In the Soul Society, All He Wants Is to Coast into Retirement

"Boom!!!"

Zendouji Yuuhin slammed a palm directly onto the ground. The earth shattered inch by inch beneath his strike, cracks spreading in every direction like a spiderweb!

"What kind of monster is this? That strength is terrifying!" Yamabuki Chidori's face went green. Why did he keep running into all these monsters in the Soul Society?

Calm down, calm down. If I risk my life, I'm not without a chance of winning. Besides, he's just a scientist. His combat experience might not be that impressive!

Yamabuki Chidori stepped in midair, activating Flash Step. At the same time, he gripped his sword with both hands and struck in an instant.

He had given his swordsmanship a very cool name: Flash Blossom.

In the instant he flashed, the enemy's blood would bloom like flowers!

Yamabuki Chidori instantly appeared behind Zendouji Yuuhin. The flesh on Zendouji Yuuhin's shoulder burst open, blood pouring out!

Seeing that his opponent was injured, Yamabuki Chidori secretly rejoiced. Sure enough, the gap between his strength and captain-class opponents was no longer that great. Against a scientist like Zendouji Yuuhin, someone who was not skilled at combat, he was not without a chance.

"Hm? What a fast sword. Interesting!" Zendouji Yuuhin paid no attention whatsoever to his injuries. Instead, he strode toward Yamabuki Chidori. "Now I want even more to turn you into a test subject! Be good, don't run!"

"Screw you, you dead pervert!" Yamabuki Chidori used the same move again, this time aiming for Zendouji Yuuhin's thigh. The other man's Flash Step was formidable. If his leg was injured, his speed would definitely suffer.

Sure enough, the second strike successfully injured his thigh.

But Yamabuki Chidori sensed something off. His opponent had not dodged at all. It was as though he had been waiting for Yamabuki Chidori to cut him.

What did that mean? Was he looking down on him?

Third strike!

This time, Yamabuki Chidori aimed for Zendouji Yuuhin's chest. A monster like this might not die even if stabbed once. He would beat him into submission first.

Zendouji Yuuhin did not dodge at all. With a ferocious grin, he used his chest to block the blade.

"Pfft!"

Blood sprayed as Yamabuki Chidori's blade accurately pierced Zendouji Yuuhin's chest. Yet the expressions on their faces could not have been more different.

Zendouji Yuuhin was still smiling.

The smile had vanished from Yamabuki Chidori's face.

"You've got to be kidding me!!!" Yamabuki Chidori gripped the sword with both hands and desperately drove it into his opponent's chest. But the tip penetrated less than an inch before the body beneath the skin and fat felt like steel. No matter how hard he pushed, he could not make the Zanpakuto advance another fraction.

"I thought you were some kind of expert! Turns out you're just a little punk!" Zendouji Yuuhin dug at his ear with a bored expression, completely ignoring the blade lodged in his chest. The scene was utterly bizarre.

"Done playing? If you are, then die!" Zendouji Yuuhin's expression instantly turned savage as he threw down a fierce punch!

Before the fist even came close, the wind it generated made Yamabuki Chidori unable to breathe. If that punch landed, he would either die or be crippled.

What kind of monster was this?!

Yamabuki Chidori retreated at top speed, but Zendouji Yuuhin was no slower. He stuck to him like a maggot to bone and threw another punch!

Damn it, I can't dodge!

Yamabuki Chidori watched helplessly as the fist came down. With no other choice, he could only raise his Zanpakuto to block.

"Boom!!!!"

The punch kicked up a huge cloud of dust. Zendouji Yuuhin frowned. That did not feel like the sensation of crushing someone into pulp with one punch. When the dust cleared, he was surprised to find that Yamabuki Chidori had actually blocked his punch head-on with his sword.

His fist had even been cut open by the blade, blood dripping down.

"Now this is interesting!" Zendouji Yuuhin laughed loudly.

But Yamabuki Chidori could no longer laugh. The force of that punch far exceeded his expectations. Every bone in his body creaked and groaned from the impact, and his internal organs had been shaken as well. If he did not heal himself quickly, he was in trouble!

"I only used fifty percent of my strength in that punch! Now I'm going all out. Let's see how you block this!" Zendouji Yuuhin sneered, steadily increasing the force in his hand. Yamabuki Chidori held his blade overhead with both hands as the ground beneath his feet continued collapsing.

"Fuck! Am I really going to die at the hands of this fatty?!" Yamabuki Chidori squeezed every last bit of strength from his body and resisted with all he had.

Zendouji Yuuhin had thought he could easily crush his opponent into pulp, but under his continuous pressure, Yamabuki Chidori's Reiatsu actually kept rising!

"Hm? What's going on?" Zendouji Yuuhin had no idea.

Yamabuki Chidori could also feel his Reiatsu continually rising under the immense external pressure.

"So that's how it is. I really am the Child of Destiny!" Yamabuki Chidori flashed a savage grin as well. He gripped the hilt with his right hand, braced the back of the blade against the left side of his back, and used his back strength to contend with Zendouji Yuuhin's power, freeing his left hand.

"Hadō #88, Dragon of Thunder!"

Golden-blue light erupted from his hand and struck Zendouji Yuuhin squarely in his huge belly. Blasted by Hadō #88, Zendouji Yuuhin's massive body flew dozens of meters away, smashing through a whole cluster of houses!

Once Yamabuki Chidori escaped his opponent's restraint, his entire body relaxed. He hurriedly used Kido to heal his injuries.

"Looks like I'm not incapable of defeating him! His strength and speed are both incredible, but his technique is inferior to mine. As long as I keep attacking him with my Zanpakuto, keep wounding him, he'll bleed to death eventually! Hahaha, the advantage is mine!" For the first time, Yamabuki Chidori had driven back a captain-class opponent head-on, and his confidence soared.

Meanwhile, the Reiatsu inside him was rapidly increasing, already very close to captain-class.

"Boom!!!"

Zendouji Yuuhin rose from the rubble, glaring viciously at Yamabuki Chidori. Sure enough, Hadō #88 had failed to inflict any real damage. It had only torn his clothes.

"Kid, you're getting more and more interesting. Your Reiatsu can actually rise when you're driven into a corner! Haha! Then I'll make you even more desperate!" Zendouji Yuuhin took a pill from his clothes, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp.

The wounds on his body healed at a visible rate. Yamabuki Chidori's newly devised battle plan fell apart before he could even put it into action!

"Kid, round two begins. Don't die too fast!" Zendouji Yuuhin charged forward with wild laughter.

Yamabuki Chidori VS Zendouji Yuuhin: Of Course He Gets Crushed

Since a battle of attrition would not work, Yamabuki Chidori would have to use technique to overcome strength. His technique was better than the other man's, so the advantage was still his!

Zendouji Yuuhin stomped both feet on the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. But this time, his attack methods were completely different. His right hand took the offense, hammering and striking in rapid succession, while his left hand handled defense, blocking blades and using grapples. The sophistication of his boxing could rival Shunshun Shidō's.

Fuck!

Weren't you supposed to be a brute?

You actually know technique?

You have no martial honor!

Or was it...

Had you never taken me seriously from the start?

"Flash Blossom!"

Flash Step and the two-handed sword strike activated again. This time, however, Zendouji Yuuhin's left hand accurately pinched the edge of the Zanpakuto's blade.

Yamabuki Chidori felt as though his sword had been embedded in an iron mountain. No matter how hard he pulled, it would not move an inch!

Almost at the same moment, Zendouji Yuuhin's right fist came crashing toward him!

This time, Yamabuki Chidori could not use his Zanpakuto to defend. Left with no choice, he could only abandon his sword.

"Old man Yamamoto, I didn't expect the boxing you taught me to come in handy so soon! Secret Art of Hand-to-Hand Combat, Twin Bone!"

Yamabuki Chidori threw both fists forward, concentrating all his strength into them. In an instant, he unleashed a sonic boom!

"Bang!!!"

Two deep dents immediately appeared in Zendouji Yuuhin's belly, sending his huge body flying away once more!

However, Yamabuki Chidori had only knocked him back. He had not caused Zendouji Yuuhin any substantive injury.

He's way too tanky!

Back when he played games, Yamabuki Chidori had hated laning against tanks the most. But the tank before him was not only absurdly durable, with ridiculous damage and extraordinary agility, he also had insane recovery. How the hell was he supposed to play this? Could he report the other side for cheating?

Zendouji Yuuhin swung the sword twice and said with a bored expression, "I don't like toothpick-sized swords like this. Here, take it back!"

With that, he assumed the posture of throwing a shot put, then violently hurled it forward.

Propelled by terrifying strength, the Zanpakuto flew toward him like lightning. Yamabuki Chidori did not dare catch it with his hand. His opponent's power was too frightening. If he grabbed the hilt one-handed, his wrist might dislocate. He leaped up and kicked the back of the blade hard, sending the Zanpakuto into the sky. Boosted by two opposing forces, it spun upward through the air. Only after Yamabuki Chidori confirmed that most of the force on the sword had been dispersed did he reach out and seize the hilt.

"I didn't expect you to be such a tough little brat! But... hehehe! I still have a trump card!" Zendouji Yuuhin sneered as he took out a black pill from his clothes and tossed it into his mouth, chewing it loudly.

If not for those pills, Yamabuki Chidori would never have believed that this nimble fatty was actually a scientist. Just how much research funding did you embezzle to eat yourself into this shape?

Very quickly, Zendouji Yuuhin's body began to change. Every bone in his body cracked and popped. The fat covering his body actually transformed into muscle, and he grew even taller.

If Zendouji Yuuhin had originally been a savage boar, he had now become a terrifying brown bear!

"Physique Enhancement Pill! This is my proudest masterpiece!" Zendouji Yuuhin laughed uproariously. "Bean sprout, the game is over!"

In an instant, Zendouji Yuuhin's body vanished. No, he had not vanished. His speed had simply surpassed Yamabuki Chidori's sensory limits!

"Boom!!!!!!"

A sonic boom erupted above Yamabuki Chidori's head. Under that terrifying pressure, his Reiatsu rose once more. He could feel that only a wall remained between him and true captain-class. As long as he could break through that wall, he would successfully advance.

This time, Zendouji Yuuhin did not attack with his fists. He spread his arms wide, intending to pull Yamabuki Chidori into an embrace and squeeze him to death.

As his Reiatsu rose, all of Yamabuki Chidori's senses improved along with it. At the instant Zendouji Yuuhin launched his attack, he finally saw his opponent's movements clearly.

"Your chest is wide open! You're asking for death!"

Yamabuki Chidori raised the tip of his sword and stabbed it into Zendouji Yuuhin's throat!

Zendouji Yuuhin's neck was wrapped in muscles like a suit of armor. He neither dodged nor avoided the attack, directly using his neck to withstand the sharp blade as he continued walking forward, laughing all the while.

Yamabuki Chidori tightly gripped the hilt with his right hand and pressed against the pommel with his left, desperately pushing forward. Yet the blade tip could only pierce Zendouji Yuuhin's skin. It could not penetrate those steel-like muscles at all.

This nimble fatty had become a monster impervious to blades and bullets!

"What kind of black tech is this?!" Veins bulged across Yamabuki Chidori's arms! Strength, speed, recovery, defense, destructive power—everything had reached an astonishing level. Most importantly, this monster was fundamentally still a scientist. This was fucking ridiculous!

"Weak! Too weak!" Zendouji Yuuhin laughed madly as his fist smashed down. Yamabuki Chidori retreated again and again. Though his Reiatsu was still rising, it could not keep up with the rate at which his opponent's combat power was increasing. At this rate, he was screwed!

Zendouji Yuuhin was like a heavily armored tank that could soar through the sky and dive into the sea. Even his technique was no weaker than Yamabuki Chidori's. Yamabuki Chidori had no options left.

"Hey! My dear Blade Spirit, shouldn't you be telling me your name by now? If you don't tell me soon, I'm going to get beaten to death. With your abilities, beating this fatty shouldn't be a problem, right?" Yamabuki Chidori shouted at the Blade Spirit.

But at this critical moment, the Blade Spirit did not say a word, as though it had fallen asleep.

"You still dare space out? Are you looking down on me that much, bean sprout?" After taking the Physique Enhancement Pill, not only had Zendouji Yuuhin's strength and defense risen enormously, but his speed and brain reaction speed had increased drastically too. A heavy tank that ran faster than a jet fighter—how was anyone supposed to play against that? Tell me, how was he supposed to play?

To Zendouji Yuuhin, Yamabuki Chidori's speed looked like slow motion. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and his enormous body instantly appeared behind Yamabuki Chidori.

Though Yamabuki Chidori's sensory nerves could detect that the enemy had arrived behind him, his body simply could not react in time. Although he turned around as fast as possible, it was already too late to dodge or block the attack.

If this punch came down, hopefully Gen'en Kinra could piece his corpse back together.

"Smack!!!"

With a deafening crack, Zendouji Yuuhin's fist stopped right in front of him. The violent wind from the punch blasted against his face, warping his flesh.

Of course, Zendouji Yuuhin had not stopped because he was showing mercy, but because...

Katoru Hatsunoya's naginata and Gen'en Kinra's sword crossed together, jointly blocking Zendouji Yuuhin's fierce attack!

"You two... finally came back!!!" Yamabuki Chidori was so excited that he wanted to throw himself into Katoru Hatsunoya's arms and act spoiled rotten to show his gratitude.

My Teammates Are Here, So I'm Standing Tall Again

Zendouji Yuuhin's face twisted viciously. These two could actually block one of his punches. They had some skill!

"In front of me, it makes no difference how many people come!" Zendouji Yuuhin reached out and grabbed at Katoru Hatsunoya.

Katoru Hatsunoya lowered her head, easily dodging the sudden attack. Then she drove a fierce kick into Zendouji Yuuhin's huge belly.

"My steel muscles are invinci—pfft..." Zendouji Yuuhin had thought these two were about as strong as Yamabuki Chidori, but once they exchanged blows, he found reality completely different from what he had imagined.

This woman was ruthless!

That seemingly ordinary kick sent force directly through his muscles and into his organs. Zendouji Yuuhin felt his internal organs twisting in agony, cold sweat covering his forehead.

Suddenly, silvery sword light flashed across his vision, forcing him to squint and raise an arm to block it. Then pain exploded in his arm. When he opened his eyes, he saw that a patch of skin had been stripped from it!

Gen'en Kinra leisurely wiped his sword. "Your muscles may be strong, but your skin can hardly reach the same level of toughness. My swordsmanship was made specifically for skinning!"

For the first time, Zendouji Yuuhin felt nervous. Just who were these two?

Katoru Hatsunoya swung her naginata at his ankle. Zendouji Yuuhin stomped both feet on the ground, sending his enormous body into a three-thousand-six-hundred-degree spin in midair before landing steadily. But his enemies were faster. Gen'en Kinra's sword was like a needle, instantly piercing through his prized steel muscles and giving them a slight twist. The excruciating pain drove him mad!

Katoru Hatsunoya swung her blade down from midair toward Zendouji Yuuhin's shoulder.

"This woman shouldn't be stronger than me! Even if I use one hand against her two, the advantage should still be mine!" Zendouji Yuuhin opened his huge hand and directly grabbed the naginata.

But the next second, he discovered that the immense force of the naginata had bent his hand backward. At the same time, the naginata cut into his shoulder, blood pouring freely.

Zendouji Yuuhin gritted his teeth. With no choice, he seized the naginata with his other hand and violently flung it aside, barely managing to throw Katoru Hatsunoya away. But Gen'en Kinra's sword pierced through the muscles in Zendouji Yuuhin's neck!