Shikai: Tetsusaiga

Shikai—Tetsusaiga

Outside the training ground, Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke were both somewhat surprised.

Although they knew Ailin had the courage to challenge Vice-Captain Ōmaeda because he had a certain degree of confidence in his own strength,

based on Ailin's performance over the years, they had assumed that confidence came from the abilities of his Zanpakuto.

They never expected that, before either side had released their Zanpakuto, Ailin would actually be evenly matched with Marechiyo Ōmaeda in a contest of Shunpo and Zanjutsu.

No, not evenly matched.

Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise and doubt in the other's eyes.

With Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke's strength, they could naturally tell that beneath the apparent deadlock, Ailin's mastery of Zanjutsu and Shunpo surpassed Marechiyo Ōmaeda's by a notch.

"Damn it, what kind of monster is this?"

Clang!

Marechiyo Ōmaeda raised his sword and exchanged a blow with Ailin before immediately using Shunpo to flee.

But in the next instant, Ailin appeared in front of him, forcing him to draw his sword again.

Though Marechiyo Ōmaeda was enormous, the fact that he had served as the Second Division's Vice-Captain for nearly two hundred years was enough to show how formidable his Shunpo was.

Yet at this moment, Marechiyo Ōmaeda felt restrained at every turn in his battle against Ailin.

Whether it was Shunpo or Zanjutsu, he could only passively respond to Ailin's attacks.

That feeling reminded Marechiyo Ōmaeda of his battle with Captain Shihoin Sennen more than a century ago.

Back then, he had been just as powerless.

Could this Ailin truly possess strength comparable to Lord Sennen's?

Bang!

In only a few short minutes, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was already drenched in cold sweat.

Compared to Marechiyo Ōmaeda, Ailin was far more relaxed.

After completely absorbing Kisaragi Taiho's experience, Ailin's four Soul Reaper arts had all improved tremendously.

Especially his Zanjutsu.

After all, Kisaragi Taiho had been Captain-Commander Yamamoto's disciple. Under Captain-Commander Yamamoto's guidance, his Zanjutsu could hardly have been poor.

It could be said that Ailin's Zanjutsu was not weak even among Captains.

The gap between Captain-level and those below it was as vast as a chasm.

Of course, Ailin's Reiatsu was only at the Sixth Rank now, still roughly ten times away from Captain-level.

With such a crushing advantage in skill, under equal Reiatsu, Marechiyo Ōmaeda would have had no ability to fight back at all.

But if Ailin really fought that way, he would undoubtedly be grinding Vice-Captain Ōmaeda's dignity into the ground.

When that happened, everyone in the Second Division, including Shihoin Yoruichi, would likely not look too pleased.

After all, Marechiyo Ōmaeda had been the Second Division's Vice-Captain for nearly two hundred years. To a certain extent, he represented part of the Second Division's honor.

Though Ailin also belonged to the Second Division, he had risen too recently and had yet to gain the recognition of most of his comrades.

If he acted too forcefully, he would likely draw resentment from everyone, openly and secretly.

Therefore, although Ailin was actually suppressing Marechiyo Ōmaeda, what everyone saw was Ailin and Vice-Captain Marechiyo Ōmaeda meeting a worthy opponent, locked in an inseparable battle.

Clang!

Ailin and Marechiyo Ōmaeda appeared in the very center of the training ground, their large and small figures forming a stark contrast.

Creak, creak...

The damaged Zanpakuto and the intact Zanpakuto strained against each other. A few seconds later, spiritual power burst from their blades and sent both men flying back.

Huff, huff, huff...

Huff... huff...

Marechiyo Ōmaeda panted heavily, his eyes fixed tightly on Ailin.

How long had it been since he had fought such an intense battle?

At that thought, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's expression turned sharp. His surging Reiatsu resonated with the Zanpakuto in his hand.

"Smash him to pieces, Drunken Demon Maru!"

With Marechiyo Ōmaeda's shout, the Zanpakuto in his hand suddenly expanded, transforming into a spiked club over three meters long.

Boom!

After his Zanpakuto's Shikai, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's Reiatsu increased fivefold!

For Soul Reapers, especially those who had released their Zanpakuto, at least eighty percent of their strength lay in their Zanpakuto.

A Zanpakuto's Shikai could increase a Soul Reaper's Reiatsu three to five times.

A Zanpakuto's Bankai could increase a Soul Reaper's Reiatsu five to ten times.

Although Marechiyo Ōmaeda had not touched upon the threshold of Bankai in over two hundred years, he had developed his Zanpakuto's Shikai power to the limit, raising his Reiatsu by the maximum fivefold boost of Shikai.

This was Marechiyo Ōmaeda's strongest state!

In his ordinary state, he was no match for Ailin. But after releasing his Zanpakuto, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was confident that among Vice-Captains, there were few who could defeat him!

Ailin had only joined the Second Division thirty years ago. His Reiatsu appeared to be about equal to Marechiyo Ōmaeda's, so he definitely had not yet attained Bankai.

His Zanjutsu and Shunpo were even superior to Marechiyo Ōmaeda's.

But Marechiyo Ōmaeda refused to believe that after releasing his Zanpakuto, he would still be this passive!

That was right. At this point, no matter how confident Marechiyo Ōmaeda was in himself, he no longer believed he could win.

The pressure Ailin gave him was simply too great.

"Has he released his Zanpakuto?"

Seeing Ōmaeda's current appearance, Ailin's expression also grew solemn.

During this time, Ailin had learned some basic information about Marechiyo Ōmaeda through Squad Leader Furuta Aoki.

His Zanpakuto, Drunken Demon Maru, was said to be a purely power-type Zanpakuto.

Once, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda had smashed a Gillian-class Menos to pieces with a single blow.

A Gillian-class Menos was a terrifying existence nearly a hundred meters tall. Ordinary Soul Reapers and elite Soul Reapers could not even break through a Gillian-class Menos's Steel Skin.

To deal with a Gillian, one needed a Seat Officer with at least Fifth Rank Reiatsu who had completed the first stage of Zanpakuto release.

For ordinary Seat Officers to quickly kill a Gillian, at least three or four of them had to work together.

The fact that Marechiyo Ōmaeda could instantly kill a Gillian-class Menos was enough to show just how powerful his Zanpakuto's attacks were.

Facing Marechiyo Ōmaeda, whose Reiatsu had increased fivefold and whose strength had greatly risen, Ailin did not dare underestimate him.

At once, Ailin poured his spiritual power into the worn Zanpakuto in his hand and shouted—

"Tetsusaiga!"

Boom!

With Ailin's roar, the Tetsusaiga in his hand finally revealed its true form.

Its slender, battered blade enlarged into a broad fang-shaped sword.

The immense spiritual power caused a dazzling halo of spiritual light to radiate around the fang blade.

With his Zanpakuto released, Ailin's Reiatsu naturally rose as well.

However, the incomplete Tetsusaiga only increased Ailin's Reiatsu threefold. At this moment, Marechiyo Ōmaeda clearly held the advantage in Reiatsu intensity.