Those words were like a spark, finally setting off the powder keg that was Kiganjo.
Before, he had still been thinking that he needed to rely on Natsuki, his vice-captain, to help handle some of the Division's affairs, so he had temporarily forgiven Natsuki and put up with some of his defiant behavior.
But now, after Natsuki had said something like that, Kiganjo Kenpachi could no longer tolerate him.
"Since you want to challenge me, I'll give you a quick death!"
As he spoke, he drew his Zanpakuto and released it.
"Devour everything! Yashagami!"
The Asauchi in his hand changed in an instant, becoming a massive, ring-pommeled greatsword. At the same time, an incredibly ferocious aura burst from Kiganjo Kenpachi.
Even if they disliked the man, the members of the 11th Division had to admit that Kiganjo Kenpachi was strong.
Facing the ferocious Kiganjo Kenpachi, Natsuki still showed no fear.
He hadn't witnessed Kiganjo's fight with Gosu Kenpachi, since he'd been carrying out a mission in Rukongai at the time. By the time he returned from Rukongai, all he heard was the news of Gosu's death.
But he knew Gosu's strength very well.
Gosu was no weakling. Otherwise, the Central 46 would never have appointed him the new captain of the 11th Division—not merely because he had previously been the vice-captain.
Natsuki didn't look down on Kiganjo Kenpachi just because, in the original story, Zaraki Kenpachi had cut him down. It was hardly surprising for someone like Zaraki, who only grew stronger against stronger opponents, to accomplish anything.
Besides, there were still many years to go before Zaraki Kenpachi arrived in the Seireitei, as he had in the original story.
In the original story, Kiganjo had held the title of Kenpachi for all those years without anyone taking it from him. That alone showed that his strength was extraordinary.
Over the years, Natsuki had grown much stronger. He had also gotten to know Yoruichi and learned many advanced Shunpo techniques from her.
Even so, since he hadn't yet learned Bankai, Natsuki wasn't sure if he could defeat Kiganjo Kenpachi. He didn't know whether Kiganjo had mastered Bankai, either.
But just as he hadn't been afraid when facing the powerful Azashiro Kenpachi, and had chosen to fight him regardless,
now, faced with Kiganjo Kenpachi's brutality,
Natsuki couldn't stand it for another moment.
Allowing a man like this to keep serving as Kenpachi was an insult to the 11th Division.
"Dye it scarlet! Scarlet Wish!"
Faced with Kiganjo Kenpachi's release of his Zanpakuto, Natsuki, for the first time, released his own in front of so many people.
Crimson mist began to rise.
Natsuki's figure flashed past in an instant. He unleashed the Shunpo techniques he had honed, and before Kiganjo Kenpachi could even react, Natsuki had appeared right in front of him, swinging his crimson blade.
The powerful swordsmanship he had learned from Unohana Retsu had given Natsuki exceptional Zanjutsu.
His life-or-death battles against the Quincy in the Human World had made him improve even faster.
Pfft!
Scarlet blood gushed from Kiganjo Kenpachi's chest, staining the white Haori he wore.
The crimson mist wasn't very dense, so although it made the surroundings look somewhat eerie, it didn't obstruct anyone's vision.
At the sight, the 11th Division members shuddered. Some of their eyes widened, while others narrowed.
Someone couldn't help exclaiming.
"Kiganjo Kenpachi... he's been wounded?"
"Vice-Captain Natsuki can actually do that?"
They were utterly shocked.
Because of their personal feelings, they had been very worried about Natsuki.
They hadn't expected that Natsuki would have the upper hand right from the start.
This made many of the lower-ranking officers start to entertain more thoughts.
"Maybe Vice-Captain Natsuki really can defeat Kiganjo Kenpachi and become the new Kenpachi."
Since the Kenpachi's unique succession ritual had been established, this was the first time a Shinigami of the 11th Division had hoped for the Kenpachi to lose and the challenger to win.
It was mainly because Kiganjo was so outrageous that he had turned everyone against him.
"You bastard, you're dead!"
Feeling the wound on his body, Kiganjo Kenpachi flew into a rage. He swung his ring-pommeled greatsword, and as it swept through the air, black Sword Pressure surged from it, taking on a grotesque, masklike shape as it sought to devour everything it touched.
Natsuki didn't use Shunpo to dodge.
When he chose to challenge Kiganjo Kenpachi, he had already decided to defeat this vile, repulsive man fairly and squarely.
The crimson mist vanished. In an instant, Natsuki absorbed all the Reishi in the area it had covered into his body. Then, like a catalyst, it drew forth the immense spiritual power within him. That power pierced through his body and became terrifying Reiatsu.
BOOM!
Kiganjo's Sword Pressure vanished the moment it touched the Reiatsu erupting from Natsuki.
Natsuki swung his blade and returned a blast of Sword Pressure.
Because he had released his Zanpakuto, the Sword Pressure that had been golden yellow while he was using his Asauchi changed to crimson. Compared with the open, righteous feel of the golden-yellow Sword Pressure, the crimson Sword Pressure carried a far more dangerous aura and exerted far greater pressure.
Faced with Natsuki's counterattack, Kiganjo Kenpachi curled his lip in disdain and swung his Zanpakuto to meet it.
But when his slash met Natsuki's, it didn't hold its ground as he'd expected. Instead, the Sword Pressure he unleashed was swallowed by Natsuki's, and the crimson blast instantly reached Kiganjo.
Kiganjo Kenpachi had no choice but to use Shunpo to dodge to the side.
It was true that he came from Rukongai, but after unexpectedly obtaining a Zanpakuto, Kiganjo had studied some of the Shinigami's combat techniques.
He couldn't use Ghost Way, of course.
But Shunpo wasn't particularly difficult. Once you understood how it worked, it was easy to learn. In the original story, Kurosaki Ichigo learned it in a single exchange.
Kiganjo could use Shunpo, too.
In the past, he had relied on his released Zanpakuto, Shunpo, and his considerable fighting ability to become the overlord of Rukongai. After arriving in the Seireitei and easily defeating Gosu Kenpachi, his arrogance had only grown. He had come to believe that Shinigami were nothing special.
But today, facing Natsuki, he had no choice but to dodge.
And Natsuki had already wounded him once.
That only made Kiganjo even angrier.
Natsuki could sense Kiganjo Kenpachi's fury, so he decided to cool him down a little.
After unleashing the crimson Sword Pressure, he also used Shunpo and appeared beside Kiganjo Kenpachi.
His Shunpo was faster than Kiganjo Kenpachi's. He flashed forward and swung his blade.
A battle for the Kenpachi title wasn't supposed to be a fight to the death. Anyone who defeated the current Kenpachi could become the new one. But since the title was tied to the captain's position and one's personal honor, both sides had to give it their all to protect that honor, and the battle often turned into a fight to the death.
If Natsuki had challenged Gosu, he might not have gone for the kill. But a man like Kiganjo was nothing but a menace. He was better off dead.
A sense of danger swept over him, and every hair on Kiganjo Kenpachi's body stood on end. He instinctively twisted aside to avoid Natsuki's slash and swung his massive ring-pommeled greatsword. Natsuki reached out and caught it with his bare hand, unconcerned that his palm might be injured.
With one hand, he held Kiganjo Kenpachi's Zanpakuto in place. With the other, he continued swinging his own.
Kiganjo finally had nowhere left to dodge.
Natsuki's slash carved a vicious wound across his massive body.
Another jet of blood spurted out.
"Bastard, I'll kill you!"
After being wounded again and again, Kiganjo Kenpachi had finally reached the end of his patience.
Ever since he had defeated Gosu and become Kenpachi, he had looked down on everyone.
After all, according to the rumors, Kenpachi was a title held only by the strongest Shinigami. He had become Kenpachi, which meant he was the strongest Shinigami.
Although he hadn't picked fights with the other Divisions because he still wasn't familiar with the Gotei 13, he considered himself the undisputed master and king of the 11th Division.
Yet now he had been wounded by a subordinate he looked down on. This insignificant bastard had dared to provoke him again and again. He couldn't tolerate it.
"Bankai—Shura Yasha Oni!"
An even more powerful Reiatsu erupted from Kiganjo Kenpachi, forcing Natsuki back.
Black Reiatsu enveloped Kiganjo. In an instant, Kiganjo Kenpachi's body grew much larger.
He was already a hulking man, but now he became even bigger, as if he had grown a full meter taller. Powerful Reiatsu swirled around him, some of it turning into black flames.
Hearing Kiganjo Kenpachi's furious words, the members of the 11th Division were shocked once more.
They knew all too well what "Bankai" meant.
Kiganjo Kenpachi had actually mastered Bankai. Could Vice-Captain Natsuki still win against him after he used it?
"So he really did master Bankai?" Natsuki had considered the possibility that Kiganjo Kenpachi had mastered Bankai. Not every Kenpachi was like Zaraki in the original story, unable even to release his Zanpakuto.
In fact, Gosu had mastered Bankai, too. It seemed he simply hadn't had a chance to use it before he died after underestimating Kiganjo's strength.
More than Kiganjo Kenpachi's Bankai, Natsuki was struck by his appearance.
Black flames floated around Kiganjo's body. His frame had grown to nearly three meters tall, and his once-heavyset body had become much more muscular. His face had turned grotesque, like that of a demonic Asura, and a pair of sharp fangs jutted from his mouth. The ring-pommeled greatsword in his hand had grown even larger and longer, and the demonic patterns on it looked more terrifying than ever.
A thick aura of bloodlust, mixed with powerful Reiatsu, poured from Kiganjo Kenpachi.
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