Commander…"
"As long as I don't cross the line…"
"any request is acceptable?"
Bai Chen asked, eyes burning with anticipation.
"Correct."
"Do not overthink it."
"Speak boldly—follow your heart."
Yamamoto nodded without hesitation.
The moment those words fell—
Bai Chen answered instantly, without even pausing:
"If it's permitted…"
"I wish to visit the Great Spiritual Library Corridor."
His eyes blazed.
This wasn't a whim.
Because right after the "fire-type strongest" clash ended—
the long-silent system prompt sounded again.
A new sign-in mission had appeared.
And the sign-in location—
was inside the Great Spiritual Library Corridor.
As for the reward:
Eye Power Unsealed — awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Which meant…
once Bai Chen reached the Great Spiritual Library Corridor—
and successfully completed the sign-in—
from that moment on…
Bai Chen, awakened into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan—
would gain genjutsu.
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