"Jūshirō, the enemy is making a move!"
"Yeah!"
Seeing Kenma hold his sword at his side, Kyoraku and Ukitake immediately felt an overwhelmingly powerful pressure bearing down on them, cold sweat streaming down their faces.
Kenma had held a high position and great authority before, but neither of them had known just how strong he truly was.
They could only speculate based on Kenma's time at Shino Academy, thinking that no matter how strong he was, he could at most be on Kuchiki Kyoka's level.
But now that they faced him in person, that terrifying pressure far exceeded their imagination.
In Kyoraku's eyes, the aura Kenma was releasing at that moment was clearly not all that obvious—so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Yet to him, it felt like facing Yamamoto in a furious rage.
Oppressive. Tense.
The two tightened their grips on their Zanpakuto, their minds stretched to the limit as their eyes locked onto Kenma's every movement, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail.
Yet under their utterly focused gazes, Kenma's figure suddenly vanished from sight.
The next instant, a searing pain erupted in their chests.
Blood spurted out as though it cost nothing, staining their white haori red.
"Wha—"
Kyoraku's pupils suddenly contracted, and all the strength in his body collapsed in that instant.
So fast!
Even he had been unable to react in time!
Relying on sheer willpower, Kyoraku painfully turned his head, only to see that Ukitake had suffered the same instant attack, nearly half his body cut away.
And without either of them noticing, Kenma had already appeared behind them.
In a daze, Kenma's utterly calm yet deeply mocking voice reached their ears.
"Sorry for the trouble. Just passing through."
Thud!
Thud!
Kyoraku and Ukitake's bodies stiffened before they both fell to the ground.
Watching