The instant Nimaiya Ōetsu froze in surprise, Kazuma surged forward with astonishing speed.
He drove a powerful kick into Ōetsu's chest, sending the unprepared Sword God flying backward like a cannonball.
Kazuma didn't stop there.
His Zanpakutō flashed, and Ōetsu's right arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Sayafushi flew from his grasp along with the detached limb.
"Tsk, tsk. It really is an exceptional blade."
Kazuma caught Sayafushi neatly and smiled with satisfaction as he casually turned it over in his hand.
"This should be perfect for Batsu'unsai to use as a kitchen knife."
What kind of shameless nonsense was that?
He'd cut off Ōetsu's arm and violently stolen his sword, yet he was acting as though its owner had generously handed him a gift.
Ōetsu remained stunned as he flew across the courtyard and crashed heavily into the ground.
Only then did he seem to realize what had happened.
He stared blankly at the severed arm Kazuma had caught. Sayafushi was still clutched tightly in its hand.
Then he slowly looked toward his now-empty right shoulder.
"So fast…"
Ōetsu pressed a hand over the stump.
Only then did blood begin spraying from the wound, as though time had briefly stopped during the attack.
He'd lost an arm in a single exchange.
Calling Kazuma terrifyingly powerful was no longer enough.
The man was a monster — a complete lunatic!
When had the Gotei 13 produced someone like this?
"Sword God Ōetsu, I really did come here to ask you to repair a Zanpakutō."
Kazuma smiled brightly, his handsome face looking completely harmless despite the fact that he'd just dismembered someone.
"Unfortunately, what you said earlier made me feel rather uncomfortable. So… sorry. I may have used just a tiny bit too much force."
"You damn bastard!"
Veins bulged across Ōetsu's forehead.
"If you came to ask me to repair a sword, why didn't you say so from the beginning?! Instead, you immediately cut off my arm!"
"How am I supposed to forge anything for you now that my hand is gone?!"
What kind of person asked for a favor like this?
Kazuma had arrived, cut off his arm without warning, and stolen his weapon.
There wasn't the slightest trace of normal human behavior in any of it.
"Oh, come on. It's only one arm."
Kazuma shrugged casually and tossed the severed limb back to him as though throwing away a piece of rubbish.
"I'll give it back."
Sayafushi, however, quietly disappeared behind Kazuma's back.
He clearly intended to keep it.
Such a wonderfully sharp blade would make an excellent kitchen knife for Batsu'unsai.
As for returning it to Ōetsu?
Not a chance!
"You worthless bastard! Did you not hear a single word I said?!"
Ōetsu caught his severed arm with his remaining hand.
But the limb wasn't what truly worried him.
It was Sayafushi.
That sword was one of his most precious creations, and this shameless thief had simply taken it!
"Stop whining and tell me whether you'll fix the sword."
Kazuma looked increasingly impatient.
"If you refuse, I'll just have to ask you to die for a while."
He completely ignored Ōetsu's demand to return Sayafushi.
Ōetsu trembled with rage, practically steaming from the ears.
How could someone with such absurd strength behave exactly like a common street thug?
Where was the dignity of a true master?
"Bring out the sword!"
Ōetsu screamed at the top of his lungs, his shrill voice nearly piercing Kazuma's eardrums.
Kazuma kept pretending not to understand.
He casually tossed the nearly shattered Zabimaru toward him.
"Here. I brought it out."
Clearly, Kazuma had decided the "sword" Ōetsu demanded could only mean the broken weapon he wanted repaired.
"NOT THAT ONE!"
"Then I don't have anything else."
Kazuma reached for his own Zanpakutō.
"Or I could make a sacrifice and give you mine?"
Ōetsu finally ran out of anger.
He couldn't defeat Kazuma, so what else was he supposed to do?
With a miserable expression, he picked up Zabimaru and examined it.
One glance was enough to shock him.
The blade had been damaged so badly that repairing it was impossible.
It would have to be completely reforged.
"Did you do this?"
Ōetsu looked up at Kazuma.
Destroying a Zanpakutō this thoroughly while it was in Bankai was extremely rare.
Kazuma shook his head and explained the entire situation from beginning to end.
"Well, would you look at that."
Ōetsu gave him an odd look.
"You're actually a decent person. You forced your way all the way up here for your student's sake?"
"The sword can't be repaired. It needs to be reforged."
He tossed Zabimaru lightly in one hand.
"But its owner has to come here in person. As long as he passes my test, the rest will be easy."
Then, as though nothing unusual had happened, Ōetsu slipped straight back into his usual performance.
"Yo, man! I'll handle the sword, but you broke into the Soul King Palace, killed the Eastern Divine General, and cut off my arm!"
He pointed dramatically at Kazuma.
"You owe Squad Zero an explanation! Yo!"
Even now, the man refused to stop rapping.
Kazuma could only admire his remarkable mental resilience.
"Dead? That pompadour bastard isn't dead."
Kazuma scoffed.
"Don't act like I know nothing. As long as your respective palaces remain intact, Squad Zero's members can be revived. Stop trying to frighten me."
He hadn't charged into the Soul King Palace without understanding anything.
"What?"
Ōetsu's expression changed sharply.
"Where did you learn that?"
This Gotei 13 captain knew far too much about Squad Zero.
Their ability to revive through their palaces was among the highest-level secrets in Soul Society.
Aside from Squad Zero themselves, even Captain-Commander Yamamoto might not know about it.
"I don't believe I'm required to tell you."
Kazuma spread his hands.
Naturally, that information wasn't something he could explain.
"As for trespassing into the Soul King Palace, I'll discuss that personally with the monk."
"You don't need to worry about it."
With that, Kazuma turned and flew straight toward Ichibē Hyōsube's Shinmeiden.