Asta stood in the center of the Eleventh Division's training grounds, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his limbs. His muscles ached from countless battles against Hollows, his uniform was worn from relentless training, but none of that mattered now.
Today was his final test—a battle against Kenpachi Zaraki.
Across from him, the towering captain of the Eleventh Division cracked his neck, his wild grin stretching across his face. His massive sword rested lazily on his shoulder, but his golden eye gleamed with excitement.
The air around them was thick with tension, a crushing weight pressing down on the spectators watching from the sidelines. The other members of the Eleventh Division had gathered to witness the fight, and even Renji and Kaien had stopped by to watch.
"Heh. You ready, brat?" Kenpachi asked, his voice filled with an eagerness that sent chills down the spines of those listening.
Asta grinned, tightening his grip on his sword. "I was born ready!"
The two warriors vanished.
BOOM!
The ground shattered as their swords clashed, sending out a shockwave so powerful that the spectators had to brace themselves. Sparks flew as Kenpachi pressed down with raw, monstrous strength, his grin widening as Asta pushed back without an ounce of hesitation.
Asta's arms burned under the pressure, but his excitement only grew.
This was it!
A real fight.
Kenpachi suddenly broke the deadlock, twisting his blade and forcing Asta to stagger backward. Without missing a beat, the captain lunged forward and swung his massive sword.
Asta ducked just in time, feeling the wind from the blade slice through the air above him. He retaliated instantly, twisting his body and bringing his sword upward in a vicious counterstrike.
Kenpachi didn't dodge.
He took the hit head-on.
Asta's blade bit into Kenpachi's shoulder, slicing through flesh. Blood splattered onto the ground, but Kenpachi didn't even flinch.
Instead—he laughed.
"Now that's more like it!"
Before Asta could react, Kenpachi swung with monstrous force.
"GUH—!"
Asta barely managed to block, but the impact sent him skidding across the ground. The sheer force rattled his bones, but he dug his feet in and held firm.
Kenpachi dashed toward him again, moving faster than someone his size had any right to. His sword descended like a guillotine, the air howling around the attack.
Asta had no time to dodge.
He blocked—just barely.
The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the area, and the ground beneath Asta cracked apart. His feet sank into the fractured stone, but he refused to fall.
He couldn't fall.
Asta roared and pushed back with all his strength, forcing Kenpachi's sword away. Then, with lightning-fast reflexes, he lunged forward, swinging his blade at Kenpachi's ribs.
But Kenpachi—grinning like a madman—caught the blade with his bare hand.
The crowd gasped.
"What the hell—?!" Renji muttered in disbelief.
Kaien smirked. "That's Kenpachi for you."
Asta's eyes widened. "What?!"
Kenpachi's hand bled, his palm sliced open from catching the edge of Asta's sword, but his grip was like iron.
"Heh. This all you got?"
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he flung Asta into the air.
CRASH!
Asta smashed into the stone wall, debris crumbling around him. Pain flared through his body, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet.
His arms trembled, his breath was ragged—but his grin never faded.
Kenpachi was strong. Ridiculously strong.
But Asta wasn't backing down.
He exhaled sharply, gripping his sword tighter. He could feel it—his Zanpakutō pulsing with energy, feeding off the raw Reiryoku that surrounded them.
His sword was hungry.
Asta grinned.
He knew what to do.
Lifting his sword, he called upon its power, his voice steady and filled with determination.
"Unleash, Gyakuten!"
Black and red energy erupted from his blade, the massive weapon morphing and expanding in size. Jagged edges lined its surface, pulsating with power as the weapon absorbed the energy around it.
Kenpachi's single eye gleamed with excitement. "Oh?"
Asta didn't waste a second.
He charged.
Kenpachi met him head-on.
Their swords clashed again and again, each impact shaking the very ground beneath them. Asta's Shikai absorbed Kenpachi's overwhelming Reiryoku with every strike, growing heavier, stronger, more devastating.
Kenpachi noticed.
"Your sword eats energy, huh?" he mused, blocking another one of Asta's vicious swings. "Guess that means I gotta kill you before it takes too much!"
Kenpachi vanished.
Asta's instincts screamed at him—DODGE!
But he was a fraction of a second too slow.
Kenpachi appeared behind him, his sword already swinging.
Asta twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow—but the edge of Kenpachi's blade still tore through his side.
"TCH—!"
Blood sprayed into the air.
Asta hit the ground hard, his body aching, screaming in pain.
But he refused to stay down.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth.
His Shikai hummed with power.
The energy it had absorbed from Kenpachi's relentless attacks was overflowing.
Now was his chance.
Asta vanished.
The crowd gasped.
Even Kenpachi's eye widened slightly. "Heh… finally getting serious, huh?"
Asta reappeared above him, sword raised high.
"TAKE THIS!!"
With all the Reiryoku he had absorbed, he swung with everything he had.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion of energy erupted outward, shaking the entire training ground. Dust and debris filled the air, and for a moment—silence.
Then—
As the dust settled, two figures stood in the center.
Kenpachi's blade was cracked. A fresh wound bled across his chest.
Asta, panting heavily, stood firm—his sword still raised.
Kenpachi was silent for a moment.
Then—
He laughed.
A deep, wild, thrilled laughter.
"Heh. You pass."
Asta blinked. "Huh?"
Kenpachi grinned, sheathing his sword. "Welcome to the Eleventh Division."
Asta's grin widened.
He had done it.
He had fought Kenpachi—and survived.