join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter
[Matsumoto Rangiku Affection +1, gained 160 experience points. Current Affection: 5]
"Hahahahaha— Owner Ishikawa, you're really a good person."
Ishikawa Katori's mouth twitched, forcing out an awkward smile.
After so many years of effort, he considered himself quite experienced in interacting with women, but a woman as bold and unrestrained as the one before him made Ishikawa Katori feel at a loss.
He didn't even know how this affection increased!
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
His shoulder was patted loudly, making Ishikawa Katori wince in pain, while Rangiku's loud laughter came from beside him.
"Haha~ You should drink, Ishikawa. As a man, how can you let a woman drink alone? Or are you…" Matsumoto Rangiku's face showed a mischievous smile: "Hehehe, do you want to get me drunk and then do something… naughty to me?"
…She's already calling him by his first name so quickly?
Ishikawa Katori's smile grew more awkward. Although his original goal was to get closer to her, the fact that a Vice-Captain's affection increased so easily made Ishikawa Katori feel an inexplicable unease.
It felt as if…
He had come to pursue her, but halfway through the plan, he himself became the one being pursued…
The pre-prepared conversations and methods to attract her attention and get acquainted were all unused. They became familiar for no reason… and then she started calling him by his first name for no reason.
And also…
The pity in Owner Arakawa's eyes when he looked at him was also so inexplicable.
He seemed completely unsurprised by Matsumoto Rangiku's familiarity, as if this scene happened often. He only felt pity for Ishikawa's impending fate.
"Um…"
Ishikawa Katori watched Rangiku pick up another jar of wine and couldn't help but say, "Miss Rangiku, didn't you say you were going to take the remaining nine jars back to drink?"
"Well, well, well, wine tastes better when drunk with people!!"
Gulp, gulp—
Nearly half a jar down, Matsumoto Rangiku let out a comfortable burp: "Hah— Comfortable, Ishikawa, you should drink. It's really impolite to let a woman drink by herself…"
"Uh—"
Ishikawa Katori looked at the wine glass on the table, hesitated for a moment, then picked it up.
Although it was somewhat inexplicable, gaining experience points was undoubtedly a good thing.
Besides, isn't it just being overly enthusiastic and familiar?
If she, a woman, isn't afraid, what does he, a man, have to fear?
He wouldn't be the one to suffer a loss.
Could it be that someone could suddenly stab him from hundreds of meters away?
Hmm…
It's not impossible!
Drink!
Ishikawa Katori gritted his teeth slightly. If he could gain experience points just by drinking a few glasses, it would be too easy.
Ishikawa Katori was quite confident in his alcohol tolerance.
"Then…"
Ishikawa Katori raised his glass, struggled for a long time, and finally, under Matsumoto Rangiku's gaze, said with an awkward tone, "To friendship!" With that, he downed the wine in his glass.
Tasty wine~
"Exactly, to friendship."
Seeing this, Matsumoto Rangiku's alluring face immediately broke into a bold smile: "Uncle Arakawa, bring more wine! Not the most expensive, but the strongest!!"
"Um…"
Hearing this, Ishikawa Katori quickly tried to stop him. Drinking a few glasses was fine, but getting drunk was not what he wanted.
[Matsumoto Rangiku Affection +1, gained 160 experience points. Current Affection: 6]
The prompt in his mind blocked the words in Ishikawa Katori's mouth.
Drink then—
I don't believe she can get me drunk!
That kid is finished.
Arakawa watched Ishikawa Katori, urged by Matsumoto Rangiku, gulp down glass after glass of wine, and shook his head slightly.
Vice-Captain Matsumoto's personality was indeed very bold and straightforward, and she liked to make friends.
But sometimes being too bold was not necessarily a good thing.
He had run this izakaya for nearly twenty years, and this scene had happened countless times. Anyone who approached Vice-Captain Matsumoto out of coveting her appearance, after drinking with her… would only dare to admire her from afar and not approach.
"Owner, ten more!"
Matsumoto Rangiku's voice came again. Arakawa was silent for a moment, then took out ten jars and sent them over.
Initially, he saw the young Owner Ishikawa Katori only smelling the wine and not drinking, thinking he just liked wine but had poor alcohol tolerance. But now… neither Vice-Captain Matsumoto nor the young Owner Ishikawa Katori seemed to be drinking wine, but rather water.
Initially, Ishikawa Katori was still drinking from a glass, but after a few glasses, he started drinking from the jar like Rangiku.
—Enjoyment!
Ishikawa Katori was very much enjoying himself now. Since coming to this world, he had never drunk during the day, never drunk outside, and never drunk with others!
The atmosphere was completely different.
Before coming to this world, Ishikawa Katori also drank, but it was basically just a taste, and drinking was more of a social obligation, a disguise…
After coming to this world, it changed.
Perhaps it was the unease of a strange world, perhaps to relieve stress, or perhaps because of the ease.
The ease after dying!
He gradually grew to like the feeling of being drunk.
Drinking alone is called drowning sorrows in wine; drinking with others is called kindred spirits.
Initially, Ishikawa Katori only drank with her for the experience points, but as he drank, all the messy thoughts disappeared, and he drank only for enjoyment and happiness!
By the end, the scattered customers in the pub couldn't help but turn their gaze to the corner, looking at the jars of wine on the table and on the floor, and couldn't help but show admiration.
"That kid is truly remarkable."
"Yes, it's been a long time since I've seen someone drink so heartily with Miss Rangiku."
"Last time it was Vice-Captain Hisagi and Vice-Captain Kira, I think. But after the three of them drank from night until the next morning, except for Miss Rangiku, those two Vice-Captains were carried back by Squad Members, wearing only loincloths and foaming at the mouth…"
"I once saw Captain Kyōraku drink with Miss Rangiku, but unfortunately, after drinking until midnight, a refined beauty with glasses came and dragged Captain Kyōraku away by his foot, so I didn't get to see the rare sight of Captain Kyōraku in a loincloth."
"Hiss— You shouldn't look at that!!"
"Speaking of which…"
A customer looked at Matsumoto Rangiku, saying with regret in his voice, "How does Miss Rangiku manage to never have a wardrobe malfunction, no matter how much she drinks or how drunk she gets?"
"Miss Rangiku having a wardrobe malfunction? Don't even think about it… Although Miss Rangiku is famously alluring in the Seireitei, no one has ever taken advantage of her to this day. Behind her back, she's always been called the Alluring Ogress!"
"Ogress?"
"Only she eats people; no one can eat her!!"
"…."
1 hour… 2 hours… 3 hours…
The wine jars on the table and on the floor piled up, completely surrounding the small corner.
"Burp~ I'm telling you, our Captain is super boring, and he looks like a kid on the outside, so there's no way to go drinking with him. I always feel a strange sense of guilt."
"Hahahaha—"
Ishikawa Katori slapped the table, laughing wildly, his face flushed. Although he wasn't speaking nonsense, he had completely lost his usual restraint. If anyone familiar with him were present, they would find that the current Ishikawa was completely different from his usual self.
Less rigid, more casual;
Less inhibited, more reckless;
His usual disguised gentle smile was gone, replaced by unrestrained laughter, free from all constraints, acting entirely as he pleased.
"Wine, why is it so slow!!"
"Exactly! Exactly!"
Bang—
The wine table was shattered by Ishikawa Katori's palm, making Owner Arakawa's eyelids twitch. He then silently noted down an entry in his ledger.
On one side was Ishikawa Katori furiously smashing the table, and on the other was Rangiku clapping and cheering…
These two were birds of a feather!!
He suddenly hesitated whether to contact Captain Hitsugaya. Although the two had only been drinking for half a day, their drinking speed had already far surpassed that of the three Vice-Captains drinking together. In half a day, they had consumed the amount usually drunk in an entire night… He was somewhat afraid that the young Owner Ishikawa Katori would be drunk to death by Miss Rangiku, who was hundreds of years older than him…
One should know that when Vice-Captain Hisagi and Vice-Captain Kira competed in drinking with Miss Rangiku, both of them were carried away foaming at the mouth the next morning!
"What?"
Ishikawa Katori, looking displeased, wrote a note and shouted, "Afraid I don't have money or something? Take this to my shop for whatever amount you need, I'm not short on money!!"
"…."
Owner Arakawa didn't look at the paper, but instead looked at the Everything Store across the street. He saw the male and female receptionists in that Everything Store branch craning their necks to look over. When they saw Owner Arakawa's gaze, they said:
"No problem, listen to Owner Ishikawa."
"Owner Ishikawa told you to serve, so serve, don't talk nonsense!"
Although they were ordered to work for Ishikawa Katori, they were still members of the Omaeda Residence, and their food, clothing, and housing were all covered by the Omaeda Residence.
Reluctant to spend money?
If it were Uzuki, it might be possible, but people from the Omaeda Residence, even servants, were never short of money!!
….
As dusk fell, more customers gradually arrived at the pub.
Clink, clank.
The sound of a wine jar rolling out was heard, and Rangiku in the corner was snoring, sprawled on the table.
Beside her was a human-shaped hole, and the cold night wind continuously blew into the pub through that large hole.
"…."
Owner Arakawa glanced at the ledger, intending to record it, but after seeing the calculated price, he gave up the idea of recording the loss.
With the amount of money Owner Ishikawa Katori had spent on wine here, this small damage was insignificant.
Two female Squad Members from the Tenth Division walked in from outside, surprisingly helping Rangiku out.
Not only them, but even Owner Arakawa, who frequently saw Vice-Captain Matsumoto drinking, had a look of surprise on his face. The seemingly young Owner Ishikawa Katori not only didn't foam at the mouth… but was also able to grab the black cloth bag next to him and rush out after Miss Rangiku passed out.
However, Owner Arakawa wasn't worried that Ishikawa would default on his payment. After all, his shop was just across the street, and he could just go over and settle the bill later.
….
At the same time, Second Division.
Bang—!
The Captain's Office door was violently slammed open, making Soi Fon, who was working, frown and look at the newcomer with an extremely cold gaze.
"Reason."
Ōmaeda was startled by Soi Fon's gaze, but then said anxiously, "Ishikawa Katori has crossed the line!"
Crossed the line?
Soi Fon was slightly stunned, then suddenly stood up from her chair, saying coldly, "Where did he go?"
Ishikawa Katori's entry permit had a positioning function. Once he exceeded his designated activity range, the Supervisory Team would receive a notification. But Ishikawa had always been very disciplined, never crossing the line except for his last trip to the Human World.
Did he receive an invitation?
Or…
"The Vice-Captain of the Supervisory Team reported that he is currently moving at an extremely fast speed… towards the Eleventh Division. He has probably arrived there by now."
"Eleventh Division?"
"Yes, the Eleventh Division."
Soi Fon pondered for a moment, then sat back down. If Ishikawa Katori were to freely go to the central aristocratic district or other important areas of the Seireitei, she would personally lead the Onmitsukidō to capture him.
But the Eleventh Division…
Due to the overly fiery personalities of the Squad Members, their barracks were located in a very remote area, so there was no need to worry about anything happening.
Furthermore…
The Third Seat and Fifth Seat of the Eleventh Division frequently went to Ishikawa Katori's pub to spar with him, so there was no need to worry at all.
"When he returns, tell him that even if he receives an invitation, he must report it to the Supervisory Team, otherwise next time I'll bring the Onmitsukidō to arrest him."
"Huh?"
Ōmaeda was stunned. "Then we're not going to do anything?"
"It's not their first spar; there's no need to interfere."
Soi Fon said, then as if remembering something, changed her tone. "Wait, send the Onmitsukido to restrict passage, and if necessary, seal off that area."
If it were just Ishikawa Katori and Ikkaku Madarame, there would indeed be no need for such an elaborate fuss.
However, a Lunatic more dangerous than both of them lived there. The area had been very quiet recently, but that also meant…
He had been suppressed for too long!
…
The full moon hung high in the sky.
Squad Members who had been busy all day rushed back from outside; some went to eat, while others engaged in private spars.
Unlike the Second Division's prosperity and the Fourth Division's neatness, the Eleventh Division's barracks gave off a strange sense of dilapidation from the outside, and the buildings within the barracks were also messy and haphazardly placed.
"Phew—"
Ikkaku Madarame blew on the tea in his cup, saying with a hint of boredom, "I don't know what that Ishikawa Katori guy has been busy with lately; I can never find him in Rukongai."
"Why don't you just go to the Comprehensive Relief Station to find him?"
Kiyone, who was beside him, chuckled. "The Squad Members all say they often see him at the Comprehensive Relief Station. If you really want to spar with him, you can just go ambush him there."
"Forget it. Fighting in Seireitei has too many rules; it's impossible to enjoy it fully."
Ikkaku Madarame said, then looked around and whispered, "And don't think our Captain is always getting lost; if I spar with Ishikawa Katori in Seireitei, no matter how far apart we are, our Captain can find us immediately."
"Oh?"
Ayasegawa Yumichika looked at Ikkaku Madarame with some surprise. "It seems you really like that kid. You don't want him to be discovered by the Captain, are you afraid he'll be cut down by the Captain?"
"No… it's just too early right now."
Ikkaku Madarame grinned slightly, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "You haven't fought him. If you did, you'd find that while his progress isn't fast, he's always steadily improving, as if without limit; unlike others who stop growing after reaching a certain point…"
"Baldy—"
A clear voice suddenly interjected, "What are you talking about with Little Peacock?"
Ikkaku Madarame looked at the pink-haired little girl who suddenly appeared beside him, and cold sweat immediately ran down his forehead. "Ah… I…"
"Our Squad's Third Seat, Abarai Renji."
Ayasegawa Yumichika smiled slightly. "Vice-Captain, don't you know? That Third Seat has been asking Ikkaku Madarame for guidance lately."
"Is that so?"
Yachiru blinked. "Then what's going on with Ishikawa Katori?"
"…." Ayasegawa Yumichika.
"What Ishikawa?"
Ikkaku Madarame turned his head to the side. "I think I've heard that name somewhere…"
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, all three of them sharply looked up into the air.
Almost at the moment they looked up, a figure swooped down from the full moon. Before the three could clearly see the person's appearance, a long blade radiating an eerie aura materialized above Ikkaku Madarame's head, slashing down fiercely towards him.
Clang—
After a crisp sound, a visible shockwave spread outwards like ripples, collapsing everything in its path, from the dust on the ground to the barracks buildings.
With a flash, Yachiru and Ayasegawa Yumichika appeared dozens of meters away.
"Who is that?"
Yachiru tilted her head, looking at the scene with curiosity.
Looking out…
In the center of a pile of rubble, Ikkaku Madarame's Zanpakuto was halfway unsheathed, parrying a long blade.
Zanpakuto?
When he felt that familiar eerie aura, Ikkaku Madarame had actually already guessed who it was, but the blade before him made him doubt his judgment.
Following the blade forward…
"Yo~ I've brought my Zanpakuto to play with you!"
The strong smell of alcohol was pungent, but the wide grin, bloodshot whites of the eyes, and noticeably dilated pupils… dispelled all doubt in Ikkaku's eyes, replacing it with an excited, ferocious grin!
"Good!"
There was no need to ask anymore.
Because that face already indicated that the Ishikawa Katori before him had come for…
Pure slaughter!!
As Squad Members of the Eleventh Division, they would never refuse such a request, nor would they be displeased by it.
All they had…
Was battle intent matching that of the newcomer!
Two immense spiritual pressures instantly intertwined, soaring into the night sky, and the resulting gust of wind swept away all surrounding obstacles.
In a dark room deep within the barracks, a figure suddenly sat up. In the moonlight filtering through the window, a hedgehog-like shadow was faintly visible, and within that shadow were a pair of scarlet eyes that… even the moonlight could not obscure.
"Hahahaha—"
The next second, a wild laugh erupted, and the roof instantly exploded!
…
Clang, clang, clang—!
The clashing of metal rang out continuously, as two figures wildly collided under the moonlight.
A 1.9-meter long spear and a 1.6-meter long blade transformed into streaks of afterimages, their wielders exuding a madness even more dangerous than their weapons.
The two fought like wild beasts, their spiritual pressures appearing incredibly violent.
Squad Members constantly arrived from the surroundings, but none dared to approach the battlefield casually.
"What's going on? Is there an intruder?"
"Looking at Third Seat Ikkaku's excitement, it doesn't seem like it."
"Who is the person fighting Third Seat Ikkaku? Do we have someone like that in our Squad?"
"Why do I think he looks a bit like Sir Ishikawa from the Comprehensive Relief Station?"
"Haha— Don't be silly, Sir Ishikawa is like those useless Fourth Division members, just a doctor with weak Reiatsu. Forget Third Seat Ikkaku, I could easily cut him down!"
"No… it really seems to be Sir Ishikawa."
"???"
…
"Hahahaha—"
Wild laughter came from deep within the barracks. Ayasegawa Yumichika glanced at the battlefield, then told the Squad Member beside him, "Everyone, evacuate the barracks and set up a perimeter outside. If anyone comes to investigate, tell them our Captain invited someone to spar in the Squad, and don't let them disturb us."
"Huh?"
The Squad Member who received the order was stunned.
"Hurry!"
Before Ayasegawa Yumichika could say more, Yachiru's small face beside him suddenly showed an extreme chill that was uncharacteristic of her, her tiny body exuding a predatory aura.
"Yes."
The Squad Members couldn't help but shiver, then rushed out of the barracks in a swarm.
Bang—
Just then, a figure shot backward, directly smashing onto the ground beside Ayasegawa Yumichika and Yachiru.
Ayasegawa Yumichika turned his head to look. When he saw the bald head reflecting light in the moonlight, his expression changed dramatically!!
At this moment, Ikkaku was in a sorry state, covered in blade marks and blood; his Shikai, Hozukimaru, was riddled with cracks, cracks that had been forcibly cut open.
How could this be!?
Just by gaining one more Zanpakuto, had his strength already reached this level?
Ayasegawa Yumichika's gaze shifted to Ishikawa in the center of the field.
At this moment, Ishikawa Katori also had gaping wounds on his body, but unlike his usual spars with Ikkaku Madarame, he wasn't healing himself. Instead, he was carrying that Zanpakuto, which was similar in length to the Captain's Zanpakuto, staring at Ikkaku Madarame with a fanatic expression.
He was like a beast unleashed, completely devoid of his usual restraint.
"Again—"
Ikkaku Madarame wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the excitement on his face almost distorted.
This is great!!
Aside from his past fights with the Captain, he hadn't felt this way in a long time.
Although he didn't know what had happened to Ishikawa Katori, the current Ishikawa Katori was completely different from the one in his memory.
Ruthless, wild!
Gone was the subtle sense of hesitation he used to feel; instead, he was utterly unrestrained!!
This guy was perfectly to his liking.
His Reiatsu surged again, unable to suppress his excitement.
However…
Just as he was about to charge forward.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind brushed past him, golden Reiatsu forming a tangible substance, like a subway train as it charged.
That was…
Ikkaku Madarame's pupils constricted.
"Wait…"
Bang!
Ishikawa Katori, in the center of the battlefield, shot out like a cannonball.
Wherever he passed…
Buildings exploded, trees shattered, soil flew!
And in the position where Ishikawa Katori had been, stood a tall man.
The man had a fierce face, a scar on his left cheek, the bottom edge of his pristine Captain's haori was jagged, and he had a spiky, upward-pointing hairstyle, with small bells tied at the ends of his hair, producing clear tinkling sounds as they swayed in the wind.
The jagged long blade swung, and the generated force created a semi-circular arc on the ground.
"Hahahahaha—"
Amidst the wild laughter, golden Reiatsu surged into the sky, even seeming to stir the clouds, revealing the full moon behind them.
In the entire Eleventh Division, there was only one person with such power.
—Zaraki Kenpachi!
The Captain of the Gotei 13's Eleventh Division, the eleventh generation Kenpachi, and the first Captain in Soul Society who could not use Bankai.
Ikkaku Madarame patted his bald head, filled with regret.
If he had known Ishikawa Katori would become like this when drunk, he would have brought alcohol to Ishikawa Katori back then. He wouldn't have ended up with his opponent being instantly defeated by the Captain halfway through their fight, leaving his battle intent completely unvented!
"Hmm?"
Wait!
Ikkaku Madarame's pupils constricted, and he sharply looked in the direction Ishikawa had flown.
Boom—
Collapsing building debris shot into the sky, and Ishikawa Katori, with scarlet eyes and covered in blood, appeared in everyone's sight, propped up by his long blade.
Crackling—
Electric arcs flickered around him, and violent thunder roared.
Not enough!!
Ishikawa Katori looked at the golden figure; this was far from enough.
The pressure emanating from the opponent alone was already making him unstable, let alone fighting him.
Hadō No. 63: Raikōhō Intermediate (8463 / 10000)
Not enough~
Raikōhō instantly advanced to Advanced…
The knowledge in his mind rapidly merged.
Unable to integrate…
Continue~
The idea of carefully preserving experience points vanished, and Raikōhō's proficiency continuously increased.
1000… 3000… 5000… 10000!
Physique: Intermediate (2454 / 10000)
Nearly 8000 experience points invested, directly reaching Advanced.
Roar—
The thunder around him gradually replaced by a roar, incredibly violent lightning Reiatsu surged around Ishikawa Katori!
Until finally, the roaring thunder completely replaced the original Byakurai.
His wounds were filled with lightning, burning, and the bleeding stopped amidst the smell of charring.
The pressure around him was gone…
But it was still not enough!!
Reiatsu: Advanced (23022 / 100000)
Ishikawa Katori's smile grew wilder, and the remaining nearly fifteen thousand experience points were all invested into his Reiatsu.
Rumble—
The ruins beneath his feet exploded. As his Reiatsu surged, Ishikawa Katori kicked the blade propped on the ground. As the long blade lifted, his figure vanished from his original sjar.
The roaring lightning exploded under the night sky!!
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter