" Ran En..."
"I really underestimated his talent."
"I thought he might graduate from the Spiritual Arts Academy in nine months, but now… half a year would be pushing it."
Jūshirō Ukitake watched as Ran En casually took the second volume of the Kidō Encyclopedia and sighed inwardly.
[You've obtained the second part of the Kidō Encyclopedia. Your Kidō is thrilled, but warns you not to interfere with its training again. It does not appreciate being micromanaged.]
Ran En blinked, then chuckled quietly.
So much for getting in some personal practice. His Kidō had already staked its claim.
[Your Kidō, now fully focused, has already mastered Bakudō #61 Rikujōkōrō.]
Just like that, his Kidō threw another completed spell in his face. No chant. No assistance. Just results.
"One spell in already?"
Ran En raised an eyebrow.
"I guess this volume really is tougher."
He quickly realized why. Everything from Hadō and Bakudō #60 onward was classified as high-level Kidō. Not only did these require stronger technique, but their power scaled directly with Reiatsu strength. Even his hyper-motivated Kidō spirit needed time to process them all.
Doing the math in his head, Ran En estimated it would take his Kidō about ten days to fully master spells #60 to #99.
If it then trained the non-chant versions too, that might tack on another half month.
It was still absurdly fast.
But compared to his previous "read it once, learn everything" pace, this felt almost… normal.
Footsteps approached.
Ran En looked up from his thoughts to find Byakuya Kuchiki standing in front of him.
"Anything you need, Kuchiki?"
He stayed seated under the tree, voice calm.
Byakuya glanced at the second volume of the Kidō Encyclopedia resting beside Ran En, his expression unreadable.
"You've… already started training from it?"
"I've only practiced one spell so far," Ran En answered honestly. "Turns out I underestimated the difficulty of Kidō above #60. They're not as casual as the lower-tier ones."
He gave a small self-deprecating laugh.
But that light comment hit Byakuya like a thunderclap.
He's already learned one?
From the second volume?
That was high-level Hadō and Bakudō techniques even experienced Shinigami struggled with.
And he picked it up in the time it took the class to finish a single lesson?
Shihouin Yoruichi, Komamura Sajin, and several other students who overheard froze as well.
Even Ukitake's heart skipped a beat.
"If that's true…"
"He could graduate in three months, not six."
"If Teacher Yamamoto doesn't take action soon, there might be nothing left for him to teach."
The sheer pace of Ran En's growth was breaking every expectation.
"Was there something else?" Ran En asked, glancing up again.
Byakuya was silent for a long moment.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"I'll admit it. When it comes to Kidō… I am not your equal."
"But the honor of the Kuchiki family cannot be trampled. One day, I will return."
"When that time comes… I will repay every moment of this humiliation with my Zanpakutō."
His tone was clear and firm, his gaze burning with pride and resolve.
He didn't wait for a response. Turning on his heel, he walked away with steady steps, never looking back.
Ukitake watched the scene with quiet satisfaction.
That was the answer he hoped to see.
Byakuya's pride had been shattered, yes but not his spirit. And that made all the difference.
If the young heir could channel his frustration into growth instead of arrogance, the Kuchiki family might have its next great patriarch sooner than expected.
As the school day ended, Ran En and Aizen walked together, side by side under the setting sun.
As first-class students, each of them had an independent dorm room. Conveniently, theirs were right next to each other.
On the way, they passed other students, many of whom gave them wide berth nodding respectfully or simply keeping their distance.
No one approached. No one dared to.
Which made conversation much easier.
"Brother," Aizen said suddenly, his voice low.
"Did you notice something strange about Byakuya during the Kidō class?"
Ran En raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"His reaction was too strong," Aizen said. "It wasn't just about pride. It felt… planned."
"Rather than being provoked by your words, it was like he was waiting for an excuse to test you. The moment the chance came, he jumped at it without hesitation."
His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses.
"This wasn't just Byakuya."
"It felt like a test one orchestrated by the Four Great Noble Houses."
Ran En's eyes sparkled faintly.
"You think the nobles were behind it?"
"Not entirely," Aizen said, smiling softly. "But there's something in us that makes them uneasy."
"If it was just about evaluating our talent, they could observe from a distance."
"But they sent Byakuya to confront you directly. That's pressure testing."
"A spark to see if we explode or shine."
Ran En nodded silently.
"As expected of you."
To others, Byakuya's challenge may have seemed personal, even petty.
But Aizen had seen right through the surface. He had peeled back every layer and examined the hidden hand behind the move.
And most terrifying of all…
Ran En didn't doubt he might have figured out more than Byakuya himself knew.