In the 8th Division, Kazuma looked at the female Shinigami standing before him.
She had a long dark ponytail, wore a pair of slim, rimless glasses, and possessed a very mature, cool beauty.
He couldn't help but curse inwardly, 'Isn't she Lisa Yadōmaru? I remember when I first arrived in the Soul Society, I actually mistook Batsu'unsai for her! But looking closely at her now, they really do have some striking similarities.'
However, seeing the distinct Vice-Captain's insignia strapped to Lisa's arm, Kazuma knew he couldn't act overly familiar with her.
So, he feigned professional composure and asked, "Excuse me, are you the Vice-Captain of the 8th Division? I'd like to see Captain Kyōraku."
"You must be Captain Kazuma," Lisa replied, adjusting her glasses. "I am Kyōraku's Vice-Captain, Lisa Yadōmaru."
"Oh? You know me?" Kazuma asked, pointing a thumb at himself.
"I often hear Captain Kyōraku complain about you," Lisa said dryly. "He spent a lot of time drinking at the Seventh Division a while back. Thank you for looking after him and keeping him out of my hair."
'Lisa's cool, deadpan voice is so nice to listen to. Maybe I should have Batsu'unsai try to imitate it someday,' Kazuma mused.
He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Not at all. You know, my wife used to be the Captain of the 8th Division, and I was its Vice-Captain. We're practically all family here, so there's no need to be so formal. Could you point me to Shunsui?"
"I'm very sorry, but the Soul Society just received a priority report that a Menos Grande has invaded the Rukongai," Lisa said, her expression turning serious. "Captain Kyōraku took a squad and the Fourth Division's medical team to support the Eleventh Division's Captain Kuruyashiki. Would you like to wait here in the office for his return, Captain Kazuma?"
'Holy crap, I was slacking off, and now the timeline is about to go wrong!' Kazuma wanted to slap himself.
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki died after being suddenly challenged by Sōya Azashiro during a drinking party held after repelling Szayelaporro in the Rukongai.
He didn't know if the fatal duel had already happened.
"Lisa, no need. I'll go find him myself," Kazuma said sharply.
With that, he triggered Flash Blink and vanished, speeding straight toward the Eleventh Division barracks.
"Captain Kazuma, you're going the wrong way! Captain Kyōraku went to the Rukongai!" Lisa called out, utterly puzzled as she watched him rush in the exact opposite direction of the Hollow attack.
'I hope I make it in time. Kuruyashiki, you better not die! You're a heavy hitter, and I need you alive for the Blood War.' Kazuma pushed his movement technique to its absolute limit, blurring through the Seireitei.
On his approach to the Eleventh Division, Kazuma suddenly sensed the violent Spiritual Pressure fluctuations of two Zanpakutō locked in a death match, followed instantly by one of the signatures rapidly dissipating.
'Damn it!'
Kazuma didn't even have to think to know that Kuruyashiki and Sōya Azashiro had clashed, and the fading Spiritual Pressure definitely belonged to the Kenpachi.
Bursting into the Eleventh Division courtyard, the scene was chaotic.
The Fourth Division medics who had returned with Kyōraku were desperately performing emergency first aid on a massive, bleeding figure.
The surrounding Eleventh Division Shinigami had all drawn their Zanpakutō and were glaring at Azashiro, roaring and ready to avenge their fallen captain.
Shunsui Kyōraku stood between them, his hand resting on his own swords, prepared to intervene if the bloodlust boiled over.
"All of you, stand down!"
A thunderous shout echoed across the courtyard, accompanied by an immense, crushing gravitational pressure that forced everyone present—even the enraged Eleventh Division members—to their knees.
"Kazuma?" Shunsui gasped, fighting the pressure to look at his friend. "What are you doing here?"
"It's the Seventh Division's Captain," an Eleventh Division Shinigami murmured, looking at the descending figure in awe.
Kazuma scanned the area and saw the Fourth Division members gathered around Kuruyashiki, anxiously administering Kaidō.
However, the healing abilities of these ordinary medics were far too limited for such a devastating wound.
"Move!" Kazuma unhesitatingly pushed the medics aside and dropped to his knees.
He channeled a massive surge of dense stellar Reishi into his palms, overriding standard Kaidō to aggressively accelerate Kuruyashiki's cellular regeneration.
Kazuma could feel that Kuruyashiki's internal organs were a scrambled, shredded mess; the situation was extremely critical.
He focused all his spiritual power, sweating as he continuously poured healing energy into the dying man, forcefully stitching the damaged tissues and organs back together.
As time ticked by, the surrounding Shinigami didn't even dare to breathe, terrified that any sound might break Kazuma's concentration.
The entire courtyard fell into an eerie, suffocating silence.
After what felt like an eternity, Kazuma finally let out a long, exhausted sigh.
He pulled his glowing hands back.
He had managed to snatch Kuruyashiki's life back from the brink!
A moment later, Kuruyashiki's deathly pale face gradually regained its color.
He let out a rattling cough and slowly opened his eyes, which filled with confusion and then profound gratitude upon seeing who was kneeling over him.
"Captain Kazuma... Thank you for saving my life," Kuruyashiki rasped, his voice weak but completely sincere.
"You medics continue stabilizing Captain Kuruyashiki," Kazuma ordered the stunned Fourth Division personnel.
Kazuma slowly stood up, turning to face the tense, armed standoff.
His voice dropped into a dark, commanding register.
"I said sheathe your Zanpakutō. Are you trying to start an open rebellion, drawing your blades on a fellow Shinigami inside the Seireitei?"
Hearing the absolute authority in his voice, the bloodthirsty members of the Eleventh Division reluctantly sheathed their swords and knelt on the ground, thanking Kazuma for saving their beloved Captain.
"Shunsui, what exactly happened here?" Kazuma asked, perfectly feigning ignorance.
In truth, Shunsui was still wondering why Kazuma had crashed the Eleventh Division barracks instead of heading to the Rukongai, but he answered the question anyway.
"Sōya Azashiro just formally challenged Kuruyashiki to a duel to the death to claim the title of Kenpachi. However, Central 46 previously issued a strict order forbidding Kuruyashiki from ever releasing his Bankai within the Seireitei walls. He fought restricted, which led to this outcome."
After hearing Shunsui's explanation, Kazuma turned to look at Sōya Azashiro, who was also heavily injured and kneeling on one knee, leaning on his sword.
Kazuma immediately gestured for the remaining Fourth Division members to treat the victor.
"That is enough for today! Since the duel was formal, Sōya Azashiro is now the Captain of the Eleventh Division, the eighth Kenpachi," Kazuma declared, officially settling the matter.
Kneeling on the dirt, Azashiro let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Before this man had arrived, the situation was about to turn into a mass slaughter.
But the sheer pressure Kazuma exuded upon entry had been utterly terrifying. Azashiro knew that even at his peak, he was likely no match for the monster standing before him.
'The Seventh Division's Captain Satou Kazuma...' Azashiro committed the name firmly to memory.
"Kazuma, why did you come to the Eleventh Division instead of the Rukongai?" Shunsui asked, now that the explosive situation was under control.
"I went to the 8th Division to have a drink with you, but Lisa said you went to reinforce the Eleventh Division in dealing with a Menos Grande invasion. On my way to the Rukongai, I sensed the violent Spiritual Pressure of Zanpakutō being released from inside these barracks, so I rushed over. After all, my Seventh Division is the Internal Guard," Kazuma provided a flawless, perfectly logical excuse.
"Ah, I see. That makes sense," Shunsui nodded, accepting the explanation without a second thought.
"Hey, you two," Kazuma pointed at a pair of Eleventh Division grunts. "Carry Kuruyashiki to the Seventh Division barracks. I was the one who performed the core surgery, so I need to continue his follow-up care to ensure his Reishi stabilizes. I won't trouble our Fourth Division with the heavy lifting."
Without hesitation, the two grunts carefully lifted Kuruyashiki onto a stretcher and followed Kazuma toward the Seventh Division.
"Shunsui, I'm heading back to my squad. We'll get that drink another day."
...
After several days of intense treatment and observation under Kazuma's care, Kuruyashiki finally recovered his strength.
"What are your plans now? Sōya Azashiro has formally succeeded you as the Captain of the Eleventh Division. Will you stay here and serve in my Seventh Division, or...?" Kazuma let the offer hang in the air, pouring two cups of tea.
"Thank you for saving my life, Captain Kazuma. I owe you a debt I can never repay," Kuruyashiki said, accepting the cup.
"I've thought deeply about it over the past few days. I plan to travel to Hueco Mundo to find my dear friend, Ashido Kanō. He led a pursuit expedition into the Menos Forest long ago and has been missing ever since, i won't be staying in the Seventh Division."
Kuruyashiki bowed his head. "This is my chosen path, and I hope you don't mind my refusal, Captain. If you ever have need of my blade in the future, I will answer your call without hesitation."
Kazuma smiled, having expected nothing less from the honorable brawler.
The two warriors talked late into the night.
No one knew the exact details of what they discussed or what promises were made, but the next morning, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki departed silently for the endless sands of Hueco Mundo.