Weakness in ability could be compensated for with spiritual pressure. As wielders of the "strongest" Zanpakutō, Gin Ichimaru's talent was in no way inferior to Toshiro Hitsugaya's.
Moreover, Gin had received Ailin's teachings for over a hundred years longer than Toshiro. Of course, Gin had used a part of his soul to repair Rangiku Matsumoto's, which had impacted his own potential. However, this impact wasn't enough to put him at a disadvantage in a fight against Toshiro. The sheer intensity of his spiritual pressure could, to a certain extent, compensate for his Zanpakutō's slightly weaker Shikai.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Two white figures flickered through the night sky above the Seireitei. Toshiro Hitsugaya and Gin Ichimaru clashed.
The spiritual pressure from their battle, a clash between captain-level Shinigami, practically reverberated throughout the entire Seireitei. Many captains looked up to the source of the commotion. They couldn't understand why, under these circumstances, Gin Ichimaru, the captain of the Third Division, and Toshiro Hitsugaya, the captain of the Tenth Division, were fighting.
Moreover, if their memories served them correctly, both Gin and Toshiro were Ailin's disciples. Why wasn't their captain intervening?
While Gin and Toshiro were both Ailin's disciples, he had focused on different aspects during their training. Gin's personality and Zanpakutō ability leaned towards swift, decisive strikes. Ailin also knew what Gin desired. Therefore, he had focused on honing Gin's Shunpo and explosive power, enhancing his strongest point.
Ailin often told Gin, "Focus on a single point and reach the pinnacle." He believed that if Gin concentrated on that one attack, no one could evade it.
Toshiro Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru, was incredibly powerful, with practically no weaknesses. However, this also led to a dilemma. Before Toshiro could fully utilize Hyōrinmaru's power, his strength was somewhat awkward. Against enemies with weaker spiritual pressure, Toshiro had a significant advantage. His unparalleled cold could freeze any opponent.
But when he encountered an opponent with stronger spiritual pressure, he would be put in a very passive position. The difference in spiritual pressure meant that the ice Hyōrinmaru created couldn't instantly freeze the enemy. It could only form harder ice to try and trap them. In such a situation, an opponent with stronger spiritual pressure could easily shatter Toshiro's ice.
This predicament would persist until Toshiro reached adulthood, when his body could withstand Hyōrinmaru's full power. That was when his strength would undergo a qualitative change.
Therefore, Ailin's training with Toshiro had focused on strengthening his foundation, emphasizing swordsmanship. Hyōrinmaru's ice, before then, was simply a tool for briefly controlling enemies.
Of course, while there were different focuses, Ailin, as their teacher, didn't want his disciples to have any glaring weaknesses. He had diligently taught them all four Shinigami arts: swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Shunpo, and Kidō.
While there might be stronger areas of focus, there were no absolute weaknesses.
Sparks flew through the night sky, illuminating the darkness. The clang of clashing Zanpakutō echoed relentlessly and deafening.
The chilling cold and sinister killing intent practically enveloped half the Seireitei. The Shinigami within a three-ri radius of the battle were overwhelmed by the two captains' spiritual pressure.
Many were abruptly awakened from their sleep. They fled in panic with their clothes askew.
A battle between captain-level Shinigami, even a stray shockwave, could easily kill a weaker Shinigami. Even a lieutenant-level Shinigami would face mortal danger near the two captains' battle.
While Gin and Toshiro hadn't released their Bankai, hadn't used their full strength, even in their Shikai state, they were fighting with everything they had.
On the surface, Toshiro seemed to have the upper hand. Hyōrinmaru's unique properties allowed Toshiro to create a variety of techniques. Ice dragons, swirling ice pillars, and vacuum blades filled the sky with ice.
However, while Toshiro's attacks appeared visually impressive, their effectiveness was minimal. Gin's mastery of Shunpo allowed him to effortlessly evade all of Toshiro's attacks. Moreover, his superior spiritual pressure easily shattered Toshiro's ice.
Every one of Gin's attacks forced Toshiro to struggle to defend himself. The gap of over a hundred years in training wasn't something Toshiro could currently overcome. He was a genius, but Gin was a genius as well.
Toshiro had been trained by Ailin from a young age and had never attended the Shin'ō Academy. However, in Ailin's memories, Toshiro had still taken six years to graduate. And in the thousand-year history of the Shin'ō Academy, no, in the history of its predecessor, the Genji School, there was only one person who had managed to graduate within a year.
When it came to talent for cultivation, Ailin had yet to see anyone surpass Gin Ichimaru.
Sōsuke Aizen's talent wasn't bad either, but Ailin, having created Kyōka Suigetsu, could be considered the one who understood Aizen the best, besides Aizen himself.
Kyōka Suigetsu's ability had contributed significantly to Aizen's growth.
After all, the ability to manipulate perception wasn't just for hypnotizing others. When used on oneself, it was practically a cheat code for cultivation.
It was precisely because of Kyōka Suigetsu's assistance that Aizen had reached the limits of a Shinigami's power in less than two hundred years. Moreover, he hadn't reached the limit in just one area. All four Shinigami arts—swordsmanship, Shunpo, hand-to-hand combat, and Kidō—had been honed to their peak by Aizen.
It was because Aizen had experienced the limits of these four arts that he had said, "A Shinigami's battle is a battle of spiritual pressure." After all, Aizen had truly understood the constraints of a Shinigami.
No matter how strong an ability, it would ultimately be diminished or even nullified by a stronger spiritual pressure.
After Aizen successfully created the complete Hōgyoku, the Hōgyoku, having read his heart, responded. Time and again, the Hōgyoku allowed Aizen to break through his limits, reaching even greater heights.
During the Thousand-Year Blood War, even the sealed Sōsuke Aizen reached a level where his spiritual pressure alone could bring down the Soul King Palace from the sky above the Seireitei.
Ailin, even now, felt that he was still far from achieving such a level of spiritual pressure. While he hadn't tried, Ailin estimated that while his current spiritual pressure might be able to shake the Soul King Palace, to bring it down…
Even Ichibei Hyōsube probably couldn't achieve that.
Only Sōsuke Aizen, who had completely fused with the Hōgyoku, whose spiritual pressure was practically on par with the Soul King, could accomplish such a feat.
However, that was Aizen's limit.
Because Aizen only possessed Shinigami power.
If he also possessed Quincy power, Hollow power, and Fullbring, he would have become the new Soul King.
Tokinada Tsunayashiro's creation, Hikone Ubuginu, was a fusion of these four powers.
However, like Ichigo Kurosaki, Hikone could only be considered a "Soul King Candidate."
To become the true Soul King, Hikone's spiritual pressure was still far from sufficient.
It was precisely to enhance Hikone's spiritual pressure, to make him the true "Soul King," that Tokinada Tsunayashiro had threatened Kisuke Urahara, forcing him to create a new "Hōgyoku" to facilitate Hikone's transformation.
…
Seeing the commotion caused by Gin and Toshiro's battle, the chilling cold spreading towards the courtyard, Alice's expression grew grim. If their fight disturbed Lady Haruko, then…
With this thought in mind, Alice raised the Golden Osmanthus Sword. Her overwhelming spiritual pressure caused the sword to radiate a dazzling golden light.
"Bankai - Golden Osmanthus Sword!"
Countless golden lights shot skyward, coalescing into countless golden osmanthus blades. These blades, under Alice's control, formed a hemispherical barrier that enveloped Ailin's residence.
"Oh no!"
Alice's sudden burst of spiritual pressure instantly alerted Gin and Toshiro. They finally realized where they were. This was Ailin's home, where he lived with Haruko Kuchiki.
They exchanged glances, and Gin immediately tried to flee.
However—
Boom!
A sonic boom echoed through the air. Toshiro watched in horror as Gin contorted in pain and was flung back towards the courtyard at a speed exceeding the sound barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gin's body crashed through five buildings before finally being buried beneath a pile of rubble.
"Not good!"
Before Toshiro could even revel in Gin's misfortune, his expression changed.
"Bankai - Daiguren…"
In that instant, Toshiro attempted to unleash his Zanpakutō's full power. However, before he could complete the release, a figure suddenly appeared before him. Then, Toshiro felt a searing pain in his stomach. It felt like his intestines were being tied into knots. The next moment, a powerful force sent his body flying through the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Toshiro finally understood how Gin had felt moments ago. The friction between his body and the air was unbearable. He had to unleash his spiritual pressure to protect himself.
Otherwise, the heat generated by the friction would have seriously injured him.
Even so, Toshiro felt his spiritual pressure rapidly depleting.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Compared to Gin, Toshiro's fate was much better. He only crashed through three buildings before the force was fully dispelled. The fourth building, instead of being pierced, simply had a massive crater carved into its side. Toshiro found himself embedded within the wall.
"Ugh…"
He coughed up a mouthful of blood. Terror gripped his heart. In the entire Seireitei, only two individuals could defeat him so effortlessly, before he could even react.
One was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13!
The other, naturally, was his teacher, Ailin Kenpachi, the captain of the Eleventh Division!
"He's… so strong!"
After coughing up blood, Toshiro finally felt some relief. While he had always known that his teacher was strong, he had never truly grasped the extent of his power. Now, Toshiro finally understood. Even though his current strength was considered quite good among the thirteen captains, compared to his teacher, he was still far too weak.
…
Whoosh!
A figure wearing a white haori appeared before Toshiro. They lifted him from the wall and flew towards the pile of rubble where Gin had been buried.
Boom!
A white aura erupted from the bottom of the rubble. A powerful pillar of spiritual pressure shot skyward, obliterating the debris. Gin Ichimaru, engulfed in a white aura, emerged from the ruins.
However, compared to his usual clean and refined appearance, Gin was now disheveled. One of his haori sleeves was charred black, and most of the fabric was torn.
The captain's haori, as a symbol of authority, was incredibly durable. But in that single attack, Gin's haori had been practically destroyed. This showed how ruthless Ailin's move was.
Whoosh!
Before Gin could fully emerge from the rubble, Ailin tossed Toshiro towards him.
Bang!
Unsurprisingly, Gin, still dazed, was struck by Toshiro.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
When Gin and Toshiro finally crawled out of the rubble, they exchanged a glare. Then, like children who had done something wrong, they knelt before the ruins, waiting for Ailin's punishment.
"Well, well, look at you two. You've grown quite bold. Fighting right outside my doorstep."
Ailin's figure materialized before them and spoke coldly and with displeasure.
He had never imagined that while he was checking on Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai training at their underground base, his own home would almost be "robbed."