"Oh…?"
Kiganjo's lips curled slightly as his gaze swept over the bandit who had volunteered, a hint of undetectable mockery in his tone: "Since that's the case, then go."
He also wanted to see just how strong the Shinigami sent by the Gotei 13 this time truly were.
The last one hadn't been an enjoyable fight, which had left him extremely displeased.
Although he had acquired a few asauchi, to a Rukongai resident with no reishi, they were nothing more than ordinary blades.
Among their group of bandits, only one had managed to awaken his.
"Yes." The bandit who had volunteered, Nara, respectfully bowed his head.
His slender physique, though not as imposing as his leader Kiganjo, was still considered top-tier among this motley crew of bandits.
Nara tightly gripped the Zanpakuto by its feet and turned to look at Akagi Chizuru.
A greedy smile spread across his somewhat ferocious face.
Lightly licking his lips, Nara's excitement was barely contained: "Tsk tsk tsk… It's been a long time since I've had some fun."
"Although you're a bit older, looking closely, you're still quite charming…"
"Both my blade and I want to devour you. I wonder where to start…"
His highly aggressive gaze, as if being scrutinised under a magnifying glass, fell upon Akagi Chizuru.
Just that one look made her feel as if countless ants were crawling all over her body, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
Isn't this guy a pervert?
Akagi Chizuru frowned slightly.
She was over three hundred years old this year; how could she still encounter such a lecherous man?
No… not just a lecherous man, but also a battle maniac.
Indeed, bandits are bandits; even if they master a Zanpakuto, their filthy souls will remain unchanged.
"Brat!"
"Watch your tone!"
"Who do you think you're facing?!"
Akagi Chizuru reprimanded sharply:
"You, a mere Rukongai resident, have committed a heinous crime by plundering a Shinigami's Zanpakuto."
"If you kneel and beg for mercy, and obediently offer up the Zanpakuto, the Seireitei might grant you leniency, considering your voluntary surrender."
"But if you remain so stubbornly deluded and arrogant, don't blame us for being impolite!"
"Heh heh…" Nara couldn't help but laugh.
"I'd like to see how you'll be impolite."
"Do you know where this is?"
"This is my leader Kiganjo's territory. Go ask around; who doesn't know Kiganjo's prestige?"
"Just a mere Shinigami."
"My elder brother has killed at least a thousand Shinigami like you, if not eight hundred. He no longer cares!"
His words grew increasingly arrogant.
Eight hundred, a thousand Shinigami?
You dare to speak.
If the Central 46 were to know about this…
They would surely lock your elder brother in Muken for tens of thousands of years.
Seeing that verbal communication was useless and only provoked a violent reaction from the other party, Akagi Chizuru snorted coldly:
"Good boy, I'd like to see if your arrogance can match your strength."
"If you're just shouting, I advise you to escape quickly, otherwise, the rest of your life will be spent in prison."
"Attacking a Shinigami, a grave crime!"
"Plundering a Zanpakuto, a crime upon a crime!!"
"Insulting a Shinigami, an unforgivable crime!!!"
She unhesitatingly drew the Zanpakuto from her waist, aimed it at Nara, and decisively activated Shikai.
After a low roar, the blade transformed into reishi and quickly dispersed, and a powerful reishi instantly enveloped the temple.
Some bandits with no reishi immediately gasped for breath, as if submerged in the deep sea.
Hoo…
The heavy pressure almost suffocated them, and sweat uncontrollably streamed down their temples.
In their line of sight, they only managed to see ethereal flames, like a surging tide, mercilessly engulfing Nara.
Instantly.
Bang!
A reishi flame pillar, several meters high, erupted there!
The scorching and violent power, like an unbridled beast, directly broke through the temple's roof.
A circular hole appeared!
It wasn't until the flames dispersed and warm sunlight poured down through the hole that a figure, burned to charcoal, fell to his knees with a thud.
Clang!
The Zanpakuto in his hand flew with the impact to Akagi Chizuru's feet, where she bent down and picked it up.
Raising her head, her stern eyes coldly stared at everyone.
As if to say.
—Nothing more than this.
Nara proved with his life what it meant for a villain to die from talking too much.
Of course.
Even if he hadn't talked much, unable to activate Shikai, he would still have eventually died at Akagi Chizuru's hands.
It was just a matter of sooner or later.
…
"Good!"
"Good!"
Suddenly, Kiganjo's clapping and cheering echoed like thunder throughout the temple.
There was no hint of regret in his tone for the death of his subordinate.
Only undisguised admiration for Akagi Chizuru.
"You're very good!"
He slowly raised his eyes, the smile on his face growing more dangerous and inscrutable.
"Only a Shinigami who can use Shikai can be called a good Shinigami."
"This is precisely the opponent I've been waiting for."
"Those useless ones from before couldn't even pique my interest enough to draw my blade."
"Tell me your name, Shinigami. My blade, Kiganjo, never strikes down nameless nobodies!"
His tone was truly irritating.
Akagi Chizuru couldn't help but furrow her brows, a hint of displeasure showing between her tightly knit eyebrows.
However, duty called.
She slowly said, "Akagi Chizuru. You must be the leader of this group of bandits, right?"
"Kiganjo, I remember that."
"Your subordinates are too weak."
"If they weren't weak, how could they highlight my strength?"
Kiganjo grinned, his palm-sized hand pressing firmly against the ground, then slowly rising.
His tall body stood in the temple, almost occupying half the space.
In contrast, the Zanpakuto hanging at his waist seemed so slender and tiny.
He tightly gripped the hilt with his thick, powerful hand.
Clang!
A crisp sound broke the silence, and where the blade pointed, there was only sharp, cold light.
"Come on!"
"Let me see your limits, Akagi Chizuru!"
"You must be the strongest among the Shinigami sent by the Seireitei this time."
"As long as I defeat you, I'll become a Shinigami. This bandit life is truly boring."
"It's been ten years, and I haven't even encountered the shadow of a true strong opponent."
"I wonder if you're too weak, or if I'm too strong…"
"Hmph."
Akagi Chizuru scoffed, unsure if she was laughing at his overestimation of himself or his inexplicable good luck.
Strongest?
What a joke?
She was merely a Seventh Seat.
Her appearance this time was simply to earn herself a chance to perform.
There's no reason to throw down your ace card at the very beginning.
She also tightly gripped the hilt.
Hoo…
Heavy breathing echoed in her ears.
Her entire reishi rapidly expanded.
Suddenly…
"Thump thump thump."
Ichinisan Ichi-moku knocked on the temple doorframe, a timid head peeking in, and he whispered:
"Um, Akagi Seventh Seat, it's time. Let's hand it over to Third Seat Tsugikuni now."
"We have other missions to complete."
"We can't waste time here."
.....................................
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