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Although forcing Kenpachi Zaraki back didn't satisfy Ishikawa Katori himself, the onlookers' gazes couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
The expected scene of Kenpachi Zaraki easily cutting Ishikawa Katori to severe injury didn't occur.
Even though the battle still showed a crushing advantage, Ishikawa Katori wasn't as incompetent as they had imagined; just the fact that he forced Kenpachi Zaraki back in a direct confrontation was enough for everyone to re-evaluate Ishikawa Katori's strength.
"Monster~"
The feather ornament at Ayasegawa Yumichika's eye twitched a few times: "What is going on with his abnormal learning ability?!"
Although Ishikawa Katori's learning ability had surprised him when he fought Ikkaku, it was definitely not as terrifying as it was now.
As if to confirm Ikkaku's words, Ishikawa Katori, reeking of alcohol...
Was more sober than ever!!
Like a sponge absorbing water, as the battle progressed, he continuously absorbed experience from his opponent, and his limits were completely unknown.
"Indeed."
Ikkaku Madarame nodded. Although he had vaguely felt that Ishikawa Katori would become extremely terrifying if he fully unleashed his combat instincts during their sparring, he had never imagined...
Ishikawa Katori could fight a Captain to such an extent!
This guy was a born Eleventh Division Squad Member. Staying in a soft place like the Comprehensive Relief Station to heal and save people was simply burying his talent in combat.
A flicker of thought crossed Ikkaku Madarame's eyes as he pondered how to pull Ishikawa Katori from the Comprehensive Relief Station to the Eleventh Division. Even if he liked healing and saving people, he could still come to the Eleventh Division and be a Squad Doctor!
He didn't know...
If it weren't for this accident, among the entire Gotei 13, Ishikawa Katori might have had contact with people from any Squad, but he would absolutely not have had contact with the Eleventh Division, where steel-straight men and battle maniacs gathered.
"Baldy— Little Peacock—"
Yachiru's deliberately drawn-out call came, causing a premonition of ill omen to rise in both Ikkaku Madarame and Ayasegawa Yumichika's hearts.
"You two seem very familiar with that little alcoholic?"
Little alcoholic?
The two were startled at first, then realized... The Vice-Captain had directly given Ishikawa Katori a nickname based on his current state, without knowing his name.
"Uh~ this..."
Ikkaku Madarame hurriedly looked at Ayasegawa Yumichika, hoping he could explain for him.
After all...
To be fair, it wasn't him who first set his sights on Ishikawa Katori, but Kenpachi Zaraki; if Ishikawa Katori had been at the Everything Store in Rukongai back then, the two would probably have fought several times already.
Although in Ikkaku Madarame's opinion, even if Ishikawa Katori had met Kenpachi Zaraki at that time, he wouldn't have been able to satisfy Kenpachi Zaraki, and might even have been cut down with a single strike...
"He is Ishikawa, the owner of the Everything Store that Kenpachi Zaraki asked us to challenge back then."
...
Ishikawa Katori lowered the hand that was treating his right shoulder. During this time, Kenpachi Zaraki did not attack but stood in place, waiting for him to finish healing.
Seeing Ishikawa Katori finish his treatment, Kenpachi Zaraki's suppressed fighting spirit erupted again, but he did not charge forward immediately.
"Aren't you going to release your Zanpakuto?"
Ishikawa Katori did not reply. After closing his right hand and confirming he could barely move, he stomped his foot on the ground.
With Shunpo activated, he charged directly towards Kenpachi Zaraki.
Indeed, he had given his all, and Kenpachi Zaraki could see that, which was why he asked Ishikawa Katori to release his Zanpakuto.
But it didn't mean that if he couldn't release his Zanpakuto, the battle couldn't continue.
All out, but not yet at the limit!
Seeing this, Kenpachi Zaraki sneered and didn't continue to ask why Ishikawa Katori wasn't releasing his Zanpakuto, because there was no intention of ending the battle in Ishikawa Katori's eyes.
The same went for him!
Buzz—
Golden Reiatsu surged, illuminating the entire area, and Kenpachi Zaraki strode towards Ishikawa Katori.
In an instant, the two collided.
Two long blades clashed in the night sky, and the impact spread outwards. Almost at the moment of impact, Ishikawa Katori immediately fell into a disadvantage.
A tremendous force came from the long blade in his hand, pushing Ishikawa Katori's body backward. And just as this immense force reached its peak, Ishikawa Katori abruptly withdrew his strength, his body rotating with the force.
He actually used this strike as a pivot, borrowing the force to twist his body, and then his right leg, enveloped in lightning, swept out with an astonishing whoosh, delivering a kick.
This kick instantly struck Kenpachi Zaraki's left waist, and the impact area directly caved in. Although the Reiatsu carried by his leg was instantly burned away by the powerful materialized Reiatsu defense, even with the Reiatsu completely consumed, this kick still unleashed an incredibly powerful force!
Bang--!
With a muffled thud, Kenpachi Zaraki was actually tilted by this kick.
All out... but not yet at the limit!
Because his physique had risen to a high level, even without Reiatsu enhancement, it already possessed extremely terrifying strength!
Opportunity!
Ishikawa Katori's eyes suddenly brightened, and the eerie aura around him exploded as if ignited, flowing into the blade along with the lightning, forming an eerie chill that seemed capable of severing anything.
Kenpachi Zaraki only felt an incredibly heavy force pressing down, and instinctively raised his blade to block!
Boom, and at this instant, thunder rumbled within Ishikawa Katori's body, electric snakes danced wildly in his hair, and his physical body was instantly torn apart by the thunderous sound.
Byakurai, Raikōhō...
Forcibly injecting two Kido techniques into his body had already exceeded the endurance limit of his advanced physique, but with the complete disregard for his body's burden, the force of this strike surged again.
Buzz buzz buzz—
The heavy long blade cut through the air, and with the air groaning under the strain, it slammed down fiercely.
Clang--!
The deafening crash was clearly audible even dozens of meters away.
Kenpachi Zaraki felt a terrifying force transmit through the blade in his hand, his right hand went numb, and he almost lost his grip on the blade. His body, which had just stabilized, was once again forced to bend.
However...
Ishikawa Katori's offensive did not end there. Though his expression remained unusually calm, his eyes were already scarlet, and his already tattered black work uniform had completely turned into fragments, revealing his bare upper body stained entirely with blood.
Cannot stop, even stopping for 0.1 seconds would mean losing the current advantage.
Almost simultaneously with the first strike, Ishikawa Katori's body distorted again, and another powerful blow slammed down.
Clang clang clang clang clang—
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the night sky. The long blade, covered in lightning, formed a circle of lightning in the night sky due to the incredibly fast speed of its rotation.
One strike after another slammed down.
Each twisting slash increased the force on the long blade by a few points. With the continuous stacking, even Kenpachi Zaraki was unable to stabilize his body and was continuously forced backward!
The tide of battle turned...
--Suppression!!
Ishikawa Katori had now reached his peak state, feeling unprecedentedly powerful. Even with severe injuries to his body, and even his Spirit Core being overwhelmed by the overly rapid replenishment of Reiatsu, there were still no issues.
All his attention was focused on the long blade in his hand, discarding all distractions!
Giving him no room to counterattack;
Giving him no time to adjust his posture;
Giving him no moment to steady his breathing;
There was only one thing to consider...
--Kill him!!
When the force accumulated to its extreme, when the body reached its limit.
The final strike...
Slashed down amidst the loudest thunder since the battle began!
Boom—
The tremendous roar covered everything, and the entire world seemed to press the pause button at this moment.
Then...
Suddenly, a tumultuous roar, a vast impact like ocean waves, spread out in layers amidst the loud noise, and the swirling wind destroyed everything within a radius of tens of meters.
Soil flew, trees were uprooted, buildings collapsed... The center of the battlefield was enveloped in swirling dust.
Three figures flashed, appearing on the outskirts of the battlefield.
"I'm wondering..."
Ayasegawa Yumichika's mouth twitched: "Is there enough of the Squad's remaining budget to repair the Squad quarters?"
The only thing that made him grateful was that he had ordered the Seated Officers to lead the Squad Members to retreat to the outer perimeter beforehand, otherwise the losses would not have been limited to just the Squad quarters.
No one paid him any mind.
Because Ikkaku Madarame and Yachiru were both intently staring at the center of the battlefield, which made Ayasegawa Yumichika also give up on thinking about the losses to the Squad quarters... Anyway, the one fighting was the Captain, the one causing destruction was also the Captain, so if repairs were needed, it was naturally the Captain's responsibility.
In the center of the battlefield, the dust gradually dissipated, and a tall figure slowly appeared in the three people's field of vision.
Everyone's gaze immediately turned towards it. As soon as they saw the tall figure clearly, all three of their pupils contracted.
Kenpachi Zaraki stood in place, looking at the long blade in his hand, and on his chest...
There was a huge sword scar extending from his left shoulder to his right waist, with blood continuously flowing down the wound.
Kenpachi Zaraki was wounded?
Ayasegawa Yumichika felt as if he were dreaming. How was that possible!?
"Ha—"
"Hahahaha..."
The laughter grew from soft to loud, gradually becoming frenzied. Kenpachi Zaraki reached out and violently tore off the eye patch over his right eye. Golden Reiatsu shot up like a pillar of light, illuminating the entire Eleventh Division area.
The surrounding dust, which had not yet fully dissipated, was instantly swept away by this terrifying Reiatsu.
The wild laughter was deafening.
Kenpachi Zaraki's clothes fluttered, his mouth split into a grin, looking ferocious and excited!
However...
The next second, the laughter stopped.
The golden Reiatsu, like a pillar of light, shooting straight into the night sky, also showed a rigid state.
Because, not far from him, a figure lay motionless in a pool of blood.
"Uh—"
Ikkaku Madarame looked at Kenpachi Zaraki, who was frozen in place, his gaze as strange as could be.
The one who was cut was fine, but the one who did the cutting had fallen.
Kenpachi Zaraki's... awkward, stuck feeling was just too obvious.
The scene fell silent for a moment, with only the golden pillar of Reiatsu continuing to illuminate the night sky like a searchlight.
After a long silence...
Kenpachi Zaraki put his torn eye patch back on, and stood there staring at Ishikawa Katori like he was in a daze, as if expecting Ishikawa Katori to get up from the pool of blood again.
Feeling the disappearance of spiritual power fluctuations, footsteps approached from afar, and a middle-aged man ran over with an anxious expression.
Ayasegawa Yumichika stepped forward to stop him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Many people have come from outside!"
The middle-aged man said anxiously: "All the Squads have sent people to investigate and ask Kenpachi Zaraki who he was fighting. Even the Central 46 has sent people to inquire."
Central 46.
Ayasegawa Yumichika frowned upon hearing this, then looked at Yachiru, who was squatting nearby, repeatedly poking Ishikawa Katori with her finger, and said: "Vice-Captain, you go around from behind and send Ishikawa to the Comprehensive Relief Station. Be careful not to be discovered."
After speaking, he turned to Ikkaku and said: "The two of us will go outside and stop those people, to distract them for the Vice-Captain, so they don't discover Ishikawa."
If it was just a normal fight, it would naturally be fine, after all, their Captain was not having a commotion in Seireitei for the first time.
But Ishikawa Katori was not a Gotei 13 Squad Member, and this time the commotion was so big that it even alarmed the Central 46. If Ishikawa Katori were taken away by them, he might never get out again.
Ikkaku Madarame immediately understood Kiyone's meaning: "Reason?"
"The Captain has been pent up for too long."
After saying that, Ayasegawa Yumichika cautiously glanced at Kenpachi Zaraki in the distance, and only after confirming that he had no reaction did he continue: "Just say that we don't know where the Captain found his opponent, and we don't know him. Anyway, as long as he isn't caught on the spot, the Captain can take all the blame himself!"
As for later...
Their Eleventh Division wouldn't admit it, Ishikawa Katori wouldn't admit it, and with Kenpachi Zaraki as a shield, the Central 46 would probably only give Kenpachi Zaraki some harmless punishment on the surface.
...
Three days later, in the Second Division Captain's Office.
Ōmaeda said with a strange expression: "Captain, someone else has come to inquire about Ishikawa."
"I don't know!!"
Soi Fon's face darkened upon hearing this: "Tell them to go ask Kenpachi Zaraki."
She wasn't the one causing a ruckus in Seireitei, so why were all these people coming to ask her instead of Kenpachi Zaraki?
Ask Kenpachi Zaraki?
Ōmaeda chuckled nervously. That person had already been declared confined by the Central 46, and after the battle three days ago, he even caused a huge commotion with the Eleventh Division Squad Members... Going to find him now would be like walking into a knife.
Furthermore, the Eleventh Division was extremely tight-lipped. First, they uniformly claimed not to know who the Captain was fighting, and then they said it was just a normal internal sparring match, and because Kenpachi Zaraki was overly excited, the commotion was just a little bit big... It was incredibly difficult to get anything out of those battle maniacs who fanatically worshipped Kenpachi Zaraki.
What's more...
Most of the Eleventh Division really didn't know what happened. They were inexplicably summoned by the Seated Officers and led to the outskirts of the Squad quarters to act as security.
Soi Fon rubbed her head and asked: "What about the Eleventh Division? What are they doing?"
"Ever since Ishikawa disappeared from the Comprehensive Relief Station, they've been sending people to watch the Everything Store in Rukongai, and also coming to our Squad quarters, saying that Kenpachi Zaraki invited Ishikawa to visit their Squad quarters."
Ōmaeda paused, then continued: "The people from the Eleventh Division probably don't know that Ishikawa is hiding here with us."
...Soi Fon.
Visit? Aren't they causing enough trouble already?
"As for Ishikawa..."
Ōmaeda didn't wait for Soi Fon to inquire further, and said with a hint of amusement: "After he left the Comprehensive Relief Station, he directly hid in the Maggot's Nest and refused to come out for anything."
"I went to take a look earlier. He beat up all the prisoners... It wasn't to vent his anger on them, but those prisoners saw he was severely injured and attacked him, and as a result, they were all counter-killed... When I went, Ishikawa was banging his head against the wall."
Upon hearing this, Soi Fon's expression immediately improved.
To be honest...
She had never expected it to cause such a huge commotion. In her mind, even if Kenpachi Zaraki and Ishikawa Katori sparred, it would only last a moment, a small skirmish that wouldn't attract much attention, at most just curiosity about who the owner of that Reiatsu was.
As a result, she didn't know how the two of them fought, but they flattened the Eleventh Division's Squad quarters!
This immediately made Seireitei, which had been peaceful for who knows how many years, become noisy. Fortunately, besides a few individuals, many people didn't know the details at all.
Although the Central 46 knew, Kenpachi Zaraki went directly to the Central 46 and took full responsibility, so they didn't pursue it further.
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