Takeda Itsuki's brow furrowed deeply as he suppressed the agonizing pain radiating from his body. Had it not been for his timely evasion during that sneak attack just now, he feared his entire body would have been cleaved in two. Countless years of combat experience had turned the act of dodging danger into a refined instinct.
Though he was heavily wounded, he still held the advantage of time and place. He only needed to hold out for a few more breaths, and other Soul Reapers would arrive.
'It ends here, you damn bastard.'
Takeda Itsuki forcibly used his Reiatsu to seal his wounds, temporarily stanching the flow of blood. The moment he swung his arm to strike, the Reiatsu wrapped around his blade suddenly doubled. A heavy pressure, like a mountain peak, bore down upon Aizen.
This was the true strength of a veteran Captain!
'I don't know who you are or why you've ambushed me, but it's clear you've chosen the wrong opponent. Aside from a few monsters in the Gotei 13 and that dangerous Shutara Senjumaru, I, Takeda Itsuki, have never feared anyone. So, die.'
Facing that suffocating pressure, Aizen's gaze lowered slightly. From beginning to end, he maintained a sense of composure and calm, as if the battle before him were nothing more than an ordinary practice session. His silent Reiatsu flowed like water, gurgling as it wound around his blade.
Straight black lines emerged from the surroundings, instantly weaving a patchwork of mottled patterns. The air suddenly grew heavy, as if it had turned into surging mercury. He raised his eyes and swung his arm.
Pitch-black sword pressure erupted from the blade. In that instant, only a deathly silence remained on the street, as if even sound itself had been severed. At this moment, a sliver of panic finally flashed in Takeda Itsuki's eyes. The sword pressure he took such pride in was as fragile as paper, severed without any suspense. Moreover, that strange, dark pressure continued toward him without losing speed.
A thick, intense sense of crisis erupted. He felt as if he could see death beckoning to him. This was even more bizarre and terrifying than what had happened at the manor. Takeda Itsuki did not dare to be careless. Even at the cost of worsening his injuries, he unleashed his full power.
"Bankai!"
"Saga no Miitsu!"
Crystals erupted from the ground with a cracking sound, draping over Takeda Itsuki's body like armor. His wounds burst open once more, spraying a near-fatal amount of blood. Reflected by the crystals and mingled with the golden sunlight, the crimson blood scattered into countless dazzling rays of light. Furthermore, infinite crystals burst forth from the ruins and rubble. While crushing the nearby buildings, they constructed an indestructible and powerful defense.
Saga no Miitsu was originally a powerful Bankai that integrated both offense and defense. Once the crystal defense was fully constructed, even other Captains would find it difficult to break through in a short amount of time.
The pitch-black sword pressure swept past silently.
The sturdy crystals shattered into countless cracks. Takeda Itsuki felt as if he could hear the sound of his own heart breaking, but his survival instinct triggered the fastest reaction of his life. By lunging to the back left, he allowed the black sword pressure to graze past him. Then, his entire arm was cleanly sliced off.
A flash of surprise crossed Aizen's eyes. He had not expected Takeda Itsuki to be so decisive in a life-or-death moment, sacrificing an arm to avoid a fatal blow. However, this result was not unacceptable.
He pressed forward again, instantly causing Takeda Itsuki's expression to turn to one of panic. The Captain immediately summoned his Bankai's domain, and countless crystal spikes rose from the ground.
But Aizen's target was clearly not him.
Kidō Reiatsu surged out, transforming into rope-like cords of light that wrapped directly around the severed arm on the ground. With a gentle pull, the trophy fell into Aizen's hand. In the next moment, several powerful Reiatsu signatures appeared nearby.
Aizen glanced deeply at Takeda Itsuki through the veil of his Kidō Reiatsu, then turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving no further trace.
"Oh my, it seems I've arrived a step late."
Wooden clogs stepped onto the shattered crystals, making a faint creaking sound. A man with a brown ponytail, wearing two floral hairpins and a pink haori, spoke softly. He was the Captain of Squad 8, Kyōraku Shunsui.
The scene before them was tragic. The ancient, sturdy buildings had been turned into a mess by the unrestrained Reiatsu of the combatants. Broken crystals mixed with the soil, gradually dissolving and dissipating back into Reishi. It was as if a natural disaster had passed through. The destructive power of Captain-class Soul Reapers was indeed a bit too excessive.
"Captain Takeda, did you see the attacker's face clearly?" asked a man with a round afro and a stern face, wearing the white haori of a Captain.
"Cough... My apologies, Captain Aikawa. The opponent used some kind of Kidō to hide themselves. Neither their Reiatsu signature nor their appearance could be used to identify them."
Takeda Itsuki vomited a mouthful of blood, forcibly using Kaido to treat himself. Seeing this, the Captain of Squad 7, Aikawa Love, hurried forward to assist with healing. Although they couldn't compare to professional medical personnel in the field of Kaido, as Captains, they were capable of stabilizing simple injuries.
But the more he performed the treatment, the more a sense of horror grew within Aikawa Love. As a recently promoted Captain, there was still a gap between him and a senior like Takeda Itsuki in terms of both experience and strength. Yet, such a powerful Captain had nearly been killed on the spot in the outskirts of the Seireitei. Just who was the opponent?
Amidst the ruins, an elderly man with a dignified, aged face tried to capture any lingering Reiatsu. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not obtain any useful information.
"The attacker was very cautious. They didn't even leave behind any Reishi traces."
Kuchiki Ginrei shook his head helplessly, then looked at the disheveled Takeda Itsuki nearby, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes. They had rushed there as fast as they could. The moment they sensed the explosion of Reiatsu from both sides, they had used Flash Step to arrive immediately.
Yet, in that extremely short window of time, Takeda Itsuki, the Captain of Squad 9, had not only been nearly disemboweled but had also lost an arm. The former was manageable; with Captain Unohana Retsu around, he could be healed. However, a missing limb would be very difficult to replace.
"Lord Ginrei, I'll leave the situation here to you for now," Kyōraku Shunsui said suddenly after recording everything. "I need to report what happened here to Old Man Yama."
Watching his departing back, Kuchiki Ginrei felt a surge of worry. The Araki disaster, the Shihōin turmoil, the Menos invasion of the Soul Society, and now a Captain being ambushed... It was another season of troubles. Could the Kuchiki family truly make it to the other side?
---
1st Division, Office.
Yamamoto listened to Kyōraku Shunsui's report without expression, his eyes slightly closed in thought. The room fell into silence.
Kyōraku Shunsui waited nonchalantly for Yamamoto's orders. He felt no sympathy for Takeda Itsuki's plight. Although they were both Captains, Takeda's style of doing things and his political stance leaned heavily toward the nobility, which caused quite a bit of resentment within the Gotei 13. Furthermore, after Takeda had indiscriminately attacked that little junior brother of the Genryū whom Kyōraku had yet to meet, Kyōraku had long been dissatisfied with the man's actions. Takeda Itsuki's misfortune actually made him feel quite a bit better.
Just as he was wondering who had been so kind as to do this, Yamamoto's voice suddenly rang out.
"Kyōraku, go and bring that Naraku boy here. I have matters to ask him."
Kyōraku Shunsui raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.