On the arena stage, Ichinose Maki stared at the newly formed crystalline polyhedron, initially mistaking it for some unknown Kidō technique.
But upon closer inspection, he realized that Kotetsu Isane'sZanpakutō had changed form.
Ichinose froze for a moment.
Isane… had achieved Shikai?!
He couldn't believe it.
During registration, all students were required to fill in their basic information—including whether or not they had attained Shikai.
These profiles were accessible to all competitors, to allow basic preparation for their matchups.
Ichinose had reviewed Isane's profile before their duel.
Her registration clearly did not list Shikai as something she possessed!
"Did she awaken Shikai just in the past few days…?"
Ichinose's expression grew serious.
"But... even so, you still won't land a hit on me!"
He raised his Zanpakutō, prismatic light bursting forth—and vanished from sight.
Using the light-manipulating abilities of Kōga, he cloaked his presence.
Standing at a distance, Isane wasn't idle. She swung her Zanpakutō, and the floating crystalline structure responded.
Though she couldn't see Ichinose, he had to still be somewhere within the arena.
Large as it was, the arena had boundaries.
All she had to do was cover the entire area with her attack—and she would hit him!
Suddenly, the polyhedron exploded.
It shattered into countless ice shards, firing out in every direction with no blind spots.
Ichinose reacted quickly. The moment the structure exploded, he instinctively moved to dodge.
His reflex was to rush toward Isane—thinking, logically, that the originator of the technique would avoid harming herself.
But he discovered, to his shock, that Isane hadn't spared even herself!
The ice shards were so dense that there was nowhere to hide.
Left with no choice, Ichinose raised his blade to block the incoming projectiles.
But one shard pierced clean through his abdomen.
Splurt!
A chilling wave surged through his body from the point of impact.
Ichinose's eyes went wide with disbelief.
Turning his head, he saw Isane with multiple ice shards stuck in her body.
She had charged through her own attack to reach him.
While Ichinose was busy deflecting the ice barrage, Isane had pinpointed his true location—and launched her assault while enduring the same pain.
"I… underestimated… you…"
The bone-chilling cold spreading from the blade overwhelmed him. Unable to remain standing, he collapsed to the ground.
"Kotetsu Isane wins!" announced Danmu Zōsuke.
As the pressure finally lifted, Isane slumped to the ground, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes from the pain.
"Hssss!!"
Several ice shards were still embedded in her body.
She hurriedly began pulling them out one by one and used Kaido to heal herself.
Her actions surprised the spectators. No one expected this soft-spoken girl to show such fierce determination.
"Isane's mental fortitude is impressive. Courage and decisiveness are crucial traits of a strong warrior," said Unohana Retsu, nodding thoughtfully as she looked at the girl on stage.
She was already considering grooming Isane as her vice-captain.
"Well said!" Yamamoto agreed. "An unyielding will is essential for any true fighter!"
"She's grown a lot in her heart too," said Kotetsu Ayane, voice tinged with both worry and pride. "Back home, she used to cry so easily..."
"Sharpening the sword sharpens the heart. Consistent training goes a long way in building resolve," added Nanatsuki, clearly pleased with her performance.
"The competition's getting intense..." sighed Kyōraku Shunsui, then turned to Nanatsuki. "Be honest with me—has Yadōmaru Lisa achieved Shikai?"
"The next match is against Kyōraku Munenori, right? A relative of yours, I assume?" said Ukitake Jūshirō with a grin.
"Munenori's the son of my uncle, so he's technically my younger cousin," Kyōraku said, reviewing the participant data for the next match.
The upcoming bout was Lisa versus Kyōraku Munenori. The record still showed Lisa as not having achieved Shikai.
But after Isane's shocking display, Kyōraku was no longer inclined to trust the official profiles.
Isane's info also stated she didn't have Shikai—and yet, she'd turned the whole match around with it.
"Kyōraku-taichō's cousin, huh?" Nanatsuki glanced at Kyōraku Munenori's profile. A solid all-around performer.
"Looks like Lisa has a tough opponent ahead of her..."
Meanwhile, Yadōmaru Lisa and Kyōraku Munenori had already stepped onto the stage.
"I hear you're one of Katori-sensei's disciples," Munenori said, drawing his Zanpakutō. "I'd like to experience Katori-ryu swordsmanship firsthand."
Lisa nodded silently, her hand gripping her hilt.
Shing! In the next moment, four Lisas appeared around Munenori.
Her Quadrant Shun Strike had improved—she could now generate four afterimages instead of three!
All four Lisas slashed at him simultaneously.
Clang! Munenori identified a critical point in the formation and forcefully broke through the encirclement.
Lisa's heart sank. For him to break out like that meant—his Shunpo was faster than hers.
Otherwise, he would've been hit by the other three strikes during his escape.
"Seems your Shunpo isn't as fast as mine," Munenori said, realizing the same thing. "Which means you might not be able to keep up from here on!"
"Spin, Furai!"
Munenori's Zanpakutō transformed into a circular ring-shaped weapon, sparking with electricity.
"Fast Shunpo and a lightning-type Zanpakutō… sounds like he's the same type as Yoruichi-senpai," Lisa thought, recalling details from her training spars with Shihoin Yoruichi.
Against such an opponent, she needed to remain vigilant and never let him close the distance.
But Munenori's style was different from what she expected.
He hurled the ring-like blade outward.
It began spinning rapidly in midair, resembling a glowing, electrified disc.
"No... Yoruichi-senpai excels at close-range blitz attacks. This guy's using Shunpo to create distance!"
Lisa quickly realized—Kyōraku Munenori's Zanpakutō was built for ranged attacks.