Chapter 20 – The Battle
In the vast, barren expanse of Hueco Mundo, six captains from the Soul Society raced swiftly across the endless white sands toward a single destination.
Captain of the 3rd Division, Ōtoribashi Rōjurō, glanced impassively at the strange device in Urahara Kisuke's hand—a large, iron pot-like contraption—before pointing toward it and asking in a flat tone,
"Captain Urahara, are you sure that thing even works? Can we really locate the boy?"
Urahara shrugged, his voice calm but tinged with resignation.
"It works, technically… but Hueco Mundo is far too vast, and our distance from Tachibana is immense. The signal's weak—sometimes it flickers in, sometimes it fades out completely."
"So whether we find him or not," he added lightly, "depends entirely on luck."
At that, Shihōin Yoruichi, standing beside him, spoke softly,
"Honestly, I'm not worried about whether we can find Tachibana Kyūjō." Her golden eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm more concerned about whether he even wants to come back with us."
She crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Considering the Reiatsu he unleashed that day, even if we manage to catch up to him, completing this mission won't be easy."
Her words made the air grow heavy.
None of them could deny it—the sheer pressure Kyūjō had released that day had shaken even the most battle-hardened captains. And more shocking still…
Unohana Retsu had openly admitted her defeat.
That alone was enough to leave anyone speechless.
Though Unohana hadn't shared the details, none of the captains were foolish.
They all knew her reputation—the First Kenpachi, the ancient monster of the original Gotei 13. Some of them—Ukitake, Kyōraku, Sasakibe—had even lived in that era, witnessing firsthand the nightmare that was Unohana in her prime.
For someone to defeat her, in a direct duel no less, bordered on impossible. But Unohana wasn't one to lie or embellish.
And that made the truth even heavier.
Even with six captains assembled together, not one of them dared to underestimate the enemy they were about to face.
If Kyūjō decided to fight with everything he had, then even if they somehow won, escaping Hueco Mundo alive would be far from guaranteed.
— — —
Yet even after imagining the worst possible outcome…
They still hadn't glimpsed the true summit of Tachibana Kyūjō's power.
Because now—
Tachibana Kyūjō's Infinite Overload Mode had been activated.
From the horizon of Hueco Mundo, a streak of light tore through the darkness.
Before anyone could react, the desolate landscape began to twist and change—the eternal night transformed into a breathtaking scene none of the Shinigami had ever witnessed.
Kyūjō descended like a god from the stars, his presence reshaping the very sky.
The heavens shimmered with galaxies in motion, the void glimmering with stardust. His sharp eyes reflected the cosmos itself, his long white hair flowed weightlessly, and the radiant sigil upon his forehead pulsed with divine energy.
He looked less like a man—and more like a celestial being draped in the power of the universe.
— — —
Five of the six captains stared upward in shock, overwhelmed by his presence.
Only Urahara Kisuke remained calm, adjusting his hat slightly as he studied the surroundings with quiet curiosity.
He tapped his sandal against the white ground and smirked. They hadn't moved an inch.
Everything—the stars, the endless cosmos, even the shifting colors of space—was a projection of spiritual particles, a vast illusion conjured by Kyūjō's Zanpakutō.
— — —
Floating above them, Kyūjō raised his sword slowly and spoke, his voice calm yet resonant.
"Since all of you are old acquaintances, I'll be direct… I have no intention of leaving Hueco Mundo. The laws of Seireitei no longer apply to me. You'd better return while you can."
The words carried a quiet arrogance that made the world still.
Sasakibe Chōjirō stepped forward, glaring up with stern eyes.
"Tachibana Kyūjō, are you truly abandoning your duty and the honor of the Gotei 13?"
"Whatever your reasons, if you return now, we can still convince the Captain-Commander to lessen your punishment. Don't make a mistake you'll regret forever!"
But Kyūjō only smiled faintly.
Watching from the side, Kyōraku Shunsui sighed beneath his straw hat. He already knew how this would end. A fight was inevitable.
And sure enough—
Kyūjō's smile widened.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "But if you insist on fighting, I won't hold back. Consider it… a reason you can give to that old man Yamamoto later."
As soon as his voice fell, he turned his blade, murmuring—
"Bankai… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
The ground rippled.
A sea of countless glowing blades—each shaped like a falling cherry blossom—erupted around him, scattering through the cosmos like a divine storm.
But this was no ordinary Bankai.
This was Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, reforged and magnified a thousandfold under Kyūjō's Infinite Overload Mode.
In seconds, billions of blades filled the sky, descending like a pink-gold tsunami toward the six captains below.
— — —
"Bankai! Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!"
Sasakibe roared, his sword flashing with lightning.
Eleven pillars of golden thunder crashed down from above, forming an immense wall of electricity that surrounded the group, shielding them from the rain of blades.
His body trembled from the pressure, veins bulging in his neck as he held his sword before his chest, forcing his Reiatsu to its limit.
Even so… the spiritual pressure coming from Kyūjō was monstrous—
Far beyond what he'd possessed back in Soul Society.
This Reiatsu… has it reached the pinnacle?
And that Bankai—
That was clearly Byakuya Kuchiki's technique… yet twisted, refined, and impossibly stronger.
Sasakibe's energy drained rapidly. Gritting his teeth, he shouted without looking back,
"What are you waiting for?! Help me, damn it!"
Urahara sighed softly. He knew this clash was meaningless.
With Kyūjō's current power, even if all six captains fought together, victory wasn't certain. And if Kyūjō wished to escape, none of them could stop him.
This battle… was merely a formality.
Something they could report to Yamamoto later.
And so—
Urahara Kisuke: "Bankai — Kan'onbiraki Benihime Aratame!"
Kyōraku Shunsui: "Bankai — Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū!"
Jūshirō Ukitake: "Bankai — Sōryū no Ryūka!"
Ōtoribashi Rōjurō: "Bankai — Kinshara Butōdan!"
Shihōin Yoruichi: "Shunkō — Raijin Senkei!"
The endless heavens of Hueco Mundo ignited with a brilliance that shook even the void itself—
as six legendary powers clashed against the infinite might of Tachibana Kyūjō.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
🎉 NEW YEAR SPECIAL! 🎉
🔥 20% OFF first month — Limited Time Only! 🔥
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
👉 Use code: NEWYEAR26
✅ Enjoy 115+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
✅ Be the first to experience Arc 7 and the new season before anyone else!
📖 The first chapter of Arc 7 is now live!
You can read it right now on Patreon~
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —