Among the eleven original Captains standing before Yamamoto, all began to move.
One of them, however, drew Yamamoto's attention.
Watching the figure's frail, trembling movements, Yamamoto closed his eyes with a hint of helplessness—unable to bear the sight.
Sakashima Saizō.
A bald, hunched old man, gaunt to the point of being little more than skin and bones. He looked as if he could collapse at any moment.
And yet—
He had once been the Captain of Squad 13.
The reason he had attained that position was largely due to the mysterious power within him—
He had once been a host of Mimihagi, the Right Arm of the Soul King.
After his death, Mimihagi had returned to its shrine in Rukongai, waiting for its next host.
Even in life, despite possessing Mimihagi's power, Sakashima had been slow-moving. His role on the battlefield had mostly been to finish off those who were not yet dead—
Perhaps the precursor to a "cleanup unit."
Now, without Mimihagi's power, the resurrected Sakashima had almost no combat ability at all.
He looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind.
With a quiet sigh, Yamamoto withdrew the energy sustaining him.
At this point, Sakashima's only value was symbolic—barely upheld by the Captain's haori on his shoulders.
As the Original Gotei 13 charged into the battlefield, a new wave of slaughter erupted.
They were not protectors.
They were killers.
Each of them possessed terrifying methods of execution:
Crushing skulls with bare hands.
Slitting throats with precision.
Beheading with a single stroke.
Splitting bodies in half.
Hacking enemies into pieces like madmen.
Peeling flesh away bit by bit.
Cleaving targets lengthwise.
Bludgeoning them to death.
Executing without emotion.
Even smashing enemies together with sheer brute strength.
Ten Captains—masters of lethal combat—descended upon the battlefield like wolves among sheep.
Even when surrounded by dozens of raptors and Thorn Dragons, they were completely unfazed.
Tsunayoshi could only feel fortunate—
This technique merely reproduced their killing techniques and recreated their weapons through flame.
If even their Zanpakutō abilities had been restored—
There would be no point in continuing this fight.
I can't wait any longer.
Tsunayoshi immediately used Shunpo, dashing straight into the center of the battlefield.
He had to intervene personally—and eliminate the original Captains as quickly as possible.
The moment Tsunayoshi arrived, the original Captains stopped simultaneously, surrounding him in perfect coordination.
It was obvious—
They were acting under Yamamoto's control.
Now that he could see them clearly, Tsunayoshi recognized each of them.
He had seen them before.
A dark-skinned, white-haired young man with an orange scarf, exuding noble elegance—
Shihōin Chika, former Captain of Squad 2, ancestor of Yoruichi.A slick-haired, bespectacled man with a stern expression, wielding a short blade—
Entetsu Kumoi, Captain of Squad 3, a master of throat-slitting assassination.A sickly, hunched man with long gray hair, radiating gloom—
Captain of Squad 4.A muscular man with a short ponytail and a hearty smile—
Captain of Squad 5.A one-eyed girl with pink twin-tails and a feral grin—
Saitō Furōfushi, Captain of Squad 6.A tall, gaunt man wrapped in fur and cloth, with a vicious expression—
Captain of Squad 7.A bespectacled woman with a single ponytail and an innocent appearance, wielding a naginata—
Batsu'unsai Katori, Captain of Squad 8.A bald man with small round glasses and gold-capped teeth, wielding a mace—
Furofushi Saitō's contemporary, Captain of Squad 9.A refined man with a kasa hat and a lazy aura—
Captain of Squad 10.A large, round-bodied man marked with a U-shaped facial pattern—
Captain of Squad 12.
Every single one of them bore the face of a ruthless killer.
Compared to them—
The current Captains looked almost gentle.
They attacked.
Tsunayoshi remained calm.
Six-Armed Mode—activated.
Seeing this, Yamamoto shook his head slightly.
That form might work in one-on-one combat—
But against multiple opponents, it wouldn't be enough.
As if sensing Yamamoto's thoughts, Tsunayoshi smiled.
The additional arms didn't stop there.
His body continued to split and expand—
Until two more versions of himself emerged.
Three Tsunayoshis stood in formation, forming a triangular battle array.
Each carried identical equipment—
Except their tonfa differed in color: one black, one white.
Steel clashed against tonfa.
Without Zanpakutō abilities, the original Captains relied purely on Zanjutsu—and for the moment, they couldn't overpower Tsunayoshi.
Meanwhile, Tsunayoshi, aided by Koyuki, Alaude's Handcuffs, and the twin dragons, began to land hits.
Seeing the Captains sustain damage, Yamamoto remained composed.
Without their full abilities—
They simply weren't strong enough.
But that was easy to fix.
Flames flared.
A layer of fire—similar to Zanjitsu Gokui—wrapped around each of the original Captains.
Their power surged.
They charged again.
And this time—
They were joined by the undead army that had already suppressed the animal legion.
Tsunayoshi calmly merged his bodies back into one.
Two chains shot out from the ends of his tonfa.
Using himself as the center, he began to rotate slowly.
If his army couldn't match Yamamoto's—
Then he would destroy everything himself.
The chains extended continuously under the influence of the Cloud Attribute Flames.
A spiraling pattern formed across the battlefield.
A crude imitation of Zanjitsu Gokui—
But far weaker in defense.
The chains expanded outward, sweeping across the field.
Every undead touched by them was instantly cut in half by the high-density flames.
Chain Dance: Bloom.
Soon, the chains covered the entire battlefield.
When Tsunayoshi finally stopped—
Only devastation remained.
Most of the original Captains had been destroyed.
Only four remained:
Shihōin Chika (hand-to-hand combat)Entetsu Kumoi (short blade)Batsu'unsai Katori (naginata)Kumoi's counterpart with a mace (blunt weapon specialist)
These four had survived because their fighting styles relied less on special abilities and more on raw combat skill.
Tsunayoshi acted immediately.
With a flick of his hand, his summons engaged:
Raptors targeted the assassin KumoiThorn Dragons entangled the mace-wielderKoyuki restricted Katori's naginata movements
And Tsunayoshi himself—
Went straight for Shihōin Chika.
As expected of the Shihōin clan, Chika's Shunpo was exceptional.
But—
It was still a thousand years outdated.
It couldn't compare to Tsunayoshi's hybrid movement combining Shunpo, Sonído, and Bringer Light.
Chika tried to retreat—
But Tsunayoshi was already there.
Click—click—click—click.
His limbs were instantly restrained.
Before he could even gather Kidō, Tsunayoshi's tonfa had already struck.
Drifting Cloud: Piercing Kill.
Chika was eliminated instantly.
Tsunayoshi turned—
Condensing finger-sized Cloud Hedgehogs around him.
Under Reiatsu pressure, they rained down like bullets toward Kumoi.
Kumoi, a master assassin, aimed for fatal strikes—
But against endlessly regenerating raptors, he couldn't secure a killing blow.
Overwhelmed by ranged bombardment—
He was torn apart.
The mace-wielder fell next—
Crushed under the combined assault of Thorn Dragons and raptors.
That left—
Batsu'unsai Katori.
Despite her gentle appearance, her killing intent rivaled even Unohana's.
Her expressionless face made her even more terrifying amidst the chaos.
Taking advantage of an opening, Tsunayoshi lashed out with his chains.
Infused with Hollow Reiatsu, the chains moved like serpents with a will of their own.
Katori reacted instantly, thrusting her naginata—
But missed.
The chain coiled around her weapon.
Before she could pull back—
She was bound.
Another chain looped around—
And pierced straight through her chest.
Combined with Koyuki's assault—
She was reduced to nothing.
At last—
Tsunayoshi had completely eradicated the army summoned by Zanka no Tachi: South — Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin.
Of course—
This was also because Yamamoto had stopped supplying additional Reiatsu.
Tsunayoshi came to a halt.
He turned—
And looked at Yamamoto.
Their gazes met.
Around them—
The barrier, ravaged by the battle, was on the verge of collapse.
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