The Scent of One's Own Kind

Seireitei, below the Senzaikyu.

This was a massive complex composed of an entire stretch of buildings, and these structures were all... places for detaining various prisoners, which could also be called cages.

Whether they were Shinigami, rebellious nobles, or the most heinous criminals from the Rukongai, they were all imprisoned from the outside in, depending on the severity of their crimes.

At the very back of this complex stood a tower that pierced the clouds, known as the Senzaikyu, constructed entirely from Sekki Seki that blocked spiritual pressure. Everyone imprisoned here was a powerful existence among the Shinigami, and all had committed grave crimes against the Seireitei.

To put it another way, they were... death row inmates!

Many Shinigami felt an instinctive fear of this place. Therefore, almost no one ever came here, and gradually, it became completely deserted, save for the guards.

Yet, among the many cells, on the stairs leading directly to the Senzaikyu, stood a man with red hair and markings on his forehead—none other than the lieutenant of the 6th Division, Renji Abarai!

Ever since he learned that the goal of the Ryoka was to save Rukia, he had guessed their identities, so while the other lieutenants were gathering to discuss countermeasures, he took the opportunity to come here.

And just as he had expected, the humans who had stolen Rukia's powers had arrived. Even without seeing them yet, he could vaguely sense that repulsive spiritual pressure!

The hazy mist gradually began to dissipate along with the rising sun, and several figures slowly emerged from the fog.

So, they've come?

Renji tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto, a flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes. Perhaps, deep down, what he wanted to do wasn't to stop them...

"Long time no see. Do you still remember what I look like?" Without hesitation or delay, the spiritual pressure radiating from Renji, which was nearing the peak of the lieutenant level, poured down, pressing upon everyone present.

It caused the weaker Ganju and Hanataro to tremble, not daring to move an inch!

"If I could forget, I certainly wouldn't be polite!" Ichigo stepped forward, blocking the path in front of Wu Biao, while simultaneously glancing back at him. He believed that at times like this, Brother Biao could always guess his thoughts instantly.

Seeing this, Wu Biao curled his lip. His instincts regarding combat were stronger than anyone else's, so in many cases, he could perceive the essence of certain matters directly.

Just as mentioned before, Wu Biao knew... which battles he could intervene in, and which opponents he could not snatch away.

Of course, this was also because Wu Biao had no interest in this defeated opponent. Some opponents could be left to Ichigo, but other opponents... those were his battles! His prey!

No one was allowed to snatch them, just like that man who had made him taste defeat; no matter what, he had to be the one to defeat him!

Seeing Brother Biao's expression, Ichigo couldn't help but feel grateful. Often, at times like this, the man before him was the one who understood and supported him the most!

It was as if he were an older brother who, while usually doting and overprotective of his younger brother, could at certain moments painfully allow his brother to go out and hone himself, to venture out and let him grow!

Often... this was what an older brother should do, which was why he had always called him "Brother Biao" willingly, and the same went for Shyarly and Yuzu.

This was their big brother!

"But I still have a huge debt to settle with you, Renji Abarai!" Ichigo turned his head and said coldly, looking at Renji in the distance.

Renji Abarai's mouth curled into a cold sneer as he slowly began to walk down the stairs, the spiritual pressure rising from his body becoming increasingly terrifying: "What a surprise, you even remember my name. Not bad at all!"

"Thanks for the compliment!" Ichigo's spiritual pressure gradually rose, staring at Renji without a hint of fear.

On the other side, Ganju and Hanataro were both dripping with cold sweat, looking at Renji Abarai with expressions of horror.

"Is this the level of a lieutenant? It's a completely different grade from the guys we encountered before."

Renji Abarai's gaze moved past Ichigo to look at Wu Biao behind him, a trace of wariness flashing imperceptibly in his eyes: "So it really is you. You single-handedly fought your way from the White Road Gate into the Seireitei, consecutively defeating over a thousand Shinigami and wiping out the entire 5th Division, including their lieutenant. Among these people, I don't think anyone else could have done it besides you."

"What?"

"Ah, Mr. Wu Biao, are you that human who caused the Gotei 13 to lose nearly half their forces?"

Upon hearing this, Ganju and Hanataro both looked at Wu Biao with shock and disbelief. They never imagined that this person who had been acting silly all the way here was actually this powerful!

Ichigo felt the same. It turned out that, without him realizing it, Brother Biao had already become this strong!

Over the past half-month, he wondered what kind of training he had been doing with Kanonji.

Wu Biao looked up and glanced at Renji, but didn't speak. Instead, he turned his head to look into the distance, a flash of unknown fighting spirit appearing in his eyes.

Seeing that Wu Biao ignored him, Renji didn't mind at all. Instead, his expression became even more solemn, and the wariness in his eyes became more apparent, though deep within his pupils lay a hint of confusion.

"Then, are you also the one who killed Aizen of the 5th Division? Why? As far as I know, since entering the Seireitei, you haven't killed a single person. Why did you kill Captain Aizen alone? Was it because you couldn't hold back?"

Renji truly didn't understand. One had to know that killing a thousand people was easier than controlling one's strength to beat a thousand people into critical condition, and killing one person with the fastest speed would also preserve the most stamina.

Yet, this man before him hadn't killed a single person. According to the patrol squad that had fought him last night, he had been at the end of his rope by the end of the night.

But he still hadn't chosen the fastest path, letting go of countless opportunities to wipe out the patrol squads, instead choosing to stand his ground with a broken body and fight them, wounding them one by one without killing anyone!

This already proved that this man before him did not want to kill!

But... since he had gone to such lengths, why did he kill Captain Aizen? Renji had also wondered if it might have been done by the other Ryoka.

However, whether it was ability, timing, or even location, everything proved that it was this man who had killed Captain Aizen, especially since Captain Aizen had already died by the time the other Ryoka invaded.

Killed a captain?

The other three in the area no longer knew what kind of expression to use when looking at Wu Biao. The successive shocking news left them all with dazed expressions, unable to speak for a long time.

"I killed someone?" Wu Biao frowned, his gaze slowly turning from the distance to look directly at Renji Abarai: "You said I killed someone?"

Seeing this, Renji frowned. Looking at Wu Biao, it didn't seem like he was faking it, which made him vaguely sense that something was wrong, but he still nodded: "That's right. Captain Aizen of the 5th Division died on the East Great Holy Wall, killed by his own Zanpakuto piercing through his chest?"

"Wait!" Ichigo, who was on the side, hurriedly interrupted: "What did you just say about how that Aizen guy died?"

Renji was startled, looking at Ichigo with some confusion: "He was killed by his own Zanpakuto piercing through his chest. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Then it absolutely wasn't Brother Biao who killed him!" Ichigo replied with a firm tone.

"Why?"

Wu Biao slowly turned his head to glance into the distance, then looked at Renji, his expression carrying an unprecedented solemnity as he spoke as if taking an oath: "If pushed to the limit, I might kill someone. But, using a weapon is something I wouldn't do even if I were to die, because... fists meeting flesh is the true romance of a man."

Fists meeting flesh is the true romance of a man?

Aside from Ichigo, the three people present, including Renji, were all stunned. Looking at the unprecedented gravity on Wu Biao's face, their hearts could not help but tremble!

"So believe it or not, that bastard Lantian or whoever it was, I didn't kill him!" After saying this, the solemnity vanished from Wu Biao's face, and he grinned broadly: "If I had killed him, I would have definitely gone bam, bam, bam, punch after punch, smashing that Lantian into mincemeat!"

"..."

That's even more cruel, you know...

Renji's lips curled into a wry smile: "Although I don't want to admit it, I... I believe you. I had been thinking about it ever since I arrived. Why would a man who would rather suffer heavy injuries and retreat than kill a single person go on to kill Captain Aizen? But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't figure it out, so I believe you!"

As he said this, his expression gradually turned serious, and his resolute gaze swept across the faces of Wu Biao and Ichigo: "The small talk should end here. Are you going to come at me one by one, or all at once?"

Wu Biao ignored him, still looking toward the direction behind and to the left of the group. He didn't know why, but he felt someone approaching at high speed from there, and that scent was reminding him every single moment...

It was one of his own kind!

"Brother Biao, what's wrong?" Ichigo noticed Wu Biao's strange behavior and couldn't help but feel puzzled. He wouldn't have found it strange once or twice, but Wu Biao kept looking in that direction. Could it be that he sensed something?

"Is there something over there?"

Renji, opposite them, raised an eyebrow and secretly tried to sense the direction.

"The scent of my own kind!" A bloodthirsty arc gradually curled at the corners of Wu Biao's mouth. A terrifying fighting spirit emerged from thin air, causing everyone's bodies to tense up involuntarily.

"This spiritual pressure... could it be..." Renji's pupils constricted.

Clang—

Wu Biao's body suddenly crouched down. The friction between his leg muscles actually produced a sound like rubber rubbing against rubber, and a voice filled with fighting spirit echoed in everyone's ears.

"That is... my opponent!"

The moment the words fell, Wu Biao's figure vanished from the spot without a sound. And just seconds after he disappeared, cracks appeared on the ground, centered on where he had been standing.

Boom—

With a thunderous explosion, a giant crater appeared, and the resulting shockwave blew Ganju and Hanataro away directly. Even Ichigo and Renji couldn't help but take several steps back in unison.

After steadying themselves, both of their expressions were filled with shock.

"Is he really a human?" Renji murmured, staring blankly at the spot where Wu Biao had vanished.

Several miles away from the battlefield of Renji Abarai and Ichigo Kurosaki, a figure was speeding across the tops of the buildings.

This figure was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Hmm?"

Kenpachi paused his steps, his gaze looking toward the direction of the Senzaikyu.

"Has it started? The opponent is Renji, huh? I wonder if it's that human who caused such a ruckus in the west last night!" After saying this, a savage grin curled his lips: "Well, even though he took down that girl from the 5th Division, if he can't defeat Renji, then he isn't worthy of being my opponent!"

"Yachiru, you can't even sense spiritual pressure, so how can you feel the battle from so far away?" Yachiru, who was lying on Kenpachi's back, poked her head out, her cute little face filled with confusion.

"Hmph, because I'm strong!"

"That's so weird!"

"Besides, if it weren't for your terrible directions, I might have run into that human Ryoka yesterday!" Kenpachi said with a look of dissatisfaction.

"It's clearly because you have no sense of direction, it's not my fault at all!"

"At the very least, I'm better than you... huh!" Kenpachi's pupils constricted, his words cut short, and in the next second, he flashed away from his original position.

Boom—

Almost the instant he left, a black shadow smashed down from high above onto the spot where he had been standing. The entire building collapsed, kicking up a sky full of dust and smoke!

"So it's you, the scent of my own kind!"

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(End of chapter)