"My equipment!" Kisuke Urahara was greatly surprised. He immediately used Shunpo to reach the basement, rushing into the flames to check his precious equipment.
He had thought there was no chance for these things to survive, but he didn't expect Makiya to have the presence of mind to protect them in the midst of battle.
Without the support of the Kido barrier, the underground space was crumbling and shrinking. Kisuke Urahara hurriedly moved the equipment out of the basement, while Makiya returned to the surface carrying the unconscious Yoruichi.
"Slashes with no technique, relying entirely on spiritual pressure, brute force, and sheer aggression... how simple and unadorned." Retsu Unohana's chest heaved violently. The way Makiya finally defeated Yoruichi reminded her of someone. She, who prided herself on mastering all the swordsmanship in the world and was known as Yachiru, had been utterly defeated by that man who only swung his blade wildly.
Pure stats crushed all fancy tricks.
She couldn't even make him enjoy himself in battle; how pathetic.
'Kenpachi Zaraki... perhaps Makiya can let you undo your seal and enjoy a battle in your prime again.' Retsu Unohana touched the scar on her chest and remained silent.
Kenpachi Zaraki indeed thought so. If Makiya hadn't just finished a battle, he wouldn't have been able to restrain his hand on his sword and would have started hacking at him right in the street.
'I'll look for him once his spiritual pressure has recovered.'
Kenpachi Zaraki silently noted Makiya's identity as the Sixth Seat of the 5th Division and turned to leave.
"Sixth Seat Makiya, please hand Captain Yoruichi over to me." Retsu Unohana gave Makiya a meaningful look, took off her captain's haori to drape over Yoruichi, and took the casualty back to the 4th Division.
The various captains gathered their respective subordinates. Those who were still unconscious were given a couple of slaps to wake them up violently. If they lacked the strength and hadn't realized they shouldn't have stood so close, they deserved to be hit.
The Research and Development Bureau was in a mess. The Head Captain ordered Kisuke Urahara to organize personnel to begin repairs and send the bill to the Shihoin family afterward.
Makiya took the Shihakusho handed to him by a member of the 5th Division. After putting it on, he followed the Head Captain into the 1st Division barracks.
"Fifth Division Sixth Seat Makiya, you and Yoruichi were far too reckless! However, since Yoruichi is willing to take full responsibility, I will not pursue it further. I do not wish for this to happen a second time." The Head Captain tapped his cane, his aged voice echoing in the empty hall.
Chisato trembled in his hand, not out of fear, but out of extreme excitement. She felt that the old man's spiritual pressure would be a great boost to her master. She kept vibrating the blade, urging Makiya to find a way to test his skills against the Head Captain.
Makiya's mouth twitched as he forcibly suppressed the restless Chisato. Becoming stronger was a gradual process. The Head Captain looked old and frail, as if he were ready to pass away at any moment, but his majesty was undiminished. If he were to perform Bankai right now, a single swing of his blade and the Soul Society would be gone.
Makiya had indeed become much stronger recently, but he was far from being able to destroy the Soul Society.
"Rest assured, Head Captain. I will certainly be more careful in the future." Makiya scratched his head. "But I have a strong desire to fight against powerful enemies. Only on the edge of life and death can one's potential be sparked to reach even greater heights. Is there a place in the Seireitei where I can fight without holding back?"
"Of course there is." The Head Captain felt a sense of appreciation for Makiya's talent. Makiya's thirst for battle reminded him of his own youth, when he held Ryujin Jakka and cut his way from South District 80 to North District 80 without even blinking.
It's good for young people to have ideas and be willing to work hard to improve. Makiya was even willing to ask him for a place to fight, rather than being like a certain hothead who, upon seeing a target he liked, would draw his sword and start hacking without a word.
Comparison is the thief of joy, but the Head Captain felt deeply comforted. He tapped his cane on the ground. "Both the Senzaikyu and Muken can be lent to you."
The old man walked to the window, pulled back the curtain, and pointed his cane south. There stood the central high tower of the Seireitei—the Senzaikyu, entirely white and simple yet solemn in style.
"Senzaikyu is built of Sekki-seki, which can isolate spiritual particles and spiritual pressure. If you are fighting an opponent you are confident of defeating, you can apply to me to use the deep prison of Senzaikyu. I will approve it."
Makiya followed the Head Captain's cane. The white tower was exceptionally striking. That was the place where serious criminals were imprisoned; Rukia Kuchiki would stay there for a time in the future.
On the other side of the tower, there was a rope bridge leading to Sokyoku Hill. On the hill sat the Sokyoku platform, where a spear and a crucifix stand were placed. Its shape looked somewhat like a guillotine.
The spear's form after release is a giant bird named 'Kiko-o'. It is said to have the destructive power of a million Zanpakuto. Makiya was quite skeptical of this claim.
"If..." The Head Captain's tone suddenly became serious, and he squinted one eye as he looked at Makiya. "If you intend to fight with all your might and gamble your life, then go to Muken. It is the lowest level of the Central Great Underground Prison, a boundless space. As long as you apply in advance, I will approve it, provided you agree to one thing."
"Uh... Head Captain, may I ask what it is first?" Makiya swallowed hard, his eyes drifting to the cane in the Head Captain's hand. Hidden there was the strongest fire-type offensive Zanpakuto—Ryujin Jakka.
What did the Head Captain want him to agree to? It couldn't be that the old man's hands were itchy and he wanted to take a swing at him, right?
"You have already met the requirements to become a captain, it's just that there are currently no vacancies in the Gotei 13." The Head Captain stared at Makiya quietly. "I want you to promise that once a suitable captain vacancy appears, you will not refuse."
So that was it. Makiya thought it was something important, so he readily agreed. "No problem."
Just being a captain; as long as he knew how to slack off, the paperwork would all be done by the lieutenant.
Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe entered with great discernment and escorted Makiya out of the 1st Division. On the way, this dutiful lieutenant introduced the procedures for applying to use Muken and the Senzaikyu deep prison in detail. Makiya noted them all down.
He didn't expect to use this process the very next day.
Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of the 11th Division, came to challenge him, and Makiya gladly accepted.
The two went to Muken together. They were seen by busybodies on the way, and the news quickly spread through the Gotei 13. Several captains who were on good terms gathered on a high building where they could directly see the prison gate and began to analyze who would win.
"I think it's Captain Kenpachi. That guy is incredibly strong," said Juro Otoribashi, the blonde-haired Captain of the 3rd Division.
"Hey, hey, hey, have a little faith in the young guy. I bet Makiya will win." Shunsui Kyoraku pulled at his straw hat and said with a smile, "I'll bet a month's worth of sake money."
"Is this really okay?" Jushiro Ukitake, the Captain of the 13th Division, coughed twice, thought for a moment, and continued, "I'm in. I also think Captain Kenpachi has a better chance of winning."
"Tch, I'll definitely support Makiya. You guys just wait to lose your money," Shinji Hirako said dissatisfiedly, baring his teeth.
No one knew what happened inside Muken. The flow of time inside was completely different from the outside world. Everyone waited from day until night until a figure appeared at the prison entrance.
"He's out, he's out." Shinji Hirako had sharp eyes and squinted to make out the person. "Let me see who it is... it's Makiya! I told you he'd win. Pay up, pay up."
At the prison entrance, Makiya looked up at the sky.
The stars were brilliant and the breeze blew through his hair. Recalling the battle in Muken, he felt a sense of daze, as if he had just crawled out of hell.
"What a beast. No wonder he's a man who could make Hanako yield. Fortunately, I was a step ahead."
The battle between Makiya and Kenpachi Zaraki was unremarkable. Two spiritual pressure monsters trading basic attacks, competing purely on stats. Every strike hit flesh, every move drew blood—none of that fancy stuff.
Makiya took the opportunity to collect a large amount of Kenpachi's spiritual pressure. Chisato was ecstatic, eager to help her master take another step forward.
"Don't be in a rush. Let me rest for a bit." Makiya comforted Chisato and used Shunpo to leave.
The next day, another figure appeared at the prison entrance.
Kenpachi Zaraki was shirtless, walking out of the prison with every step leaving a bloody footprint. "Dammit, the seal was released too late."
He looked at the eyepatch in his hand and twisted his neck unhappily. Because the movement was too great, the gruesome wound on his chest split open again, faintly revealing a beating heart.
"Why is Ken-chan so badly hurt?" Suddenly, a pink-haired girl ran out from the corner. With tears in her eyes, she pulled on Kenpachi's pant leg with all her might. "Ken-chan, come with me to the 4th Division to see a doctor!"
Kenpachi picked up Yachiru Kusajishi and placed her on his shoulder. Carrying his sword, he asked casually, "Do you know how to get to the 4th Division, Yachiru?"
"I know, this way." Yachiru Kusajishi raised her small hand and pointed in a direction.
"Okay."
Kenpachi Zaraki staggered step by step toward the 13th Division barracks.
As the calm yet exciting days passed, Makiya continued to challenge people to spar, and his strength steadily increased.
One day, Makiya heard that a large-scale soul disappearance case had occurred again in South District 60. After much thought, he invited several captains to meet in the underground space Kisuke Urahara had rebuilt.
"Everyone, I believe Sosuke Aizen is conducting hollowification experiments!"
Makiya spoke slowly, and the captains' spirits were jolted.
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