The Battle of Sōkyoku Hill (Part Three)

Battlefield near the Seventh Division

Sajin Komamura's Captain's Haori was soaked with sweat, clinging to his body. His massive frame knelt among the rubble, his breathing heavy. His beastly eyes beneath his helmet swept over the few Ryoka still surrounding him, and an indescribable irritation welled up within him.

Time rewinds slightly...

Clutching the last Chili Bomb, Ganju's eyes, hidden beneath his turban, were fixed on the massive figure ahead. Ganju Sajin Komamura knelt on the stone pavement at the alley's entrance, his violent coughing making his entire chest tremble, his breathing heavy and disordered beneath his helmet. The pungent red smoke still swirled around him, each wisp feeling like a red-hot wire piercing his nostrils.

"Hey, you're wearing the same clothes as that Byakuya Kuchiki, so you must be a captain, right?" Ganju tossed the Chili Bomb in his hand, his voice carrying the flippancy typical of Rukongai. "How come your reaction to a smoke bomb is worse than that 11th Division's Fifth Seat?"

Komamura did not answer.

His sense of smell, hundreds of times more sensitive than that of an ordinary person, became his most fatal weakness at this moment. Every breath felt like burying his face in a pile of burning red chilies, and his eyes were so painful that he could barely open them.

"Captain!" Tetsuzaemon Iba and charged into the smoke.

A silent figure blocked his way— Yasutora Sado!

The Giant's Right Arm emerged from his shoulder, with black and red stripes spreading along his forearm. The shield embedded in his arm blocked the trajectory of the Iba attack.

The Iba struck the shield's surface, sending sparks flying, but leaving not even a white mark.

"You Ryoka, resorting to such despicable tactics, don't you feel ashamed as men?!"

"... I'm sorry," Chad said in a low voice.

"If you're sorry, then get out of my way!"

"No."

"You bastard..." Iba gritted his teeth, his eyes behind his sunglasses sharpening.

He glanced back— Komamura was enveloped in crimson smoke, his massive body kneeling on the ground, while the Ganju circled him, continuously hurling new Chili Bomb.

We must get the captain out of this predicament as soon as possible.

He took a deep breath, and his attack suddenly quickened. "Then don't blame me for being impolite!"

The Zanpakuto attacked Chad like a storm, slashing, thrusting, and horizontally cutting, each strike carrying the force of a whirlwind.

Chad silently defended himself, sparks flying as the blade clashed against the shield.

Bang--!

Iba's heavy slash was deflected by Chad's right arm. He staggered back two steps, his hand slightly numb.

"... What kind of hardness is this?" the Iba ranger muttered under his breath.

However, as time passed, the battlefield became strange. The cries of the Ganju grew fainter and fainter, and the Iba seemed less anxious.

His offensive slowed down, and a confident smile returned to his lips. Chad could sense that this man was no longer in a hurry to break through and rescue his captain.

The Iba noticed Chad's confusion. "Are you really that concerned? Why am I not in a rush anymore?"

He held the knife horizontally in front of him, his gaze behind his sunglasses sweeping over the fading red smoke. "Of course. That pungent smoke looks like it'll be gone soon."

Chad's pupils contracted slightly as he turned his head to look—the spiciness of the smoke was decreasing, and the originally intense crimson had thinned to the point where he could see Komamura's kneeling figure.

Komamura's coughing gradually subsided, and his beastly eyes shone brightly again in the shadow of his helmet.

The voice from the Iba came from behind, carrying an almost sympathetic calm. "I have bad news for you. My captain absolutely hates underhanded tactics. And—" He pointed the tip of his knife at Chad, "Right now, the captain is in a pretty bad mood."

The last wisp of red smoke was dispersed by the wind. Sajin Komamura slowly straightened his massive body. The process of him standing up was slow, with every bone emitting a low, muffled sound. When his back was fully straight, the heavy Reiatsu pressed down as if it were a tangible substance.

The light in the beast's eyes pierced through the shadow of the helmet, locking onto the Ganju.

"Enough!"

Komamura drew his Zanpakuto. The moment the blade left its sheath, Reiatsu poured out of his body like a flood bursting its banks.

"Roar, Tenken!"

The air behind him suddenly distorted. A massive blade, like the arm of a god, emerged from the void—it was the Tenken Pluto Armor Punishment's Shikai, its blade alone nearly forty meters long. Komamura swung down his Zanpakuto, and the massive arm behind him swung down simultaneously, the giant blade tearing through the air and slashing down at Ganju with devastating force.

Boom--!

The giant blade crashed into the ground, shattering the stone slabs as if struck by a meteorite, sending fragments flying and engulfing the entire alley in dust.

"Ganju!" Chad exclaimed nervously.

Iba narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in his eyes. "Stop yelling. How could someone who only knows how to use petty tricks withstand the captain's Tenken? He's probably turned into Tenken by now."

He turned to Chad, a genuine regret creeping into his voice. "While I quite like an opponent like you who doesn't resort to underhanded tactics, but—"

Before he could finish speaking, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, and at the edge of the deep pit cleaved by the giant blade, a figure was crawling out from beneath the blade. Ganju lay on the edge of the pit, his headscarf askew, his face covered in dust. He rolled over, lying on his back, panting heavily.

"Phew. I almost thought I was going to die." He looked back at the giant blade that was nearly forty meters long, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Komamura's pupils suddenly contracted:

This person's Reiatsu is not high; there is absolutely no chance of survival if they directly withstand a blow from Tenken.

He raised his Zanpakuto, and the massive arm of Hades vanished. Then he saw the answer—at the bottom of the crater carved by the giant blade, there was an even smaller and deeper circular pit. The Ganju had huddled in that pit, escaping the crushing force of Tenken.

"To be able to dig such a deep pit in such a short time." Komamura's voice came from under his helmet, deep and with undisguised scrutiny, "Truly amazing magic."

But--"

He raised his Zanpakuto again, and Hades' arm reappeared from the void. "How long can this last?"

The Tenken struck again, and the Ganju tumbled and scrambled up from the edge of the pit. The giant blade grazed his heel as it cleaved down, shards of rock flying all over his face.

Before he could even catch his breath, the second strike followed. Komamura's offensive was like a storm, the massive blade slashing down from all angles, forcing Ganju to dart around the arena.

If he couldn't dodge it, he would use the "Stone Wave" spell to dig a hole and crawl inside. The giant blade would shatter the ground, and he would curl up at the bottom of the pit, waiting for the blade to rise before climbing out.

However, each time he digs a hole, he consumes Reiatsu, and Komamura's sword is getting faster and faster.

Just as the Ganju was about to be struck by the Tenken before he could react, Chad took the slash from the Iba —the blade cut a gash in his shoulder, and blood splattered out—but he didn't care and rushed in front of the Ganju. The Giant's Right Arm high, and his shield met the nearly forty-meter-long giant blade.

Boom--!

The giant blade slammed into the shield. The stone slab beneath Chad's feet cracked in all directions from him, the fissures extending to the base of the walls on both sides of the alley.

His legs were trembling, every muscle fiber screaming! Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the shield, he gritted his teeth, and thrust his right arm upwards—he forcefully parried the giant blade.

Komamura's sword was jolted off course by half a point, and Hades' arm shifted accordingly, the giant blade grazing their sides and slicing off to the ground.

Chad's muscles burst from the excessive exertion, and blood gushed from the cracks in his arms, shoulders, and back, instantly turning his entire body red.

"Chad- san!" Hanatarō, who was watching over the Stealth Force team from the corner, shouted when he saw Chad was in danger.

"Chad!" Ganju, standing behind Chad, looked at Chad covered in blood, his voice trembling.

The Iba watched this scene in silence. "To save his comrade, he risked his own destruction to take the captain's Tenken?" He raised his knife again. "What a man. But—" His voice was low, almost inaudible to himself, "His taste in friends is questionable. Be more careful next time."

Komamura's second strike had already come down; Hades's massive blade, imbued with even greater Reiatsu than before, slashed towards Chad —who was covered in blood, his right shield already cracked, and he no longer had the speed to raise it for defense. Ganju was still lying prone, too weak to stand up.

"Santen Kesshun!"

A clear female voice pierced the battlefield. A triangular light shield unfolded above Chad's head, directly confronting the massive Tenken.

The moment the blade struck the light shield, golden light exploded, and cracks spread in all directions from the point of impact—the light shield only held for a moment before shattering, but that moment was enough.

"Right now, Chad- kun!"

Chad gritted his teeth, wrapped his right arm around Ganju's waist, and lunged to the side. The blade of Tenken's Retribution grazed his back and slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crack.

A slightly arrogant male voice came from behind the Iba. "I think Chad's judgment isn't that bad."

The Iba's body tensed abruptly. Just as he was about to turn his head—a Reishi arrow flew from behind, grazing his cheek and embedding itself in the ground in front of him.

The arrow was entirely blue, formed from pure Reishi, and its fletching was still trembling slightly.

"Don't move." Uryū Ishida stood behind the Iba, his Spirit Bow fully drawn. "If you move even slightly, hundreds of arrows will pierce you."

The Iba's gaze fell upon the blue Reishi arrow. The arrow's structure, the way the Reishi were condensed, the angle of the fletching—he recognized these details. "A blue Reishi arrow... it matches some of the wounds on Jirōbō's body."

"Jirōbō?" Uryū's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Oh, is that the guy who always flaunts his power using other people's names?"

"So you really have seen Jirōbō." Iba didn't turn around, but the look in his eyes behind his sunglasses had changed. "I'm asking you—were you the one who drove Jirōbō mad?"

Why would you care about someone like that?

"Even that kind of guy is still one of my underlings." Iba's hand returned to the hilt of his sword. "I'll make him pay for the suffering he endured."

Before he finished speaking, he Shunpo out of the Iba.

The instant his figure vanished from his spot, Uryū released the bowstring. Hundreds of Reishi arrows rained down like a storm, the blue light arrows filling the entire alley. The arrows pierced the stone slabs on the ground, the walls on both sides, and the spot where he had just stood in the Iba.

The Iba appeared ten paces away. Several Reishi arrows were embedded in his back, blood seeping from the wounds and staining his Shihakusho red. He pulled one of the arrows from his shoulder and threw it on the ground. "Tch, didn't dodge them all?"

But before he could finish speaking, Uryū's Hirenkyaku had already stepped on his back.

"Oh no!"

Four arrows were fired simultaneously, accurately embedding themselves in his limbs on the Iba. The arrowheads pierced through his muscles, pinning him to the ground.

"... That's really surprising." Uryū pushed up his glasses, the string of his Spirit Bow still taut at his fingertips. "Someone actually went to this lengths for someone like that."

He knelt on the ground at the Iba, pinned down by arrows and unable to move. His sunglasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing a pair of resentful eyes beneath.

"I don't want to be a man who... stands idly by while his subordinates are humiliated."

Uryū paused for a moment. He looked at the still-bleeding wounds on the Iba's back, at that stubborn face. "That was truly rude. Although, I still think he brought it on himself."

"The Iba!" Komamura's eyes blazed with fury as he saw the Iba pinned to the ground. Ignoring the still-breathing Ganju and Chad, he turned and gripped the Tenken in both hands, the massive arm of Hades shifting in direction. "You bastard!"

The Tenken slashed down at Uryū stepped out with his Hirenkyaku, his body drawing an arc in the air as he easily dodged. The giant blade smashed down on the spot where he had just stood, splitting the entire building in two, with tiles and wooden beams scattering like a torrential rain.

But Uryū had already regained his footing on the other side, his Spirit Bow fully drawn, and he fired a barrage of arrows. The Reishi arrows struck Komamura's armor, producing a series of crisp impacts, but leaving only a few shallow white marks.

Komamura's Reiatsu was too immense, making it difficult for Uryū's arrows to penetrate his defenses. Moreover, each of Komamura's strikes carried destructive power, requiring a large amount of Reishi just to dodge them. Uryū alone could not afford to expend such energy.

But this only applies when Uryū alone.

A ball of light flew from the side and struck Komamura squarely in the face. The impact knocked Komamura's head to the side, and a low groan came from under his helmet.

Chad stood at the alley entrance, his wounds mostly healed by Orihime's Sōten Kisshun. The torn skin had closed up, leaving only a few faint red marks. The Giant's Right Arm reappeared, the shield held horizontally in front of him, its black and red stripes gleaming coldly in the twilight.

"Ishida, you rest first. I'll hold them off for now."

"Trying to use a tag-team strategy?" Komamura turned around, his beast-like eyes sweeping from Chad to Uryū back to Chad. "With your weak attacks, you think you can wear me down like Sajin Komamura? You're a thousand years too early!"

He raised the Tenken, its blade aimed not at Chad or Uryū, but at Orihime Inoue was crouching in the corner maintaining the Sōten Kisshun.

"And—" Komamura swung his Zanpakuto, the massive blade of Hades slashing down with devastating power towards the small figure, "A medical officer shouldn't be standing where the enemy can attack!"

"Stone Wave." The instant the voice of the Ganju rang out beside Orihime, the ground beneath their feet suddenly sank as if pressed down by an invisible hand. The blade of Tenken swept over their heads, severing a few strands of hair that were floating in the air, and smashed a deep crater in the ground.

Komamura's blade froze in mid-air. He looked down at the round crater, just big enough for two people to huddle together, and at Ganju's face, a mixture of smugness and cold sweat. "... Tch."

Uryū's Reishi arrows came from the side again. Komamura parried with his sword, deflecting the arrow.

But more arrows came from all directions— Uryū, riding his Hirenkyaku, flashed between the rooftops and walls, each flash accompanied by a barrage of dozens of Reishi arrows.

Komamura had to focus on parrying, and every time he managed to deflect an arrow, Chad's fist would come crashing down.

"It's better to abandon the strategy of attacking healers." Uryū adjusted his glasses, a faint hint of mockery in his eyes behind the lenses. "Our healers are not easy to deal with."

Thus, the two sides became embroiled in a protracted war of attrition at the alley entrance. Chad's right arm was injured by the Tenken but was healed by Orihime. After being healed, he faced the Tenken again.

Uryū's fingers bled from the intense drawing of the bow, and the density of his Reishi arrows dropped from hundreds to dozens, yet each arrow still precisely pierced the gaps in Komamura's armor. Ganju had long since exhausted his Chili Bomb, relying solely on Stone Wave and dodge, panting so hard he could barely speak. Orihime's Reiatsu was visibly increasing, and the light of the Sōten Kisshun was no longer as dazzling as it had been at first. But none of them retreated.

Komamura stood opposite them, his armor stained with white arrow marks, heavy breathing emanating from beneath his helmet. He didn't understand. Their attacks had done negligible damage to him, and he could kill any one of them with a single strike. Yet they wouldn't retreat, knocked down again and again, rising again and again, as if they were invincible.

Just then, a deafening roar came from afar. From the direction of Sōkyoku Hill, an extremely terrifying Reiatsu, seemingly not belonging to this world, was rapidly expanding, dyeing half the sky a blinding white. Immediately afterwards, the outline of a giant firebird rose from the horizon.

Komamura withdrew his gaze from Sōkyoku Hill and returned it to the Ryoka before him. "Ryoka, you can give up now. The Shellbreaker King has appeared, and the execution has begun. Rukia Kuchiki's death—is a foregone conclusion!"

Chad, supporting himself on the Giant's Right Arm, slowly rose from his kneeling position. His clothes were so torn that they barely covered his chest, and his shield was covered in cracks.

He looked at Komamura, his silent eyes showing no wavering. "... Ichigo hasn't given up yet."

"Ichigo? Ichigo Kurosaki?" Komamura slammed the Tenken to the ground, a hint of confusion in his voice for the first time. "Do you think he alone could defeat all the captains on Sōkyoku Hill? In the current Soul Society, there are eleven who are stronger than me or have the same strength! Do you think he could be a match for me?"

Uryū adjusted his glasses. His fingers were still bleeding; the Spirit Bow had worn a deep, bone-revealing gash into his fingertip, but he didn't hesitate for a moment as he drew the bowstring again. "If you all work Isshin, you are indeed no match for us."

"What you're saying..." Komamura frowned. Before he could finish speaking, a piercing shriek came from the distant sky. The Firebird of the Shellbreaker King began to disintegrate from the inside— its Core Spell was precisely sliced open by some force, the flames peeled away layer by layer, and the fragments of Reishi burned away in the air. The entire Firebird collapsed layer by layer like a dismantled pile of firewood, turning into sparks that dissipated into the twilight.

Komamura's pupils contracted sharply. Uryū released the bowstring, and the last Reishi arrow embedded itself in the stone slab at Komamura's feet, its fletching trembling slightly.

"... That's exactly what I mean."