The Battle Between Monsters

A trace of confusion seemed to appear in his eyes.

He remembered that just now... this guy's Reiatsu hadn't seemed to fluctuate, had it?

Why was he even faster than him?

His strength had also suddenly reached the point where he could steadily take a slash from him without even swaying.

"How did you do that?"

Kenpachi Zaraki suddenly asked.

Though the question sounded a little out of the blue, Kyōsuke Kuchiki understood.

He elegantly twirled the Zanpakuto in his hand, lowered it from its blocking position, and smiled faintly.

"If you win, I'll tell you."

The moment the words left his mouth, his Reiatsu erupted!

If Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu was as vast and mighty as a tsunami, then Kyōsuke Kuchiki's, amplified tenfold, was like a volcano erupting with a roar and sweeping across all heaven and earth!

His endlessly surging Reiatsu seized the space for dozens of meters around him in an instant!

For a moment, even the air around Kyōsuke Kuchiki became much cleaner.

The Reiatsu Kenpachi Zaraki unconsciously emitted was driven straight back, pressed firmly into the space around him.

Seeing this, Yoruichi, who had fled, involuntarily widened her eyes, looking somewhat dazed.

This...

Was this really just Captain-level Reiatsu?

Why did she feel a faint sense of oppression just from watching it from a distance?

At that terrifying range and density of Reiatsu, Yoruichi couldn't help stopping in her tracks. Suddenly, she didn't dare go any closer.

She wasn't afraid of being hurt by Kenpachi Zaraki, nor was she afraid to fight him.

At this moment...

The one she feared was Kyōsuke Kuchiki!

Faintly, Yoruichi even sensed a warning from her instincts.

If she took it upon herself to join this fight... with her current strength, she probably wouldn't last long against the full force of these two monsters' Reiatsu.

With her strength as Second Division Captain, no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't imagine having such a strange thought.

But in fact, it was an instinctive reaction.

Just as ordinary people would feel fear for no apparent reason when faced with certain unknown creatures.

Because it was an instinct engraved in the soul and body, a memory from ancient times.

By the time Yoruichi Shihōin came to her senses and recovered her composure, she was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe!

But in truth, Yoruichi couldn't be blamed for reacting that way.

When his mastery of the Six Treasury Immortal Thief reached one hundred percent, Kyōsuke Kuchiki's strength had already surpassed that of an ordinary captain.

After defeating a group of Menos Grande and then Kiganjō, his Reiatsu had soared even further!

On top of that was the tenfold boost from Dijiang's Shikai!

Just how terrifying that level of Reiatsu was could be seen from Kenpachi Zaraki's reaction.

The instant he noticed Kyōsuke Kuchiki's Reiatsu surge, a savage grin spread across his face.

"...Ha!"

All this time, Kenpachi Zaraki couldn't use Shikai, Bankai, or Zanjutsu, and he wasn't even particularly good at sensing Reiatsu.

The only thing he was good at was swinging his sword and cutting people down.

That was also what he liked best.

But even though he was just swinging his sword normally, no one could take a single blow from him.

That was far too unsatisfying.

This time, he had finally met a worthy enemy.

"Ahahaha, I never understood why those people gave up fighting before, when fighting is such a pleasure."

"Now I know why they despaired."

"This must have been when they despaired, when they realized the one they were up against wasn't a normal person, but a monster."

Kenpachi Zaraki laughed wildly, feeling that today really was his lucky day.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki smiled faintly. "In front of you, I wouldn't dare call myself a monster."

Kenpachi Zaraki had yet to put on an eyepatch to seal his Reiatsu.

At full power, Kenpachi Zaraki could intimidate an ordinary captain with the Reiatsu he unconsciously emitted alone.

His Zanpakuto, without even entering Shikai, could easily slay a captain.

Without the strength of a mid-level captain, one had no right to cross swords with this man.

It was no exaggeration to call someone with such strength a monster.

At that moment, Kyōsuke Kuchiki tightened his grip on Dijiang, the fighting spirit in his eyes plain to see.

Chapter 55: The Battle Between Monsters

"That's wonderful, that's the look, that's the feeling."

Sensing the powerful aura coming from Kyōsuke Kuchiki, Kenpachi Zaraki grew even more excited.

For the first time in his life, Kenpachi Zaraki felt suffocated before the fight had even begun!

The man before him... was strong!

He was worth fighting to the death!

The next second, Kenpachi Zaraki raised his sword without hesitation and thrust it forward.

His Reiatsu burst out, surging forth endlessly like a flood pouring through a broken dam, forcibly tearing open Kyōsuke Kuchiki's circle of Reiatsu!

Under his feet, Spiritual Power was wastefully gathered into a mass, bursting forth with all its might and continually increasing his speed!

That inconceivable, highly wasteful method of movement left Yoruichi staring in bewilderment.

This...

One of them simply spread his Reiatsu out and used it as a barrier, nearly clearing away everything around him.

The other planted his Reiatsu under his feet and released bursts of Spiritual Power again and again, using it as an accelerator...

Was this how willful people with powerful Reiatsu could be?

Watching the scene before her, Yoruichi Shihōin no longer knew how to react.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki's and Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu constantly devoured each other, like a typhoon and a tsunami competing on the same stage. Neither could suppress the other, and neither could defeat the other.

They were practically doing nothing but clashing their Reiatsu head-on, consuming their Spiritual Power in a simple, brutal manner.

With every fluctuation of Reiatsu, everything around them shattered and crumbled.

After two or three clashes, the area around the two was completely clean. Whether collapsed houses or the remains of corpses, everything had been blown away!

This way of fighting practically overturned her understanding of battle!

If she hadn't possessed Captain-level Reiatsu, Yoruichi Shihōin would probably have been torn to pieces by that terrifying power long ago, unable to stand here at a distance and watch the two fight.

No... this wasn't a battle anymore.

This was practically two enormous beasts tearing at each other, with no technique to speak of.

All they had to bring to bear was absolute strength!

At this moment...

Yoruichi Shihōin finally understood.

From the instant she had flashed away just now—or rather, from the instant she had been unable to fully withstand Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu—

There had been no place for her in this battle!

Any kind of support could leave her caught in the two men's Reiatsu.

If that happened, Kyōsuke Kuchiki would surely hold back to look after her.

So the only thing she could do now was watch quietly.

Boom!

While Yoruichi was distracted, Kenpachi Zaraki had completely torn through Kyōsuke Kuchiki's circle of Reiatsu.

As he charged straight ahead, the chipped blade in his hand stabbed out with lightning speed, reaching the young man in less than a breath!

As expected of Kenpachi Zaraki.

Even with a tenfold boost, I still can't completely tear through this guy's Reiatsu defense.

In that case, I'll have to get a little serious.

Clang!

Dijiang swept across the air, steadily blocking the oncoming sword tip.

Then Kyōsuke Kuchiki swung his right hand, slashing at Kenpachi Zaraki's towering, beastlike body.

The next second, a trace of invisible power burst from the gleaming blade.

"Erase him, Dijiang!"

A faint, eerie aura erupted from the Zanpakuto in Kyōsuke Kuchiki's hand.

Whoosh—!

Previously, when faced with Kyōsuke Kuchiki's powerful Reiatsu and sharp Zanjutsu, Kenpachi Zaraki had always employed the most violent, direct tactics.

He neither dodged nor evaded, relying on his astonishing Reiatsu and physique to take Kyōsuke Kuchiki's slashes head-on.

But this time, facing Kyōsuke Kuchiki's seemingly soft and feeble slash, Kenpachi Zaraki keenly sensed a mortal danger.

For once, he twisted aside to dodge.

As he dodged, Kyōsuke Kuchiki's slash merely skimmed past his waist.

That slash shouldn't have caused any damage, or at most a superficial wound.

But when Kenpachi Zaraki looked down, a wound as wide as the mouth of a bowl had appeared where his enemy's weapon had grazed him.

Blood flowed freely, staining his clothes red once more, though their original color was already impossible to make out.

Though he had been wounded inexplicably, Kenpachi Zaraki let out a gleeful, unrestrained laugh.

"This is far too interesting!"

"This thrill really is delightful!"

As he spoke, he unleashed a vast amount of Reiatsu.

The aura around him was even more ferocious now, like a wounded beast.

Reiatsu soared into the sky and spread out in every direction once more!

Even a group of Soul Reapers far in the distance felt that immensely oppressive Reiatsu.

For a moment, the Captain-level Soul Reaper leading them also felt as though facing a formidable enemy, as if thorns were pressing against his back.

Everyone felt as though a sharp blade had been placed against their necks, and none dared move.

Yoruichi Shihōin was even more horrified.

"Even this far away, I'm still having some trouble breathing."

"Kyōsuke is fighting a monster like that?"

She gave a bitter laugh and began to wonder whether she was truly qualified to be a captain.

In an instant, Kyōsuke Kuchiki's clothes snapped and fluttered under the impact of the powerful Reiatsu.