Savage blade pressure tore through the surroundings without restraint. Kenpachi Zaraki swung again and again, caring nothing for the destruction he caused as he attacked the direction he sensed by instinct alone.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been right. For someone with such a terrible sense of direction, Kenpachi Zaraki was fairly mediocre at searching for prey, even with Yachiru Kusajishi's help.
But once he found his prey, Kenpachi Zaraki's beast-like instincts allowed him to lock onto it completely.
Katen and Bokukō emerged from the shadows, both showing a hint of surprise.
Kenpachi Zaraki's attacks were simply too overwhelming. His powerful Reiatsu was actually affecting the Shadow World itself.
Bokukō was caught by the fierce blade pressure, leaving a massive wound across its back as viscous spiritual ink oozed from the gash. "Meow?"
Almost the instant Katen and Bokukō reappeared, Kenpachi Zaraki's blade came crashing toward them.
"Meow!!!" Bokukō, who had seemed listless until now, suddenly let out a piercing shriek. Just as the high-pitched cry reached its limit, it dropped into a deep roar. "Bankai!"
Before Kenpachi Zaraki's blade could fall, Bokukō's body abruptly burst apart.
Viscous spiritual ink splashed across the ground and rapidly spread outward.
Huge bubbles swelled and burst, sending rings of ripples across the pitch-black spiritual ink. As the ripples collided, a crimson eye suddenly snapped open within them.
A screen of light appeared before Katen's eyes:
[Escape]
The next instant, a hideous head surged out of the spiritual ink. Its enormous jaws opened wide and snapped toward Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Interesting!" Kenpachi Zaraki laughed wildly as he swung his Zanpakutō, meeting the colossal Rin'en Bokukō head-on.
But the Rin'en Bokukō was made entirely of spiritual ink, rendering physical collisions meaningless.
The instant Kenpachi Zaraki's blade cut through it, the severed section restored itself to its original state.
The enormous head crashed into Kenpachi Zaraki. The corrosive power of the spiritual ink immediately took effect, breaking down his Reiatsu defenses and eating away at his body.
"Not bad!" Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu surged even higher. His swinging Zanpakutō unleashed terrifying blade pressure that burst through the Rin'en Bokukō's head from within. "That can't be all you've got, right? Give me some more... Hm?"
A cold gleam suddenly flashed within the viscous spiritual ink.
Kenpachi Zaraki raised his blade behind him to block, but a tremendous force still blasted him straight out of the Rin'en Bokukō.
His massive body slammed into the ground. Kenpachi Zaraki looked up toward the Rin'en Bokukō.
The enormous head rapidly contracted, and an eerie, deathly white color gradually emerged from the profound darkness.
Layer upon layer of thick white armor formed over its body, while pitch-black mist seeped from the gaps.
Unlike Muten Natsu, Bokukō could ignore the limitations of its body and freely absorb the power of Bankai, compressing all of it within itself.
In its current form, rather than resembling the Bankai Rin'en Bokukō, it looked more like a Hollowfied Resurrección.
The Hollowfied Bokukō was clad in armor like a ferocious tiger, while the mist shrouding its body resembled black stripes. Its two powerful forepaws were planted on the ground, and pitch-black ink blades grew from its forearms, extending toward its elbows.
Kenpachi Zaraki's lips curled upward. Just as he raised his Zanpakutō, the spiritual ink clinging to his back suddenly exploded.
The Hollowfied Bokukō emerged from it and swiped a claw toward Kenpachi Zaraki's head.
Even such a sudden attack was instantly perceived by Kenpachi Zaraki. At this distance, there was no time to pull his blade back and counterattack.
Kenpachi Zaraki shifted his footing, twisted his waist and hips, and braced the pommel of his blade directly against the Hollowfied Bokukō's claw.
After a brief deadlock, both sides exerted force almost simultaneously. Their savage Reiatsu ground against each other as Kenpachi Zaraki's jagged blade collided with the ink blade formed from spiritual ink.
With one slash, Kenpachi Zaraki severed the ink blade and split open the Hollowfied Bokukō's chest.
The broken ink blade, carried along by the blade pressure, struck Kenpachi Zaraki in the chest. Black smoke rose as the spiritual ink corroded his flesh.
The Hollowfied Bokukō planted both claws on the ground. With a roar, it reared up and swept both forepaws forward, raising a surging wall of spiritual ink that rushed straight toward Kenpachi Zaraki like a tidal wave.
"Ha!" Kenpachi Zaraki brought his blade down. The viscous spiritual ink before him immediately split apart, the opening widening toward both sides.
Beyond the gap, the Hollowfied Bokukō twisted its body. The instant both forepaws struck the ground, its massive body whipped around with them. Its long tail cracked through the air with an explosive boom, dragging spiritual ink with it as it lashed toward Kenpachi Zaraki.
Faced with an attack of obvious power, Kenpachi Zaraki advanced instead of retreating, grinning savagely as he swung his blade.
Clang—!
Ink spread outward, layer after layer of ripples blocking Kenpachi Zaraki's attack.
At the tip of the Hollowfied Bokukō's sweeping tail, a blade suddenly sprang from the inner curve. The instant it passed through the spreading ink, it accelerated sharply and tore a horrific, bloody wound across Kenpachi Zaraki's chest.
"Hahahahahaha!!!" The eyepatch over Kenpachi Zaraki's right eye came loose under the corrosion of the spiritual ink. His terrifying Reiatsu erupted without restraint, blasting away the surrounding rubble and spiritual ink alike. "Now that's more like it!"
Kenpachi Zaraki stepped forward and brought his blade down on the Hollowfied Bokukō. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for!"
Boom!
The instant the attack landed, the Hollowfied Bokukō's body suddenly swelled and erupted into a cloud of pitch-black smoke that expanded outward.
The black smoke looked almost insubstantial, yet seemed to carry unimaginable weight. It sent Kenpachi Zaraki flying and left a horrifying depression in the ground at the same time.
After taking such a terrifying explosion head-on, Kenpachi Zaraki's immense Reiatsu dropped as his injuries worsened, only to erupt again with even greater force immediately afterward.
Boom!
The newly reformed Hollowfied Bokukō lunged straight at Kenpachi Zaraki. The instant it touched his raised Zanpakutō, another violent explosion erupted.
Kenpachi Zaraki staggered. The moment he barely regained his footing, the Hollowfied Bokukō crashed into him again.
Boom!
His massive body sprawled across the ground. Kenpachi Zaraki seemed to have lost even the strength to stand.
Thin wisps of black smoke twisted together into the form of the Hollowfied Bokukō, though it was clearly smaller than before.
With a low growl, the Hollowfied Bokukō charged at Kenpachi Zaraki once more.
But the instant it drew close, Kenpachi Zaraki suddenly sprang up. Holding his Zanpakutō in a reverse grip, he cleaved straight through the Hollowfied Bokukō's body.
Black smoke burst apart. Kenpachi Zaraki crouched low, his left hand pressed against the ground while his right held his Zanpakutō in a reverse grip beside him. His eyes, with far more white than iris, carried the savage ferocity of a wild beast.
"This feeling..." Kenpachi Zaraki ran his tongue over the tips of his teeth. "Not bad at all!"
Like a beast, Kenpachi Zaraki pursued the gathering black smoke, only to be blown away by explosion after explosion. His battered body was torn open, flesh curling from his wounds, yet he showed no intention of stopping.
"Ken-chan..." Yachiru Kusajishi watched the scene and clenched her tiny fists tightly.
If this keeps up...
[Bankai]
A screen of light appeared within the black smoke.
[——Meiki——]
Black ripples spread outward, revealing a dense mass of Hollowfied Bokukō figures.
Several phantoms turned into blurred ghostly silhouettes and rapidly converged on Kenpachi Zaraki from every direction. Moving at incredible speed, they became straight streaks of black blade light, dancing through warped space like chaotic curves. Dazzling arcs flashed from them before they abruptly straightened, crisscrossing through Kenpachi Zaraki's body.
Shrill screams from blades cutting through the air merged into a metallic roar. Blood erupted from Kenpachi Zaraki's body in every direction, crimson droplets falling like rain.
Amid the rain of blood, Bokukō returned to its original appearance, yawned, and slipped into the spiritual ink before disappearing.
...
"To think it caused that much of a commotion..." Katen glanced toward the direction of the explosions. "If we hadn't left in time, we probably would've gotten caught in it too."
"Yeah, yeah~" another voice chimed in with an odd intonation. "Good thing I moved fast. I didn't lose you this time."
"You..." Katen shifted her gaze toward him. "Shinji Hirako."
"That's me." Shinji Hirako waved, the downturned corners of his mouth lifting into a grin. "Mind giving my Zanpakutō back?"
"Taking back a gift is hardly gentlemanly." Katen's Zanpakutō appeared in her hand. "You know how rude that would be, which is why you came alone, isn't it?"
"Actually... everyone split up to search, and I just happened to pick the right direction." Shinji Hirako drew the Zanpakutō at his waist. "Taking something without asking isn't very ladylike either, you know."
"So... you intend to take all of us on by yourself?" Katen shifted her footing slightly. From the shadows behind her, Hollowfied Sakanade, Hollowfied Tachikaze, and Hollowfied Kinshara emerged one after another.
Whoosh!
Shinji Hirako sheathed his blade so fast it was almost comical. "Actually, I just came by to say hello. Have a nice trip. Bye-bye!"
Hollowfied Sakanade was clearly about to attack, but Katen pulled it back into the Shadow World.
Katen still remembered the most important part of the Myōki plan. She could not allow herself to get bogged down in battle.
If she fought Shinji Hirako here and failed to finish the battle quickly, the other enemies would soon converge on this location.
Katen swiftly moved away, but she could still sense that Shinji Hirako had never gone far.
He followed behind her, maintaining just enough distance to ensure he would not lose track of her.
If Katen turned around to attack, Shinji Hirako would notice immediately and widen the gap again.
It felt like... flying a kite.
Katen was the kite, while Shinji Hirako held the string called distance.
Katen did not need to guess to know that Shinji Hirako had already notified the other Shinigami.
If he kept following her like this, she would end up leading a whole group of Shinigami straight to the Zanpakutō gathering point.
Of course, that assumed no outside help arrived.
Pink petals drifted through the air. They looked delicate, yet gleamed with a razor-sharp chill.
Shinji Hirako abruptly stopped and retreated.
Wherever the petals passed, bricks shattered and trees were torn apart.
"You shall not pass." The samurai wore a fierce mask and ornate armor. His helmet bore cherry blossom decorations, and his long black hair was tied into a ponytail that streamed in the wind.
"Looks like there's no need to introduce ourselves." Shinji Hirako glanced at his torn sleeve. "You're the materialization of Byakuya's Zanpakutō, Senbonzakura."
That brief delay was enough for Shinji Hirako to lose all trace of Katen.
Which meant the only clue left was Senbonzakura standing before him.
Shinji Hirako drew his Zanpakutō and charged at the materialized Senbonzakura.
Back when Shinji Hirako was still a captain, Byakuya Kuchiki had been nothing more than a little kid from the Kuchiki Clan.
Even without Sakanade, Shinji Hirako was confident he could fight Senbonzakura on equal footing.
Provided that...
Senbonzakura reversed his grip on his Zanpakutō and released it.
Shinji Hirako: "..."
Provided his opponent did not use Bankai.
"Oh, no you don't!" A hand caught the falling blade. Layer upon layer of white cloth immediately wrapped around it, sealing its released power once more. "Aren't you worried little Byakuya will get mad?"
"The Shihōin Clan's seal..." A subtle fluctuation entered Senbonzakura's icy voice. He tightened his grip on the hilt and slashed fiercely at Yoruichi Shihōin. "You cat demon!"
"Oh!" Yoruichi Shihōin raised a hand and blocked the Zanpakutō wrapped in white cloth, looking faintly amused. "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."
Shinji Hirako looked a little helpless as old memories surfaced in his mind.
Come to think of it, that had been a hundred years ago.
After all, both belonged to the Four Noble Families, so Yoruichi Shihōin naturally knew Byakuya Kuchiki, the sole heir of the Kuchiki Clan.
If they had been closer in age, perhaps they might even have become good friends.
But when Yoruichi Shihōin was a Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki was still... very cute.
Those were Yoruichi Shihōin's own words.
If some other elder had said that, it would simply have been affection toward a child.
But Yoruichi Shihōin's personality was...
At first, Yoruichi Shihōin told Byakuya Kuchiki that she wanted to play hide-and-seek with him. Back then, the innocent Byakuya Kuchiki naturally agreed with delight.
Then, once Byakuya Kuchiki had found a place to hide, Yoruichi Shihōin completely forgot about him and went drinking with Kisuke Urahara until late at night.
It was not until the next day, when the Kuchiki Clan's butler was searching everywhere for the young master, that Yoruichi Shihōin finally remembered.
Naturally, Byakuya Kuchiki no longer wanted to play with Yoruichi Shihōin.
So Yoruichi Shihōin told Byakuya Kuchiki she would teach him Shunpo. She took the delighted Byakuya Kuchiki somewhere very, very far away, told him to chase her, then immediately sped off using Shunpo.
After returning to Seireitei, Yoruichi Shihōin forgot all about it again and went drinking with Kisuke Urahara. It was not until that evening, when the Kuchiki Clan came to the Shihōin Clan demanding their son back, that she remembered what she had done.
After that happened a few times, Byakuya Kuchiki flatly refused to play with Yoruichi Shihōin anymore.
So Yoruichi Shihōin went to the Kuchiki Clan estate to steal fish.
The fish in the Kuchiki Clan's pond were large and plump. There were none better anywhere in Seireitei.
Byakuya Kuchiki still ignored her.
So Yoruichi Shihōin snatched away Byakuya Kuchiki's Kenseikan.
This time, Byakuya Kuchiki could no longer pretend she did not exist. He had no choice but to chase after her.
That was how Byakuya Kuchiki trained his Shunpo.
When he still could not catch her, Byakuya Kuchiki had no choice but to study Bakudō.
As a result, his Rikujōkōrō became better than anyone else's.
Shinji Hirako had always suspected that a large part of the reason Byakuya Kuchiki grew into the cold, aloof person he was today was the deep psychological shadow left by Yoruichi Shihōin tormenting him throughout his childhood.
Even now, whenever Byakuya Kuchiki encountered Yoruichi Shihōin on the road, he would simply act as though he had not seen her and walk straight past without so much as glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
As Byakuya Kuchiki's Zanpakutō, Senbonzakura's attitude toward Yoruichi Shihōin also reflected, to some extent, Byakuya Kuchiki's own feelings toward her.
It seemed the shadows of the past still lingered in Byakuya Kuchiki's heart even now.
Senbonzakura tried to wrench himself free but failed. He immediately raised a hand.
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"