One year ago at the Quincy academia

Urgh, do I have to?' Nianzol Weizol whined as he rolled his eyes While Berenice Gabrielli just sighed at his immaturity.

'You have no choice Weizol it's the king's orders, each Sternritter has to pick an Apprentice Knight to inherit their Schrift in case they retired or fall in battle and you are a month overdue' he explained. But the shorter man just huffed.

'But given I am in my soul form it would be thousands of years before I 'm old enough to retire and with my Schrift, I am practically invincible in battle with it so I don't even see the point!' The young Quincy argued but Berenice shrugged.

'I feel the same way about mine but orders are orders' He argued back evenly, but upon seeing how upset Weizol was he decided to comfort him a bit more. 'Look it's not like you have to babysit them all day, you just have to make a pack with them to inherit your Schrift, and poof your done'

Nianzol then huffed. '...fine' he then looked over to the looming academy building. 'Let's get this over with'

Berenice and Nianzol then made their way to the training area below the academy and then sat in a lounge with a window that overlooked all the training room cubes. Then a few minutes later Souken entered the room.

'Sir, Berenice and Sir Nianzol it is an honor that two renowned Sternritter have arrived at this academy. I assume that one of you is here to pick an Apprentice Knight as your successor?' Souken asked while Nianzol rolled his eyes in annoyance. While Berenice sighed in exasperation.

'Let's just say one of them is not looking forward to it...' The feminine man looked up at Souken. 'The contenders?

Souken then smiled. 'Of course, he then pulled out a remote control and pressed a button on it, and immediately several hologram screens covered the whole window of the lounge. Each depicts an Apprentice Knight fighting each other in various battlegrounds.

The headmaster then turns his head towards the screens. 'As you can see it has been a very productive year for the students of this academy as many of them graduated with outstanding results. Which was only further refined by their consent experience on the battlefield. So please let me know which of them piques your interest'

Nianzol then lazy looked at the screens to bear witness to the Apprentice Knights fighting, but none of them impressed him. Oh sure they were all skilled and powerful, but so was many other Quincy that he meet and thus didn't stand out that much to him.

However, right before decides to pick one of them at random. He then caught sight of an Apprentice Knight battling another one with a sword...and one in the shape of a katana.

Hey uh, who is that kid in the corner there?' Nianzol asked while pointing his figure at the screen. While Souken looked at them in bemusement.

'Ah, that is Shinji Iijima a human-born Quincy who hauls from Karakura high and has just been promoted to the rank of Apprentice knight' The Elder explained while Nianzol looked at the boy interested. As swordsmanship was completely unfamiliar to that of any other Quincy he has seen.

'Strange...' the short man muttered. 'Usually, most Quincy would use archery or fencing when in battle. But this kid here is using straight-up kendo...and he's pretty freaking good at it he then looked toward Souken. 'Was he trained by someone else beforehand?'

Souken then hesitated for a moment confusing Nianzol and then reluctantly answered.

'He was...by a Shingmai'

Nianzol and Berenice then widen their eyes in surprise.

'A-A Shingmai!?' The question nearly shouted. 'Are you serious! How could someone let alone a teenager be allowed to become a Quincy or even join this academy after being trained by those brutes!'

'It is unusual I know...' Souken said with conviction. 'However, it is not forbidden for Quincy to be trained under a Shinigami and to be allowed in the academy. Plus there are many colleges with far more controversial cases that have been applied in the past'

Berenice then snorted. 'Oh course, how could we ever forget that a Quincy Shingmai hybrid is already our king's successor?' he spat in contempt. 'So it is only natural that this prideful institution would allow other undesirables to fall into its nest as well'

Souken then looked uneasy to the Sternritter and then to Nianzol who had an unreadable expression.

Then from the corner of the headmaster's gaze, followed by the two other Star Knights. They bear wittiness to Shinji striking down his opponent with his sword pointed down at his chest.

Berenice then sneered in disgust at a Shingmai-trained Quincy defeating a proper one...and then smiled cruelly as an idea came to him.

'Souken Ishidia...' he called out to the headmaster who turn to face him. 'Is it possible to arrange a match with this boy with my Apprentice Knight? he then folded his arms. 'I want to see...the full scoop of his abilities...'

Souken then eyed the Sternritter suspiciously but then sighed. '...of course

Sometime later Shinji was then faced with another Apprentice Knight who was a huge stocky man with short blonde hair, had a sleeveless white uniform that showed his muscular arms, which were covered with countless battle scars, and in both of his hands, she wore twin spike Gauntlets.

'Quite a remarkable specimen don't you agree?' Berenice said proudly. 'John Quart is a renowned prodigy who has been fighting hollows, criminals, and rebellions for over a hundred years' he then smirked. 'So great was his promise as Quincy, that several of the Sternritter wage bids on making him their successor' the Quincy knight then chuckled. 'As you can imagine I had them all beat'

Nianzol then looked at the stocky man from the screen. 'And not only that but his spiritual power is almost on the same level as a Sternritter' he then eyed Shinji. ' Do you think it is okay to have the kid fight him?'

Berenice then shrugged. 'Think of it as a learning experience for the child to teach him how to deal with superior opponents and if he does poorly we can always find another Apprentice Knight for you'

Nianzol then frown at Berenice and then stared at Shinji and his opponent on the screen.

'Heh...' John chucked while cracking his fists. 'It's been a while since I cracked the head of a greenhorn. So please try not to get yourself crush too early before I have my fun'

Shinji then readied up his blade for battle and smiled. 'I assure you that you won't be disappointed he quip back.

And then the battle began.

John aim his knuckle fists at Shinji and the spikes on them transformed into miniature missiles that flew towards the teen at sound-breaking speed yet the latter was able to dodge the projectiles by running to the right of the arena and continued to evade them even as the missiles exploded on the ground behind him.

Back at the lounge, Nianzol raises his eyes at John's spiritual weapon. 'Kind of odd for an Apprentice Knight to have a spiritual weapon that advanced' he mused which then made Berenice smirk with pride.

'I think the better word would be extraordinary' the Stenritter praised. 'John's Rocket knuckle gives him supreme offensive power, both at close and long-range combat' he then looked at Shinji in disdain. 'It would miracle if that commoner would survive even a minute longer with just that katana of his'

'I wouldn't be so quick Sir Berenice' Souken criticized and at first the knight was about to scoff at the headmaster. But upon looking at the hologram screen again his eyes then winded in shock. For before the Veteran Quincy he saw that his prodigy John was out of breath while Shinji was relatively fresh.

'While John's Rocket Knuckle is extremely powerful as a spirit weapon. It also requires a great amount of spiritual energy to use and thus it is not meant to be spammed so recklessly. On top of it being a bad match-up against someone who focuses on envision and defense'

Berenice then huffed and crossed his arms. 'Well that boy hasn't been able to harm him either' he tried to defend. But Nianzol then smirked at that statement when he looked back up at the screen.

'...You think so?' The short retorted and then when Berenice followed his gaze, he gasp when he saw Shinji landing multiple blows on his prodigy with his katana, while the latter tried in vain to counter and hit his fast and agile foe.

'Hmmm...I am afraid it is as I feared' Souken muttered while Berinice eyed him with anger and confusion.

'What do you mean!?' he snapped. While the headmaster walked up close to the screen.

'John Quart may have hundreds of years worth of experience fighting in battles and wars, but most of them consisted of him fighting against opponents that were vastly weaker and less skilled than him. But given his naturally high spiritual power and his training in the Academy that is to be expected' Souken then narrowed his eyes. '...Unfortunately, that also left him lacking in experience in fighting against those who rival him in strength, and this case far surpasses him in skill. For while Shinji doesn't have nearly that much experience, he struggled and endured against classmates that were as if not stronger than him on a regular bases'

Nianzol then chuckled. 'So much for the star pupil, you bid on' he taunted making Berenice pout.

Only for him to then smile.

Meanwhile back in the present

(Soundtrack of Choice: Rage of Lunacy)

Ggio Vega snarled as he continued in vain to overwhelm Shinji with his speed. yet no matter much faster he went, the boy continued to block and counter his attacks with ease, even when he delivered hundreds of millions of blows at once and at fifty percent of his actual speed. But what was worse is that the young Quincy began to adapt more to his fighting style. With his counterattacks becoming more accurate and difficult to avoid.

'Damn it!' The 9th Espada cursed in his head. 'This doesn't make any sense, even the higher ranked Espada have to go into their Segunda Etapa just to react to my speed let alone tag me, and yet this greenhorn knight is capable of tracking and countering my every movement as if it were nothing! It doesn't make any sense!' he fumed before immediately calming himself and glaring at the boy in contempt.

'I will admit kid...you are by far the most infuriating opponent I have to deal with today' he commented while Shinji continued to ready his stance, While Vega began to stretch out his arms. 'So much so in fact...that you force to make me sixty-five percent of my strength'

Then Ggio went into a predatory-like stance as his spiritual power began to spike up to an even greater level and immediately lunged at Shinji with even greater speed.

'One Billion Strike Fang!' he announced and as the name suggested Vega launched over a billion strikes at Shinji all at once when the attack commenced, unleashing a massive explosion that nearly expanded the entire courtyard.

And as Quincy and Espada fought Souken began to express worry for Shinji as he thought back to a similar situation he had witnessed not too long ago...

Back in the past

'True...perhaps I did overestimate my pupil's capabilities...but he has at least one last power up his arsenal that will turn the tide of this battle soon enough' The Question said ominously as he continued to look at the fight on the screen.

Meanwhile, in the cube, John was breathing heavily, as he was bruised from head to toe, from all the strikes Shinji landed on him, while the latter was practically unscathed and barely tired out at all.

'Do you want to keep going, or do you want to call it quits?' Shinji offered but John merely scoffed at him.

'Don't get too full of yourself kid...'John mocked while rising to his full height. 'You may be a lot tougher than I gave you credited for, but that is only because I have been going easy on you this entire time!'

Shinji then glared at him and then readied his blade, While John continued to smirk. 'But you should be proud because the last time I used this power it was against the Privaron Espada Gantenbainne Mosqueda!'

Back at the Lounge both Nizual and Souken winded their eyes in shock upon hearing that declaration.

'A Privaron Espada...' Souken said uneasily. 'Most Apprentice Knights can barely handle Numerioes, Yet this man is capable of defeating a Privaron...an Arrancar who is just below the Espada themselves in might?!'

Bernice then chuckled. 'Indeed and it is precisely that very reason why so many of the Sternritters wanted him so badly, For Any apprentice Knight that is capable of defeating a former Espada is already guaranteed a spot of becoming a Sternritter' his eyes then turn sinister. 'Or rather...any Quincy that has a Proto Schrift!

Nianzol then widened his eyes at the news and nervously looked back at Shinji on the screen.

(Soundtrack of Choice: Heart of Battle)

Meanwhile, at the battlefield, John began to flex both hands and was delighted to see Shinji sweet in nervousness. 'Feeling scared aren't you?' he mocked. 'I would be scared when facing a Quincy who managed to beat a former Espada with their own awaken power. But instead of just boasting about it...' he then stretched out his left hand. 'How about I just show you!'

Then with a steady gesture, John began to shake his left hand and when he did, the entire platform began to shake around Shinji causing him to nearly lose his balance and then smirking on seeing his opponent struggling, John then quickly grip his left hand into a fist and the other side of the platform was immediately crushed into rubble and dust, forcing Shinji to immediately jump and land on another platform. Only to find that his opponent then used his other hand to gesture two other platforms to crash into the one that Shinji just landed on and in a panic he quickly jumped out once more. But unlike last time he got himself bruised and scratched by the flying pieces of rubble.

Back at the Lounge, Bernice smiled with pride. 'John's power the Quake enables him to shake the rock formations of the earth itself and manipulate them to his whim. So great is this ability that he is capable of leveling down cities or swallowing entire mountains'

Nianzol and Souken then stared at John in awe while Berenice continued.

'Now imaged what happens when that ability becomes a proper schrift when my power is one day added on to that...' The Sternritter left off and it was then Nianzol and Souken realized that Shinji's chance of winning have all but plummeted to zero.

Later on the battlefield, Shinji breathed hard and heavily as he struggled to stand up while John grin with pride while lifting several other platforms at once with his hands.

'Now you see the differences in our power brat!' The older man boasted. 'I am practically a Sternritter in all but name, while you are just some lowly kid from a rundown town in the wastelands!' He then raised the stone platforms higher, ready to pound his foe into oblivion. 'From the moment you battled me the outcome of this fight was already decided!'

Back to the present.

(Soundtrack of Choice: Enfin Apparu)

As the dust settled from the explosion it revealed that stood in the center of a wide and deep crater, as a result of the earth being caved in by the countless blows Vega delivered upon. Yet despite Shinji managing to block every single one of them...though his arms were left bleeding due to the strain of blocking all of those attacks at once.

Vega then smiled in satisfaction. 'I will have to admit kid. There isn't anyone outside of the Espada that can follow and defend against my speed and the fact you can block over five hundred million blows when I went up to sixty-five percent is undoubtedly impressive...' he then looked over to the quince bleeding arms. 'But unfortunately, that is the only thing you have going for you'

The Espada then slowly walked towards the wounded Shinji, 'For regardless of whether or not you can keep up with me I'm still much stronger than you even in your holy form and eventually all I need to do to win is to keep putting on the pressure until you eventually crack open like an egg

Vega then readied his stance. 'It's over...'

Shinji then glared at His opponent for a bit and then took an extra breath. 'Yeah I guess it guesses it would be over...if I don't use my Schrift

The Espada then double back at what Shinji said...and scoffed. 'Your Schrift? please, if that ability could save you would have used it by now!'

Shinji then snorted. 'Your right I should...but I guess I am still nervous since this is the first time I get to use it in an actual battle...on top of it being enchanted by my forbearer'

Gia then looked at the boy nervously as he took a step back.

'But as someone else's said to me...instead of me explaining it...I'll just show it to you!' and then Shinji's spiritual pressure began to spike, causing white energies to spread out of him.