Kenpachi Kiganjō swung his sword in a wide arc, scattering the dust and smoke to reveal a striking yet eerie figure.
Long black hair billowed in the wind, and a bloodstained Shihakushō flapped noisily around him. In his hand, he clutched the severed head of a masked opponent, exuding a presence both composed and unhinged.
In Gin Ichimaru's eyes, it was as if a pitch-black sun had risen, drawing his gaze upward.
"Masatsuki Aozaki..." Kenpachi Kiganjō recognized the newcomer instantly.
His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned cold. He knew this opponent's strength and discarded any thought of toying around.
Among those present, this was the only one worthy of being called his opponent.
He tightened his grip on his massive Zanpakutō and swung it horizontally, sparks flying from the force.
At the same moment, a petite figure in an Onmitsukidō uniform flickered into view at his side, quickly retreating with a short blade in hand.
Swish!
Seeing this, several nearby rebels hesitated for a moment before sneering and charging forward, their raised Zanpakutō glinting coldly as they aimed for Masatsuki Aozaki.
Slash!
With a casual swing of his sword, Masatsuki Aozaki sent a blue crescent of energy flying from the blade. The sharp sound of steel shattering rang out as three bloodied heads soared through the air.
"Masatsuki Aozaki… a little rat scurrying in the shadows..."
Kenpachi Kiganjō squinted at the young 3rd Seat of the 2nd Division, a mocking sneer curling his lips.
"The Reiatsu of those weaklings is barely detectable. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"The brat who used to hide behind Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to spy on us has grown into someone who can stand on his own now."
"You've really come into your own. Even that old man Yamamoto would be proud."
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the fallen members of the 2nd Division. Some lay lifeless, while others still clung to a faint Reiatsu.
"For what you've done, locking you away isn't nearly enough," Masatsuki Aozaki said.
"What did you just say?" Kenpachi Kiganjō blinked, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Are you trying to amuse me?"
"What can a little punk like you possibly do?"
"I'm a captain of the Gotei 13. I'm not some nobody who just swings a sword around and flares his Reiatsu aimlessly."
"You don't even know what it takes to become the captain of the 11th Division, do you?"
"You have to kill the previous captain. And I became Kenpachi after cutting down Kenpachi Gosuke."
"Now do you understand who you're up against, brat?"
"I'm not like the weaklings you've faced before—I'm a captain who has killed a captain!"
"You killing Kenpachi Gosuke is your business. You dying here is mine. I've never gone back on my word."
Masatsuki Aozaki spoke without emotion, glancing at the tense girl beside him before tilting his head slightly.
The moment the words left his mouth, Masatsuki Aozaki lunged forward.
The black-haired girl vanished from sight, along with Gin Ichimaru behind her.
Not far away, Kenpachi Kiganjō's pupils contracted. For a brief moment, he forgot to react.
Does this brat really have that kind of self-sacrificing resolve?
Last time, he stayed behind to fight Rentarō alone so his subordinates could escape. And now, he remained to stop me.
Masatsuki Aozaki moved at blinding speed, instantly decapitating two rebels who had been hiding in the shadows.
But his sword didn't stop there.
To the shock of the 2nd Division soldiers… Kenpachi Kiganjō caught Banshō Senran with his bare hand.
Masatsuki Aozaki was slightly surprised, but as his gaze shifted from Kiganjō's palm to his Zanpakutō, he quickly understood.
If his guess was correct, Kenpachi Kiganjō's Zanpakutō must have some connection to stone or similar materials.
Slash!
The sound of blood spraying filled the air as the severed palm fell, echoing in everyone's ears.
The detached hand tumbled mid-air, and the "armor" covering it instantly shattered into fine dust, golden particles scattering in the breeze.
Kenpachi Kiganjō's pupils contracted.
A thin layer of rock rapidly formed over his wounded hand, and at the same time, the severed limb stretched out, reconnecting with the falling palm.
Though forcibly reattached by the stone layer, the hand remained motionless, unlikely to pose a threat.
Yet, even as he stared at his crudely reassembled hand, Kenpachi Kiganjō's shock did not fade in the slightest.
He had read Takasugi Hirobumi's "confession" and knew that Masatsuki Aozaki's Zanpakutō was extremely sharp.
But he had always considered his own Reiatsu superior to Takasugi Hirobumi's and Rentarō's, and with his Zanpakutō's defensive abilities, he had never given much thought to the sharpness of Banshō Senran.
His Zanpakutō was renowned for its defense.
Within the Gotei 13, it was said to be second to none.
And yet, even with his armored hand, it had been severed so easily.
Masatsuki Aozaki's Reiatsu was a tier below his own. No matter how sharp a Zanpakutō was, it shouldn't have cut through his defenses as if they were made of paper.
What was the reason...?
Masatsuki Aozaki raised Banshō Senran: Bōkunchō, pointing it directly at Kenpachi Kiganjō. A cold gleam flashed—another slash.
Kenpachi Kiganjō swiftly raised his enormous Zanpakutō, barely managing to block the strike. The pain from his severed hand flared up, and his eyes widened in shock.
"Your Reiatsu..."
Even as he spoke, he felt the weight pressing down on his sword, forcing him to brace himself to keep it from being severed as well.
"Just a captain." Masatsuki Aozaki smiled faintly, no longer suppressing his Reiatsu. A powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted, sweeping through the Nest of Maggots.
Third-class Reiatsu.
For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the Nest of Maggots.
Not just Kenpachi Kiganjō—all those still alive, including Suì-Fēng, who had returned to bring reinforcements and aid the wounded, widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Kenpachi Kiganjō scoffed, then curled his lips into a disdainful sneer. He swung his massive Zanpakutō, the force of his strike stirring up a violent gust.
He refused to believe that Masatsuki Aozaki's Reiatsu had truly reached Third-class Reiatsu—no, more than that, he couldn't believe it.
It was too absurd, too overwhelming.
If he acknowledged it, it would shake him to his core.
How old was this brat? What made him worthy? What gave him the right?
Had he trained for hundreds, even thousands of years... only for it to amount to nothing?
Just sensing Masatsuki Aozaki's Reiatsu forced these thoughts into his mind.
And that infuriated him.
He didn't want to think about it. He refused to think about it.
Masatsuki Aozaki smirked, his Reiatsu surging without restraint as he clashed blades with Kenpachi Kiganjō.
At first, he had concealed his Reiatsu to catch his opponent off guard.
But after severing Kenpachi Kiganjō's hand, the man had likely sensed his spiritual pressure through their brief clash.
There was no need to hide anymore. Letting it loose so recklessly would only intensify the psychological pressure on his opponent.
Banshō Senran and the massive Zanpakutō clashed at blinding speed, blades flashing as their silhouettes flickered through the Nest of Maggots, too fast for the eye to follow.
Feeling the power surging through his own blade, Kenpachi Kiganjō's expression darkened.
Masatsuki Aozaki crooked a finger, excitement creeping into his eyes.
The captains of the Gotei 13... truly are stronger than those pampered pets raised by the nobility.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake