"Hahahaha! Yes! That's exactly the feeling!"
Sensing the surge of Reiatsu around Ito Makoto, Zaraki Kenpachi grinned and let out a wild, booming laugh. His massive sword swung recklessly, chaotic as ever, each strike imbued with the destructive power to cleave gods and demons alike.
With the thirty percent boost from Raizen Kō's main body, Ito Makoto could barely keep up with one-handed Kenpachi, whose eye patch still covered his right eye.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Hahahaha!"
Kenpachi laughed wildly as he continued his relentless swings. Ito Makoto focused his Reiatsu, pushing his Shunpo to the limit. At last, he found an opening: as Kenpachi's blade swung past, Ito Makoto sliced across his shoulder.
The Annihilation God's blade, vibrating with controlled tremors, struck, but Kenpachi appeared unfazed, merely shrugging to dislodge the attack.
Ignoring the bleeding wound, he backhanded his sword through Ito Makoto's chest.
Pfft!
Blood gushed as Ito Makoto spat, the pain biting through him.
"Ah! This isn't sparring he's trying to kill me!"
Enduring the agony, he grabbed Kenpachi's sword-wielding right hand with his left, holding both the Asauchi and Kenpachi's strike.
"Annihilation God Style Two: Rift Ban!"
Ito Makoto drew a precise circle with his right hand. A dense black mist erupted from the blade's tip. With Captain-level Reiatsu, the single mist circle split into three interlocking rings, assaulting Kenpachi's chest simultaneously.
Bang!
The triple Rift Ban slammed into Kenpachi, caving his chest inward. The shockwave shattered doors, windows, and even the specially treated bluestone floor across the Training Grounds. Smoke and dust filled the air.
Yachiru, perched nearby, quickly darted out of the blast radius.
Pfft!
Kenpachi spat blood, flying backward. Yet, the aftermath of the triple Rift Ban left the battlefield utterly ruined a chaotic wasteland.
"Hahaha! Interesting, now this is interesting!"
Kenpachi rose, laughing as though the fatal strike had barely hurt him. His chest, previously caved in, had mysteriously healed.
He removed his eye patch over the right eye, revealing a mouth within an ability constantly devouring his Reiatsu.
At once, a terrifying wave of spiritual pressure erupted from him.
With a casual flick of his sword hand, the golden pressure split a nearly hundred-meter-tall building outside the Training Grounds in half.
Ito Makoto's eyes widened. After countless battles with Kenpachi, this was the first time he had seen him remove his eye patch.
"Only the main body personally… could reach this level."
He inwardly wondered how Ichigo, wielding only his Shikai, had defeated this monster during the Soul Society arc.
Ito Makoto took a deep breath, adjusting his stance. Channeling Reiatsu, he compressed the wound on his chest, temporarily sealing the penetrating injury. He moved via Shunpo, maintaining distance while chanting a long incantation:
"The mask of blood and flesh, all things, the one who takes the name of man with flapping wings! The carriage of thunder, the gap of the spinning wheel, this object gathers light and divides into six, carve a twin lotus white on the wall of blue fire, and await the abyss of great fire in the azure sky!"
"Bakudō Number Sixty - One Rikujōkō!"
Six square pillars of dazzling white light erupted, binding Kenpachi completely.
"Tch, parlor tricks."
Kenpachi roared and thrust outward with his immense strength.
Crash!
The Rikujōkō shattered.
"What the hell… seriously?!"
Ito Makoto's jaw dropped. He had never imagined Kenpachi could break free from a fully cast Captain-level Bakudō.
Kenpachi swung again. The strike seemed simple but carried the raw power to shatter mountains. Ito Makoto braced himself, barely holding firm.
"Annihilation God Style Three…"
But before the Asauchi could strike, Kenpachi abruptly halted.
"Forget it. Not fighting anymore. If I hit you with this, you'll die."
"Boring!"
Relieved, Ito Makoto exhaled. He had no confidence in blocking another full-strength strike.
Immediately, his Reiatsu receded to strong Vice-Captain level, while Raizen Kō's main body in Hueco Mundo felt a surge of spiritual energy in response.
Afterward, Ito Makoto expertly employed Kidō to staunch the chest wound, then applied pre-prepared gauze. Only then did he allow himself to relax, and fresh blood seeped into the cloth.
His skill was born of necessity: repeated battles with Ikkaku and Kenpachi had forced him to master emergency healing through Kidō, compensating for his clone's lack of Speed Regeneration. With this level, he could easily serve as a medic in the Fourth Division.
Ignoring the lingering pain, he glanced at Kenpachi, equally battered but unbowed:
"Captain, shall I treat your wounds?"
"Minor injuries completely unnecessary!" Kenpachi sneered and shook his head, turning to leave.
Yachiru, hopping onto his shoulder, addressed Ito Makoto in a childish voice:
"Little Ito, thank you! Kenpachi hasn't had this much fun fighting in a long time!"
"By the way, the Training Grounds are trashed again. You'll need to submit a repair request to the First Division. Thanks, Little Ito."
Ito Makoto's face twisted in frustration.
"Me again?"
He recalled Chōjirō Sasakibe's disgusted expression from previous requests and sighed helplessly.
After Kenpachi took a few steps, he noticed himself becoming unsteady, vision blurred, blood pooling on the ground from untreated wounds.
He returned to Ito Makoto.
"I've changed my mind. Treat me after all."
Ito Makoto:...