Kenpachi Zaraki's Sudden Intrusion!

Just from hearing the voice coming from outside and the names mentioned, Yoru Machi knew trouble had come knocking.

The man who entered the Fourth Division's recruitment office was tall and vicious-looking, with a scar across his left cheek, an eyepatch over his right eye, and black hair tied into spiky hedgehog-like strands, each tip adorned with a small bell.

Perched on his shoulder was a pink-haired loli wearing a miniature Soul Reaper uniform, who looked absolutely no older than ten.

Following behind the man were Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, who had only just joined the Eleventh Division.

"Yoru Machi said before that he wanted to join the Fourth Division most, so he should've come here first."

Faced with a question from his idol, Ikkaku had no psychological burden whatsoever about selling out his bad friend...

Ikkaku and Yumichika actually knew Kenpachi Zaraki. After all, they had been thoroughly beaten by him back in Rukongai.

No one knew why Kenpachi Zaraki had suddenly taken an interest in this recruitment event and come to the scene, but when Ikkaku saw him, he became incredibly excited and immediately challenged him again.

A rookie Soul Reaper fresh out of graduation daring to challenge the man known as "Kenpachi" in Soul Society was something ordinary people would scarcely even dare imagine, yet Ikkaku had simply gone ahead and done it.

Little Steel Ball Head believed that while he had not learned Kidō particularly well during his years at Shino Academy, he had mastered the other skills of Zanpakuto, Kidō, Hoho, and Hakuda quite well.

After systematic training, he was now much stronger than he had been in Rukongai, so the moment he saw his idol, he wanted to test just how much he had grown over the years.

Whether by his title of "Kenpachi" or as the Captain of the Eleventh Division, Kenpachi Zaraki was not someone a rookie Soul Reaper could challenge whenever he pleased.

If it had been a captain from another division, they likely would have ignored Ikkaku's challenge. Kenpachi Zaraki, however, would not.

A battle maniac by nature, he had little awareness of his identity as a Soul Reaper. Or rather, he had come to Seireitei in the first place because there were more people here worth cutting down.

Ikkaku remembered Kenpachi Zaraki, but Kenpachi Zaraki did not remember Ikkaku's name. The people whose names Kenpachi remembered were generally those who could make his blood boil, and clearly, Ikkaku and Yumichika, whom he had utterly crushed in Rukongai, had not reached that level.

Faced with a challenge delivered right to him, and seeing Ikkaku's battle-hungry expression, Kenpachi Zaraki naturally had no reason to refuse.

Thus began a one-sided battle. Although Ikkaku's spiritual pressure had grown considerably over the years, and he had learned more formal swordsmanship and Shunpo at Shino Academy, he was crushed for the second time before Kenpachi Zaraki's absolute strength.

This time, however, Ikkaku's strength had barely managed to pique Kenpachi Zaraki's interest, and he remembered his name.

After his defeat, the unwilling Ikkaku accidentally mentioned Yoru Machi's name, saying that if it were Yoru Machi, he should be able to last longer against Kenpachi Zaraki and might even have a chance to wound him.

The speaker had not meant anything by it, but the listener did. Upon hearing Ikkaku's mutter, Kenpachi Zaraki's mouth split into a grin. He then looked at Ikkaku with excitement and asked, "Where is this guy called Yoru Machi?"

There were many people in Seireitei worth cutting down, but the Gotei 13 had rules. Captains were not allowed to fight privately, because captain-level spiritual pressure was too powerful. Once they truly got going, they could have a certain impact on Soul Society.

However, according to Ikkaku, this fellow named Yoru Machi had only graduated as a rookie Soul Reaper this year, and he was even stronger than Ikkaku.

Since the other party was not a captain, the rules naturally would not be a problem. If he could not cut down a captain, then cutting down an ordinary Soul Reaper should be fine, right?

That was why the Eleventh Division had appeared at the Fourth Division's recruitment office.

Kenpachi Zaraki swaggered into the Fourth Division's recruitment office with the air of a thug, carrying his Zanpakuto over one shoulder and the pink-haired loli over the other, with two guardian warriors flanking him. The moment he entered, he shouted, "Which one of you is Yoru Machi? Come out and fight me!"

Kotetsu Isane, the rookie Soul Reaper beside Yoru Machi who had never seen such a scene before, was already scared stiff. She had heard before that divisions sometimes competed to recruit newcomers.

But she had never imagined that the Eleventh Division would send their captain personally to poach recruits!

As expected of the combat division, their conduct could only be described as utterly lawless.

"Captain Kenpachi, this is the Fourth Division's recruitment site. May I ask what business brings you here?"

If Isane had been the only one at the recruitment office right now, she would probably have been scared flat by the ferocious Kenpachi and his group. But the key was that it was not just Isane and Yoru Machi here. The woman once called "the greatest villain in Soul Society's history" was here as well.

Though Kenpachi Zaraki's group looked impressively formidable, Sister Hana remained calm and composed, narrowing her eyes in a smile as she asked the Eleventh Division members why they had come.

"Little Ken came to find someone called Little Yoru. He wants to fight him and test his strength."

Upon hearing Unohana Retsu's question, Kenpachi Zaraki had yet to speak when Yachiru, the pink-haired loli on his shoulder, raised her hand and answered first.

"Vice-Captain, the person we're looking for is called Yoru Machi, not Little Yoru..."

Hearing Yachiru's words, Ikkaku beside Kenpachi Zaraki kindly corrected her. Unfortunately, the pink-haired loli did not appreciate it. Giving nicknames to people who interested her was her hobby, and Ikkaku's failure to know his place clearly made her quite unhappy.

"Shut up, Little Steel Ball Head. Don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Ptooey."

Ikkaku was dumbfounded. His well-intentioned correction had not earned him any gratitude. Instead, he had gained the nickname "Little Steel Ball Head," and the head he polished and carefully maintained every day had even been spat on. How the hell was he supposed to put up with that?

"Yumichika, don't stop me! I'm going to take down this arrogant little brat!"

To bald men, a gleaming bald head was their dignity. Now that his dignity had been trampled upon, even though Ikkaku never bullied women or children, he could no longer endure it.

"Calm down, Ikkaku. The Vice-Captain didn't mean it, and besides, we might not be able to beat her..."

Yumichika's words were not merely meant to comfort him; they were the truth. Yachiru did look like a tiny child, but she genuinely possessed the strength of a vice-captain.

When Ikkaku had challenged Kenpachi Zaraki earlier, Yumichika had also wondered why the Eleventh Division's vice-captain was a child, so he had wanted to test her himself. Before he could even make a move, Yachiru had appeared behind him like a ghost!