Urahara: I killed Araki?! Araki: Don't be shameless!

The area where Chōjirō Sasakibe and Araki fought was very close to the 11th Division's training dojo, separated by only a single wall. Therefore, the moment Chōjirō Sasakibe and Araki stepped onto the field, they were immediately spotted by a group of 11th Division members! As Chōjirō Sasakibe and Araki faced off, the 11th Division members had already pressed themselves against the wall, forming a human pyramid to peek through the translucent windows in the wooden wall, constantly craning their necks to watch…

"So strong! Captain Araki defeated Lieutenant Sasakibe of the 1st Division with just one strike! He hasn't even drawn the Zanpakuto at his waist yet…"

The squad member, who had witnessed the fight between Sasakibe and Araki through the window, exclaimed repeatedly. They had never imagined that Captain Araki, who had joined the 11th Division but rarely showed his face, possessed such power!

"He truly lives up to his reputation as the man who defeated Captain Unohana. He's too powerful!"

Another squad member sighed upon hearing this.

"Squad Member Iruma, that's not what you said last time…"

"I distinctly remember when Captain Araki first joined, you complained that he defeated Captain Unohana through underhanded means and only became the new 11th Division Captain because of his connection with Captain-Commander Yamamoto! You even said you would never acknowledge Captain Araki's captaincy…"

However, before that squad member could say more, someone debunked him.

"Ahem, wasn't that because I didn't know much about our Captain Araki back then?"

"You can't blame me! Our captain is always so mysterious!"

"If Lieutenant Sasakibe of the 1st Division hadn't visited, I might have even forgotten what Captain Araki looks like."

Squad Member Iruma, who was called out, immediately felt a bit embarrassed, but he still stubbornly retorted.

"Is that so? I don't believe it…"

Unfortunately, the person refuting Squad Member Iruma completely disbelieved what Iruma said.

"You…"

Iruma suddenly felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, unsure what to say.

"Stop talking, Lieutenant Sasakibe is standing up again!"

Just as Iruma and a few other 11th Division members were bickering, the several seated officers at the top of the human pyramid formed by Iruma and dozens of other squad members expressed their displeasure.

"Uh…"

Hearing this, Iruma and the other squad members immediately shut their mouths.

Meanwhile, outside the 11th Division's kendo dojo, in the open space cleared by Unohana Retsu…

"Is that so? Araki, with your current strength, you're so powerful that you don't even need to draw the Zanpakuto at your waist to deal with an opponent like me?"

Chōjirō Sasakibe panted for a while on the ground before stumbling to his feet. He glared at the Zanpakuto Araki had plunged into the soil beside him, gritting his teeth.

"…"

Araki looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe, who had risen from the ground, his expression indifferent, his arms crossed in front of him. He didn't say much, because he knew very well that Sasakibe's strength was definitely not limited to this level.

"It seems that for a very, very long time now, Araki, you have shone like the sun!"

"No matter how talented and brilliant the strong individuals of your generation were, once they encountered you, they would become mere stars to set off the sun, tasked with adorning the pitch-black background…"

"I still remember back then, all the masters at the Genji School said that seeing you was like seeing Captain-Commander Yamamoto in his youth! I didn't understand it back then…"

"It was only after observing for a long time that I realized how similar you two are! Both of you, with just a single Zanpakuto in hand, suppressed all the geniuses of your respective eras…"

Chōjirō Sasakibe looked at Araki, a nostalgic expression on his face, as if time had rewound to long ago…

At that time, Captain-Commander Yamamoto was still the head instructor at the Genji School. Araki had just received his Genryū: Menkyo Kaiden certification from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, and that was the first time he had ever seen Araki.

Sasakibe still remembered that the moment he first saw Araki, he knew he was no match for this man. But he was unwilling to accept it; Sasakibe had always faced challenges head-on! Araki was merely a Genryū: Menkyo Kaiden; what could he do to him? He was a man destined to stand by Captain-Commander Yamamoto's side! Then he was slapped to the ground by Araki. He remembered that Araki hadn't used his Zanpakuto that time either, and that's when he gave up! Thinking of this, Sasakibe's voice continued:

"That's when I understood! If I had joined Genryūsai-sama's faction and become one of the masters at the Genji School, then for the rest of my life, I would be stuck beneath your feet! I was unwilling! I absolutely refused to be stuck there…"

"So I declined Genryūsai-sama's invitation to join his faction! I would not follow Genryūsai-sama under the name of a 'Genji School' master, but rather as Genryūsai-sama's 'shadow,' closely following in his footsteps!"

"Even if from now on, I will be unable to emit my own light, I will not hesitate! Because I believe it is all worth it! I believe Genryūsai-sama is worth such loyalty!"

"However, today, for the Genryūsai-sama whom I respect! So that I can continuously catch up to Genryūsai-sama's pace, I will once again unleash this thunderous light! Araki, look up and see, this is the confidence that allows me to follow by Genryūsai-sama's side!"

Sasakibe's voice grew louder, like thunder rumbling in the sky.

And just as Sasakibe's voice fell, the sky above the 11th Division suddenly darkened. Endless dark clouds obscured the brilliant sun in the sky.

"A shining star cannot vie with the blazing sun!"

"Only a sky-covering dark cloud can block the scorching sun!"

"Bankai! Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!"

Chōjirō Sasakibe pointed his rapier high into the sky. Golden Spiritual Pressure, like an electric current, shot straight up from the tip of Chōjirō Sasakibe's sword, piercing into the sky, into the vast, sky-covering dark clouds.

The next second, endless golden lightning filled the clouds, showering down like a noble's sliding lid, surrounding Chōjirō Sasakibe! There were eleven pillars of surging lightning, forming a wall. From a distance, it looked as if Chōjirō Sasakibe had summoned a palace built entirely of lightning.

This was Chōjirō Sasakibe's Bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!

"An excellent Bankai."

Facing the surging lightning, Araki channeled Spiritual Pressure to his body's surface, warding off the constantly fluctuating static electricity.

After all, unlike the bald Old Man Yama, Araki had a head of beautiful hair. If he didn't resist with Spiritual Pressure, his hair would stand on end under the lightning, turning into a messy, incredibly unsightly explosion of hair…

"Bankai? Lieutenant Sasakibe can use Bankai?!"

On the other side, the 11th Division members secretly watching from the dojo were utterly astonished by the sky-covering lightning outside. They had never imagined that Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe of the 1st Division, who seemed so 'amiable' and 'polite,' could use Bankai, and a Bankai that could manipulate the weather at that.

"What? Bankai?!"

"Let me see too…"

"Don't push! I'm going to lose my balance…"

"Ow!"

As the squad members, who were guarding the wall and forming a human wall, continuously 'wriggled' and crowded, the human wall finally toppled towards the wall, directly knocking over the dojo's wooden wall with windows…

Now, everyone no longer had to squeeze. Everyone could see the scene outside clearly!

"Heavens! The sky has changed color!"

When the squad members lay on the ground outside, looking up at the sky with all fours in the air, they were all so shocked by the sky-obscuring dark clouds that they were speechless.

"Araki! Please enlighten me!"

It was at the moment when the squad members were 'amazed' by Chōjirō Sasakibe's Bankai…

Chōjirō Sasakibe finally moved! He held his rapier and 'slashed' at the 'palace pillars' formed by the golden lightning surrounding him!

The next instant, all the lightning pillars touched by Chōjirō Sasakibe's rapier were transferred to the blade of Chōjirō Sasakibe's sword! At this moment, endless lightning burst from Chōjirō Sasakibe's body. In every move, the power of lightning released by heaven and earth was added to him…

"Watch out!"

With that, Sasakibe transformed into a golden bolt of lightning and lunged at Araki.

In a flash, before the 11th Division squad members could react, Sasakibe's long sword had pierced through Araki's body…

"I… I killed Araki?!"

Sasakibe's eyelids twitched as he looked at Araki, whom he had pierced. He had never intended to kill Araki! How was he going to explain this to Captain-Commander Yamamoto now?!

"It's over, it's all over! I… I killed the future of the Gotei 13!"

Sasakibe's voice trembled slightly, and his face was pale.

From the time he was at the 'Genji School,' he had always followed Genryūsai, achieving countless merits and never making any mistakes. Yet, at this moment, he stood there at a loss, his face blank. He didn't know how to deal with the fact that Araki had been 'slain' by his sword.

Pa~

Before Sasakibe could think further, accompanied by a familiar palm wind, he was slapped away by Araki, who he had supposedly 'slain.'

"Ar… Araki, are you alright?!"

Chōjirō Sasakibe collapsed to the ground, ignoring his swollen cheek, and nervously called out as he looked at Araki with a long sword embedded in his chest.

"Kill me? Don't be shameless…"

Araki looked at the fallen Chōjirō Sasakibe and pulled the sword from his chest.

It had to be said, Sasakibe's sword strike was truly powerful. Even Old Man Yama might take a slight hit if he faced this move…

So Araki directly used Reishi Manipulation to perform a localized 'mistification' on the part of his chest that would be pierced by Sasakibe, much like the localized 'elementalization' of Katakuri, Aokiji Kuzan, and others in One Piece.

Honestly, such precise localized 'mistification' of the body when it was about to be attacked by an enemy was something even Aura Michibane, whose soul contained the Soul King's locks, couldn't achieve!

However, Araki, possessing advanced Observation Haki, coincidentally met all the conditions to do so! It could be said that Araki's advanced Observation Haki and the Fullbring-induced ability to manipulate his soul and Reishi, comparable to elementalization, were a perfect match.

"That's great!"

On the other side, Sasakibe slowly exhaled in relief after realizing that Araki was indeed fine. Honestly, he had truly been at a loss just now.

"Heh heh…"

As for Araki, he held the Zanpakuto he had snatched from Sasakibe's hand and let out a cold laugh.

The last person as shameless as Sasakibe, Araki recalled, was Lu Jin…

One more chapter! Brothers, seeing how diligent I am, please give me some votes~