"Someone challenging the boss?"
"Hahaha... what a joke, the boss is invincible!"
"Interesting! Interesting!"
"Boss, take it easy on him!"
The members of the 11th Division, hearing Sōya Azashiro words, laughed loudly under the influence of alcohol.
"Hey! You guys, watch your mouths... want to take this outside?"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki frowned at his squad members' comments, then turned to Sōya Azashiro.
"Fine!"
Sōya Azashiro gave a small nod. In a banquet-like setting like this, he couldn't fully let loose. Taking it outside suited him perfectly.
"Come on! Release your Zanpakutō!"
Outside the building, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki hooked a finger at Sōya Azashiro, As the challenged party, he calmly waited for Azashiro to release his Zanpakutō, brimming with the confidence befitting the strongest Kenpachi.
"Oya~ I wonder how that brat plans to defeat Kenpachi Kuruyashiki?"
Kyoraku Shunsui leaned against the wooden boards behind him, glancing at Sōya Azashiro standing opposite Kuwashiki.
"I have this strange feeling about that Sōya kid ... something unusual."
Unohana Retsu quietly observed Sōya Azashiro, as though sensing something.
"Unusual? Really?"
Kyoraku tilted his head, puzzled. Maybe his senses weren't as sharp as before, because he couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary.
"What's the matter? Not releasing your Zanpakutō?"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki crossed his arms and frowned slightly at Azashiro.
"I… already have."
Sōya Azashiro looked at him with calm, clear eyes and spoke softly.
"You've already released it?"
Kuwashiki froze for a moment at Azashiro words, then suddenly felt a shudder run through him. His spiritual pressure covering his body dropped sharply.
"Sorry, if I fought you normally, there's no way I could win."
Azashiro apologized. He truly admired Kenpachi Kuruyashiki — a man so strong he could defeat even Vasto Lorde–class Hollows without using Bankai. But for his own goal, Kenpachi had to fall here.
"Born from slaughter's omen, respect the darkness and bid farewell to aging — Kurogaku Corridor!"
Without hesitation, Kuwashiki released his Zanpakutō. With endless black light, countless monsters opened their bloody maws and rushed at Sōya Azashiro.
But Kuwashiki was already a step too late — or perhaps Azashiro had calculated everything from the start: Kenpachi's initial carelessness, and even this exact moment of release.
The instant those summoned monsters approached Azashiro—
"Stop."
Kuwashiki spoke. At his command, the monsters froze in place.
"What… is this?"
Kuwashiki was stunned. He wasn't sure what was happening — that command hadn't been his intention, and now his body was no longer under his control.
"Sorry, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki!"
With a single flash step, Azashiro appeared in front of him. Blades of endless wind pierced through Kenpachi's lowered-reiatsu body, instantly splitting open his chest and shredding his internal organs to pieces.
"…Puh!"
At the same time, Azashiro coughed blood and dropped to one knee.
"I… won!"
The fight ended almost theatrically. The invincible Kenpachi Kuruyashiki had "fallen" before the eyes of his squad and two captains. Even against a Vasto Lorde like Szayelaporro, he had held an overwhelming advantage, and was once even invited to the Royal Guard — possibly the strongest Kenpachi in history. Yet now, he had met his end in a challenge for the title.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa — this has to be a joke, right?"
Kyoraku couldn't hide his shock. He hadn't even understood how Kenpachi lost.
"!?"
Unohana was equally stunned. She had once thought Kenpachi might be the last to ever hold the title, unless he joined the Royal Guard. Now, she could see trouble brewing in the Seireitei.
"Captain!!"
"Dammit!"
"Why kill the Captain? Winning should've been enough!"
The 11th Division members, filled with grief and rage, drew their Zanpakutōs and released them. They wanted revenge for their beloved leader.
"Cough… cough…"
But Sōya Azashiro could not answer them — kneeling there already took all his strength.
As for why he had to kill Kenpachi Kuruyashiki The reason was simple — today was his only chance. He had just one strike. If that strike failed to render Kenpachi unable to fight, he would be the one to lose in the next instant. That was how vast the gap between them was…
Even his proud wind blades couldn't pierce Kenpachi's spiritual pressure. If Kenpachi hadn't just fought a Vasto Lorde, draining some of his reiatsu, Azashiro Bankai might have been nullified entirely. If Kenpachi had started with Bankai, the best case would've been mutual destruction — the worst, Azashiro wouldn't even get his attack off before being instantly killed.
"Stand down, all of you!"
At that moment, the man whose chest was split open and organs destroyed — yet still standing — spoke.
"Huh?!"
Azashiro forehead dripped with sweat. He had calculated everything… but still hadn't won?
"Cap… Captain!"
The squad members shouted, eyes wet.
"Don't call me Captain anymore! From today, that man is your Captain! He defeated me — the Seventh Kenpachi — in a fair one-on-one fight! From now on, he will inherit my position as the Eighth Kenpachi of the 11th Division — his name is Kenpachi Kuruyashiki!"
Blood ran down Kenpachi's chest, but the man was still alive, still smiling, still as bold and hearty as ever.