BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

"I didn't expect to be able to draw weapons from other worlds!"

Akira's excitement surged as he eagerly reached for the Sword of Promised Victory.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, a flood of information entered his mind:

[Sword of Promised Victory: The host can freely wield this Noble Phantasm. The required magical energy has been converted to spiritual power. This weapon comes with inherent abilities such as Wind King Barrier and True Name Liberation. When not in use, it can be stored within the system space.]

"As expected! A true high-level reward!"

Akira's heart pounded. Even though his own Zanpakutō had yet to achieve Shikai, he now possessed a weapon on par with the strongest blades in Soul Society.

Forget Shikai—even among Bankai, the power of the Sword of Promised Victory was overwhelming!

"If I keep getting high-level rewards like this, then Aizen and Yhwach won't be threats at all!"

With that thought in mind, Akira refocused on studying the survival system.

After carefully reviewing all available details, he finally grasped how "survival difficulty" was determined.

Survival difficulty factored in multiple aspects: the danger of one's surroundings, hostility from others, and whether any powerful entities were targeting him. All these elements combined to determine his survival risk—directly affecting his odds in the system's lottery.

"In other words, the more dangerous my situation, the better my rewards…"

Akira mused, but he knew he couldn't rush blindly. Walking up to Aizen and exposing his plans would instantly spike his survival difficulty to the highest level—but he wouldn't live long enough to benefit from it. That would be pure suicide.

"For now, I should start with the seat-ranking test."

The night passed in a flash.

By morning, the Shinigami of the Sixth Division had assembled at their designated training grounds, each with different expressions.

Some worried about losing their current ranks, while others brimmed with confidence, eager to climb higher. Meanwhile, a few glanced repeatedly at Akira, whispering among themselves.

Of course, he noticed. It was obvious—after yesterday's events, a certain group of noble-born Shinigami had been spreading rumors.

To them, being humiliated by a mere commoner was unthinkable. The Kuchiki family's pride had been bruised, and they had likely spent the night stirring up anticipation for today's spectacle.

Akira didn't need to overhear them to know their plan.

Suddenly, a composed yet authoritative voice echoed through the training grounds.

"Silence."

From atop the platform, Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division, gazed down at them.

"The seat-ranking test is about to begin. The vice-captain will now explain the rules."

As he finished, Renji Abarai stepped forward.

"Even though this is an annual event, I'll go over the rules again for any newcomers."

"The seat test is completely different from the Spiritual Arts Academy's assessments. Here, we focus on actual combat ability. It's not just about swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, or Kido."

Renji's sharp gaze swept across the crowd.

"Participants will engage in one-on-one battles. Challenges can be issued freely, and rankings will change according to the results."

With that, he swung his arm downward.

"The seat test officially begins!"

Nearly 300 members of the Sixth Division began entering the field in an orderly manner.

From the observation platform, Byakuya and Renji watched the matches unfold, evaluating the performances.

"Not much progress this year," Renji muttered, dissatisfied. "Some of them have even regressed."

Then, he sighed. "Captain, I told you—we're recruiting too many nobles. They don't know how to fight properly."

The moment the words left his mouth, Renji hesitated, realizing he had spoken in front of Byakuya Kuchiki—one of the Four Great Noble Families' heirs.

However, Byakuya remained indifferent. "I also recruited Shinigami from common backgrounds, yet none of them stand out either."

"Yeah… you've got a point." Renji shook his head.

Just then, a loud voice interrupted their conversation.

"I challenge Akira!"

All eyes turned toward the challenger—Kuchiki Takuto.

Renji smirked. "Well, that's convenient. We were just talking about nobles and commoners, and now we've got a battle between them."

He then nudged Byakuya slightly. "Captain, who do you think will win?"

Byakuya barely spared Akira a glance. "There's no need to ask pointless questions. The outcome is obvious."

Renji exhaled. "True… No matter how incompetent noble-borns can be, they still inherit high spiritual power. That alone puts them above most commoners."

Byakuya didn't even bother watching. He closed his eyes, uninterested in what he believed was a foregone conclusion.

On the training grounds, Akira felt the shift in attention.

Everyone had heard Takuto's boastful claims from the previous day. Now, they were eager to see how badly Akira would lose.

But he remained calm as he faced his opponent.

"Just a word of advice," Akira said evenly. "Challenging me is a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Takuto scoffed.

"Hah! Are you scared now?" He grinned, full of arrogance. "It's too late! For a commoner like you, our noble houses owe no mercy!"

"It's really noisy."

Akira shook his head, deciding to end the fight early. He reached out into the empty air.

The spectators were stunned—what was Akira doing? Why was he grasping at nothing?

"Die!"

On the opposite side, Kuchiki Takuto had already drawn his Zanpakutō and charged forward with fierce intent.

"Roar, Wind—"

With Akira's soft command, a powerful gust erupted across the training ground, sweeping through everything in its path.

"Wahhh! What's happening?!"

"Why is the wind so strong all of a sudden?!"

"Could this be Akira's Shikai?"

The sudden surge of power caused Byakuya Kuchiki, who had been resting with his eyes closed, to open them. Beside him, Abarai Renji, equally stunned, turned his gaze toward the battlefield.

Before their eyes, a golden holy sword slowly materialized in Akira's hands.

"That's… a Zanpakutō?!"

Renji's eyes widened—he had never seen a Zanpakutō like this before. Even more astonishing, the golden blade was so radiant that it seemed to surpass the beauty of Sode no Shirayuki, renowned as the most elegant Zanpakutō in the Soul Society.

"This ends now."

Gripping the Sword of Oath Victory with both hands, Akira's voice was cold and resolute.

At that moment, countless golden light particles gathered around him, converging upon the dazzling blade.