"Rukia, whose side are you on, huh?"
Standing behind her, Cole messed up her hair while complaining.
"That guy's trying to drag you back to Soul Society, and you just warned him to dodge me? What if he actually had dodged!?"
Rukia blushed, flustered. "I'm sorry… but he's still my brother. If you'd really hit him, maybe he'd end up knocked out like Soi Fong."
"Wouldn't that be better? We could tie him up, torture him a bit, and make him attend your wedding."
Cole grinned.
"Cole!" Rukia smacked his chest in embarrassment.
"Hehehe…" Cole laughed.
Ichigo frowned. "Cole, that hit just now — could you have finished him off?"
Chad and Uryu looked over too, clearly wondering the same thing.
Cole shook his head. "No. When I hit him, I thought his skull was really hard."
Everyone gasped. Someone's head could withstand the Ruyi Jingu Bang?
From the distance, Byakuya returned, hand pressed to his forehead, with Renji following behind.
"Brother, you're okay!" Rukia said, half relieved, half disappointed.
But Byakuya ignored her. His cold eyes fixed on Cole and the golden staff.
"What is the name of your zanpakuto?"
"Ruyi Jingu Bang!"
Byakuya's gaze chilled. "To make me take a step back… it's decent. But that ends now."
He raised his hand, scattering Senbonzakura again. This time, each petal carried killing intent.
"Ichigo!" Cole shouted.
"Got it!" Ichigo lifted Zangetsu. "Getsuga Tenshō (Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer)!!!"
The blue wave crashed into the storm of petals. Cole charged again, golden staff raised.
But Byakuya retreated fast, cold eyes flashing. He meant to bury him under petals.
And then he faltered. Cole's speed — it matched his.
"Cat demon!!" Byakuya's face darkened. He had no time to react properly, forcing him to draw his other hand down.
Cole stopped mid-charge, laughing out loud.
"Byakuya, why do you have horns on your head? Hahahaha!"
Rukia froze — then burst out laughing too. "Cole, stop, or brother will get mad, kukuku…"
The captains on the rooftops howled with laughter.
"Ha! He's got a lump like horns!"
"Shiro, does your head hurt?"
"Hahaha, I told you nobody takes that kid's club without consequences."
Byakuya's jaw clenched, barely holding onto his cold façade.
Rukia tried to stop smiling. "Brother, maybe you should just return to Soul Society. Cole's zanpakuto is too powerful, and you can't even use bankai in the Human Worl—"
Byakuya's glare silenced her.
It was no longer about taking Rukia back. It was about his pride.
But she still giggled, hand over her mouth.
Byakuya's eye twitched, rage boiling. His voice was like ice.
"Human… you think a strong zanpakuto, plus a few tricks you learned from that cat demon, lets you do whatever you want!?"
He unleashed kido.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai (White Lightning)!"
"Hadō #58: Tenran (Orchid Sky)!"
Cole countered instantly.
"Bakudō #1: Sai (Restrain)!"
"Bakudō #9: Hōrin (Disintegration Wheel)!"
"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen (Beak-Piercing Triple Beam)!"
Byakuya was locked midair, bound and struck by beams of light.
"Getsuga Tenshō!!!"
"Spirit Arrows!"
"Brazo Derecha de Gigante (Giant's Right Arm)!"
"I reject!!!"
Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, and Orihime unleashed everything.
Boom!
Their combined force slammed him from the sky. Cole's staff swelled hundreds of times its size, smashing down.
BOOM!!!
The ground split apart, buildings cracked, and Byakuya was buried deep in the earth.
Residents rushed out, horrified by the earthquake-like devastation.
"Captain!!!" Renji ran forward.
Byakuya climbed out slowly. Dust-covered, robes torn, his once-pristine captain's haori ripped in several places.
Most humiliating of all — two massive lumps bulged on his forehead, like a horned dragon.
Renji nearly laughed but covered his mouth quickly.
Byakuya's eyes froze him cold. Then, fury burst out.
"You think hurting me is enough to be proud!?"
Spirit pressure erupted, pressing everyone down like crushing gravity.
"Captain…" Renji whispered, trembling.
"Brother, you can't use bankai in the Human World!" Rukia pleaded.
But Byakuya didn't care. His voice was like death.
"Bankai… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms)!"
The ground turned white. Rows of towering blades, each three meters high, erupted in two endless lines.
The blades shattered into a tidal wave of petals — millions of them.
Uryu swallowed hard. "Cole… how many petals is that!?"
Cole calculated calmly. "Those giant blades equal dozens of Senbonzakura each. Roughly… a few million petals."
Even Ichigo gasped. Just a second inside that wave, and they'd be minced to ribbons.
"Brazo Derecha de Gigante!"
"Santen Kesshun (Three Sacred Linked Shield)!"
"Rain of Light!"
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
They struck together, but the ocean of petals devoured their attacks.
"Brother…" Rukia begged.
But Byakuya's eyes were merciless.
Cole smirked, raising his hand.
"Arrogant son of heaven, iron walls of fate, dragon roar, lion's howl, tiger's cry, wolf's rush, sever the world before collapse! Bakudō #81: Dankū (Splitting Void)!"
A transparent barrier appeared, splitting the tidal wave.
The petals roared around it, unable to break through.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "High-level kido… without chant…"
For the first time, he admitted it. This boy was captain-class.
But still, he turned away. "Renji, we're leaving."
The petals vanished as he waved his hand. A senkaimon opened.
Byakuya stepped inside, cold gaze falling on Rukia.
"From now on, you are no longer a Soul Reaper of Soul Society. Live as the traitors do."
"Brother…" Rukia whispered, dazed.
The gate slammed shut.
Cole ruffled her hair, smiling. "See? Your ice-block brother actually has a heart."
Rukia nodded blankly, still stunned.
On the rooftop, Yoruichi grinned. "Told you — Shiro's just a softie, always pretending to be grown-up."
The others laughed knowingly.
Meanwhile, in Soul Society, Gin greeted Byakuya with a sly smile.
"So, Captain Byakuya… where's Rukia?"
Byakuya's icy stare cut through him. "That is none of your concern, Gin."
But Gin had already spotted the two huge lumps on his forehead. He chuckled.
"Captain… did you perform a 'smash-head-on-rock' show in the Human World?"
(End of Chapter)
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