Defeat of Gosu, Kiganjo Kenpachi!

"I've walked all the way from the Rukon District, and I've heard that the Shinigamis of the Gotei 13 are all powerhouses, with the Captain of the 11th Division being the strongest among them. But now that I've seen you with my own eyes, you don't look all that strong to me, pal."

This was the usual gathering place for the many members of the 11th Division.

Under the watchful eyes of numerous 11th Division squad members, a tall, rugged, and ugly man wearing coarse cloth robes and holding a primitive Asauchi spoke with disdain toward Gosu Kenpachi, who stood in the center at the end of the formation.

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately incited the anger of many 11th Division members.

However, they did not swarm forward to attack this ugly man with the thick, bushy beard.

This was only because, upon arriving at the 11th Division, the man had already stated his purpose.

He was here to challenge the Kenpachi!

The title of Kenpachi is the most unique among all the captains of the Gotei 13.

The succession ceremony can only be conducted by challenging the Kenpachi; as long as you are powerful enough to defeat the incumbent, it does not matter if you were previously a registered Shinigami or what your background might be—you can become the new Kenpachi.

The origins of the first few generations of Kenpachi are lost to time.

But the previous generations of Kenpachi were all succeeded in this manner.

Only when it came to Gosu Kenpachi did some irregularities occur.

Because Azashiro Kenpachi had committed a grave crime and was imprisoned in Mukaden, Gosu Kenpachi was the only man to inherit the title of Kenpachi while serving as a lieutenant, without having to defeat his predecessor.

Even so, the members of the 11th Division held Gosu Kenpachi in high regard.

Beyond the fact that Gosu had served as the lieutenant of the 11th Division for many years and was an old acquaintance to everyone, it was also because in battle, Gosu Kenpachi was always the first to charge, leading the way for his subordinates.

Even if he was frequently injured as a result, he never seemed to care in the slightest.

Such masculine spirit made many members admire him immensely.

Of course, in the eyes of some veteran captains, this was another matter entirely.

That is to say, Gosu Kenpachi lacked sufficient strength.

Only those who lack strength get injured.

One must know that the two generations of Kenpachi before Gosu were different: one defeated a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande with his bare hands without sustaining a single scratch, while the other committed a great crime, escaped from several captains who were sent to apprehend him, and even killed the powerful Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.

Only Gosu was different.

In recent years, aside from the slaughter of the Quincy, no particularly powerful high-level Menos Grande had appeared in the Soul Society, yet Gosu had still been injured while facing such enemies.

However, since the man had become the Kenpachi, these things could only be thought of in the depths of one's heart; it was not appropriate to speak them aloud.

"You wish to challenge me?"

Having served as captain for several years, Gosu had gradually developed a bit of a captain's aura.

He wore the Captain Haori, and his otherwise unremarkable face gained a sense of majesty under the contrast of the garment.

Looking at the fierce, burly man standing among the squad members, he asked in a deep voice.

"That's right."

The burly man raised the Asauchi in his hand and grinned at Gosu Kenpachi, "So, let's have a satisfying fight. Let me see if you're really as strong as they say. If you aren't, then the title of Kenpachi belongs to me."

Gosu's gaze remained steady, and he did not speak.

After becoming the Kenpachi, he knew this was something he would eventually have to face.

The title of Kenpachi is both an honor and a responsibility.

As the one who bears the name of Kenpachi, he must be the first to charge into battle; only in this way can he boost morale and live up to the meaning contained within the title.

Likewise, as the successor of this honor, he must also face certain things.

For instance, accepting the challenges of others.

If he wins, it means he is worthy of bearing the title.

If he loses, it means he is not the strongest Shinigami and has no qualification to bear the name of Kenpachi.

Seeing that Gosu Kenpachi showed no intention of making a move, the fierce man grew impatient, "Hey, what's the meaning of this? If you don't want to accept the challenge, you might as well just hand the title over to me."

"Whether you accept my challenge or not, you should at least give me an answer."

Perhaps because he was surrounded by Shinigamis, even though the rules of the 11th Division succession prevented them from swarming him, the man—who was used to being arrogant and domineering in the Rukon District—felt a bit nervous under the gaze of so many Shinigamis. He reluctantly maintained a shred of decorum and did not attack Gosu Kenpachi without a word.

Just then, a low voice rang out.

"It seems I've arrived just in time."

Kyoraku Shunsui, Captain of the 8th Division, arrived belatedly.

After someone had defeated a few 11th Division Shinigamis and specifically requested to challenge the Kenpachi, an 11th Division member had immediately gone to the 8th Division to inform Kyoraku Shunsui of the situation.

Kyoraku Shunsui did not dally and hurried over to the scene.

He was not here to stop the fight, but to serve as a witness to it.

"Now that the witness has arrived, our battle can begin."

Gosu Kenpachi said to the fierce man.

"Tch, it should have started a long time ago."

The ferocious brute spoke, and in the next instant, he stomped his foot against the ground. Despite his tall, burly, and somewhat portly frame, his speed was immense; in a flash, he arrived before Gosu, his Asauchi swinging out violently.

A wave of sword pressure was released, sweeping toward Gosu.

Gosu's expression turned solemn as he drew his own Zanpakuto. Having received years of instruction from Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, his strength, while at the bottom tier among captains, still barely qualified him for the rank.

He, too, slashed out a wave of sword pressure.

BOOM!

The two waves of sword pressure collided, and the spirit particles transformed into a storm that spread in all directions. Many squad members felt the gale force hitting their faces, yet they didn't dare blink, watching the combatants in the arena with intense focus.

The two figures crossed paths, continuously swinging their Zanpakuto. Powerful Reiatsu surged into their blades, manifesting as sword pressure that the two men unleashed wantonly.

Kyoraku Shunsui, acting as a witness, was also observing this battle with great attention.

Deep down, he felt a sense of admiration.

The Rukon District truly is a place where talent emerges in droves!

Before coming here to witness the event, he had briefly looked into the background of the man challenging Kenpachi Gosu.

He hailed from the Rukon District and appeared to be a powerhouse who had long entrenched himself there.

Unable to endure the monotonous and boring life of the Rukon District, he had defeated the guards at the Seiryu Gate, entered the Seireitei, and then headed straight for the 11th Division to challenge the Kenpachi.

This was not without precedent.

The title of Kenpachi was not only extremely prestigious within the Seireitei; it held great fame outside, in the Rukon District. Furthermore, to encourage more powerhouses to come to the Seireitei and become Shinigamis, the unique Kenpachi Succession Ceremony was widely known.

After all, the strong love to fight.

Once they learned of the Kenpachi Succession Ceremony, it was inevitable that hidden powerhouses would choose to emerge from the shadows to challenge for the title and the privileges that came with the status. Even if the Kenpachi were defeated and the challenger became the new Kenpachi, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

After all, this unique succession ceremony was established precisely to filter for the strongest.

Kyoraku Shunsui continued to watch the battle unfold.

After a bout of swordsmanship, the brute from the Rukon District seemed to be falling behind. This was not surprising; after all, he was self-taught. Although he seemed to have stumbled upon a Shinigami's Zanpakuto and awakened it, granting him power equivalent to a Shinigami, he lacked systematic training in swordsmanship, making him inferior to Kenpachi Gosu in blade-to-blade combat.

However, his opponent was clearly not so easily defeated.

Powerful Reiatsu erupted from his body.

He let out a ferocious declaration: "Devour them all! Yashagami!"

As he spoke, the Asauchi in the brute's hand transformed into a massive ring-pommel saber. Along the back of the blade were numerous iron rings, and even more striking were the hideous demon patterns on the blade, identical to the "Yashagami" found in the folklore of the Human World.

Of course, in this world, no such thing as a Yashagami existed. Even if one did, its prototype was likely a uniquely shaped Hollow that had once harmed humans, been spotted by a human with spiritual power, and subsequently depicted in drawings, eventually becoming a legend through hearsay.

"Truly remarkable!"

Seeing this, Kyoraku Shunsui let out a strange exclamation.

A self-taught Shinigami who had been wandering the Rukon District—he hadn't expected him to have mastered Shikai. He wondered just how many such individuals existed who had accidentally obtained a Shinigami's Zanpakuto, awakened it, and continued to drift through the Rukon District.

Though he sighed, he was not truly astonished.

After all, mastering the Shikai of a Zanpakuto was different from learning Ghost Way or other techniques; as long as one could hear the voice of the Zanpakuto, it could be achieved. In fact, there were many students at the Shino Academy who mastered Shikai shortly after enrollment.

Of course, there were also many Shinigamis who failed to master Shikai even after many years.

The battle continued.

After releasing his Zanpakuto, the brute charged at Gosu once more.

After the release, the opponent did not display any particularly bizarre abilities; clearly, his Zanpakuto was of the direct-attack type, not the Ghost Way type.

But after Gosu swung his Asauchi to clash with him, the result changed.

This time, Gosu, relying on his profound swordsmanship, failed to gain the upper hand.

After his opponent's Zanpakuto was released, his power surged, and the massive ring-pommel saber possessed terrifying strength.

BOOM!

Gosu was forced to retreat. Facing the brute whose power had skyrocketed after releasing his Zanpakuto, he also released his own.

"Pierce! Suzumebari!"

A sharp, piercing cry rang out. The Zanpakuto in Gosu's hand transformed into a long spear, which he then manipulated to thrust suddenly toward the brute.

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

As a spear, it logically possessed greater lethality than the ring-pommel saber, and its length gave it a distinct advantage.

However, when the two finally clashed, the outcome was shocking.

"Weakling, remember: the one who killed you is named Kiganjo Kenji!"

Blood sprayed out. Gosu's body collapsed to the ground, dead.

There was a piercing wound on Kiganjo's body as well, but he did not fall.