Shiba Isshin casually threw an arm over Arata's shoulder and said, "The kid from your class is really good! Have you considered letting him join the Tenth Division after he graduates?"
As he spoke, he threw a few "flirtatious glances" at Hitsugaya Toushirou. This uncle's twisted behavior immediately sent chills down the young boy's spine.
Sasakibe cleared his throat lightly. "Captain Shiba, please follow the judge's rules. The match is about to begin."
"I know, I know…" Shiba Isshin grinned, let go, and walked toward the announcement station.
"Final match of Group One: Hitsugaya Toushirou versus Hinamori Momo." At some point, Shiba Isshin had already grabbed the megaphone, and his voice thundered through the arena. "Both contestants, please step into the arena!"
The blue stone tiles of Arena Number 1 gleamed with morning dew as Toushirou and Hinamori Momo stood at opposite ends.
When Sasakibe raised the signal flag, the roar from the stands instantly fell silent.
"The match begins now!"
clang!
At the sound of clashing metal, Hinamori Momo had already retreated ten meters. The tips of her fingers fluttered like butterfly wings, and her voice was clear and ringing:
"Oh Lord! Mask of flesh and blood, all things that take shape, all that soar on wings, all that bear the name of man!"
"Truth and moderation, wall of sinless dreams, stand alone upon it—"
"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"
A blue fire projectile roared out, but Toushirou didn't move.
He slowly drew his sword, and the path of his horizontal swing sliced through the flames; icy crystals spread along the blade, forming a fan-shaped barrier.
"Waaa!"
A wave of gasps echoed from the audience; everyone felt that Toushirou's slash that split the fireball was extraordinarily spectacular.
However, amateurs watch the show, while experts observe the technique.
Arata had already noticed at first glance that Hinamori's Sōkatsui was slightly different. Although the fireball was smaller in size, its inner temperature was far higher than that of an ordinary Sōkatsui.
"Rangiku, did you teach her this?" He raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at the blue-eyed beauty beside him.
Rangiku proudly raised her chin, and a mischievous sparkle flickered in her gray eyes. "Momoko already had a pretty good talent for Kidō. I just taught her how to condense her spiritual energy to boost its power~"
"More precisely, you taught me well. After all, I learned this condensation technique from you, Arata," Rangiku added with a smile, admiration flashing in her eyes for the man beside her.
"Well… you could say that." Arata squinted slightly, recalling the various "lessons" he gave Rangiku during the holidays – some serious, others not at all.
Among them was the Kidō pressure condensation technique.
Simply put, power is increased by raising the density of one's reiatsu. The cost is that the user must have extremely precise control over their spiritual energy; even a small mistake can cause the technique to collapse and explode.
In terms of difficulty, it's only slightly easier than double incantation and anti-Kidō techniques.
Usually, it's impossible for a second-year student to master it; it typically takes at least five years to gradually grasp the basics.
From that perspective, Hinamori's talent for Kidō is truly outstanding. The reason it didn't show much in the original story is probably because Kubo didn't give her enough screen time.
Besides Arata, Kyoraku Shunsui and others in the VIP box also noticed something was off, but their main focus was still on Toushirou.
"Looks like I wasn't wrong yesterday. This child has already begun to tap into the power of his zanpakutō…" Ukitake Jushirou's eyes flashed, and he let out a quiet sigh.
"Yes… those tiny ice fragments are the best proof, but it seems he still hasn't fully mastered it." Kyoraku Shunsui slightly lifted his straw hat and replied to his friend.
"But this is already excessive. Among the students enrolled at Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy, it seems the only one to publicly demonstrate Shikai is Tsunayashiro Kugyō, the sixth-year student?" The corners of his lips twitched, as if recalling something quite abnormal.
"That's right, Tsunayashiro-san is the only one to publicly display it."
Ukitake nodded, his tone full of affirmation.
Hitsugaya Toushirou was indeed an absolute genius.
…
"Hadō Number 31: Shakkahō!"
In the ring, Hinamori Momo wasn't discouraged by her failed first attack. She almost instantly transitioned to her next attack without any incantation.
The fireball that shot from her fingertips was only about the size of a fist, but it emitted a dazzling red light.
Upon sensing the overwhelming power of the fireball, Toushirou's pupils suddenly contracted. As he shifted to the side, the stone tiles where he had just stood had already melted into a bowl-shaped crater the width of a palm.
Boom!
"This power isn't much weaker than that of an average lieutenant…" Shiba Isshin whistled from the judge's seat. "This little girl is ruthless!"
Toushirou's white hair was lifted by the heat wave, and he stared at the slightly trembling fingertips of his childhood friend, clearly showing blackened burn marks.
It was obvious that this highly condensed version of Shakkahō placed tremendous strain on the user.
"Momo, don't push yourself too hard." He lowered the tip of his sword to the ground, and ice spread along the edge of the ring. "Your hands…"
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Hinamori Momo suddenly yanked her sleeve and wrapped the torn fabric around her palms. Her pink haori fluttered in the surge of reiatsu. "Next is... "
"Hadō Number 54: Haien!"
"What?!"
As soon as she spoke, the audience erupted.
Number 54 – that's a mid-to-high level Kidō that even most fifth-year students can't easily master, and now it was being cast by a second-year.
She formed a triangle with her palms, and a bright white flame compressed into a palm-sized circle between them.
"Go!"
Wherever that glowing aura passed, the air warped and burned.
Toushirou finally moved; the path of his vertical zanpakutō slash sliced precisely through the center of the glowing circle.
The shockwave from the collision of ice and flame shook the entire ring. Using the momentum, he flipped backward and landed, the soles of his sandals scratching two deep grooves into the blue tiles.
"Beautiful!" Rangiku excitedly grabbed Arata's hand. "Momoko's move is the strongest Hadō she's mastered so far!"
Arata looked at the bloody scratches on Hinamori's wrists and smiled quietly. "Condensing Haien into a ring boosts its piercing power… Unfortunately, her control is still slightly lacking."
As if confirming Arata's words, Hinamori Momo suddenly staggered half a step.
The continuous use of powerful Kidō had nearly drained her reiatsu; the back of her haori was completely soaked in sweat.
Hitsugaya Toushirou seized that brief, barely noticeable moment of weakness and struck her wrist with the hilt of his sword.
With a crisp "clang," her sword flew from her hand, spun in the air, and embedded itself in a crack in the tiles ten meters away.
"The result is decided!" Chojiro Sasakibe's whistle rang out in sync with the declaration. "Hitsugaya Toushirou wins!"
"The Group One competition is officially over!"
After two seconds of silence, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
Kyoraku Shunsui in the VIP box clapped the loudest, his wine gourd rolling to the floor.
"Momo, you're already really good." Toushirou returned his zanpakutō to its sheath and reached out a hand to help his childhood friend sitting on the ground. "You're just a bit weaker than Kujo-senpai was yesterday."
Hinamori Momo, panting heavily, suddenly burst into laughter. "Your way of comforting people is terrible…" She stood up, using Toushirou's hand for support, then suddenly leaned toward his ear.
"But you have to promise me you'll make it into the official group!"
The tips of the white-haired boy's ears turned bright red instantly, and he stammered, "Of course!"
Shiba Isshin had somehow already appeared next to the ring, elbow resting on Toushirou's shoulder.
"Hey, kid, would you consider joining the Tenth Division after graduation? Our squad could really use a fighter like you~"
"Captain Shiba!" Sasakibe, unable to endure any longer, pulled his colleague aside. "Please follow the judge's rules!"
As the Group One final wrapped up, the remaining three group matches soon began.
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