CHAPTER 454: CHAPTER 454: HOW CAN THE GAP BE THIS HUGE?

Watching Shunsui Kyōraku swing his Zanpakutō at him, Masatsuki Aozaki’s lips curled into a faint, dismissive smirk.

After all, he had wielded Katen Kyōkotsu before—he was no stranger to this kind of combat.

Masatsuki knew all too well that the ability Kyōraku displayed might seem governed by "rules" at first glance, but in truth, that wasn’t the case. Katen Kyōkotsu’s real power stemmed from its deep connection to Reiatsu.

Once Shunsui Kyōraku released his Zanpakutō, it generated a unique Reiatsu domain. Only within that field could those so-called "rules" actually take effect. (Official setting)

Which meant that disrupting this domain and finding a way to break through wasn’t as complicated as it seemed.

All it took was an overwhelming surge of Reiatsu—so immense it couldn’t be resisted—to crush the domain completely.

With that in mind, Masatsuki raised his arm without hesitation.

In an instant, a torrent of black-and-white Reiatsu erupted from within him, surging like a tidal wave.

The force poured outward like a collapsing sky, crashing down on Shunsui Kyōraku with crushing pressure.

Under the sheer weight of it, Kyōraku’s knees buckled involuntarily—he nearly fell.

Jūshirō Ukitake flashed forward in a blink, almost as if he had teleported, appearing in front of Kyōraku with both blades raised high.

He launched into a rapid assault.

Vertical slash. Horizontal sweep. Diagonal strike. Upward swing. Each move came in swift, relentless succession, the flashing blades forming a dense web of attacks.

Yet Masatsuki stood firm, unmoved—like a mountain that couldn’t be shaken.

Using only his hands like sharpened blades, he parried every strike with precision.

Had Ukitake not been moving so fast, too focused on the onslaught to register anything else, his face would have shown pure disbelief.

Someone blocked his blade barehanded?

He wasn’t Isshin Shiba!

Ukitake knew Masatsuki was powerful—but they were just Reigai. No matter how accurate their data was, they could only mimic what they’d observed. They couldn’t know everything.

So it wasn’t surprising that they’d run into unforeseen complications against Masatsuki.

If they’d known he’d been able to block Kenpachi Zaraki’s full-force strikes barehanded decades ago, they might’ve thought twice about their approach.

Clearly, their intel wasn’t that detailed.

Masatsuki let out a light laugh, his mouth curling faintly.

The spirit particles he controlled quickly condensed into an Asauchi. With a sharp upward swing—

Clang!!

Ukitake’s twin blades were sliced apart with shocking ease.

The blade didn’t stop there. It swept across Ukitake’s neck.

A head flew cleanly into the air—yet not a single drop of blood touched the blade.

Sheathed!

A head severed, yet the sword remained spotless.

After beheading Jūshirō Ukitake, Masatsuki Aozaki slowly straightened up and looked ahead.

"Tch. You guys... You’re nothing compared to those annoying seniors."

His voice was calm, but laced with scorn.

"Junior, you’re joking again. Our Reiatsu has been specially refined—it’s you who’s just too strong."

Shunsui Kyōraku smiled as he replied, driving his dual blades into the ground.

In the next instant, a surge of powerful Reiatsu exploded outward.

"Bankai—Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū!"

With a low murmur, a shadowy female figure composed of an unknown substance appeared behind him. From the twin blades sprouted several black pine trees and needles, and the surrounding landscape darkened in an instant.

However, the Reiatsu that should have chilled the bones barely stirred Masatsuki Aozaki—it felt no more than a gentle breeze brushing past.

At the same time, Masatsuki cast a glance behind Shunsui.

He saw Byakuya Kuchiki loosen his grip on his Zanpakutō, its tip pointing downward as it sank silently into the rippling ground.

"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

From the rippling earth on either side, thousands of massive blades rose in unison—a majestic sight.

But the spectacle lasted only a moment.

The next second, the towering blades shattered like flower petals, fragmenting into countless smaller blades that scattered through the air.

Seeing this, Masatsuki Aozaki grinned.

"Come on, Byakuya-chan, that’s still not enough. You’ve got to try harder."

As the newly promoted Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki’s strength was roughly on par with Yūshirō Shihōin—perhaps slightly stronger—but still far from the level of Masatsuki’s two seniors or Kenpachi Zaraki.

Until now, Byakuya had been lingering on the sidelines, offering half-hearted support with harmless attacks. Masatsuki had nearly forgotten he was even there.

Now he realized—there was still one harmless presence left on the battlefield.

"Don’t call me that. I’m not your junior!" Byakuya frowned, visibly displeased.

Thanks to Sōjun Kuchiki’s careful guidance, Byakuya had never become the cold, aloof figure known in the original story. Then again, it might’ve been Masatsuki’s irreverent influence that made him so different from his canon self.

...

"Masatsuki Aozaki—prepare to die!"

Byakuya’s eyes narrowed, his voice firm and icy.

"Shūkei: Hakuteiken!"

As his words fell, the Zanpakutō in Byakuya’s hands transformed. A long sword, formed from countless petals, shimmered with immense spiritual pressure.

He poured the full force of Senbonzakura’s petals and Reiryoku into the blade. It blazed with brilliant white light, like wings unfolding from his back.

Byakuya’s figure vanished in a blur. In a blink, he appeared before Masatsuki and unleashed a powerful slash without hesitation.

As Byakuya’s swordmaster, Masatsuki knew this was his strongest technique.

Yet having sparred with Byakuya countless times—and believing himself to have stepped into the realm of the divine—Masatsuki still didn’t see him as a threat.

With a dull thud, the glowing white sword shattered in Byakuya’s hands. A deep gash tore across his torso.

Blood burst forth, scattering through the air like crimson flowers.

"So it’s still no use?"

Watching his comrade fall, Shunsui Kyōraku’s face remained calm, as if unfazed by the outcome.

In truth, he had been conducting an experiment—trying to use the elevated Reiatsu of his Bankai to influence Masatsuki with his ability.

But now he stood there frowning, filled with doubt and confusion.

No black spots. No bottomless pit. It was clear his attempt had failed.

He simply couldn’t understand. With Bankai active, he should’ve stood among the top-tier Shinigami—so how could the gap in Reiatsu still be so vast?

But he didn’t have time to reflect further.

Earlier, Kenpachi Zaraki had been wearing a limiter to suppress his power.

Shunsui, on the other hand, had unleashed his full strength from the start.

And now, having activated Bankai, his body had already begun to fall apart, unable to contain the strain...

...

Did you know this novel has already been fully translated on Ptreon? Feel free to read it all the way to the end here: [email protected]/PinkSnake (replace the @ with an "a").