[Ninth Place]
[Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru!]
Just as the vast majority of spectators were still immersed in awe over Senbonzakura's ultimate technique, unable to recover from the shock—
New subtitles slowly appeared.
Instantly, they drew every pair of eyes.
And when the words Hyōrinmaru appeared, it was the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 who reacted first and most strongly!
"Eh…?"
"Captain, look! You made it onto the list!"
"Well, of course—you wield Hyōrinmaru, the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō!!!"
At that moment—
Inside the 10th Division headquarters.
Matsumoto Rangiku's wide eyes shone with excitement.
Her voluptuous figure, framed by golden wavy hair, bounced up and down as she grew too worked up.
The title of "Soul Society's Number One Cow" was definitely well-deserved!!!
"Ah…"
Beside her.
As the person in question—
Hitsugaya Tōshirō clearly hadn't processed it yet.
Beneath his white hair, his expression was completely blank. He stared dumbfounded at the screen.
Ninth place?
Me?
Until—
As the subtitles faded away and the video cut to a new scene, a familiar shout rang out!
Only then did Tōshirō realize he had become the protagonist of this ranking!!!
"Bankai!"
"Daiguren Hyōrinmaru (Great Red Lotus Ice Ring)!!!"
The shout echoed.
Reiryoku exploded outward.
Immediately, a chilling frost spread across the skies, piercing to the bone, flooding outward in all directions!
The effect of this icy aura—
The once-clear skies instantly darkened! The climate was forcibly altered, turning hostile in the blink of an eye!
And then—
As the camera panned downward.
The figure of Tōshirō, hand gripping his Zanpakutō, white captain's cloak snapping in the gale of spiritual pressure, appeared.
He looked young—yet overwhelmingly sharp.
Just his presence alone radiated the aura of a young prodigy warrior!
In his grasp, Hyōrinmaru gleamed beneath the dim light—like an ice dragon stirring awake!
This scene—
Once exposed by the ranking video, together with the frozen air actually leaking beyond the transparent screen—
Spread into the real world, continuously expanding!
In an instant, all across the Bleach world, chaos broke out!
The audience reacted in uproar:
"So cold…"
"This freezing aura really is troublesome!"
"No doubt about it—this kid's Bankai is something else!"
Inside Urahara's shop—
Tessai folded his arms, unconsciously shrinking his body from the cold.
As he spoke, the breath escaping his lips instantly turned to white frost, almost freezing in the air!
That was proof enough…
The video's realism was terrifying—
The power of Hyōrinmaru's Bankai was being displayed vividly, letting everyone personally feel the danger of winter's arrival!
"Yes…"
Urahara Kisuke removed his striped hat.
Brushing away a thin layer of frost that had gathered on its brim, he sighed:
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō, isn't it? From what I know, he's the youngest prodigy captain Soul Society has ever had!"
"To think… he actually made it onto the list, one of the Top Ten strongest Zanpakutō!"
Kisuke narrowed his eyes.
There was no denying it.
To become a captain at such a young age—this itself already proved Tōshirō's unmatched talent.
He was, without a doubt, a once-in-a-century genius!
But—
Most of the time.
Potential did not equal strength!
It required years of tempering and growth to truly become a powerhouse.
Hard to imagine—
What kind of trials the boy must have experienced in the future…
To surpass so many others, to climb into the top ten?
Because of that thought—
Urahara Kisuke's interest sharpened.
He longed to witness Hitsugaya's greatest battles, and… the most dazzling moments of Hyōrinmaru!
Meanwhile.
The screen flickered, and the ranking video continued—
Shua!
With a sudden camera turn.
The audience immediately noticed—
Beneath that darkened sky, Hitsugaya was not alone.
Not far ahead.
Within a hundred meters—
Another figure suddenly appeared, mocking him with scornful words:
"Shinigami…"
"I won't deny it—your Bankai does look quite flashy."
"But as the Sexta Espada, I'm not impressed in the slightest!"
The voice was eerie, neither masculine nor feminine.
The moment those words were spoken, just the term Espada caused an uproar!
"Hmm?"
"The Sexta Espada!"
"Another fight against the Arrancar? Then Hitsugaya must be able to kill this one, right?"
At the Kurosaki Clinic—
Kurosaki Isshin stroked his chin, casting a look of trust at the screen, toward Hitsugaya's back.
As his mentor—
And as the former captain of the 10th Division!
Isshin naturally hoped that this junior, once entrusted with his hopes, would now—
Replicate Byakuya's feat from the last round.
Take down an Espada!
Start with a grand victory!
And crush Hueco Mundo's pride!!!
But—
No one expected it.
As the camera shifted forward and revealed the face of the Sexta Espada—
In an instant.
Las Noches erupted into chaos.
The entire Arrancar army froze in disbelief:
"?!"
"What… is this?"
"Isn't that Luppi?"
"How the hell is he claiming Grimmjow's rank as Sexta Espada?!"
In that instant.
The palace, once rowdy, fell dead silent.The atmosphere turned bizarre!
"What's that supposed to mean…"
Yammy scowled, raising his eyes toward Grimmjow across the hall, hands stuffed into his pockets, a giant question mark on his face:
"You're the real Sexta! No one in the army would dare challenge you, right?"
Even Yammy, violent brute that he was—
Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't provoke Grimmjow. He didn't want to deal with the consequences of his wrath.
Let alone Luppi…
That effeminate weakling, one of countless nobodies among the Arrancar trash.
How could he possibly replace Grimmjow in the future and take the Espada's seat?!
In that instant—
Yammy, the Espada, every Hollow and Arrancar present—
All began to question it.
Could the ranking video… really not have made a mistake?
(End of Chapter)
If I see that this fanfic has support, I will upload it to Patreon!!
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]