Flame Tetsusaiga

After creating Urahara Kisuke's Benihime, Ailin used the principles behind the Red Haze Shield to craft a sheath for his Zanpakuto—one that contained Tetsusaiga's defensive barrier.

In the anime Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga's sheath had another hidden function.

That was—

Once Tetsusaiga left its wielder's hand, one could hold the sheath and call Tetsusaiga back!

"Clang!"

Though he faced the Zanpakuto of two Captain-level opponents and seven or eight Seat Officers, Ailin felt no fear of battle as he gripped Tetsusaiga.

If anything, being able to unleash his full strength for the first time made Ailin feel thoroughly exhilarated.

"Tetsusaiga!"

At Ailin's call, the worn and battered Tetsusaiga in his hand emitted a dazzling white light. Its blade expanded several times over, and dense spiritual energy swirled around the massive fang-shaped sword.

Tetsusaiga's release did not further raise Ailin's reiatsu, and a trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.

Of course. He had already released his own Zanpakuto. If releasing another Zanpakuto could raise his reiatsu again, then merely releasing the Zanpakuto within his Inner World would send Ailin's reiatsu soaring beyond the heavens.

Still, while Tetsusaiga's release did not cause Ailin's reiatsu to surge again, he discovered that while Unlimited Blade Works was in its Shikai state, releasing other weapons—or even using their ultimate techniques—consumed nearly ten times less spiritual energy!

What that meant went without saying.

Ailin condensed his violent reiatsu into the Tetsusaiga in his hand. Tiny tornadoes spun around the blade.

Then, Ailin swung Tetsusaiga at the seven manifested Zanpakuto charging toward him.

"Wind Scar!"

Three sky-piercing slashes swept over the Zanpakuto like crashing waves, swallowing them whole...

"Ahhhhh..."

Under those powerful slashes, the Zanpakuto of five Seat Officers were torn apart outright.

"Smash it—Tengumaru!"

Aikawa Love's Zanpakuto took the form of a nearly three-meter-tall muscular man.

Faced with the powerful slashes, he directly released his Zanpakuto.

"Boom!"

Dense reiatsu erupted from Tengumaru's body, and the Zanpakuto in his hand transformed into an enormous spiked club resembling a giant cactus.

"Burning Small Hammer!"

As Tengumaru swung it, blazing flames wrapped around the spiked club. Under his swing, it collided with Ailin's slash.

"Boom!"

The white slash and crimson flames erupted, shooting into the sky and dyeing the surrounding heavens red and white.

An invisible shockwave spread outward, making everyone's clothes rustle violently in the wind.

At that moment, everyone in the field wore grave expressions.

This had become serious!

"Useless trash!"

High in the sky, Hibiki Hoshino watched the manifested Zanpakuto under his Bankai control nearly get wiped out in a single round of Ailin's attacks. He frowned and cursed under his breath.

By now, Hibiki Hoshino no longer cared about the Seireitei or the Captain-Commander's prohibition.

His Zanpakuto was the strongest!

Yet this fellow named Ailin seemed to counter him completely.

Apart from the first time, when he had successfully controlled Ailin's Zanpakuto, every subsequent Zanpakuto that appeared had been immune to his control.

For that reason alone, this man had to die!

Soul Society could not permit someone whose Zanpakuto could not be controlled by his ability to exist!

"Muramasa, I want this man to taste the most terrifying despair in the shortest time possible!"

"Then kill him!"

"Understood, Lord Hoshino."

After the gloomy Muramasa bowed respectfully to Hibiki Hoshino, he extended his right hand toward Ailin—

"Shadow Binding Technique!"

The collision between Wind Scar and Tengumaru's ultimate technique destroyed even more buildings in this part of the area.

When the smoke and dust cleared, two figures radiating powerful reiatsu emerged from the aftermath of the explosion.

"Hm?"

"As expected of the captains' Zanpakuto. Wind Scar actually failed to hurt them."

"Then..."

Just as Ailin was about to use a stronger move, he felt as if countless threads had wrapped around his entire body, leaving him unable to move.

Ailin was startled, but he quickly calmed down.

He remembered this technique.

"This is Muramasa's ability!"

Though he could not see them with the naked eye, the protagonist saw countless threads wrapped around his Zanpakuto in the reflection within his Inner World.

"Projection—"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

More than a dozen Zanpakuto appeared in the air, transforming into arrows that rained down around Ailin.

"Snap, snap, snap, snap..."

With every snapping sound, Ailin felt his body grow much lighter.

Once all the invisible threads binding him had been severed, Ailin had regained his freedom.

"Heh, thanks for the reminder."

"If you hadn't pulled that on me, I might have forgotten who my true opponent was."

Raising his head toward the sky, Ailin's reiatsu suddenly erupted.

"Reiatsu Burst!"

This was the first time Ailin had used this ability since defeating Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

After activating Reiatsu Burst, Ailin's reiatsu intensity once more approached that of Hibiki Hoshino after Bankai.

"Flame Tetsusaiga!"

"Fwoooosh..."

At Ailin's call, the Tetsusaiga in his hand instantly transformed into a flaming blade radiating immense fire.

The scorching heat warped the air around Ailin into rippling distortions.

Then, ignoring the two Zanpakuto charging straight at him, Ailin slashed at Hibiki Hoshino in the sky with his strongest attack yet—

"Flame—Wind Scar!"

In an instant, three slashes wreathed in wind and fire shot into the sky, as though they would swallow Hibiki Hoshino whole.

"Damn it!"

Facing the sky-piercing slashes, a flash of fear appeared in Hibiki Hoshino's pupils.

His ability could greatly diminish the combat power of nearly every Soul Reaper before him, while granting his side even stronger Zanpakuto.

However, Muramasa's ability was useless against Ailin's current direct and overwhelming attacks.

Faced with this powerful assault, Hibiki Hoshino could only call out the name of his Zanpakuto in his mind.

"Muramasa!"

At Hibiki Hoshino's call, Muramasa appeared before him.

At this critical moment, Hibiki Hoshino intended to have his own Zanpakuto block the attack for him.

Muramasa had no resistance to his master's actions.

To Muramasa, as long as his master was safe, what did it matter if he himself fell into hell?

Thus, when he appeared before Hibiki Hoshino, Muramasa not only unleashed his own power to resist the three flaming slashes, but also had Tengumaru and Engetsu outside launch attacks against them.

"Fire Blow Small Hammer!"

"Getsuga Tensho!"