"Yamamoto Shigekuni, die!"
Chika Shihōin raised his blade and slashed fiercely at Yamamoto Shigekuni.
"Just you?"
Yamamoto cast him a glance, eyes brimming with scorn and disdain, as if he didn't consider him worth acknowledging. With a casual flick of his blade, he effortlessly knocked Chika flying.
"Hmph. You're still way off. Go back and train some more—stop embarrassing yourself out here."
"You dare insult one of the Five Noble Families?!"
"A dead noble isn't a noble," Yamamoto replied with a cold snort.
Chika Shihōin, sent crashing away, was seething with rage. His face flushed red, eyes blazing as he glared at Yamamoto. He clenched his left fist, raised his blade high with his right, lowered his stance, and surged forward, skimming low to the ground to launch another attack.
Back then, Yamamoto would've shown restraint for the Five Noble Families' sake—especially as Captain-Commander, preserving appearances in front of others. But it had only been a few hundred years since his death, and already he was being treated like nothing?
There were still so many squad members watching!
Do the dead have no dignity?
This old man is too damn pragmatic!
Just then, several figures appeared beside Chika Shihōin, racing alongside him. As their speed picked up, the slicing sound of their bodies cutting through the air grew sharper. The ringing of blades from the original Gotei 13 captains became increasingly distinct.
Their weapons howled through the wind, as if debating which part of Yamamoto's body to cut into first—eager to see him collapse in a pool of his own blood.
With twisted laughter, they rushed right in front of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
At that moment, from the pitch-black sky came the sharp whistle of something slicing through the air—followed by the sound of a violent clash.
Clang!!
A sharp, clear noise rang out. Chika Shihōin, blade raised with all his might, had managed to block Yamamoto's long sword—but in doing so, his body burst into flames.
Yet he showed no fear of the searing pain. Gritting his teeth, he held firm against Yamamoto's blade, locking it in place.
"Now's our chance—kill him!!"
Batsu'unsai Katori roared, leaping forward with blinding speed.
Each step covered several meters. Fixing her eyes on Yamamoto, who was fully engaged in defense, she raised her long-handled naginata high and drove it toward him with deadly force.
Clang!!
A brilliant, pale-blue glow of Reiryoku surged around the blade as Batsu'unsai landed behind Yamamoto—only for her strike to be intercepted by a curved Tachi held firmly in place.
"Yachiru!"
Her eyes widened in shock as she cried out.
The collision of overwhelming Reiatsu shattered the ground beneath them in an instant.
Both women staggered back a step. The force of their clash released a massive shockwave, toppling nearby squad members and Hell beasts alike.
"Yachiru, so we meet again. It's been years—and you've gotten seriously strong!"
Batsu'unsai burst out laughing, exhilarated. Facing such a powerful opponent right in front of her stirred a thrill she couldn't suppress.
To think someone could block her Hell-enhanced strike without even releasing their Zanpakutō...
If Unohana Yachiru had once been a sword-obsessed madwoman with peerless technique, then Retsu Unohana now was a monster through and through.
Some Shinigami peak at the level of an ordinary squad member. Others become Seated Officers.
Yachiru Unohana's natural talent should've maxed out at first-class Spiritual Power. So how had her strength reached this level?
Swish!!
Yachiru Unohana leaned to the side, evading the blade that grazed her cheek without flinching.
As the original Kenpachi, even among the first-generation Gotei 13 captains, no one could match her swordsmanship. With a twist of her wrist, the long blade in her hand curved sharply through the air.
Slash!
The faintly glowing golden skeletal armor shattered instantly, and the razor-sharp energy from her blade tore through Batsu'unsai Katori's skin, revealing the crimson flesh beneath.
"What a troublesome bunch!"
Retsu Unohana's expression remained blank as she felt two sharp gusts of wind behind her. She gripped her curved blade tightly.
"Yachiru, don't blame us—we didn't have a choice!"
Saizō Sakahone sneered as he and Kinroku Izuhara raised their Zanpakutō, slashing toward Unohana without hesitation.
Neither showed a shred of remorse for turning on their former comrade.
Unohana snorted at the sight.
"Tch~"
They were all old acquaintances, well aware of each other's personalities. These people might not truly desire the destruction of the Three Realms—but when it came to killing her and Yamamoto, they were more than eager.
Just as Saizō Sakahone lunged forward, Kenpachi Zaraki and Sōsuke Aizen suddenly appeared.
Kenpachi swung his massive blade with ruthless precision, cleaving into the crowd. His sword embedded itself into the heads of two captain-class Hell jailers.
Aizen, blade in hand, charged in without hesitation, intercepting Saizō Sakahone and Kinroku Izuhara. With a sharp swing, he forced both of them back.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto, who had just released an explosive wave of flame that repelled three of the original captains, sensed something strange.
It was within expectations for Kenpachi to push back the Hell jailers. Judging by their moves, those jailers were only around second or third-class in Spiritual Power—not particularly strong.
But Aizen? In Yamamoto's memory, the man had never stood out among the Gotei 13 captains—he was downright fragile. Against captains with real combat power, Aizen should've been crushed in an instant.
So why was he now holding his own?
More than that—Aizen was actually overpowering Saizō Sakahone and Kinroku Izuhara, after they'd been strengthened by Hell's power!
Yamamoto couldn't help but cast a suspicious glance at him.
"Thanks to Captain Aozaki's help, I've reached my current level."
To avoid trouble later, Aizen offered a casual explanation in a low tone.
Yamamoto still had his doubts, but there was no time to dwell on them with the enemy pressing in.
He had long recognized Masatsuki Aozaki's ability to train others. Anyone could see that the 11th Division's overall strength was leagues ahead of the others.
Take Ryuuseki and Izumo, for example—originally just average Seated Officer material. Yet under Masatsuki Aozaki, they had grown to possess captain-class Reiatsu.
If Aizen's sudden growth came under Masatsuki's guidance, it was far-fetched—but not impossible.
There's an old Western saying: "When silent, unnoticed; when heard, it's a shock." It described someone like Aizen perfectly.
But even that wasn't enough.
Although they'd managed to hold off the enemy for now, it wasn't nearly enough to turn the tide. The enemy hadn't fallen into chaos or retreated.
Seireitei's casualties continued to rise, while more monsters poured from the gates of Hell.
The private armies raised by the noble families were no match for the Gotei 13. Faced with such terror, many had already lost their nerve. The loosely organized troops could collapse at any moment.
"That's exactly why I can't stand cowards," Yamamoto muttered, frowning as he assessed the situation in a split second.
If this continued, forget stabilizing the battlefield—even those old warhorses up front might not hold out!
Watching his comrades in their golden armor, Yamamoto had never longed for power as desperately as he did now.
If he could break free from the limits of a Shinigami, then maybe—just maybe—he could overcome this crisis without relying on Zanka no Tachi...
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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