"ORAAAAAAAH!!"
Swinging Zabimaru, which was already in its Shikai form, Renji Abarai let out a thunderous roar. The weapon, though rugged and massive, moved with the light fluidity of a streamer caught in the wind as it lashed out at the three Vice-Captains.
"Hah!!"
"Whoa!?"
"Guh...!"
Chojiro Sasakibe masterfully blocked the complex, undulating strikes of Zabimaru with his own zanpakuto. Togakushi and Shuhei Hisagi, however, were forced to leap back, barely escaping the weapon's reach.
"I see, impressive! To handle a zanpakuto with such finesse..."
"Heh, thanks for the compliment!!"
One had blocked the attack, while the others had dodged. It was a simple exchange, a split-second difference. Yet, even that brief interaction was enough for Renji to recognize Chojiro Sasakibe's high level of refinement. As a return for the praise, Renji sent Zabimaru into an even wilder frenzy.
"Then I shall not hold back either!"
This time, the attack was not blocked. Chojiro Sasakibe leaped back to create significant distance and took a posture as if offering a prayer while holding his blade.
"Pierce!!"
"Sway and Ascend!!"
"Reap!!"
As if synchronized with Chojiro Sasakibe's movements, the Vice-Captains Togakushi and Shuhei Hisagi also released their Shikai simultaneously.
In Chojiro Sasakibe's hand, his zanpakuto transformed into a weapon specialized for piercing—a rapier-like blade called Gonryumaru. Togakushi gripped Haruchiri, which had turned into a massive, long-handled scythe. Shuhei Hisagi's weapon also became a scythe, though its shape was far more peculiar. While Togakushi held a traditional single-bladed scythe with a long pole, Shuhei Hisagi held Kazeshini—a pair of double-edged scythes with blades curved in opposite directions like a windmill, each connected by a long chain.
"So, the real fight starts now..."
"You bet it does!!"
Shuhei Hisagi moved first. He powerfully hurled one of the great scythes toward Renji.
"I figured you'd try that!"
Renji had already deduced from the weapon's appearance that since the scythes were linked by a chain, they could be used for long-range projectile attacks. He manipulated Zabimaru to strike the incoming blade out of the air.
"Too naive, Renji Abarai!!"
Responding to Zabimaru's movement, Shuhei Hisagi gripped the chain and yanked it hard. The trajectory of the thrown scythe shifted instantly, snaking through the air as if intentionally evading Zabimaru's reach.
"That's my line!!"
"What...!"
But Renji had anticipated that much. His true target wasn't the scythe itself, but the chain connecting the two blades. If he could entangle or sever that link, the opponent's offensive power would be halved. The blades of Zabimaru, which had seemed to be lunging stubbornly for the scythe, suddenly moved in an irregular pattern, snapping toward the chain instead.
"How shallow!"
Just as Zabimaru was about to bite into the chain, Togakushi swung Haruchiri with a wide arc. However, even with its long handle, Haruchiri was far from Zabimaru's position. No matter how much he stretched or where he gripped the pole, it was a distance that should have been impossible to reach. It should have had no effect at all.
"W-Whoa!?"
A violent gust of wind erupted, following the trail of Haruchiri's swing. The fierce pressure forced the chains of Kazeshini away from Zabimaru's jaws, and Zabimaru itself lost all control, buffeted by the intense wind. The gale reached Renji, striking his body with staggering force. With Zabimaru thrashing out of control, Renji's balance was shattered.
"Gonryumaru!"
Chojiro Sasakibe did not miss the opening. Channeling lightning from his blade, he fired it instantly at Renji.
"GAAAAAAAH!!"
Teetering on the verge of falling, Renji couldn't even attempt to react. In truth, against an attack as fast as a lightning bolt, evasion was likely impossible unless one reacted before the trigger was even pulled. A scream tore from his throat as the high-voltage strike surged through him. The pain of his body being scorched from the inside out nearly extinguished his consciousness.
'Not... Not yet!!'
Ignoring his screaming nerves, Renji pulled Zabimaru back to him.
"D-DAMN IT ALL!!"
"Ngh!!"
Instead of extending the blade, he slammed it down with its weight alone. The strike collided with the blade of Gonryumaru, stopping the follow-up attack in its tracks.
Chojiro Sasakibe had intended to use the long-range lightning to stun him before closing in for a lethal thrust. It was a simple, effective plan. Renji had seen through it and managed to intercept the blade.
Even so, to realize the intent while being scorched by lightning and to block a thrust that rivaled the speed of the bolt itself was a feat worthy of high praise.
"You're wide open!"
"Haaah!!"
"Guh...! UOOOOH!!"
Without a moment to catch his breath, Shuhei Hisagi and Togakushi charged in as well. Unable to overcome the three-on-one disadvantage, Renji was slowly being pushed back.
---
"Oh dear, they got away."
Gin Ichimaru watched Kiyone Kotetsu and the others flee with his fox-like eyes, though he didn't sound particularly disappointed.
"Well, it can't be helped. I suppose we'll have to deal with you ourselves, or we'll get in trouble."
"We will strike you down and then follow them," Kaname Tosen added.
The two Captains drew their zanpakuto and leveled them toward Ichigo and the others.
"Are you serious? We have the advantage in numbers," Yoruichi Shihoin stated.
"Do you think we'll let you pass so easily?" Soifon asked.
"You're not going anywhere!" Ichigo Kurosaki shouted.
Ichigo and the others—except for Yoruichi, who remained bare-handed—drew their weapons, their fighting spirits rising.
"True, in terms of sheer numbers, we are at a disadvantage. However, there are many ways to overcome such a gap," Kaname Tosen said calmly.
"And besides, it looks like there's someone among you who isn't quite up to the task of facing the two of us," Gin added.
"...!"
Ichigo caught his breath as Gin's gaze flickered toward him.
He had trained with the Eleventh Division for days. He had even begun his Bankai training. But he had not yet mastered it, and his confidence in his own strength was wavering. He was undoubtedly stronger and growing rapidly, but the "battle with Kenpachi" he had witnessed recently had shaken his self-assurance.
Kenpachi Zaraki was the first person to show Ichigo a wall that felt truly insurmountable. Back in the World of the Living, Ichigo had been so helpless against such power that he couldn't do anything—in fact, the gap had been so wide that he'd had his wounds treated by his opponent. And yet, the person before him had fought a desperate battle against that very same Kenpachi. What did it mean to be a Captain? How strong had he actually become? It wasn't surprising that his internal "yardstick" for measuring power was broken.
The guilt of not being able to use Bankai and the confusion regarding his own standing were two heavy burdens. Carrying both in this situation was a fatal flaw.
"The ironclad rule is to take out the weakest first. Don't take it personally."
"UOOOOH!!"
Gin easily saw through Ichigo's heart and lunged. Ichigo managed to block the direct, heavy slash, but the sheer power of Gin's strike forced him to retreat a significant distance.
"Ichigo!"
"I won't let you!!"
Yoruichi was also concerned for Ichigo. Just as she considered double-teaming one of the Captains, her plan was disrupted by an unexpected move. Kaname Tosen stepped forward.
"Bankai."
"Wh-What is this!?"
"Hm...!?"
The ring decorating the guard of Kaname Tosen's zanpakuto expanded before instantly splitting into countless copies that surrounded them. In the next breath, a torrent of blackness surged from within each ring, instantly swallowing Yoruichi, Soifon, and the entire surrounding area.
"..."
In the space engulfed by darkness, only Kaname Tosen's voice echoed.
---
"—Though I suppose you can no longer hear or see me."
Kaname Tosen muttered with a hint of self-mockery.
The area was covered by something resembling a massive black dome tent, making the interior dim. However, it wasn't so dark that one couldn't see anything. In such a wide space, even small sounds should have carried well.
And yet—
"Wh-What is this...!? I can't see... I can't hear!? I can't even hear my own voice...!?"
Yoruichi was visibly panicked, a rare sight for her. But who could blame her?
The ability of Suzumushi Final Form: Enma Korogi created a specific space and stripped anyone within it of four senses: sight, hearing, smell, and spiritual perception. It made no distinction between friend or foe. Everyone within the dome fell into the same state.
There was only one exception: anyone touching the hilt of the zanpakuto, Suzumushi, would have their senses restored.
Suddenly losing sound, light, scent, and even the ability to sense spiritual pressure would naturally cause even someone of Yoruichi's caliber to fall into confusion.
And that applied, naturally, to—
"Lady Yoruichi!!"
Soifon, who was trapped alongside her, was in the same condition. However, she appeared much calmer than Yoruichi.
'I see... No sound, no sight... This must be Tosen's Bankai...'
She spoke again to confirm, and finding satisfaction in the fact that she could not hear her own words, she lightly sank her teeth into the back of her hand.
'I can taste. I can feel pain... Understood.'
Her lips curled into a tiny smirk at the result. Between the sensation of licking her skin, the pain of the bite, and the slight taste of blood in her mouth, she had almost completely deduced the nature of the Bankai.
"Impressive, Soifon. You've already analyzed my Bankai. But!!"
Recognizing Soifon's calm analysis as the greater threat, Kaname Tosen swung his blade through the darkness. Though she reflexively pulled back upon sensing the intent to attack, the strike still sliced through her shoulder.
"...!!"
"Even if you understand it, the fact that you cannot see remains! You cannot keep up with my movements!!"
Another attack lashed out, cutting her cheek.
'Just now, for a single moment, my senses returned. In that case... I see. Touching the zanpakuto as it cuts me is the condition for dispelling the effect!'
Despite taking damage, she continued to gather and analyze information. It seemed she had now fully grasped the mechanics of the Bankai.
"In that case."
Soifon chose to close her own eyes. Since her senses only returned for the moment she was struck, the flickering between darkness and light only served to cause further confusion. She decided she was better off not seeing at all from the start.
Kaname Tosen, who lacked sight himself, did not notice her action. He circled around her and swung his blade at her back.
"Tch!"
"What...!?"
The strike did nothing more than graze the surface of her skin. Soifon moved as if she could actually see Kaname Tosen's movements, successfully evading the attack.
"There!"
She didn't stop there. Aiming for the opening following his strike, she swung her zanpakuto. Although she didn't land a direct hit, the movement caused Kaname Tosen a great deal of agitation.
'Was I off...? It seems I'm still a bit unrefined.'
Muttering to herself, she tapped her shoulder with the back of her blade, as if adjusting something.
Soifon couldn't see or hear. She was sensing the attack through a presence honed by relentless training. She tracked his location through her sense of touch—specifically, by feeling the movement of the air against her skin.
Members of the Stealth Force, who carry out missions in the shadows without ever coming into the light, are all trained to fight even if their eyes are sealed. Moreover, she was the Supreme Commander of that very organization. While she couldn't fight at her usual full capacity, this was hardly an insurmountable obstacle.
"Ngh!"
"Oh, a hit this time."
The sensation of her blade grazing something told her the attack had landed. At the same time, the way the air moved confirmed she was facing Kaname Tosen. Her movements showed no hesitation.
"You can hear me, can't you? Certainly, against others, this darkness is effective. But who do you think I am? Taking away sound and light isn't enough to stop me!"
Into the absolute darkness, she cast words that she herself could not hear.
---
"Now that I think about it, the first person you fought was me, wasn't it?"
"AAH!?"
Amidst their clash, Gin Ichimaru spoke up as if suddenly remembering something nostalgic.
"You've become quite a bit stronger since then. It's quite impressive."
"Don't screw with me!!"
His casual tone, as if they were just making small talk, rubbed Ichigo the wrong way. To Ichigo, this was a life-or-death struggle, yet it felt like he wasn't being taken seriously. He shouted in a fit of rage.
"The first person I fought was Renji! The next was Yukawa! If you count Jidanbo, you're the fourth person!!"
"Oh, is that so? ...Hm, the fourth...?"
Gin sounded as if something about the word "fourth" piqued his interest.
"I see, so I'm the fourth..."
"What are you...!?"
The moment Ichigo's irritation at Gin's vague attitude became unbearable—
"Shinsō."
"WHA—!?"
Concealing the blade beneath his Captain's haori, Gin extended Shinsō. Ichigo barely managed to dodge by arching his back. If he had failed, his torso would have been run through.
"Don't let your guard down."
"You bastard...!!"
"Well, if you truly believe I'm the fourth... then perhaps you're lucky."
"I said, what are you—"
The angry shout was never finished.
"Oh, what a coincidence."
Sosuke Aizen stood there, carrying Rukia Kuchiki.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]