"Tick! Tick! Tick!"
Bright red blood kept dripping.
It soaked the white captain's haori and stained the ground beneath his feet.
Byakuya Kuchiki had been struck in the left shoulder by Abarai Renji's Bankai, Baboon King Zabimaru. The weapon's spikes had pierced deep into him.
But Byakuya didn't even flinch, despite the serious wound.
If he hadn't been distracted using a Kidō spell, Renji wouldn't have been able to land a single hit. And even now, Byakuya didn't care about the injury.
All of his attention was locked on the two figures standing on the Sōkyoku Hill.
His eyes blazed with fury—cold, murderous rage burned inside him.
That man was still doing such an indecent thing...
Even now, his hand was still inside Rukia's chest.
As a bolt of lightning shot toward them, Nanaya calmly searched Rukia's body with his right hand, while raising his left toward the lightning.
"Hungry Kidō," he muttered.
The powerful lightning was instantly swallowed up by his Kidō spell before it could even reach his palm.
The leftover sparks fizzled out harmlessly against the spiritual energy shielding him.
"Lord Byakuya!"
Witnessing this, Byakuya nearly coughed up blood from rage. His last shred of calm shattered. His eyes looked like they would catch fire.
"Keng Jing! Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!!!"
He roared furiously, unwilling to waste any more time with Renji.
Billions of glowing blades—shaped like cherry blossom petals—flashed through the air, rushing forward like rivers of shining pink light.
Everything in their path was shredded to dust.
Renji's expression turned pale. He stared at the massive wave of petals in disbelief.
"So many petals… Even though I've achieved Bankai too, the difference is still this big?! Damn it! Baboon Bone Cannon!!!"
Renji gritted his teeth and poured all his spiritual energy into Zabimaru.
The skeletal snake's jaw opened wide, gathering a storm of violent red Reiatsu and launching it toward the incoming blades.
But it was no use.
The red blast was swallowed instantly by the overwhelming tide of cherry blossom blades. It couldn't even get close to Byakuya.
"It's over…" Renji stared at the pink sky with despair.
Then, at the very last moment—
"Getsuga Tenshō!!!"
A black wave of energy ripped through the air, splitting the sea of petals in half and slicing deep into the ground.
"The guy who fought Zaraki Kenpachi…"
Byakuya's expression darkened. The other captains nearby turned their heads sharply toward the new source of power.
Their pupils shrank.
Far in the distance, the battlefield had been reduced to ruins—cracked earth, shattered stone, and rubble everywhere.
In the wreckage, Zaraki Kenpachi lay on the ground. Blood poured from his body and pooled beneath him.
He was badly injured—but still alive.
This was clear from the fact that his lieutenant, Kusajishi Yachiru, didn't look especially panicked.
Even so, it was shocking. As the captain of the 11th Division and a monster in close combat, Zaraki had now lost twice.
Byakuya looked toward the one who had fired the black sword energy—Kurosaki Ichigo. His voice was cold:
"I underestimated you. I didn't expect another monster like you besides Nanaya… someone who can use Bankai."
Ichigo was bloodied from head to toe, but he didn't seem to care. He stood firm in front of Renji, holding his black blade, Tensa Zangetsu.
He glared at Byakuya.
"You're Rukia's brother, right? Even if you're a captain, how can you be so heartless?!"
Byakuya's eye twitched. His anger boiled again as he turned to look back at the Sōkyoku platform.
He couldn't hold it in anymore and yelled:
"Damn bastard, your hand is still in there!!!"
Ichigo was stunned. He had never seen the usually calm captain lose control like this. Byakuya looked completely furious.
Ichigo followed his gaze up to the platform—and almost had his eyes pop out.
"Wait—Nanaya, what the hell are you doing?!"
Nanaya glanced at him casually. "Looking for something," he said.
Rukia's face turned red. She quickly tried to explain: "Brother, Ichigo, don't misunderstand—Nanaya just put his hand in my chest to find something…"
(TLnote-bro thinks he is dora the explorer but theres nothing to find)
But her explanation only made it worse.
Byakuya's face turned dark with rage. He gritted his teeth and said coldly:
"I didn't think the human world was this corrupt. You've only been there a few months, and you've already been tainted like this."
As he spoke, he raised his blade and summoned another wave of petals, prepared to cut them down.
But Kurosaki Ichigo stood in his way.
Ichigo slashed forward with Tensa Zangetsu, his movements so fast they left countless afterimages. The cherry blossom blades were shattered.
Byakuya's face turned even colder.
"Do I have to kill you first before I can get to them?"
Ichigo held his sword tightly and stood his ground.
"That's right. I won't let you pass!"
Abarai Renji finally snapped out of it. Controlling his giant skeletal snake again, he spoke:
"Maybe I was wrong. No matter how much Nanaya likes to mess around, he wouldn't do something like that in front of everyone."
He gritted his teeth and continued:
"There must be something inside Rukia's body... and he has to get it out."
After saying that, Renji suddenly felt like crying. This was so unfair—Nanaya was the one doing something suspicious, yet he had to protect him.
"Hmph."
Byakuya Kuchiki let out a cold snort and said sharply:
"Then you can all go to hell together."
"Final Scene—White Emperor Sword!"
A glowing white blade appeared in his hand—this was the ultimate form of Senbonzakura.
The battlefield was in complete chaos. Explosions and clashes echoed in the air. The sky itself seemed close to breaking under the weight of so many captain-level Reiatsu. The entire execution site, the Sōkyoku Hill, trembled under the pressure.
In that moment of growing destruction—
The captain who had been still as a mountain finally moved.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, head captain of the Gotei 13, gently tapped his cane.
As the wind blew away the dry wood covering the staff, the ancient blade of his Zanpakutō was revealed.
A terrifying spiritual pressure began to spread, and the temperature in the air started rising.
Even captains who hadn't entered the battle gasped in shock. Cold sweat formed on their foreheads—they never expected Yamamoto to get involved.
"Zzzz…"
Ukitake Jūshirō coughed lightly. He quickly stepped forward and said:
"Master... please let me handle this."
If Captain Yamamoto stepped in, there was no doubt the enemy would be defeated—but the Sōkyoku Hill would likely be reduced to ashes.
And if the battle dragged on any further...
The entire Seireitei might suffer devastating losses.
Seeing his beloved student step forward, Yamamoto hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his overwhelming Reiatsu.
"…Go."
Ukitake nodded.
Though he always appeared frail, as soon as he drew the twin swords from his waist, a massive burst of Reiatsu exploded from his body—just as strong as that of Kyōraku Shunsui.
He took a deep breath and chanted:
"All flowing water, become my shield. All lightning, become my blade—Sōgyo no Kotowari!"
The red string connecting the hilts of his twin swords now held five disc-like charms.
With his Zanpakutō released, Ukitake stepped forward, then shot into the air—heading straight toward Sōkyoku Hill.
At that exact moment—
"Found it."
A faint smirk appeared on Nanaya's face.
After a long search, his hand finally touched something deep inside Rukia Kuchiki's chest.
A round orb—the Hōgyoku.
"Human Path.""Hungry Kidō."
Both abilities activated at once. Nanaya's hands were still deep within Rukia's body, and bit by bit, the Hōgyoku was being pulled out.
Sensing Ukitake approaching, Nanaya didn't go on the offensive.
He simply said:
"Animal Path."
A white flash of cloth appeared on the scene.
Sui-Feng—dressed in her captain's white haori, her cold expression unchanged—appeared out of nowhere. Despite the black marks on her face, she still looked as graceful and fierce as ever—almost like a delicate flower with hidden strength.
But this wasn't truly her.
This was Pain: Animal Path, wearing Sui-Feng's artificial body.
(TLnote-wearing her body..huhhh)
After Aizen's artificial body was destroyed, Nanaya had created a new Pain using a different captain's form.
Now, as Ukitake approached—
Bam!
The Animal Path, using Sui-Feng's body, slammed her hand onto the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Boom!
With a puff of white smoke, six new figures emerged.
Each one wore the form of a different Gotei 13 captain—each one a different Pain Path.
Together, they charged straight toward Ukitake.
"Super Shinra Tensei!""Summoning Technique: Yama!""Human Path: Heart Dive!""Summoning Technique: Hellhound!""Sealing Technique: Suction Seal!""Strange Arm Rocket: Hundred Strikes!"
Hit by six different attacks at once, Ukitake's expression changed.
He quickly brought up his Zanpakutō—ready to absorb the spiritual energy of the incoming blows.
But it wasn't enough.
The invisible force of the Shinra Tensei slammed into him with incredible power, blasting his body straight into the ground.
BOOM!!!
The earth shook violently as debris and smoke exploded into the air.
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