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One slash.
No suspense whatsoever.
The moment Unohana swung her blood-drenched blade, miracles ceased to exist in this world.
All life would be corroded by that crimson killing aura, and Kenpachi was no exception.
"Guh—!"
A muffled groan escaped him.
He collapsed in despair.
Kenpachi couldn't struggle at all.
No matter how fierce his fighting spirit was, this was his first time encountering the Eight Thousand Streams of murderous aura. His body simply couldn't adapt to such overwhelming intensity.
In the end…
All he could do was lie weakly in a pool of blood.
And watch as Unohana Retsu stepped past him, crossing over the blood he'd spilled, walking like a victor toward the gates of the Infinite Hell.
The outcome confirmed the words spoken before the "Kenpachi battle" ever began:
"The winner leaves. The loser stays."
"The defeated will be stripped of the title 'Kenpachi' and sink into this endless hell until death."
The footage ended there.
What followed was left unshown.
The final frame froze on Kenpachi Zaraki's fallen body.
The so-called King of Basic Slashes, fate unknown.
This battle, through the clash between two Kenpachi, fully displayed Unohana Retsu's terrifying strength.
Especially after activating Bankai.
The dense, blood-like killing aura pouring from her body was magnified by the vividness of the recording, leaving viewers with the suffocating sensation of being submerged in an endless sea of blood.
"That was insane. Absolutely flawless."
"So this is the true power of the First Kenpachi. The legends weren't exaggerating."
"The gentlest person turned out to be the most violent king of basic attacks? We really misjudged her."
"Hey, what if we all transfer to Squad Four and follow Captain Unohana? I want to learn swordsmanship from her."
"What are we waiting for? Squad Four's entrance is probably already packed."
"Fake combat squad: Squad Eleven! Real combat squad: Squad Four!"
…
This time, things were different.
As the ranking segment ended, the atmosphere within the Gotei Thirteen subtly shifted.
In every squad barracks, whether inside rooms or along hallways and corridors, discussion buzzed nonstop.
After witnessing Unohana Retsu's overwhelming power, and then remembering her current identity as the captain of the medical division, the Shinigami collectively realized something:
They had been thinking too small.
Squad Four, long looked down upon…
Wasn't the weakest squad at all.
It was actually the place every battle-loving, blood-pumping Shinigami should aspire to be.
Why?
Isn't it obvious?
Mastering healing arts makes it easier to keep fighting. It even makes your slashes hit harder.
Captain Unohana had just demonstrated that perfectly. She proved through action that the pinnacle of medicine was absolute violence.
With the facts laid bare, what were they waiting for?
Move out. Group up. Join Squad Four.
As long as Captain Unohana was there, learning healing arts under her couldn't possibly be wrong.
Squad Eleven.
"Captain Zaraki…"
"I heard some whispers outside the office just now. Sounds like quite a few members are thinking of transferring to Squad Four. What should we do?"
Under the crushing atmosphere and Kenpachi's dark expression, Ikkaku Madarame forced himself to ask.
Damn it.
Who could've seen this coming?
Even when Kenpachi burst out with raw survival instinct at the very end, he still got taken down in a single slash by Captain Unohana.
That scene hurt. Bad.
Squad Eleven's morale plummeted instantly, and Kenpachi's image took a direct hit. The title "King of Basic Slashes" shattered on the spot.
Now…
Captain Unohana Retsu, the First Kenpachi, was clearly the real king.
But contrary to Ikkaku's expectations—
Kenpachi didn't get angry.
Instead, he spoke with eerie calm. "Let them go, Ikkaku. I don't care to keep idiots who jump ship the moment the wind changes."
"Captain…"
Ikkaku's expression was complicated.
From those words alone, he could feel the disappointment and quiet desolation in Kenpachi's heart.
But was that feeling because his own fate was uncertain?
Or because he'd been utterly crushed beneath Unohana's blade?
Ikkaku didn't know.
Right now, the only thing he could do was stay by his side, silently, until Kenpachi stood back up again.
Hueco Mundo, Las Noches.
"Starrk, Barragan, Harribel… and Ulquiorra."
"After seeing the First Kenpachi's strength with your own eyes, do you still think following Aizen into Soul Society is a good idea?"
From a corner riddled with cracks in the wall came Yammy's furious roar. He'd even dropped the honorifics when referring to Aizen, making his stance painfully clear.
The Arrancar army?
Yeah, right.
If we actually invade Soul Society, we'd probably get chopped up like vegetables by that terrifying woman.
You Vasto Lorde might find a way to escape.
But what about us Gillians and Adjuchas?
Just imagining himself releasing his Resurrección, turning into that massive "Rage Beast," made Yammy grind his teeth in fury.
Damn it.
So becoming Espada Number Zero just meant being first in line as cannon fodder?
What rotten luck.
"Yammy, what are you implying? Are you planning to betray Lord Aizen?"
Ulquiorra, usually silent, turned his hollow gaze toward Yammy. A cold glint flashed through his emerald eyes.
Even the Black-Winged Demon hadn't expected Yammy, his usual partner, to spark internal conflict now of all times.
"Tch. Ulquiorra, don't play dumb with me," Yammy sneered, ignoring the warning tone. "There's no way you haven't noticed the gap between us and the Shinigami after watching all this. Who knows how many more ancient captains might pop out next?"
The image of Unohana cutting down Kenpachi in a single slash flashed through his mind again, and Yammy's legs nearly went weak.
He had no interest in traveling all the way to Soul Society just to die.
"Impossible. You're just scaring yourself. Lord Aizen never said the original captains were still alive."
Ulquiorra replied coldly, his words firm and unwavering, filled with absolute loyalty.
However—
Before Yammy could fire back…
Another Espada, Nnoitra, whose mindset was just as close to shattering, stepped into the argument as well.
The Saintly Crying Mantis sneered coldly."Heh… all you ever talk about is Lord Aizen. Don't forget what he really is. He's a Soul Reaper. Who's to say he isn't deliberately leading us straight into a trap?"
"Nnoitra's right!"
"We Hollow have been enemies of the Soul Reapers since the moment we were born! And now we're supposed to kneel before one of them? Worse, we're expected to fight for him and invade Soul Society in the future. It's beyond ridiculous!"
Seeing others echo the sentiment, Yammy seized the chance to stir the flames, redirecting all that simmering hatred squarely toward Aizen.
As his furious voice echoed through the air, the atmosphere inside Las Noches plunged below freezing.
Faced with a dispute between Espada, the lower-ranked Arrancar present were shaking in fear, barely daring to breathe.
"So…"
Ulquiorra's cold gaze swept over them.
"Are you two planning to betray Lord Aizen and strike out on your own?"
As he spoke, his hand slipped beneath his white sleeve and quietly rested on the hilt of his zanpakutō. A chilling killing intent burst forth from his body.
If Yammy and Nnoitra gave an answer he didn't like…
Then Ulquiorra would no longer see them as comrades.
He would treat them as prey and punch a Hollow hole straight through each of their chests.
That had always been his way.
"So you want to fight? Don't think I'm scared of you, Ulquiorra!"
Noticing the movement toward the sword, Nnoitra panicked for a split second, but still met it head-on, lifting the crescent-shaped scythe at his back.
Damn it.
Worst case, we take each other down together.
I'm not about to live like a dog under some Soul Reaper.
Yammy was no different. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly.
The two sides stood on the brink of violence.
A fight inside Las Noches seemed inevitable.
Their clashing spiritual pressure even caused faint cracks to spread across some of the palace pillars.
Then, at that moment—
From the highest tier of the steps, Barragan spoke, his voice cold and heavy with rage.
"Enough."
"All three of you, know your limits. I dislike Aizen as much as anyone, but this is not the time for infighting."
His low, hollow voice carried an overwhelming killing intent.
Barragan's command hit like a bucket of ice water, snapping the three back to their senses.
"Hmph…"
Feeling the towering fury of the Skeleton Emperor, Yammy and Nnoitra were the first to back down. They snorted in irritation and reined in their power.
Seeing this, Ulquiorra didn't push further. He fell silent and withdrew his spiritual pressure as well.
Just like that, with Barragan stepping in, the tense standoff finally eased.
"There's no denying that Nnoitra has a point. We shouldn't be selling our lives to a Soul Reaper."
Barragan's arrogant gaze fixed on the translucent screen as his voice boomed like thunder.
"However…"
"Until Aizen's evaluation is complete, I suggest everyone calm down and keep watching. At least until we know how this ends for him."
As the former king of Hueco Mundo, Barragan had long harbored thoughts of rebellion.
But after watching the evaluation videos and seeing that Aizen still hadn't appeared on the list, the Skeleton Emperor had already realized something. Aizen was almost certainly ranked within the top ten, perhaps even higher.
If that was the case, then it was worth waiting.
On one hand, the video would reveal Aizen's eventual fate. On the other, the battles shown could expose his abilities and weaknesses.
If Aizen proved overwhelmingly strong and truly went on to destroy the Gotei Thirteen, then staying under his command as Espada wasn't the worst outcome. It was humiliating, yes, but it meant ruling over Hueco Mundo.
But if Aizen was destined to die…
Then they would rebel early, exploit the weaknesses exposed by the video, and join forces to kill him.
That was Barragan's true calculation.
In the end, it was all about maximizing benefit.
"I agree with Barragan," Starrk said, shaking his head with a weary sigh."I don't want to see us tearing each other apart…"
Tired of loneliness, he naturally hoped the Arrancar could stand together instead of killing one another. He didn't want to lose any more precious companions.
"I don't really care. Do whatever you want…"
Harribel spoke next.
She neither opposed nor agreed, choosing a neutral stance.
Truthfully, she was exhausted by it all. She had grown sick of endless conflict.
If the Arrancar army fell apart, then so be it. She would just go back to wandering the sands with Sun-Sun and Apache, like before.
However…
Before the remaining Espada could voice their opinions, the vanished screen suddenly flickered back to life. New text appeared.
[Special Evaluation]
[A Legendary Figure: The Blacksmith from the Soul King's Palace]
[God of the Blade: Nimaiya Ōetsu]
"..."
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