Energy Is Eternal Delight.

Energy is Eternal Delight. -- William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790-1793)

Ichigo dragged Gonryōmaru through the dense forest. The tree canopies intertwined above their heads, forming a dark green dome, and the humus beneath their feet left a series of rapid, deep tracks.

Gonryōmaru was being dragged along by Ichigo, his feet dangling in the air, but his expression remained surprisingly calm. He didn't utter a sound as Ichigo pulled him away.

We need to find a place that won't affect the whole area!

Ichigo quickened his pace, cutting down the mountainside and sprinting away from the Settlement. After passing through a dense pine forest, the terrain suddenly opened up.

A wide riverbed stretches out from the foot of the mountain, with silvery-white pebbles shimmering in the sunlight. The river is shallow, with a gentle current, and the deepest part is no more than knee-deep.

The two banks were open gravel fields, completely deserted. Ichigo landed in the middle of the riverbank and threw Gonryōmaru into the shallow river. Gonryōmaru's body crashed into the water, splashing everywhere.

"If we're here, we don't have to worry about affecting others." Ichigo leaned against the steep cliff behind him, his two Tensa Zangetsu hanging at his sides, their black and white Shihakusho fluttering in the river wind.

"Come on, Gonryōmaru."

"Don't speak so condescendingly, Ichigo Kurosaki." Gonryōmaru stood up from the river. The shallow water only reached his waist. His white undershirt was soaked and clung to his body. Water droplets dripped from the hem of his blue outer robe. His disheveled appearance could not hide the increasingly intense purple light in his eyes.

He raised his hand, the water droplets dripping from his fingertips evaporating into a fine white mist in the air. He flicked his wrist, his voice deepening, "What's there to be proud of with this crudely made, unpolished Bankai?"

"You've been dissatisfied with my Bankai from the very beginning?" Ichigo was also somewhat annoyed by Gonryōmaru's assessment. After all, this was a technique he had painstakingly learned, so why did an outsider have the right to say such things? "The forms of Bankai vary from person to person. If you're dissatisfied with mine, then you should bring out your Bankai let's see what happens."

That's exactly what I meant.

Gonryōmaru's Reiatsu began to pulsate, spreading outwards in concentric circles from him. The river surface was rippled with dense waves, which surged up from the bottom of the water, and the broken water droplets condensed into mist in the air.

The clouds began to gather in the sky, and the clear afternoon sky was swallowed up by a thick, dark cloud that appeared out of nowhere. The sun was blocked, and the entire riverbank instantly darkened, leaving only the increasingly intense purple lightning around Gonryōmaru.

The wind pressure suddenly increased, and the pebbles on the riverbank were blown and rolled on the ground, while the fine sand grains drew gray streaks in the air.

Ichigo raised his hand to shield himself from the sandstorm, staring at the lightning flashing around Gonryōmaru, his brows furrowing slightly.

This scene reminded him of the grandeur of Hyōrinmaru's Shikai; both times the world changed color, but the power of Gonryōmaru was completely different from that of Hyōrinmaru.

If Hyōrinmaru is a cold, serene ice dragon Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens sky, then Gonryōmaru's Reiatsu is violent and restless, like a Thunder Beast that has been imprisoned for a thousand years and has finally broken free of its shackles.

This made Ichigo swallow hard, and he became extremely alert.

"You're right, Bankai unique to each person and can't be generalized, but even so, it can't hide the crudeness of your Bankai."

Purple lightning erupted from Gonryōmaru's palms, transforming into two lightning snakes that coiled around his arms. The current surged along his meridians beneath his skin, each pulse causing his Reiatsu to surge another level.

"I'll show you what true Bankai looks like after a thousand years of refinement!"

He spread his arms to the sides, and the lightning snakes transformed into countless purple arcs of electricity that spread in all directions. These arcs shattered the water on the river surface, pierced through the pebbles under his feet, and struck the cliffs on both sides of the riverbank, leaving countless scorched marks on the gray-white rock walls.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you are the true challenger in this battle!"

Gonryōmaru slammed his hands together, and all the electric arcs were instantly gathered back into his palms, condensing into a fist-sized purple lightning ball. Countless extremely fine lines moved across the surface of the lightning ball, like a miniature sun compressed to its limit.

"Bankai - Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!"

As the incantation was uttered, the purple lightning ball instantly transformed into gold and rose above Gonryōmaru's head.

The ball of lightning exploded in the silence, turning the entire sky golden. The purple lightning that had been surging deep within the dark clouds was also dyed golden. Several cracks appeared in the clouds, and eleven golden bolts of lightning fell simultaneously, surrounding Gonryōmaru.

Gonryōmaru reached out and grabbed a bolt of lightning. The other bolts of lightning temporarily receded and returned to the dark clouds in the sky, while the one that Gonryōmaru grabbed transformed into a huge spear made of pure golden lightning.

The gun barrel was woven from countless intertwined bolts of lightning, with the lightning being most concentrated at the tip, so dense that it almost solidified, gleaming with a white light that was nearly impossible to look at directly.

Several extremely thin lightning bolts extended from the gun barrel, swaying in the air like tentacles.

Ichigo's pupils contracted slightly. He crossed his twin swords in front of him, and the black and crimson Reiatsu on the blades rapidly increased. The two forces surged within him simultaneously, and he had gradually grasped the knack of coordinating the twin swords.

"Bring it on."

Gonryōmaru gave him no more time to prepare, and attacked Ichigo. The Lightning Spear suddenly spun, its tip aimed at Ichigo, and lightning surged rapidly along the spear. The spear pierced out like lightning, accompanied by a violent thunderclap.

Ichigo dodged to the side, the Lightning Spear grazing his left arm, creating a scorching wind pressure that burned a patch of charred black on the cuff of his Shihakusho. Just as he was about to retaliate, the Lightning Spear had already turned back in mid-air, the lightning bolts on the spear bending like living things and wrapping around his waist from the side.

"So fast!"

Ichigo used his left-hand black sword to deflect the lightning cords, and then his right-hand white sword slashed down at the Lightning Spear. The moment the blade touched the lightning, a huge current surged through his arm, causing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably, and he was almost thrown back.

He flipped in the air, his feet landing on the pebbles on the riverbank. He slid several meters before regaining his balance. His right hand was trembling slightly, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger was charred black from the electric shock.

"This is the power honed over a thousand years. Ichigo Kurosaki, can you withstand it!"

Gonryōmaru spun the Lightning Spear in his hand again, and all the lightning ropes on the spear opened up, tightening the layers of dark clouds in the sky. The lightning ropes were like a huge net, gathering all the thunderclouds within a radius of hundreds of meters around the spear, forming a golden Lightning Domain with a radius of tens of meters.

Ichigo could feel the gravel beneath his feet vibrating slightly, and the air, ionized, was filled with a pungent smell of ozone, making his nasal cavity feel the Heat with every breath.

The Lightning Spear struck again, this time faster, more accurate, and more ruthless than before. In fact, due to the existence of the Lightning Domain, Ichigo's space to dodge was completely restricted.

Ichigo was forced into the center of the Lightning Domain, his body completely surrounded by impenetrable lightning bolts. With no way out, he could only fight back, relying on his fighting instincts.

"Getsuga Cross Blast!"

He gritted his teeth and slashed out with both swords simultaneously, the two crescent moons converging into a cross in front of him.

The cross-shaped slash, imbued with black, red, and scarlet Reiatsu, hurtled towards Gonryōmaru.

"You think I'm afraid of you?!"

Gonryōmaru steeled his resolve, thrusting his spear tip straight at the center of the cross slash. The beam of lightning collided with the crescent-shaped torrent, creating a deafening explosion.

The shockwave blew the pebbles off the riverbank, the entire river surface was evaporated into a cloud of white mist, and several cracks several meters deep appeared on the cliffs on both sides.

Gonryōmaru's Lightning Spear shattered completely in the explosion, while Ichigo knelt on one knee in the shallow water, his two Tensa Zangetsu stuck in the rubble beside him, panting heavily.

Between them was a piece of ground that had become vitrified and broken, radiating a rainbow of colors under the sunlight.

"I told you your Bankai is crudely made and doesn't deserve to be called Bankai at all. You're just letting your power run rampant." Gonryōmaru straightened up and said to Ichigo, who was kneeling in the shallow water.

"You're one to talk! Your Lightning Spear is broken, while mine are still perfectly fine in my hands!" Ichigo stood up, supporting himself with his two Tensa Zangetsu. He didn't feel like he was at a disadvantage.

"Looks like you're still not convinced. Then let's continue." With that, ten golden lightning bolts reappeared around Gonryōmaru. This time, Gonryōmaru grabbed two of the lightning bolts and transformed them into two short spears.

"Who's afraid of who!" Ichigo wiped the water off his face with his sleeve. "Let's go again!"

Meanwhile, at the Peony Mountain

This is an open rocky platform. The ancient pines around it have been reduced to half-trunks by the aftershocks of Reiatsu. Broken branches are scattered among the rubble. A strong smell of sulfur seeps out from the cracks in the rocks, mixed with the smell of ozone and scorched earth, and condenses into a thin mist that can be seen with the naked eye.

Sylvan and Marechiyo Ōmaeda leaped off the last stone steps of the mountain path, landing on a pile of rubble at the edge of the rocky platform. The sight before them made them both stop in their tracks.

In the center of the rocky platform, a colossal Golem nearly three meters tall was battling another, even larger, Wisdom King True Form powerful deity).

The Golem entirely black, with extremely thick limbs. Its body seemed to be made of flowing rock, and its muscles, which looked like they had been sculpted, could tighten or contract with its movements.

The surface was covered with countless fine cracks from the fierce battle, and a deep purple Reiatsu aura emanated from the cracks, like a mountain awakened from the earth.

But it was clear that his body was breaking down, with more and more cracks appearing, the purple aura growing dimmer, and debris constantly falling off from his shoulders, ribs, and back. Those debris scattered on the ground, turning into extremely fine black particles that drifted in the wind.

The Wisdom King True Form of the Golem- ō opposite the golem was more than twice his height. His jet-black armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight. The Wisdom King's fist slammed down like a small mountain. The Golem raised his arms to block, and the rock platform beneath his feet was shaken by the impact, cracking like a spiderweb.

"Rook!" Sylvan shouted.

He took a step forward, but even at such close range, the Soul Link between him and Rook remained broken, causing Sylvan some anxiety.

The Golem heard his voice, and its enormous, single eye turned slightly. The moment the purple eye looked in Sylvan's direction, the Wisdom King's fist fell again.

"Sylvan! Danger!"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda noticed the Tenken Wisdom King's fist coming down and stepped forward to pull Sylvan away, leaving the Golem Rook to bear the brunt of the Wisdom King's giant fist alone.

Rook crossed his arms above his head in an attempt to block, but his body was already covered in cracks. This impact caused his left arm to break off at the elbow, and black fragments flew in all directions, turning into extremely fine particles and dissipating into the air.

"Rook!!"

Wisdom King's second punch followed immediately, slamming into Rook's chest. Cracks spread all over his body, and Rook's entire upper body bent backward, his spine emitting a dull thud like rocks breaking.

The third punch!

The Golem's body split open from the center, and black fragments, like ashes scattered by the wind, gushed out from the crack. Its limbs, torso, and head disintegrated simultaneously, turning into black particles that drifted everywhere. Only the huge purple eye remained in place, stubbornly shining.

The Tenken Wisdom King had no intention of leaving anyone alive; he planned to smash Rook's eye as well.

"Rook!!"

"Sylvan, don't go there! It's dangerous!"

Ignoring Marechiyo Ōmaeda's advice, Sylvan rushed forward and snatched the eye before the giant fist could land for the fourth time.

"Rook..." Sylvan held the eye, which resembled a purple crystal ball, in his arms Sylvan, panting. He breathed a sigh of relief, sensing that Rook's Reiatsu within the eye had not yet subsided.

The Tenken Wisdom King stood in the center of the rock platform, sizing up the ant that had suddenly appeared before him, and was about to deliver another punch.

"Smash him! Gegetsuburi!"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda charged in from the side, his Zanpakuto transforming into Meteor Hammer in his hand, the spikes on the hammerhead carrying Reiatsu as he smashed towards the face of the Wisdom King.

Wisdom King sidestepped the Meteor Hammer's direct impact, and at the same time raised his right hand, slapping out, sending Marechiyo Ōmaeda flying and crashing into the ground.

"Marechiyo Ōmaeda!" Sylvan looked up.

The Tenken Wisdom King withdrew his hand, his gaze returning to Sylvan, and this time he directly raised his foot.

The giant, nearly ten meters tall, dropped his feet like collapsing boulders, casting a shadow that enveloped Sylvan entirely.

At that moment, the purple eye in Sylvan's arms lit up, and a very thin layer of purple light formed a hemispherical shield around him.

The giant foot landed on the shield, and countless cracks spread across the surface of the light membrane, but it managed to withstand the attack.

Sylvan seized the brief opening, scooping up Rook's eyes as he rolled out from under the shield. "Rain! Oren!"

"I know!"

Rain flew out of the forest and began bombarding the Tenken Wisdom King with Kidō, while Oren darted to the Wisdom King's feet, his tail transforming into blades to slash at the Tenken's legs.

"Are you alright?" Gegetsuburi ran to the ditch beside Marechiyo Ōmaeda and asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Marechiyo Ōmaeda climbed out of the mound, spitting out a lot of dirt. "I told him not to go up there, but why wouldn't he listen? The opponent is a captain's Zanpakuto, and he's clearly already activated his Bankai. A head-on confrontation at this point is definitely not a good idea."

The Gegetsuburi stood aside, not even bothering to help Marechiyo Ōmaeda: "So what do you say now? I'll definitely listen to you."

"Of course, that's Captain Komamura's Zanpakuto on the other side." Marechiyo Ōmaeda dusted himself off, watching Sylvan, Oren, and Rain entangled in battle with Tenken Wisdom King, and smiled. "They're perfect as enemies. I didn't train every day just to run away. I'm not a coward!"

"Just because you're not bad doesn't mean I am!" Gegetsuburi pulled out his true form as well. "Don't back down halfway through like you always do. You know I don't like winning through tactics!"

"The joy of easily achieving victory, why don't you Zanpakuto understand that? But don't worry, facing this guy, there's no choice but to fight head-on. There's no strategy involved, just fight to the bitter end!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda picked up his Meteor Hammer and swung it around. "Can you keep up with me, Gegetsuburi?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm your Zanpakuto!"