"Bankai."

"So, that's your answer?"

"I see."

Even while facing the Bankai of three captain-level Shinigami, Aiyan remained perfectly composed.

The overwhelming Reiatsu surged toward him like a tidal wave, but to him, it was no more than a spring breeze brushing his face—cooling, but ultimately harmless.

"Don't let your guard down."

"He's the most terrifying genius in a thousand years."

"Even if it's three against one, we have no reason to take this lightly."

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō's expression was grim. This man had crippled eight of them in the blink of an eye. Tsukabishi Tomioka's fate remained uncertain. Even now, with all three of them activating Bankai simultaneously, he still felt as though they were confronting an insurmountable foe.

There was not a shred of advantage to speak of.

"Current!"

The word fell like a commandment.

He made the first move, baton slicing the air, as a strange and elegant melody echoed all around. The dancers surrounding him like guardian spirits vanished and reappeared beside Aiyan in an instant.

Under his direction, music and dance fused into a single seamless ritual.

In that moment, roaring ocean currents materialized from nothingness, surging forward and completely engulfing Aiyan, pinning him down within a crushing spiral of water.

"Prometheus."

Having ensnared his opponent, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō's movements shifted once more. The rhythm changed. The dance transformed.

A new figure leapt into the fray—a famed dancer, hands raised to the heavens. Blazing flames burst forth from his palms, bombarding Aiyan from all directions.

The inferno surged violently, pressing in on all sides. The rain of fire and crushing fire pillars sealed Aiyan within a fiery circle of dance, leaving no room to maneuver.

Aiyan was now completely surrounded. Escape was impossible.

Muguruma Kensei and Love Aikawa exchanged a brief look—and then, in perfect sync, vanished in a flash of Shunpo, appearing above Aiyan.

They struck in unison.

Wind and flame.

Explosion upon explosion.

Their Bankai ignited the air. A swirling storm of fire and wind descended upon Aiyan from above, engulfing his figure at point-blank range.

Crack.

The ground split.

Dozens—hundreds—of fractures tore through the earth, veins of flame and whirlwind erupting from within like a volcanic cataclysm, magma spewing skyward.

The impact of their Reiatsu radiated outward in a tidal shockwave, pulverizing stone and splintering trees in a radius of hundreds of meters. Everything that stood was incinerated. Not even ash remained—only a scorched wasteland of blackened ruin.

This was the combined Bankai assault of three captains of the Gotei 13.

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō commanded the rhythm.

Muguruma Kensei and Love Aikawa delivered the blow.

With a single coordinated strike, they reduced the Sōkyoku Hill to rubble—leveled it completely. Nothing remained but scorched earth and silence.

"Shijū no Saimon!"

Hachigen pressed his palms together.

With a sudden whoom, four gates rose from the ground—

The Gate of the Dragon Tail,

The Gate of the Tiger Fang,

The Gate of the Turtle Armor,

The Gate of the Phoenix Wing,

forming an immense four-sided barrier, sealing within it Aiyan, the raging flame storm, and several of Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō's summoned dancers.

"He's finally trapped."

Love Aikawa exhaled a long breath, the tension in his shoulders loosening ever so slightly.

"Captain Aiyan, we don't intend to kill you. This is just a... temporary imprisonment."

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō still moved his baton, orchestrating the fire dancers who continued to perform within the barrier, keeping Aiyan contained.

"Don't worry. We won't waste much of your time."

"Once Captain Kirio and the others have safely withdrawn, we'll release you."

"Until then, kindly remain within the barrier."

Muguruma Kensei stood silently, watching the barrier with a stony face. Then he turned slightly, giving Hachigen a silent nod.

Seeing that Aiyan had finally been sealed, Hachigen also felt relief rise in his chest. He turned, and with a flash of Shunpo, sped off in pursuit of Sarugaki Hiyori.

Crack.

Boom.

Two thunderous sounds exploded almost at once.

A tearing noise like silk being ripped echoed through the air. The barrier—once flawless—now bore a spiderweb of fractures, like shattered porcelain.

And then, thunder exploded in all directions.

The barrier disintegrated into countless shards of spiritual light.

From within the firestorm, an enormous golden skeletal arm surged forth, cutting through the smoke and grabbing at Hachigen mid-Shunpo, just as he was chasing after Hiyori and the others.

The five fingers curled slowly.

The sheer force of that grip caused Hachigen to bleed from every pore. A fine mist of blood erupted from his skin before the giant casually flicked his wrist—

Whoosh—!

Hachigen's body became a blood-soaked projectile, shooting thousands of meters through the air, colliding with Sarugaki Hiyori, Kuna Mashiro, and the others who had tried to flee moments before.

The ground split upon impact, throwing up a towering column of dust and debris.

"...What?"

The sudden reversal sent shock through the hearts of all three captains.

But before they could react—

A second skeletal arm emerged from the storm. As its fingers clenched into a fist, muscle and sinew began knitting over bone. Blood vessels pulsed into existence. Flesh, nerves, skin, even a golden uniform—everything regenerated in an instant, forming a monstrous giant's arm.

Then—boom.

The fist lashed out, blasting the air aside with an impact that opened a visible tunnel through the atmosphere itself.

"Not good!"

Love Aikawa's face paled. He stepped into Shunpo, fists already drawn, meeting the blow head-on.

Gun Fist—!

Boom!!

Fist collided with fist—one massive, one small.

A towering column of explosive fire erupted from Aikawa's strike, engulfing the giant golden arm entirely.

But—

In the next breath, the golden arm shattered through the flames.

All-consuming explosive force was swept aside like paper.

Then came the crash—Love Aikawa's body was crushed by the enormous strength behind the punch, slammed violently to the ground.

Boom.

The fist hit like a falling mountain. Cracks split the earth in all directions, rock layers caved in, and a massive crater swallowed the land whole.

"Love!"

"Rose!"

Watching both comrades fall in quick succession, Muguruma Kensei's eyes turned bloodshot. Reiatsu exploded from his body in a violent storm, sweeping away the smoke and debris that choked the battlefield.

He charged toward the shattered barrier.

And what he saw stopped him cold.

A golden skeleton rose from the ruins, wrapped protectively around Aiyan. Like the arms before it, the body swiftly regenerated—flesh, skin, and even clothing manifesting in the blink of an eye.

What stood now was no longer a skeleton.

It was a golden giant. Ferocious. Towering.

"Is this... Bankai?"

The sight shook Kensei's heart. For a moment, he thought Aiyan had finally revealed a Zanpakutō Bankai that no one had seen before.

But—

"No."

"Just a little forbidden Kidō I developed myself."

"Though it may sound unpleasant, the truth is—my Kidō Susanoo is more than enough to deal with a Bankai of your level."

Aiyan stood calmly atop the head of Susanoo's fourth form, eyes lowered in quiet contempt.

"Who do you think I am?"

"Who do you think the Gotei's Captain really is?"

Muguruma Kensei gritted his teeth, fury flaring in his chest.

"Susanoo, is it? Aiyan—I'll crush him completely."

"This is my Bankai. And I swear on the name of the Ninth Division's captain."

He didn't deny Aiyan's strength.

But he refused to believe that his own Bankai could be so casually dismissed—surpassed by a Kidō the opponent created himself.

"Angry?"

"No, you should be proud."

"At the very least..." Aiyan's lips curled into a smile. "Your Bankai is worthy enough... to be defeated by Susanoo."

He raised one hand slowly—mockingly—waving down at Muguruma Kensei, who now stood only as tall as Susanoo's ankle.

...

If you enjoyed this book, don't forget to vote with a Power Stone and take a few seconds to leave a review

Join my P@treon for advance chapters and special content!

[email protected]/Ren_Saga