Without a doubt, Suì-Fēng's words were aggressive.
At the very least, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake did not want to engage in direct conflict with Kaiser here.
They both felt something was off about this incident—even if Kaiser had admitted he wanted to kill Sōsuke Aizen, they still hadn't asked him for his reasons.
So, the two of them didn't respond to Suì-Fēng's proposal.
However, the others didn't feel the same.
"Cry out, Suzumushi."
The most taciturn and the most justice-driven, Kaname Tōsen, was the first to act, softly releasing his Zanpakutō into Shikai.
"Bzzzz——"
In an instant, Tōsen's Zanpakutō began to emit a strange Reiatsu from its surface. That Reiatsu vibrated rapidly, producing an insect-like buzzing that echoed through the scene.
That buzzing became sonic waves, which vibrated intensely as they reached Kaiser's ears and drilled into his mind.
This was Suzumushi's First Movement, the most basic ability of Tōsen's Zanpakutō. Its sonic waves not only caused physical vibrations but could also hypnotize enemies, making them lose the ability to resist.
Under the effect of the sonic waves, Kaiser's figure paused slightly, as if frozen in place, unable to move.
Seeing this, Sajin Komamura, who shared Tōsen's sense of justice and was his close friend, immediately drew his Zanpakutō.
"Roar! Tenken!"
With Komamura's shout, his Zanpakutō trembled violently, and a semi-transparent giant arm formed above him.
The arm gripped a massive blade, and as Komamura swung his Zanpakutō downward, the giant arm mirrored the motion, raising its sword high before cleaving down violently. The blow howled through the air, shattered the ground, and struck directly at Kaiser below.
"Boom!"
The giant arm's blade smashed the earth, and with a thunderous roar, the ground collapsed and crumbled instantly.
However, at the center of the crumbling pit, the previously frozen Kaiser suddenly moved, drawing the Zanpakutō at his waist to block the massive descending sword. Sparks flew at the point where the elegant Zanpakutō met the giant blade.
"Such powerful strength."
Holding the blade one-handed, Kaiser blocked a weapon many times larger than his own body, as if pinned down by a giant stone pillar, and gave an admiring comment.
"Unfortunately, besides my Reiatsu, my physical strength isn't bad either."
As he said this, Kaiser suddenly exerted force in his sword arm, and with a loud "clang," he knocked the massive blade away.
"Shff!"
Just as Kaiser deflected the blade, a petite figure appeared behind him in a flash.
"Sting all enemies to death! Suzumebachi!"
With a cold voice, Suì-Fēng drew her Zanpakutō and released its Shikai.
The blade transformed into a small, queen bee stinger-like weapon that wrapped around one finger like a gauntlet, the tip gleaming with deadly light.
With her Zanpakutō released, Suì-Fēng struck at Kaiser's back without hesitation.
The strike was fast and sharp, like a real queen bee's sting, so quick that only a fleeting glint could be seen.
"Pa!"
Suddenly, a hand reached out and caught the wrist wearing the stinger gauntlet, halting the rapid and deadly thrust.
"So this is the famed Suzumebachi?"
Looking at the queen bee-like blade on Suì-Fēng's hand, Kaiser spoke playfully.
"You even used this move. Seems like Captain Suì-Fēng doesn't intend to take me to see the Captain Commander, but to directly eliminate this eyesore of a man here and now."
One could hardly blame Kaiser for saying this.
Because Suì-Fēng's Zanpakutō had a terrifying ability.
That ability was called "Two-hit Kill."
As the name suggested, it was an ability where hitting the same spot twice would instantly kill the target.
This terrifying ability, combined with Suì-Fēng's unparalleled Shunpo and skill, made her the nightmare of all enemies.
"Since you know Suzumebachi's ability, then surrender your weapon now."
Suì-Fēng knocked away Kaiser's hand from her wrist and flashed back a distance, her face cold as ice.
"Don't expect me to show mercy again. I don't have time to waste with you here."
She truly didn't have time to waste with Kaiser.
All she wanted now was to find the black cat Kaiser mentioned and verify whether it was the person she had been waiting for all this time.
That was what she cared about most. Everything else—Aizen's death, the Ryoka invasion, even Rukia Kuchiki's situation—she didn't want to be involved in at all.
If not for her responsibilities as the Commander of the Punishment Force and the Onmitsukidō, she would have ignored the Captain Commander's orders and continued searching for that cat.
Of course, no one besides Kaiser knew this.
So, seeing Suì-Fēng's assassination attempt fail, the others immediately attacked again.
"Suzumushi's Second Movement: Benihikō!"
Tōsen leapt into the air, swirling his Zanpakutō in a circle. Blades with pointed tips on both ends appeared where his blade moved, raining down toward Kaiser like a storm.
"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen."
Kaiser raised his hand and invoked a Bakudō, forming a circular shield of pure Reiryoku before him.
"Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang...!"
The falling blades struck the circular shield and bounced off like hitting solid steel, clattering to the ground.
"Tenken!"
On the other side, Komamura roared and swung another slash at Kaiser, sending a shockwave howling like a hurricane.
"Shff!"
Kaiser finally moved to dodge, using Shunpo and leaving a residual image in place while his true body reappeared in midair.
At that moment, the serpent hidden in the grass struck.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
With a whisper like a devil's murmur, a blade light ripped through the air and shot toward Kaiser.
The blade light was long and fast—within a blink, it pierced toward Kaiser's back.
"Clang!!!"
A loud clash of metal rang out. The shooting blade was blocked by Kaiser's suddenly-raised Zanpakutō, stopping it from piercing his body and only colliding with the blade.
The force of the blow pushed Kaiser back through the air before he stabilized himself midair.
"As expected, even using a sneak attack-like move, Captain Kaiser still blocked it."
Gin Ichimaru smiled from behind, his extended Zanpakutō Shinsō still piercing toward Kaiser's blade.
"I've been watching out for you."
Kaiser still held his Zanpakutō in one hand, bracing it in front of him as its edge scraped against the elongated blade of Gin's Shinsō. His eyes narrowed.
"Even I don't want to be hit in the back by your Bankai."
Kamishini no Yari—Shinsō's Bankai—was said to extend up to thirteen kilometers and move at five hundred times the speed of sound, terrifying in every way.
Though both of those claims were Gin's lies, not actually that long or that fast, in the battle with Hitsugaya Tōshirō, the extension and retraction speed was so fast that even Captains couldn't follow it.
Even Kaiser could only vaguely catch a glimpse of a fast flash of blade—he couldn't see the body of the sword at all. So even if Gin exaggerated the numbers, the weapon was still a threat.
At the very least, Kaiser didn't want to be struck in the back by Gin's Kamishini no Yari—he wasn't confident he could react in time.
Because of that, Kaiser had always kept a portion of his attention on Gin. If he saw any sign of Bankai, he would use Shunpo immediately and finish Gin with a single slash.
"Oh my, being watched so closely by Captain Kaiser—it's truly an honor."
Gin still wore his snake-like smile, and Shinsō had already retracted to its normal size.
"Suzumushi!"
"Tenken!"
Tōsen and Komamura weren't interested in chatting with Kaiser. One launched sonic attacks, the other unleashed shockwaves, striking from both sides.
"Shff!"
Suì-Fēng also used Shunpo, instantly closing in on Kaiser.
The three Captains engaged Kaiser in close combat, filling the battlefield with sonic waves, shockwaves, blades, giant arms, and countless residual images in a fierce clash.
Kaiser dodged using Shunpo, playing cat-and-mouse with Suì-Fēng, while leaving residual images to confuse Komamura and Tōsen, causing their attacks to repeatedly miss.
Gin occasionally took shots from behind, having Shinsō cut through the air again and again toward Kaiser, but with only its Shikai, Kaiser wasn't worried. With just a few dodges, he avoided all of Gin's thrusts.
Despite the four Captains working together, they had yet to land a single effective hit on Kaiser. Watching from the sidelines, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake exchanged glances.
"We should step in too." Shunsui sighed. "Captain Kaiser is more troublesome than we thought. His Shunpo alone makes him nearly untouchable. Even Captain Suì-Fēng can't catch up. If this goes on, he'll escape."
"…I understand." Ukitake's expression was grim. "If we want answers, Captain Kaiser needs to cooperate. We'll have to subdue him first."
The two stopped watching and both raised their hands.
"Bakudō #79: Kuyō Shibari!"
Ukitake moved first, invoking a high-level Bakudō. Nine black orbs of light formed around Kaiser, locking him in place.
"Hadō #78: Zangerin!"
Shunsui drew his Zanpakutō and released a wheel-shaped slash toward Kaiser.
The spinning slash flew through the air with a buzzing sound, straight toward him.
"So they're finally joining in?"
Surrounded by the nine black light orbs, Kaiser laughed instead of showing fear.
He hadn't just been guarding against Gin, but also the silent Shunsui and Ukitake.
After all, these two were probably the most formidable opponents here.
The Gotei 13 had been established for a thousand years, and Shin'ō Academy dated back just as far.
Both were founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who served as both Captain Commander and the first instructor of the academy.
Shunsui and Ukitake were from the first class of academy students—both debuted a thousand years ago.
They were also the first graduates to become Captains. Within the Gotei 13, aside from Yamamoto and the semi-retired veteran Retsu Unohana, no one had greater seniority or deeper experience, nor stronger abilities than those two.
In the later stages of the original story, Shunsui even succeeded Yamamoto as the second Captain Commander. Ukitake, though physically weak, harbored a great terror within him. With such formidable foes lurking, how could Kaiser not be on guard?
Seeing them move, Kaiser stopped holding back as well and instantly unleashed his full Reiatsu.
"Boom!"
Golden Reiatsu burst from Kaiser's body like a column of light, soaring skyward.
The terrifying spiritual pressure scorched the atmosphere and burned the Reishi in the air, shattering the nine black orbs restraining him.
"Shff!"
Free again, Kaiser stepped with Shunpo and flashed backward to higher ground. Then, he slashed downward toward all the Captains below.
This slash contained Reiatsu gathered at high speed upon his Zanpakutō—it was a Sword Pressure attack.
The golden Sword Pressure streamed downward like a flood of light, shaking heaven and earth.
"Not good!"
"Dodge it!"
"No—it's too late!"
Tōsen, Komamura, and Suì-Fēng all shouted in unison, and even Gin opened his usually closed eyes.
Seeing the massive Sword Pressure about to crash down, Shunsui and Ukitake once again raised their hands.
"Proud heir of heaven, iron-walled fortress, dragon stride, lion's roar, tiger's roar, wolf's charge—cut the heavens and earth before they crumble!"
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
They chanted loudly, invoking Bakudō, forming a heavy transparent barrier in front of everyone.
"BOOM!!!"
The golden Sword Pressure crashed into the barrier, triggering a thunderous explosion.
Its roar shook the heavens and the earth.