Another slash swept over. Tōsen raised his blade to block, but the moment they clashed, he was forced back uncontrollably, completely unable to fight back.
Zaraki might be arrogant, but he was right about one thing—turning one's back to him was indeed a foolish move. Komamura had to admit that relying on just one person's strength, whether it was him or Tōsen, facing Zaraki alone was an extremely daunting task.
But there were two of them. Just as Lord Genryūsai had said, this was a war, not a fair spar! Zaraki, who was covering the escape of the Ryoka, was already their enemy. There was no need to hold back against him!
"Roar, Tenken!"
Komamura swung his blade from a distance. Suddenly, a giant arm materialized in the empty air, gripping an impossibly massive katana. Upon closer inspection, the giant's arm perfectly mirrored Komamura's own sword-wielding hand.
The ability of Tenken's Shikai was to manifest a portion of the user's body, including their Zanpakutō and personal items, enlarging them to attack the opponent.
Standing over two meters tall, Zaraki looked like nothing more than a helpless chick waiting to be slaughtered before this gigantic Zanpakutō. Perhaps this was the true nature of Tenken—the moment one laid eyes on it, they felt it was impossible to resist.
The ground seemed to split in half from the strike, sending Zaraki into the deepest depths of hell. It was an attack of truly astonishing destructive power.
Thanks to Komamura's excellent control, Tōsen was not caught in the crossfire. He planted his right foot, halting his retreat, and leaped high into the air. A man like Zaraki Kenpachi wouldn't be defeated so easily.
"Komamura, step back."
Tōsen warned aloud as the ring on his Zanpakutō's handguard began to spin violently. In an instant, it sounded as though countless flying insects were beating their wings. The cacophonous noise made everyone present slightly uncomfortable.
"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō!"
Following the trajectory of his blade, slender, insect-wing-like blades poured down like a torrential storm toward the spot where Zaraki had just been standing.
Even as Tōsen landed back beside Komamura, the rain of swords in the air had yet to cease, and Zaraki had not reappeared in their line of sight. It seemed there could only be one outcome...
"It's done. No matter how strong Zaraki Kenpachi is, he probably won't be able to stand back up."
If Zaraki was fine, his counterattack should have already arrived. Even if he had dodged Tōsen's Benihikō, everyone present should have noticed his movements.
Therefore, both Tenken and Benihikō must have hit Zaraki. This was the consensus in the minds of everyone present—except for Ikkaku and Yumichika.
"Captain, I hear you can't stand up anymore."
"Still acting tough, Ikkaku?" Iba said disdainfully. However, before he could finish his sentence, a familiar, raspy voice caught in his throat.
"Hah, I heard that too..."
Zaraki Kenpachi! How was this possible?! Taking a direct hit from the attacks of two captains, it was impossible for anyone to still be standing. Absolutely impossible.
Even as he continuously reassured himself in his mind, Hisagi Shūhei still subconsciously took a step back. Beside him, Iba did the same.
Was it really impossible? Looking at the silhouette that was steadily growing clearer, reality proved just how narrow their imaginations were. Someone had actually done it, right in front of them.
Komamura's face, hidden beneath his mask, was filled with solemnity. He watched as Zaraki walked toward them with a nonchalant expression, pulling out the long blades pierced into his body and casually tossing them aside, as if they were nothing more than dust clinging to his clothes.
The man was injured, but his actions seemed to tell them, 'It's nothing serious.' It wasn't an empty boast; it truly was nothing to him...
*'Did Tōsen's and my attacks not even warrant defending against?'*
Komamura really didn't want to admit it, but Zaraki's words forced him to: "But they weren't wrong. At this level, I'm almost bored to sleep."
Pulling out the last long blade stuck in his body, Zaraki cracked his neck and looked at Ikkaku and Yumichika, asking in confusion, "Why are you two still here? Hurry up and get lost!"
"..." Yumichika was somewhat speechless. *'Are we being tossed aside again?'*
Ikkaku, however, was very used to it. Protect the captain? No, how could their captain possibly need protection from the two of them? There was only one reason he stayed behind: how could Madarame Ikkaku miss out on something as fun as a fight!
"Don't be like that, Captain." Ikkaku pointed at Iba and Hisagi opposite them and continued, "Those two guys will just get in the way if they stay. Wouldn't it be better to leave them to us to kill some time?"
That was the truth. Zaraki glanced over; drawing his sword against those two would be a waste of time.
"Then you'd better roll far away. I don't care who's on the other side, as long as there's someone to cut next."
"Understood." Ikkaku turned his head and swung his Zanpakutō, pointing the tip at Iba from afar. "Did you hear that? We're taking this fight somewhere else."
Iba didn't answer immediately. He tilted his head slightly to glance at Komamura, and seeing the other man nod, he finally replied, "Then let's change locations."
On the other side, Yumichika pointed at Hisagi and asked, "Where are we going?" Hisagi didn't have much of a reaction, merely replying coldly, "Wherever you want," before leaving with Yumichika.
Would they be killed by Zaraki Kenpachi? That wasn't what Iba and Hisagi were worried about. This place was about to turn into a captain-level battlefield. Staying here would only cause trouble for Captain Tōsen and Captain Komamura.
After all, their captains weren't like Zaraki Kenpachi, who became completely indiscriminate between friend and foe once he entered combat. Their departure would make things easier for the two captains.
"Are you still going to persist, Zaraki Kenpachi?" Komamura warned one last time. He believed that Lord Genryūsai wouldn't want to see the Gotei 13 descend into chaos either. "From here on out, Tōsen and I will no longer hold back."
Hold back? They had been holding back quite a bit. Zaraki chuckled. In his eyes, their performance just now had been incredibly soft, failing to pique his interest in the slightest.
Both Komamura and Tōsen were boring on their own, but taking on the two of them together offered somewhat of a challenge. At the very least, it shouldn't put him to sleep.
"Then don't hold back. Come at me with everything you've got. If you can't hack me to death, you won't be able to stop me."
As Zaraki spoke, he pointed his long blade at the ground, standing there completely unguarded. In Komamura's eyes, the man's entire body was practically riddled with openings, as if to prove his words: 'Come at me with everything you've got.'
"However, given your level just now, I'm still a bit worried. If you can't cut it, I might as well finish you off quickly."
"Arrogant!"
"Then let's test it out. Let's see which of us will be the one watching the other leave."
Hearing this, Tōsen took a step forward. "There's nothing left to say, Komamura. Even if we have to put our pride on the line, we must keep him here."
"Let's do this!"
*'I am truly sorry, but the Gotei 13—or rather, the Seireitei—has likely already descended into chaos, Lord Genryūsai.'*