As the divine body transformed into Zangetsu, the scattered Zanpakutō on the ground trembled and flew in all directions.
"I have to find my real Zanpakutō among all of these?" Ichigo blinked, overwhelmed. "Three days feels way too short."
"That's right," Yoruichi smirked. "And don't get too relaxed. If one of those blades hits a vital spot—" she leaned in, "you'll really die."
"What? I could actually die?!"
Zangetsu, now standing tall before him, narrowed his eyes. "Ichigo, if you're killed, you die. Simple as that. So focus—dodge my attacks, find the real me, and call my name!"
Before Ichigo could even brace himself, Zangetsu slashed across his abdomen. Blood seeped through his robes.
"Don't let your guard down," Yoruichi called from the side. "This is your final test!"
While Ichigo gritted his teeth and fought with everything he had, the Seireitei was in chaos.
The death of Aizen, Captain of the Fifth Division, sent shockwaves throughout the Soul Society. The timing couldn't have been worse—right as tensions with the Ryoka reached a boiling point. The situation was so unstable that some even suspected a conspiracy within the Gotei 13 itself.
Was it the Ryoka who killed Aizen? Or someone from the inside?
Neither the Covert Ops nor the Punishment Force had found solid clues yet.
While most of the captains remained calm—unshaken by even the death of one of their own—the lower-ranking Shinigami were rattled.
In the holding cell, Momo Hinamori sat motionless, eyes hollow, lips trembling. To her, Aizen wasn't just a captain—he was her idol, her guide. Gentle. Kind. Warm.
And now, dead.
The loss shattered her. In a blind haze of grief and rage, she had drawn her Zanpakutō and lunged straight at Gin Ichimaru—Aizen's successor and, in her mind, the likely culprit. After all, Gin was the first to arrive at the scene of the crime, and with his eerie smile and elusive mannerisms, suspicion followed him like a shadow.
Gin wasn't just cunning—he was a prodigy, once the top student of the Shin'ō Academy. Stronger than Aizen? Possibly. Guilty? Momo believed it.
But before she could land her attack, Kirara—Gin's own lieutenant—stepped in and restrained her. That reckless act cost Momo her freedom.
Attacking a captain without authorization?
Punishable by death.
If not for Kirara's intervention, she'd be dead already. Her actions weren't brave—they were foolish.
But then again, when it came to Aizen... everyone had been fooled.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the training grounds, Ichigo was still battling Zangetsu when a familiar voice broke the tension.
"Yo, Ichigo."
"Abarai Renji?" Ichigo's head snapped up mid-swing, surprised to see him here.
"I've got news," Renji said, face grim. "Rukia's execution has been moved up. It's happening tomorrow morning."
"What?!" Ichigo's voice cracked. "They moved it again?! That's insane! Central 46 hasn't changed a sentence this quickly in decades!"
Yoruichi frowned. "It's too fast. Something's not right… they're treating Rukia's death like a matter of global urgency."
She didn't believe Aizen was truly dead, and neither did Urahara. But even then, Rukia's execution overshadowing his death reeked of manipulation.
"I don't know the reason," Renji said, turning away. "But I figured I'd let you know."
As Renji disappeared from sight, Ichigo's grip tightened around his sword.
"If today's the only time I've got left… then I'll just have to master Bankai today," he said, spiritual pressure pulsing from his body like a gathering storm.
Yoruichi remained silent, but her clenched fists revealed her concern. They were out of time. Ichigo was close—so close—but even a prodigy couldn't normally awaken Bankai in just one day.
---
Elsewhere in the Seireitei, another confrontation was about to erupt.
"What are you doing here?" Kuchiki Byakuya asked coolly as Renji stood before him.
Renji unsheathed his Zanpakutō. "Byakuya Kuchiki. I've come to save Rukia. What are you going to do about it?"
Byakuya's gaze didn't waver. "Do you realize who you're challenging?"
"Yeah. I do." Renji didn't flinch. "But that's not stopping me."
A blur of movement—Byakuya's flash step brought him behind Renji, blade poised to strike. Renji twisted, intercepting with his own sword.
"I've seen through your flash step, Captain!" he declared.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He vanished again, approaching from another angle—only to be blocked again.
"I told you," Renji repeated, "I can see through your movements."
"You're getting cocky," Byakuya replied coldly. "Success once or twice doesn't mean you've surpassed me."
With a wave of his blade, he murmured, "Scatter—Senbonzakura."
"Roar! Zabimaru!"
Renji's Zanpakutō extended like a steel serpent, clashing against the wave of cherry blossom blades. The force of the collision shook the surrounding air, but Renji stood firm.
He was no longer the subordinate who looked up at his captain from the shadows.
He was here to fight as an equal.
"I'm sorry, Captain," Renji said, breathing heavily. "Maybe I don't have your talent. But I've worked like hell to catch up. And today—for Rukia—I'll give everything. Even my life."
"Release Rukia!" he shouted.
Byakuya's voice was devoid of emotion. "I refuse. If you stand in my way—then prepare to die."
Renji's eyes narrowed.
"Bankai—Baboon King Snake Tail Sphere!"
A surge of raw reiryoku exploded around him.
Before Byakuya's stunned eyes, Zabimaru transformed. The blade became a colossal skeletal serpent, coiled protectively around its master. A true Bankai—achieved through desperation, pain, and resolve.
--------------
"Oh? Abarai Renji… I admit, I'm impressed. You actually awakened your Bankai on your own, without guidance."
Byakuya's tone remained cold, but there was a hint of acknowledgment beneath the surface.
"Among the thousands of Shinigami in every era, only a handful ever reach Bankai. Once they do, their names are recorded forever in the annals of Soul Society."
He slowly stepped forward, his voice now tinged with superiority.
"Do you remember what we learned at Shin'ō Academy? Let me remind you… Bankai is not all the same. Most people take at least ten years to master it after achieving Shikai. You think you're special, Renji?"
Byakuya's gaze sharpened. "Did you forget—I possess Bankai as well."
"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
With a calm motion, Byakuya drove his blade into the ground. A moment later, massive rows of glowing swords erupted from beneath the earth, stretching into the sky like a forest of death.
"You stand no chance."
As his hands moved, the swords disintegrated into a thousand petals of steel—razor-sharp fragments swirling toward Renji's Bankai like a hurricane of death. Despite his best efforts, Renji couldn't withstand the onslaught.
Blood erupted from his body. Gashes opened across his chest, arms, and legs. He staggered, turning into a figure drenched in crimson in the blink of an eye.
Byakuya turned, expression unchanged. "Futile."
But just as he began to walk away, something gripped his ankle.
Renji, barely conscious, had used the last of his strength to reach out—hand clamped around Byakuya's leg.
"I… I won't let you interfere… with Ichigo's mission…" Renji rasped. "I… must save… Rukia…"
Even in his battered state, Renji's will refused to break. He held on with everything he had left.
"Let go," Byakuya warned coldly. "Or I'll end it here."
"I won't… let go, Captain…"
A spirit blade materialized from reishi and pierced Renji's hand, pinning it to the ground.
"Your resistance means nothing," Byakuya said, voice like ice.
Renji trembled, eyes burning with defiance. "But I've sworn—sworn to my soul—that I'll never back down again!"
With a roar, he shattered the reishi sword with his free hand, pulled himself upright, and raised Zabimaru for another strike.
---
Meanwhile, the countdown to Rukia's execution continued.
"Bankai—Tensa Zangetsu!"
Ichigo's voice echoed across the chamber as his power erupted. A whirlwind of pressure enveloped him, tearing through the training ground.
He stood tall, his new black blade in hand, robes tattered, body drenched in blood.
Yoruichi approached, nodding with satisfaction. "Well done. You've finally achieved it."
"There are still two hours left," she added. "Rest. Recover your spiritual pressure. The battle ahead won't be easy."
Ichigo nodded, breath ragged. Yoruichi helped bandage his wounds before guiding him to the hot spring to accelerate recovery.
Before stepping in, Ichigo turned to Su Xiuyu, grinning proudly. "Mr. Su, I've finally caught up to you!"
He had no idea that Su Xiuyu couldn't even perform Shikai.
Yoruichi tilted her head. "Oh? Looks like you gave him a hard time before. Otherwise, he wouldn't be bragging like this."
Su Xiuyu chuckled. "Maybe I dealt him a small blow, but let's be real—his current strength isn't enough to handle you yet. And sure, I can't use Shikai, but that doesn't mean I'm easy to push around."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. "Still refusing to reveal your strength? Even Kisuke and I haven't figured out your limits."
"Strength isn't something you tell people," Su Xiuyu replied calmly. "Tell me, who's considered the strongest Shinigami?"
"Old man Yamamoto, obviously," Yoruichi answered without hesitation.
"Then… let's just say my strength starts there."
Yoruichi blinked. "You're kidding, right? You think all captains are close in power? Yamamoto's been the Head Captain for thousands of years. No one dares challenge him."
"Oh?" Su Xiuyu smirked. "You seem to know quite a bit about Soul Society. Why not share more about yourself?"
Yoruichi stiffened. "Tch. How dare you ask a lady something so personal?" She turned on her heel and vanished with a flash step.
From the side, Madara scoffed. "Xiu Yu, this cat's got more ego than brains. You can't spoil women like that—go put her in her place."
Su Xiuyu blinked at Madara's straight face. "You're serious?"
He patted Madara on the shoulder. "Now I see why you still haven't found a girl you like. It's because there's no room for any girls in your heart."
---
With half an hour left before the execution, Ichigo Kurosaki stood fully prepared.
"Let's go. Either we save Rukia… or we die trying."
Ichigo didn't wait for Su Xiuyu and the others—he took off toward the execution platform alone.
Behind him, Su Xiuyu, Madara, and Orihime followed at a more relaxed pace.
"Shouldn't we be moving faster?" Orihime asked, concerned.
"No need to rush," Su Xiuyu replied. "There are plenty of obstacles ahead, and Ichigo's not the only one clearing the path. Haven't you noticed? Yoruichi's missing too."
If Su Xiuyu were truly in a hurry, he'd just fly over.
Sure enough, not long after, the group encountered three Shinigami captains locked in a tense standoff. Their white haori practically screamed authority from a distance.
On the other side, Shiba Ganju, Chad, and Ishida were with Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division.
Unohana wore her usual serene smile—warm, graceful, and composed. Her calm demeanor gave the illusion of a gentle older sister.
But Su Xiuyu saw something else.
A predator.
Because when it came to understanding the human body—how to nurture it, break it, and kill it—Unohana Retsu was in a league of her own.
"Ara~ The gentleman ahead seems to be thinking something very rude about me," Unohana said with a gentle smile, her gaze falling on Su Xiuyu.
Behind her, Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu shivered involuntarily, instinctively picking up the spike in bloodlust.
Madara's expression turned serious. "That killing intent… it's immense."
For the first time since arriving in Soul Society, Madara regarded someone with wary respect.
This woman… wasn't just a medic.
She was a monster in disguise.
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