"What's his score?!"
"SSS is already once-in-a-century level!"
"Then what is he once in a thousand years?!"
Despite being forced to the ground by sheer Reiatsu, the crowd wasn't angry they were stunned. Curiosity filled the air like static. Every eye turned toward Ran En, who had just shattered the Reiatsu orb and floored half the examinees with nothing but his spiritual pressure.
"Your name is Ran En, correct?" Captain Jūshirō Ukitake finally broke the silence, his voice calm yet filled with awe.
"Reiatsu: Captain-level."
"Rating: SSSS-level."
The announcement dropped like a thunderclap.
Gasps erupted across the square.
"SSSS?!"
"Hasn't the Academy never issued that grade in over 2000 years?!"
"It makes sense though… that guy destroyed the orb before even drawing a Zanpakutō. His Reiatsu is already beyond most captains!"
The moment Ukitake confirmed it, chaos followed.
Shock spread like wildfire.
"How could a genius like that come from Rukongai?!"
"Even the Four Great Noble Houses have never produced someone like him!"
Shihouin Yoruichi, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Urahara Kisuke all looked at Ran En with wide eyes. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Even Aizen, standing beside him, found his own spotlight dimmed by the brilliance radiating from his older brother.
But he didn't seem to mind.
In fact… he smiled.
"You two, your enrollment is complete," the examiner said with a formal bow, now treating them with the deference of nobles. "I'll escort you to your dorms. The Academy will assign guides to help you get familiar with the campus."
The examiner didn't just walk ahead he practically cleared the way like a subordinate.
As they strolled through the courtyard, Ran En glanced at his younger brother. "You did that on purpose."
Aizen didn't deny it. "I did."
"I thought you'd prefer to stay low-key. Hide your true strength, wait for the right time, and then shock everyone when it counts."
Ran En gave him a look.
"The only purpose of a plan," Aizen said calmly, "is to serve me. If I need to adjust it to understand you better, so be it. Stunning the crowd isn't something I need to time it just happens."
He met Ran En's gaze with a subtle smile.
"If you wanted to know how deep my power runs, you could've just asked. Did you really need to force the issue?"
"You'd tell me everything just because I asked?" Ran En raised a brow. "No, I prefer to see it for myself. That tells me more."
Aizen chuckled. "Still the same. Calm, calculating… and proud."
Ran En didn't deny it.
"As you should be. Just don't slack off," he said, stepping ahead. "Because even if you saw me clearly a moment ago that was only me at that moment. Not the me right now."
"Then I'll keep growing too," Aizen said, still smiling. "Because what I am now already surpasses what I was a moment ago."
And just like that, the mutual rivalry flared once more unspoken, but burning bright.
[Facing Aizen's fighting spirit, you felt pressure in your swordsmanship.
You trained hard, broke through a barrier, and awakened the concept: Blade Pressure.]
Ran En's lips curved into a faint smirk as the system whispered in his mind.
"You're still the same," he said. "Lovable, proud, and annoyingly competitive."
"But that's fine. Just don't hold back."
"Because I won't."
These two weren't just brothers. They were each other's mirror, rival, and guide.
In truth, Aizen had once feared loneliness more than defeat.
Born a genius, he'd always been untouchable. No one could walk beside him, let alone surpass him. Deep down, he'd once longed to be just an ordinary Shinigami.
He'd tried everything manipulating, cultivating, experimenting.
Even Ichigo Kurosaki, the boy he raised like a chess piece, failed to truly stand at his height.
And when Ichigo finally did surpass him he stopped chasing power.
Because he feared evolving beyond reach… and being left alone in the sky again.
But now?
Now, he had Ran En.
A brother who stood at his side.
A genius who sometimes walked ahead.
And Aizen had never felt more fulfilled.
The appearance of two monstrous brothers shook the entire Spiritual Arts Academy.
One was a genius unseen in two thousand years.
The other, a once-in-a-century prodigy.
The news spread like wildfire through Seireitei. Nobles, captains, and the entire Gotei 13 heard the name Ran En before he even picked up a sword.
At the top of the Gotei, Yamamoto Genryūsai, head captain himself, received the report from Ukitake.
" Ran En… and Aizen."
"I thought it was a rare miracle when students like you and Shunsui came along," Yamamoto murmured, eyes deep with memory. "And now we have two more."
He looked at Ukitake, who stood respectfully by.
"That boy, Ran En he shattered a Reiatsu orb with no training. That alone means he's likely surpassed Muguruma Kensei in raw Reiatsu."
Ukitake coughed lightly. "Teacher, I wouldn't say I'm lesser than them just yet…"
"There's no need for humility," Yamamoto cut in, his tone rare and reflective. "I've trained you. I know exactly how strong you are."
"But these two…"
"They're diamonds in the rough. And I intend to polish them."
Ukitake blinked. "Teacher… you're thinking of taking Ran En as your disciple?"
He immediately understood. After all, as Yamamoto's pupil himself, he knew that tone well.
Yamamoto nodded slowly, his gaze sharp.
"Yes. I've never seen such potential… in all my years."