Kenpachi's Battle, Kido Castle's Trump Card!

This sentence was like a spark, finally and completely igniting the powder keg that was Kiganjo.

If he had previously been thinking that he still needed to rely on Natsuki, his lieutenant, to handle the division's affairs—and thus had temporarily forgiven Natsuki and tolerated his acts of insubordination—

Then now, after Natsuki uttered those words, Kiganjo Kenpachi could finally tolerate it no longer.

"Since you want to challenge this lord, I shall grant you a quick end!"

As he spoke, he drew his Zanpakuto and immediately released it.

"Devour everything! Yashagami!"

The Asauchi in his hand changed instantly, transforming into a massive, ring-pommeled broadsword. At the same time, a fierce and ferocious aura erupted from Kiganjo Kenpachi.

Even though they disliked the man, the members of the 11th Division had to admit that Kiganjo Kenpachi was a powerhouse.

Facing the ferociously imposing Kiganjo Kenpachi, Natsuki remained devoid of fear.

He had been on a mission in the Rukon District when the opponent fought Gosu Kenpachi, so he had not witnessed it; by the time he returned, all he heard was the news of Gosu's death.

But he knew Gosu's strength well.

He was not weak; otherwise, the Central 46 would not have appointed him as the new captain of the 11th Division, and it was not merely because he had been the lieutenant previously.

Natsuki did not look down on Kiganjo Kenpachi just because he was killed by Zaraki Kenpachi in the original history; for someone like Zaraki who grew stronger in the face of adversity, it was no surprise that he could achieve anything.

Not to mention that it was still many years before Zaraki Kenpachi would arrive in the Seireitei as depicted in the original work.

In the original story, Kiganjo had served as Kenpachi for so many years without being unseated, which in itself proved that his strength was extraordinary.

Over these years, Natsuki's strength had progressed rapidly, and having become acquainted with Yoruichi, he had learned many peak-level Shunpo techniques from her.

Yet even so, because he had not yet mastered Bankai, Natsuki was unsure if he could defeat Kiganjo Kenpachi, nor did he know if Kiganjo had mastered Bankai himself.

But just as he had not feared the powerful Azashiro Kenpachi when he chose to fight him, he felt the same now.

Facing the atrocities of Kiganjo Kenpachi, Natsuki could not endure it for another moment.

Continuing to allow such a person to serve as Kenpachi was an insult to the 11th Division.

"Infect! Scarlet Wish!"

Facing Kiganjo Kenpachi's release, Natsuki also unleashed his Zanpakuto in front of so many people for the first time.

Crimson mist surged forth.

Natsuki's figure flickered and vanished in an instant. Utilizing his refined Shunpo, he appeared before Kiganjo Kenpachi before the man could even react, his crimson blade swinging.

The powerful swordsmanship learned from Unohana Retsu granted Natsuki a highly advanced level of blade technique.

Especially the life-and-death struggles against the Quincy in the Human World, which had allowed Natsuki to progress with incredible speed.

Puff!

Scarlet blood gushed from Kiganjo Kenpachi's chest, staining the white haori he wore.

Even with the crimson mist, because it was not dense, it only made the environment appear slightly eerie without obscuring anyone's vision.

Seeing this scene, the members of the 11th Division were all shaken, their pupils either dilating or constricting.

Some could not help but cry out.

"Kiganjo Kenpachi... he's injured?"

"Lieutenant Natsuki is actually capable of this?"

Shock, profound shock.

Because of their personal loyalties, they had been very worried for Natsuki.

They had not expected that in the very first exchange, it would be Natsuki who held the upper hand.

This caused many of the lower-ranking squad members to harbor new thoughts.

"Perhaps Lieutenant Natsuki really can defeat Kiganjo Kenpachi and become the new Kenpachi."

This was the first time since the inception of the unique Kenpachi succession ritual that Shinigamis of the 11th Division hoped for the Kenpachi to fall and for the challenger to win.

It was primarily because Kiganjo was simply too outrageous and had lost the hearts of his men.

"You bastard, you truly deserve to die!"

Feeling the wound on his body, Kiganjo Kenpachi flew into a rage. He swung his ring-pommeled broadsword, and as he did, a black Sword Pressure surged forth. The pressure was hideous, seemingly manifesting as a ghostly face, intent on devouring any enemy it touched.

Natsuki did not use Shunpo to dodge.

When he chose to challenge Kiganjo Kenpachi, he had decided to defeat this vile and disgusting man in a straightforward, honorable manner.

The crimson mist vanished. In an instant, all the Reishi in the area covered by the mist was absorbed into Natsuki's body. Then, acting like a catalyst, it ignited the immensely powerful spiritual power within him. The energy pierced through his body, transforming into a terrifying Reiatsu.

BOOM!!

Kiganjo's Sword Pressure dissipated the moment it touched the Reiatsu erupting from Natsuki.

Natsuki swung his blade, returning a strike of Sword Pressure to Kiganjo.

Because he had released his Zanpakuto, the golden Sword Pressure from his Asauchi state had transformed into a crimson hue. Compared to the righteous and bright feeling of the golden pressure, the crimson Sword Pressure carried a much more dangerous aura, capable of exerting a far more oppressive force.

Facing the Sword Pressure Natsuki countered with, Kiganjo Kenpachi wore a look of disdain as he swung his Zanpakuto to meet the attack.

However, when his strike collided with Natsuki's, it did not result in the stalemate he had imagined. Instead, his own Sword Pressure was swallowed by Natsuki's, and the crimson energy surged instantly toward Kiganjo.

Kiganjo Kenpachi was forced to use Shunpo to dodge to the side.

Although he hailed from the Rukon District, Kiganjo had studied various Shinigami combat techniques after accidentally obtaining his Zanpakuto.

He certainly did not know how to use Ghost Way.

But Shunpo was not actually difficult; as long as one understood the principle, it was easy to learn. In the original story, Kurosaki Ichigo had mastered it in a single encounter.

Naturally, Kiganjo knew how to use Shunpo as well.

In the past, he had relied on his released Zanpakuto, Shunpo, and his formidable combat prowess to become the overlord of the Rukon District. After arriving at the Seireitei and easily defeating Gosu Kenpachi, his arrogance had only grown, leading him to believe that Shinigamis were nothing special.

Yet today, facing Natsuki, he was forced to retreat.

Not to mention that Natsuki had already wounded him earlier.

This only fueled Kiganjo's rage.

Natsuki sensed the fury radiating from Kiganjo Kenpachi, so he prepared to help him cool down.

After unleashing the crimson Sword Pressure, he also utilized Shunpo to appear right beside Kiganjo Kenpachi.

His Shunpo was faster than Kiganjo Kenpachi's; he flashed forward and swung his blade.

A battle between Kenpachis was not necessarily a fight to the death; one only needed to defeat the current Kenpachi to become the next. However, because it concerned the status of a Captain and personal honor, both sides were forced to give their all to defend that pride, often turning the duel into a fight for survival.

If Natsuki had been challenging Gosu, he might not have dealt a lethal blow, but someone like Kiganjo was merely a blight; it was better for him to die.

As a dangerous aura descended, the hair on Kiganjo Kenpachi's body stood on end. He instinctively twisted his body to avoid the strike, while simultaneously swinging his massive ring-pommel blade. Natsuki reached out and caught the weapon with his bare hand, completely unconcerned about the potential injury to his palm.

While controlling Kiganjo Kenpachi's Zanpakuto with one hand, he continued to swing his own blade with the other.

Kiganjo finally had nowhere left to hide.

Natsuki's blade left a gruesome wound across his bulky torso.

Another spray of blood erupted from the cut.

"You little rat, I'm going to kill you!"

Having been wounded repeatedly, Kiganjo Kenpachi finally reached his breaking point.

Since defeating Gosu and becoming Kenpachi, he had looked down on everything.

After all, rumor had it that Kenpachi was a title reserved for the strongest Shinigami; since he had become Kenpachi, he was the strongest.

Although he was not yet familiar enough with the Gotei 13 to provoke the other divisions, he considered himself the undisputed master and king of the 11th Division.

Yet, he had been wounded by a subordinate he despised. A mere rat dared to provoke him time and again; he could not tolerate it.

"Bankai—Shura Yasha Oni!"

An increasingly powerful Reiatsu erupted from Kiganjo Kenpachi, forcing Natsuki to step back.

Black Reiatsu enveloped Kiganjo, and in an instant, his body grew significantly larger.

He was already a massive man, but now he grew even larger, appearing to tower an extra meter in height. Powerful Reiatsu swirled around his body, some of it manifesting as black flames.

Upon hearing Kiganjo Kenpachi's furious shout, the members of the 11th Division felt a jolt of shock.

They knew all too well what a "Bankai" was.

Kiganjo Kenpachi had actually mastered Bankai. Could Lieutenant Natsuki still win against a Kiganjo Kenpachi who had unleashed his Bankai?

So he really did master Bankai. Natsuki had considered the possibility that Kiganjo Kenpachi might have mastered Bankai; not all Kenpachis were like Zaraki from the original story, who couldn't even release his Zanpakuto.

In fact, the previous Kenpachi, Gosu, had also mastered Bankai, but he had died before he could use it because he underestimated Kiganjo's strength.

Beyond the fact that Kiganjo Kenpachi had unleashed his Bankai, his current appearance also caught Natsuki's attention.

Black flames floated in the air around Kiganjo's body. He had grown to nearly three meters tall, and his once-flabby frame had become much more muscular. His face had turned hideous, resembling a Shura demon, with a pair of sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. In his hand, his original ring-pommel blade had grown larger and longer, and the demon patterns upon it had become increasingly terrifying.

A thick, malevolent aura, mixed with overwhelming Reiatsu, radiated from Kiganjo Kenpachi.