Bankai: King of Hell's Descent

"Who exactly is this kid?"

It was not just the spectators—even Kijō Kenpachi wavered at that moment. Even after releasing his Shikai, he had failed to gain the upper hand. But if he could not figure it out, he would chop first and think later. As a warrior, Kijō Kenpachi followed the principle that might made right. Right now, he only wanted to slaughter Duke and quell the fury in his heart.

Kijō Kenpachi raised his blade and charged at Duke again like a raging bull. Duke sneered, twisted aside, and resumed circling as he fought him. All that brute strength, yet he did not know how to use it. Duke could kite him to death.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A rapid series of clashing blades rang out. Strike after strike collided, sending sparks flying and shockwaves rippling outward. Every move Kijō Kenpachi made was predicted by Duke in advance, then weakened by thirty percent as Duke's Zanpakuto deflected it from bizarre angles. It was unbearably stifling. Before long, Kijō Kenpachi's swordsmanship grew increasingly chaotic, and he even began to stagger on his feet.

The Bleach watching outside the barrier had already opened their mouths in disbelief. A newcomer was evenly matched against a captain... and was even gaining the upper hand. From the current situation, Duke was indeed suppressing Kijō Kenpachi.

"Coward, stop dodging around!"

The longer Kijō Kenpachi fought, the angrier he became. He had no idea what crooked trick his opponent was using, but every attack felt as though it struck empty air, leaving him exceptionally uncomfortable. What enraged him even more was that, before so many people, he still could not take down Duke after releasing his Shikai. This would undoubtedly become a stain on his glorious life. How could someone as proud as him endure such humiliation? He was the captain of Squad 11, a man who bore the name Kenpachi, yet he could not even defeat some wild brat who had appeared out of nowhere. What kind of joke was this?

People's gazes gradually gathered on Duke. This mysterious newcomer's strength was unfathomable. His sword followed sword like an antelope hanging its horns, leaving no trace to follow. The sword moves he casually produced were as unrestrained as a celestial steed soaring through the sky, always blocking Kijō Kenpachi's great blade from unexpected angles. Though his techniques were neither flashy nor bound by any set pattern, they gave people an inexplicably awe-inspiring feeling. It was as if... he was toying with Kijō Kenpachi. At that thought, everyone found it hard to believe. How could that be possible? No matter how strong he was, he could not possibly achieve such a thing!

Dugu Nine Swords!

Created by Dugu Qiubai, the generation's "Sword Demon," it defeated technique with no technique and broke all martial arts under heaven. It slew every enemy and villain, defeated heroes throughout the world, and was invincible wherever it went, with no opponent to be found. It was the strongest sword art in the Wuxia Grand Fusion World.

Alone for a lifetime, seeking only one defeat! How magnificent was the Sword Demon's regret!

Duke did not dare compare his own comprehension and attainment in the sword to that demon among swords. He had only barely entered the gates of Dugu Nine Swords, but even so, it was more than enough to bully Kijō Kenpachi.

Clang!

Duke knocked aside the ring-hilted greatsword with one stroke. Before Kijō Kenpachi could steady himself, Duke kicked him behind the knee, then slashed fiercely and sent him flying!

Kijō Kenpachi cried out miserably as he flew backward, crashing heavily into the barrier before falling to the ground.

"So... so strong!"

"He actually sent a captain-class..."

Kijō Kenpachi clutched his wound and rose to his feet, looking utterly bedraggled. A large hole had been torn through his clothes, exposing his bloated body covered in black hair. Hearing the cries of amazement from all directions, his face turned livid, dark enough to inspire fear. He had never imagined that one day, he would become someone else's stepping stone.

"No blood?" Duke looked curiously at Kijō Kenpachi's wound. He had noticed it the moment he struck him. His blade had felt as though it had hit rock, completely unable to break through the other man's defense. This was not caused by Reiatsu; it seemed to be the ability of his Zanpakuto.

"My Onikubi Daitō is not a direct attack type, but a Kidō-type. Under its ability, I will not be injured. Do you think you can defeat me with a few flashy tricks? Dream on! That weak, powerless blade of yours cannot even break through my defenses!" The thread of reason in Kijō Kenpachi's mind finally snapped, and he roared at Duke. Those whom heaven wished to destroy, it first drove mad. Having lost all face and suffered such humiliation to his pride, Kijō Kenpachi was nearly insane.

"Among all martial arts, nothing is unbreakable; only speed is unbreakable!" Duke forcibly put on an impressive act. As soon as he finished speaking, the three captains on the main platform lit up and nodded inwardly.

"What unbreakable... only speed?" Kijō Kenpachi was a crude man with unclear speech, and Duke's words left him bewildered.

"You do not understand? I mean that turtle shell of yours is not as hard as it looks!" Duke shrugged. It was rare for him to indulge in elegance, yet he had ended up playing music to a cow.

"You brat... I'll kill you!" Kijō Kenpachi understood that sentence. As he spoke, an incomparably powerful Reiatsu erupted from his body. The martial arts platform was crushed into powder, violent winds raged, and the barrier was blasted into disarray.

Bankai: King of Hell's Descent!

As Kijō Kenpachi's voice fell, black light surged from the Zanpakuto in his hand and shot into the sky, enveloping him. Immediately afterward, an enormous five-meter-tall figure gradually emerged from the black mist.

After activating his Bankai, Kijō Kenpachi's form changed drastically. His face was blue, his fangs protruded from a gaping, blood-filled maw, and his scarlet eyes made him look like an Evil Ghost. Horns grew from his head, while sharp, dense gray fur like stone covered his entire body. His ferocious appearance made everyone suck in a cold breath. His Zanpakuto changed as well. Apart from the blade enlarging along with its owner, its hilt also became longer, transforming it from a two-handed greatsword into something resembling a long-hilted saber. The evil ghost tattoo on the blade from its Shikai was gone. Its pitch-black blade carried the stench of blood, giving off an exceptionally ominous feeling.

"That bastard, getting provoked so easily! Using a captain-class Bankai at the Shinigami Academy is utterly disgraceful." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto opened his eyes and rebuked him angrily. Before his words had even faded, Retsu Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku used Shunpo to appear outside the crumbling barrier, taking control of it and reinforcing it once more.

"This is the Zanpakuto's final release... the strongest captain-class Bankai in Soul Society?" At that moment, whether they were Bleach from the various squads or newly graduated recruits, all stared in terror at the King of Hell inside the barrier. Though the barrier blocked Reiatsu, simply watching from afar gave them an oppressive despair, as though the sky itself were collapsing.

At the same time, the captains stationed throughout the Gotei 13 sensed the Reiatsu released after Kijō Kenpachi's Bankai. They set aside their work and hurried toward the Shinigami Academy.

"Kid, even if you kneel and beg for mercy, I will still kill you. Wail! Despair! Become food for the King of Hell in my hand. I'll take your soul!" Kijō Kenpachi, transformed into the king of ten thousand ghosts, let out a thunderous, savage laugh. Every movement he made stirred powerful gusts of wind. Compared to him, Duke only reached his knees, like a mouse standing before an elephant.

"King of Hell?" Duke was also startled by Kijō Kenpachi's Bankai. Disdain was one thing, but this powerful Reiatsu was no joke. Becoming a captain meant he was not entirely worthless.

"My Bankai, King of Hell's Descent. You should count yourself fortunate to die beneath this move!"

Duke narrowed his eyes, the corners of his lips curving into an excited smile. "Shine upon the world—New Moon and Full Moon!"

Boom—

His Reiatsu erupted, sweeping across the sky and ground like a hurricane passing through. The barrier jointly erected by two captains let out sharp creaks beneath Duke's surging Reiatsu, on the verge of collapse at any moment. Seeing this, Retsu Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku had no time to be surprised and hurriedly poured more power into maintaining the barrier.

After its Shikai release, New Moon and Full Moon became a nearly two-meter-long blade. A hazy, shimmering white glow radiated from its surface. Unfortunately, compared to the giant-like Kijō Kenpachi, it lacked somewhat in oppressive force.

"If you are the King of Hell, then this is quite a coincidence. My nickname is Ghost God!" Duke rested the long blade on his shoulder, dangerous light flickering in his narrowed eyes.

"What a joke. You think that Shikai in your hand can defeat me?" Kijō Kenpachi gripped his blade with both hands and slashed down at Duke! Ghostly energy swirled around this strike as it descended with thunderous force.

Duke gripped his blade in both hands and charged into the hurricane, directly enduring Kijō Kenpachi's heavy blow. Their colliding Reiatsu stirred up boundless gales that rampaged within the barrier, tearing apart everything in sight. Fortunately, the two captains reinforced the barrier with all their strength. Otherwise, it might have shattered from that single strike, and everyone in the training ground would have been doomed.

The Zanpakuto collided with a dull, bell-like boom. At the instant of impact, Duke felt the force transmitted through his Zanpakuto, and his pupils suddenly contracted. The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch as he was forced down into the earth, soil rising past his knees. At that moment, Duke had to admit that Kijō Kenpachi's strength truly surpassed his own. It was enough to rival Kenpachi Zaraki's final state from that night as a Saiyan.

He could not confront him head-on! Duke used Shunpo to evade the attack, then leaped back several times to open the distance. It seemed this man truly had some skill to become Kenpachi. With that strength, perhaps only Kenpachi Zaraki's ever-stronger combat form could confront him directly.

As Duke pondered, Kijō Kenpachi instantly appeared before him and slashed down again. With a boom, Kijō Kenpachi's blade missed and struck the ground, causing a massive upheaval. The ground collapsed outright, leaving behind only a deep crater.

Whoosh! Duke used Shunpo to appear behind Kijō Kenpachi, avoiding the attack. Even though Dugu Nine Swords could anticipate an enemy's moves, it was helpless against such absolute strength. Looking at the opponent's body, covered in fur as hard as bedrock, Duke wisely chose not to test his defenses lightly.

"Absolute power and defense? This is going to be troublesome..." As Duke spoke, he dodged another slash from Kijō Kenpachi. A thousand-year-old turtle covered in spikes, holding a butcher's knife, and impossibly fast to boot—Duke could only avoid its edge and continuously shift his form to evade.

"Kid, can you only dodge?" Kijō Kenpachi mocked. The absolute power granted by his Bankai restored his confidence, and much of his reason returned as well. With the mentality of a cat toying with a mouse, he chased Duke down and attacked.

"Is that so?" Duke stopped and looked at him. "I have seen enough of your Bankai. That turtle shell is the ability you are proudest of, right? Then let me shatter it..."

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū: Heavenly Flight Dragon Flash!

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