"Tell me what you found."
Kotetsu Isane took a deep breath. Speaking about this felt just as guilt-inducing as actually doing it. She could only press her hands together in prayer once more, hoping that Kuruyashiki Kenpachi would be magnanimous enough to forgive them.
"There are three obvious wounds: a severe twist in his leg, a slash spanning his entire upper torso, and finally, the fatal stab wound to his heart."
"Are they all ordinary blade wounds?" Kōe asked. Fearing Isane might not understand, he elaborated, "Are there any burns or other Kidō-related marks?"
"None of those. However, I'm particularly concerned about the twist in his leg. Normal sprains or twists always have a point of impact or leverage, but Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's right leg... it's like a braided hemp rope. It was twisted into that shape, little by little."
As Isane spoke, she patted her chest to suppress the nausea rising in her stomach. Seeing this, Kōe didn't rush her, quietly waiting for her to compose herself.
"But given Kenpachi's strength, unless he had completely lost his ability to fight, it's impossible for anyone to torture him like that."
"So it's possible he was poisoned and lost his ability to resist?" Kōe suggested a possibility.
Isane nodded and continued, "It's possible, but I couldn't detect any Reiatsu traces resembling poison. So even if it was a toxin, it likely wasn't an ability of Azashiro Sōya's Zanpakutō."
Kōe, however, found this theory hard to believe. The idea of synthesizing a poison capable of affecting Kuruyashiki Kenpachi using mere materials from the Rukongai sounded a bit too fantastical.
Isane had also considered this, so she immediately offered an alternative perspective. "But there's another possibility: force was applied from various points on his leg simultaneously, twisting Kenpachi's leg into that state in an instant."
Hearing this, an image instantly popped into Kōe's mind: an eight-legged octopus wrapping its tentacles around Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's right leg. That was probably what Isane meant.
*If Azashiro Sōya's Zanpakutō really works like that, it would be a perfect counter to Kōki's Bankai!* At this thought, Kōe's expression turned somewhat grim.
*No, if that were truly the case, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi wouldn't have fallen for it.* Kōe knew the abilities of Garaku Kairō. Trying to defeat Kuruyashiki Kenpachi from the outside was incredibly difficult.
*Perhaps it's time to change my line of thinking?* Kōe arranged the three wounds he had seen in his mind, attempting to deduce parts of the battle between Kuruyashiki Kenpachi and Azashiro Sōya.
Setting aside the bizarre leg injury, the remaining two blade wounds were clearly meant to be lethal. Furthermore, the fact that there were only two proved that Azashiro Sōya didn't have many opportunities during the fight; he might have even been at a disadvantage for a time.
Then, at a certain moment, he seized an opening to inflict the first sword wound but failed to secure a one-hit kill. At that point, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's choice should have been to temporarily retreat and recall Garaku Kairō to his side.
The subsequent leg injury would then make sense. Generally, striking areas like the legs or arms was meant to weaken the opponent's mobility, with the legs being the most obvious target.
Kōe rubbed his temples, trying to put himself in Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's shoes. The very nature of Garaku Kairō dictated that external attacks would struggle to reach him. Especially when using Shunpo to create distance, having his leg crippled by the opponent in such a manner meant either the enemy's strength was vastly superior, or...
"Tell me, do you think Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's leg could have been mangled like that from the inside out?" Kōe stared straight ahead, slowly uttering the words.
Isane knew the question was directed at her. She lowered her head in thought, then offered a bitter smile. "Compared to an external attack, that actually makes more sense. But..."
"Speak your mind, it's fine."
"If it was a force originating from inside his body, striking the heart directly would have sufficed. Why go to such unnecessary lengths? Was it purely to torture Kuruyashiki Kenpachi?"
That question complicated things. Perhaps Azashiro Sōya simply had a sadistic preference, or maybe his Zanpakutō's ability could only control an enemy's limbs. The most likely scenario, however, was that he simply couldn't do what Isane suggested.
But regardless of which possibility was true, Kōe knew that Kōki's Bankai was sufficient to handle the situation. The rest would just have to be improvised once he actually met Azashiro Sōya.
"Alright, let's not overthink this!" Kōe said to the indignant Isane. "We'll find out exactly what kind of person he is once I catch him."
"A-Are we going to look for Azashiro Sōya?" Isane appeared somewhat nervous. After all, on paper, their target was now someone even more formidable than Kuruyashiki Kenpachi. "Shouldn't we notify Captain Kyōraku and Vice Kidō Chief Ushōda?"
Kōe smiled and shook his head, pointing at himself. "I am going to catch him, not *we*! And of course, there's no need to notify Captain Kyōraku or Vice Kidō Chief Ushōda!"
"But!"
"No buts! This is a Lieutenant's order!" Kōe feigned a stern, authoritative tone. "Even if you are a member of Squad 4, right now I am the highest-ranking officer in charge of the eastern pursuit team. Follow your orders!"
Isane thought Kōe was still holding a grudge against her because of that incident a century ago. She immediately patted her chest and declared, "I promise I won't hold you back! Besides, even if you win, you'll need immediate medical treatment!"
"I believe you are no longer the cowardly girl you were a hundred years ago," Kōe started with a compliment before shifting his tone. "But a Captain-level battle isn't something you can participate in right now. It's not a gap that can be bridged just by being brave. Do you understand?"
In truth, Isane's proposal was quite tempting. However, with Kōki's Bankai, there was no such thing as merely getting injured. It was either life or death—those were the only two outcomes.
Moreover, he wasn't actually going there to fight to the bitter end. If things spiraled out of control, he knew he would absolutely run away faster than anyone else. If Isane tagged along, he couldn't exactly carry a person on his back while racing Azashiro Sōya. If he couldn't outrun him, he'd just be serving up a free kill.
"Then I will truthfully report your dereliction of duty!"
"Lieutenants have a certain degree of autonomy. Since there are no new directives, my actions still fall under the purview of apprehending fugitives!"
"But new orders will definitely come down."
"This is where I must impart a universal truth to you." Kōe patted Isane on the shoulder, speaking with the seasoned air of an old sage. "As long as my Shunpo is fast enough, new orders can't catch me!"
Amidst Isane's look of sheer astonishment, Kōe's figure vanished in an instant. Needless to say, he was definitely heading toward the Ryūkai District.
At this moment, his departure was known only to Isane, making it seem somewhat lonely. But when he returned, the entire Seireitei would cheer for him.
In the future, Kotetsu Isane could only sigh in reflection. The occurrence of certain major events might seem abrupt on the surface, but only those involved knew that it had all been destined from the very beginning.
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