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The soaring Reiatsu caused Seireitei, which had become peaceful after nightfall, to suddenly become noisy.
Discussions erupted from within the barracks of various Squads.
"Such strong Reiatsu, but it's very unfamiliar—?"
"It's not the Reiatsu of any Vice-Captain, but it also doesn't seem like someone who just became a Vice-Captain."
"…"
Fourth Division Barracks.
Kotetsu Isane looked in the direction from which the Reiatsu fluctuations came, her pretty face filled with disbelief.
This feeling of Reiatsu…
Ishikawa Katori?
"I must have felt it wrong, there's no way Ishikawa Katori's Reiatsu could be this strong, right?"
"You didn't feel it wrong." A gentle voice came from behind Kotetsu Isane.
"Captain?"
Only after Kotetsu Isane turned around did she realize that Retsu Unohana, dressed in casual clothes, had arrived in the hallway at some point, gazing towards the Eleventh Division with a smile of unknown meaning on her face.
"Is that really Ishikawa?"
…
Second Division.
"Who is Ishikawa fighting? Why is Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu there?" Ōmaeda peered out of the Captain's Office window, looking towards the Eleventh Division.
Moreover…
The intensity of Ishikawa Katori's Reiatsu now was completely different from what he remembered. Even he, who knew Ishikawa best, couldn't help but doubt whether it was truly Ishikawa.
Behind Ōmaeda, Soi Fon's face was extremely grim.
Her worst fear had come true.
While Ishikawa Katori's Reiatsu intensity surprised her, his progress had always been astonishing, and having observed his growth all along, she had somewhat grown accustomed to it.
What worried her was not Ishikawa Katori, but…
That Lunatic, Kenpachi Zaraki, had finally gone insane.
"Immediately seal off that area. If necessary, stop him at all costs. Don't let Kenpachi Zaraki run to other places."
If it was just killing Ishikawa Katori, it would be fine.
But Soi Fon was very worried that after killing Ishikawa Katori, the Lunatic Kenpachi Zaraki, with his suppressed fighting intent nowhere to be vented, would go cause trouble for other Captains.
He was truly capable of such a thing!!
At this thought, Soi Fon frowned. That brat might really die this time.
He was seeking his own death.
Even if he was invited, there was absolutely no need to go to the Eleventh Division and provoke that Lunatic. It didn't matter if he died, but who knew what Kenpachi Zaraki, once his fighting desire was stimulated, would do afterwards.
As for Ishikawa Katori provoking him…
In her opinion, such a possibility didn't exist at all. Although that brat was also very dangerous, he knew how to restrain himself and understood who not to provoke. It was impossible for him to actively provoke Kenpachi Zaraki.
…
In a courtyard behind the Fifth Division Barracks.
"That's quite good Reiatsu."
A playful chuckle came from the shadows in a corner of the courtyard.
Upon hearing this, the bespectacled man, who was drinking tea on the long veranda in front of the house, showed a gentle smile: "He is indeed a very interesting child. I don't know why, but he seems to always be wary of the Gotei 13."
"Oh?"
The figure in the shadows chuckled: "Tsk tsk, how terrifying. It seems you noticed him a long time ago. Do you think he's very talented?"
"Talent? He's alright."
The bespectacled man shook his head slightly: "I only noticed him after he entered Seireitei, but I paid attention to him only because of his inexplicable wariness towards the Gotei 13, not because of his strength; Soul Society never lacks talented people, but very few are able to grow."
"I, on the other hand, find him very interesting."
"Is that so?"
The bespectacled man shook his head slightly, having no intention of continuing the conversation, as there was no need to waste time on him.
The person in the shadows gradually faded away, disappearing into the night.
Almost simultaneously, a young girl in a shinigami uniform quickly ran in from outside.
"Aizen."
…
Eleventh Division!
Rumble~
Looking at Ishikawa Katori whose Reiatsu was rapidly rising in the center of the ruins, Ayasegawa Yumichika frowned: "His speed of getting stronger is too fast."
The first time he saw this black-haired youth, his own Reiatsu was only at the level of a newly appointed Vice-Captain. At that time, he was barely able to withstand Ikkaku Madarame's attack solely by relying on that strange technique surrounded by lightning.
But now, the opponent's Reiatsu intensity had more than doubled!
Moreover…
That strange technique with lightning had also changed, its power becoming even more terrifying and wild.
Ikkaku Madarame stared intently at Ishikawa Katori's changes in the field, his heart, like Kiyone's, filled with shock at Ishikawa Katori's transformation.
But…
Did he grow under the pressure of the Captain, or did he hide something when fighting him?
"Speaking of which."
Ayasegawa Yumichika said in a strange tone: "What's wrong with him now? Is he drunk and acting crazy?"
"Heh heh, he's not that cute of a guy."
Hearing this, Ikkaku Madarame scoffed: "I told you before, he gives me a feeling very similar to Kenpachi Zaraki, didn't I?"
Ayasegawa Yumichika paused, unable to resist turning his gaze to Ishikawa Katori, who stood leaning on his sword in the ruins.
"This is his true self!"
"It's just that, unlike Kenpachi Zaraki, he has always restrained himself very well. Rather than saying he's acting crazy from drinking, it's more like he unlocked his own shackles after getting drunk, releasing his true self."
Ikkaku Madarame looked at the figure in the ruins with shining eyes, his expression full of anticipation: "Although it was only a brief exchange, I can say with certainty that…"
"The current him is more sober than ever; whether it's his combat intuition, his fighting techniques, or even his ability to tap into his own potential, they have all become incredibly sharp!"
"Otherwise, why do you think Kenpachi Zaraki is so excited?"
A kindred spirit—!
Although his strength was completely incomparable to Kenpachi Zaraki.
But Kenpachi Zaraki definitely felt a similar aura from Ishikawa Katori, just like himself, which is why he directly attacked him. And after one strike, he forcibly resisted continuing the pursuit, but instead…
Waited for the moment the opponent reached his peak!
Just then…
Boom!
With a loud bang, Ishikawa Katori in the ruins disappeared.
"Are you ready?"
Kenpachi Zaraki's beast-like sneer fully emerged.
Clang—!
Two long swords collided. Looking at the familiar expression on Ishikawa Katori's handsome face through the long swords, Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu surged again.
"Not enough!"
With a tremor of his Zanpakuto, Ishikawa Katori felt a tremendous force. The long sword in his hand reacted immediately, a chilling aura surging wildly under the Reiatsu, and even the surrounding lightning merged into it at that moment, causing the faint light of the seal on the blade's surface to tremble madly.
But even so, he still retreated half a step under Kenpachi Zaraki's tremor.
However…
Kenpachi Zaraki did not stop as he had before. Instead, amidst a burst of wild laughter, he continuously slashed down at Ishikawa Katori with his serrated Zanpakuto.
Clang, clang, clang…
Sparks flew, and crisp clashing sounds were incessant.
And Ishikawa Katori, on the other hand, retreated again and again.
But there was no trace of panic on his face, nor the fanaticism he once had when engaged in battle. His expression was so calm that it even seemed abnormal.
As if his former madness was merely embers flowing out from the cracks of his shackles.
After the madness burned out, it returned to calm instead.
But the current him gave off an even more dangerous feeling.
The eerie aura surging from the depths of his soul merged with the long sword, which also exuded a chilling cold, complementing each other!
At this moment, Ishikawa Katori's attention was entirely focused on his sword, losing the ability to think.
In fact, under Kenpachi Zaraki's fierce offensive, he had no time to think either.
Can't use Zanjutsu?
What a joke!!
Ishikawa Katori had never seen such terrifying Zanjutsu techniques… No, it couldn't be called a technique, but Zanjutsu honed from countless battles, applicable only to killing.
Disorganized, but every strike aimed at a vital point;
Without technique, but every strike was just right;
Swinging the sword purely to cut people!
This might seem like a redundant statement, but very few in the entire Gotei 13 could achieve this.
How could a person who continuously fought with a sword for endless years not know Zanjutsu? Even villains know how to cut people most comfortably and how to cut people with the greatest lethality.
It's just that in the eyes of those who received systematic education…
His Zanjutsu was too reckless!
Barely resisting~
Unable to counterattack!
Just passive defense had already exhausted all of Ishikawa Katori's energy.
The advantage of a long sword lies in its large attack range and heavy force, but its flexibility is weak. When attacked at close range, it even feels like it cannot be fully extended.
And when Ishikawa Katori practiced Zanjutsu before, he always used ordinary wooden swords. This wasn't evident when fighting Ikkaku Madarame, but under Kenpachi Zaraki's offensive, his weaknesses were revealed one by one.
That being said—
If he had the spare capacity to look at the system interface, he would notice… his proficiency in Zanjutsu was growing rapidly.
The reason was simple…
Imitation!
While enduring the attacks, he was also learning how to use the long blade from his opponent.
Although vastly different in appearance, Kenpachi Zaraki's sword was also a long blade; its length was no less than Ishikawa Katori's. The bandage-wrapped hilt was even longer, making the overall length of Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto slightly longer than Ishikawa Katori's.
Yet, such a blade…
In Kenpachi Zaraki's hands, it was wielded with incredible flexibility using only one hand, completely eliminating the long blade's weaknesses.
Ishikawa Katori's blocking movements became increasingly skilled.
His left hand gradually withdrew from the hilt, switching to a one-handed grip. As he retreated, he subtly adjusted his blocking angle.
Even as the tiger's mouth of his right hand cracked from the impact, he didn't use his left hand.
His free left hand, at this moment, employed Kaido, continuously healing his right hand.
It wasn't because of pain or inconvenience; it was solely for the purpose of…
Fighting Kenpachi Zaraki with more enjoyment and for a longer duration!
"Faster~ Faster…"
The crimson in Kenpachi Zaraki's eyes grew deeper. Feeling the increasing force returned from the blade, a long-unfelt enjoyment and anticipation surged within him. His Reiatsu, already at its peak under the suppression of his eye patch, intensified slightly at that instant.
But this slight increase gradually faded in the next second.
Pfft—
Blood spurted from Ishikawa Katori's left shoulder.
He hadn't blocked it.
Ishikawa Katori's expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of thought passed through his pupils, and then his sword-wielding movements shifted slightly.
Imitation~
But not complete Imitation!
The reason the long blade was so flexible in Kenpachi Zaraki's hands was largely due to his height of over two meters.
Given the vast difference in body size, unadapted Imitation was not suitable for him.
Lightning covered the blade's surface. With each collision and each injury, the lightning dimmed a bit, as if being erased.
His advanced physique was fully capable of enduring the burden of Shunko, allowing Ishikawa Katori to fight persistently while integrating Raikōhō into Hakuda.
Clang, clang, clang~
Ishikawa Katori was like a machine, his blade's blocking speed growing faster and faster. The nearly 1.6-meter long blade danced in the night sky like a nimble butterfly.
Yet, even so, Ishikawa Katori's blocking range was continuously being compressed.
Under Kenpachi Zaraki's assault, the free range of movement for the long blade in Ishikawa Katori's hand had been compressed to only half a meter. This was sufficient for a regular blade but too narrow for a long blade.
Ishikawa Katori wanted to create distance, but with every step back, Kenpachi Zaraki pressed closer.
A rapid retreat would disrupt the blocking rhythm he had painstakingly adapted to.
He could only wait…
Wait for an opportunity, an opportunity to counterattack!
Not enough yet—
The frequency of the thunderous roar increased again, causing even his advanced physique to feel a faint tearing sensation. This also made the pure power, distinct from Reiatsu enhancement, even more astonishing. The lightning on the long blade in Ishikawa Katori's hand also surged, expanding his blocking range slightly.
Clang~
Kenpachi Zaraki only felt a tremor in his blade. The blade that had been smashing down on Ishikawa Katori was knocked aside, unable to strike down immediately.
I can counterattack!
This thought appeared so abruptly that Ishikawa Katori wasn't at all prepared, but his body had already begun to move!
Reiatsu poured into the long blade. His left hand, which had been empty, grasped the hilt at that instant. As his body rotated, it carried the long blade, leaving a lightning-forged crescent directly in the night sky.
As swift as a thunderbolt!
The horizontal crescent instantly struck Kenpachi Zaraki's wide-open chest, but the sensation returned to his hand was not that of tearing flesh, but of an incredibly hard barrier.
Even with Ishikawa Katori's full-force swing, it only left a shallow bloody mark on Kenpachi Zaraki's chest, with traces of fresh blood seeping out.
"Hahahahaha—"
The blood seeping from his chest caused Kenpachi Zaraki's excitement to surge again. His massive body pressed down, his face almost touching Ishikawa Katori's. The jagged blade, at such extremely close range, slashed down without any stiffness!
Insufficient Reiatsu!
Even with the Shunko enhanced by Raikōhō, his destructive power remained absolutely weak.
Such damage was like an itch!
Holding the sword above his head, his left hand pressed against the back of the blade, Ishikawa Katori concentrated all his strength in his arms.
Clang—
With a crisp sound, Ishikawa Katori's feet immediately sank into the soil beneath him. The dull force made Ishikawa Katori's throat tighten, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Without a way to dissipate the force, a direct clash was too disadvantageous!
He made a judgment almost instantly.
Fighting head-on like this, let alone counterattacking, just blocking alone was enough to cause him severe injuries.
Ishikawa Katori gritted his teeth, and the Development Spiritual Mark on his Spirit Core lit up. In a breath, the surrounding Reishi rapidly gathered, replenishing his Reiatsu consumption.
Due to fully activating the Spiritual Crests, his Spirit Core was under immense pressure, causing an unusual flush on Ishikawa Katori's face.
But he could no longer worry about his body; he had to change the current situation.
With all his might, he vibrated the blade. In the instant the two long blades separated and the next attack hadn't yet arrived, Ishikawa Katori pulled back, retreating four body lengths to create distance from Kenpachi Zaraki.
After stopping, he didn't continue to retreat. Instead, after stabilizing himself, he actively launched an attack.
Stepping forward, Ishikawa Katori directly swung the long blade in his hand in a wide circle from four body lengths away, changing from 'the blade follows the body' to 'the body follows the blade,' his body rotating with the long blade.
The lightning on the long blade grew denser, but it wasn't to increase power; it was to make the blade heavier. The electricity erupted to make the heavy blade's swing speed increasingly swift.
In a brief moment, he had already spun twice, closing in by two body lengths. With each spin, driven by the lightning and the blade, the whistling sound became a few shades heavier.
If his Reiatsu was inferior, then he could only compensate with technique!
And in that instant, Kenpachi Zaraki took a step forward, his jagged long blade already slashing horizontally towards Ishikawa Katori.
The timing he chose was incredibly precise, perfectly hitting just past the halfway point of the third spin. The long blade directly slashed at Ishikawa Katori, who was facing sideways, giving him no opportunity to continue accumulating power.
Ishikawa Katori's eyes flashed, and he sharply distorted his shoulder, slamming his right shoulder hard against the back of the blade.
Crack—
As the sound of bone cracking echoed, using his shoulder as a pivot, he swung the blade out forcefully.
Thunder boomed. This strike directly transformed into a bolt of lightning, arriving first despite being launched later, colliding with the long blade in Kenpachi Zaraki's hand.
Bang—
A visible impact spread outwards in layers from the two of them. Unbeknownst to them, they had already fought their way onto the grassy area behind the Squad Barracks, and the impact lifted layers of turf.
The next second!
Both figures simultaneously shot backward.
Although Kenpachi Zaraki stabilized himself only two meters back.
But…
For the first time!
Since the battle began, despite the vast difference in Reiatsu, Ishikawa Katori had forced Kenpachi Zaraki back for the first time.
Pfft—!
The force that rebounded made Ishikawa Katori feel as if his internal organs were shaking, and his hands gripping the hilt were covered in blood.
His right hand detached from the hilt, dangling limply at his side.
Using his shoulder as a pivot, although it allowed him to deliver that strike, it also resulted in his right shoulder being completely shattered.
"Hoo—"
Ishikawa Katori didn't treat his right arm. Instead, he immediately steadied his breathing and adjusted his own condition.
The battle was not over yet.
Reiatsu, physique, Shunko combining Kido and Hakuda, Zanjutsu… and even the Spiritual Crests, all his powers had been mobilized, but the only result was merely forcing Kenpachi Zaraki back!
This was far from satisfying Ishikawa Katori.
It was the same for Kenpachi Zaraki. He looked at his subtly trembling sword-wielding right hand. The cracked tiger's mouth stained the hilt's bandages with blood, and the scar on Kenpachi Zaraki's face twitched.
Excitement, thrill!
This kid…
He was exactly to his liking!!
Although his Reiatsu wasn't strong, the destructive power he unleashed was extremely formidable, and his potential for growth was immense.
Most importantly…
From beginning to end, he never fled.
From the very start, he was prepared for sacrifice, fully immersing himself in enjoying this battle.
His growth rate was astonishing!
From awkwardness to proficiency in their clashes, until he forced himself back.
Too late, yet too early!
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