Ashido quickly looked at the young man.
He shook his head slightly and whispered, "Captain, his aura is strong enough to scare the souls here. But it is nothing compared to a Shinigami."
Was a person like this really an "evil demon"?
Ashido felt a bit disappointed.
However, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, who stood beside him, had a completely different reaction.
The Captain of the Eleventh Division, who was usually very cheerful, had lost his smile completely.
His right hand slowly moved to press against the handle of his Zanpakuto.
He leaned his body forward slightly. This was a natural stance when meeting a worthy opponent.
His eyes were fixed on the young man by the well. There was a fire burning in his eyes.
"No, Ashido."
"You are wrong."
The corners of Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's mouth slowly pulled back into a grin.
"This kid..."
"Is strong beyond logic!"
The young man stood up.
His movements were not fast. They were even a bit slow, like rusty gears trying to move together again.
But as soon as he stood straight, his hidden aura began to spread. It was not a sudden burst of Spiritual Pressure. Instead, it was a "presence" that smelled of rust and blood.
His right hand gripped the long, jagged sword leaning against the tree root. He raised his eyes and looked directly at Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.
To be more precise, he was looking at the Captain's haori that Kuruyashiki was wearing.
His eyes, which were empty before, were now incredibly bright. Light was dancing inside them, and a fire was burning.
The corners of his mouth pulled up slowly. It was not really a smile. It was more like the expression of a wild beast looking at its prey.
He stared at the haori very seriously. He acted as if he wanted to carve every pattern of the fabric into his eyes.
His brain, which was almost filled with pure instinct and blood, was now spinning faster than ever before.
A blurry image appeared deep in his mind. It was a memory from a long time ago, perhaps from when he still had more "memories."
That shadow in his memory also wore a similar, impressive-looking long coat.
He was comparing them.
He compared the clothes of the man in front of him to the figure in his memory.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was also smiling.
It was not his usual bright and open smile. It was a low laugh coming from deep in his throat, filled with hot battle intent.
Just now, the moment he made eye contact with this youth, a feeling like an electric current ran up his spine.
That feeling was very familiar.
He had walked the line between life and death many times. He had fought many powerful enemies. His body had developed an instinct that worked faster than his mind.
His body was screaming at him: "This guy is dangerous! He can threaten you! He is worth a full-strength fight!"
Before he even realized it, his body had automatically adjusted its center of gravity. His muscles tightened. His Spiritual Pressure was pulled inward like a volcano about to explode.
He gripped the handle of the sword at his waist. Every cell in his body was cheering and hungry for battle.
How long had it been? One hundred years? Two hundred years?
It had been too long since he felt this way. Just standing and facing someone made his body shake with the urge to draw his sword.
However, he was still a Captain.
The Eleventh Division loved fighting, but his pride as a Captain made him stay in place. He held his sword and waited for the other person to move first.
In the middle of the empty space, the two men just looked at each other.
The wind blew sand between them. It did not move their clothes at all.
Ashido stood behind and to the side of Kuruyashiki Kenpachi. After hearing the Captain say the boy was "strong beyond logic," his frown deepened.
He calmed his mind again. He carefully tried to sense the young man.
The "amount" of Spiritual Pressure was indeed not large. In fact, it was quite small.
His Spiritual Pressure level? At most, it was in the middle of the tenth rank. It was also messy and not pure.
At this level, Ashido was confident he could win quickly in a direct fight. He wouldn't even need a Captain to do it.
Two strikes? Maybe not even that.
What was wrong? The Captain could not be mistaken, especially when judging the strength of an opponent.
"Did I miss something?" Ashido thought.
Ashido pressed his lips together. With a thought, several soft red "Spirit Ribbons" moved out from his body. They moved toward the youth to analyze his spiritual energy more directly.
The Spirit Ribbons brushed through the space around the youth. They touched the Reishi that was naturally flowing from him.
The information that came back was still very ordinary. It was chaotic, had no order, and had limited strength. It was the same as what he saw with his eyes.
"Is the Captain really wrong?" Ashido could not help but look at his Captain.
He saw that Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was completely tense. His eyes were frighteningly hot. That was a state he only showed when facing an equal or stronger enemy.
Ashido's head was full of questions.
Just then, the youth spoke.
His voice was raspy. It sounded like he had not spoken in a long time. It had a rough, jagged feel to it.
"Hey," he said while staring at Kuruyashiki's haori. He asked directly, "Where did those clothes come from?"
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was surprised for a moment. Then he let out a loud laugh.
"Hahaha! You mean this?" He patted the haori on his chest. "The Seireitei gave it to me! Why? Do you like it?"
"Seireitei?" The youth repeated the word. A clear look of confusion appeared on his face.
He tilted his head. He seemed to search his memory, but he found nothing.
This was not strange. If he had always stayed in a chaotic place like the Zaraki District, it made sense that he did not know the name of the Seireitei.
In this place, "Shinigami" might just be a blurry, scary legend. No one cared where they came from or what they represented.
Only people who came from the earlier districts might have actually seen a Shinigami.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi saw the youth's confusion. His smile became even brighter. "Do you want it? It is simple."
He used his free left thumb to point at himself. "Kill me, and it is yours. That has always been the rule of the Eleventh Division."
"Captain!" Ashido could not help but speak out.
The squad had an unofficial rule about challenging those in higher positions. But this person's background was unknown. Starting a fight to the death that easily was too much.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi just waved his hand at him. He signaled for Ashido to be quiet. His eyes never left the young man.
Ashido's throat moved. He swallowed the rest of his words.
He knew his Captain. Once he entered this state, nothing anyone said would matter.
The confusion on the youth's face slowly disappeared.
He processed Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's words. The light in his eyes burned even hotter.
"Is that so?" he whispered. He sounded like he was confirming it to himself.
Then, his grin grew wider. He laughed wildly. "Then give it to me!"
Before he finished speaking, he moved!
The jagged long sword in his hand cut through the air. He swung it down toward Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's head!
Before the blade even reached him, a violent intent came rushing toward him from the sword!
It's here!
Every cell in Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's body made a loud sound at this moment!
It was a shake of excitement!
This was, total attack born only for killing!
This was the pleasure of facing death and bringing death to the other person!
He had not felt this clearly in a hundred years!
"Hahaha! Good!"
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi laughed wildly. He did not dodge. His right hand finished the motion of drawing his sword!
A bright light flashed upward from below!
At the moment the blades crossed—Squelch!
It was the dull, wet sound of a sharp blade cutting into meat.
The sound of metal clashing did not happen. The expected explosion of Spiritual Pressure did not happen either.
The bright flash of the blade passed through the youth's fierce attack without any trouble. Then, it entered his chest.
A moment later, blood reacted. It sprayed out from the deep wound on the youth's chest.
The warm liquid, smelling strongly of rust, splashed all over Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's face.
The youth's forward movement stopped instantly.
The jagged long sword in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter."
He lowered his head. He looked at his bleeding chest with a confused expression. Then he looked up at Kuruyashiki, who was very close and covered in blood.
The fire in his eyes went out quickly. They became empty again.
His lips moved slightly. He seemed to want to say something. But in the end, he only made a meaningless sound.
Then, his eyes rolled back. He fell straight backward. He hit the rocky ground hard, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
In the empty space, there was only the sound of the wind. The jagged sword on the ground made a small vibrating sound.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi stood there. The wild smile on his face froze and then twisted.
His face was a mix of shock, confusion, and the emptiness of a huge disappointment.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's eyes were wide. The other person's blood was still dripping down his face. He watched as the "opponent" he expected so much fell over like a piece of wood.
His hand was still in the position of the sword swing. A drop of blood slowly slid off the tip of his blade.
He opened his mouth, but he could not make any sound.