"Actually won!"

"Without Zanpakutō, without Kidō, without Zanjutsu, without Shunpo—just relying on Reiatsu-sealed Hakuda—to defeat Urahara Kisuke, who's even stronger than most Gotei captains?"

"Incredible."

"Captain Aiyan is so powerful, he's a hexagonal Shinigami. All conspiracies and calculations are meaningless against him."

After witnessing Aiyan's Shigan (Finger Pistol) pierce Urahara Kisuke's left chest, everyone was just beginning to recover from the overwhelming impact of the previous Hakuda battle.

Perhaps the entire process—and especially the result—was too shocking. The Gotei captains and lieutenants present were either as if awakening from a dream, or in stunned disbelief.

Even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, the strongest Shinigami in a millennium and one who had seen countless prodigies, was visibly moved.

Put yourself in his place.

Even he wouldn't dare claim he could accomplish this without using Reiatsu.

"Urahara Kisuke!"

Just as everyone was marveling at Aiyan's unthinkable Hakuda prowess, Shihōin Yoruichi used Shunpo to appear before Urahara Kisuke and kicked him straight in the abdomen, sending him flying through several massive trees.

He landed flat on his back—slamming into the earth and skidding—before finally stopping before Yamamoto Genryūsai.

After doing all that—

She turned sharply and threw herself into Aiyan's arms, wrapping around him with both arms.

It was as if the moment she let go, he would vanish again into the towering fire pillar of Reiatsu created by Urahara Kisuke's Benihime.

"Aiyan..."

Shihōin Yoruichi rested her head on Aiyan's shoulder, her small nose trembling as she inhaled his scent deeply—finally relaxing a little.

"It's all my fault..."

After holding him tightly for a while, she loosened her grip slightly and was about to speak further—when she was gently interrupted.

"It's fine. Nothing happened."

"In fact—I should thank you."

"If it weren't for you teaching me Hakuda, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Urahara Kisuke after my Reiatsu was sealed."

Aiyan raised a finger and placed it gently on Shihōin Yoruichi's lips, silencing all her guilt and remorse.

"Alright then. Later, I'll teach you an even stronger technique."

When Shihōin Yoruichi heard this, her mind couldn't help but flash back to the time at the Shin'ō Academy, when she had volunteered to teach Aiyan Hakuda.

Thinking about that, she smiled—then teased calmly:

"Are you sure you weren't just trying to get close to me under the excuse of learning Hakuda, so you could copy the Rokushiki?"

Aiyan smiled back.

"At least it's better than your version of the Shinigami Six Styles."

Shihōin Yoruichi's pretty face flushed slightly, a little embarrassed.

It was true.

Back in the Academy, she had originally come to teach Hakuda. But after witnessing Aiyan's Six Styles, she ended up going the opposite direction.

The teacher of Hakuda became the student of Six Styles.

The student of Hakuda became the one teaching Six Styles.

"Even though you two are having such a delightful conversation, I do apologize—but Captain Yoruichi, would you mind handing Captain Aiyan over to me for a moment?"

"He was struck by Urahara Kisuke's Kidō. Please allow me to conduct a full physical examination."

"You'll have thousands of years together in the future—surely you won't mind if I take just a few minutes now?"

Suddenly, a new figure stepped between the two of them.

None other than Unohana Retsu

"Of course."

"Captain Unohana, please check carefully."

"The fate of both the Aiyan and Shihōin clans rests in your hands."

Faced with Unohana's teasing, many others would be too shy to respond.

But this is Soul Society—what Gotei captain hasn't already lived a few centuries?

Especially Shihōin Yoruichi—carefree, spirited, easygoing. She wasn't flustered in the slightest by Unohana Retsu's light teasing.

"Captain Aiyan, you heard her."

"I'm on official duty now."

"Please give me your hand."

Unohana Retsu spoke gently, but didn't wait for consent. She reached out and held Aiyan's wrist where his Reiatsu pulsed.

"This Kidō isn't simple at all."

"It completely escapes a Shinigami's Reiatsu perception, as well as Menos detection sensors—and yet it still lurks dormant in a Shinigami's body, waiting to activate when the caster chooses."

"If no Reiatsu is used, nothing happens. But once it is—even slightly—the user's own spiritual power becomes the very weapon that kills them."

Unohana released her Reiatsu sense and carefully examined the internal condition of Aiyan's body.

"From what I can tell, this Kidō scales directly with the target's Reiatsu. The stronger you are, the more lethal it becomes. If your spiritual pressure is weak, it'll merely burn your flesh. But for captain-class Shinigami—it becomes a death sentence."

"In Aiyan's case... his Reiatsu is among the highest I've ever seen. If he were to release even a fraction of it... he would be struck by the full force of his own power turned inward..."

Her expression grew solemn.

Now she understood why Aiyan had restricted himself to pure Hakuda during the entire fight with Urahara Kisuke—refusing to use even Zanpakutō, Kidō, or Shunpo.

"Can it be removed?"

Shihōin Yoruichi's face darkened with worry as she heard this.

"Of course not."

A weak voice cut in from the distance.

"...What do you mean?"

Shihōin Yoruichi turned to see.

"Aiyan... this battle isn't over yet."

Urahara Kisuke, already restrained by the Onmitsukidō enforcers, his Reiatsu sealed, and suffering a punctured heart, was still alive—barely. His face was pale, and he could hardly stand—but when he looked up at Aiyan, he smiled faintly.

"This is it. The power of the Soul King surpasses all."

"This Kidō isn't really Kidō in the traditional sense. It's a modified weapon, created using the Soul King's essence. Its lethality applies to Shinigami, Hollows—any being that manipulates Reiatsu."

"At first, it's possible to remove it. But with time... it binds itself to your Reiatsu completely—until it becomes part of you."

"Because its essence is drawn from the Soul King, it fuses seamlessly with the spiritual power of any Shinigami or Hollow."

Unohana Retsu frowned slightly and gave her professional assessment.

"As expected of the Fourth Division's captain."

"Soul Society's number one Kaidō expert—you've seen through the core of my Kidō that quickly."

Urahara Kisuke gave her genuine praise despite his frail state.

"But if this Kidō is that dangerous, why didn't he use it when Aiyan was fighting the Kidō Corps Commander or Muguruma Kensei and the others?"

"In a battle that could've gone either way—or during a long-range Kidō exchange—Urahara Kisuke could've activated it at any time. Aiyan wouldn't even have time to react. He wouldn't even need to be present—the plan would succeed."

Jūshirō Ukitake stepped forward, his tone not one of defense—but of genuine confusion.

At this point, even he couldn't understand Urahara Kisuke's true intentions.

...

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