Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out continuously as blades collided with sharp claws, sending sparks flying in all directions. Spiritual pressure oscillated through the space, repeatedly buffeting the Kido barrier. Countless claw shadows enveloped Makiya, but his red blade danced through the air with impenetrable precision, blocking every lightning-wrapped claw that struck.
Yoruichi's spiritual pressure was as nimble and free as a gentle breeze, yet as unpredictable as a storm raging over the ocean. In a single second, it shifted through forty-eight different intensities, qualities, and directions, making it impossible to pin down. Every strike she landed whipped up waves of crimson flames.
Makiya's aura was as deep as an abyss. His spiritual pressure felt like a vast, unfathomable ocean. While a disaster-level storm might churn up massive waves on the surface, the deep seabed remains forever tranquil and unaffected.
The squad members watching from outside the barrier were already dumbstruck. One by one, they stood with their mouths agape in disbelief. Word of Makiya's identity as the 5th Division's 6th Seat had already spread among them, and they found it hard to imagine that he could actually fight on equal terms with the esteemed Lady Yoruichi.
Yoruichi's speed continued to accelerate. The eyes of the ordinary squad members had long since failed to keep up with her movements; they could only see blurred flashes of lightning leaping within the barrier. Makiya, however, stood his ground as steady as a mountain. No matter how tricky the angle of her sharp claws, he perfectly manipulated his red blade to parry every attack.
It looks like... 6th Seat Makiya has the upper hand?!
The ordinary squad members lacked the skill to see the finer details, but the various Captains each had different expressions. They knew full well that Yoruichi's speed had long surpassed the average Captain level. Had they been in the field themselves, they might have been forced into a desperate retreat.
The fact that Makiya could respond so calmly while keeping the ground beneath his feet perfectly intact meant there were only two possibilities.
1. Makiya's Zanpakuto is a rule-based type, operating under some kind of special logic.
2. Makiya's spiritual pressure completely crushes Yoruichi's.
The Captains had already gained some understanding of Makiya's Shikai effect through previous incidents, so the answer was glaringly obvious.
"This guy, I really didn't misjudge him." Shinji Hirako grinned, his gaze drifting toward Aizen Sosuke, who had come along with him.
One intuition had already been proven right, which meant his suspicion regarding Aizen had skyrocketed in credibility. That guy who smiled all day long was definitely not a good person; he had to increase the level of surveillance.
Aizen noticed Shinji Hirako's gaze and offered a smile in return.
"Tsk, what a soulless, fake smile." Shinji Hirako felt a surge of annoyance. Little did he know that the Aizen in his sight was nothing more than an ordinary, dazed squad member under the hypnosis of Kyoka Suigetsu. Shinji's idea of 'strict surveillance' had no effect at all; instead, he was being played like a fiddle by Kyoka Suigetsu.
"With 6th Seat Makiya's strength, he's more than qualified to be a Captain. It looks like we'll be welcoming a new colleague soon." Shunsui Kyoraku adjusted his straw hat with a look of sentimental sighing.
"Captain Kyoraku, you're overthinking it." Ginrei Kuchiki, Captain of the 6th Division, maintained the barrier with one hand as he corrected Shunsui. "6th Seat Makiya's strength is beyond doubt, but currently, all Captain and Vice-Captain positions in the Gotei 13 are filled. Provided no one is punished for mistakes or lost in an accident, 6th Seat Makiya can at most be promoted to 3rd Seat while waiting for a vacancy—unless he intends to challenge one of the Captains."
"Oh dear, oh dear. If 6th Seat Makiya challenges me for my position, I'll just have to step aside obediently." Shunsui Kyoraku looked panicked, putting on a weak act, but his exaggerated movements received no response.
The other Captains ignored him entirely, their gazes fixed intently on the interior of the barrier. Soul Reapers improved themselves through training, but the insights gained from life-and-death struggles were even more precious. Observing a battle between powerhouses was highly beneficial to them.
Except for a certain beast whose head was only filled with the desire to cut things.
Kenpachi Zaraki, with his spiked hair, let out a wide grin. Since he didn't know Kido, Kenpachi stood among the crowd of Vice-Captains and didn't step forward to help.
The group of Vice-Captains felt something was wrong and steered clear of the beast. A fanatical battle intent radiated from Kenpachi as his burning gaze locked onto Makiya, wishing he could jump in right then for a bloody, fierce fight.
Beside Ginrei Kuchiki, Soul Society's number one caring guy, Aizen Sosuke, was leaning in close to the barrier to observe Makiya carefully. He then swept a meaningful smile across the surrounding Captains, gazed at the Head Captain for a moment, and spoke, "Gin, let's go."
Everyone acted as if Aizen wasn't even there. In their eyes, Aizen and Gin Ichimaru were still standing among the squad members, patiently explaining the battle to the Soul Reapers who couldn't follow the action. This earned them a crowd of fans, and countless simple-minded girls were lost in Aizen's warm, gentle smile.
Under the complete hypnosis of Kyoka Suigetsu, Aizen was like a ghost of the Seireitei, going wherever he pleased.
"The match isn't over yet. Has Lord Aizen already lost interest?" Gin Ichimaru followed Aizen through the crowd, looking up at his enemy's face and trying to discern Aizen's thoughts, but he found nothing.
"The outcome is already decided. The winner can only be 6th Seat Makiya; there is no second possibility." Aizen felt Makiya's spiritual pressure. While his expression remained calm, his heart was filled with delight.
'What... impressive spiritual pressure. A late bloomer? Makiya, I hope you can become a fellow traveler on my path to the top.'
Gin tilted his head; he felt like Aizen seemed quite happy.
The battle inside the barrier continued. Yoruichi turned into a ball of lightning, moving at high speed around Makiya in an attempt to break his line of sight and attack from a blind spot.
"You're looking more and more like a cat." Makiya's gaze pierced through the lightning, accurately locking onto Yoruichi's figure. "Can you fully control this move now?"
"What do you think?"
The lightning cat tail transformed into a long whip, striking at the back of Makiya's neck like a spirit serpent. Makiya didn't dodge, allowing the golden tail to wrap around his neck and move flexibly across his body, releasing a massive amount of electricity.
"Have you given up resistance?" Yoruichi landed both feet on Makiya's shoulders, her body arched. Her claws, wreathed in lightning, were raised high as she stirred up thunder and wind.
"No. Since Captain Yoruichi has perfected this Kido technique, then... let's end this!" Makiya grabbed Yoruichi's claw with one hand as bright red flames erupted around him.
As his voice fell, the red light suddenly flared brilliantly, dyeing the world in a dense crimson flame. The space itself cracked under the heavy burden, and the Kido barrier became perilously unstable.
"This is... no, this isn't fire." Alarm bells rang in Yoruichi's heart. Her instincts screamed for her to move away immediately, but her arm was held firmly by Makiya. His slender hand felt like an iron shackle; no matter how hard she struggled, it was useless.
"Is this spiritual pressure?" Yoruichi's golden pupils were stained with blood-red as she was enveloped by an endless flood of spiritual pressure. The lightning surrounding her body was instantly extinguished within the torrent.
BOOM—
The Kido barrier shattered completely. A bright red spiritual pressure soared from the underground space into the sky, making the world seem to pale in comparison. Massive amounts of matter were disintegrated into basic spirit particles under the wash of the spiritual pressure.
"Watch out!" The Captains retreated one after another, using various methods to release their own spiritual pressure to block the impact. Sharp explosions echoed continuously over the Seireitei.
The Vice-Captains standing in the front were the first to suffer. Several who couldn't react in time were instantly knocked unconscious by the terrifying pressure. The others who managed to release their pressure in time felt like old, dilapidated lighthouses in a tsunami—their situation was precarious.
Makiya retracted his power in time. The spiritual pressure stopped expanding just before it touched the Head Captain, then receded like a tide.
When everything settled down, everyone's gaze converged on the underground space.
The originally established Kido barrier was long gone, and the barren wasteland within the space had completely decomposed and vanished. Two spheres of bright red flame burned intensely—one protecting Kisuke Uhara's experimental equipment, and the other enveloping the unconscious Yoruichi. The brilliant red flames blocked all other sight.
Makiya stood in the air holding his blade. On his bare back, only a few shallow claw marks could be seen; even these were healing rapidly and would be gone in no time.
"As expected, he won," Shunsui Kyoraku voiced what everyone was thinking.
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