What Is a Fierce Beast?!

Meanwhile...

The battlefield where Araki and Unohana Yachiru clashed.

As Araki unleashed his Bankai, endless seven-colored Ruriko seemed to replace the blazing sun in the sky, descending from above to gently caress the earth and envelop all things within it. Naturally, Unohana Yachiru and the blood pool surrounding her were also swallowed within it...

After Unohana Yachiru unleashed her Bankai, the endless blood she released transformed into a pool that soaked the earth, naturally spreading beneath Araki's feet as well!

In an instant, it submerged the tops of Araki's feet. As more blood seeped in from all directions, the water level continued to rise, visibly creeping up from his feet toward his calves...

"Given the nature of our Bankai, neither of them is suited to being released within the Seireitei!"

"As time drags on, both your Sea of Blood and my Ruriko will eventually cover the entire Seireitei, won't they?!"

Araki calmly spoke as he looked at Unohana Yachiru standing amid the Sea of Blood.

"Now that we have both unleashed our Bankai, what meaning is there in discussing that?!"

Unohana Yachiru's eyes held a trace of disdain at his words. She had endured enough. Whether the Seireitei would be destroyed or not no longer mattered to her...

Only one thing mattered now: battle!

They would fight until one of them fell!

Boom!

As Araki and Unohana Yachiru spoke, a Spiritual Pressure far more powerful and violent than either of theirs surged into the sky!

Unlike Unohana's cold, chilling Spiritual Pressure, merely having it fall upon one's body made waves of heat rush through them, bringing a sensation of scorching heat, burning, and blazing intensity...

"Hmm?!"

As that Spiritual Pressure erupted, both Araki and Unohana Yachiru, who had been about to engage in fierce combat, lowered their blades and looked toward its source.

A middle-aged man wearing a sleeveless white haori, with a striking cross-shaped scar on his forehead, quietly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist and murmured in a low voice.

"All things in the universe, turn to ashes! Ryujin Jakka!"

Boom!

With the man's deep release command descending with endless pressure, towering flames erupted into the heavens, setting half of the Seireitei's sky ablaze...

Had everyone present not known beforehand that this was merely the man's Zanpakuto's Shikai, they would surely have mistaken the soaring flames for another Gotei 13 captain unleashing Bankai!

"So hot~"

"After all these years, Old Man Yama's Zanpakuto is still as scorching as ever. It's practically the embodiment of violence!"

Araki could not help but smile as he glanced sideways at the blazing inferno. Seeing that his rigid old master was still so vigorous put his mind at ease.

Yes, the one who had unleashed Shikai was none other than Araki's master: the founder of Genryu swordsmanship, the head instructor of Genji School, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the strongest Soul Reaper in the Seireitei—Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!

And the Zanpakuto Yamamoto had released was naturally Ryujin Jakka, the Zanpakuto with the highest attack power in Soul Society and the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto!

Boom!!

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni paid no attention to his worthless disciple, whom he had not seen for many years. He lightly swung the Zanpakuto in his hand, and endless flames moved at his will, burning in every direction. Wherever the flames spread, both the Sea of Blood and the Crimson Light retreated before them.

By the time Araki and Unohana Yachiru reacted, the scorching flames released by Ryujin Jakka had already formed a towering wall of fire, trapping Unohana Yachiru's Sea of Blood and Araki's Crimson Light within an area two li across...

"I cannot allow you two to continue damaging the Seireitei!"

Only after finishing all this did Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni calmly speak to Araki and Unohana Yachiru.

"Tch~"

"If we're talking about damage to Soul Society, neither my Ruriko nor Unohana's Minazuki is as destructive as your Ryujin Jakka, Old Man Yama, right?!"

After hearing his master's words, Araki silently complained inwardly.

"Logically speaking, the most suitable place for two Great Villains like you to fight should be Mugen beneath my residence!"

"But so be it! Since you have already fought to this extent, then battle to your hearts' content within the sea of fire I have created!"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did not give Araki or Unohana Yachiru a chance to speak, continuing on his own.

Having said that, Yamamoto casually found a large rock and plopped down on it. With both hands resting on Ryujin Jakka as though it were a cane, he quietly watched Araki and Unohana before him and continued, "Enough talk! Do not mind this old man either. You two are the protagonists of this duel!"

"Sigh, I'm truly terrified of you, Master." Araki gave his master a helpless smile, then looked toward Unohana and said, "At this point, it would be rather impolite if we didn't get serious~"

"Fight!"

Unohana Yachiru gave only a single calm word in response. The next second, the endless Sea of Blood converged toward the blade in her hand.

"Hiss..."

Araki sharply inhaled as he faced Unohana Yachiru, who was gathering the Sea of Blood. At that moment, crimson lightning seemed to stretch into threads within his eyes, while scenes of the future flashed through his rapidly turning mind one after another like PowerPoint slides.

"...Hah!"

As Araki exhaled a breath of stale air, the veins on his sword-wielding arm bulged continuously, like azure dragons churning the seas and roaring in fury!

Pitch-black lightning, carrying boundless pressure, wrapped around the sword in Araki's hand. The Reishi within the Crimson Light in the sky also continuously gathered and roared...

At this moment, every ounce of power within Araki had united as one!

Then he swung down with all his strength!

Boom!!

The immense Sword Pressure, Sword Qi—or perhaps it should be called a Flying Slash—came crashing down upon the Sea of Blood gathered by Unohana Yachiru like an undulating mountain range, like the spinning teeth of a circular saw...

In a single exchange, whether it was the Sea of Blood or the sword technique Unohana had prepared, all of it paled before that strike and was completely severed!

"What... was that?!"

Unohana Yachiru could not comprehend the exquisite nature of that sword technique.

In Unohana's eyes, Araki's strike had no name and did not seem like any remarkable move. It was as though he had returned to the most primitive of attacks: simply raising the blade in his hand and chopping down with all his might...

Yet that seemingly ordinary strike left Unohana Yachiru frozen in place. Her mind seemed to crash at that instant, unable to understand how Araki had delivered a slash that seemed to represent the ultimate expression of violence.

By the time Unohana Yachiru came back to her senses, the Sea of Blood beneath her feet had already been split in two by that strike. Even the towering wall of fire Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni had erected with Ryujin Jakka two li away had been cleaved open with a massive gap by Araki's blow!

Yet Araki's endless Sword Pressure did not stop there. After splitting open the fire wall, it soared into the clouds, crushed the dark clouds in the sky into pieces, and gradually dissipated into the boundless horizon...

"What are you looking at?!"

Before Unohana Yachiru could think any further, a sharp blade radiating icy light had already been placed against her snow-white neck. Araki, whose heart had returned to perfect calm, looked at the slightly stunned Unohana and spoke indifferently.

"Unohana, your opponent right now is me. Don't lose focus!"

At that moment, Araki returned the words Unohana Yachiru had previously said to him.

"Hah!"

Unohana exhaled deeply. Her disturbed mind gradually calmed under Araki's cool voice, and immediately afterward, boundless fighting spirit rose from within her chest!

"Fight!!"

This was the second time Unohana Yachiru had said that word to Araki. Yet compared to before, her fighting spirit was even greater this time, and the word left her mouth with far more force.

It had to be said that Unohana Yachiru, standing within the Sea of Blood, was still breathtakingly beautiful. Yet no one had the mood to appreciate that sight now. Unohana, standing amid the Sea of Blood with murderous intent surging from her body, resembled a man-eating rakshasa—peerlessly beautiful, yet utterly lethal!

At this, the corners of Araki's lips rose, and the blade in his hand turned into an afterimage...

Slash!!

Only a flash of cold light passed!

Blood-red roses immediately bloomed upon Araki and Unohana's shoulders. Blood splashed down into the Sea of Blood beneath their feet, dissolving into it. The instant the droplets vanished into the blood, their injuries disappeared without a trace beneath the ceaseless nourishment of the Sea of Blood and the seven-colored light.

"Hahahaha..."

Wild laughter echoed without end!

At this moment, whether Araki or Unohana Yachiru, neither paid any attention to the Crimson Light shining overhead, the blood pool covering the ground, or even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who sat nearby as still as a statue...

Only each other remained in their eyes. They reveled in this feast of slaughter! Like two crazed beasts, they continuously swung their blades, dancing through the Sea of Blood and Crimson Light, fighting themselves into madness within this hell of fire formed by the blazing walls, unwilling to rest until death!

"Hehe~"

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni revealed a savage smile as he watched the two before him slaughter each other like beasts.

Yamamoto did not close the gap Araki had cut through the wall of fire, leaving it open instead! If he were the only audience for this slaughter between Soul Society's greatest swordsmen, it would be far too lonely—far too pitiful~

Yamamoto knew clearly that when fierce beasts fought, jackals would inevitably gather to watch. But since they had come, they should open their eyes wide and watch carefully just how strong Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's disciple truly was!

Then, after understanding the strength of his direct disciple Araki, they could fear him to their hearts' content! From this day onward, within the vast Seireitei, those petty fools would fear not only the Ryujin Jakka in Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's hand!

Two chapters, six thousand words~ I revised this chapter several times and scrapped it several times too. It always felt like it was missing something. Honestly, I don't know how well this chapter turned out either. In any case, I did my best! I hope everyone enjoys it.