Treading on Ants Without Hurting Them!

Seireitei.

Gotei 13, 11th Division, the barracks of the division dedicated to combat.

Inside the Swordsmanship Dojo with its wooden floors, a group of Soul Reapers clad in Shinigami Robes continuously swung the wooden swords in their hands while chanting, "Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

As the division most skilled in battle among the Gotei 13, the members of the 11th Division spent every day either training in the dojo or fighting!

In the words of the 11th Division members themselves, from the moment they woke from sleep and opened their weary eyes each day, they were already prepared to fight their enemies to the death.

Naturally, the captain who commanded a division full of killing machines like this was no simple person either!

The woman serving as captain of the Gotei 13, 11th Division was Unohana Yachiru, known as the strongest Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13 aside from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, and bearing the title of "Kenpachi."

At that moment, the woman who had subdued every swordsmanship school in Soul Society with nothing more than a sharp blade in her hand watched the training of the 11th Division members in the dojo without expression.

Her face was cold, neither joyful nor sorrowful. The training of the 11th Division members could not stir even the slightest ripple in the icy, steadfast heart of this woman who longed for "battle" and "slaughter."

However, just as the woman standing at the pinnacle of swordsmanship in Soul Society believed that her utterly joyless life would continue forever, an uninvited guest arrived outside the Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks.

"So this is the 11th Division?"

The visitor was naturally Araki. Standing outside the Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks, he looked at the buildings, somewhat crude compared to the barracks of the other divisions, and smiled.

"Just standing outside the barracks, I can already feel Captain 'Kenpachi's' powerful Spiritual Pressure, with nowhere to go~"

"So this is the first-generation Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru? How terrifying~"

Araki did not develop any prejudice toward the Gotei 13, 11th Division because of its plain barracks.

After all, a mountain need not be high if an immortal dwells there; water need not be deep if a dragon lies within...

Araki had not come to the Gotei 13, 11th Division to inspect the buildings. He had come for the person inside—the "boss" of the Gotei 13, 11th Division, Unohana Yachiru.

"Hm?"

At the same time, Unohana Yachiru, who stood in the dojo with both hands resting on her sword as she supervised the members' training, seemed to sense something. She slightly raised her chin, narrowed her eyes, and looked thoughtfully toward the 11th Division Barracks' exterior.

"Very strong!"

After a long while, Unohana Yachiru's lips curved upward slightly as she softly uttered those two words. They were simple words, yet their meaning was immense! After all, there were only a handful in the entire Gotei 13 whom the woman before them would call very strong...

At the same time...

Araki, who had been standing outside the barracks, now swaggered openly into the Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks without any attempt at concealment.

Araki had come today to wreck the place, to show the big shots of Soul Society what he was made of, and to tell his master, who would soon go bald, that Araki, a Genryū: Menkyo Kaiden, had returned.

Thus, there was naturally no reason for him to hide himself. Naturally, the muddier he made the waters and the bigger he made the disturbance, the better~

He would let the entire Seireitei know that today, the "master" of the Gotei 13, 11th Division had changed.

"Hey! Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks?"

Since Araki had no intention of concealing himself, he was naturally spotted by the 11th Division members patrolling the barracks. At once, black-clad members wearing black Shinigami Robes and gripping Zanpakuto surrounded Araki.

"Who I am is not important. As for why I came to your Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks?"

"My hands happened to be itching today, so I came to test myself against the blade in Unohana Yachiru's hand."

"I heard her blade is fast. I wonder whether it's faster than mine?"

Araki had no intention of concealing his thoughts and generously told the black-clad members surrounding him.

"Insolence! Who gave you permission to address Lady Unohana by name?"

"You insignificant nobody actually dares to say you want to test yourself against Lady Unohana's blade? Utterly ridiculous! Shameless! Absurd!"

"You nameless wretch, stop spouting nonsense here! Do you know who Lady Unohana is?"

"Lady Unohana is the foremost swordsman in Soul Society today! How could someone like you challenge her at will?"

"If you want to challenge Lady Unohana, get past us first! If you cannot even defeat us, then you are not qualified to meet Lady Unohana!"

The moment Araki finished speaking, an uproar swept through the Gotei 13, 11th Division members! They could not accept this unknown brat calling Captain Unohana, whom they revered, by name, much less accept this nobody's wild claim that he wanted to test himself against Unohana's swordsmanship.

"The foremost swordsman? I don't think so..."

Hearing how the 11th Division members referred to Unohana Yachiru, Araki gently shook his head.

"Huh?! You bastard, stop making a spectacle of yourself here! Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto acknowledges Lady Unohana's title as the foremost swordsman of the Seireitei! Why do you, an unknown nobody, refuse to accept it?"

The Gotei 13, 11th Division members flew into a rage upon hearing Araki's words. They had never seen someone so shameless.

"Hehe..."

Listening to these members invoke his master Genryūsai's name, Araki could not help but chuckle.

"Does everything that old man Yamamoto says have to be right? I don't think so..."

"As for Unohana Yachiru being called the foremost swordsman in Soul Society, how can she claim to be the strongest without first testing herself against my sword?"

Araki spoke calmly to the members before him. It did not seem as though he were making some wild boast! He merely seemed to be calmly stating a fact to them.

"Arrogant! You dare not even show respect to Captain-Commander Yamamoto!"

"Everyone, stop wasting words on this madman. I'd say he's here to cause trouble. Let's seize him and hand him over to the Prison Squad, so he can pay for his mad ravings!"

"Fine!!"

As Araki's words fell, the 11th Division members were utterly shocked. They had never seen anyone as arrogant as Araki, someone who actually dared question Captain-Commander Yamamoto's words!

As Araki's repeated boasts left his mouth, the Gotei 13, 11th Division members could finally endure no longer. One after another, they drew the Zanpakuto from their waists, intent on teaching Araki a lesson he would never forget.

"Stop!"

Araki looked at the people drawing their swords and sighed helplessly.

"So now you finally know fear? Too late!"

Hearing Araki's words, the Soul Reaper members finally showed excited expressions.

"You misunderstand. It's just that even for me, treading on ants without hurting them is difficult to control..."

Beneath Araki's expressionless face, a trace of emotion finally emerged.

At first, he had not understood the meaning behind those words. Before he knew it, they had already come from his own mouth.

"..."

Silence! As Araki's words fell, the entire Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks became exceptionally quiet.

"Bastard! Even now, you're still spouting nonsense!"

Someone suddenly shouted, finally shattering the silence.

The members' faces immediately changed. At that moment, the Gotei 13, 11th Division members were finally furious. They would use the blades in their hands to make Araki feel the anger in their hearts.

"Die, you despicable madman!"

No one knew who swung the first blade. Under the lead attacker's flash of steel, one silver blade-light after another slashed toward Araki.

"Slash!"

For a moment, blade-light filled the air like snow.

Yet when the countless flashes of steel descended, Araki still stood unharmed at the very center of the crowd's encirclement.

"How is that possible?!"

As for the Soul Reaper members surrounding Araki, their eyes were now filled with nothing but confusion and despair.

"Crack..."

Every Soul Reaper member surrounding Araki, without exception, found that the instant they drew their Zanpakuto and aimed at Araki to strike, the blades in their hands shattered like snowflakes and drifted down onto the ground with the wind...

At the same time, an incomparably brilliant and vivid blood-red rose bloomed upon every member's chest.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

As bodies struck the ground one after another, in the blink of an eye, only Araki remained standing in the vast courtyard of the Gotei 13, 11th Division Barracks.

Araki's expression remained calm. He still looked exactly as he had when he first entered the gates of the 11th Division Barracks, dressed in snow-white robes unstained by a speck of dust.

"I told you, treading on ants without hurting them is difficult to control."

Araki looked indifferently at the fallen members covering the ground and murmured to himself.

"Creak~"

At that very moment, the doors of the Gotei 13, 11th Division Swordsmanship Dojo suddenly swung open. Having just finished their daily training, the 11th Division members surged out of the dojo in a dense mass, glaring murderously at Araki.

Behind the stream of members stood a woman likewise dressed in white, with long hair as dark as ink! However, the white clothing on her body was a white haori symbolizing her status as a captain of the Gotei 13...

At that moment, this captain, respected by countless Gotei 13, 11th Division members, gazed from afar at Araki, who stood alone in the 11th Division courtyard where every blade of grass and tree seemed an enemy.

"At last, I've found an opponent worth fighting~"

"I hope you can properly satisfy my desire for battle~"

Smelling the blood in the courtyard, the woman lightly licked her pale-red lips, then revealed a somewhat twisted and sickly smile toward Araki.

Thanks to reader Munan Cat for the 1,500 reward~ I'll keep working hard! Also, during the new book period, I need to wait for recommendation slots, so I have to control the update pace. Once it goes premium, I'll release chapters in bulk!