Clang!
One slash after another slash.
Zaraki's blade was completely out of order.
But one had to admit — such a knife was terrifying.
Because Zaraki's power was overwhelming. Because his reiatsu was monstrous.
The sheer density of that reiatsu made every swing of his strike burst with raw sword pressure. No skill required at all.
With such a blade, an ordinary foe would die or be fatally wounded from a single strike. The so-called "breaking through all laws with one force" — this was exactly that.
But to break through all methods with strength alone still depended on who the target was.
If it were the Zaraki who hadn't subconsciously sealed himself back then, Shigure would naturally have feared that blade. At that time, his opponent's strikes were instinctive, traceless.
Even Unohana Retsu, who claimed to have mastered every school and style of swordsmanship in the world, had been caught off guard and seriously wounded by Zaraki in his youth. Naturally, Shigure would have to face him with everything he had.
After all, Zaraki in that state was a beast born purely for battle.
But the current Zaraki was far from that.
During the captain's assessment, Shigure had faced Unohana head-on. In other words, his mastery of the blade was no less refined than hers.
At this moment, facing Zaraki's wild, unrestrained slashes, he looked utterly calm.
Even though Zaraki's sword was fast, Shigure always blocked it at the critical instant. Not only that — when he wasn't blocking, he would occasionally return a few peculiar slashes of his own, leaving deep wounds across Zaraki's body.
More blood gushed out of Zaraki.
As before, the bleeding was heavy.
That was simply the nature of this world.
If it were any ordinary person, such blood loss would've killed them long ago. But not here. Not for people like Zaraki — whose wounds and spilled blood only fueled his will to fight, making each swing faster, fiercer.
"Ahhhhh!!"
The roar tore from Zaraki's throat as he raised his blade again, slashing down again and again — like a beast that knew neither pain nor fatigue.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel crashed violently against steel, the ground splitting beneath the force.
Not far away, the middle-aged man Shigure had thrown aside watched the battle unfold. His face twisted in disbelief.
He knew Zaraki's power all too well. In the Zaraki District — a land crawling with monsters — Zaraki was the most monstrous of them all.
And yet, Gosuke Shigure blocked every single one of those blows.
"Monsters… all monsters…" The man's voice trembled as he muttered in terror. He didn't dare stay another moment. Turning on his heel, he fled.
Neither Shigure nor Zaraki paid him any attention.
Crack!
A sharp sound cut through the chaos. The tattered Zanpakutō in Zaraki's hand split in two under Shigure's clean strike.
With a fluid motion, Shigure turned the blade, struck with the back, and sent Zaraki's towering body flying.
Even so, Zaraki still tried to stand — still tried to fight with his broken weapon.
But Shigure moved faster.
"Bakudō #30 – Shitotsu Sansen!"
Three golden beams of light shot from the air, pinning Zaraki's wrists and waist to the ground.
Zaraki's body flared with reiatsu, instinctively trying to break free, his glare still wild, his muscles trembling.
Shigure stepped forward, his calm gaze locking onto the bound warrior.
"Stop. Keep going, and you'll bleed to death."
Zaraki's entire existence was offense — never defense.
If his strike hit, that was enough. That reckless, blood-for-blood fighting style worked only for those who survived long enough to land the finishing blow.
But all of Zaraki's attacks had been deflected, while Shigure's counterstrikes had landed cleanly.
One side waned, the other flourished.
Shigure stood unscathed. Zaraki was drenched in blood.
"Why stop?" Zaraki's voice was hoarse but still burning. "Wouldn't dying in battle be the best way to go?"
"It is a good death." Shigure admitted. "But dying before you've had your fill of battle — that's a waste, isn't it."
He crouched slightly, eyes glinting with faint amusement. "I can see it — you love the fight itself. You live for it. Tell me, Zaraki… don't you want to fight even stronger opponents, even more thrilling battles?"
Shigure's voice was calm, persuasive — like a ripple spreading across still water.
For Zaraki, those words struck deep.
"Stronger opponents… more battles…"
The wild bloodlust in Zaraki's eyes flickered, then softened into contemplation. Slowly, his resistance faded. The reiatsu raging around him quieted.
He stopped struggling — stopped fighting — and simply lay there, eyes fixed on Shigure, waiting for him to finish his words.
Seeing the shift, Shigure continued, "It's a pity that a warrior like you wastes away here in Rukongai. Yes, the Zaraki District breeds many fighters, but in the end, they're only souls of the poor — the weak."
He paced slowly around Zaraki. "After all these years, doesn't beating these small-timers bore you?"
"If you truly want to face stronger opponents, to live through real battles — come to Seireitei. Become a shinigami."
He smiled faintly. "No — not 'become'. You already wield a Zanpakutō. Technically, you're already a shinigami. What I mean is… join the Gotei 13."
"Join… the Gotei 13?" Zaraki muttered, stunned.
Shigure nodded. "That's right. You said earlier my clothes felt familiar, didn't you? This haori belongs to a captain of the Gotei 13. If it reminds you of someone, it must be because you've crossed blades with one of us before."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "If you join, perhaps you'll meet that opponent again. Perhaps you'll fight them once more — this time without restraint."
At those words, Zaraki's expression changed. His hand subconsciously brushed the scar that ran across his face.
That scar — left by her.
He had never forgotten that battle, nor the thrill it gave him.
The woman who gave him that wound — she was the only opponent who had ever satisfied him.
To think she was a captain of the Gotei 13 all along.
'Join the Gotei 13… and meet her again? Fight her again?'
The thought flared like fire in his mind.
For the first time in years, Zaraki felt excitement that wasn't born of chaos, but of purpose.
Before today, he had fought only for the sake of fighting. He knew that the shinigami were powerful — but he had never imagined becoming one of them.
Now, after crossing blades with Gosuke Shigure, that notion changed.
Because Shigure had made him realize something vital.
As long as he joined the Gotei 13 — he could fight the strongest fighters.
He could seek that woman again.
He could finally feel alive.
And Zaraki… was moved by that.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]