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"Allow me to introduce myself again…"
"I am the current Captain of the Eighth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, Kyōraku Shunsui!"
A figure draped in a pink, floral-patterned haori slowly rose from the shadowy mire beneath him, as if emerging from a pool of black mud.
Kyōraku Shunsui bent slightly at the waist. On his weathered face was a sly, satisfied grin, the kind that came from a successful ambush.
In his hand, Katen Kyōkotsu slid smoothly out of Coyote Starrk's chest.
It looked as though the Primera Espada had been killed in an instant.
—
Sixth Division barracks.
"Even if the method wasn't exactly honorable, Captain Kyōraku acted decisively," Abarai Renji said, staring in a daze. "He took down an enemy that even two Visored captains couldn't handle. That's seriously impressive."
On the screen, Starrk's face was pale. His lonely figure staggered, as if he might collapse at any moment.
Seeing him in such a weakened state, and then recalling how overwhelmingly powerful he had been just minutes earlier when he suppressed two Visored captains at once, the contrast was staggering.
It only made Kyōraku Shunsui's strength feel even more terrifying.
After all…
An ambush was a skill in its own right.
Hiding within shadows was clearly one of Katen Kyōkotsu's abilities.
Using his Zanpakutō to kill an enemy, especially one as powerful as the leader of the Espada, was a feat worthy of respect.
That achievement alone was proof of Kyōraku Shunsui's might.
"I've heard before," came Byakuya Kuchiki's calm voice from behind his desk, "that Captain Kyōraku's Zanpakutō, Katen Kyōkotsu, has a Shikai ability known as the 'Games of the Five Demons.'"
"Games of the Five Demons?" Renji echoed, curiosity piqued.
"Yes. Simply put, it turns children's games into reality. Anyone who steps into the range of Katen Kyōkotsu's spiritual pressure is forcibly made to participate."
As he finished, a flicker of caution passed through Byakuya's eyes.
Abilities governed by rules were often the most dangerous. If you did not understand the rules, you would inevitably be dragged into a passive position, unable to defend yourself.
Even someone as cautious and meticulous as Byakuya would rather avoid facing Kyōraku Shunsui unless absolutely necessary.
After hearing the explanation, Renji suddenly understood. "No wonder the Espada didn't react in time. Looks like, aside from Captain Kyōraku himself, nobody really knows the rules of the game yet."
"Watch carefully," Byakuya said, his expression serious. "He is the Primera Espada. There's no way he goes down that easily. Captain Kyōraku will have to show more of his hand."
He was eager to see what other abilities Katen Kyōkotsu's Shikai held beyond Shadow Demon.
—
Meanwhile, the battle on the screen continued.
"Ah… what a pain," Starrk muttered, clutching his wound as he forced himself upright. "I almost got taken out in one hit. You're a sneaky Shinigami."
In truth, before this segment of the fight even began, he had already endured a grueling series of battles against four captains who had lived for over a hundred years.
Now, with his chest pierced and his injuries piling up, his presence was far weaker than it had been when he first released his Resurrección.
"Yeah, maybe," Kyōraku replied lightly. "But Espada-san, there's something you should know."
In a flash, Kyōraku appeared high above.
Blade raised, he swung Katen Kyōkotsu down with all his might, the strike roaring through the air toward Starrk's head.
"What?!" Starrk's eyes widened. "Why is his attack suddenly this strong?"
As the slash rapidly filled his vision, a powerful sense of unease welled up inside him.
But his injuries held him back.
Even though his mind reacted instantly, his body could not keep up. He couldn't move in time to dodge.
Then—
Bang!
With a deafening metallic crash, Starrk was sent flying like a cannonball. His body smashed through more than a dozen skyscrapers before finally slamming into a massive fissure in the ground.
From above, Kyōraku's voice rang out, almost casual, as if explaining the rules of a game.
"The second ability of Katen Kyōkotsu's Shikai is Slash Demon."
"As long as you're within the game's rules, the one who takes the high ground wins easily. Espada-san, I'm sure you can feel that now."
Twin blades in hand, Kyōraku Shunsui radiated overwhelming pressure.
Holding the high ground, he was virtually unbeatable.
That scene once again set off a storm of discussion.
—
"So… so strong!"
"That's the leader of the Espada we're talking about! He can't even fight back. It's unbelievable," Yumichika Ayasegawa exclaimed, completely stunned.
First came Shadow Demon, dealing a devastating surprise attack.
Then Slash Demon, taking the high ground and pressing the advantage without mercy.
In just a few exchanges, Kyōraku Shunsui completely reversed the battle.
Starrk went from a clear victor to someone standing on the brink of death.
That kind of strength was mysterious and overwhelming beyond belief.
"Yeah," Ikkaku Madarame nodded in agreement. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe this was only Shikai. The changing rules alone make it impossible to defend against."
"I'm telling you," he added with a grin, "once this video gets out, nobody's going to want Captain Kyōraku as their enemy."
"Tch… enough already."
Kenpachi Zaraki snorted, cutting them off impatiently. "Rules, children's games, all that complicated crap. I don't get a single word of it."
"No denying it, Kyōraku Shunsui is strong."
"But compared to all that flashy nonsense, I'd rather just swing my sword."
"If a straight slash can solve it, why make things so damn complicated?"
Kenpachi bared his teeth in a feral grin, unloading his complaints in one breath.
Even though their rankings were close and he acknowledged Kyōraku's strength, the difference in fighting philosophy and the sheer complexity of Kyōraku's style clearly irritated him.
—
At the same time, the battle continued on-screen.
"Damn it…"
"Is Lilynette gone too?" Starrk murmured. Ignoring the searing pain in his wounds, his eyes slowly filled with loneliness and sorrow when he could no longer sense her presence. "So this is it. Back to being alone again…"
Long ago, it was his fear of solitude, his refusal to remain alone, that drove him to split his soul.
As one of the only two Hollows in Hueco Mundo to naturally become Arrancar over the past thousand years, Starrk had remained the Primera Espada even after dividing his soul in two. That alone spoke volumes about his strength.
Unfortunately for him…
He had met Kyōraku Shunsui.
A captain even stronger, with a century of experience behind him.
The outcome was inevitable.
"This ends now, Espada-san," Kyōraku said calmly. "It's time for the final game."
Before the words had even finished echoing through the air—
"Shunpo!"
In the blink of an eye, Kyōraku appeared before the ruins.
His voice followed, now steeped in killing intent. "Color Demon. Strike the color you call out, and the slash reaches its maximum power."
"Espada-san, the largest area of color on you is gray, so…"
"Color Demon. Gray."
Before Starrk could react, Katen Kyōkotsu's blade was already upon him.
It cut straight into the gray fur of his wolfskin coat.
"Gah!"
Blood sprayed outward.
Kyōraku poured more strength into his swing, leaving Starrk no room to recover.
A flash of white light streaked through the air.
The slash tore through the coat and once again pierced straight across Starrk's chest.
"I'm sorry," Kyōraku said quietly. "But our game ends here, Primera Espada."
His captain's haori fluttered as he sheathed his blades.
The moment Kyōraku withdrew his sword, Starrk's body went cold and stiff, his expression frozen in place.
Then he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"..."
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